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"This is a great example of Federal, State and local community coming together to build this important piece of infrastructure," stated U.S. Congressman Russ Carnahan. "This is a road to the new casino in Lemay. This also a road to good paying jobs with benefits that we need right now in this economy," stated St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley. An aerial view of the development area featuring new bridges and the new River City Casino Boulevard connecting I-55 to the River City Casino complex on the Mississippi Riverfront. St. Louis County Opens River City Casino Boulevard to New Jobs by Betty Moore, SLFP.com ST. LOUIS (SLFP.com), November 10, 2009 - With one single stroke, St. Louis County and Missouri dignitaries cut the yellow ribbon at a Grand Opening ceremony, Tuesday morning, November 10, to officially open the River City Casino Boulevard. It was a milestone marking years of planning and discussion, requiring two acts of congress, nearly $450 million, and the cooperation of more than 20 entities including the U.S. Air Force, MoDOT, Corps of Engineers, Union Pacific Railroad, MSD, HUD, SEMA and 13 local utilities, to complete the mile-and-a half road connecting I-55 to the Mississippi River and the new River City Casino scheduled to open in Spring 2010. The long, complex process to develop the area along the River De Peres, devastated by the flood of 1993, also required a great deal of tenacity in obtaining permits by datelines set by the Missouri Gaming Commission and detailed coordination to remove and properly dispose of 16,000 tons of contaminated material to meet MoDNR standards. The overwhelming odds against building the road, which began in 2007, made the successful completion even more poignant. According to St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, "This project is so important because in 1995, this was 80 acres of contaminated, unusable land that didn't produce any productivity and no revenue and just look at it today. There were people who were saying it wasn't going to happen. Well, it did happen and this is just the first part of the project to open the road for more economic development for the Lemay and South St. Louis County areas." Dooley estimated that approximately 1,000 - 1,500 permanent jobs are the result of the development. "We invested nearly $357 million dollars in the area. This road will open up other opportunities for the area including retail and other activities for economic development." "This is a road to somewhere," Dooley noted proudly. "This is a road to the new casino in Lemay. This also a road to good paying jobs with benefits that we need right now in this economy." When asked if any stimulus funds were used for the project, Dooley quickly responded that no TIFs or TARP money was used. He noted that it was Pinnacle Entertainment stimulus money with more than $23.8 million to develop the new River City Casino Boulevard. "We also used Brownfield's money to clean up the abandoned and contaminated industrial sites." Dooley envisioned a big return on the County's investment with funds going to support the schools, the local fire departments, into building a new community center for Lemay and especially into new jobs at the River City Casino. "Building this road is another perfect example of us working together with many partners including the City of St. Louis and U.S. Congressman Russ Carnahan to get the job done." The significance of the new infrastructure was highlighted by Carnahan as he commented on the potential of creating new jobs. "This is a tough economy, but we've had some good economic indicators that we are growing our way out of this economic hole that we've been in," stated Congressman Russ Carnahan. "We know from past recessions, usually the jobs lag by a year to a year and a half behind the economic numbers beginning to turn around," added Carnahan. "So I think it's our job to really focus on how we can shorten that lag time, saving and creating jobs. This is a great example of Federal, State and local community coming together to build this important piece of infrastructure." The regional economic development strategy is to create 4,000 new jobs for the region, including 3,000 for the construction and staffing of the new casino. "We know from studies, that the ripple impact of the investment into new bridges and roads is one of the smartest and best uses of public money to create jobs and promote private economic activity," stated Carnahan. "This is absolutely a model project of how you can do that here in Lemay and South St. Louis County." U.S. Travel Industry to Add 90,000 American Jobs in 2010 ST. LOUIS (PRNewswire-FirstCall), November 8, 2009 - The U.S. Travel Association has announced that projected modest 2010 increases in leisure, business and international inbound travel will enable the industry to add nearly 90,000 American jobs. Leisure travel is expected to rise 2.0 percent, business travel is projected to increase by 2.5 percent and international inbound travel will increase by nearly 3.0 percent. These job gains come on the heels of 400,000 combined travel industry job losses in 2008 and 2009. "The travel industry shares President Obama's goal of putting Americans back to work. Our industry is uniquely capable of adapting to economic upswings and quickly adding tens of thousands of jobs," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "What we announce today is based upon modest increases in travel. Given its immense potential, we call on the Administration and Members of Congress to build a plan for economic recovery that drives significant increases in travel." A federal economic recovery plan to significantly increase travel and create jobs would include: Passage of the Travel Promotion Act to encourage millions of travelers to visit the United States; Improvements in the visa and entry processes that have largely driven the decline in overseas travel to the United States post-9/11; Funding for a "NextGen" air traffic control system that will limit flight delays, cancellations and negative impact on the environment; and, Encouragement of meetings, events and incentive programs through tax deductions and other mechanisms. The travel industry employs 7.7 million Americans, supporting out of every eight non-farm jobs in the United States. Domestic Travel Overview Domestic leisure travel is expected to increase 2 percent in 2010, with a corresponding increase in leisure travel spending of nearly 5 percent. Domestic business travel volume will grow 2.5 percent next year and business travel spending will increase 4 percent. "Projected growth in leisure travel is an indicator of rising consumer confidence and disposable income," said Dr. Suzanne Cook, senior vice president of research for the U.S. Travel Association. "Following a difficult 2009, businesses have a heightened focus on the value and bottom-line benefits of travel. We expect to see a slight increase in business travel next year based in part on pent-up demand for face-to-face meetings that drive growth and productivity." International Inbound Travel International inbound travel will increase nearly 3.0 percent in 2010; however, growth in overseas travel (excluding Canada and Mexico) will remain stable at about 1 percent. Overseas travel visitation in 2010 will remain below 2000 levels (23.5 million versus 26.0 million, respectively). The concern about the lack of substantial growth next year from this market is that overseas travelers contribute significantly more to the U.S. economy, spending an average of $4,500 per person, per trip compared to about $900 per person, per trip for Canadian and Mexican travelers.    Advertisements Archived Stories: Employers May Be Generous with Thanksgiving Holiday Paid Time Off in 2009 Getting a Job is a Lot Easier, If You Don't Limit Yourself to One Industry Nearly One-in-Five Employers Plan to Hire Seasonal Workers This Year Potential for Green Jobs Grows with Economy Wellness Programs May See Boost Next Year Missouri Receives $2 Million for Jobs from Strengthening Communities Fund Chronological Resumes From Job Seekers Preferred Local Executives Share Strategies for Creating New Jobs Millions of People Are Looking for Jobs, but Over 4 Million Positions Remain Unfilled Employers Are Targeting U.S. Veterans for Hiring College Students Should Create a Brand to Land Job Technology Executives Say Their Industry Will Lead Economic Recovery Four-in-Five Workers Look to Small Businesses for Jobs The Saint Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. 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