Will go before committee in April: A discussion about a possible tax increment financing district for a planned Hampton Inn & Suites downtown was deferred by the Metro Council finance and executive committee for the second time Wednesday. “There are a couple things we’re working out on our end,” says developer Richard Preis, who is working on the project with South Carolina-based Windsor/Aughtry. “That will probably take another two or three weeks. We’ll be back on the calendar first part of April.” The 137-room hotel at the corner of Lafayette and Main streets is set to open in fall 2012.
Coke is still it: Industry data set for release later today is expected to show that U.S. sales of Diet Coke in 2010 surpassed those of Pepsi for the first time, according to The Wall Street Journal. Pepsi had only a slight lead over Diet Coke in 2009, with each brand having a market share of just under 10%. Coke was the most popular carbonated drink, with a 17% share, according to Beverage Digest. The trade publication says Diet Coke’s market share slipped by 0.1 percentage point in 2010, while Pepsi sales fell by 0.5 percentage points.
