Birmingham, Al

[Rico]

Mobile is actually a pretty decent place, hard to beat any coastal town...

I do not know if this thread is worth a pooh, but it would make economic sense for US HQ to get out of DC. Afterall there is little advantage left for HQ remaining in Arlington other than, well, geeze, I cannot think of a reason.

I know that whatever it costs to get by in Fairfax Co. could allow you to live like a King in AL... The same has to apply for a corporation moving there, esp with tax breaks and subsidies to make it happen.

Hmm, oh well, just one of thoise interesting little threads that 99% of the time are off the mark, 1% on.

 

[gso-crew]

Well, then that puts the lie to your rumor. I am from Birmingham. Almost my entire family still lives there. I just called my sister. There are no 30+ story buildings under construction in or near Birmingham, or if there is, she certainly hasn't heard or seen any thing about it. And, trust me, a building over 15 stories tall would be major news.

Help me out ... never been to Alabama myself ...

RSA Tower Montgomery, Alabama

 

[USFlyer]

Mobile is actually a pretty decent place, hard to beat any coastal town...

I do not know if this thread is worth a pooh, but it would make economic sense for US HQ to get out of DC. Afterall there is little advantage left for HQ remaining in Arlington other than, well, geeze, I cannot think of a reason.

I know that whatever it costs to get by in Fairfax Co. could allow you to live like a King in AL... The same has to apply for a corporation moving there, esp with tax breaks and subsidies to make it happen.

Hmm, oh well, just one of thoise interesting little threads that 99% of the time are off the mark, 1% on.

And who is paying to relocate thousands of employees plus everything in the CCY offices? One estimate I saw was that it would take approx. $75 million to relocate HQ. Isn't the annual lease amount for CCY around $13 million? What would comparable space go for elsewhere? Even if it's $8 million elsewhere, it would still take YEARS to recoup the costs of the move.

 

[jimntx]

Mobile is actually a pretty decent place, hard to beat any coastal town...

Well, technically, Mobile is not a coastal town. It's about 40 miles from the Gulf of Mexico near the head of Mobile Bay. But, it is a beautiful and very old city--one of the oldest in the U.S.

Trivia time...
Which city in the U.S. had the first Mardi Gras celebration? No, it was not New Orleans; it was Mobile, AL in 1703.

 

[Rico]

Well, Once again, I am not saying that this will happen, but I am saying that it could and that it would be a good idea.

I doubt the cost would be that high, and even if it were, the savings would pay that off in a matter of years.

Lower cost of living means lower salaries needed, lower rent, lower energy costs, tax breaks from the state and local municipalities, blah blah blah. Thing is, there is little reason remaining for HQ to remain in DC.

it makes sense now and long term, Forbes magazine just named Huntsville as one of the ton ten locations in the US to move to in a recent issue, and obviously it would make RSA happy.

Look, if the comapny is willing to move out of PIT, moving out of Arlington is small fry in comparison...

 

[RowUnderDCA]

Again, CCY is not in D.C. This information provided just for the three people who read this forum that might not already know.

 

[gso-crew]

RSA interested in Convention Center
Mayor says Bronner might also be interested in helping renovate Civic Center
Friday, August 06, 2004
By GEORGE TALBOT
Business Reporter

The Retirement Systems of Alabama has asked Mobile Mayor Mike Dow to consider allowing it to manage the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center, according to David Bronner, RSA's chief executive officer.

With over $200 million now invested downtown, RSA apparently wants more control over the city's recruitment of tourists, conventions and other events.

"Nothing is worse than if we go off and book a major event, and then we find out later that the Convention Center has this little piddly deal that throws the whole thing off," Bronner said. "It just works better if we're all on the same page."

Dow said Bronner, who oversees the $24 billion state employee pension fund, might also be interested in partnering with the city to renovate the 40-year-old Mobile Civic Center.

"We are having discussions with them as far as managing the Convention Center and other properties," said Dow. "Our concern is how to maximize these facilities and create a larger tourist and convention industry here. I'm completely open to the possibilities."

Both the Convention Center, which opened to the pub lic in 1993, and the Civic Center, which opened in 1964, are owned by the city and managed by Philadelphia-based SMG Management.

Dow said RSA's proposal doesn't necessarily mean that SMG -- which is contracted with the city to manage the Civic Center until 2006 and the Convention Center until 2007 -- would be squeezed out.

"I think there's a role for each to play," Dow said Thursday. "Right now, I'm just trying to get everyone together and see if we can find that ideal arrangement."

RSA is spending $162 million to build a downtown office tower -- the tallest in the state -- and renovate the adjacent Battle House hotel. The Montgomery-based pension fund last month bought the Riverview Hotel in downtown Mobile, formerly operated under the Adam's Mark flag, for $11.8 million, and began a $17 million upgrade of the 377-room hotel.

An RSA affiliate, Alabama Real Estate Holdings Inc., is building the city's $20 million cruise terminal on the Mobile River and will manage the terminal once construction is completed in the fall.

Bronner said his interest in the Convention Center, a downtown landmark and sometime source of controversy over its $52 million construction price, is natural considering his hotel investments in the area. In addition to the Battle House and the Riverview, RSA also owns and operates the historic Grand Hotel in Point Clear.

RSA has negotiated deals in Montgomery and Florence to manage convention centers adjacent to RSA properties. The pension fund is spending $47 million to build a hotel in downtown Montgomery, expected to be completed by Nov. 1, and agreed last year to take over and rebuild the Florence Conference Center. RSA's Shoals Golf Resort, Spa & Conference Center in Florence is scheduled to open in April 2005.

"What is going on is that we're showing the folks in Mobile what kind of deal we're doing with Florence and what kind of deal we're doing with Montgomery and seeing if they have any interest. And those talks are going on now," Bronner said. "It's just something that, if it makes sense to them, fine, and if it doesn't make sense, then we won't do it."

Dow said he has had informal discussions regarding both the Convention Center and the Civic Center with Ed Kulik, president of Alabama Real Estate Holdings. Kulik did not return several messages from the Register.

"I had a conversation with (Kulik) recently about the fact that our Civic Center is tired and dated and is not a state-of-the-art concert hall," Dow said. "And his response was, 'Maybe we can help you with that.'"

Dow said he specifically would like to expand the 10,000-seat arena by adding at least 2,000 seats and install a higher-quality sound system, improvements that could lure big-name concerts.

"We cannot compete with other Gulf Coast facilities with its current configuration and limited seating," Dow said. "It needs a major overhaul. Can RSA help us with this? Absolutely."

SMG officials said they were not aware of any negotiations with RSA, adding that they were committed to managing the two properties. Jay Haberman, the Civic Center's general manager, said SMG has an option to extend the contract for another five years when the current deal expires in 2006.

"I think, and the city thinks, that we've done a great job and see no reason to make a change," said Robert Brazier, general manager of the Convention Center. "On the other hand, (Bronner) is doing great things in the city, and we're glad to assist him however we can."

Allowing RSA to recruit conventions could have implications for the Mobile Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, which traditionally handles long-range bookings at the Convention Center.

"Usually, the Bureau looks at events for 18 months and out, and SMG does the short-term stuff," said Leon Maisel, president of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Maisel said he had not been contacted by Bronner or Dow regarding their negotiations.

"It's kind of out of our hands," he said.

 

[FlyingHippie]

I would not laugh so hard at the concept, with PIT "downsizing", not that hard to imagine a move of RIDC over to AL. Res centers, even Crystal City could be moved their to save a ton of cash and make the RSA happy.

AL Tax breaks, Bama kicking in cash to help pay for it, blah blah blah. Not such an unlikely concept if u think it over a bit.

[post="162344"][/post]​

maybe we can get rid of Seth and get Forrest Gump to do GoFares instead. :blink:

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Yeah, they should dump Seth and get Forrest Gump. Instead of GoFares they could call it GumboFares. The license plate number on the GoFare/GumboFare Hummer would be "Run4Est". They could have ShrimpFares, ShrimpFlights, ShrimpWages, ShrimpPlanes...on and on. The possibilities are endless.

 

[RumorS]

Bronner openly expressed a desire to move airline operations, including call centers and other back-office work, to Alabama and suggested that US Airways or one of its regional offices would make a fine anchor tenant in his RSA Tower now under construction in downtown Mobile.

 

[Expectorant]

Bronner openly expressed a desire to move airline operations, including call centers and other back-office work, to Alabama and suggested that US Airways or one of its regional offices would make a fine anchor tenant in his RSA Tower now under construction in downtown Mobile.

[post="169343"][/post]​

Where did this information come from; where and when did he say this, and in what venue?

 

[Doc]

US Airways employs thousands of people in a variety of career fields. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, US Airways offers competitive salaries and benefits.


WHAT A JOKE

 

[WestCoastGuy]

Bronner openly expressed a desire to move airline operations, including call centers and other back-office work, to Alabama and suggested that US Airways or one of its regional offices would make a fine anchor tenant in his RSA Tower now under construction in downtown Mobile.

 

[Winglet]

Sure move it to Alabama. They can cut salaries even more. Of course, res people will be living in tar paper shacks, but that's what they deserve, right. Meanwhile, Lakefield and his buddies live in the big house up the hill. An airline execs dream.

 

[WestCoastGuy]

Im sure the new RETIREMENT Systems of Alabama Building would be a wonderful site for USAirways offices. That is, after Bronner dumps our own RETIREMENT program. This man is nothing but a money grabbing Carpetbagger like the rest of them in Crystal Palace, looking to pick all our pockets for his own benefit.