Alliance Francaise plans $2.5M renovation in North Loop

The Twin Cities chapter of the Alliance Française is about to embark on a capital campaign.

The nonprofit, which provides French classes and cultural events, is planning a $2.5 million overhaul of its 130-year-old building in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood.

The building at 113 N. First St. has not undergone any significant updates since 1998, when the Alliance bought what was then a private residence and photography studio.

RELATED: Developers cancel North Loop Minneapolis condo project

The…

Exclusive: Star Houston hedge fund founder steps down

Dave Coolidge, one of Houston’s most well-known hedge fund managers, has retired at the age of 49 from his natural gas hedge fund, Velite Benchmark Capital Management LP, only nine years after the fund’s debut.

Assuming Coolidge’s place is Eric Bass, an Enron alumnus whom Coolidge personally hired in 2008 as a trader.

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“I was kind of blown away during the interview,” said Coolidge. “He’s very intelligent, very sincere, very genuine and…

Birmingham Builders: Magic City contractors gain recognition

Vertical construction on the future home of the Atlanta Braves is well underway. This week’s slideshow has some of the latest shots from the stadium in Cobb County, Ga.

Also, Brasfield & Gorrie and BL Harbert International were recognized by the Associated Builders & Contractors of America.

Brasfield & Gorrie was recognized by ABC’s Alabama chapter at the association’s Safe Day awards banquet for four honors, including the Diamond Safety Training and Evaluation Process award, a first-place Safe…

The big question in the 1776-Disruption deal: What happened to Paul Singh?

The biggest question around 1776’s surprise acquisition of Disruption Corp. might be this: What happened to Paul Singh?

It’s become clear the two accelerators were competing in a number of ways, and it’s perhaps the case that the town simply wasn’t big enough for the both of them. Both accelerators were looking to invest in promising seed-stage startups. Both were attempting to raise funds. And both were attempting to brand themselves as major community voices, each with its own distinct flavor…

How the White House is upgrading perimeter security

The occasional but still alarming breaches of the White House perimeter, by foot and by vehicle, has the U.S. Secret Service on the lookout for security upgrades.

From sharp fence clip-ons to new vehicle security barriers, the National Park Service, on behalf of the Secret Service, has proposed a series of enhancements to the White House perimeter, each of which will be reviewed next month by the National Capital Planning Commission.

Numerous incidents of White House fence jumping, including one…