The working world: November 2008 Archives

I see a lot of turmoil out there nowadays, from car dealers shutting their doors to retailers sinking into bankruptcy.

So I don't know how much I buy at first of this "York County is not on an American coast, we are the American heartland and financially conservative, so we'll be doing OK" idea.

But then again, why else would the Dakotas end up being the strongest economies in the face of this crisis? I read two reports this morning, one on cities where unemployment is low, and one on where people didn't cut back on driving this year.

Turns out, South Dakota has the two best cities for unemployment, with North Dakota having a strong showing. And North Dakota was the one state where driving didn't dip during the peak middle months of 2008.

We've seen the construction on the outside of the CODO building at 241 N. George St. for months, so below are some pictures recently released showing what's inside the property.

It looks fairly sharp, and you can see the George Street skyline outside the one window.

The project is expected to be completed in March. Click here for more information, including how to rent one of the lofts. Applications are currently being accepted.

A little background: CODO is a more than $11-million redevelopment project of the former York Auto Parts building, 241 N. George St. The structure will feature loft-style apartments, a rooftop lounge and street-level cafe. The building, with units designed for renters, is expected to attract young professionals to York.

So what do you think? Is this somewhere you would want to live?

Citigroup is one of the biggest banks standing after the last round of failures around the industry, and today it said it won't be foreclosing on people who want to stay in their homes.

How would you feel if you saved all your money and bought nothing you wanted just so you could pay your mortgage, and your neighbor parked a big boat in the driveway and put in a pool, then told Citigroup he was out of money and couldn't pay ... and they let him off the hook for a while?

I bet more people will go out and get a boat and a pool. Is this a message financial institutions should be sending?