Dashboard details downtown growth
A new website, the Downtown Chattanooga Data Dashboard, will provide residents, developers, policymakers and stakeholders of the city with an in-depth view of the area, according to River City Co.
The dashboard, designed by the local nonprofit redevelopment group and mySidewalk, is to provide contextual demographic, economic, real estate, transportation, and quality of life data.
The dashboard has interactive tables, charts, and maps that encourage users to explore the data and what it means in the context of downtown and the region, River City said. Data tables are fully downloadable for further independent analysis.
“The information in the system will be updated regularly, through national data sources like the Census and localized data obtained from partners,” said Emily Mack, president and CEO of River City. “This information can be used by many industries to support development in downtown, but it also identifies gaps, allowing us to work with partners to continue to improve our downtown for everyone.”
Go to dashboards.mysidewalk.com/river-city-company-dashboard.
New home sales drop 5.9% in May
Sales of new homes fell 5.9% in May, the second monthly decline, while median home prices kept soaring, hitting an all-time high.
The May sales decline pushed sales down to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 769,000, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The median price of a new home sold in May jumped to $374,400, up 18.1% from a year ago.
The report on new home sales followed a report Tuesday from the National Association of Realtors that sales of existing homes fell for a fourth straight month in May.
Yellen says debt limit must rise
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has told a congressional panel that failing to raise the federal debt ceiling would have “absolutely catastrophic consequences” that could bring on a financial crisis.
Testifying Wednesday before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, Yellen said in response to questions that it is important that Congress not delay in dealing with the debt limit, which has been suspended for the past two years. That suspension is due to expire on July 31, when the limit will go back into effect at the level of debt at that time. The debt subject to the limit currently stands at $28.3 trillion.
Southwest CEO to step down
Change is coming in the leadership of Southwest Airlines.
Southwest said Wednesday that longtime CEO Gary Kelly will step down next February and be succeeded by Robert Jordan, the airline’s executive vice president of corporate services. Dallas-based Southwest says Kelly, who is 66, plans to remain as executive chairman at least through 2026.
Kelly has been CEO since 2004, leading the nation’s fourth-biggest airline through a recession in 2008 and now the pandemic. Jordan, the new CEO, has overseen been projects at Southwest include the acquisition of AirTran Airways and the overhaul of the airline’s frequent-flyer program.
– Compiled by Dave Flessner