By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

A development company is seeking city approval to build a 108-unit apartment building in Allston along the same block of Brainerd Road where the company opened a 100-unit apartment building in the summer and recently began construction on another 79-unit complex.

About half of the units would be studios and the rest would be one-bedroom apartments, said company founder and chairman Bruce Percelay. He said there would also be a roof-top fitness center that connects to an outdoor roof patio, "so you can work out and then chill out."

The building would span two parcels at 75 Brainerd Road and 10 Redford St., which together comprise just over a half acre. The properties have housed a single-story warehouse building, which was recently razed, and an auto repair shop, which will soon be torn down.

State records show the developer bought the Brainerd Road property for $2.5 million in July. Percelay declined to say how much the company will spend to buy the Redford Street property or how much the project would cost.

He noted that the final plans for the project are subject to approval, and thus there is potential for change.

"This plan is our intention, but we're still awaiting city and neighborhood approval," Percelay said.

The proposed building would join a two-block area that the prominent Back Bay-based real estate company recently dubbed the Green District.

The company has taken an environmentally-friendly focus at several apartment buildings it owns and leases there, including at two new developments one of which achieved LEED Silver status and the other LEED Gold.

Percelay said the proposed project at 75 Brainerd Road hopes to achieve the highest energy efficient rating of LEED Platinum.

The rest is here:
Building with 108 apartments eyed for growing 'Green District' near Allston, Brookline border

KAPAHULU, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

When it's dry and sunny, residents along Palani Avenue go about their daily lives. But when it rains and pours, there's a flooding issue here, especially for the residents of one apartment building off Date Street.

The parking garage at 707 Palani Avenue is below ground. And when heavy rain causes water to rush down the street, a lot of that water ends up in the garage, just like it did in 2012, submerging cars and the stairways to individual units.

Lance Katahara and other residents have complained to the city about the problem for years. But they've been even more nervous this year, since the city is in a $1.4 million project to try to fix the problem.

"We want this done as much as they do. We know they've been waiting a long time," said City Council member Ann Kobayashi. "And I really apologize for all the delays and the concerns, all the problems they've had to deal with."

In the meantime, the storm drains just in front of the building are covered to mitigate construction debris from the project to replace the storm drains, which means residents still have their contingency plans. Katahara brought several sand bags, which are placed on rolling pallets in the garage.

"We had sandbags before, but carrying 50-pound bags up, one at a time up that ramp, is not fun," he said.

Residents of other buildings say the flooding has plagued the whole neighborhood along the street, which runs between Kapahulu Avenue and Date Street.

Arnold Tang showed us how high the water gets in the garage of his apartment building, farther up the block toward Kapahulu.

"You see the mark? There's yellow, right here," Tang said, pointing to a mark along the garage wall. "Eight inches high."

Visit link:
Kapahulu area residents hope long-delayed project will fix flooding

In the latest addition to a relentless Downtown housing boom, developer Les Orosz is proposing a roughly $21 million, 12-story apartment building southeast of Capitol Square.

Orosz is seeking to demolish buildings at 425, 431 and 435 W. Johnson St. for the project, which will offer 148 apartments with four levels of underground parking. The development team is also exploring the possibility of mechanical valet parking, in which cars would be mechanically taken to storage spaces in a garage that would require less room than a standard garage.

The developer has been trying to assemble the site for more than a decade and is moving ahead now due to demand and low interests rates and construction costs, said architect John Sutton, who is working with architect Doug Kozel on the project.

The site is especially attractive because the new zoning code permits 12 stories there, Sutton said. That places a real value on the land, he said. Not all locations can go that tall.

The building, which would have a glass, metal and masonry exterior, fits the new Downtown Plan and Zoning Code, Sutton said.

The project, which would be geared to young professionals, would have a mix of one- and two-bedroom units with wood floors, high ceilings and decks, Sutton said.

The properties to be demolished include a two-story brick commercial building and two three-story wood frame structures used for student housing. The existing structures have no historic value, Sutton said.

Davy Mayer, president of Capitol Neighborhoods, Inc., said he has not seen detailed plans but isnt surprised to see another big housing project proposed.

The Downtown is a good place to live, he said. We want people to come here to live. When projects are within zoning, we welcome that.

Of the demolitions and the loss of lower-cost housing, Mayer said, Its always hard to lose this housing, even if its not historically significant. But more housing can ease the citys low apartment vacancy rate, he said.

See the original post:
Developer proposing another big Downtown housing project

Given the potential market for affordable apartments, particularly in urban locations, developers increasingly are interested in building micro-unit projects.

Near the Districts Logan Circle, developer Brook Rose is planning an eight-story apartment building containing 38 units, of which 32 are micro-units ranging in size from 280 to 350 square feet. Rising behind three existing rowhouses on Church Street NW, the project might not include parking if the Board of Zoning Adjustment approves in which case any tenant with a car will not receive a street parking permit.

(Roger K. Lewis for The Washington Post)

A look at some of our favorite images of the week.

The former Latham Hotel at 30th and M Streets in Georgetown might be transformed into a mixed-use building containing more than 100 micro-units. And the JBG Companies, according to a company source, is exploring several future projects in which micro-units would be included.

You might be thinking that micro-unit is just another term for efficiency apartment. Why this new, trendy terminology?

A micro-unit is, in fact, a very small apartment, typically smaller in floor area than a one-bedroom apartment and smaller than many efficiency and studio apartments. A micro-unit can be comparable in size to a hotel room.

One-bedroom apartments rarely are smaller than 500 square feet, while efficiency apartments usually range in size from 350 to 450 square feet. Micro-units commonly encompass 250 to 350 square feet. Its worth noting that under District regulations, the floor area of a dwelling in a multi-unit building generally must be at least 220 square feet.

Clearly, compactness characterizes the micro-unit trend. But other attributes differentiate micro-unit development from conventional apartment development.

As a Google-based mosaic of images shows, micro-unit interiors can be more inventively configured and elaborately designed than many efficiency apartments. Intended to accommodate one and perhaps two individuals, micro-units often include built-in furniture and storage systems, plus a complete bathroom and efficiently configured kitchen. With greater-than-average ceiling height, a micro-unit can feel relatively spacious and offer a sleeping loft floating above a small portion of the space.

Excerpt from:
More developers want your next home to be a micro-unit

EDMONTON - Apartment buildings are sprouting up across Edmonton at a rate not seen in recent memory.

There are 46 apartment developments under construction in the region, according to commercial real estate firm CBRE. Those projects will add about 5,000 new rental units to the market.

An average year prior to the building boom would have been 1,000, said Bradyn Arth, an associate with CBREs national apartment group Edmonton office.

The last time Edmonton saw similar volumes of apartment construction was in the late 1970s and early 1980s, according to Bradley Gingerich, senior vice-president of CBREs Edmonton group.

The biggest story is new construction, said Gingerich. Its really unprecedented.

Sales of apartment buildings are also high as investors look to capitalize on the regions razor-thin vacancy rate and population growth.

We just see tremendous activity in the market on resale as well as new development, Arth said.

Sales volume involving existing apartment buildings totalled more than $301.5 million in 2013, up 35 per cent year-over-year. There were 51 buildings which changed hands, involving more than 2,200 suites.

Landlords are responding to Edmontons tight vacancy rate and rapidly growing population. The number of people moving to Alberta for work has pushed down the vacancy rate to 1.2 per cent in Edmonton during the last three months of 2013, according to CBREs fourth-quarter market report. Thats even lower than the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.s fall rental market vacancy rate of 1.4 per cent. A year earlier, it was 1.7 per cent.

Net migration into Alberta reached 86,939 in 2012 and is projected at 95,600 in 2013 and 68,100 in 2014, says the CMHC.

See original here:
Apartment building boom in Edmonton area will add 5,000 rental units

Green Bay -

Green Bay fire crews are investigating what caused a fire in an underground parking garage at an apartment building on Green Bay's east side.

The fire broke out about 8 a.m. Thursday at the Nicolet Apartments in the 200 block of Huth Street.

Heavy black smoke could be seen pouring from the building, and evacuated residents looked on with worry as crews worked to control the fire.

"Terrifying, I guess because all of my stuff is in there. My car is down there where all the smoke is coming from," said resident Amanda Delveaux.

Delveaux says she got out before crews arrived.

"The fire alarm was going off, so I looked outside to see if there was smoke or anything. I didn't see anything, but started to pack a bag and grab my cat. So then my apartment started to fill with smoke and I got out right away," she said.

No one was hurt. Officials say they were able to contain the fire to the parking structure, and flames did not spread to the apartments above. Investigators believe the construction of the building helped prevent the situation from becoming something much worse.

"The structure had concrete, a concrete ceiling, and all the little holes that would poke through during construction were properly sealed up. That's why it wasn't able to spread," said Lt. Nick Craig, Green Bay Metro Fire Department. "A lot different than an older building that doesn't have the fire precautions built into it."

The American Red Cross said displaced residents were evacuated to Green Bay Preble where volunteers assessed their needs. The Green Bay Metro Fire Department says residents may be able to return to their apartments sometime Thursday. An engineer will check electrical wiring to make sure it's safe.

Link:
Green Bay Apartment Fire Contained to Parking Garage

A Post Falls man died Tuesday when he fell while measuring for rain gutters on the roof of an apartment building that was under construction. Larry G. Jones, 67, was working in Coeur dAlene as a sub-contractor for Copper Basin Construction. Coeur dAlene police officers responded at 3:30 p.m. to the trauma call at North Grand Mill Lane and Seltice Way, a police department news release said. Witnesses who saw Jones fall said he was not wearing a safety harness, the release said. Jones died at the scene. This appears to be a tragic accident, said

You have viewed 20 free articles or blogs allowed within a 30-day period. FREE registration is now required for uninterrupted access.

S-R Media, The Spokesman-Review and Spokesman.com are happy to assist you. Contact Customer Service by email or call 800-338-8801

A Post Falls man died Tuesday when he fell while measuring for rain gutters on the roof of an apartment building that was under construction.

Larry G. Jones, 67, was working in Coeur dAlene as a sub-contractor for Copper Basin Construction.

Coeur dAlene police officers responded at 3:30 p.m. to the trauma call at North Grand Mill Lane and Seltice Way, a police department news release said.

Witnesses who saw Jones fall said he was not wearing a safety harness, the release said. Jones died at the scene.

This appears to be a tragic accident, said Coeur dAlene Police Chief Ron Clark. We extended our deepest sympathy to the family of LarryJones.

Read more here:
Police identify worker who died at CdA construction site - Wed, 15 Jan 2014 PST

Published: Tuesday, 1/14/2014

BLADE STAFF

Toledo City Council today approved a zoning change to clear the way for a new apartment building to house college students on West Bancroft Street near the University of Toledo

Council voted 9-2 in favor of the change for 2565 to 2661 Bancroft. Councilmen Tyrone Riley and Jack Ford voted against. Councilman Matt Cherry was not present for the meeting.

Developers plan to demolish a former night club, coffee shop, and other buildings on Bancroft near campus for the $27 million construction project to put up a 143-unit building designed to appeal to college students.

The developer needed a special-use permit and zoning of mixed commercial-residential on the 6-acres at the southeast corner of Bancroft and Westwood Avenue. The plans won approval from the city plan commission and from councils own zoning and planning committee, where it was the subject of about 90 minutes of discussion.

Mr. Riley said complaints from some neighbors in the adjacent Bancroft Hills subdivision gave him reservations about the project.

The builder, Guy Totino, of Cleveland, refused to answer questions about the project.

Read more from the original source:
Council approves zoning change near UT

Construction worker Hector Prieto insulates the sliding glass door Friday, Jan. 10, 2014, in an apartment on the fifth floor of The Gallery Flats building in downtown Loveland. Crews are set to finish construction at the end of May on the 66-unit complex. ( Jenny Sparks )

Loveland's latest offering in loft living -- The Gallery Flats apartment building -- will open its doors to its first residents in less than five months.

The five-story project under construction at the southwest corner of Sixth Street and Lincoln Avenue is scheduled for completion May 30.

"We're really excited about it and really proud of it," said Kevin Brinkman, president of Fort Collins-based Brinkman Partners, which is building and will manage the apartments.

"We think it's going to be a great addition to downtown Loveland," he said.

The building will contain 66 upscale apartments -- four two-bedroom live-work units on the ground floor along Lincoln, four studio apartments, 27 one-bedroom units, 27 two-bedroom units and four three-bedroom units.

This architectural rendering of The Gallery Flats building under construction in downtown Loveland depicts the view from Sixth Street and Lincoln Avenue, looking southwest. The building is scheduled for completion May 30, 2014. (Illustration courtesy of Oz Architecture) ( Special to the Reporter-Herald )

Brinkman said rents will be in the range of $850 a month for a studio, $875 for one bedroom, $1,150 for two bedrooms and $1,500 for three bedrooms. The live-work units will cost $1,100, he said.

Luxury Amenities

He said the units will fit the description of "luxury" apartments. As construction progressed, the company made decisions to upgrade the cabinetry, carpets and countertops, he said.

See the original post:
June opening set for Gallery Flats in downtown Loveland

The 23-unit Gillham Park Row development is planned for a site across from Hyde Park once occupied by the Outrigger apartments, a bland building dating from the 1960s that was demolished in 2011. Hoffman said the project would be the first new development in the Old Hyde Park neighborhood in 30 years.

The major thrust is to give renters and alternative that doesnt exist, a smaller building with modern, clean, loftlike space, Hoffman said.

The project is close to Armour, where about two dozen historic apartment-hotel buildings have been converted to market-rate apartments. Because of preservation standards, those buildings do not have the balconies and other amenities that a new-built structure allows.

Hoffman, who is developing the project with Lance Carlton, hired Draw Architecture + Urban Design of Kansas City to design a three-story building that was intended to complement the nearby historic apartments and homes, and offers views of the park. Many units also would have balconies or patios.

The redevelopment plan also calls for restoring an adjoining home at 3614 Gillham Road that dates to 1897.

Although Hoffman has the support of several neighboring property owners, the Gillham Park Row design is opposed by the board of the Old Hyde Park Historic District.

Martin Phillips, president of the district, said his board wanted the new building to more closely resemble its early 20th-century neighboring structures.

Its a nice design for maybe the suburbs, he said, but we wanted them to use more design features of the early 1900s. We feel in a historic neighborhood, we need to keep that look and feel.

Hoffman said his architect responded to requests from the neighborhood to incorporate more brick and other modifications to respect the context of the historic area, but were not rebuilding a 1910 colonnade apartment building, referring to an old architectural style.

Im a former head of the Historic Kansas City Foundation, and I support historic preservation, Hoffman said, but were dealing with an empty lot.

Read the original:
New apartments planned for Old Hyde Park