The Jennifer Lawrence Diary™
Jennifer Lawrence apartment
Lawrence has looked at a Tribeca apartment just like this; photo shows the model unit.

Jennifer LawrenceBoulevard reviews the latest media coverage of the Oscar-winning Louisville native in our exclusive Jennifer Lawrence Diary™. Today’s news, rated on a scale of 1-5 stars:

Five starsLet’s just go for the jugular: Lawrence, all of 25, is kicking the tires at a paparazzi-proof four-bedroom, four and one-half bath condo in New York City that’s on the market for:

$14,400,000

And that’s just the asking price, because buyers often bid way above in white-hot markets like New York, San Francisco, and the city where Lawrence already has at least one home: Beverly Hills.

The building is in the Tribeca neighborhood, downtown on the west side and snuggled up to the Hudson River. Specifically: 443 Greenwich St. It’s apartment 3A — meaning, incredibly at that price: No. River. View. And hello, street noise.

Do dish more, Curbed New York:

“The swankified 1880s book bindery-turned-condo has been an easy sell among the monied elite. ‘We’re creating an environment that is genuine TriBeCa yet also paparazzi-proof,’ MetroLoft principle Nathan Berman said in a statement. Those private amenities include drive-in, drive-out underground parking and a second lobby for residents wanting to take private elevators. The building also features a central courtyard only for building residents.”

In other words, Lawrence needn’t worry about an East Coast version of the 10 paparazzi camped outside the West Coast home she bought in October 2014 from comedian Ellen DeGeneres for a mere $8.2 million. Plus, the paps would have plenty of other prey in the neighborhood: Celebrities who’ve lived there include mega Grammy-winner Beyoncé, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and his ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow. Besides, Lawrence can always fall back on her Donald Trump-hunting bodyguards.

Compared to other prices in the building, apartment 3A is a steal. The penthouse is on the market for $55 million; that would be a record for downtown, Curbed says. For more perspective on 3A’s $14.4 million ask, consider the priciest home up for grabs here in Louisville is $16 million (and a recent price cut from $20 million suggests the seller is motivated).

The bottom line: For this condo’s sheer gorgeousness, Boulevard awards Curbed a rare, and coveted five-star review!

Here, by the way, is the curb appeal of Greenwich Street in front of the building; yup, that’s a loading dock on the left-hand side:

Greenwich Street

Related: how Tribeca became New York’s most desirable neighborhood.

Latest Headlines

Ford recalls 271,000 F-150s from 2013-14; UPS boosts size of planned expansion; Missouri regulators to Humana: show me changes

A news summary, focused on big employers; updated 9:16 p.m.

2014 Ford F-150
A model year 2014 F-150 of the kind being recalled.
William Clay Ford, Jr.
Ford

FORD is recalling about 271,000 2013-14 F-150 pickups with 3.5-liter V-6 engines because the brakes may malfunction, the automaker said today. The company said it was aware of nine accidents but no injuries (New York Times). Also, Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. defended the automaker against blistering criticism by White House candidate Donald Trump, saying it should be held up as an example of a company doing things right. Trump has called Ford’s decision to build a $1.6 billion assembly plant in Mexico an “absolute disgrace” that would not happen if he becomes president (Detroit News).

In December, Ford said it would invest $1.3 billion in its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, creating 2,000 jobs. The expansion is for the launch of the new 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty truck (press release). More about Ford’s Louisville factories. Also, Ford said today it will release its May U.S. sales figures around 9:15 a.m. June 1, followed by a conference call to discuss the results (press release).

UPS is doubling the size of an expansion announced last fall that was already going to add another 300 jobs to the so-called Centennial Hub; it’s unclear whether the bigger project will require even more hiring  (Courier-Journal). UPS originally announced the project last October, saying it would cost $300 million and would be substantially complete by 2018 (press release).

HUMANA: Missouri’s insurance regulators are asking Humana and Aenta to make changes before the state approves their pending $34 billion merger announced July 3 (Business First).

KINDRED‘s shareholders approved the executive compensation plan during a non-binding advisory vote today at their annual meeting. They also re-elected the full slate of 11 directors to the governing board; the company didn’t provide a vote breakdown, which will likely come in a future regulatory filing (press release).

CHURCHILL DOWNS broke ground yesterday on a previously announced $25 million expansion of its Oxford Casino in Maine. The project includes a 106-room hotel, new dining, and an expanded gaming area. Churchill bought the casino in 2013 (WLBZ).

AMAZON said today it would open a second distribution center in Joliet, Ill., 46 miles southwest of Chicago. The company will create more than 2,000 full-time jobs at the facility in addition to the 1,500 full-time employees currently working at its existing Joliet center (press release). The city has 148,000 residents; more census facts. Also, the company plans to expand its Fresh grocery delivery service this year to new markets including Boston (Recode). More about Amazon’s Louisville area operations.

The Eagle logoIn other news, Bardstown Road is getting another craft beer restaurant: The Eagle, which has locations in Cincinnati and Indianapolis. It’s taking the space now occupied by El Camino, which is moving to another, undisclosed location two miles away and with half the current 300 seats (Insider Louisville). The Eagle will join the soon-to-open HopCat at Grinstead and Bardstown, which will have 130 craft beers and seating for 600. Also in the works: Sterling Brewing has announced plans for a restaurant at 1300 Bardstown Road (Courier-Journal). And there are already so many more.

Elsewhere in hospitality land, the average Louisville hotel room rate will jump 13.9 percent to $119.35 by 2020, according to a new report (Insider Louisville).

Finally, U.S. stocks soared for the second consecutive day after positive economic data, rising oil prices, and a new debt deal for Greece. The Dow Jones Industrial average and other major indices all closed up nearly 1% after similar gains yesterday (Google Finance). Nearly all 11 big-employer shares in the Boulevard Stock Portfolio rose, too.

Investing

In Ky. college endowments, ‘bigger is definitely not better’

The University of Louisville and other public colleges have built the biggest endowments, but are nonetheless lagging other, often smaller institutions in annual investment returns, according to a new report today by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. For its report, the center examined five years’ worth of investment returns of 11 endowments statewide.

Related: review the University of Louisville Foundation’s annual IRS tax returns on non-profit tracker GuideStar.

Money in Politics

The other cover price for McConnell’s new tell-all memoirs: $325,000 — to start

In “The Long Game,” Republican U.S. senate majority leader Mitch McConnell slams the man he calls “Professor Obama” and needles fellow lawmakers, ABC News says in a new story. It hits bookstores next Tuesday.

McConnell bookMcConnell told the Associated Press a year ago that he was writing the book. But he didn’t say how much he’d get paid. Now, his new financial disclosure report filed last week shows what publisher Penguin forked over: $325,000 — and that’s just to start. He’ll also receive royalty payments: 15% of sales at the retail price of hardcover editions; 7.5% to 10% of sales of paperbacks; and 25% of e-book sales.

This is McConnell’s biggest foray into book publishing. If sales go through the roof, he could earn a bigger advance next time. But as political books go, it’s a long road to match what Simon & Schuster paid Hillary Clinton in 2000 for her memoirs as first lady: a near-record $8 million. (And that’s not counting the rumored $14 million for her years as secretary of state.) In fact, McConnell’s pales alongside a list Boulevard compiled of other high-profile authors going back to 2001.

The 20-page disclosure report covering all of 2015 is full of details about McConnell’s finances and those of his wife, the economist Elaine Chao. Among them, Chao got paid five figures for speeches she gave to the Alliance for Public Awareness in Paris ($50,000), and the Real Estate Roundtable in Washington ($25,000). Chao was U.S. labor secretary in the George W. Bush Administration.

With Chao’s substantial family wealth included, McConnell ranked No. 11 among the senate’s wealthiest members as of 2014, the latest year available from the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog group.

Related: McConnell’s 2014 financial disclosure report. Also, here’s Republican Rand Paul’s 2015 report, plus his 2014 report.