IN county parks in development (trails) despite economy

from the Reporter-Times (Martinsville and Morgan County, IN) (3/29):

Economy won’t keep parks board from projects
Board’s goal is to finish trail at Burkhart Creek County Park this year

By Amy Hillenburg ahillenb@reporter-times.com
March 29, 2009

"MORGAN COUNTY — Although the Morgan County Parks and Recreation Board might have to scale back on some of its countywide trail plans, the recession hasn’t scared it away from those projects.

Board Secretary Trena Trusty said the board plans to finish the trail at Burkhart Creek County Park this year with funds from a $50,000 Kendrick Foundation grant. The park is north of Paragon, bounded by Warthen and Duckworth roads off Ind. 67. It encompasses 83 acres from the state that took the board four years to transfer. Members didn’t count on the process taking so long, but now they are ready to go on to the trails component of the county comprehensive plan. The much-discussed countywide trail is not on the forefront, but Trusty said it is still being considered." ...

for the complete story

New York State parks economic impact report released

from Parks and Trails NY (3/16):

ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF NYS PARK SYSTEM
CLOSE TO $2 BILLION, PLUS 20,000 JOBS, NEW STUDY FINDS
—Analysis reveals Park System gives back more than five times state investment—

ALBANY, NY—A new economic analysis released by Parks & Trails New York, the leading statewide park and trail advocacy organization, shows that the New York State Park System is a valuable economic asset to the Empire State. It supports up to $1.94 billion in output and sales for private businesses, plus 20,000 jobs." ...

for the complete press release

for the complete report, contact Ruth

AR for-profit casino initiative makes it the the ballot

from Arkansas Business (3/31):

Amendment Would Write For-profit Casino Company into State Constitution
By Arkansas Business Staff
3/31/2009 10:09:01 AM

"An amendment whose ballot title was approved Tuesday by the state Attorney General's office would write a for-profit casino company into the Arkansas Constitution." ...

for the complete story

San Diego's Lindbergh Field lands major contract approvals

from the San Diego Business Journal (3/30):

Lindbergh Field Expected To Award 2 Big Contracts
By MIKE ALLEN
San Diego Business Journal Staff

"Now that airport officials have a configuration for the future of Lindbergh Field, they can turn their attention to a long-delayed series of improvements estimated to cost $876 million — up 25 percent from $700 million in 2008 and 35 percent from 2007." ...

"It’s the single biggest project at Lindbergh ever, nearly four times the $224 million spent in the mid-1990s on a variety of projects, including the addition of nine gates to Terminal 2." ...

for the complete story

Canadian photography museum hopes quashed

from the National Post (Toronto) (3/27):

No photos please
Randy Boswell , Canwest News Service

"The 30-year dream of creating a stand-alone national museum of photography in Canada's capital - frustratingly elusive through the 1980s, joyously realized in 1992, then "temporarily" interrupted by a leaky roof in 2006 - has been quietly and permanently dashed, Canwest News Service has learned.

Earlier this month, in a board room at the National Gallery of Canada, trustees of the federally governed institution formally decided to stop seeking a separate home for its dispossessed junior affiliate: the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography.

The museum and its 200,000-item collection had been relocated to the National Gallery three years ago after water began seeping into the unique, underground facility near Parliament Hill that had served as the CMCP's headquarters and exhibition space for 14 years." ...

for the complete story

Arsenal basketball team leaving Anaheim for Springfield, MA

from the Orange County Business Journal (3/31):

Arsenal Basketball Team Leaving Anaheim
By Michael Lyster
Orange County Business Journal Staff

"The Anaheim Arsenal, an NBA Developement League basketball team that’s played at the Anaheim Convention Center since 2006, is moving to Massachusetts later this year.

The team is set to move to Springfield, Mass., home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, at the start of the 2009-10 season in November." ...

for the complete story

Anaheim Angels seat sales

from the Orange County Business Journal (3/31):

Angels Offer New Seats; Sales Slow, AIG Factor
By Michael Volpe
Orange County Business Journal Staff

"The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have carved out some prime field seats at Angel Stadium of Anaheim as the baseball team battles tough sales of season tickets.

The team is selling 36 seats in boxes next to the dugouts, which was empty space during last year’s regular season and was used for photographers during the playoffs." ...

for the complete story

Macao gaming manpower needs and wage data released

The 4th quarter 2008 Macao manpower needs and wage survey report for the gaming industry was released today.

Contact Ruth for the spreadsheets.

Javitts expansion approved

from Tradeshow Week (3/25):

Javits Expansion Approved
-- Tradeshow Week, 3/25/2009 1:37:00 PM

"The Empire State Development Corp. board of directors has approved the $463 million expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center of New York." ...

for the complete story

Canadian hotel financing slow

from the Globe and Mail (3/24):

Recession puts skids on hotel construction
While new projects are being shelved, sales of existing properties could see a rise as investors look for deals
TERRENCE BELFORD
March 24, 2009

"The once stately pace of new hotel construction in Canada has hit a recessionary speed bump.

The challenges of finding financing during a global credit crunch, along with uncertainties about short-term demand from both business and recreational travellers, has meant that almost all new projects in the planning stages, and even those in the early stages of construction, have or will be shelved to wait for better days, experts say." ...

for the complete story

Dubai topping list of hotel projects in the works

from Emirates Business 24|7 (3/24)

Dubai tops hotel pipeline list in Middle East, says report
By Nina Varghese on Tuesday, March 24, 2009

"Dubai has more hotel rooms in the pipeline than anywhere else in the Middle East, a new report reveals.

Thirty-four per cent of all hotel projects in the region are under construction in the emirate, according to the 2009 Hotel Pipeline Report by Lodging Econometrics." ...

for the complete story

for the summary Pipeline Reports on all regions contact Ruth

Doha opens Grand hyatt

from Al Bawaba (3/22):

Grand Hyatt Doha opens in Qatari Capital
Posted: 22-03-2009 , 11:06 GMT

"Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announced today the opening of Grand Hyatt Doha, a hotel and residential complex, which is the latest addition to Qatar’s luxury hospitality offerings and the first Hyatt hotel to be built in the country." ...

for the complete story with facility sizing and amenities details

Monclair Museum (NJ) announces financial plan

from Art Daily (3/25):

The Montclair Art Museum Launches Financial Security Plan

"MONTCLAIR, NJ.- In response to the current sharp economic downturn, the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) has conducted a strategic review of its operations and capitalization, culminating with the recent adoption by its Board of Trustees of a long-range financial security plan. The plan calls for expense reductions, including reductions in hours for staff; a major capital campaign; and a deaccessioning campaign to support future art acquisitions." ...

for the complete story

The Brooklyn Museum ups admission

from Art Daily (3/25):


Brooklyn Museum Increases Admissions

"BROOKLYN, NY.- The Brooklyn Museum announced today that it will increase its suggested admission fee to $10 for adults and to $6 for older adults and students with valid identification, effective Saturday, March 21, 2009. Admission, which has not been increased since 2004, is currently $8 for adults and $4 for seniors and students." ....

for the complete story

Cultural institutions emphasizing the family

from the NY Times (3/19):

Putting a New Emphasis on ‘Family Friendly’
By KAREN BERMAN

"AT the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, N.C., families can help themselves to tote bags hanging in some of the galleries. Inside, they find felt-board collages that children can spread out on the floor, draw-your-own postcards in the landscape gallery and touchable wooden masks in the African gallery." ...

"Around the country, art museums large and small are finding innovative ways to attract families. Prompted by the aging of their primary audiences and competition from high-tech entertainment aimed at the young, curators and administrators are hoping to develop the next generation of regular museumgoers." ...

for the complete story

Macao visitor arrivals numbers

Macao has released their February 2009 visitor arrival numbers as well as revised annual totals for 2008.

For the spreadsheets, contact Ruth.

Canadian retail up

from Royal Bank of Canada's Daily Economic Update (3/20):

Canadian retail sales show signs of life

"Retail sales came in stronger than expected in January, rising 1.9% compared to market expectations of a 1% gain. This increase only partially reverses the 5.2% drop in December. Eliminating the impact of price changes, the picture was little changed, with the volume of retail sales up a strong 1.8%, although this only reversed about one-half of December’s 4% drop.

Expectations of a solid gain in January retail sales were primarily based on indications of rising unit car sales and higher gasoline prices raising service station receipts." ...

for the complete story

SANDAG transport bond ratings upheld

from the San Diego Business Journal (3/19):

Posted date: 3/19/2009

Sandag Bonds Get High Marks
by Mike Allen

"Two Wall Street bond rating agencies reaffirmed the highest ratings on $600 million in transportation improvement bonds that were issued last year, according to the San Diego Association of Governments in a statement March 19." ...

for the complete story

MI counties sue on hotel occupancy tax

from the Chicago Tribune (3/19):

4 Michigan counties sue over hotel occupancy taxes
Associated Press
7:37 AM CDT, March 19, 2009

"LANSING, Mich. - Four Michigan counties are suing several online travel companies, claiming that they're being shortchanged on local hotel occupancy taxes." ...

for the complete story

Shanghai Bund on the hotel development rise

from Hotel News Now (3/21);

Bringing the Bund back to life
20 March 2009 7:52 AM
By Helena Iveson

"SHANGHAI—Recently, all the glamour in the Shanghai hotel scene has been on the futuristic Pudong side of the Huangpu, the river that divides the city in two. A rash of ultramodern luxury hotels like the Grand Hyatt and the Park Hyatt, both in two of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, alongside the Shangri-La and St. Regis, literally and metaphorically looked down on the stately but decaying procession of buildings along the Bund.

But now the tables are turning, and the Bund, with its mixture of East-meets-West architecture, soon will be the place to stay again." ...

for the complete story

IL House promises to back Olympics' shortages

from Crain's Chicago Business 3/20:

Illinois House pledges $250M Olympics backstop
March 20, 2009

"(AP) —— The Illinois House has voted to pledge up to $250 million to Chicago for any potential losses it may incur if the city hosts the 2016 Olympic Games." ...

for the complete story

NY museums cutting back

from the NY Times (3/19):

March 19, 2009
New York’s Local Museums Feel the Pinch
By ROBIN POGREBIN

"THE Queens County Farm Museum has switched its animal feed to spent grains donated by the Brooklyn Brewery, and Flushing Town Hall, which presents arts and education programs, has taken its trolley tours of famous jazz sites off the road.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts has laid off part-time security guards and postponed plans to build a “youth activity garden” in its three back lots, because its capital money dried up.

The Staten Island Museum finds itself trying to slim down even as it prepares to move its library and archive into buildings at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, which requires more staff." ...

for the complete story

IALEI moves to merge with IAAPA

IALEI announced to members today that it has begun the process of a full merger of operations with IAAPA.

L.A. port traffic down

from the Los Angeles Business Journal (3/17):

Posted date: 3/17/2009

Traffic Down at Long Beach Port
By FRANCISCO VARA-ORTA

"Container traffic at the Port of Long Beach fell 40 percent last month, shrinking back to trade levels seen five years ago, according to figures released Tuesday.

Long Beach’s figures mirror lower business at the Port of Los Angeles, which was released last week and showed a fall of more than a third – and indicating an accelerating trade decline that port officials don’t expect will reverse this year." ...

for the complete story

The stimulus package and the construction industry

from Reed Construction Data (3/17):

Stimulus Impact on Construction Begins in April
Mar 17, 2009 - Jim Haughey

"The $787 billion economic stimulus plan will begin to impact the construction market in April. The added federal spending is about 1-1.5% of GDP in 2009, which is only enough to reduce the severity of the recession. GDP is likely dropping at a 4-5% annual pace in the current quarter, and will still be declining faster than a 1% pace through the summer.

While a second round of stimulus spending is being discussed in Washington, the economy — and the construction market — is expected to work through the inventory cycle and be expanding by the end of the year." ...

for the complete story

FL tourism and austerity meeting planning

from the Wall Street Journal (3/17):

MARCH 17, 2009
Austerity Tide Hits Florida Beaches
Tourism Industry Suffers as Businesses Cancel or Scale Back Events in the Sunshine State
By ALEX ROTH

"AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Luxury resorts are accustomed to unusual requests. But Amelia Island Plantation was surprised to get this one from a corporate event planner worried about a function appearing too extravagant: could the resort drop the word "island" from its address?

Only a scattering of people dotted the sand near the Ocean Drive strip in Miami Beach in late January. In the last quarter of 2008, the number of out-of-state visitors to Florida dropped 13.6% from a year earlier, the largest decline since the quarter following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks." ...

"For tourism officials in Florida, the drop-off at Amelia Island Plantation is an ominous sign that the tourism industry, the state's lifeblood, is in for a brutal year. Executives at the resort say they have lost about $750,000 in revenue since January, as businesses and trade groups shun the negative publicity associated with anything even remotely resembling a boondoggle." ...

for the complete story

The KORPACZ is here! The Korpacz is here!

1st Quarter 2009 is in the house. ... picture forthcoming.