More items in the wardrobe: Haspel, the Baton Rouge-based menswear brand, is expanding into sportswear, thanks to a licensing agreement with Components by John McCoy. The new collection will be available next month and feature woven cotton and linen shirts, pants, shorts and sweaters. Items will sell for between $89 and $150. Haspel, which was founded in New Orleans more than 101 years ago, was the designer of the first seersucker suit. In recent years, the company has signed licensing agreements for outerwear, jewelry, dress shirts and ties. James Ammeen, managing member of Haspel Worldwide, says the licensing deal with John McCoy is yet another step in the company’s “evolution into a contemporary lifestyle brand.”
Project estimated to take up to three months: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans district, is teaming up with the state Office of Facility Planning to fix an intersection at Southern University. The corps, the state and Southern will spend more than $1 million to prevent the intersection of E.C. Harrison Drive and Jesse N. Stone Street from falling into a ravine. The work, which is estimated to take two to three months, will involve excavating part of the ravine and installing culverts and devices for erosion protection. Sixty-five percent of the cost of the project will be covered by federal funds, while the state and Southern will together be responsible for 35%.
$10 million to go to local charities: Boyd Gaming has an agreement to buy the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi, Miss., for $288 million. Boyd, which owns three casinos in Louisiana, will pay $278 million for the casino and make a $10 million contribution to the Engelstad Family Foundation, which will distribute the money to Biloxi charities. Boyd says it will spend about $44 million to fix up IP. The IP features a 70,000-square foot casino, a nearly 1,100-room hotel and 73,000 square feet of convention space.
