Isaac Brokers site for huge Richmond retail center
Richmond will soon challenge Lexington's Hamburg Pavilion Mall as a draw to regional shoppers.
Jim Kemper, vice president, NAI Isaac Commercial Properties, exclusively represented the buyer, Richmond Centre, LLC (a venture between Carolina Holdings, Inc. and Crosland, Inc.), in the acquisition of 120 acres in the northwest quadrant of Interstate 75 and the Eastern Bypass (Barnes Mill Road) in Richmond for the construction of a major retail center.
The 120-acre, multi-use development is to include approximately 800,000 square feet of retail space for traditional and discount department stores, category-specific retailers not represented in the market, a bookstore, a stadium-seating theatre, hotels and casual dining restaurants. Anchors are Meijer, JCPenney, Belk, Home Depot and Cinemark Theatre. Construction is scheduled to begin this month and completion is set for the third quarter of 2008. Richmond Centre, Kemper said, will be the largest retail development between Lexington and Knoxville, Tenn., as well as the premier regional shopping, entertainment and hospitality venue for south-central Kentucky.
Hotels briefed on World Games planning
Area hotels are being urged to participate in a Housing Bureau established for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010. The bureau, managed by Krista Greathouse of Short's Sports Events and Logistics, will coordinate bookings and other aspects of hospitality for competitors and their entourages, sponsors, officials, volunteers, vendors, contractors and spectators.
At a hospitality industry briefing at the Marriott Griffin Gate, World Games Foundation officials said a dozen area hotels have signed-on so far, providing only a fraction of the estimated 15,000 nights of lodging needed. Terry Johnson, the Foundation's Vice President for external affairs, stressed that non-participating hotels will not have access to shuttle bus service to and from the Kentucky Horse Park, site of the 2010 event. Those hotels will have access to satellite lots which will also accommodate spectator parking and will be serviced by shuttles into and out of the park. Cars will not be permitted in the park for space and security reasons.
Hotels interested in participating in the Housing Bureau can contact Greathouse at (859) 255-2010, ext. 231 or kgreathouse@shortstravel.com.
Greathouse said plans are being made for an online provider working with a realtor to handle rentals of private homes. So far, she said, only about 5 requests for such accommodations have been received.
It will be another 30 to 60 days, the officials said, before an announcement is made concerning the development of a hotel at the Horse Park.
The officials said ticket demand is heavy and more than 11,000 people have signed-up online to serve as volunteers during the 16-day event in the late summer of 2010.
Fayette college-bound receive Lexmark printers
Lexmark has donated nearly 1,500 Lexmark Z1300 inkjet printers, valued at more than $40,000, to graduating seniors from Fayette County Public Schools. Students receiving the printers had committed to continuing their education at an accredited two- or four-year college or university.
UK hosts national agriculture conference
The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and UK department of agricultural economics hosted the 9th Annual National Value-Added Agriculture Conference at Lexington's Embassy Suites Hotel on June 3-5.
Kentucky's role in the value-added agriculture market has grown over the last several years as farmers continue to diversify away from tobacco production. Like all small business entrepreneurs, value-added producers face many challenges on the road to success.
This national value-added conference was developed nine years ago to provide a network for economic development professional and entrepreneurs in value-added agriculture business ventures.
Second class in UK's 11-month MBA program graduates
Fifty-six students received their MBAs during ceremonies in Memorial Hall on June 8. Of the 56, 82 percent either have jobs or are considering final offers, are actively interviewing, or plan to continue their education.
Students in the accelerated program completed 880 hours of instruction, the same as in many two-year MBA programs, together with participation and input from numerous leading corporations via the Project Connect arm of the program. Project Connect partners including Lexmark, Valvoline, Tempur-Pedic, Foam Design, United Technologies, O'Charley's, Humana, Brown Forman, Fifth Third, Kentucky Technical Textiles, Buggies Unlimited and Ryder shared the expertise and wisdom of key employees on a volunteer basis. Every student completing the program has the opportunity to earn "Green Belt certification in Six Sigma training