Industries

The recession appears to have ended at the West Coast’s largest container ports.

WASHINGTON — House Transportation Committee chairman Rep. John Mica said Wednesday that he will introduce a multiyear surface transportation bill later this year that includes Build America Bonds.

The New York State Thruway Authority on Wednesday approved up to $525 million of new-money bonds and up to $250 million of refunding bonds secured by the state’s highway and bridge trust fund.

BRADENTON, Fla. — North Florida’s Mid-Bay Bridge Authority expects to price $170 million of new and refunding springing-lien revenue bonds Thursday.

The Charleston Area Medical Center, West Virginia’s largest medical provider, was put on watch for a possible downgrade last week by Moody’s Investors Service. The A2-rated hospital has $307 million of debt outstanding.

CHICAGO — American Airlines and United Airlines on Tuesday sued Chicago to block its financing of remaining projects under an $8 billion expansion program at O’Hare International Airport ahead of the city’s planned sale of $1.1 billion of passenger facility charge-backed bonds next month.

CHICAGO — American Airlines and United Airlines on Tuesday sued Chicago to block its financing of remaining projects under an $8 billion expansion program at O’Hare International Airport ahead of the city’s sale of $1.1 billion of passenger facility charge-backed bonds next month.

DALLAS — Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport will launch a seven-year project to remodel its four original ­terminals next month. But despite the $2.3 billion cost, officials do not expect 2011 to be a year of heavy bond issuance for new money.

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s Sutter Health will sell $900 million of tax-exempt revenue bonds this month in the health care provider’s first trip to market in two years.

WASHINGTON — Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell touted his $4 billion transportation spending plan ­Wednesday during a state of the commonwealth speech in which the Republican reaffirmed his intention to privatize state liquor stores and proposed a state employee contribution plan to ­reduce the retirement pension ­liability.

CHICAGO — Fitch Ratings on Wednesday lowered its rating on O’Hare International Airport’s upcoming $1.1 billion issue of passenger facility charge bonds by two notches due to the airport’s increased leverage as Chicago seeks to fund remaining projects under an $8 billion expansion without airline support.

Democrats aim to scale back scheduled toll increases on the New Jersey Turnpike after Gov. Chris Christie terminated a Hudson River commuter-rail tunnel they were meant to help finance.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority in the Florida Panhandle made its January debt-service payment, but its July payment is in doubt and most board members overseeing the credit have now resigned.

CHICAGO — Toledo, Ohio-based Promedica Health System will begin pricing $270 million of refunding and new-money revenue bonds Thursday.

DALLAS — Denver’s Regional Transportation District is considering asking voters for a 0.4% sales tax increase this year or next to complete the $6.7 billion FasTracks project currently under construction.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted last week on a rule change that could affect the state’s plan to issue $1.1 billion of grant anticipation vehicle revenue bonds. The provision could allow lawmakers to divert transportation funds to other spending projects.

Collier County commissioners decided Tuesday to withdraw a petition seeking the validation of up to $130 million of revenue bonds to lure a genetics research institute to the southwest Florida area, according to the Naples News.

CHICAGO — Using a structure that bypasses airline approval, Chicago will enter the market early next month with a long-planned sale of $1.1 billion of debt for O’Hare International Airport.

DALLAS — Arkansas House Speaker Robert Moore opened the 86th General Assembly by asking lawmakers Monday to adequately fund a proposed road plan that could involve more than $2 billion of bonds.

A city-county council committee is set to hear public testimony Wednesday on Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s plan to issue $98 million of bonds for a mixed-use development, which includes a new corporate campus for Eli Lilly and Co.