The newest location of the Lakeland, FL-based grocery chain opens next week (12.3) along Highway 31, but the shopping center as a whole represents the effects of the economy on commercial real estate as ABC 33/40 reports on their website.
Category Archives: Business
Street paving in Five Points South tomorrow
One of the things announced by Mayor Langford during yesterday’s City Council meeting was the repaving of the Five Points South area in advance of next month’s PapaJohns.com Bowl (12.29). We’ve received word from the Five Points South Merchants Group that weather permitting, paving will take place along 11th Avenue South between 18th and 20th Streets while the city’s Department of Public Works paints the light poles, so you might want to keep that in mind when navigating the area.
Word is that the work will not affect businesses and that the police will work to make sure that customers have access to area stores and restaurants. Other portions of 11th and Magnolia Avenues may be paved as well, with 20th Street also being milled at that time.
Posted in Business
Tagged 35205, announcement, Five Points South, information, merchant status, milling, street paving
How much for that TV?
That could be one of many questions asked by customers that choose to visit Circuit City locations in Birmingham and nationwide as the electronics retailer announced that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this morning. The publicly traded company once traded for $8.54 – its current value at the time of this post was $0.11 and they’d just announced last week that they would be closing 20% of their stores, including one that recently opened in Trussville. Reports had been suggesting that it would be bankruptcy or closings, but not both. The company will stay open and they still have a location in Hoover during their current reorganization, easily accessible for the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Economic synergy focus for summit
Next week’s Economic Summit, presented by the City of Birmingham‘s economic development committee, hopes to provide the area’s public, private and non-profit leaders with the tools necessary to guide the Magic City region through the current economic crisis. The event is free and open to the public and will include keynote speeches by John Sibley Butler, Ph.D., director of The Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at Austin and Kim M. Williams, Ph.D., associate professor of public policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Here’s a current copy of the agenda for you to look over as a JPEG; if you’re interested in attending, visit the Birmingham Business Resource Center’s website and click on the register link.
Mercedes Benz announces plant reductions
We’ve learned that Mercedes Benz’ Vance plant has announced that their Plant 1 will be going to one shift, cutting all second shift work. They’ve also announced that Plant 2 will run both shifts but reduced volume and that some of the employees at the facility have been offered a $45,000 buyout with an additional $1,000 for every year they’ve worked there. Those that have been offered the buyut have 10 days to make their decision.
We’ll provide more information as it becomes available.
Belk celebrated a new beginning Friday
acnatta/Flickr
Friday morning saw a line of more than 250 people waiting to get their first look at the completed renovation and expansion of the Belk department store located at The Summit along U.S. 280 into one of the company’s flagship locations. Early morning shoppers were also able to watch as representatives from the Birmingham chapter of the American Heart Association‘s Heart Guild received a check from the Belk Foundation (and company president Johnny Belk) for $5,000.
Posted in Business
Tagged American Heart Association, Belk, Belk Foundation, donation, opening, The Summit
New biofuels corridor almost complete
Photo: Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition’s Mark Bentley at this morning’s press conference in Vestavia Hills. acnatta/Flickr.
Last night the I-65 Biofuels Corridor Summit at Ted’s Garage provided attendees with a chance to learn more the completion of the first cross-country route that allows owners of FlexFuel vehicles easy access to E85 fuel from Mobile, AL to Gary, IN (where events will be held tomorrow evening). One of those stations is the Shell station located at the intersection of I-65 and U.S. 31 in Vestavia Hills. Earlier today public officials attended a ceremony marking it’s designation as one of seven (7) stations offering E85 along the north/south thoroughfare. Drivers that visit that station today, provided your car can run on E85, will be able to fill up on the alternative fuel for $2.85/gallon.
