Trent R. Nelson speaks with Michelle Ownbey, publisher of the Springfield Business Journal and Illinois Times, about the latest happenings in the Springfield business community and all of the relevant bits fit for the greater community to learn about.

Topics Discussed In This Interview:

• The wait is almost over for fans of Wm. Van's Coffee House, with the relocated and revamped coffee shop scheduled to open at 7 a.m. on Friday, April 19, in Vinegar Hill Mall.

   

• The Railyard has reopened for the season, following a brief opening last November.

   

• A greenhouse in Scott County, fifty miles west of Springfield, is drawing national attention for a self-serve operation in a small building that is addressing the issue of rural American food deserts.

   

• Doubling the BOS Center's size would result in a similar increase in conventions coming to the capital city, and construction of a new 300-bed hotel adjacent to the center is needed, according to a recently completed feasibility study of the potential impact of a newly formed tourism improvement district on downtown Springfield.

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