WILLMAR The 2020 street improvements in Willmar will go forward as planned. The Willmar City Council adopted several resolutions during the May 18 council meeting that pushed the projects toward the construction phase.

Following a public hearing, in which members of the public could participate by phone, the council adopted the assessment roll for the three street improvement projects which could be partially assessed to property owners.

Those three projects are reconstruction of Ninth Street Southeast from Willmar Avenue to Pleasantview Drive, reconstruction of Sixth Street Northeast/23rd Avenue Northeast from Country Club Drive to 26th Avenue and overlay of First Street from 19th Avenue to the westbound state Highway 23 ramps.

The total budget for all three projects is $2,933,850. Special assessments will make up $718,020 of the total, with city funds providing the balance.

Assessments are made on the address side of the property. Properties were assessed $85 per foot for reconstruction and $45 per foot for overlay.

"The last three years we've held the assessment values at a flat value," said Sean Christensen, Willmar Public Works director.

There were three callers who had concerns and objections, all related to the Ninth Street Southeast reconstruction project. The objections were generally about the cost of the assessments. All three were rejected by the council.

Christensen explained while the city assessment ordinance allows the city to charge property owners up to 75 percent of the cost for street improvements, the actual cost of $85 per liner foot for reconstruction is only about 25 percent of the construction costs.

"The 75 percent rate was not viewed as a legitimate number to charge the residents," said Christensen.

There are assessment deferment programs available for those who are eligible and would have problems paying for the assessments. Those with questions can contact the city clerk by calling the City Office Building.

Construction on the projects should begin in June. The council awarded the Ninth Street Southeast reconstruction and the First Street overlay to Duininck Inc., and Riley Bros. Construction Inc. was awarded the bid for the reconstruction of Sixth Street Northeast/23rd Avenue Northeast. All three low bids were under the engineer's estimates for the projects.

If the weather cooperates this construction season, the projects are scheduled to be completed by Sept. 25.

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Willmar approves three major street projects expected to begin in June - West Central Tribune

By Warren Duzak 25 May 2020

In a large cluster of COVID-19 infections, 74 construction workers at an exclusive Tennessee prep school building site have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Workers for General Contractor Brasfield & Gorrie and the companys subcontractors at the Montgomery Bell Academys athletic facility construction site have tested positive for the virus, Metropolitan Nashvilles Health Department confirmed last week.

The first positive test was confirmed earlier this month, NewsChannel 5 reported. According to the television station, an email revealed that by May 18, 329 workers at the site had been tested with 60 confirmed cases.

There was no information on the condition of the workers or their families or if there had been any deaths. The Birmingham-based construction supplied only a boilerplate press release professing its concerned for the safety of workers and the great lengths it is going to protect everyone.

A large sign at the construction sites main entrance had an image of a worker attired in a highly visible bright yellow-chartreuse shirt and wearing protective glasses and hardhat. He was not wearing a mask. Nowhere on the sign was there any mention of a COVID-19 warning or any requirements or even suggestions for masks or social distancing. If there were such signs, none were readily visible.

But on the fence there was a sign cautioning, Drones May Be Operating In This Area.

At about the same time as the Tennessee cases were revealed, another Alabama-based general contractor briefly shut down operations at a University of Alabama construction site when 10 confirmed cases among workers there were reported.

Caddell Construction of Montgomery, Alabama, is the general contractor on the $106 million renovation work at the University of Alabamas Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

As in the Nashville case, the construction company was tight-lipped on the condition of workers or their families even after details of the infection were reported.

More than 10 people have tested positive for COVID-19, according to people familiar with the outbreak, but the number could be much higher, Joseph Goodman of AL.com reported. With so many exposures, there is a fear that more positive cases linked to the job site are inevitable. The large number of positive tests means, essentially, everyone at the job site could have been exposed.

The COVID-19 outbreak at the Alabama stadium follows an accident which severely injured two workers there in late January.

Two men were almost killed when two concrete beams fell and struck the construction vehicle they were in. One news source described one worker as paralyzed with a second worker suffering severe head injuries.

Brasfield & Gorrie reported having about 2,600 employees in 2016, and revenue of $2.4 billion. It ranked #30 in the nations top 400 contractors for 2017, according to Engineering News-Record . It also ranked third in healthcare general contractors in the nation, Modern Healthcare reported.

Caddell Construction is roughly one tenth the size of Brasfield & Gorrie in terms of employees and revenues.

The two Alabama-based construction companies share more than a home state.

Both companies are working on sports facilities and are under intense pressure to get the job done before the fall sports season. College and even high school sports are multi-million dollar businesses and are treated that way. The University of Alabama football program, for instance, brings in about $47 million in profits on $108 million of total revenues. The college football season is set to begin in September.

In Nashville, the MBA private schoolwith tuition at $27,250 a yeartouts sports as one of the legs on its three-legged student products: Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete.

A Channel 5 reporter asked one worker at the MBA worksite, Why dont you just walk off the job?

The answer from one worker was simple. Because you cant get unemployment if you just quit, he replied. So I have to provide for my family.

Another worker responded plainly but accurately. You just rely on people whose profit is at stake on telling you whether to go forward or not.

Similar answers could be given by workers in all different countries.

I have no other choice. It doesnt seem normal to have to return to work, but we have no other option, a construction locksmith in Spain told the media. I have to continue covering expenses.

A Madrid bricklayer complained, I dont know why the hell we have to go back if there is no way of keeping distance from each other. I only hope that my colleagues also work with a mask. If not, were screwed.

In China, courageous and self-sacrificing construction workers build a hospital in two weeks, but in the words of one Chinese worker: We are all abandoned tools after use.

Dont let the voice of praise fill my screen, he said on social media of government praise. There is still a lot of injustice and exploitation in the world.

A comment from a Turkish construction worker was poignant.

The conditions on our job site are deplorable, and I feel psychologically broken with worrying that I might infect other people, especially my wife or my 8-year-old son, zkan told equaltimes.org about his life as a construction worker in Istanbul, Turkey. We dont have any way to disinfect ourselves on the site, so as soon as I get home, I go straight to the bathroom to take a shower. I cant kiss my son, I can only greet him from afar.

In the United States, even though construction is considered an essential activity, construction workers look to lose almost 1 million jobs.

The latest labor figures point to a precipitous drop in construction jobs across the United States, archpaper.com reported May 8. 975,000 construction workers lost their jobs in April, with specialty trade contractors bearing the worst losses (691,000 jobs), while building construction lost 206,100.

What may be most galling to many construction workers is the prospect of putting their truly essential lives on the line to earn a living for themselves and their families by building non-essential structures.

In recent weeks, the Nashville Business Journal (NBJ) reported financing for the building of two huge office buildings costing more than $100 million each.

A third $100 million project gives conspicuous consumption new meaning.

The Motor Enclaves target audience, the developer told the Nashville Business Journal (NBJ), is simplepeople love carsand he will build car condos that start at $180,000 with the average price at $350,000 for a 1,200-square-foot condo that can comfortably fit four to six cars.

Some will be built specifically to accommodate recreational vehicles and car trailers, and those units will be priced between $700,000 and $800,000, the developers told the NBJ. The money invested in these three projects in Nashville, Tennessee, would more than pay for the $237 million the US is assessed by the World Health Organization, which is leading the fight against COVID-19.

Featured statements on the coronavirus pandemic

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Dozens of Nashville, Tennessee, construction workers test positive for COVID-19 - World Socialist Web Site

Dublin, May 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "North America Fire Testing Market to 2027 - Regional Analysis and Forecasts by Service; Sourcing Type; Application" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Fire testing market in North America is expected to grow from US$ 1.34 Bn in 2018 to US$ 2.39 Bn by the year 2027. This represents a CAGR of 6.9% from the year 2019 to 2027.

In an event of a fire in buildings, consumer products, or in any means of transportation, the fire resistance time of the products and materials is the most critical variable and is expected to have a direct influence on the inhabitants' safety. Fire-resistant products are designed to support the structures to retain their least functions during the time needed to evacuate the people, even regardless of the extreme conditions of heat and pressure to which they are exposed. The manufacturers of these products, must evaluate product stability, resistance, and fire insulation based on the applicable regulation.

The majority of the advanced and developing economies have laid down stringent fire regulations regarding the development of consumer products and construction of new buildings in order to ensure safety for occupants. The concerned authorities have laid down heavy punishments in case of violence of the codes. Virtually every building, process, service, design, and installation is affected by NFPA's codes and standards. These codes and standards, reflect changing industry needs and evolving technologies, supported by research and development, and practical experience. The laying of such rules and regulations have been driving the adoption of fire testing market.

Several factors which are impacting the market as a whole the macroeconomic circumstances, which affects new constructions and correspondingly the new equipment and service installations. The construction sector is witnessing a decent growth rate in the recent time. The trend is foreseen to continue over the years, thereby, creating a huge space for commercial and industrial constructions. Governments of various countries are undertaking initiatives with a motive to support the construction industry. The growth in the construction of commercial buildings is anticipated to provide prosperous opportunities to the market to grow across the globe thus, positively impacting the fire testing market. The fire testing market is competitive in nature with the presence of some of the major players operating in the fire testing market.

The fire testing market by sourcing type is segmented into the in-house and outsourcing. In-house service includes performing fire testing activities or operations within a company. It includes the company's employees as well as time by keeping a division or business activity, in-house. In-house services are implemented within the same business utilizing the company's employees and assets. In-house testing has several benefits, including, cost savings by not paying for external testing, saving on shipping costs, time-saving, and more flexibility. Additionally, it may enable the company to use higher levels of control for the activities performed by the testing divisions by observing the services and employees in direct control.

The overall North America fire testing market size has been derived using both primary and secondary sources. The research process begins with exhaustive secondary research using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the North America fire testing market. It also provides an overview and forecast for the North America fire testing market based on all the segmentation provided with respect to the North America region. Also, primary interviews were conducted with industry participants and commentators in order to validate data and analysis. The participants who typically take part in such a process include industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers, and external consultants such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders specializing in the North America fire testing industry. Some of the players present in the fire testing market are Applus Services, SA, Bureau Veritas SA, Dekra, Element Materials Technology, International Fire Consultants Group, Intertek Group plc, SGS SA, TUV SUD AG, UL LLC, United Technologies Corporation.

Reasons to Buy:

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction1.1 Scope of the Study1.2 Report Guidance1.3 Market Segmentation

2. Key Takeaways

3. Research Methodology3.1 Coverage3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Primary Research

4. North America Fire Testing Market Landscape4.1 Market Overview4.2 PEST Analysis4.2.1 Fire Testing Market - North America PEST Analysis4.3 Ecosystem Analysis4.4 Expert Opinions

5. North America Fire Testing Market- Key Industry Dynamics5.1 Key Market Drivers5.1.1 Stringent rules and regulations necessitating the adoption of fire safety measure5.2 Key Market Restraints5.2.1 Lack of skilled workforce and availability of counterfeit and forged products5.3 Key Market Opportunities5.3.1 The growing construction activities are expected to create lucrative market opportunities5.4 Future Trends5.4.1 Introduction to smart buildings5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints

6. North America Fire Testing Market -Market Analysis6.1 North America Fire Testing Market Overview6.2 North America Fire Testing Market Forecast and Analysis

7. North America Fire Testing Market Analysis - By Service7.1 Overview7.2 North America Fire Testing Market Breakdown, By Service, 2018 & 20277.3 Testing7.3.1 Overview7.3.2 Testing Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.4 Inspection7.4.1 Overview7.4.2 Inspection Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.5 Certification7.5.1 Overview7.5.2 Certification Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)

8. North America Fire Testing Market Analysis - By Sourcing Type8.1 Overview8.2 North America Fire Testing Market Breakdown, By Sourcing Type, 2018 & 20278.3 In-house8.3.1 Overview8.3.2 In-house Market Forecasts and Analysis8.4 Outsourced Services8.4.1 Overview8.4.2 Outsourced Services Market Forecasts and Analysis

9. North America Fire Testing Market Analysis - By Application9.1 Overview9.2 Fire Testing Market Breakdown, By Application, 2018 & 20279.3 Building & Construction9.3.1 Overview9.3.2 Building & Construction Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)9.4 Automotive9.4.1 Overview9.4.2 Automotive Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)9.5 Industrial and Manufacturing9.5.1 Overview9.5.2 Industrial and Manufacturing Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)9.6 Consumer Goods & Retail9.6.1 Overview9.6.2 Consumer Goods & Retail Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)9.7 Aerospace & Defence9.7.1 Overview9.7.2 Aerospace & Defence Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)9.8 Others9.8.1 Overview9.8.2 Others Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)

10. North America Fire Testing Market - Country Analysis10.1.1 North America Fire Testing Market Breakdown, by Key Countries10.1.1.1 U.S. Fire Testing Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)10.1.1.1.1 U.S. Fire Testing Market Breakdown By Service10.1.1.1.2 U.S. Fire Testing Market Breakdown By Sourcing Type10.1.1.1.3 U.S. Fire Testing Market Breakdown By Application10.1.1.2 Canada Fire Testing Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)10.1.1.2.1 Canada Fire Testing Market Breakdown By Service10.1.1.2.2 Canada Fire Testing Market Breakdown By Sourcing Type10.1.1.2.3 Canada Fire Testing Market Breakdown By Application10.1.1.3 Mexico Fire Testing Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2027 (US$ Mn)10.1.1.3.1 Mexico Fire Testing Market Breakdown By Service10.1.1.3.2 Mexico Fire Testing Market Breakdown By Sourcing Type10.1.1.3.3 Mexico Fire Testing Market Breakdown By Application

11. Industry Landscape11.1 Overview11.2 Market Initiative11.3 New Development11.4 Merger and Acquisition

12. Fire Testing Market - Company Profiles

13. Appendix13.1 About the Publisher13.2 Glossary

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lei0dl

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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Insights into the North American Fire Testing Industry to 2027 - by Service, Sourcing Type & Application - GlobeNewswire

ITHACA, N.Y. It was a jam-packed meeting for the Ithaca Planning Board this warm May evening, though you could forgive board members for not being aware. As with everything in the age of COVID it was conducted remotely via Zoom. Go get yourself a cup of coffee or tea, because this meeting was a long one, and so is this report. Combined, almost a thousand housing units were discussed in some stage of review last night. For those who like to read along, the 258-page agenda is here.

Before we jump into the night's contents, a quick update on a note from last month - as retired Planning Board chair David Kay tells me, 2020 is not the first time the city of Ithaca's Planning Board is majority-female. In 1993-94, the six-member board had Sarah Adams, Anne Clavel, Denise Rusoff and then-Common Councilor Pam Mackesey. (Back then, a Common Councilor was appointed to Planning Board, but the practice was stopped over concerns regarding political influence and interference). Proof that even though I've been doing this in blog or news format for over a decade, there's always more to learn.

With Board Chair Robert Lewis absent for this meeting, the proceedings were led by the Vice-Chair, Mckenzie Jones-Rounds.

First up were lot subdivision reviews - these are when property lots in the city, technically known as parcels, seek legal reconfiguration, either to be split up, reshaped or consolidated. This month, there was only one on the agenda, for the Immaculate Conception School redevelopment planned by Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services on West Buffalo Street.

Usually, these subdivision reviews are quick and dry affairs. INHS already had one subdivision approved for the site earlier this spring, creating a new lot for the former ICS gymnasium so that it can be legally acquired by the city for the Greater Ithaca Activities Center. The new lot subdivision splits the property one more time, to create a lot just for the Catholic Charities building. According to INHS's Lynn Truame, it was discovered the state won't allow Catholic Charities and INHS to both apply for grant funding because they're on the same tax parcel. That's problematic because Catholic Charities will manage their building while INHS manages the rest of the property. Splitting the lots will allow both organizations to pursue grants for their respective parcels, and has no impacts on the affordability or number of units.

As expected, the discussion was brief and passed unanimously.

Next on the agenda is the Site Plan Review, where the review of new building proposals happens.If you normally read these recaps, feel free to skip this section. If you're new to the process of planning board review, have a read through and we'll reconvene in the next section.

The way this typically goes is that, after an initial sketch plan discussion, the board agrees to declare itself Lead Agency, which means it's in charge of doing the environmental review. Environmental review, formally called State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), entails everything from traffic effects to drainage to historic and aesthetic resource impacts. The board goes through environmental assessment forms to make sure all potential impacts are accounted for, and that the developers have a plan to effectively mitigate any adverse impacts. For example, if you're paving a parking lot over what was previously vacant land, the board's going to expect to see some stormwater management features in the project, because neither they nor the city attorney wants to go through a legal battle because rainwater drained off the parking lot and flooded your neighbor's property.

Typically, once the board has done their months of Q&A and is satisfied with the mitigations proposed, it comes time for the "Determination of Environmental Significance". Usually, if the review has been thorough and the board is satisfied, they issue what's called a "negative declaration", meaning the adverse impacts are effectively addressed. Positive declarations result in Environmental Impact Statements for submittal and review, and make for a much lengthier and more complicated review process. They usually only come up where there's simply too much information to be reviewed at a meeting - huge projects like Chain Works and the Cornell North Campus Residential Expansion. With the negative declaration, the project can then be considered for preliminary and final site plan approval. Preliminary approval means there are a few minor changes or conditions that need to be met before final approval and building permits can be granted.

Once again first on the list was the Carpenter Circle project as proposed by Cayuga Medical Center and Park Grove Realty. CMC would occupy a new 64,000 square-foot medical office building with walk-in clinic in the first phase. Two buildings with ground-floor retail and 166 market-rate apartments would be built in the second phase, and a low-moderate income apartment building with 42 units would follow. You can read more about the plan here. The project's been going through review for over a year, in part because it sought and received approval for a Planned Unit Development, which are specialized zoning regulations reviewed and approved by the city.

Last month, the New York State Department of Transportation threw everyone a curveball by saying the project needed "additional potential mitigations" even though they had given no indication there were problems over the previous year.

What DOT essentially said was that they don't accept these traffic mitigations and may not permit them, even if the planning board does. This doesn't stop the project outright - the Planning Board can still make a negative declaration if it feels the mitigations are sufficient and that a resolution can be had with DOT. But it does inject uncertainty into the process. If DOT rejects the mitigations, then new ones have to be proposed, and SEQR reopened for re-review by the board. That's a bigger issue for Carpenter Park because it has proposed break-in (a new curb cut) into Route 13 as part of its plans. Both the city and the developers disputed the DOT claims last month, citing problematic models and skewed estimates. DOT's comments noted, a determination of environmental significance and potential preliminary approval for the expansive project was on the agenda.

Whitham Planning and Design's Yamila Fournier walked the board through the latest review of how the project fits environmental review project Design Guidelines. The board has had a couple of years to get to know the project, and so they only focused on a few of the latest changes regarding design features and traffic impacts. After a few minutes of brief questions and answers, the board unanimously voted to close SEQR with a negative declaration (all adverse impacts adequately mitigated) and moved into preliminary project approval. Before final approval, submissions of material samples and colors and perspective drawings are required to help determine overall appearance.

"I feel like the medical building has a sophisticated palette...I'd like to see the mixed-use buildings match the same level of sophistication, and I'd love to see the design team propose options. We've seen this red-white-blue palette from the beginning, and I'd like see more in the thinking about it," said board member Mitch Glass. His colleague Elisabete Godden agreed, feeling that the quality of design on the mixed-use buildings wasn't quite as high quality as Cayuga Medical Center's building. That said, preliminary project approval was granted, all that's left before they can go for building permits is the final approval following review of material samples. It's been a long time coming for the $63 million development.

"We really appreciate the effort that went into this review and look forward to working through the final pieces and look forward to a great project," said Park Grove Realty's Andrew Bodewes.

Second up was the City Harbor project, a couple blocks away at 101 Pier Road. As previously detailed, the two-phase project consists of a restaurant, waterfront promenade and marina, and 156 market-rate apartments. A 60,000 square-foot medical office building for Guthrie Clinic is part of the project. It too was up for a determination of environmental significance and preliminary project approval, as well as Planning Board recommendation to the Board of Zoning Appeals, which must grant an area variance before final approval can be given.

T. G. Miller's David Herrick walked the board through project updates, mainly regarding foundation construction and impacts. Working with Elwyn & Palmer, the project has mitigation features in place to make sure the foundation work doesn't pose and disruptions to the golf course clubhouse and wastewater treatment plant nearby. Those features include seismic monitoring to make sure vibrations from pile driving don't become too strong, and protections to the wastewater plant's piping. Herrick also shared some updated renders showing the removal of the fourth-floor stepbacks from the buildings, and updated renders of the three-story Guthrie Clinic building proposed on Willow Avenue.

Board member Emily Petrina asked about decoupling the parking from the housing so as to limit parking. Developer Costa Lambrou said it was about one parking space per unit in phase one, but there would be some decoupling in phase two. "There are a lot of moving pieces, and we don't have to have too few, but we also don't want to have too many. We can see if we have too many or too few parking spaces in phase two, we just don't want to have too few for the restaurant (in phase one)." Whitham Planning landscape architect Kate Chesebrough added that there would be pedestrian and bike amenities and bus stops coordinated with TCAT. Discussions with NYS DOT for further mitigations are ongoing.

The board was favorable to the plan, another that they've been looking at for over a year. The negative declaration for environmental review passed unanimously. As with Carpenter Park, preliminary approval can be granted at any time, but BZA variance approval, material swatches, color palettes and finalized drawings are required before final approval can be granted. A nice little feature introduced at this meeting was that the project team planned educational signage about Ithaca's waterfront along the promenade, and opportunities for public art installations.

"This is a fantastic project. Of all the waterfront projects, I'm most excited about this one....I hope and trust that it will be a place for all Ithacans to come and enjoy, not merely boaters or golfers, but open for everyone. I think that promenade is going to be wonderful, and the kayak launch will be a great new amenity for the city," said board member Glass.

"I think that is really going to improve the city's waterfront landscape," added Jones-Rounds. With that, she called a vote for preliminary approval. It passed unanimously.

"Thank you very, very much," said Lambrou. "It's been interesting."

"You still have your hair, Costa," replied Planning Director JoAnn Cornish.

"I know, but it's pulling back," Lambrou laughed.

Next up on the list for this month's review was the 11-story Asteri Ithaca Green Street Garage redevelopment at 120 East Green Street. Granted, if it seems like half a dozen board and committees have looked at this project, it's because that's true, or will be true by the time all is said and done. Unlike the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency and Common Council, The Planning Board is less concerned about the finances and programmatic components, and more with the design of the new structures, namely the 218-unit low-moderate income apartment building with commercial space on the lower levels, and the design of the expanded garage next door, which will grow to seven floors with an additional 241 parking spaces (350 total).

As noted by city planners, the lower three floors of the U-shaped building will house amenities, a 49,000 square-foot conference center and a small amount of retail space. (If the fear of conference spaces grows too great in this age of COVID, the substitute plan is more apartments and a larger retail space.) The Cinemopolis Plaza will keep its current public pedestrian passage between the Commons and Green Street, with lighting, signage, art, and landscaping improvements (and to note, Cinemapolis will remain in their spot, though they'll have to temporarily relocate for several months during the garage expansion). The Vecino Group and their partners are also requesting consideration of a City Hall Plaza next door on the small parking lot between the project site and City Hall. That plaza would feature a large outdoor gathering spot with paving, lighting, landscaping, and furnishings while retaining a limited number of parking spaces.

The night's discussion had no decisions for Asteri planned; the Public Hearing was opened and will remain open (this is when public comments are typically allowed and considered for a project), and Design Review as part of SEQR continued.

Bruce Adib-Yazdi, lead architect for the project, walked the board through an updated project overview prior to the Public Hearing, to "inform the public" as they stated. As presentations go, Adib-Yazdi's was less of the dry technical and design details one typically sees at the board. It had the conversational tone and broader pitch one might expect for a presenter at a neighborhood association's ice cream social. The public hearing was opened unanimously.

Most of the comments were from the Harold's Square development team and were against the proposal, citing the density, parking needs and overall size of the project. The Asteri project is next door to Harold's Square and blocks the views from the majority of the premium-priced south-facing units. While unfortunate, it serves as a reminder that you can build as tall as zoning allows, but you don't own your views. The Harold's Square developers had submitted one of the four proposals (and the smallest proposal) to redevelop the garage in 2018, but it fell short in the scoring and was not selected by the IURA. The owner of the Yellow Deli expressed concern with the loading zone for delivery trucks, and with construction staging.

On the other hand, Brett Bossard, the Executive Director of Cinemapolis, spoke in favor of the Asteri project, saying that they had been open and transparent the whole way, and actively engaged on ideas and plans for improving their entrance plaza. "I'm very excited to be working with them, and I'm excited for what kind of real, inviting artery we're going to have...this is going to make the downtown experience really special." Frequent meeting attendee Theresa Alt lauded the proposal for its affordability and walkable location.

Quick aside, the board is lucky to have the Planning Department's Anya Harris managing the technical aspects, because a lot of folks are still trying to figure out how to make all this remote technology work well, and her advice and help is the proverbial grease that makes the gears turn.

The board decided 4-1 (Goddard opposed, Robert Lewis and C.J. Randall absent) to hold open the public hearing, mostly because it's a large project, Zoom is a bit hard to access for some folks, and the board wanted to give an opportunity for people to comment in the context of the Rimland project next door. Project team member Mark Tuttle then walked the board through a second presentation, a technical and architectural review Planning Board watchers have come to know and love. Tenants will have a fourth-floor terrace and a "Sky Terrace" on the top floor, SW corner units will have projecting bay window boxes, and on the ground level, bike rentals are planned in cooperation with a local bike shop.

Board members did express some reservations regarding the treatment of the alley between the tower and garage, parking treatments and construction logistics, which will likely be further explored in the coming few months. "I do realize there's a cutout on the fourth floor, but it might be good to get some visuals from the fourth floor and Harold's Square, so we're not creating problems with a dark space around the corner of the building," said board member Garrick Blalock. Expect further refinements in the project design as review continues next month.

Developer Jeff Rimland's 13-story proposal on the eastern end of the garage came back to the board with a brand new design for them to talk about. As previously reported, the mixed-use building proposed for 215 East State Street no longer builds into the Rothschild Building and displaces the shops and shop-owners along the Commons, but went back to the initial proposal which builds atop a rebuilt eastern third of the garage.

Rimland's proposal rebuilds the eastern third of the garage with two levels of public parking (about 130 spaces), one ground-level private parking area for the building's occupants (34 spaces) and 10 floors of residential with approximately 200 apartments. A residential lobby would front Green Street, as well as an access hallway between the shops lining the Commons. Along with design discussion was further consideration of the Full Environmental Assessment Forms (FEAFs) Part 2 and 3, which make up a large portion of the environmental review.

The only public comment received by the board at the start of the meeting was from Sunny Days co-owner Todd Kurzweil, who stressed the need for mitigation plans to protect his business in the Rothschild Building.

Project engineer James Trasher of CHA Inc.walked the board through the engineering drawings revised plan, noting that they can work with Vecino to coordinate their construction work so that they and the Asteri project don't create too great of a disruption at any one time. Project architect John Abisch led the presentation for the design portion, noting a two-story lobby/amenity space with mezzanine, and a rooftop terrace. The new design uses brick veneer, cementitious Nichiha panels and metal panels, with decorative lighting elements and a sizable number of balconies.

The board appreciated the more articulated design, but was concerned about geotechnical work and fitting the project into the public network of amenities and points of interest, like Six Mile Creek. Trasher said they were working to refine the design of the Green Street entrance and add some landscaping features, but that the real public amenity was the rebuilding of the eastern third of the garage. Environmental review will continue into the summer months and the public hearing is still on the to-do list, so we'll see what further design refinements come forth as the board goes through its design and environmental review.

The Voice broke news of this pair of projects from Visum Development a couple of weeks ago, but with the proposed Cherry Street downzoning by the Common Council, the proposals are already on the ropes; if the new zoning is approved by Common Council next week, it's the end for Visum's plan for 195 apartments and retail space in Ithaca's evolving waterfront. The project team came to the meeting hoping that they could get the Planning Board to issue some sort of advisory against the proposed downzoning, in the hopes it might have sway with more neutral council members. There's a few who strongly oppose the downzoning, a few strongly in favor of downzoning, and a number of persuadable members that could make or break the vote.

For Visum, it's a familiar but unenviable place to be in. After proposing an affordable housing development for the 500 Block of West State Street last year, the city downzoned the block.

Whitham Planning came back before the board to discuss the project alongside CJS Architects, describing how the zoning affects the proposals and what kinds of changes they're exploring in an effort to please the board. It was clear that the project programmatically meshed with the mixed-use, walkable vision the city's had for the waterfront. The primary issue is the 100-foot maximum building length, which as proposed would dice the buildings up. The project team argued this would massively drive up development costs (for instance, each building would need its own elevators due to building code) for little potential aesthetic benefit.

The board was receptive. "I know some people have felt the Arthaus project is too big for its space, but I don't agree with that," said board member Blalock. "There aren't a lot of spaces where we can put housing and retail without adding to sprawl, and I'm really enthusiastic for developing this part of (Ithaca)....I found the applicant's presentation to be compelling."

Planning Director Cornish did note that Common Council was set to vote on it at its June 3 meeting, and felt that council was split. "The input from the Planning Board is important. After seeing these images, they're beautiful and compelling. But are they too big, is the combination of those three buildings too much? Those are the things you should consider in coming up with a recommendation."

"I agree with Garrick," said board member Petrina. "They're appropriate for the scale and I like the industrial palette. I feel 132 is better at embracing the waterfront. With 110, I know the lot is narrow, but I'm going to think about how long the building should be. I'm sold on your argument for 132, if that makes sense."

"The materials are appealing...I agree 110 may be too dense for the waterfront," said board member Goddard. Goddard encouraged them to show 132 Cherry to Council, but "I'm not sure you're going to be able to sell them on the other one."

"This is a very nice site plan and I'm not sure what (the Council) are trying to achieve," said Glass. "I think we try to regulate these things to death and that's where you get into trouble. One thing I wouldn't do, I don't like parking facing the waterway, and we should stay away from that at all costs."

Visum CEO Todd Fox noted that INHS's Breckenridge Place is 160 feet long. At Cornish's query, the project team said 110 Cherry is 240-250 feet. "I think there are ways we can improve on the facade materials and make it feel like the building is broken up, visual pass-throughs...with designs and with working with the Planning Board, we can achieve the goals the city is looking for, but once you change the zoning it's not a feasible building. We got an email from (city Sustainability Coordinator) Nick Goldsmith, who noted that by cutting up these buildings, they use significantly more energy and go against the Green New Deal."

"If you have a (physical) pass-through with a minimum of 24 feet from the ground plane to the top, you can go beyond 100 feet. Is that possible here?" Asked Cornish.

"Not here, because you'd only have the top floor left, so you'd have to add additional stair towers and you start losing efficiency," said Fox.

"Is there going to be affordable housing?" asked Glass.

"It won't be affordable, but it'll be about 20% below City Centre. That's about what we could do to stay viable," said Fox.

"This is a contextual and appropriate project to me," said Jones-Rounds. "I was on the committee to determine the new waterfront zoning, we spent years developing that and we have not had it in effect as long as we spent developing that. Changing that before we've had a chance to work with it would be doing a disservice. We would be willing to go to bat for you. We'll keep our fingers crossed for you."

On the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) side, where the board makes recommendations to the BZA on projects seeking zoning variances from city code, the board reviewed two submissions, and was strongly prodded by the state of New York court system to sign off on a third.

Neither of the zoning area variances sought this month were controversial. Landlord Christopher Anagnost wants to enlarge a bedroom at 129 Blair Street. It wouldn't change occupancy, but because the century-old house doesn't conform to the city's parking rules or side yard rules, anything that results in an exterior change must be reviewed.

The other variance is for City Harbor. During review, the board realized the upper-level stepback for City Harbor's 4-5 story buildings wasn't changing the aesthetic effect because the mouth of the inlet is so wide, it doesn't really open up already-wide views in that area. With the project already set back from the water, after weighing design concepts, they told the developer they were welcome to pursue a variance from the stepback rule.

As for the last one, involving the courts...if you're a South Hill homeowner, you probably won't like this. Back in 2018, the BZA denied a side yard variance for a subdivision and new duplex at 209 Hudson Street, at left in the image above. The Planning Board was non-committal in its recommendation, because the underlying premise was legally questionable. You see, the side yard deficiency already existed. The existing century-old home on the double-lot created it. The subdivision was on its other side and legally conforming. The variance wouldn't be caused by the proposed new build, but was used against it because South Hill homeowners opposed the new rental duplex for being a rental. In other words, using non-zoning discussion (who would live there) in discussion of a zoning variance.

That can be a big no-no, because legally it can be seen as "arbitrary and capricious". The developer of the duplex, the Stavropoulos family on West Hill, sued under NYS law code Article 78. Article 78 means a local government acted unfairly and improperly in its deliberation, and its primary use is to prevent discrimination. The NYS Supreme Court decided in March 2019 that the city of Ithaca and the BZA had misused zoning law and discriminated against the Stavropoulos family. The city appealed the decision to the NYS Court of Appeals, and lost the appeal last month. Two years and tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs later, the state says the city of Ithaca and its BZA must grant the variance to allow the new lot and duplex.

129 Blair Street and City Harbor both received strong recommendations in favor. 209 Hudson Street was on the agenda but did not come up, because the Planning Board doesn't need to weigh in where the courts already have.

The board turned to its last item, its recommendation regarding the revised waterfront zoning. Petrina asked what the impetus was, to which Cornish said it was the Maguire proposal from a few years ago, and to some extent Arthaus. "(1st Ward Representative) George McGonigal is pretty adamant about not seeing these new buildings, he doesn't like density," said Cornish. "But Council is split, many members are in favor of this to kind of development. Other upstate cities would be chomping at the bit to have this and I get what you mean when you say we over-regulate."

"I'm in agreement with everyone else," said Blalock. "These are great projects. This zoning change will make them non-existent. I don't really understand the objections to these proposed buildings. There's not a lot of space left in Downtown, this and maybe Chain Works are maybe the only major pieces of developable real estate left....can't we look at these and find ways to choose designs that achieve the goals of the waterfront plan instead of relying on these measures of distance? I'm just bothered as a person who believes in property rights, that a developer goes out, develops a high-quality plan, and then right before they're about to cross the starting line, the city says they're throwing out all the old rules and putting new ones in. It's troubling to me."

"I think it's disingenuous to change the rules on them," said Glass. "Zoning has real impact. The conversation is theoretical, but the actions are site-specific. Sometimes you have to trust good consultants, and this is a good project." Goddard agreed.

"I'm concerned by the inconsistencies," Jones-Rounds said. "The stepback requirement is there for a reason. The break between buildings is there for a reason. It feels like we're doing tit-for-tat. I'm fine with adding the rowhouse definition...but I don't think you can change zoning if you haven't seen clear proof it's not working yet, and it was only just adopted after being discussed at length. Even with members like George McGonigal on the committee. He didn't agree with everything, but council wanting to change it after only a few years really doesn't show good planning, and with all due respect to council, this board has expertise in planning."

City Planner Lisa Nicholas offered to draft up a letter summarizing the board's concerns, to which they agreed to do with haste in order to have it ready in time for the June 3rd Common Council meeting. "We haven't seen enough development built in the new waterfront zoning yet to see if it is working," summarized Jones-Rounds.

Quick endnote, if you made it this far - according to Planning Director Cornish, the massive, long-awaited Collegetown project is set to submit development paperwork late next month.

Continue reading here:
Planning Board Recap: Board expresses frustration with waterfront rezoning plans - The Ithaca Voice

1.AIA honors exceptional designs with its COTE Top Ten Awards (AIA)"COTE bestows the award annually on 10 design projects that have expertly integrated design excellence with cutting-edge performance in ten key areas. The COTE Top Ten winning projects illustrate the solutions architects provide for the health and welfare of our communities and planet."

2.Visionary footbridge/elevated park concept wins AISCs Forge Prize (AISC)"The Footbridge concept, intended for a site in Manhattan that connects to the existing High Line, marries the raw look of weathering steel with the shine of hammered stainless steel planters that hold trees and other vegetation. Stormwater runoff would drip into bespoke weathering steel bollards on the plaza below, creating an immersive visual and auditory effect in inclement weather."

3.OSHA Reverses Course and Now Requires Employers to Track COVID-19 Cases (NAHB)"The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration this week announced a significant reversal of previous policy on an employers obligation to record work-related cases of COVID-19 on OSHA injury and illness logs. The new requirements go into effect Tuesday, May 26."

4.Architectural Reuse Council will step up efforts to reuse construction waste (BD+C)"The San Diego-based group aims to foster more salvage and reuse of material through education and outreach. The group is composed of reuse experts that regularly repurpose cabinets, appliances, lighting, lumber, and other materials taken from construction sites."

5.Only 12% of U.S. workers want to work from home full-time. Most want to return to the workplace, but with critical changes (Gensler)"The lessons learned from the experience of working from home during COVID-19 offer anunprecedented opportunity to rethink the future of the physical workplace. Only one in ten U.S. office workers had worked from home regularly before this experience, and less than a third had the choice to work from home. While many of the effects of COVID-19 on the workplace are still unfolding, some points are emerging clearly from our data:1) Most workers want to come back to the office.2) Workers expect crucial changes to the workplace before theyre comfortable returning."

6.For colleges and students, COVID presents a game of chicken (Bloomberg via Crain's Chicago Business)"Institutions want students to sign up and pay tuition deposits. Students wonder if it's worth shelling out tens of thousands for what could be a largely online experience. Who will swerve?"

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6 must reads for the AEC industry today: May 27, 2020 - Building Design + Construction

Regeneron, a biopharma giant that employs 1,000 people in Limerick, is to create 60 more jobs.

The company, which has an industrial operations and product supply facility at the Raheen Industrial Estate, is working on a Covid-19 antibody cocktail known as Regn-Cov2. Clinical trials are due to commence next month.

Regeneron acquired the former Dell computer facility in Limerick and secured planning approval in April 2014 for its first facility outside of the United States. Over the last six years, the company has invested more than $1 billion to build what is believed to be the largest biologics manufacturing facility in the Republic.

The company said it continues to expand locally with construction ongoing for a new laboratory and office building.

It feels surreal to now have over 1,000 of the most talented people in the industry working at our Raheen site. At the time we decided to set up shop in Limerick, I didnt fully appreciate the depth of the Irish talent pool or how welcoming the community would be, said Daniel van Plew, executive vice-president and general manager. It is a privilege to continue to work and grow in Limerick, and to be surrounded by so many hardworking and innovative people.

Regeneron, which employs more than 8,000 people in total, reported revenues of $7.86 billion last year. The last publicly available accounts for its Irish unit show it reported pretax profits of $386.47 million on revenues of $1.87 billion in 2018.

Excerpt from:
Regeneron to create 60 new jobs in Limerick - The Irish Times

Erin Eagles says she doesn't miss the drive to her Saint John office and sees no rush to give up working from home.

After weeks of practice, she has figured out the best place to video conference with clients is a tidy corner of the basement playroom.

There, the lighting is fine and her family won't come looking for a snack.

However, she says, her eight-year-old can be a distraction.

"There's a constant little pull," said Eagles, a financial adviser with Sun Life.

"Mostly from my daughter because if she knows I'm here, she wants my attention."

People who make a living off commercial real estate, and those who study that market,are waiting to see what workers like Eagles will choose to do next.

She's one of thousands of New Brunswickers who have learned to work from home because of COVID-19.

She's had enough time to master the transition. She's seen the good and the bad.

Some predict the good will win out and that many will decide to abandon their commute at the expense of New Brunswick's downtowns.

Business development analyst Ben Champoux saidyou'll see a change in Moncton.

Normally, he said, some 20,000 people from nearby communities such as Riverview, Dieppe, Shediac and Bouctouche, drive into the city for their jobs.

Those 20,000 workers are the reason why the downtown bars and restaurants thrive.

But in the past two or three months, Champoux said, most of those people have had to stay home and some, who managed to work there, have discovered they like it.

"This is very anecdotal, but I talk to friends on a regular basis and they're all telling me that they're as efficient as they used to be.

"Frankly, they're even more productive because they don't have to spend so much time in a car every morning and night. They don't have to take an hour to find a restaurant and eat. They can eat very quickly at home.

"And now they're seriously wondering, 'Do I really need to be physically back downtown and driving half an hour in the morning and half an hour at night, or could I spend it with my spouse and my kids?'"

Champoux saidit's not a question of whether people will choose to stay home, but a question of how many.

Across the province, some big employers said they're taking a slow and cautious approach getting people back to work.

Assumption Life said 98 per cent of its downtown Moncton workforce was able to do their jobs from home by the end of the week of March 16.

The company said it was a seamless transition that took less than 48 hours to execute.

"This current situation is showing us that working from home could be an option, depending on the role and responsibilities of each employee," wrote Thomas Raffy, director of communications.

Raffy said the company is working with the building's management company to come up with a multi-stage plan to get workers back into the tower.

That plan, he said, will also consider the daily feedback from employees on "how they're doing at home, how they're balancing their work and their personal lives, and how they perceive their return to work."

J.D. Irving Ltd. said thatacross its operations in Canada and the U.S., it had 2,800 employees working from home while its mills and offices were being reconfigured to reduce the risk of COVID-19.

Those preparations included the production of some 30,000 signs to guide people on where to sit and stand to maintain physical distance.

The company said nearly 3,000 face masks were provided to workers in the mills.

Bathrooms had to be changed and workstations have all been equipped with disinfectant wipes and sanitizer.

"The whole time, on the forest products side, from Lake Utopia to Irving Tissue in Moncton, not a single case of COVID, not a single layoff," said Mary Keith, vice-president of communications.

Now the company has mapped out its plan to bring them back.

"It's almost harder than sending them home," Keith said.

At 300 Union St., workers have started to reoccupy the 12-storey building, one floor at a time.

Much like Moncton, Saint John has been missing its commuters as many as 16,000 per day.

Full occupancy of the JDI headquarters puts 800 people in the city centre.

Jeff Yerxa has 90,000 square feet of office space soon to open in Fredericton's downtown and he said he's not worried he'll find takers for the third of the building that isn't yet leased.

He's the president and CEO Of Ross Ventures and once pitched his proposal for 140 Carleton as "Fredericton's sexiest building."

"It looks largely finished on the outside but the inside is still under a fair amount of construction," said Yerxa, who declined to say who is moving in.

"We don't anticipate the first tenants taking occupancy there until late summer, possibly early fall."

Yerxa said he's watching the impactof COVID-19 on workers, and he thinks their reaction to working from home is mixed.

"There's people who went home to work and loved working from home and there's people who went home to work and hated working from home.

"Then there's the other side of the equation, which is the employers. So there's employers who sent their staff home and found some of them very productive, possibly more productive working from home. And of course, the opposite is true, too.

"I don't think the need for office space is going to disappear."

Alexandra Allen thinks demand won't disappear, but she wouldn't be surprised to see it quickly soften.

As senior manager of the economic intelligence unit for Turner, Drake and Partners, she leads the team that runs the company's semi-annual survey on more than 38 million square feet of office and industrial space across Atlantic Canada.

She saidrecession drives change. Employers go looking for savings by reducing their footprints.

In the 90s, she says private offices were swapped out for cubicles.

Then the 2008 downturn drove the trend toward open and collaborative spaces, also known as "bullpens."

Allen said the post COVID recession will give some employers no choice. They'll have to keep their workers at home so they can save on rent.

"It will be a survival mechanism," she said.

She said tenants can't rush for the exits because they often sign multi-year leases.

However, early indicators of a weaker market would show up as added incentives offered by the landlords, such as cash inducements to get tenants to move in, Allen said.

"Then as vacancy creeps up, the next thing is that rental rates will have downward pressure on them. First, you'll see stagnation, then actual downward shifts."

Allen said she'll be looking for early downturn indicators in the next survey results due out in July.

Continued here:
Back to the office: Now, later ... never - CBC.ca

Post Covid-19 the per capita office space allocations is likely to increase despite a segment of employees are to work from home.

In office real estate, social distancing norms may increase the per capita office space allocations. During the last decade, per capita office space allocation reduced from 100-125 sq ft to 75-100 sq ft in the pre-Covid-19 period of January 2020, revealed Anarock in its report India Real Estate: A Different World Post Covid-19.

The report added, Safety and hygiene will become the top priority, even as contactless operations and automation will increase. Decentralisation of operations to ensure business continuity will be a trend reversal from prominent consolidations over the past few years.

Flexible workspaces is expected to re-evaluate its models. IT and BPM will continue demand levels. Despite the lockdown and subsequent easing of restrictions, IT-BPM sector is anticipated to continue driving demand for office space, said consulting firm KPMG in its report called Covid-19: React, adapt and recover The new reality: A perspective on the Indian real estate sector.

The report stated: Despite steady leasing in flexible workspaces across major Indian cities the segment will face major headwinds over the next 9-12 months period.

Post lockdown the sector should resume operations by leveraging technology innovations for enabling employee and consumer health safety standards, design flexibility (Work from Home), cost optimisation and consumer engagement (such as AI, VR, BIM, etc), focussed localisation of supply chains, re-organisation of business models, which is likely to revive activity, accelerating Indian real estates turnaround over the coming 1218 months, said Chintan Patel, Partner and Leader Building, Construction and Real Estate, KPMG.

On the retail reality front, Anarocks report said, In retail, online businesses will gain momentum - e-commerce giants have already added over 5,000 people to their delivery fleet during the lockdown period. Their consumer base expanded to senior citizens who have embraced technology in the Covid-19 era.

Mall revival will come with caveats. With hygiene and sanitation taking centre stage, malls which can offer these will benefit most in times to come, it added.

Retail real estate recovery expected despite uphill challenges, said KPMG, and added: Indias consumption expenditure stood at $1.92 trillion in 2018 growing at a CAGR of 7 per cent for the last nine years. Post lockdown, consumer discretionary spending is likely to remain subdued. In medium-term potential impact partial lockdown leasing: 50-60 per cent contraction in mall footfalls expected from pre-Covid-19 levels coupled with a significant down-tick in overall trading density.

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Post pandemic: Per capita office space allocations may increase to adhere with social distancing norms - BusinessLine

1.Apple is building a 192-room hotel on its billion-dollar Austin Campus (BD+C)"The hotel will give Apple more control over all aspects of where visitors to the Austin campus will stay."

2.Is CLT really a green solution? (BD+C)"CLT is intended to replace concrete and steel whose production accounts for about 13% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Wood in CLT panels pulled CO2 from the atmosphere, and that carbon should remain locked up as long as the building stands."

3.Will Remote Working Spell the Demise of the Office Sector? (National Real Estate Investor)"While some tech and banking firms are considering major shifts to permanent work-from-home policies, offices will still be around."

4.Biggest U.S. Mall Is Two Months Delinquent on $1.4 Billion Loan (Bloomberg, National Real Estate Investor)"The Mall of America missed two months of payments on a $1.4 billion CMBS loan."

5.Mechanics liens up 40% as COVID-19 pandemic disrupts industry (Construction Dive)"U.S. mechanics lien filings have risen significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all but the most essential projects in many states, according to notice and lien service provider Levelset. The number of liens filed through March 2020 jumped 40% since January."

6.ULI Forecasts Strong CRE Growth to Return in 2022 (Commercial Property Executive)"Despite numerous uncertainties, economic and real estate recovery should begin in the second half of 2020, followed by stronger growth in 2021 and significant growth in 2022, according to the Urban Land Institutes semi-annual Real Estate Economic Forecast.The three-year 'consensus'forecast measures 27 economic and real estate factors and represents the average of forecasts from 39 economists/analysts at 35 real estate organizations. The 17th semi-annual forecast was based on responses collected from May 1 to May 18."

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6 must reads for the AEC industry today: May 26, 2020 - Building Design + Construction

Trusted Business Insights answers what are the scenarios for growth and recovery and whether there will be any lasting structural impact from the unfolding crisis for the India Wood And Laminate Flooring market.

Trusted Business Insights presents an updated and Latest Study on India Wood And Laminate Flooring Market 2019-2026. The report contains market predictions related to market size, revenue, production, CAGR, Consumption, gross margin, price, and other substantial factors. While emphasizing the key driving and restraining forces for this market, the report also offers a complete study of the future trends and developments of the market.The report further elaborates on the micro and macroeconomic aspects including the socio-political landscape that is anticipated to shape the demand of the India Wood And Laminate Flooring market during the forecast period (2019-2029).It also examines the role of the leading market players involved in the industry including their corporate overview, financial summary, and SWOT analysis.

Get Sample Copy of this Report @ India Wood And Laminate Flooring Market Size, Market Research and Industry Forecast Report, 2027 (Includes Business Impact of COVID-19)

Industry Insights, Market Size, CAGR, High-Level Analysis: India Wood And Laminate Flooring Market

The India wood and laminate flooring market size was estimated at USD 2.80 billion in 2019 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.4% in terms of revenue, from 2020 to 2027. The introduction of engineered wood and laminates floors emerging as cost-effective alternatives to hardwood flooring is anticipated to fuel the growth. Superior durability and ease of maintenance are the key factors expected to propel the adoption of wood and laminate floorings in the country. Advancements in designing and printing technologies have facilitated the enhancements in aesthetic and textures of the products, creating growth opportunities for the market.Ease of installation and requirement of less-skilled labor of wood and laminate flooring as compared to conventional flooring materials such as ceramic tiles and stone tiles is expected to positively influence the growth. Moreover, it is also emerging as one of the most preferred DIY flooring materials in the country.

Natural timber species, such as teak, maple, oak, rosewood, walnut, and bamboo are use for producing wood and laminate flooring, thereby offering a high degree of versatility. These floorings are stain-resistant and require less amount of routine maintenance, thereby increasing the utility in commercial applications, especially in the hospitality sector.Factors, such as rising population and rapid growth of urbanization have propelled construction activities for corporate offices, retail spaces, educational facilities, government buildings, hotels, lodging spaces, medical and healthcare units, industrial spaces, and commercial utilities. This, in turn, is expected to positively influence the demand for wood and laminate and flooring.High penetration of ceramic tiles in the Indian market is expected to emerge as one of the major challenges to the demand for wood and laminates flooring. In addition, presence of tropical temperatures in the larger part of the country is expected to restrict the product penetration.

Product Insights of India Wood And Laminate Flooring Market

Wood flooring segment is expected to attain a higher share as compared to laminate floorings and is likely to expand at a CAGR of 6.6% in terms of revenue, over the forecast period. Products such as engineered, deck, and solid wood floorings are increasingly used in residential and commercial structures to enhance the aesthetics.Premium feel and aesthetics offered by the product are the major factors driving the demand. Engineering hardwood floorings are rapidly gaining popularity owing to ease of design customization, and low price as compared to solid wood floorings, thereby positively influencing the overall grwoth of the India wood and laminate flooring market.Laminate floorings segment is expected to witness a revenue-based CAGR of 5.4% over the forecast period, as the product is emerging as one of the low-cost alternatives to wood without compromising the aesthetics. In addition, recent advancements in printing technologies have facilitated the manufacturers to expand their design catalog thereby offering more design options to the customers.

Application Insights of India Wood And Laminate Flooring Market

In 2019, residential application accounted for the largest market share in 2019 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4.3% over the forecast period. The evolving concept of home decor in the country, backed by the rising discretionary income is positively influencing the overall market growth. India is also witnessing a notable rise in the construction of multi-family residential homes, such as residential buildings clusters and residential complexes, which in turn is expected to positively influence the demand for wood and laminate floorings. In addition, rising demand for a premium apartment in metropolitan areas is expected to drive the growth.

The commercial application segment is anticipated to register a notable CAGR of 6.3% over the forecast period, especially in the hospitality sector. Increasing construction activities of luxurious hotels in the country by multinational hotel chains is expected to positively influence the product demand. In recent years, the wood and laminate floorings have witnessed a surge in office building structures to provide versatility in convenient fittings for working environments. In addition, laminates offer natural graphics and custom designs produced to match the interior designs of the offices buildings.India Wood & Laminate Flooring Market Share InsightsVendors have been relying on partnerships with local distributors to expand their distribution capacities and to gain logistics support. Multinational companies from U.S. and Europe are enterning into partnerships with the local floor covering manufacturers and distributors to get a hold in the potential Indian market. Key participants with significant market share include Accord Floors, Armstrong World Industries, Avant, BVG, EGO Flooring, Eurotex, Greenlam Industries, Notion, Parkay Floors, Pergo, Quick-Step, Red Floor India, Surfaces India, Westwood, and WoodFloorsIndia.

Segmentations, Sub Segmentations, CAGR, & High-Level Analysis overview of India Wood And Laminate Flooring Market Research ReportThis report forecasts revenue growth at country level and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2019 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, this market research report has segmented the India wood and laminate flooring market report on the basis of product, and application:

Product Outlook (Volume, Million Sq. Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2019 2030)

Wood Flooring

Laminate Flooring

Application Outlook (Volume, Million Sq. Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2019 2030)

Residential

Commercial

Industrial

Quick Read Table of Contents of this Report @ India Wood And Laminate Flooring Market Size, Market Research and Industry Forecast Report, 2027 (Includes Business Impact of COVID-19)

Trusted Business InsightsShelly ArnoldMedia & Marketing ExecutiveEmail Me For Any ClarificationsConnect on LinkedInClick to follow Trusted Business Insights LinkedIn for Market Data and Updates.US: +1 646 568 9797UK: +44 330 808 0580

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India Wood And Laminate Flooring Market Break Down By Leading Companies, Countries, Applications, Challenges, Opportunities And Forecast 2020-2026 -...