Economy

Louisiana has opted for binding arbitration to resolve its dispute over the replacement value for Charity Hospital in New Orleans, wich was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said Monday that she has recommended the City Council approve legislation that would extend the lease between Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Delta Air Lines covering gates and other space for seven years, ensuring that the world’s busiest airport does not lose its largest hub airline.

The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance extending the city’s lease with the Birmingham Airport Authority giving it nine more years to operate Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport and allowing it to issue debt for improvements.

CHICAGO — Froedtert & Community Health Inc. enters the market today to issue $187 million of revenue bonds to restructure some remaining insured auction-rate securities and variable-rate demand bonds and raise new money for various projects.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angeles World Airports Board of Directors on Monday agreed to a $75 million settlement with bondholders in a seven-year-old dispute over United Airlines special facilities revenue bonds sold to make improvements at Los Angeles International Airport.

Standard & Poor’s downgraded $23 million of bonds issued for Clark Retirement Community Inc. by the Michigan Strategic Fund to BBB-minus and revised its outlook to negative.

Standard & Poor’s revised its outlook to negative from stable on debt issued for Memorial Health System in South Bend.

Scott County voters have approved $24 million of bonds to build a new 24-bed hospital in Scott City to replace a 56-year-old facility.

CHICAGO — Underwriters interested in working on Chicago Transit Authority bond sales over the next two years have until Oct. 13 to submit their qualifications for review.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last week announced that Susan Baer will serve as director of aviation, overseeing the John F. Kennedy, Newark Liberty, and LaGuardia airports.

TRENTON, N.J. - The three gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey addressed budget deficits, tax hikes, and ways to replenish the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, which will run out of funding in fiscal 2012, during their first debate Thursday evening in Trenton.

LOS ANGELES — Public-private partnerships may or may not be the way to finance transportation infrastructure in California, according to the mixed opinions of panelists at a symposium here this week, but it’s pretty clear that the state’s general fund can’t do much more.

A recently priced bond issue for a Honolulu senior-living facility is the first startup continuing care retirement community financing in more than 18 months, underwriter Ziegler Capital Markets said in a news release.

DALLAS — A passenger rail line expected to begin in Juarez, Mexico, could cross the international boundary into El Paso, Tex., under a plan the sister cities are considering.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Financial closing on the $1 billion Port of Miami Tunnel project has been delayed at least a week so that Miami commissioners can act on a $50 million letter of credit at their next meeting on Oct. 8.

Atlanta officials last week said a preliminary assessment showed 474 homes were affected by recent flooding and approximately 1,900 residents sought some level of federal assistance.

Standard & Poor’s on Friday lowered its rating to AA-plus from AAA on various long-term bonds issued for the Nemours Foundation. Fitch Ratings on Sept. 21 dropped its rating on the credit to AA-plus from AAA.

DALLAS — A new report predicts a slower than expected economic recovery in Kansas unless the state can find additional revenues to finance its next 10-year transportation plan.

CHICAGO - A weak economy, slow housing market, and too much variable-rate debt took their toll on continuing-care retirement communities over the last year and are expected to continue to trouble the sector throughout next year, Fitch Ratings said in a report released yesterday.

DALLAS - Austin's plan to introduce commuter rail service to its northern suburbs is running nearly two years behind schedule, as the $105 million Capital MetroRail remains sidelined by technical snags.