PHOENIX, AZ – LGE Design Build has completed the renovation of the former Jackson’s on 3^rd restaurant into a 23,000-square-foot West Coast training center for the Scheduling Institute, a medical and dental practice training company based in Alpharetta, Ga.

The new training center, located at 245 E. Jackson St. in the downtown warehouse district, will complement the company’s existing training facility in Atlanta, provide greater reach into the western U.S. and double the organization’s capacity for events, workshops and seminars.

The Scheduling Institute is the largest dental training company in the world, helping thousands of dentists to make more money while working less. The Scheduling Institute provides unique coaching strategies and team trainings to boost practices’ production, collections and new patient numbers.

Although the Scheduling Institute had previously considered other cities, including Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the CEO and President of the organization, Jay Geier, decided that Phoenix was the ideal West Coast hub. The facility’s proximity to light rail, entertainment and the airport attracted the company.

In transforming the building, designers incorporated the original look with brick on the exterior as well as interior walls.

“We preserved the unique historic elements of the building and combined them with a modern approach to office space,” said David Sellers, president of LGE Design Build. “LGE Design Build is proud to provide this new home to the Scheduling Institute and contribute to the revitalization of downtown Phoenix.”

Fitch Ratings of New York released Wednesday its annual review of the credit worthiness of the Rio Nuevo Bond rating and improved their outlook to stable from negative.   Fitch cited several reasons for the outlook upgrade and specifically mentioned the new Intergovernmental Agreement with the Arizona Department of Revenue that allows the District the ability to track sales tax receipts for the first time.

“Fitch, as always, is very thorough and we value their recognition of our improving economics and transparency”, said Fletcher McCusker, Rio Nuevo Chairman.

Fitch mentions the increase restaurant business downtown and the retail developments at El Con as ratings drivers.

Key Rating Drivers included:

STABLE REVENUE BOND OUTLOOK: The Outlook revision reflects removal of uncertainty on the district’s ability to monitor the accuracy of collections in relation to sales activity within the district based on taxpayer data provided by the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) pursuant to a recently executed intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between ADOR and the district.

IMPROVING PLEDGED REVENUES EXPECTED: Improvement of sales tax revenues reflects significant new retail development associated with the revitalization of downtown Tucson and high occupancy rates in the district’s retail centers. Near-term private investments bodes well for ongoing pledged revenue growth.

RECOVERING REGIONAL ECONOMY: Economic activity continues to recover at a moderate pace from the severe recession. The regional economy remains diverse and relatively stable, with a good mix of higher education, military and government employment.

Full Fitch Rating report

Stephen D. Lebovitz, president and CEO of CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. of Milton, Mass., was elected Monday to be ICSC’s chairman for the 2015–2016 term, at ICSC’s annual meeting of members at RECon in Las Vegas. He was nominated Jan. 22 during the Board of Trustees’ midwinter meeting, in Newport Coast, Calif.

Lebovitz, along with his two brothers — Alan, the firm’s senior vice president for asset management; and Michael, who is executive vice president for development and administration — have overseen the significant growth of CBL since it went public in 1993. Today the firm boasts a nearly $10 billion market capitalization and some $4.5 billion in equity value, and a portfolio of about 80 malls or large open-air centers, plus an additional 50 smaller community, power and open-air centers.

Stephen Lebovitz is the son of Charles B. Lebovitz, CBL’s chairman, who served a term as ICSC chairman himself in 1996–’97. Lebovitz the son, ICSC’s 56th chairman, has been active in the organization since the very beginning of his career. Shortly after graduating from Harvard Business School and setting up CBL’s Northeast office, in Boston, he was invited to get involved and become the organization’s state director for Massachusetts, by ICSC Past Chairman Stephen Karp, now chairman and CEO of New England Development. Lebovitz was subsequently named ICSC’s Eastern divisional vice president and has also served as an ICSC state operations chairman, an ICSC trustee and a member of the Executive Committee. In addition, Lebovitz has been an active ICSC faculty member.

“CBL has really grown under Stephen’s leadership, despite some pretty challenging economic times,” said Michael P. Kercheval, ICSC’s president and CEO. “ICSC has similarly benefited from his insights and extraordinary energy. I am excited at the prospect of him leading our organization in the coming year.”

Before Lebovitz joined CBL, he worked summer jobs during his years at Stanford University, at such companies as JMB Realty Corp., Trammel Crow Co., and — between college and Harvard Business School — Goldman Sachs.

Lebovitz, 54, is a trustee of Milton (Mass.) Academy. He is a former director, campaign chairman and committee chairman for the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston and received that organization’s Edwin Sidman Leadership Award in 2014. He was president of the Jewish Family & Children’s Service from 2000 to 2002 and president of Congregation Or Atid, in Wayland, Mass., from 2010 to 2012. He is also a former member of the Trust Board of Boston Children’s Hospital.

At the Meeting of Members held in Las Vegas on Monday, new trustees were also elected to the ICSC Board of Trustees: See full press release here