It’s been a little over a year since PNC Bank foreclosed on the former Sangamo Club and so far, there have been no takers to repurpose the downtown property, despite significant price reductions since it was first listed for sale.

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 Illinois Housing Development Authority has announced the conditional award of more than $50 million in state and federal funding to spur the development of permanent supportive housing throughout Illinois. Of the seven statewide projects slated to receive funding, one is in Springfield and one is in Jacksonville.

• Renovations have begun on a downtown building that is slated to become a coffee shop, bakery and wine bar.

• Ward 5 Ald. Lakeisha Purchase is putting her money where her mouth is and launching her own business downtown in a newly renovated building after years of encouraging other entrepreneurs to invest in the area.

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