America’s small businesses, including the much-vaunted Mom and Pop’s, have long been regarded as the backbone of the nation’s economy, accounting for just under 50% of all U.S. employees.
But now, according to a new survey released by the National Federation of Independent Business, many of those small businesses are feeling increasingly negative regarding the strength of the national economy as it heads into the final quarters of 2021. According to the group’s most recent jobs report, some 49% of small business owners said their less-than optimistic outlook is due to the large number of job openings they have that have gone unfilled. According to the report, that is the highest such percentage recorded since 1974. Skepticism regarding future business conditions are additionally being fueled by other factors. In a statement, Bill Dunkelberg, chief economist with the National Federation of Independent Business, said business owners “are also reporting that supply chain disruptions are having an impact on their businesses.” “Ultimately,” continued Dunkelberg, “owners could sell more if they could acquire more supplies and inventories from their supply chains.” While 61% of the owners surveyed reported either trying to hire, or are actually hiring in July, an overwhelming 91% said they said had too few or unqualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill. Among construction firms, 66% reported few or unqualified applicants for open positions. As of July, some 43% of small business owners reported having job openings for skilled workers, with 25% having job openings for unskilled workers. Dunkelberg additionally noted that, in an effort to attract a qualified workforce, owners are “raising compensation to the highest levels in 48 years.” By Garry Boulard
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![]() The designing process is now underway for the creation of an 18-hole disc golf course in Silver City. The project is the result of an agreement between Western New Mexico University, whose main campus is in Silver City, and the New Mexico State Land Office. The course will be built on just over 135 acres of property on the southeast side of the city belonging to the State Land Office. That area, to be loaned to the university by the State Land Office, is known as Maude’s Canyon, and is due east to the Ben Altamirano Sports Complex. According to State Land Office rules, any fees generated by the course will be used for the benefit of the state’s public schools and hospitals, among other entities. The project has already been the subject of one public input meeting and is expected to be reviewed in a future public meeting, most likely later this year. The course will be developed with an eye to minimizing its impact on the environment, and upon completion, will be maintained and managed by WMNU. In an interview with the Silver City Sun News, Stephanie Garcia Richard, New Mexico’s commissioner of public lands, said the new disc golf course will “establish a recreation asset for Silver City and the entire southwest corner of the state that does not exist.” According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, the growth of the sport has particularly taken off in the last decade, with more than 8,000 disc golf courses globally currently up and running. By Garry Boulard ![]() City officials say they are looking at options for upgrading a busy 13-mile stretch of Alameda Avenue, which runs from the middle of downtown El Paso south to the growing city of Socorro. The project is officially called “Onward Alameda,” and according to a City of El Paso news release its purpose is to “establish a long-term vision for the future of the Alameda corridor and how it should evolve in the coming years.” Regarded as one of the most important thoroughfares in the city, the Alameda Corridor runs roughly parallel with the Rio Grande, and also serves as a route for the Sun Metro’s Brio Rapid Transit System. City officials have said that in laying out a new vision for the corridor they hoped to improve the quality of life for residents of the area while also preserving the historic character of the corridor. The project is open to public review, with an input meeting scheduled for August 25. In a statement El Paso City Engineer Sam Rodriguez, in encouraging that input, said creating a vision for the corridor “requires participation and ideas from as many members of the community as possible.” Future events regarding the project include a virtual design studio scheduled for September 14 to the 16th, and a virtual work-in-progress presentation for September 17. With up to 5 lanes, divided in some sections by a boulevard, Alameda Avenue slices through some of the oldest residential and commercial neighborhoods of the city. By Garry Boulard After weeks of review and debate, the U.S. Senate has passed President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure legislation.
The 2,700-page bill, passed on a 69 to 30 vote with strong bipartisan support, includes $110 billion for road, bridge and major infrastructure projects across the country. Some $65 billion will go for improving the nation’s broadband infrastructure, a figure reduced from the President’s earlier proposed $100 billion. Of that amount, $2 billion will target investments in Tribal community broadband projects. Although the figure changed several times in the past weeks, the measure also provides $40 billion for the rehabilitation, repair, and replacement of bridges. Another $39 billion will target the upgrading and modernization of public transit, a figure that had earlier been set at $49 billion. Some $25 billion will go for maintenance and repair backlogs in the nation’s airports, with $17 billion set for port infrastructure work. A smaller $7.5 billion is set to fund the construction of a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations. Noting previous unsuccessful attempts to pass a comprehensive infrastructure bill in the Senate, Biden remarked “We are on the cusp of an infrastructure decade that I truly believe will transform America.” Officially called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the measure also devotes $55 billion for water infrastructure projects. Of that amount $15 billion will be used to replace lead pipes. Although the measure is being hailed for its bipartisan support, its future in the House is not entirely clear. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has earlier said that the legislation will not be considered until a larger $3.5 trillion bill including expanded funding for health care, education, and climate change projects is approved. New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich hailed passage of the Senate bill, saying it means “hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs for Americans,” and will “ensure our nation’s infrastructure meets 21st century needs.” While some House Democrats have criticized the Senate bill being too restrictive in its funding priorities, Texas Senator Ted Cruz said he could not support a measure that “isn’t paid for, contains so many wasteful pet projects, and paves the way for trillions of dollars in partisan tax hikes and wasteful spending.” By Garry Boulard A plan is being discussed to renovate and upgrade a troubled shopping center in Craig, Colorado.
The Centennial Mall, located at 1111 W. Victory Way, about 1 mile to the west of downtown Craig, was built in 1979 and for decades has housed a variety of retail operations inside a nearly 86,000 square foot structure. The mall, however, has seen an ongoing decline in tenants, with half of the space, at times, vacant. Now a local businessman and former member of the Moffat County Commission has announced plans to repurpose the facility as an outdoor supply source. What would be called the Yampa Valley Adventure Center would see the business model of the mall changed, offering customers a variety of hunting and fishing supplies and gear, among other things. Altogether, according go the vision, there would be nearly two dozen retail spaces in what is being described as an “Eco Nature Mall.” According to the Steamboat Pilot & Today newspaper, the revamped and repurposed center would also include “in-building activities that can’t be found anywhere nearby, like an indoor archery and shooting range, and an interactive great outdoors museum.” It is thought that it will cost around $5.7 million to repurpose the Centennial Mall, funding that might come through the use of tax increment financing. That financing might be available via the Craig Urban Renewal Authority, which is currently in the development stage. According to city documents, that Authority is being tasked with providing “both financial assistance and improvements in partnership with property owners” in order to improve and upgrade certain properties in the city. A timetable for when work repurposing the Centennial Mall may begin has not yet been announced. By Garry Boulard ![]() Opened in the fall of 1927, the Kimo Theater in downtown Albuquerque is regarded as one of the oldest performing arts centers of its kind in the West. It is seen also as a vibrant example of the Art Deco-Pueblo Revival architectural style. Although the facility has seen some upgrades and renovations through the years, it could be in line for a more extensive remodeling if city voters this fall approve a $140 million general obligation bond. Of that amount, some $500,000 will go for the work at the Kimo Theater, located at 423 Central Avenue. While the Kimo work, because of the theater’s prominence, is one of the more visible projects in line for bond funding, it is the smallest item in the $7.7 million category of libraries, museum facilities and historical landmarks bond expenditures. That category includes $2.5 million for city library materials, and $875,000 for preserving historical collections at the Albuquerque Museum. The Kimo has been closed for more than a year now due to the Covid-19 shutdown. Last summer the building suffered some structural damage during protests over the death of George Floyd. More than 2,000 people attended the opening of the Kimo in 1927, with the Albuquerque Journal taking note of the structure’s ornate lobby chandeliers, rich plush curtains, and “massive ceiling beams covered with Indian legends.” By Garry Boulard According to a new study, the market for self-storage facilities continues to expand, with investors scooping up properties just this year alone worth a combined $2.5 billion nationally.
The commercial real estate data and research firm Yardi Matrix, which is based in Scottsdale, lists New York City as the nation’s top self-storage market, with transaction volumes between January and June of this year of just over $260 million. But in a solid second place is the Phoenix market, which so far this year has seen transaction volumes in excess of $201 million. Three other cities made up Yardi Matrix’s top 5: Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Miami, with 2021 transaction volumes ranging between $105 million and $168 million. Analysts say that self-storage markets are expected to grow particularly on the East coast and in the West. The industry, those same analysts says, has proven resilient not only during the Great Recession, but during the recent Covid-19 lockdown as well. Overall, the number of self-storage units built in the country has increased from 37.2 million in 2017 to 49.4 million last year. The Phoenix market, which includes the boom cities of Chandler and Mesa, saw an increase of 1.8 million square feet of self-storage space last year with 22 new facilities, for a total of 33 million square feet overall. Currently, another 4 million square feet is under construction in the Phoenix market, far outpacing any other metro area. New national self-storage projects announced in July include the building of a 9-story facility in Bethesda, Maryland; two four-story self-storage units in Des Moines; and the self-storage repurposing of a former JC Penny store in Hanover, Pennsylvania. By Garry Boulard Located at the larger site of the Grand Junction Regional Airport, a unique facility that serves as a firefighting resource for Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah is receiving around $6.1 million in funding for site upgrades.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has announced that the long-standing Grand Junction Air Center is receiving that funding through the Great American Outdoor Act. “By making smart investments in critical infrastructure as well as climate resilience, we will strengthen our wildland fire preparedness and responses across the West,” Haaland said as she announced the funding. Officially located at 2774 Landing View Lane, the Grand Junction Air Center is a complex made up of a series of buildings and serving as a firefighting hub for the larger Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit. Among its other functions, the air center provides tactical aircraft resources for firefighting support, which includes everything from smokejumpers to air tankers and lead planes. According to a press release from Secretary Haaland’s office, the $6.1 million will largely go for “replacing multiple structurally-deficient buildings” at the complex. Those structures will then be replaced with the construction of a “single, cost-effective building.” The funding more specifically is coming through the Great American Outdoor Act’s National Park and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, which is supported through royalties and fees paid by gas and offshore oil companies. That fund provides just under $2 billion a year in support for dam, water, and utility infrastructure, as well deferred maintenance needs in national parks. By Garry Boulard ![]() Plans are in the works for the building of a new zip line in Grand Junction that will connect the Eagle Rim Park and Las Colonias Park. The project belongs to the Grand Junction-based outdoor recreation company Bonsai Design, working in conjunction with the City of Grand Junction. Launched in 1992, Bonsai Design specializes in aerial adventure parks, children’s adventure courses, and indoor challenge courses, among other areas. The company has designed zip lines that head down the Game Greek basin in Vail and across the African Safari in the Cincinnati Zoo. A pulley suspended on a cable, zip lines are usually made of stainless steel, allowing riders to travel at heights a little or a lot above ground and sometimes at lengths of up to 6,000 feet and more. The zip line industry in recent years has been booming, with built projects ranging from guided canopy tours to high-tension and high-speed rides. The proposed new zip line in Grand Junction would cross over the Colorado River and is expected to measure just over 1,000 feet in length. Bonsai submitted an application for the new park feature in May, with the project so far being the subject of at least one public input meeting. By Garry Boulard The nation saw an increase of more than 943,000 jobs in July, marking the fastest pace of employment growth so far this year.
According to the most recent Department of Labor statistics, this means that the unemployment rate in July fell to 5.4%, down from 5.9% the month before. The job gain numbers are being hailed as a sign of a general economic recovery. The latest Labor report, says the Wall Street Journal, “shows that the U.S. economy is facing any threat posed by the Delta variant with a strong tailwind.” “The American economy roared into midsummer with a strong gain in hiring, overcoming trouble in matching workers with openings, as the recovery appeared to take firmer hold,” remarked the New York Times. The leisure and hospitality industries saw a gain of 380,000 new jobs in the last month, with school employment up by 221,000. Employment in the warehouse and transportation sector, meanwhile, posted a 50,000 gain. The construction industry, at the same time, was up by 11,000 jobs, although nonresidential construction employment is still significantly below where it was before the Covid 19 outbreak. In fact, employment was off by some 2,100 in civil engineering and heavy construction firms. In a statement analyzing the latest Labor Department numbers, Ken Simonson, chief economist with the Associated General Contractors of America, said several factors continue to contribute to the industry’s somewhat flat employment gains. “Contractors are plagued by soaring material costs, long or uncertain delivery times, and hesitancy by project owners to commit to construction,” he remarked. By Garry Boulard |
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