Price Revealed on Lafayette Building
by Arkansas Business Staff – 2 weeks ago
Hotel developers paid for their pieces in two transactions to take ownership of downtown Little Rock's historic 10-story Lafayette Building at 523 Louisiana St.
Tourism
Quality Inn Acquisition Checks In at Nearly $1.4M (Real Deals)
2 weeks ago
Sohang Krupa LLC, led by Jaiminbhai and Zalakben Patel, bought the 59-room hotel in Jacksonville. The seller is Shree Laxmi Krupa Inc., led by Chandrika Patel.
Job Losses, Pandemic Hit Hardest in Leisure, Hospitality
2 weeks ago
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the U.S. labor market. The unemployment rate in the United States soared to 14.7% in April, the highest since shortly after World War II.
Webinar: BKD CPAs & Advisors Offer Insight on PPP Loan Forgiveness
BKD CPAs & Advisors partners Chris Doolittle and Ernie Skyrme will join Tre Baker of Arkansas Business at 1 p.m. June 4 to discuss best practices business owners can follow for securing loan forgiveness. read more >
Resource Guide: Financial Tools, Aid for Businesses Hurt by COVID-19
Arkansas Business is regularly updating this page with links and contact information for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. read more >
Consumer Confidence Up Slightly But Still Near 6-Year Low
U.S. consumer confidence inched up this month, showing signs of stabilizing, but remained near a six-year low in the face of the widespread business shutdowns that have sent the economy into recession. read more >
Webinar: FLEX360 on How to Make Smart Decisions on Digital Marketing
FLEX360 Executive Director John Tucker and Digital Marketing Manager Aly Smith will join Tre Baker of Arkansas Business to discuss the truths and misconceptions of digital marketing. read more >
SPONSORED: Small Business Survival Guide: 4 Tips to Surviving a Major Recession
Seeking clarity can help in making good decisions. Whether we realize it or not, we all use certain principles to help us make decisions. read more >
Fans or No Fans, Colleges Prepare to Play Ball 
Will Arkansans be able to call the Hogs again this fall? Whether student-athletes will be performing in empty stadiums remains unknown. read more >
A Disappointing Decision Proves Right at Harding
Harding University has offered classes in Florence, Italy, since 1980, and students there were among the first to feel the weight of the coronavirus pandemic. read more >
New Kum & Go Stopped for Now in Fayetteville
The expected sale and proposed construction of a Kum & Go convenience store on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Fayetteville may have hit a snag over, among other things, four handicapped parking spaces. read more >
Navigating Unemployment Issues When Managing Your Workforce (Daveante Jones Commentary)
Although states are beginning to ease restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers and workers will still continue to deal with the massive toll the pandemic has taken on the workforce. read more >
Stacy Morris to Lead Main Street Siloam Springs
Main Street Siloam Springs has named Stacy Morris its new executive director. read more >
Report: 2.4M Sought US Jobless Benefits Last Week
More than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession. read more >
US Health Officials Quietly Release More Reopening Guidance
U.S. health officials have quietly released more reopening guidance that was created more than a month ago but initially shelved. read more >
Fed's Powell Says New Lending Programs to Launch by June 1
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday that the Fed's lending programs for medium-sized businesses and state and local governments would begin operating by the end of this month. read more >
With Folk Festival Out, Stone Bank Plans Virtual Concert From Mountain View
How do you satisfy your mandolin mania and dulcimer devotion when COVID-19 has canceled the Arkansas Folk Festival for 2020? If you're Stone Bank, you turn your cabin fever into an homage to “the music that has been synonymous” with the town. read more >
Arkansas' 3 Casinos Opening as Decision on Bars Expected
Arkansas' three casinos planned to reopen on Monday as the governor was expected to announce whether bars can follow suit with new coronavirus safety rules. read more >
Presenting the 40 Under 40 Class of 2020: An Annual List of Rising Stars
When committee members dig into the stacks of nominations, we are looking for professional accomplishments and community service. We are also looking for the potential to do great things in the future. read more >
Arkansas Approves New Date For Concert Shut Down by Virus
Arkansas officials on Friday said a country-rock concert they ordered shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic can play next week. read more >
Video: Economist Michael Pakko on COVID-19 and Arkansas' Economy
Michael Pakko, chief economist and state economic forecaster at the Arkansas Economic Development Institute at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, talks about the state of Arkansas' economy amid COVID-19. read more >
In Clash with Governor, TempleLive Postpones Travis McCready Concert
An Arkansas theater said Thursday it will postpone a country-rock concert that would have defied the state's ban on large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, days after health officials ordered the show shut down. read more >
Governor Vows 'Consequences' if Arkansas Concert Proceeds
An Arkansas theater will face consequences that could be enforced by the police if it proceeds with its plan to defy the state's coronavirus restrictions by holding what could be the country's first major concert this far into the pandemic, the governor warned Wednesday. read more >
Oaklawn to Reopen Casino Monday Morning
Oaklawn announced Wednesday that it plans to reopen its casino at 9 a.m. Monday. read more >
Companies Can Register Now for Best Places to Work Program
Registration for Arkansas Business' annual Best Places to Work program is now open. read more >
State Turns to CJRW For Virus Messaging
A new $650,000 communications campaign for the state's COVID economic recovery task force is in development at CJRW, the state's longtime marketing firm for parks and tourism. read more >
In an Odd Tourism Week, LRCVB's Gretchen Hall Looks Ahead
Gretchen Hall was finishing up an odd National Travel and Tourism Week on Friday, touring local and national sites virtually while cautiously looking forward to a revival in business for the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. read more >
Arkansas to Allow Casinos Open at 1/3 Capacity on May 18
Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he will lift some COVID-19 restrictions on casinos on May 18. read more >
Arkansas Lifts Some Restrictions on Large Venues, Places of Worship
Gov. Asa Hutchinson lifts some COVID-19 restrictions on large outdoor venues and says he'll lift some restrictions on large indoor venues on May 18. read more >
April Tax Collections Show Virus' Toll in Arkansas
State tax officials say Arkansas' April net available general revenue was $537.3 million, down 28.5% from the same month last year and 49.4% above forecast. read more >
Deal Closed on Lafayette Building
Little Rock's G&G Hospitality Group bought its piece of the historic property at 523 Louisiana St. with the intention of transforming the bottom half of the 10-story building into hotel space. read more >
Hutchinson: Business Aid Fund Jumped the Gun, Will Be Back
Gov. Asa Hutchinson says that a $15 million state-administered fund to help Arkansas small businesses reopen took applications "prematurely" yesterday, and that his administration hopes to relaunch the fund next week. read more >
Fed Expands Main Street Lending Program for Businesses
The Federal Reserve says it is expanding a major lending program to provide support for businesses struggling to cope with the economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. read more >
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