$50 million

Carolinas–based Bobbit Design Build, the two states’ largest design build contractor for commercial construction, will provide complete construction and project management services for the new Open Living Community facility to be constructed in the 5400 block of Farrow Road. Construction on the $50 million project will begin this summer. The facility will consist of 146 living units.

Centers of Economic Excellence

Dr. Simon Hudson comes to the University of South Carolina from the University of Calgary in Canada. Hudson will lead the Center of Economic Excellence in Tourism and Economic Development, part of USC’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport management. He was recruited through the state’s Centers of Economic Excellence (CoEE) Program. He has held academic positions at two universities in England and has worked as a visiting professor in the U.S., Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. Hudson’s latest book is Golf Tourism. The worldwide golf tourism market is worth about $20 billion.

Horses pay

The S.C. Equine Park in Kershaw County was good for putting $500,000 into the S.C. economy in its first three months of operation. Four horse shows, one weekend event, and one international company’s rental of the park for 10 days accounted for the influx of funds.

Deal makers

Business Facilities magazine named the S.C. Department of Commerce its 2009 Deal of the Year award winner for the department’s recruitment of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner assembly plant to North Charleston.

Scull and moans

Working out at the Richland County Rowing Center on the Broad River this winter will be teams from Georgetown University, Bucknell University, Syracuse University, Tabor Academy, and St. Mark’s School. Since 2003, visiting rowing teams have directly spent $1,188,400 on food, lodging, shopping, and entertainment. For training schedules, go to www.columbiarowingclub. com or call training coordinator George Park at 803.429.2597.

State revenues and state spending

For December 2009, state revenues were down 3.1 percent compared with December of last year, according to S.C. Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom. Revenues for the state were $661 million during December 2009, a decrease of $21.4 million from December 2008 revenues of $682.5. Gov. Mark Sanford has released his $21 billion executive budget for fiscal year 2010–11, proposing more than $255 million in budget cuts. The nonbinding budget, the highest in the state’s history, was submitted to the Legislature, which has until June to pass a budget.

Spoleto

Spoleto Festival USA has announced its schedule of more than 45 productions for the 34th annual celebration of the arts in Charleston from May 28 until June 13. For information and tickets, go to http://www.spoletousa. org/ or call the Spoleto box office at the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, 843.579.3100.

Big ships

When the Panama Canal’s expansion is complete in 2014, to include a new set of locks and deeper water, ships carrying up to 14,000 containers will be able to cross the isthmus. Currently, ships with 4,500 containers are the maximum. Meanwhile, Charleston Harbor and the new port on the Jasper County side of the Savannah River will be deepened on schedule with the completion of the canal expansion. For now, the most containers on one ship coming into Charleston Harbor

is about to rise to 8,100 on a ship called the Rita,

which is part of Mediterranean Shipping Co. The Rita

first comes to Charleston on February 22. Charleston Harbor is the only port in the South Atlantic that can handle the 8,100–container ship,

Heroism

Women Honoring Valor is a January 20 luncheon and an initiative aimed at recognizing and honoring America’s living recipients of the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor Convention, a gathering of all the living recipients able to make it, will be in Charleston this fall, September 29–October 3. Proceeds from the luncheon will go toward funding the Medal of Honor Convention. The Women Honoring Valor luncheon will be held at the Columbia Convention Center on Wednesday, January 20, beginning at noon. In attendance will be S.C.’s former first ladies. Offering remarks will be Columbia City Council member Dr. Belinda Gergel, S.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal, and USC J–School alumna Rita Cosby, former FOX News and MSNBC host. At least three recipients of the Medal of Honor will be attending. For further information and tickets, call Jaime Lomas, 803.404.4142.