Mississippi News
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Convicted drug dealer 'Super Dave' sentenced
Clarionledger.comThe Associated Press
 George Clark/Hattiesburg American Deputy U.S. Marshall Melanie Rube escorts David Warner into the U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg for sentencing today. |
HATTIESBURG — David Warner, a man labeled by federal authorities as a major drug supplier, was sentenced today to 22-1/2 years in prison by a federal judge.
U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett also placed Warner on five years supervised parole once he is released from prison.
Warner pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of 330 pounds of cocaine in March 2006.
Warner was on the U.S. Marshals Service's 15 Most Wanted Fugitives list when he was captured without incident in Toluca, Mexico, in July 2005. Mexican authorities said Warner had been living in a gated community about 35 miles from Mexico City.
Warner had been on the run since authorities raided his Jefferson Davis County mansion in June 2004. During that raid, six suspects were arrested and guns, cash and drugs were seized.
Prosecutors said Warner was the head of a drug operation that distributed almost 9 tons of marijuana and more than 1,100 pounds of cocaine throughout central Mississippi and into Alabama and Tennessee.
Federal authorities said Warner had a lavish lifestyle that included expensive cars, horses, jewelry and boats and ran his drug operation from his 5,100-square-foot mansion west of Prentiss. The operation distributed large quantities of cocaine and marijuana to Mobile, Memphis, Jackson and Hattiesburg, authorities said following the raid.
Warner pleaded guilty March 22, 2006, and agreed to forfeit $62,034 and his 20-acre estate and luxury home, according to a Hattiesburg American article
Downtown Development Underway
Courtesy of The Clarion LedgerA huge new development is underway in Rankin County, just south of
the shopping centers along Highway 25 at Old Fannin Road.
the shopping centers along Highway 25 at Old Fannin Road.
It will be, at least, a 425-million dollar development that will take an
estimated five years to complete. The dirt work is well underway for
two projects known as Market Street and Flowood Town Center. Five
home builders will be building 100 homes a year here.
The initial phase will include 216 residential lots, 220 condos, and over
500-thousand square feet of office and retail space. J.C. Penny and
Dick's Sporting Goods will be among the retailers moving in here.
The new Flowood City Hall will be in the center of the new Flowood Town
Center.
Submitted by D.Nasty
Burlington opens store today
- Mall officials and customers welcome new anchor to Metrocenter
By Kevin Richardson
Courtesy of Clarionledger.com
J.D. Schwalm/The Clarion-Ledger
Metrocenter is performing several upgrades with the addition of landscaping and paving near the Burlington store.
FAST FACTS
Employees: 101
Stores: 2 in Mississippi; around 350 nationally
Size: 88,000 square feet
Items: 250,000
Opens: 10 a.m. today
Smoothing roads, sprucing up sidewalks and packing gift bags continued Thursday as Metrocenter prepared for today's opening of a new anchor store.Burlington Coat Factory will open at 10 a.m. today in a space that has been vacant since April 1999.Inside the 88,000-square-foot store this week, employees were being trained on store policies, setting up metal clothing racks and completing paperwork. "(Thursday) is going to be a busy day," Michael Crawford, regional merchandising trainer for the retailer, said about the last day before the opening.Burlington's 100 employees have spent the last three weeks logging inventory, unloading boxes, setting up fixtures and placing about 250,000 items on display in the store. Normally, it takes six weeks to set up a store, Crawford said. "Our crew has been working from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.," he said.The retailer also has about 25 employees from other stores in the region training workers and assisting with the final push.A couple stepped inside Burlington on Wednesday ready to shop, only to learn they had to wait until today."We have had people trying to come into the store through the fire exits," store manager Gail Young said.Sharee Lucius, marketing manager for Metrocenter, said shoppers have stopped construction workers to learn about the store.Coast Ink, a custom embroidery and silkscreen shop, sits outside Burlington's entrance to the mall."I can see the difference (in business) as the days get closer to the opening," shop owner Cartez Pollard said Wednesday. "Every day, I have to tell somebody that they are not open," he said.The store originally was scheduled to open in October."We wanted to get into the market as soon as possible," said Todd Brawner, Burlington Coat Factory regional vice president for the southeast.Burlington Coat Factory fills the bottom floor of the old Gayfers department store that closed in 1999, shortly after being purchased by Dillard's. Dillard's pulled out of its Metrocenter anchor store in 2004 leaving the mall with two empty anchors. "We hope adding Burlington Coat Factory to Belk and Sears brings other tenants," Lucius said.Nina Holbrook, executive director of the Metrocenter Area Coalition, said the anchor store has garnered interest from other retailers in the second-floor Metro Marketplace. Her group is working with Southeast Properties to recruit shops to the space."We have a lot of good prospects. Right now, we're trying to decide what we want to do," Holbrook said. The options are essentially lease the space to one, large tenant or up to seven, smaller tenants.Holbrook said there likely will be a decision in about a month. Either way, the space will be devoted to retail."We've got to get our sales tax dollars back in the city of Jackson, and retail is what we have to have to do it," she said.Burlington is seen as a major boost for the mall and the south Jackson area, which has seen businesses shutter their doors or leave for suburban locations in the last decade."For the mall, it is about a mix of retailers to draw a diverse customer market," said Daniel Butler, vice president of merchandising and retail operations for the National Retail Federation. He said as retailers leave, mall managers assess the client base that remains and work to find stores that better serve those clients.The area's changing demographics and perceptions of crime also cooled business at Metrocenter. Precinct 2 Commander Lee Vance said police will do whatever is needed to augment the mall's security or that of Burlington Coat Factory. A police substation is located inside the mall. "We try to keep three officers assigned up there," Vance said. "And, of course, the services that are already in place will be extended to Burlington just like it would all the other businesses there."The mall, which is the largest in the state, was once Mississippi's premiere shopping destination. But development of Northpark in Ridgeland and Dogwood Festival in Flowood has siphoned many of the national retailers. "Regional enclosed malls are having great troubles around the country," said George Whelin, president of a retail consulting firm. A shopping center must remain compelling for the consumer, Whelin said. "If not, they are going to leave."He said a lot of the malls have not made upgrades and that causes them to lose tenants. But the tide could be changing for Metrocenter."Our general manager and leasing team have spoken with five different (national) retailers about locating in the mall," Lucius said."Some names we have seen before," she said of the specialty stores that have visited the property.She also said mall management is continuing efforts to upgrade the facility. "We are looking at everything," she said.Customers have asked for more choices in the food court, women's apparel and children's clothing stores.Burlington Coat Factory is a retailer that sells clothing for the entire family, home decor, shoes, linens and baby items.This will be the retailer's second location in Mississippi, but the closest store to Jackson was in Baton Rouge. Burlington is opening 15 stores this fall, including a location in Monroe, La. "We have seen strong sales at our stores in the South," Shapiro said.Burlington was purchased by Bain Capital, a private equity group, and has been adding stores throughout the country."We are looking to grow the company where there is opportunity," Brawner said.
Submitted by D.Nasty
Toyota awards two contracts for Blue Springs plant
The Clarion-Ledger
Toyota today announced two construction contracts for the assembly plant in Blue Springs.
Harrell Construction, based in Ridgeland, and Graycor Industrial Contractors Inc., based in Homewood, Ill., partnered to win the foundation contract for the plant’s stamping and paint buildings.
A second contract was awarded to Midwest Steel Inc. of Detroit for the structural steel project for the same buildings. The two projects on the stamping and paint buildings will begin in September.
Toyota is building a $1.3 billion plant that will build Highlander SUVs.
A second contract was awarded to Midwest Steel Inc. of Detroit for the structural steel project for the same buildings. The two projects on the stamping and paint buildings will begin in September.
Toyota is building a $1.3 billion plant that will build Highlander SUVs.
Itawamba pulls in $80M parts plant
- Officials hope supplier for Toyota will rev up economy
By Kevin Richardson
www.clarionledger.com
"It is a rural area, and I think it is going to be a new era ... from sales tax to new homes," said Gary Franks, Itawamba County administrator.
Toyota Boshoku on Tuesday announced plans to build the facility near Fulton in Itawamba County that will employ 500 people when it opens in fall 2009. It will supply the Toyota manufacturing plant being built on the 1,700-acre Wellspring Project megasite near Tupelo.
"A lot of Itawamba County has to go to Tupelo (for work), but maybe we can bring those jobs back," said Harvey Clements, interim director of the Itawamba County Development Council. Company and local officials said there is a possibility the plant could expand. "We will supply seats, door panels and carpet to the Mississippi Highlander plant," said Warren Allen, a spokesman for Toyota Boshoku America.
Franks said the area's work force also was a draw for the company. Clements said Toyota Boshoku will attract a different pool of workers than the assembly plant because it is within 15 miles of the Alabama state line. He said many area workers commute from Alabama. Wages have not been set, but the workers will make at least 10 percent more than the regional average, Allen said.
Another reason behind the deal was the plant's proximity to the Wellspring site - 24 miles away. Toyota uses a "just-in-time" delivery method so parts arrive at the plant as they are needed for assembly. "Every three to five minutes, a truck will be leaving the plant," Clements said.
Toyota Boshoku is the first supplier to select a site. Toyota Auto Body Co. last month announced plans to construct a $180 million stamping facility in the state. Toyota Boshoku is an independent company in the Toyota Group of companies. In fact, the company was the first company in the Toyota group. It began as a fabric company in 1933.
Today, the company has plants around the world and last year had global sales of about $9.3 billion. "We supply GM and others for small components," Allen said.
County officials said they will continue to seek other tenants to share space in the industrial park where Toyota Boshoku will be located.
"Once this park is complete, we will have 150 acres for another tier 1 or tier 2 supplier, said Gary Franks, county administrator and a lead negotiator on the project.
Franks took a leadership role on the deal when Carol Upton, the county's former economic development official, took a position to be closer to family.
Submitted by D.Nasty
County, Pascagoula receive $9.5 million in grants for infrastructure improvements
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Courtesy of themississippipress.com
Courtesy of themississippipress.com
By BRAD CROCKER and VETO ROLEY The Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA -- Two grants totaling $9.5 million have been approved for 14 infrastructure projects in Jackson County and the city of Pascagoula, Gov. Haley Barbour announced Wednesday.
A $9.1 million grant for seven projects within the Jackson County Utility Authority could increase to more than $94 million after the planning and engineering phase, state officials said.
A second grant of $339,239 for the seven projects in Pascagoula is expected to increase to $5.5 million.
The county's projects include improvements at water and wastewater supply, treatment and transmission systems in north, west and east Jackson County, Gulf Park Estates and Ocean Beach areas, Gautier Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility and the Es-catawpa Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility.
"That is good news," said Supervisor John McKay when told about the grants. The promise of more money in the future to complete the projects is also key, he added.
"It would be a waste of money to design a system and then not have the money to follow up with," McKay said. "These projects are very important to support the growth in Jackson County."
Because the county does not require developers to demonstrate water and sewer availability before building a subdivision in the county, McKay said the Jackson County Utilities Authority is behind the growth occurring in the county.
"There are a tremendous number of subdivisions in the county," he said, adding that the county is dealing with a number of former Coastal residents moving north of Interstate 10 in the wake of Katrina.
McKay said the grants are also important as the county seeks to eliminate septic tanks to protect the ecologically fragile Mississippi Sound's environment and the groundwater supply. In Pascagoula, water treatment systems at River Park, Chipley subdivision, Beach Boulevard and Shortcut Road Transmission System will be improved. City Manager Kay Kell said the Chipley area in south Pascagoula needed infrastructure before Hurricane Katrina. Because elevation and water pressure are concerns there, "it's even more important" to secure funding, Kell added. The city is still acquiring rights of way on Shortcut Road, and the grants will help with the utility issues for that $4.5 million project, Kell said.
Lack of infrastructure on the east end of Beach Boulevard, including whether Spinnaker Pointe condominiums will be rebuilt or other development, has stifled some rebuilding, Kell said.
And River Park has never had utilities. Now, with the grants, Kell said "that opens up a huge new opportunity" for redevelopment there.
The grants were approved by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. The funds are part of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development funding allocated by Barbour for water and wastewater enhancements in the Gulf Coast region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The projects are part of the Gulf Region Water and Wastewater Plan that provided recommendations for the use of $641 million in disaster recovery funds to enhance water and wastewater infrastructure in Jackson, Pearl River, Stone, Hancock and Harrison counties.
Barbour and Mississippi's Congressional delegation obtained appropriations of more than $5 billion through HUD to assist in hurricane recovery.
The Mississippi Gulf Region Water and Wastewater Plan was prepared by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for improvements intended to support existing and future growth patterns, particularly as realized through new housing construction and to promote economic development, Barbour's office said
Submitted by D.Nasty
USM's external funding near $100M
Courtesy of MsBusiness.com
Courtesy of MsBusiness.com
August 22, 2007
HATTIESBURG — The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will begin this academic year with a two-year average of $100 million in external research funding for projects that have widespread applications from homeland security to math and science education.
"This is a vastly different university than it was 25 years ago," says Dr. Cecil Burge, vice president for research and economic development. "The quality of the work we do now is much more advanced and exciting and much of it with commercialization potential. This university has really established itself as a major player in the research area."
USM faculty and staff maintained a high level of research activity that generated a total of $98.6 million in external funding for the 2006-07 academic year that ended June 30. Burge says that the 2007 total is consistent with the record $102 million in 2006 and is indicative of a great deal of hard work on the part of faculty and staff.
The College of Science and Technology led all university units with $43.2 million in total external research funding, while the colleges of Health and Education and Psychology made significant increases in funding with $11.2 million and $4.9 million, respectively.
Submitted by D.Nasty
Mississippi joins SEUS-Japan
courtesy of Mississippi Business Journal http://msbusiness.com
August 21, 2007
courtesy of Mississippi Business Journal http://msbusiness.com
August 21, 2007
JACKSON — In an effort to foster increased Japanese investment in the state, the State of Mississippi has joined the Japan-U.S. Southeast Association.
The Japan-U.S. Southeast Association, better known as SEUS-Japan, is a networking organization designed to promote Japanese investment in the southeastern region of the United States. The association is comprised of eight states: Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
"Mississippi's participation in SEUS-Japan is a part of our ongoing strategic plan to position Mississippi as a world-class competitor for business investment opportunities around the globe," says Gray Swoope, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority. "MDA encourages our business and community partners around the state to join us as we make strides to increase Japanese investments in Mississippi."
A number of Japanese companies including Calsonic Kansei, Marubeni, Yoruzo, Unipres and others have operations or subsidiaries located in the state. Mississippi officials want to encourage other Japanese firms to take a look at the business advantages available in Mississippi.
On October 13-16, 2007, a delegation of Mississippi leaders will travel to Tokyo for the SEUS-Japan 31st Annual Meeting. The conference provides a venue for networking with potential Japanese suppliers, customers and industrial investors.
For more information about SEUS-Japan and the upcoming annual meeting, contact John Henry Jackson at (601) 359-6714, or jjackson@mississippi.org/, or visit mississippi.org/.
Submitted by D.Nasty
FEMA staging center possible; Newark flight a go
jmazurak@clarionledger.com
A direct flight to the New York metro area starts early next month. A cargo flight directly to China is under study. And airport officials hope to nab a $30 million U.S. Department of Homeland Security logistics center.
The projects mean potential tax revenue, jobs and a stronger business base for the Jackson area.
FEMA DISASTER HUB
The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, which oversees Jackson-Evers, is in the early stages of lobbying for a logistics center to house Federal Emergency Management Agency equipment.
Dirk Vanderleest, Airport Authority executive director, said the center would aid in response to natural and other disasters.
"This ties in with our experience from Hurricane Katrina. It's one of our initiatives for 2007 to look at the east metro corridor and see if there's an opportunity to do business with Homeland Security," he said.
FEMA, which is under Homeland Security, took widespread criticism for a slow response to the epic storm two years ago. A logistics and staging area at the airport would put emergency gear in central Mississippi with quick interstate, rail and air access.
"It would be storing MASH units, HAZMAT gear, body bags and things that you can't get off the shelf. Whether it's a natural, biological or, I hate even to say it, WMD (weapon of mass destruction) event, then you can respond to that. Bottled water you can get off the shelf at Wal-Mart."
FEMA has a $5 million budget to study possible use and locations of logistics centers nationally. "We have no specific plan identified for Jackson-Evers. However, there may be an opportunity for it to compete down the road," FEMA spokesman Aaron Walker said.
Minutes from an Airport Authority board meeting in June indicate FEMA is working on a pilot project to fund a study of logistics center needs and options. Airport representatives discussed the project with Mississippi's congressional delegation, but no congressional action has been taken as it's still early in the process.
"They're talking about making it a regional staging area and a distribution site," said Lee Youngblood, press secretary for Sen. Trent Lott. "I'm sure it's something (Lott) is going to use his connections to work for."
Lott, a Mississippi Republican, is a ranking member of the Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Senate subcommittee.
Airport Authority members also are banking on Republican Sen. Thad Cochran's influence. He sent a letter of support in July to FEMA and is ranking member of both the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Homeland Security subcommittee. Vanderleest said the early ballpark cost would be between $20 million and $30 million. He said one vision is that FEMA would contract directly for the construction, but another possibility would be a third party builds the facility then leases it to FEMA.
"Long term, (the facility) would bring economic development. Other companies might locate nearby, just like a retail center with anchor tenant," he said.
DAILY NEWARK FLIGHT
Mary Clark, spokeswoman for Continental Airlines, said Continental Express will start direct daily flights between Jackson and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Sept. 6. The 50-seat regional jet is a small plane but the flight is a big step for travelers heading to the New York City area. Duane O'Neill, president of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, said the flight appeals to business travelers and he has no doubt the route will get used. Among others, Entergy Mississippi, Saks Fifth Avenue Inc., which has its operations center in Jackson, and area health-care professionals have expressed interest.
"The majority of the travel out of Jackson-Evers is business travel. A survey of chamber members we did a couple years ago showed their top destination was the New York metro area," he said. "We've been told by so many folks that we've got a great market for economic development but, if we want to play in the big time, we've got to have nonstop flight to the New York area."
With the study results in hand, the chamber and the Airport Authority shopped the idea to several airlines. Continental gave the best response. The chamber raised $300,000 from its members to secure a $400,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Vanderleest said the grant was an incentive to ensure the Airport Authority doesn't lose money on the flight.
"This connects into Continental's hub for European and far Eastern flights. They have a nonstop (flight) from Newark to Beijing," he said. The flight will bring in more revenue for the Airport Authority through increased ticket sales and use of concessions at Jackson-Evers. Continental's Web site Thursday showed round-trip prices for several dates in September at $286.80 including taxes. The round-trip flight is offered once daily.
Vanderleest said if the flight proves successful, Continental might consider adding a second daily trip. And, this might not be the last flight to the region. The authority will keep looking to add flights to the northeast, Vanderleest said.
The last time Jackson-Evers added a flight was in January 2005 when Delta Airlines began nonstop service to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Va.
TIES TO CHINA
Passenger travel at Jackson-Evers is down for the past 12 months, but Vanderleest said that's no surprise. Hurricane Katrina spiked air travel to and from Jackson beginning in September 2005 by about 15 percent. The airport peaked in October that year with 140,011 travelers. Though volume had tapered by December, it wasn't back to normal until April 2006. Vanderleest said last month's passenger volume broke even, and August is on track to show mild growth. The airport offers 44 passenger routes a week.
Meanwhile cargo shipments have increased. Volume went from 1.22 million pounds in July 2005 to 1.69 million in July 2006 to 1.90 million last month. For the year, monthly volume has been between 7 percent and 21 percent above the same months of 2006.
If a plan to add a cargo flight to China works out, volume will increase further. Vanderleest said Jackson-Evers could capture business from companies looking to export to China from a regional market including parts of Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana.
"We've been working on that about two years. There's growth opportunity (in China) and export continues to grow. We'd like to see someone operate a widebody (cargo plane) to and from Shanghai, Hong Kong or Beijing," he said. The Airport Authority board in June continued an agreement with Kamsky Associates Inc., a merchant bank and investment consulting firm with offices in New York and Beijing. Vanderleest said the firm is putting together an overall plan to link Jackson with China.
The plan would include arranging a freight forwarder and carrier and establishing a base airport in China. The freight facility at Jackson-Evers has enough room to start a service and can always be expanded, Vanderleest said. He figures Jackson's interstate connectivity, proximity to waterways and rail, and lower operating costs would help take business from Atlanta, Memphis and Dallas.
"At the end of the day, it's all about relationships," he said. "In reality, we know it takes several years to develop that."
Submitted by D.Nasty
Casino revenue $266M for July
- Mississippi gaming on track to set yearly record
From staff and wire reports
Mississippi's gross gaming revenue reached $266.2 million in July, just shy of the all-time record of $266.3 million in July 2002.
The gross earnings figure represents revenue with no operating costs or other expenses deducted. And it's casino revenue only - separate from hotel, restaurant or bar revenues generated by the resorts.
Mississippi casinos had revenue of $236.5 million in June.
Mississippi Tax Commission records show Coast casinos soared more than 9 percent, from $107.7 million in June to $122.4 million in July. It was better than the former single-month record of $118.8 million in January 2005.
For the first seven months of this year, Mississippi casinos have earned $1.7 billion.
Industry experts project the state will end the year with $3.2 billion in gaming revenue. If achieved, the number would be more than $400 million greater than the $2.8 billion earned in 2004. However, casinos are about $42 million ahead for the year, compared to 2004.
Gaming tax collections are tracked on the state's fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. Casino tax collections in July, the beginning of the new fiscal year, totaled $35.3 million, compared to $2.8 billion in June, the end of fiscal year 2007.
At this point in 2004, state casinos had earned almost $1.7 billion.
The revenue picture for July was helped with the opening of the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi.
"We've always said that the Hard Rock brand would ... increase awareness in the market," said Joe Billhimer, president of Hard Rock Casino Biloxi. "We're just proud to be among all these other good operators that were driving revenues in July."
"We've gone from one casino 15 years ago to $122 million today," said Rich Westfall, community development director at Isle of Capri Casino Biloxi.
On Aug. 1, Isle of Capri celebrated the 15th anniversary of becoming the first casino in Mississippi.
"July has historically been the busiest month of the year for the casino resort industry," Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway told the Sun Herald.
"Overall, we've seen record-revenue months in one way or another eight of the past 10 months in Biloxi. This growth is what's fueling the massive construction we're seeing not only on the waterfront but throughout the city," he said.
Submitted by DNasty
State Farm Pays Additional $29.8 Million in Katrina Claim Re-Evaluations
From: Office of the State Insurance Commissioner Filed 8/13/07 GCN
Courtesy of Gulfcoastnews.com
Commissioner of Insurance George Dale announced today that State Farm Insurance Company, who agreed to voluntarily re-evaluate Hurricane Katrina slab cases in April, 2007, has paid more than $29.8 million additional dollars in claims payments since the re-evaluation process was undertaken.
As of today's date, there have been 934 requests for re-evaluation of slab claims in Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties. Of those requests, 904 claims have been re-evaluated and an additional $23.7 million in
settlement offers have been made to those policyholders. The company has paid out $13.9 million to 552 policyholders who have accepted the offer.
In regard to non-slab claims, 2,660 policyholders have requested re-evaluation. The company has re-evaluated 2,579 of those claims and has made offers totaling over $23.8 million. Some 1,591 policyholders have accepted those offers and have been paid over $15.9 million
"Despite the criticisms, the re-evaluation process continues to work toward helping Hurricane Katrina victims move forward. As I have stated before, there is no one process that is going to work for everyone and some individuals are going to have to endure lengthy litigation. However, as these numbers show, people are being helped everyday. It pleases me greatly each time I can report that more coastal policyholders are finding closure," said Commissioner of Insurance George Dale.
Commissioner Dale added that his office is continuing to work with insurance companies daily to settle or re-examine their outstanding Katrina claims as well as working to bring new companies to write policies in Mississippi. He stressed that it is a delicate and time-consuming process.
"My office will continue to work everyday to get more claims paid, encourage companies to write policies in Mississippi, and look for ways to bring down premium rates that are still higher than they should be. We are determined to help every policyholder on the Gulf Coast," said Commissioner Dale.
Submitted by DNasty
Wired Grant Targets Advanced Mississippi Workforce Training
Courtesy of http://www.allamericanpatriots.com
June 20, 2007 -- (Jackson, Mississippi) – A $5 million federal grant to plan, design and create centers for excellence in advanced manufacturing and help Mississippi workers attain higher job skills has been approved, it was announced today by Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott, and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.
The federal grant from the U.S. Department of Labor would create centers for workforce development and job training specializing in metal-related and construction crafts covering 18 southeastern Mississippi counties hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. The basic concept is to help Mississippi workers attain higher, more advanced skills so they can fill a huge shortage in metal and construction trades in the state’s growing economy.
“Mississippi has an enormous need for advanced workforce development and job training. The unique partnership funded under this grant will bring together the state, including our community college system, workforce investment boards, agencies of the federal government and the private sector to establish multi-regional centers for excellence to train workers in advanced manufacturing trades, with special emphasis on metal trades, such as welding,” Governor Barbour said.
“Mississippi's workforce must be equipped with the skills needed to fill available jobs in our state. The partnership between economic development engines in Mississippi, the Department of Labor, community colleges, and Mississippi businesses will benefit our state’s unemployed or under-employed workforce,” Senator Cochran said. “I am pleased the federal government has recognized the merits of Momentum Mississippi’s WIRED program and the opportunity for our existing workforce to actively contribute to rebuilding South Mississippi’s economy following Hurricane Katrina.”
“Considering the job market along the Gulf Coast with shipbuilding at Northrop Grumman and steel making at the upcoming ThyssenKrupp facility, having skilled metal trades workers will grow even more important to South Mississippi’s economy and its future development,” Senator Lott said. “I’ve been pleased to work with Governor Barbour and local officials to help secure this federal support, and I must say Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao has been very supportive of Mississippi and especially attentive to our hurricane recovery and economic growth needs.”
WIRED stands for Workforce Innovation In Regional Economic Development. The project will be managed through Momentum Mississippi, which was formed by Governor Barbour in 2005 with the mission to develop and oversee the state’s long range economic development plan. The new grant, called Momentum WIRED, will implement a goal to transform the current workforce system by making it more responsive to the needs of businesses. The first Centers for Excellence will be located at Jones County Junior College and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, which will serve as models for the Momentum WIRED project.
More than 72,000 Mississippians work in metal-related trades, including shipbuilding, oil and gas exploration and production, petroleum refining and petrochemical manufacturing, along with commercial construction, homebuilding, automotive manufacturing and the steel industry. Despite the impact of Hurricane Katrina, jobs in metal-related industries grew by more than 28 percent between 2002 and 2006.
Counties included in the initial phase of the grant include Clarke, Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Smith, Stone, and Wayne.
Mississippi currently shares a WIRED grant with the State of Alabama that deals with developing an innovative job training system in the East Mississippi and West Alabama region.
Source: Mississippi Governor
Submitted by DNasty
| Toyota selects Mississippi plant executives
8/4/2007 3:34:13 AM Daily Journal Courtesy of www.djournal.com |
|
By Dennis Seid
Daily Journal
Misao Fukuda's new office is being prepared for his arrival in downtown Tupelo - one of three places he'll be calling home.
Fukuda was named the president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi on Friday. He'll oversee manufacturing operations for Toyota's eighth North American assembly plant near Blue Springs, which is expected to open by 2010.
"He'll be splitting time between Japan, Toyko and our offices here in Erlanger, Ky.," said Toyota spokesman Victor Vanov. "I'm not sure exactly when he'll be settling down in Tupelo yet."
Toyota is leasing the upper floor of the Renasant Center for IDEAs, the regional incubator located in downtown Tupelo. The company is expected to move into the facility in October.
A 24-year veteran of Toyota, Fukuda has held several positions in production control and global strategic production planning.
Fukuda, 47, will be joined at TMMS by:
- Al Ackerman, vice president of manufacturing. Ackerman was vice president of powertrains at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, where Toyota opened its first North American plant 21 years ago.
- David Copenhaver, vice president of production and administration support. Copenhaver was vice president of administration of Toyota's West Virginia engine and transmission plant.
- Junichiro Morita, treasurer. Morita also will continue to serve as treasurer of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, or TEMA.
- Masaomi Nakahata, senior advisor to the president. Nakahata has been at Toyota Motor Corp.
Daily Journal
Misao Fukuda's new office is being prepared for his arrival in downtown Tupelo - one of three places he'll be calling home.
Fukuda was named the president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi on Friday. He'll oversee manufacturing operations for Toyota's eighth North American assembly plant near Blue Springs, which is expected to open by 2010.
"He'll be splitting time between Japan, Toyko and our offices here in Erlanger, Ky.," said Toyota spokesman Victor Vanov. "I'm not sure exactly when he'll be settling down in Tupelo yet."
Toyota is leasing the upper floor of the Renasant Center for IDEAs, the regional incubator located in downtown Tupelo. The company is expected to move into the facility in October.
A 24-year veteran of Toyota, Fukuda has held several positions in production control and global strategic production planning.
Fukuda, 47, will be joined at TMMS by:
- Al Ackerman, vice president of manufacturing. Ackerman was vice president of powertrains at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, where Toyota opened its first North American plant 21 years ago.
- David Copenhaver, vice president of production and administration support. Copenhaver was vice president of administration of Toyota's West Virginia engine and transmission plant.
- Junichiro Morita, treasurer. Morita also will continue to serve as treasurer of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, or TEMA.
- Masaomi Nakahata, senior advisor to the president. Nakahata has been at Toyota Motor Corp.
Harrah's profits jump on Coast, in Las Vegas Margaritaville groundbreaking coming soon
By MARY PEREZ
meperez@sunherald.com
Courtesy of Sunhearld.com
/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cars pass by Harrah’s hotel and casino in Las Vegas. Harrah’s Entertainment said Tuesday its second-quarter profits rose 85 percent.
BILOXI --
Margaritaville Casino sails into Biloxi on a wave of good news, with this month's groundbreaking coming soon after Harrah's Entertainment announced Tuesday its second-quarter profits jumped 85 percent.Singer Jimmy Buffett came to Biloxi in May to announce his partnership with Harrah's, the largest casino company in the world. Together they will build the $704 million Margaritaville Casino on the beach. Construction is expected to begin this month and the resort will open in 2010.
Harrah's reported second-quarter net profits of $237.5 million compared to $128.7 million for the same time last year.
In the Mississippi and Louisiana region, total revenue was up 15.3 percent for the first quarter. During the first six months of 2007, this market earned $779.5 million, a 21 percent increase from the $643.2 million for the first half of 2006, when Harrah's Grand Casino Biloxi was closed for the period after Hurricane Katrina. Insurance proceeds of $37 million above net book value were included in the second-quarter income.
Results were also strong in Las Vegas, where Harrah's recently announced a $1 billion expansion and renovation of Caesars Palace.
Earnings were $922.5 million, up 14.8 percent over the second quarter of 2006.
In Atlantic City, revenue was up 13.7 percent to $592 million but income from operations sank almost 38 percent. Harrah's reported that "competition from new slot operations in New York and Pennsylvania, the implementation of new smoking regulations in New Jersey beginning April 15, and increased costs associated with marketing and promotional programs continued to hurt results in the Atlantic City region."
Harrah's Chester Casino and Racetrack, which opened in Pennsylvania in the first quarter, helped boost the area's results.
The sale of Harrah's Entertainment to a private investment group for $17.1 billion is expected to be complete at the end of this year or early 2008.
Submitted by D.Nasty
David Banner Gathers All-Star Lineup For New Album, Greatest Story Ever Told
Courtesy XXL.com
Mississippi native, David Banner, will release his new album, Greatest Story Ever Told , on October 9 on Universal Motown/SRC Records. The LP features the lead single, "Speaker," a collaboration with Akon, Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg. In addition, the album will feature appearances and production by Chris Brown, Jim Jones, UGK, Cool & Dre and Nitti. "Everybody wants to hear the hits and I got 'em," says Banner. "But I wouldn't be calling it The Greatest Story if it also wasn't truthful. My fans know I'm going to be telling it straight-up however I'm coming."
In addition, Banner and his charitable organization, Heal The Hood, was honored by the Black Caucus of Mississippi's state legislature for their humanitarian efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims. Heal The Hood helped raise over $500,000 and distributed the funds to various Southern communities and organizations in Mississippi, Alabama and New Orleans.
Submitted By O
Saints Training Camp 2007: More than 20,000 expected to flock to Jackson practices
By LaRaye Brown Courtesy of ClarionLedger.com laraye.brown@clarionledger.com
File photo/The Clarion-Ledger Metro-area Saints fans soon will be seeing scenes like this on the Millsaps College campus. The private college has constructed a new practice field for the NFL team from New Orleans. |
The New Orleans Saints return to Jackson today, and the Mississippi Development Authority is working hard to take advantage of the team's Mississippi connections.
The authority paid $250,000 for a sponsorship that will put ads promoting the state on the Jumbotron screens during Saints games at the Louisiana Superdome, along with other signage.
"It's a wonderful opportunity for the state to promote both tourism and business location and expansion," said Jennifer Spann, a public relations manager for MDA.
Spann said she was unsure whether the sponsorship was part of a reported $600,000 campaign to fund improvements at Millsaps College, where it's the team's second year at the school.
Millsaps wouldn't confirm the figure that Con Maloney, a member of the school's board of trustees, released in May. Reached Tuesday, Maloney didn't comment on the fundraising effort.
According to the Saints' Web site, MDA and corporate sponsors helped pay for improvements at the 110-year-old, private, United Methodist college.
The school and the Saints have a four-year agreement, which allows both parties the option to negotiate changes at the end of the year, said Brit Katz, the school's vice president for student life and liaison between the Saints and the school.
"If all goes well, we hope - at the very least - that we have a four-year agreement," Katz said.
Chief among the upgrades was improving a third practice field. Used by the school's softball team, the area around the field was leveled to better accommodate a 120-yard football playing area and was surfaced with new grass.
"The softball team benefits, too, because they are getting a brand new playing surface," said Kevin Maloney, the school's sports information director.
Stairs and a walkway also were added at the lower field.
He said the field was finished during the first few days of this month. However, Clarion-Ledger photos taken Tuesday showed heavy equipment in use around the field.
"It's been so wet down there," Kevin Maloney said. "It's been good that we got some good sunlight to dry the field a little bit."
Because the new field has a viewing area for fans, all practices will be open to the public. Last year, some practices were not open because of limited viewing areas.
There is no admission charge to watch practices, but on-campus parking is $5.
Air conditioning was added to the gymnasium so the Saints can do their weightlifting in a cooler environment.
Another perk for the players, most of whom are much larger than the average Millsaps student: Larger chairs, tables and beds.
"Last year we had to double up (the twin beds) to make them big enough," said running back Deuce McAllister, a seven-year veteran from Mississippi. "This year, at least, we get queen-size beds. That's a plus for us. The big guys won't be hanging off or hanging in the middle of the beds because they're not big enough."
Students, however, won't have the larger beds in their rooms when the Saints leave and school starts.
Last year's practices drew an estimated 10,000 visitors, twice the capacity of Harper Davis Stadium.
"The crowds this year will probably be doubled," said Kevin Maloney, who added that fans have been "rejuvenated" by the team's performance last season.
Having the training camp at Millsaps last summer put the school in the national media spotlight, especially in the days following the belated arrival of top draft pick Reggie Bush.
In expectation of extra visitors, the school is beefing up security starting today.
Assisted by Jackson police officers and deputies from the Hinds County Sheriff's Department, the school's campus officers essentially will operate a closed campus. Visitors will be required to enter through the North State Street gate.
The Saints' last scheduled practice is Aug. 16. Camp breaks on Aug. 19, six days before freshmen check into their dorms.
For McAllister, the camp is a chance for friends and family to witness practice.
"They'll get an opportunity to actually come see me prepare for a game ... see some of the things we go through," he said.
Fans such as Con Maloney and Katz, who trace their support of the team back several decades, appreciate the up-close view of their favorite team the camp provides and the other benefits.
"It's a boom to everything in Jackson," said Con Maloney, "whether it's the residents, the hotel or the people who love to check out a football team. Here's a national contender coming back."
Submitted by D.Nasty
Miss. governor travels to Japan to meet with auto suppliers
By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press Writer
Gov. Haley Barbour is in Japan this week to try to lure automotive suppliers to Mississippi.
He says the northern part of the state should be an attractive location for companies that want to make parts for auto assembly plants in the region.
Toyota is scheduled to open its new North American manufacturing plant in 2010 in the tiny northeast Mississippi town of Blue Springs, near Tupelo. Nissan opened a plant in 2003 near Canton in central Mississippi.
Alabama has a Hyundai plant near Montgomery, a Mercedes plant near Tuscaloosa and a Honda plant near Anniston. Tennessee has a Nissan plant at Smyrna.
Barbour said the facilities in the three states form a box on the map.
"Suppliers can come and locate in that box, most of which is in north Mississippi and east Mississippi, and they can instead of being captive to a company, they can come in and try to sell to six plants and five different companies," Barbour said recently. "And so investing 50 or 60 or 100 million dollars in a facility makes a whole lot more sense than if you're just going to try to sell Nissan or if you're just going to try to sell Mercedes Benz."
Mark Van Boening, interim chairman of the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of Mississippi, said the auto manufacturing industry has reached "a critical mass" in the Southeast.
He said Barbour's pitch to auto suppliers makes sense - that they could build in one central location to have access to several plants.
"It lowers transportation and transaction costs," Van Boening said Monday.
Barbour and others left Monday for the five-day trip. It is his third journey to Japan since he became governor in January 2004. The group is set to return Friday.
On Thursday, Barbour and officials from the Mississippi Development Authority will conduct an "Invest in Mississippi" seminar in Nagoya. The delegation also will have meetings with other companies. Barbour said Toyota helped arrange the trip.
Also participating in the trade trip are MDA executive director Gray Swoope; Aubrey Patterson of Tupelo, chairman of the Mississippi Partnership for Economic Development; and Dennis Cuneo, counsel for Arent Fox LLP.
Cuneo is a former Toyota senior vice president and worked as a consultant to help the company choose the site for its new North American assembly plant. Officials announced in February that the plant will be built in Mississippi.
The Toyota plant will have 2,000 jobs and will produce the Highland sport utility vehicle.
The Nissan plant in Mississippi opened when Democrat Ronnie Musgrove was governor. It has about 4,000 employees who manufacture the Titan pickup, the Armada SUV, the Altima sedan and the Infiniti QX56 luxury SUV.
Swoope said Barbour and others have worked hard to build a strong economic relationship with Japan. He said that with the seminar on Thursday, "we want to build on those ties by highlighting the benefits our state can offer Japanese investors."
Barbour, a Republican who is seeking re-election this year, said in a news release Monday: "I intend to showcase all of the reasons that make Mississippi a solid investment for Japanese companies."
Submitted by D.Nasty
Casual atmosphere
- Everyone's-a-regular attitude greets patrons at area pubs, sports bars and nightclubs
By Leah Rupp
leah.rupp@clarionledger.com
File photo/The Clarion-Ledger
Whether you're looking to wind down with a cold beer after a long day's work or party martini-style until dawn - or at least until 2 a.m. - the metro area has a variety of options.Small pubs, sports bars and full-scale clubs, offering a range of music and menu, litter the downtown area and beyond.But local owners of the pubs, bars and discos say that's not what keeps patrons wanting more.True - Jackson's no Manhattan, Miami or Chicago, but the friendly, Southern, everyone's-a-regular attitude sets the Mississippi capital's nightlife apart from the rest of them."I'd say 90 percent or better are people that come in at least once a week - some of them everyday," said Richard Hartung, owner of Time Out Sports Cafe in Jackson. "It's a real casual atmosphere, and I think people like that."The cafe offers an Internet jukebox, and the kitchen stays open until 1 a.m., Hartung added."I don't want people coming in here drinking without eating," he said.At Shucker's Oyster Bar in Ridgeland, the live music is just as diverse as the menu, manager JoAnne Allen said.The best part? During the week, there's no cover to listen to it."If it can be played, we hear them and we think it might be something the customers would like, then we get them in here," Allen said.At George Street Grocery in downtown Jackson, new owner Charlie Lucroy has spruced up the bar's reputation while keeping its old, nostalgic flavor.George Street reopened in fall 2006 after being closed for nearly two years."It's gone through several hands, ... but George Street has a lot of history," Lucroy said.Interesting architecture, such as high ceilings and the mahogany bar, help too, he added.Already the friendly atmosphere has attracted some regulars who vary in age from 20-somethings to people well into their golden years, Lucroy said. He's hoping he can hold on to them after George Street's newness wears off."Jackson is a fickle town. ... People here like to hang out on their old stomping grounds," he said.Allen agrees."Like a lot of places in Jackson, we have a core of regulars that come in at least once a week," she said. "People like to know the people behind the bar and in the restaurant."
Submitted by D.Nasty
Many betting on downtown
Developers hope projects spur regrowth in a shrinking city
By Jack Mazurak
jmazurak@clarionledger.com
A slew of development projects and public events aims to make Jackson a vibrant city with more downtown living, shopping and business options.
The capital's population has dropped by more than 20,000 to 179,000 over the last couple of decades as the suburban cities have grown. Jackson's sales tax revenue has been largely stagnant for at least the past five years, while the incomes of Flowood, Madison and other surrounding cities continue to climb.
But several downtown Jackson projects, in various stages, promise to bring apartments, shopping, hotels and a flood of visitors.
The 18-story, 78-year-old Standard Life Building could be remade into apartments, offices and service businesses under plans being considered by the Jackson Redevelopment Authority. Actual construction is likely months away, but the receipt this spring of three private-company bids represents significant movement on a project that's been tossed around and talked about for 15-plus years.
One of the three Standard Life proposals is a part of a larger $209 million development to support the Capital City Convention Center. Plans call for two hotels, two parking structures, restaurants and residential space. The $64 million convention center, which should be complete by February 2009, promises to bring thousands of visitors annually to Jackson.
Parkway Properties began work early this month on its $39 million, eight-story office building, The Pinnacle at Jackson Place, which will sit at Capitol and Lamar streets.
The project includes a separate residential building and a $4 million to $5 million renovation of the parking garage, both on the same block.
The renovation will open about 70,000 square feet for retail businesses on the ground floor.
Parkway officials hope it will spur other downtown housing projects. Housing may be the essential element to revitalizing downtown.
Nearly all the 150 units in various downtown buildings are full, but developers and marketers see the city's heart as still too much of an 8-to-5 office park.
The Farish Street Entertainment District, a stalled revitalization project, could be helped along with more people living downtown, JRA board Chairman Brent Alexander said at a meeting with The Clarion-Ledger editorial board this spring.
"Until we get enough foot traffic on Farish Street, it's awfully hard to get retail merchants to come down there and invest money. It's a real risk for them unless they've got the volume, and we just don't have that. If everything happens like we think it's going to happen, I think we're in pretty good shape to start some critical mass down there," he said.
John Lawrence, president of Downtown Jackson Partners, said the developments will convince those who don't already see the city's possibilities.
"The city had a technology company boom in the 1990s. Now there's a whole new wave of people who are realizing the potential with marketing firms, Web-based businesses and real estate. These people have the vision already, before the developments," he said.
He pointed to the opening of a renovated Mississippi Art Museum earlier this month and the 20th Jubilee! Jam as evidence of a quality of life that Jackson already offers.
The Mississippi State Fairgrounds continues to draw national-level shows, concerts and, of course, tens of thousands of visitors annually to the Mississippi State Fair.
Submitted by D.Nasty
Mississippi coast aims to outshine Atlantic City
June 01, 2007
By Chris Reiter
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Mississippi Gulf coast aims to overtake Atlantic City as the second-largest U.S. casino market after Las Vegas as it recovers from the devastation of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, officials from the Gulf region said.
Officials heading up the region's expansion effort told Reuters on Friday that the warm climate, beautiful beaches and southern hospitality give it an edge over Atlantic City, which is trying to remake its image as well.
"Atlantic City is still a convenience market," said Stephen Richer, executive director of the Mississippi Gulfcoast Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We're trying to become the No. 2 pleasure destination with gaming."
Area officials expect to double the number of casinos to 20 in the area. They also aim to nearly triple the number of hotel rooms to 30,000 from 11,000.
"The next five years will be crucial," Richer said. "Knock on wood about hurricanes."
Although the area's tourism infrastructure isn't entirely back to its pre-hurricane condition, it soon will be, the officials claimed.
"The recovery's over. It's building, growing and expanding now," said Bruce Frallic, executive director of the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.
Recent developments by casino operators give credence to the region's ambitions.
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, with 318 rooms and 1,500 slot machines, plans to open in early July.
Meanwhile, Harrah's Entertainment Inc., the world's largest casino operator, last month said it plans to build a $700 million casino hotel on the shores of Biloxi, Ms.
The company said spending on the casino, which would be the largest single investment in the region since Katrina smashed buildings and bridges almost two years ago, may top $1 billion.
Submitted by D.Nasty
June 4, 2007
Plans for $43M building expand Pinnacle of Downtown
jmazurak@clarionledger.com
And Julie Goodman
jgoodman@clarionledger.com
J.D. Schwalm/The Clarion-Ledger The open area near One Jackson Place is transforming into a construction site for the latest Parkway Properties project called Pinnacle at Jackson Place. The company has added another floor to the building, which is expected to cost $43 million. |
Developers already knew Pinnacle at Jackson Place, a $43 million office building planned at Capitol and Lamar streets, would impact downtown in a big way.
After its completion in fall 2008, it will serve as the privately funded anchor of a wider renaissance, bringing office space for two major law firms, condominiums and apartments, and opportunities for new retailers. But now it will cast an even bigger shadow as planners have added another floor, bringing the total to nine.
"Early on in the process the test fits were showing that the customers were going to need more space, so that's why the up-size in the building," said Steve Rogers, president and chief executive officer of Parkway Properties, the company behind the project.
Architects added a 19,000- square-foot mezzanine that will up the building to 194,000 square feet and expand its capacity by 100 workers to 600.
Construction on the Pinnacle and an adjacent garden is scheduled to start Friday. Parkway hopes to select a developer soon to build up to 80 apartments and condominiums on the block, and it will begin a $5 million renovation of a nearby parking garage this fall.
The company's work coincides with movement on several other downtown projects.
The Jackson Redevelopment Authority, a quasi-governmental agency that buys land and promotes redevelopment, voted Tuesday to transfer the King Edward Hotel deed to private developers. The agency also is expected to choose in the coming weeks one of three proposals to redevelop the Standard Life Building.
And contractors have spent the past couple of weeks stripping the Brown Furniture Co. building, the first manual labor in nearly two years in the Farish Street Entertainment District.
The new Mississippi Museum of Art will open in June. Concrete footings for the Capital City Convention Center are hardening. And final discussions are under way on a $200 million-plus convention center hotel and mixed-use development proposal.
But despite all the other downtown construction slated, Parkway's endeavor may be the most important.
"The development of the Pinnacle building is one of the most significant economic development project in the last 20 or more years," Brent Alexander, JRA board chairman, said.
"Parkway is putting its dollars into a building that will keep two of the state's biggest law firms in downtown Jackson. The housing and retail elements will spur other investments."
The company signed leases with law firms Brunini Grantham Grower & Hewes PLLC and Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis PA. The firms have about 150 employees each. The building also will house some Trustmark National Bank operations and a Parkway sister company, EastGroup Properties.
That leaves two floors totaling about 40,000 square feet of rentable office space, Rogers said.
"That's not that hard. In fact, we expect to open up at about 95 percent leased. We've leased that amount of space in downtown Jackson routinely," he said.
From action this month, a downtown turnaround appears under way.
Jackson lawyer and developer David Watkins and his partners will pay the JRA $250,000 for the King Edward when the deed transfers in a couple of weeks. Watkins, Saints football star Deuce McAllister and New Orleans developer Historic Restorations Inc. plan to invest $71 million into the 83-year-old building for a Hilton-branded boutique hotel, apartments and upscale luggage, computer and clothing stores.
Watkins told a metro-Jackson business group Tuesday that asbestos, pigeon droppings and other contaminants have been removed as part of nearly $2 million in environmental work. The second phase of redevelopment is on track for November when construction begins and an opening is scheduled for 2009, he said. The project would spawn 600 jobs.
The group also has a bid in with the JRA to redevelop the Standard Life Building. If selected, Watkins said plans would fuse with the King Edward's, unifying the block and putting the redevelopments on the same schedule.
STANDARDIZING
Similarly, Dallas-based developer David Small is looking to tie the Standard Life redevelopment into his proposal for the convention center hotel and retail development. That $209 million proposal would bring two hotels, retail and restaurants to a three-block stretch along Pascagoula Street between Lamar and Mill streets. The JRA is expected to award that contract within a couple of months.
Under the three Standard Life proposals the JRA is considering, the building would be restored, modernized, and converted into residential and retail space. The JRA's evaluation committee raised questions in each of the proposals in its Tuesday meeting, Alexander said.
"All three have merit. I'd expect to be meeting with the developers within the next week or two," he said.
While some of downtown's developments such as Farish Street have sputtered, advancing in fits and starts through red tape and funding knots, or sat vacant through decades of proposals as did the King Edward, Rogers is confident his is a go.
Rogers figures Parkway will sign a 60-year lease with the JRA for the parking garage within a week or so. Then $5 million in refacing, elevator improvements, painting, lighting and security improvements can begin. In a separate project that has not been hammered out with the city, the garage's external ramps that protrude on Capitol and Amite streets could be axed and rebuilt inside the structure.
For the garage's bottom floor, Rogers is looking to line up a coffee shop, FedEx Kinko's and drugstore. He hopes to complete the retail element by early 2009.
Work on the residential component - apartments to flank the garage's eastern wall and condominiums to back up to Amite Street - could start in late 2007 and finish by early 2009.
Submitted by D.Nasty
Submitted by D.Nasty
