NASCAR Announces Unique Partnership With The Cordish Company To Debut NASCAR Sports Grill

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today that it has partnered with multi-billion dollar conglomerate The Cordish Company to debut the NASCAR Sports Grille in Orlando, Fla., and Myrtle Beach, SC. The NASCAR Sports Grille, a dining and entertainment concept, will replace the NASCAR Cafes in 2007 as part of a redevelopment project that promises to bring NASCAR fans closer to the sport.This partnership of two very successful family companies will mark a departure from the old sports themed restaurant approach instituted by the original NASCAR Cafes. In addition to the two current locations, Baltimore, MD-based The Cordish Company, which has a track record for developing high-profile entertainment and mixed-use districts, restaurants, casinos and hotels, retains the exclusive right for additional establishments, all of which would contain restaurant, bar, retail, outdoor tailgate zones and interactive video and gaming areas. One unique feature in every NASCAR Sports Grille will be a state-of-the-art interactive video technology at each individual booth, allowing its patrons to select their own entertainment programming of NASCAR highlights and history clips.“More so than any other sport, NASCAR has been extended far beyond the track with assets such as television shows and themed attractions,” Mark Dyer, NASCAR’s vice president of licensing and consumer products, said. “By partnering with The Cordish Company, we will be able to ensure that our fans receive a genuine NASCAR experience at all NASCAR Sports Grille locations.”The Cordish Company, one of the leading real estate development and operations companies in the country, plans to remodel the NASCAR Cafes in Orlando and Myrtle Beach and retains the right to open NASCAR Sports Grilles in markets across the country. Entertainment Concepts Investors, the restaurant and club division, designs, builds, owns and operates restaurant, lounge, live entertainment and hospitality concepts in approximately 30 markets across the United States.The Cordish Company’s developments include The Power Plant and Power Plant Live! in Baltimore, a project that last year drew more than 10 million visitors. New developments include a $600 million redevelopment of downtown Kansas City, a $70 million retail and entertainment development in Atlantic City, and a $450 million Ballpark Village in St. Louis.“NASCAR is arguably the most popular sport in America. There’s unlimited potential,” Reed Cordish, vice president of The Cordish Company, said. ”Our company has always excelled by exceeding expectations for our concepts and developments and NASCAR Sports Grille will be our most dynamic concept to date.”

NASCAR and The Cordish CompanyThe Cordish Company has diverse development expertise with divisions focused on entertainment and mixed use, lodging, sports anchored developments, shopping and lifestyle retail, office, and residential. Recognized as one of the leading international developers for large scale, urban revitalization developments and high-profile entertainment districts, The Cordish Company has long term relationships with the vast majority of the leading national retail and entertainment tenants including brand names such as Hard Rock Café, ESPN Zone, The Walt Disney Co., and Bass Pro Shops.About The Cordish CompanyThe Cordish Company, now in its fourth generation of family ownership, is a multi-billion conglomerate including one of the leading real estate development companies in the United States. The Company has diverse development expertise with divisions focused on Entertainment and Mixed-Use, Gaming and Lodging, Sports Anchored Districts, Shopping and Lifestyle Retail, Office and Residential. The Cordish Company also owns and manages a diverse group of operating businesses, ranging from restaurants/clubs to live music promotion to film/media distribution. The company values itself on the quality of its operations, its long-term relationships and high level of integrity in all of its endeavors. The Cordish Company is the largest and most successful developer of entertainment districts and concepts in the United States. In particular, the company has unparalleled experience in creating and revitalizing high-profile destinations in urban core locations. Many of the Company’s projects involve public/private partnerships and are of unique significance to the cities in which they are located. Prime examples are the company’s prominent role in the redevelopment of four highly successful projects in Baltimore’s world famous Inner Harbor; Atlantic City, NJ; Hollywood, Fla., Charleston, SC; Houston, TX; Louisville, KY; and Tampa, Fla. The company, which has received the highest possible national awards in its various areas of expertise, currently has more than $1 billion in construction focusing primarily on Sports Anchored Districts.About NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR), which began in 1948, is the sanctioning body for one of America’s premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport – holding 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S., the No. 2-rated regular season sport on television with broadcasts in more than 150 countries, and has 75 million fans that purchase more than $2.1 billion in annual licensed product sales. These fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports and as a result, more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport. NASCAR consists of three major national series (NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) as well as eight regional tours and one local grassroots series. NASCAR sanctions 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 35 states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach, NASCAR has offices in Bentonville (Ark.), Charlotte, Concord (N.C.), Conover (N.C.), Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City and Toronto.



A Leader in Real Estate & Urban Development

The Cordish Company is a third generation, family owned business. Paul L. Cordish founded the Company in 1932 and remained active with the Company until his early 90’s and his passing in March, 2003. Paul Cordish’s legacy of integrity, humanity and hard work carry on as the core values of the Company.

In 1968, Paul Cordish's son, David S. Cordish, founded the real estate division of the Company of which he is President & Chairman.

All three of David Cordish's sons, Jonathan, Blake and Reed Cordish are active in the business. Blake and Reed Cordish are Vice Presidents in the real estate arm of the Cordish Company with responsibilities over the entertainment/mixed-use and restaurant/club divisions. Jonathan Cordish is the Chairman of its media/film division as well as an advisor to the private equity investment division.

The Cordish Company is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, with regional offices and managers throughout the country. The Cordish Company's employees share a unique esprit-de-corps that has produced consistent excellence in its projects, and are the key ingredient in its growth over the past decades.

The Cordish Company's origins date back to 1910, when Louis Cordish began developing office and apartment complexes in the Baltimore/Washington area, and encompasses four generations of privately-held family ownership. Over the last ten decades The Cordish Company has grown into a multi-billion conglomerate including one of the leading real estate development companies in the United States and a diverse group of successful operating businesses.

The company was organized along its present line by David Cordish in the mid 1960s. David, Louis' grandson, is now chairman of The Cordish Company. Three of David’s sons: Jon, Blake and Reed, are principals in The Cordish Company. The Cordish Company's real estate development and operating companies are diversified, with divisions focused on entertainment/mixed-use, gaming/lodging, shopping centers, restaurants/clubs/music, office, and residential/student housing.

Non-real estate operating subsidiaries include a media distribution company and a private equity investment group. The company is the only developer to receive five prestigious Urban Land Institute Awards of Excellence, and has received consistent recognition as the leading national developer for urban revitalization projects. The Cordish Company enters its eleventh decade well-capitalized, with significant liquidity and highly energized to continue its growth.

The Cordish Company remains a family-owned business that values quality and excellence in its operations, long-term relationships and integrity. The Cordish Company has assembled fully integrated teams of highly dedicated and knowledgeable professionals to manage all facets of its businesses. As a testimony to the Company's commitment to quality and the long-term vision of its leadership, the Cordish Company still owns and manages virtually every business it has developed since inception.

Best known for its real estate expertise, The Cordish Company is the largest and most successful developer of entertainment districts and concepts in the United States. In particular, the company has unparalleled experience in creating and revitalizing high-profile destinations in urban core locations. Many of the Cordish Company's projects involve public/private partnerships and are of unique significance to the cities in which they are located. A prime example is the company's prominent role in the redevelopment of four highly successful projects in Baltimore's world-famous Inner Harbor.

The Cordish Company has received the highest possible national awards in its various areas of expertise. In real estate, the Cordish Company has received an unprecedented five Urban Land Institute Awards of Excellence. Its media distribution subsidiary, Cordish Media Inc., has distributed five Academy Award-nominated films, including one Academy Award winner.

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