New Orleans CityBusiness articles from June 2009

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from June 2009

N.O. average gas price up to $2.46.
June 5, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report City gas prices rose overnight, from an average $2.448 per gallon of regular grade Thursday to $2.461 today, according to AAA. A month ago, the average price stood at $1.942. A year ago, it was $3.876. The...

New Orleans chef John Besh to appear on new Bravo show.
June 5, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Crescent City chef and restaurateur John Besh will compete as part of Bravo TV's new series "Top Chef Masters, set to premier at 9 p.m. Wednesday. According to the cable network's Web site, the show,...

Mayor Nagin heads to China on economic development trip.
June 5, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness staff reports Mayor Ray Nagin today left for China to meet with "four prospects interested in the possibility of locating their businesses in New Orleans," according to a news release from the mayor's press office....

Sen. Landrieu praises Dutch approach to flood protection.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Richard A. Webster Upon returning from last week's trip to the Netherlands, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is convinced that the federal government needs to make drastic changes in how it protects the most vulnerable of its coastal...

New Orleans' economic development partnership waits on IRS.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Greg LaRose The City Council, with the blessing of Mayor Ray Nagin, has given its OK to the structure of a public private partnership for economic development. But how soon the PPP, its staff and board can work toward its mission...

Walton Construction awarded additional Marine barracks contract.
June 5, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Walton Construction Co. was recently awarded an additional $18.8 million contract to design and build a fourth barracks facility at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. This third option...

New Orleans City Council OKs public-private partnership to grow economy.
June 5, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans City Council on Thursday adopted an ordinance to create a public-private partnership tasked with growing the city's economy. The council's approval provides $2 million to the partnership....

N.O. woman guilty of defrauding Road Home, SBA.
June 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A woman who received Road Home money and a federal loan to cover Hurricane Katrina's damage to a Riverbend home faces 50 years in jail and hefty fines. On Friday, a federal jury found Barbara Simmons Dowl...

Best Buy plans new Hammond store.
June 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Best Buy today announced plans Friday to open 13 new stores, including a location in Hammond. The plans also call for the chain's first store in Wyoming and second in Alaska. The new Hammond location at...

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, wife,staffer under quarantine in China.
June 7, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, his wife and a staff member are under quarantine in China after a passenger who traveled on the same plane with them to Shanghai was confirmed to have signs and symptoms of the...

June 9-15.
June 8, 2009... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports June 9 The St. Tammany West Chamber President's Roundtable will take place at 8 a.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott, 101 Northpark Blvd., Covington. New Orleans City Councilman Arnie Fielkow will speak...

Rental revival: New Orleans area's ability to absorb affordable housing glut hinges on job market.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Tommy Santora Affordable rental housing is on the upswing in New Orleans, and apartment developers hope they can find enough tenants who fill the new offerings. New construction since Hurricane Katrina will bring 2,000 units on...

Rents dropping but apartment occupancy still strong in New Orleans area.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Tommy Santora Apartment managers report decreasing occupancy and rental rates in the New Orleans area, but they are holding back their complaints when they see the situation in other parts of the country. Occupancy in the region...

New Orleans Real Estate Briefs: June 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Homebuyers are starting to warm to the idea of buying a foreclosed property, according to a survey by RealtyTrac. A May survey of 2,397 people showed that 55 percent were somewhat likely to consider buying...

Commentary: Louisiana has little to show from spending spree.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Mark Singletary I feel conflicted and you should, too. As the summer driving season swings into full bloom, it's natural to assume that energy prices will rise. Oil and gas prices generally go up in summer when more Americans...

What has kept our office occupancy rates inflated during the recession?
June 8, 2009... Byline: Jennifer Nall Jeff Cohn leasing agent Corporate Realty Engineering is the only industry I've seen grow over the past year. I have back-filled vacant space in the five buildings I represent in Metairie with eight different...

Armstrong New Orleans Airport to shuffle concessions.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Citybusiness Staff Reports Armstrong New Orleans Airport Aviation Director Sean Hunter plans to reposition shops and restaurants from Concourse A, which currently serves Northwest Airlines and US Airways, to Concourse D. The...

Inn on Bourbon shifts from party to business.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Citybusiness Staff Reports It was not so long ago when general manager Beth Ables did not have to work that hard to fill rooms at the Inn on Bourbon. With its prime location at the corner of Bourbon and Toulouse streets, the spot...

Off the Clock: Stevie Mack, ERA Stirling Properties Realtor.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises Age: 63 Family: husband, Bob; daughters, Christian, 38, Kendall, 35, Courtney, 32 Education: bachelor's degree in business education, Louisiana State University Hometown: Covington Stevie Mack started out at...

Shell: No plans to cut N.O. jobs, leadership.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Citybusiness Staff Reports The reshuffling of leadership within Shell that will eliminate 350 to 450 management positions and thousands of rank-and-file jobs won't affect its New Orleans office, a company spokesman says. The...

Lower prices fuel jump in home sales.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Citybusiness Staff Reports The National Association of Realtors is trumpeting new home sales figures from April that appear to show historic gains in the U.S. market. Sales contracts rose 6.7 percent two months ago, the biggest...

Allegations of racism surround the demise of a neighborhood repair shop in New Orleans.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Richard A. Webster Editor's Note: This story begins an occasional series that will examine race relations in New Orleans. The series will highlight specific and broad instances of how businesses and communities struggle to overcome...

Talking Black: New Orleans stations dispute whether race defines content.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Deon Roberts Tensions between black and white officials in New Orleans make front-page news and lead television newscasts. Some see these and other well-publicized disputes as representative of tense race relations among residents...

Commentary: Age plays role in race issue in New Orleans.
June 8, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Mayor Ray Nagin's mouth has provided some of the more notorious moments of his term. He has been offensive, questioning after Hurricane Katrina how would he make sure New Orleans is not overrun with Mexican...

New Orleans senior health plan provider likes reform.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Greg LaRose The Obama administration has issued few details on its proposed reforms for the health care and has indicated it wants to cut back on senior health care costs. But a New Orleans company that offers managed care to...

Commentary: Storm prep tax holiday falls short of helping.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises So hurricane season is upon us yet again, and I'm adding a must-have to my list of preparedness items -- a laptop computer. I feel like a dinosaur with a four-year-old desktop at home, but it still works OK. Plus,...

Louisiana smoking ban backers not conceding fight just yet.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Emilie Bahr When the state House of Representatives shot down a proposal to ban smoking in bars and casinos last week, opponents cheered the defeat of a measure they call an unfair infringement on business owner rights and personal...

Louisiana casinos go on offensive to ward off smoking ban.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Stephen Maloney As bills that would expand Louisiana's smoking ban to gambling venues continue to smolder in the Legislature, casino officials are battling to avoid what they call an unfair financial burden. State Rep. Gary Smith...

Commentary: Meauxbar setting the pace along Rampart.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris Meauxbar $$$$ French 942 N. Rampart St., French Quarter 569-9979 Dinner Tuesday through Saturday Nice casual www.meauxbar.com Price ratings are what one person should expect to spend on a meal. Each $ represents...

N.O. sees increase in initial unemployment claims.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises The New Orleans area saw an increase in unemployment claims for the week ending May 30 to 1,352 from 983. The area, comprised of Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John and...

Louisiana Lottery pays out $10.4M in May.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises The Louisiana Lottery paid out $10.4 million in May from draw-style games, while players buying scratch-off tickets collected $6.6 million, lottery officials said Friday. The lottery payout in May was higher than...

New Orleans forum to focus on workplace issues.
June 8, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The U.S. Department of Labor is hosting a workshop Tuesday in New Orleans to discuss issues related to family and medical leave, wages, pension protection, job safety, affirmative action programs and veterans'...

Corps says projects will benefit St. Tammany businesses, residents.
June 8, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Army Corps of Engineers says it will host a public meeting June 16 to discuss strategies for long-term projects that will benefit St. Tammany Parish businesses and residents. Troy Constance, branch chief of...

New Orleans redeveloper opens apartments in Treme.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Deon Roberts The Treme neighborhood has a new, four-unit apartment complex. Josh Bruno, president of New Orleans-based Downtown Development Group, today said the project - a $95,000 renovation of a house at 1917 St. Ann St. -...

Le Citron Bistro has new chef.
June 8, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Le Citron Bistro has a new executive chef. Carl Winchester, 44, previously worked for K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen and Cafe Rue Bourbon. Le Citron Bistro, 1539 Religious St., opened five years ago. ...

Companies to present construction plans for N.O. libraries.
June 8, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Three companies competing for a contract to design and build five New Orleans libraries will give public presentations of their proposals. The firms - Broadmoor, Gibbs Construction and Satterfield & Pontikes...

EPA gives Louisiana $435,200 to create jobs.
June 8, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff In an effort to improve water quality and create jobs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today said it has awarded $435,200 to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality under the American Recovery...

La. Dept. of Transportation and Development cautious on proposal to up weight limit on interstates.
June 9, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises The Louisiana Forestry Association is one of more than 100 groups and companies urging Congress to raise the federal vehicle weight limit on U.S. interstates. But with a $14 billion backlog in statewide road...

Louisiana Associated General Contractors: Baton Rouge as construction hub no surprise.
June 9, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises Baton Rouge is seeing the second-highest job growth in the construction sector for a major region in the United States, according to an Associated General Contractors of America report last week. While that may...

New Orleans Redevelopment Authority buys Gentilly Woods Shopping Center.
June 9, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority has bought Gentilly Woods Shopping Center using $4.3 million in federal funds approved by the state, the Louisiana Recovery Authority said today. The funding is from...

N.O. firm named among fastest growing inner-city companies.
June 9, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City says New Orleans-based NewBath is No. 5 on its 2009 list of the 100 fastest-growing inner-city companies in America. One other Louisiana company made the list....

James Construction awarded $1.2M Jefferson Parish bridge contract.
June 11, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Jefferson Parish has awarded Baton Rouge-based James Construction Group a $1.2 million job to replace the 26th Street Bridge over Butler Canal in Kenner. The bridge will close at 7 a.m. Monday until 5...

WWII museum in New Orleans sets post-Katrina attendance record.
June 11, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The National World War II Museum set a post-Hurricane Katrina attendance record this past weekend with 5,000 visitors for the 65th anniversary of D-Day. The figure smashes previous post-Katrina daily...

N.O. man sentenced in house-flipping case.
June 11, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports A New Orleans man was sentenced to 40 months in prison today after pleading guilty to allegations that he conspired in a house-flipping scheme. Calvin Davis, 48, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit...

Study: No vision for southeast Louisiana trade industry.
June 11, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Improvements can be made to enhance the international trade potential of southeast Louisiana, which lacks vision regarding the trade and transportation industry, according to a Greater New Orleans Inc....

St. Tammany only area to post year-over-year foreclosure increase.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises Foreclosure filings dropped in most parts of the New Orleans area in May compared with May of last year, with St. Tammany Parish being the only area to report an increase, according to figures released today by...

N.O. average gas price rises to $2.51.
June 11, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports City gas prices rose overnight, from an average $2.505 per gallon of regular grade Wednesday to $2.516 today, according to AAA. A month ago, the average price stood at $2.115. A year ago, it was $3.95. The...

Ford Motor Co. to sponsor Essence Music Festival in New Orleans.
June 11, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Ford Motor Co. today said it will sponsor Essence Music Festival, which will be held in New Orleans over the July Fourth weekend. "The unique sponsorship will allow for Ford to continue to give back to the...

VA dedicates new regional office in New Orleans.
June 12, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The Department of Veterans Affairs today dedicated its new 65,000-square-foot office that assists Louisiana Veterans with VA financial benefits. It cost $3.5 million to refurbish the space at 1250 Poydras...

Astor Crowne Plaza in New Orleans gets new GM.
June 12, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Peter Ambros is the new general manager of the Astor Crowne Plaza hotel. Ambros, a native of Vienna, Austria, led the hotel's team during the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The Canal Street hotel...

N.O. hotel occupancy rate for week off 10 percent over year.
June 12, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises New Orleans' hotel occupancy rate for the week ending June 6 was down 10.7 percent compared with the comparable week a year ago, according to Smith Travel Research. The occupancy rate of 58.6 percent was down from...

N.O. area see dip in first-time unemployment claims.
June 12, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans area saw a drop in unemployment claims for the week ending June 6 to 1,328 from 1,352. The area, comprised of Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John...

Experts say New Orleans City Hall relocation to improve slice of Central Business District.
June 12, 2009... Byline: Deon Roberts The city's purchase of Chevron Corp.'s former New Orleans office space on Gravier Street for the relocation of City Hall would breath life into a desolate corridor of the Central Business District, real estate experts...

Louisiana Restaurant Association to hold food service expo.
June 12, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The Louisiana Restaurant Association said its 56th Annual Louisiana Foodservice Expo, slated for July 18-20 in New Orleans, will have an estimated 15,000 attendees. The food service event will be held at...

Company hopes to have test turbines in Mississippi River by end of month.
June 12, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises The company behind a $3 billion plan to use the Mississippi River as an energy source hopes to have a prototype turbine in the water by the end of June with plans to have prototypes in the New Orleans area by the...

FEMA approves $8.8M in grants for New Orleans.
June 13, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved more than $8.8 million in projects for New Orleans, Congressman Joseph Cao, D-La., announced. This is very significant for New Orleans East, Cao said. We...

FEMA approves $47M in hurricane grants in Louisiana.
June 14, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report St. Bernard, Plaquemines and Jefferson Parishes will receive nearly $47 million in federal disaster funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Congressman Charlie...

N.O.'s Lincoln Beach work to start no sooner than 2011.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Citybusiness Staff Reports The redevelopment of Lincoln Beach is moving forward, but construction is not expected to begin for at least 18 months, said Sean Cummings, head of the New Orleans Building Corp. The city and Nolatown...

Commentary: Royal Palm might mark West Bank turnaround.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris Royal Palm $$$$$ French Contemporary Creole 1901 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey 644-4100 Dinner Tuesday through Saturday Nice casual www.royalpalmrestaurant.com Price ratings are what one person should expect to spend on...

SDT expands to Baton Rouge with $750,000 LSU contract.
June 15, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report French Quarter and Downtown Development District garbage contractor SDT Waste and Debris Services has been awarded a one-year, $750,000 recycling and waste-disposal contract by Louisiana State University....

Commentary: Politics dilute New Orleans master plan.
June 15, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff State Sen. Ed Murray intends to run for mayor of New Orleans. But instead of campaigning in the city, he is using his position in Baton Rouge to secure votes back home. Murray is the sponsor of a bill that will...

Commentary: Port consolidation runs aground in Plaquemines Parish.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Greg LaRose The creation of a new superboard to oversee port commerce in Southeast Louisiana is moving forward in the Legislature, but the effort to unite parishes along the lower Mississippi River could result in a border war....

Commentary: Fielkow passes on congressional races in favor of city.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Jeff Crouere For the past several weeks, prominent Democrats have been urging New Orleans Councilman at-large Arnie Fielkow to consider running against Republican incumbent Sen. David Vitter in 2010. A recent poll showed Vitter...

Baton Rouge tops N.O. in construction.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Citybusiness Staff Reports Baton Rouge is seeing the second-highest job growth in the construction sector for a major region in the United States, according to an Associated General Contractors of America report last week. While...

N.O. Center for Creative Arts adds $2.3M wing devoted to training in video, music production, design.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Stephen Maloney With three new classrooms dedicated to training high school students for high-tech jobs, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts hopes to provide enough highly skilled graduates to attract more technology-based...

Louisiana running in middle of pack for green jobs.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Citybusiness Staff Reports Louisiana had the 24th most clean-energy businesses and the 22nd most green jobs among U.S. states, according to a study released last week. The Pew Charitable Trust reports Louisiana had 995 businesses...

Smoothie King lands at New Orleans airport.
June 15, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Covington-based Smoothie King Franchises Inc. today said it has set up shop in Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, bringing the total number of Smoothie King location in the New Orleans area...

Cox CEO doesn't expect customer surge from digital transition.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Stephen Maloney Cox Communications CEO Steve Sawyer said he doesn't expect a significant spike in customers as a result of this past weekend's highly anticipated switch to an all-digital signal. Cox is not tracking new...

Slumping housing sales fail to deter Covington-based Pool Corp.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Stephen Maloney Still feeling the waves of financial insecurity rippling through the housing market, Covington-based Pool Corp. is looking to further consolidate its hold on the pool supply market by expanding its footprint within...

Guaranty Savings Bank rides retail strategy to 1Q earnings surge.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Stephen Maloney Despite the challenges financial institutions nationwide have faced since the last quarter of 2008, Guaranty Savings Bank's expansion into the local retail banking sector has created a spark of hope for the former...

New Orleans riverfront redevelopment work to start in August.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Citybusiness Staff Reports Work on the first section of the Reinventing the Crescent project could start as early as August with street improvements along North Peters and Chartres streets, developers with the project said last...

Tax credits key to the N.O.'s first Hollywood-level studio.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Greg LaRose State tax incentives in place to lure the movie and television industry to Louisiana have done wonders to bring productions to the state since they were put in place in 2002 -- 80 productions were shot on location last...

Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans set for $1.6M makeover.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Citybusiness Staff Reports Claiborne Avenue has seen its share of hard times, but a scheduled $1.6 million makeover appears to be on a fast track for the stretch between Napoleon Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard. Once...

Main Street ideas reach St. Claude Avenue in New Orleans.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Emilie Bahr Phyllis Funches moved to St. Claude Avenue 18 years ago from a nearby Mazant Street rental in the Bywater, drawn by the area's relative affordability and a building stock that had retained much of its historic charm....

IRS delays putting N.O. economic development on hold.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Greg LaRose The City Council, with the blessing of Mayor Ray Nagin, has OK'd the structure of a public private partnership for economic development. But how soon the New Orleans Economic Development Council, its staff and board can...

June 15-21.
June 15, 2009... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports June 15 The National Association of Women in Construction will hold their general membership meeting at 5:30 p.m. at Five Happiness Restaurant, 3605 S. Carrollton Ave. The meeting will consist of...

Commentary: Economic turmoil creates wild ride for shareholders.
June 15, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The economic recession brings to mind a number of familiar amusement park analogies. Depending on the investor's perspective, it's been a roller coaster, a merry-go-round or perhaps a house of horrors. New...

Lockheed Martin's Michoud site transitions to Jacobs management.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Emilie Bahr By this time next year, the number of workers Lockheed Martin employs at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in eastern New Orleans will be significantly whittled, though some are likely to remain in the facility under new...

Regions Financial becomes acquisition target after failing stress test.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Chris Gautreau Regions Financial Corp. is feeling the stress. Not only did the Birmingham, Ala., bank fail the U.S. Treasury Department's stress test, it's still trying to shed bad loans and handle lingering problems with its...

Textron's Slidell plant stays busy, but income still drops.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Chris Gautreau Textron Marine & Land Systems' Slidell operations reached a milestone this month, rolling out its 2,000th armored security vehicle under a contract with the U.S. Army that began in 2005. The four-wheel drive vehicle,...

Income dip fails to dampen Albemarle Corp.'s return to Louisiana.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Chris Gautreau Albemarle Corp.'s move to Baton Rouge in 2008 gave state economic developers something to crow about. A year later, however, the momentum has been replaced with Albemarle hunkering down for the economic recession...

Earnings decline for Louisiana-based Stewart Enterprises but services are 'inevitable'.(Financial report)
June 15, 2009... Byline: Richard A. Webster Death never takes a break, but the pre-need sale of cemetery plots has during the recession and it has hurt Stewart Enterprises' bottom line. In fiscal 2008, which ended Oct. 31 for Stewart, the Jefferson-based...

New Orleans-based McMoRan Exploration sees bright Gulf future despite loss streak.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Emilie Bahr A year ago, things were looking significantly better for McMoRan Exploration Co. The New Orleans-based company ended 2007 with a solid fourth quarter and reported a $32 million profit in the first quarter of 2008,...

Entergy's Louisiana subsidiaries seeking cushion for storm damage costs.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Emilie Bahr Following the destruction hurricanes Gustav and Ike wreaked on Entergy Corp.'s utility systems, two of its subsidiaries -- Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana -- are seeking to recover $412.6 million in...