urbanSTL

Fresh off a trip to China, U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., plans to meet with members of the Midwest-China Hub Commission Wednesday at the World Trade Center in St. Louis.

Bond plans to highlight details from his meetings with Chinese ministry-level officials, legislators and representatives, said Deputy Press Secretary Jordan Clothier.

Last year, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., chose Bond to serve as the vice chairman of the U.S.-China Inter-Parliamentary Group, the Senate’s highest-level delegation to China.

This past week, Bond co-led a trip to China with the delegation’s chair, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and held meetings with top-ranking legislative officials in Beijing and Shanghai on how to improve trade between the U.S. and China.

For the past year, the Midwest-China Hub Commission has been working with government leaders and the Chinese to generate interest and ultimately create a Midwest-China air cargo hub.

Last month, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport officials selected a developer of air cargo distribution warehouses to develop 76 acres at the airport to bolster trade efforts, particularly with China.
http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... ily19.html

Moorlander wrote:I guess we now know what might be flying back on those planes...

To work financially, there needs to be demand for flights going both ways, not just from China to the U. S. One Midwestern export that St. Louis-area leaders working on the hub see strong demand for in China is food. Particularly beef and pork.

So if this trend continues, China will take all of our manufacturing jobs, and we will have a lot of job openings for cowboys. What we need is round-up ready genetically modified cattle. That would make the cattle drive a lot easier. Or would it be called a cattle flight now. Maybe we could take advantage of current low-cost airlines -- "It's like flying on a cattle car with wings". I can just see myself getting the middle seat on a flight to China between an Aberdeen Angus and a Hereford. And the Angus on the window seat will be drinking and getting up every 20 minutes. Then the Hereford realizes the airplane has leather seats and all heck breaks loose. Fortunately his horns didn't make it through security.

^ Kobe beef cows can be massaged and fed beer enroute to China.

innov8ion wrote:^ Kobe beef cows can be massaged and fed beer enroute to China.

But they would be in First Class and would order the Sushi.

From my read, this is THE most important line: "The only question is whether it’s commercially viable."

So, I suspect those pushing this project are going to ask for (more) upfront tax payer subsidies to help make it commercially viable.

Nixon in China opera coming to Toronto

Tracy Dahl as Madame Mao in the St. Louis Opera Theatre's production of Nixon in China in 2004.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/theatre/story/20 ... ml?ref=rss

Weird. Why would they have a play called, "Nixon in China?"

Gone Corporate wrote:This is about the best news possible.

1. The head of the Chinese legislature wants this. Can't get much bigger than that.
2. They're wanting airline traffic coming to Lambert, too. Hello, Air China.
3. To better service this potential new de facto hub of Chinese air travelers, look at Lambert being re-hubbed by a domestic carrier to spots all around the country. We were good with TWA before American came in & broke our hearts, but then we find China, and American can be seen wanting to get back together again.
4. Stopovers in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore: we're more popular than we thought.
5. Increase sales of MO agricultural goods at high prices to a market with a ton of demand. On a side note & from personal experience, I can say Chinese chicken tastes just like domestic chicken (except when it's pidgeon).
6. More domestic companies will be moving operations to StL to get easy access to Lambert. Therefore, more companies, more employers, more tax revenues setting up shop. Both sides just waiting for the consultants to finish their assessments on commercial viability, which should be done by May.
7. A whole lot of construction.
8. If we do get the airlines (Chinese & domestic reupped), we'll also have a retrofit and reuse of Terminals C & D.
9. Billions upon billions of dollars in international goods shipped through StL = the W1W new runway and MidAmerica Airports will be fully utilized.
10. China wants this up and running by the end of the year.

Great times to be in the Lou.

What if it is found out that it is not commercially viable? Would that mean the deal is completely off? Or would it mean a smaller hub? So do you think this deal is commercially viable?

Gone Corporate, your immense optimism is good to read, although it's often so over-the-top it makes me think you are on the RCGA's payroll.

I still say the project's backers come back for more tax dollars in the next few months. And, I don't necessarily think that tax payer support is a bad thing. "Depends" of course......

Stay tuned.

2. They're wanting airline traffic coming to Lambert, too. Hello, Air China.
3. To better service this potential new de facto hub of Chinese air travelers, look at Lambert being re-hubbed by a domestic carrier to spots all around the country. We were good with TWA before American came in & broke our hearts, but then we find China, and American can be seen wanting to get back together again.

This seriously just gave me a bone. This BETTER happen. It scares me to think what the hicks in this state can accomplish though... and that would be somehow trying to defeat this from happening. Remember when the region wanted a new HUGE terminal built in Columbia, IL, across the river to mirror the new one in Atlanta?! defeated by our MissouRAH hicks! This is THE biggest and best thing to happen to STL in years. I know Schoemel is already opposed to it for unknown reasons - probably because he wants to stay relevant...

I really want to open up a business at lambert right about now. Re-establishing Lambert as a hub for passenger travel sounds very very sexy.

Regarding the questions of StL being "economically viable":

1. That line always reminds me of the movie Falling Down.

2. Understanding our best means & resources to have viable products for exportation is why we have the consultant contract. From StLToday.com:

So the commission is moving ahead with a $900,000 study it launched in December on demand for two-way trade between St. Louis and China. It expects to know in about five months if the project is feasible, and hopes to have flights in place by the end of the year.

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/busine ... enDocument
When this is done, we should have a full analysis of what goods we have in the immediate term for exportation. This includes agricultural products, i.e. beef & pork, as well as expirable and manufactured products, everything from time-sensitive documents (think overnight mail) and pharmaceuticals.
What's key is we're not doing this study to potentially knock us out. This will be a selling document for StL.

3. We also have long-term sourcing of products for exportation. For other goods that would be demanded by the Chinese market for overflight exportation, goods not currently based strongly in StL, we can expect facilities to be built nearby in one of the new Free Trade Zone approved areas or just outside of them, warehouses to accept domestic cargo for international shipment.
Hypothetical: If Eli Lilly can get quick entry into the Chinese market for more of their drugs, look for them to set up storage in a warehouse in NorthPark. Better than driving or training their goods from Indianapolis to Long Beach for the long boat to Shanghai.

4. Even if the study determines that StL is not the strongest location in the US for production of and logistics for goods for exportation TODAY, look for it to show that StL can provide in the near-term facilities enough to support it. What I want them to see is that Lambert (and MidAmerica) is able to handle the exportation as a site and becomes the site of their eventual hub for air traffic in the US. Even if we're not home to all the manufacturing sites, I want it to be a center for logistics and warehousing.

Nope, don't work for the RCGA, and I'm not going to gain anything extra if the deal goes through. I just find the concept of establishing this hub fascinating and truly believe it is the best way to make StL geographically relevant again for the business community. And, if the revenues of this thing for taxes, new jobs, etc. are what they seem to be, it'll help the Metro Area thrive well into the future.

Gone Corporate wrote:I don't want to go into the politics too much. As a former "hired gun" for candidates, and for full disclosure, let me state that I do not work for any candidates now as either a professional consultant or as a volunteer, and I am not affiliated with either party anymore.

These things said, my biggest fear for this deal is that the State will not back it, and that StL will be left on its own. Again.

I don't want to get deep into politics either, but anyway, I get the impression that Lieutenant Governor Kinder is much more in tune with what St. Louis needs- and how St. Louis benefits Missouri as a whole- than Governor Nixon. Just my opinion, of course.

ThreeOneFour wrote: I get the impression that Lieutenant Governor Kinder is much more in tune with what St. Louis needs- and how St. Louis benefits Missouri as a whole- than Governor Nixon. Just my opinion, of course.

Far from just yours.

So I know that I had posted this before during the transition but it got "lost in translation" so to speak.

Air China hub in St. Louis at Lambert. St. Louis plans ahead and (as soon as humanly possible) starts construction of a dedicated express (seriously express, as in 2 stops or less) line of metro-link down the middle of 70 taking advantage of the already established express lanes that could easily be re-purposed for this use as well as the abundant (well, adequate at least) land next to the freeway for expansion once the express lanes end to downtown St. Louis.

Mandarin Oriental and Shangri-La hotels/condo buildings are built downtown.

Speculative commercial office buildings to house the American bases of Chinese companies wishing to be in the same placea as the China hub (ST. LOUIS!!!)

Companies wishing to do business with the chinese companies build more office space in downtown St. Louis.

Companies wishing to do business with the American companies doing business with the Chinese companies build more office space in downtown St. Louis.


I know I am on the way optimistic side, but the catalist that drove Chicago on to become the city it is today was the decision to route the main cross-country railroads through Chicago instead of St. Louis due to the proximity of TRADE coming in via Lake Michigan. Would have been nice to have it from the start, but better late than never. Chicago can have the past, time for St. Louis to TAKE the future.

(Absolutely not a STL vs Chicago comment, just the truth)

^ do you have to build an express line to downtown though? Couldn't you just have an express train on the existing line?

Not to sound narrow-minded, newstl2020, but I lean more on the "What happens if we don't get it" side. I'd like a little bit more assurance before we begin building new buildings. Doing the MetroLink line might be good. We could use that either way, probably. But what happens if we build all of this new office space and then don't get the China Hub? Either a)the new buildings sit vacant, or b) they take tenants away from current office buildings. What do we do with the new hotel(s)?

I'm no business expert, but it seems like too much risk, especially in this market. Sure, plan the buildings, maybe pick out a spot for them. Then, if you get the China hub, then you can have the plans in place to build them. Besides, if new Chinese companies come in, they may want to build buildings to their own specifications.

I am optimistic that we will get the China Hub, but it is far from a done deal. It seems like building the buildings could be great if we get the China Hub, or a financial disaster if we don't get it.

Maybe Chicago has more initiative. And they're a very large and successful city. That doesn't mean that constructing office buildings when there's no secure market is a good idea in most situations, in my opinion.

I realize the developers of Downtown didn't know their full market when they renovated buildings, and that turned out very well. However, I'm not sure this is the same situation.

Sure, build the MetroLink line. That would be useful probably anyway. But if we get the China Hub, and the Chinese companies come here, they will probably plan to build their own buildings to their own specifications. I don't think the Chinese expect us to build a bunch of buildings when it's not a done deal yet.

I'd like for St. Louis to be as successful as Chicago, but I don't think speculative building like this is the way to go about it.

Just my unprofessional opinion.

^I completely agree. I wasn't suggesting StL become a developer and start throwing up office space. I was running my (albeit entirely wishful) scenario of what might be possible should we actually get the Chinese hub. I just wanted to illustrate the possible cascading economic effect that this could have on the city if we position ourselves correctly to take full advantage of the situation. I am suggesting the the city should pony up in front to do the things necessary to position the city to take full economic advantage of this possibility (metro-link line, heavy marketing to potential Chinese companies using this hub, and additional necessary infrastructure projects). If the city is behind the curve, it could be too late to gain the lions-share of the metro wide investment coming as a result of this project.

Nixon, Chinese ambassador meet today

From St. Louis Business Journal.

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... rround=lfn

"Misouri Gov. Jay Nixon plans to meet today with Zhou Wenzhong, ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the United States.

A news conference is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. in Jefferson City."

I'll expect something on the local evening news. Nixon in China?