WASHINGTON U.S. home construction rose a solid 1.9% in September after having fallen in the previous month, as home building continues as one of the bright spots of the economy.

The increase last month pushed home construction to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.42 million homes and apartments after a 6.7% drop in August, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

Applications for building permits, a good barometer of future activity, rose an even stronger 5.2% to 1.55 million units.

After a plunge in the spring due to pandemic-related lockdowns, housing has staged a solid rebound as demand for homes with more space has grown and mortgage-rates have stayed at ultra-low levels.

Construction of single-family homes in September surged by 7.8%, offsetting a 14.7% drop in the smaller apartment sector. Single-family construction is now at its highest level since 2007.

Construction was up in every region of the country except the Midwest which registered a 32.7% plunge. Construction surged 66.7% in the Northeast with smaller gains of 6.2% in the South and 1.4% in the West.

Economists believe home building will continue to thrive in the months ahead.

Strong demand, low inventory and a record level of homebuilder confidence continue to support new home construction, wrote Nancy Vanden Houten of Oxford Economics.

The National Association of Homebuilders reported Monday that its survey of builder confidence climbed to a new record high of 85 in October, up from a September reading of 83.

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US home construction up 1.9% in September to 1.4 million - The Republic

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Some heavy-dutyexcavation and foundation work is underway in Winooski, a stone's throw from two new apartment buildings on E. Allen Street/VT 15.

A link has been sent to your friend's email address.

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WINOOSKI - Most of the action is hidden and will remain out of sight to motorists for another month or so.

But some heavy-dutyexcavation and foundation work is underway in Winooski, a stone's throw from two new apartment buildings on East Allen Street/Vermont 15.

A tall crane marks the spot: Roughly halfway between Community College of Vermont and the entrance ramp to Interstate 89.

Taking shape: Foundations and walls for underground parking are under construction at East Allen and Manteau streets in Winooski on Oct. 14, 2020.(Photo: JOEL BANNER BAIRD/FREE PRESS)

The project is big. The developer says it will take about a year before the building opens to the public.

Parc Terrace will be impossible for commuters to ignore.

Subscribers can read the full story here to find out how the new structure is rising from a steep slope, what it will look like when it's finished, what it cost to build and where folks might find a new cafe/market in the neighborhood.

The Burlington Free Press is dedicated to bringing you stories that help make sense of Chittenden County's rapidly changing landscape.

Sign up today to support our coverage and to get unlimited access to more subscriber-only content.

Contact Joel Banner Baird at 802-660-1843 or joelbaird@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@VTgoingUp.

This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.

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Oct. 22, 2020, 10:49 p.m.

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What we know about the Winooski Rotary and I-89 new construction - Burlington Free Press

Dublin, Oct. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Liquid Applied Membranes Market by Type (Bituminous, Elastomeric, Cementitious), Application (Roofing, Walls, Building Structures, Roadways), End-Use Industry (Residential, Commercial, Public Infrastructure), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global liquid applied membranes (LAMs) market size is expected to grow from USD 18.5 billion in 2020 to USD 24.6 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.8% during the forecast period.

The LAMs market is driven by various factors, such as high demand from the construction, growing demand for energy-efficient buildings, and increasing water management activities in APAC. However, the availability of sheet based membranes can hinder the growth of the market for specific applications.

The elastomeric membranes segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period

The elastomeric membranes segment is the fastest-growing in the LAMs market. The LAMs market has been categorized as elastomeric membranes, bituminous membranes, and cementitious membranes. Elastomeric membranes seamless, highly weather-resistant, highly flexible, and highly elastic waterproofing membrane. They also have excellent adhesion to a substrate and good UV resistance. These membranes are used in applications, such as roofs, balconies, and terraces.

The residential construction end-use industry is expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period

Residential projects include the construction of houses, townhouses, cottages, condominiums, apartment buildings, driveways, sidewalks, wet rooms, basements, foundations, drainage systems, and others. LAMs help meet sustainability, waterproofing, ozone resistance, and thermal shock durability needs in these residential projects.

Rapidly growing population, urbanization, and improving standards of living are driving the demand for residential construction. This will boost the growth of residential construction, which, in turn, drives the LAMs market.

APAC is expected to record the highest growth rate during the forecast period

APAC is expected to have the highest growth rate during the forecast period due to the increasing developments related to the construction sector. The high growth of population in China, India, South Korea, Indonesia, and other countries provide huge opportunities for the construction sector of APAC. This will further drive the LAMs market in the region.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights4.1 Attractive Opportunities in the Liquid Applied Membranes Market4.2 Liquid Applied Membranes Market, by Type4.3 Liquid Applied Membranes Market, by End-Use Industry4.4 Liquid Applied Membranes Market, by Country4.5 APAC: Liquid Applied Membranes Market, by End-Use Industry and Country, 2019

5 Market Overview5.1 Introduction5.2 Market Dynamics5.2.1 Drivers5.2.1.1 Increasing Spending on Infrastructure Development5.2.1.2 Growing Requirement of Water Management Activities in the APAC Region5.2.2 Restraints5.2.2.1 Availability of Substitutes, Such as Sheet Membranes, for Large-Scale, Open Surfaces5.2.3 Opportunities5.2.3.1 Growing Demand for Energy-Efficient Buildings and Green Roofs5.2.4 Challenges5.2.4.1 Fluctuations in Raw Material Prices5.3 Impact of COVID-19 on the Liquid Applied Membranes Market5.3.1 COVID-195.3.2 Confirmed Cases and Deaths, by Geography5.3.3 Impact on Application and End-Use Industries5.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis5.4.1 Threat from Substitutes5.4.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers5.4.3 Threat from New Entrants5.4.4 Bargaining Power of Buyers5.4.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry5.5 Raw Material Analysis5.5.1 Bituminous Membranes5.5.2 Elastomeric Membranes5.5.2.1 Acrylic5.5.2.2 Polyurethane5.5.3 Cementitious Membranes5.6 Value Chain Analysis5.7 Adjacent/Related Markets5.7.1 Introduction5.7.2 Limitations5.7.3 Market Ecosystem and Interconnected Markets5.7.4 Roofing Market5.7.4.1 Market Definition5.7.4.2 Market Overview5.7.5 Roofing Market, by Type5.7.5.1 Materials5.7.5.1 Chemicals5.7.6 Roofing Market, by Application5.7.6.1 Residential5.7.6.2 Commercial5.7.6.3 Non-Residential5.7.6.4 Other Applications5.7.7 Roofing Market, by Region5.7.7.1 North America5.7.7.2 Europe5.7.7.3 APAC5.7.7.4 South America5.7.7.5 Middle East & Africa5.8 Macroeconomic Indicators5.8.1 Global GDP Trends and Construction Industry Statistics

6 Liquid Applied Membranes Market, by Type6.1 Introduction6.2 Elastomeric Membranes6.2.1 Elastomeric Membranes to Account for the Largest Share of the Market6.3 Bituminous Membranes6.3.1 Low Cost and Easy Availability to Boost Their Demand6.4 Cementitious Membranes6.4.1 Demand for These Membranes is Expected to Remain Stagnant Due to Their Low Quality

7 Liquid Applied Membranes Market, by Application7.1 Introduction7.2 Roofing7.2.1 Benefits Provided by Green Roofing Provide Huge Untapped Opportunities for Market Growth7.3 Walls7.3.1 Improved Energy Efficiency to Drive Growth in this Market Segment7.4 Building Structures7.4.1 Need for Below-Ground Structure Protection to Propel Market Growth7.5 Roadways7.5.1 Increasing Infrastructural Activities to Drive Market Growth7.6 Other Applications

8 Liquid Applied Membranes Market, by End-Use Industry8.1 Introduction8.2 Residential Construction8.2.1 Residential Construction Holds the Largest Market Share8.3 Commercial Construction8.3.1 Increasing Demand for Commercial Infrastructure Will Boost Market Growth8.4 Public Infrastructure8.4.1 Increasing Population, Urbanization, and Industrialization Are Driving the Growth of the Public Infrastructure Sector

9 Liquid Applied Membranes Market, by Region9.1 Introduction9.2 APAC9.3 Europe9.4 North America9.5 Middle East & Africa9.6 South America

10 Competitive Landscape10.1 Overview10.2 Market Evaluation Framework10.3 Market Share, 201910.4 Market Ranking10.4.1 Sika Ag10.4.2 Gcp Applied Technologies10.4.3 Carlisle Companies10.4.4 Soprema Group10.4.5 Mapei10.5 Key Market Developments10.5.1 Mergers & Acquisitions10.5.2 Investments & Expansions

11 Company Evaluation Matrix and Company Profiles11.1 Company Evaluation Matrix Definitions and Methodology11.1.1 Stars11.1.2 Emerging Leaders11.1.3 Pervasive11.1.4 Participants11.2 Company Evaluation Matrix, 201911.3 Company Profiles11.3.1 Sika Ag11.3.1.1 Business Overview11.3.1.2 Products Offered11.3.1.3 Recent Developments11.3.1.4 Analyst's View11.3.1.4.1 Key Strength/Right to Win11.3.1.4.2 Strategic Choices Made11.3.1.4.3 Weaknesses and Competitive Threats11.3.2 GCP Applied Technologies11.3.2.1 Business Overview11.3.2.2 Products Offered11.3.2.3 Recent Developments11.3.2.4 Analyst's View11.3.2.4.1 Key Strength/Right to Win11.3.2.4.2 Strategic Choices Made11.3.2.4.3 Weaknesses and Competitive Threats11.3.3 Carlisle Companies11.3.3.1 Business Overview11.3.3.2 Products Offered11.3.3.3 Recent Developments11.3.3.4 Analyst's View11.3.3.4.1 Key Strength/Right to Win11.3.3.4.2 Strategic Choices Made11.3.3.4.3 Weaknesses and Competitive Threats11.3.4 Soprema Group11.3.4.1 Business Overview11.3.4.2 Products Offered11.3.4.3 Recent Developments11.3.4.4 Analyst's View11.3.4.4.1 Key Strength/Right to Win11.3.4.4.2 Strategic Choices Made11.3.4.4.3 Weaknesses and Competitive Threats11.3.5 Mapei11.3.5.1 Business Overview11.3.5.2 Products Offered11.3.5.3 Analyst's View11.3.6 BASF11.3.6.1 Business Overview11.3.6.2 Products Offered11.3.6.3 Recent Developments11.3.6.4 Analyst's View11.3.7 Fosroc11.3.7.1 Business Overview11.3.7.2 Products Offered11.3.7.3 Recent Developments11.3.7.4 Analyst's View11.3.8 Johns Manville11.3.8.1 Business Overview11.3.8.2 Products Offered11.3.8.3 Analyst's View11.3.9 Renolit11.3.9.1 Business Overview11.3.9.2 Products Offered11.3.9.3 Analyst's View11.3.10 Tremco11.3.10.1 Business Overview11.3.10.2 Products Offered11.3.10.3 Analyst's View11.4 SME Profiles11.4.1 Alchimica Building Chemicals11.4.2 Chryso11.4.3 Copernit11.4.4 Elmich11.4.5 Firestone Building Products Company11.4.6 Gaf11.4.7 Henkel Polybit11.4.8 Henry Company11.4.9 Iko11.4.10 Isomat11.4.11 Kemper System11.4.12 Paul Bauder11.4.13 Pidilite Industries11.4.14 Saint-Gobain Weber11.4.15 Siplast

12 Chinese Companies12.1 Oriental Yuhong12.1.1 Business Overview12.1.2 Products Offered12.2 Shenzhen Joaboa Tech Group12.2.1 Business Overview12.2.2 Products Offered12.2.3 Major Projects12.3 Fuhua Waterproofing Technology12.3.1 Business Overview12.3.2 Products Offered12.4 Hebei Chenyu Waterproof Building Materials12.4.1 Business Overview12.4.2 Products Offered12.5 Beijing Jianguo Weiye Waterproof Material12.5.1 Business Overview12.5.2 Products Offered12.6 Weifang Luyang Waterproof Material12.6.1 Business Overview12.6.2 Products Offered12.7 Shandong Jingze Waterproof Technology12.7.1 Business Overview12.7.2 Products Offered12.8 Guangdong Yunyan Special Cement Building Materials12.8.1 Business Overview12.8.2 Products Offered12.9 Nantong Yuru Engineering Materials12.9.1 Business Overview12.9.2 Products Offered12.1 Shandong Dingtai Waterproof Technology12.10.1 Business Overview12.10.2 Products Offered

13 Appendix13.1 Discussion Guide13.2 Knowledge Store: Subscription Portal13.3 Available Customizations13.4 Related Reports13.5 Author Details

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ktxl6g

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

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Liquid Applied Membranes Market by Type, Application, End-use Industry, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 - GlobeNewswire

Blackledge would be a Chapter 40B affordable housing project.

EASTON Blackledge, a 108-unit affordable housing apartment complex proposed on Union Street near the Brockton line, recently received a positive vote from the Easton Select Board to move forward.

The board voted 4-1, with member Marc Lamb opposed, to authorize Chair Dottie Fulginiti, Town Administrator Connor Read and town counsel to negotiate an agreement with the developer, Rick Lincoln of Coneco Building in Bridgewater, to address town concerns about the project.

Lamb voted against the motion after expressing concerns about the number of projects approved in town.

In the past 10 years theres been so much development, Lamb said. We are on trajectory to add 1,000 units to this town in 10 years. I feel we are doing a lot. At this point I feel strongly about pumping the brakes.

The other four members supported moving forward but acknowledged Lambs points.

I appreciate Marcs comments and concerns, select board member Craig Barger said. But Id like to move forward from an economic and affordable housing standpoint.

Lamb said the project is not in any of the areas the town is encouraging economic growth like the Avalon project, a 40B apartment complex on Robert Drive, was.

This is in the middle of nowhere, he said. I dont see it contributing anywhere economically.

Rick, I do think you are the right partner, Lamb told Lincoln. For me, at this time and that location, Im a hard no.

Blackledge would be a Chapter 40B affordable housing project.

Chapter 40B is a state statute which allows local zoning boards of appeals to approve affordable housing developments under flexible rules if at least 20-25 percent of the units have long-term affordability restrictions.

If approved, the project would help the town continue to meet the states 10 percent affordable housing guideline. Easton currently is at 10 percent, but the town anticipates it will dip below the requirement once the census is complete and will need about 80 more units, Read said.

As a rental project, all the Blackledge units, even the market rate ones, will count toward the 10 percent.

There are also other approved affordable housing projects in town, but they have not been constructed as yet.

Nonetheless certainly adding some units would make that much more of a sure thing, Read said.

The town conducted a preliminary analysis of the project. Among the recommendation made by the towns affordable housing trust was that developer include more market and affordable three-bedroom units. The current plan proposes 50 one-bedroom, 46 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom apartments.

The affordable housing trust also asked the developer to consider setting the affordability rate at 50 percent of area median income rather than the standard 80 percent. At that rate, only 20 percent rather than 25 percent of the units would need to be affordable.

The median income in Easton is $121,000, Read said. At 80 percent, thats still a relatively meaningful income.

The one thing you hear most from young people is that they are never going to be able to afford a place in Easton, Fulginiti said.

She suggested considering a mix of units some based on 50 percent and some on 80 percent.

The analysis also encourages keeping and rehabilitating the 1795 house on site, which once was Benson Concrete Products. Lincoln said they plan to relocate the house and use it as an amenities building for the development.

The report recommended the project tie into Brockton for water and sewer. The site is located on the Brockton line and some of the land is in Brockton.

The project is estimated to increase police calls by 41, fire calls by 7.3 and emergency medical service calls by 13.8, a year, according to the analysis.

The school district could see approximately 26 students from the development with nine being current Easton students who relocate to the project, according to the analysis. Because the town is about to begin construction of a new regional elementary school, the increase is not expected to burden one neighborhood elementary school over another. Overall enrollment is also slightly down, the report said.

Once the agreement between the town and Coneco is complete, it will be brought before the select board for approval.

The project will also need to be submitted to MassHousing and file for a comprehensive permit for the towns Zoning Board of Appeals.

If approved, construction could begin in about a year.

Reach Donna Whitehead at dwhitehead@wickedlocal.com

Excerpt from:
Easton to begin talks with 40B developer to add 108 affordable apartments on Brockton line - Enterprise News

LAKEVIEW Developers have started construction on a seven-story luxury apartment building that will replace the neighborhoods Treasure Island Foods, which closed in 2018.

Optimas project at 3460 N. Broadway will bring 198 one-, two- and three-bedroom rental apartments and street-level retail space to the neighborhood, according to a news release from the developer. Its set to be finished in 2022.

The building will feature 40,000 square feet of amenities, including a sky deck with a pool, spa and party room; an indoor basketball court; a golf simulator and putting green; a fitness center; a yoga room; a dog park and pet spa; a childrens play area; a game room and a demonstration kitchen.

Floor plans for units average 1,053 square feet, giving residents who work from home extra space to set up an office, developers said. The building will also have two conference rooms and a business center.

As a transit-oriented development it sits about a half-mile from the Addison Red Line station the building will have 98 fully-enclosed parking spaces and storage for 208 bicycles, developers said.

The project faced pushback from neighbors last year who were concerned the building was too big and too dense for the site near Broadway and Cornelia Avenue.

The initial design called for an eight-story building with almost 250 units before it was scaled down, according to the Tribune.

David Hovey Sr., a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and CEO of Optima, said he designed the buildings facade to blend in with the rest of the Lakeview community.

The exterior features a palette of warm-toned materials, such as bronze glass and dark brick, and the building has a series of deep recesses and setbacks, allowing for landscaped terraces on its upper levels.

Weve incorporated design cues from the surrounding areas architecture while still staying true to the modern design aesthetic Optima is known for, resulting a forward-looking building grounded in Chicago sensibility, Hovey said.

An atrium will be built in the center of the building with a skylight on the roof, developers said. Apartments and building amenities will be built around the atrium.

Were always looking for ways to bring light and connection to nature into our projects as people crave these elements, especially now as many of us are spending more time in our homes, Hovey said.

More details on the project can be found on Optimas website.

Other former Treasure Island locations have been replaced: The Hyde Park site became a Trader Joes, which opened last year, and the Lincoln Park location became a Brooklyn Boulders climbing gym, which opened earlier this year.

Jake Wittich is aReport for Americacorps member covering Lakeview, Lincoln Park and LGBTQ communities across the city for Block Club Chicago.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicagos neighborhoods.

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Construction Begins On Luxury Apartment Complex At Former Site Of Treasure Island Grocery Store - Block Club Chicago

In Official Letter No. 4757/BXD-QLN dated October 1 , 2020, Department of Construction (DOC) stated that, under Article 10 of Law on Housing 2014, House owners are organizations, domestic family, individuals, overseas Vietnamese are intitled to use the house for residential purposes and other purposes not prohibited by law; at the same time, Article 6 of this Law also prohibits the use of apartments for non-residential purposes.

At Article 35 of Decree No. 99/2015/ND-CP dated October 20 , 2015 of Government detailing and guiding the implementation of some articles of Law on Housing stipulates prohibited acts in management and use of an apartment building such as arbitrary conversion of functions and use purposes of the apartment building; carry out the prohibited acts specified in Artilce 5 of Law on Housing.

Therefore, according to the Law on Housing, the act of using an apartment for non-residential purposes such as doing business on hourly or short-term rental services is prohibited.

Circular No. 02/2016/TT-BXD dated February 15 , 2016 ofMinister of Construction issuing the Regulation on management and use of apartment buildings. At Article 48 and 49 of Regulation No. 02 specify the responsibilities of Peoples Committee of wards and districts in handling according to their competence or by requesting competent authorities to handle violations actsin the management and use of the apartment building.

Violations in management and use of the apartment building will be administratively sanctioned according to the provisions of Decree no. 139/2017/ND-CP dated November 27 , 2017 of government on penalties for administrative violations against regulations on investment and construction; extraction, processing and trading of minerals used in construction, production and trading of building materials; management of infrastructural constructions; real estate business, housing development, management and operation of apartment buildings and office buildings.

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Ministry of Construction has issued Official Letter No. 4757/BXD-QLN dated October 01 , 2020 responding the recommendations of voters of Ho Chi Minh...

CLEVELAND, Ohio Construction on The Lumen, a 318-unit apartment building in the heart of Playhouse Square in Cleveland, is now completed as the market for renting in the city faces an uncertain future.

Management at the 396-foot, 34-story tower at Euclid Avenue and East 17th Street began leasing apartments on lower floors of the building in July as work continued higher up.

As of Tuesday, 86 apartments are spoken for, Playhouse Square spokeswoman Cindi Szymanski said in an email. While some prospective tenants prefer units closer to the ground, many want to be on the upper levels, said Matt McClung, senior community manager for Greystar, the company managing the building.

Rent ranges from $1,430 for a 572-square foot one-bedroom apartment to $7,342 for a three bedroom, 1,932-square-foot penthouse, which Playhouse Square senior adviser Art Falco described as being at the high end of the market for such units.

Falco, during a Sept. 30 tour, pointed out the amenities and flourishes to differentiate from other options downtown renters have, which include older mainstays and newly renovated buildings such as the Historic May Co. Building. Even in the buildings smallest apartment, he pointed to an impressive look down Euclid Avenue, with the arts district, the theater marquees and its famous chandelier on full display.

Take a look at this view, though, said Falco, the former longtime president and CEO of Playhouse Square, the nonprofit that oversees the theater district and owns the building. Again, this is the ninth floor.

Other units higher up the building offer more expansive views of downtown and the lakefront.

38

The Lumen luxury apartment living in Cleveland, September 30, 2020

Construction workers broke ground on the $135 million project, which also includes a 530-space parking garage for tenants and the public, in April 2018. Playhouse Square touts it as the largest residential project in downtown Cleveland in four decades. Work was scheduled for completion this summer, though the coronavirus pandemic delayed completion by a few weeks, Falco said.

The projects finances included tax-exempt bonds, a $15 million gift from the Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation and a $10 million loan from Cuyahoga County.

The buildings opening comes during what could end up being a challenging time for downtown residential landlords. The state required nonessential businesses to close and forbade dining at restaurants, which hollowed out office buildings and downtown as a whole during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic.

Some real estate agents also said they have talked to city apartment dwellers who are looking to buy homes that afford them more space, in part because the pandemic forced them to work from home.

While its unclear whether demand for downtown apartments will drop in the long term, recent statistics are not promising.

The Downtown Cleveland Alliance said in a report that 13.7% of apartments were vacant in the neighborhood at the end of June, compared with 7.8% during the same period last year. Some developers are worried that downtown has too many apartments, even as others propose plans to add even more.

McClung said about 37 percent of its apartments or about 118 units must be leased by the end of the year to make budget.

They hope the views and 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities can be enough for new renters, retirees and athletes to live in the building. This includes an outdoor terrace with grills, a pool, a fitness center with workout machines and a yoga studio, a rooftop deck and a pet spa.

Falco said that architects SCB of Chicago and adviser Vocon of Cleveland added touches to make it a premier property. From the get-go, he said the interior design of much of the building was inspired by theaters. It starts at the entrance too, with the mosaic of the Greek goddess Selene, and many common areas and hallways also feature shots from productions from Great Lakes Theater and Cleveland Play House productions.

In most projects, the renderings are generally better than the final product, Falco said, making his best pitch. In this case, its the opposite.

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Construction completed on The Lumen at Playhouse Square, adding another tower to Cleveland skyline - cleveland.com

Theempty Red Cross building (4333 Arlington Blvd) in Buckingham will come down in a few weeks to make way for a new apartment building called The Cadence.

The building, developed by Wesley Housing Development Corporation, will have 97 units, all set aside for low- and moderate-income households. It is part of a complex that includes 19 nearly complete market-rate townhouses a stones throw away.

Local officials, project financiers and construction company representatives gathered for a socially distanced groundbreaking on Tuesday afternoon at the site in Buckingham. The event also commemorated renovations that will begin next year on the neighboring complexes, Whitefield Commons and Knightsbridge apartments, which Wesley also operates for low-income residents.

The cadence that we set has changed tempo a few times, from where we were to where we are going, but were still moving ahead and at this point, we see no reason that we wont stick the rest of the schedule going forward, quipped Shelley Murphy, President and CEO of Wesley Housing.

Mark Weisner, the president of Bozzuto Construction Company, which is building The Cadence apartment building, said his company has a lot of work to do in the next 24 months, when the building is set to open its doors to renters.

Wesleys presence in Northern Virginia continues to grow, as well as its staff.The nonprofit owns and operates 2,000 affordable housing units across the region, with about 690 units located in Arlington, including a mixed-income apartment building in Rosslyn that opened in 2017. The company also provides services and programs to residents.

Libby Garvey, the chair of the Arlington County Board, said this groundbreaking is an important milestone for the county, which like every in-demand urban area struggles to maintain affordable housing when wealthy families also desire to move in.

Healthy communities provide work and housing opportunities for all levels of the social and economic spectrum, Garvey said. The pandemic has shown clearly how important housing is to everyones health.

Murphy said the moderate-income units and market-rate townhouses in The Cadence make good on a promise that Wesley made to the community to bring more income diversity to Buckingham, which has a significant number of affordable housing units already.

We want to make sure we are helping Arlington County build neighborhoods of opportunity, she said.

Knightsbridge and Whitefield Commons provide extremely deep affordability for families with an average income of less than $20,000 and $30,000 a year, respectively, she said. The Cadence will cater to families of four who earn between $62,000 and $80,000 a year.

Wesley also promisedto preserve the Whitefield Commons which was built in 1943 and formerly known as the Windsor Apartments and to encourage residents to seek transportation alternatives to cars. The developer faced someopposition from neighbors, who said Buckinghams percentage of affordable housing units is much higher compared to other neighborhoods.

The project has received state and county funding, loans and tax credits. Additional funding comes from Wesley selling the land for the townhouses to Tysons-based home builderMadison Homes.

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Mixed-Income Apartments Break Ground in Buckingham - ARLnow

ITHACA, N.Y. The Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency can expect a busy meeting on Wednesday, as it reviews a trio of tax abatement applications. Rather unusually, however, they all stem from one project - the Carpenter Park mixed-use development located on Carpenter Circle, between the city's waterfront and Northside neighborhood.

The reason for the three applications is that the three major components of the project - the affordable housing component, the mixed-use retail and market-rate housing component, and the medical office building and clinic are each seeking a different set of abatements, some more generous than others. This would complicate the tax structure of the development such that the developers, Cayuga Medical Center and Park Grove Realty, are returning to the city Planning Board this month to break the 8.9-acre property, which has already received preliminary site plan approval, into three separate tax parcels, one for each potentially tax-abated component.

First up, let's have a look at the affordable housing component. This is a standalone $10.1 million, 4-story, 42 unit apartment building. 32 of the units (26 one-bedroom and 6 two-bedroom apartments) would be set aside for those making 50% AMI or less, which is about $30,000/year or less for a single person, $34,250/year for a two-person household. The other ten apartments (8 one-bedroom and 2 two-bedroom units) would be priced slightly higher, for those making 60% area median income. The building would be built to LEED Certification standards and designed to comply with the city's incoming Green Building Policy.

Technically, this applicant isn't actually a property tax abatement, because it's not based on the future property tax assessment. The developers are seeking a 30-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT agreement, for the affordable housing building, as well as sales tax exemptions on building materials and state tax exemptions on the mortgage recording filing. The annual PILOT payment would be the current tax assessment for that portion of the Carpenter Park property, plus 12% of the net operating income, and allowed to increase 2% per year. The figures are modeled on a similar abatement awarded by the IDA to the rentals in INHS's 210 Hancock project back in 2015.

The PILOT would save $701,434 over 30 years, the sales tax exemption on materials would save $400,000, and the mortgage recording tax exemption would shave $4,125 from the project's expenses, for a total savings of $1,105,559 over 30 years. Over the same 30-year time period of the PILOT, the project would pay an additional $728,461 in property taxes on top of the current taxes paid for that 0.83-acre chunk of the property.

The argument is that the PILOT would reduce expenditures and put the affordable housing proposal in better financial shape. It's something that the state looks for when awarding affordable housing grants - they won't give money unless the project is financially resilient, in that expenditures are paid on-time and in full, and that there's demand for the affordable housing. The grants are very competitive, and the project has already been turned down by the state once. A PILOT or other local tax reduction makes it more appealing to the state, and more likely the housing would get the grants needed to obtain construction loans and actually be built. If they are awarded in the next funding round this fall, the project could start in the spring and would take about a year to build.

Cayuga Medical Center's application is what comes closest to a normal IDA application, though it also comes with the most substantial tax reduction request. This abatement would apply to the 2.08-acre property that would host a new 5-story, 64,000 square-foot building to be occupied by CMC. Non-profit CMC will lease the $32.2 million building from the development team, which they are a part of, but it's a for-profit entity. Like the affordable housing, the building would be designed to meet the City of Ithaca's incoming Green Building Policy.

The primary selling points here are 62.5 full-time equivalent jobs and a walk-in clinic, which would be a welcome addition to the Northside neighborhood. According to the application, "CMC will offer many essential healthcare services at this location that will be Medicaid eligible including womens health, quick urgent care, imaging and specialty services. The programs and services will be targeted to the at-risk minority and low-income community in the City of Ithacas West End Downtown District. This will allow lower-income families to have much better access to health care and essential services."

In return comes a fairly hefty 50-year PILOT request, along with the sales tax exemption on construction materials and the mortgage recording tax exemption. CMC has an unusually strong hand to play with this particular application. Being a non-profit, this portion of the project could be taken off the tax rolls and made tax-exempt through direct CMC ownership, and it's noted in the application. If the PILOT is awarded, the application stipulates the ownership, non-profit or not, will be required to stay taxable throughout the PILOT period. A similar deal played out with Cornell and developer John Novarr's Breazzano Center project several years ago.

The PILOT would save $2,739,078 in property taxes over 50 years. The sales tax exemption on the construction materials would reduce costs by $1.1 million, and the mortgage recording tax exemption would save $70,000, for a total of $3,909,078 in savings. Over the same 50-year time period of the PILOT, the project would pay an additional $8,560,514 in property taxes on top of the current taxes paid for that 2.08-acre chunk of the property.

If awarded, CMC would start construction on the project next March, and the new building would open in around March 2023.

The bulk of the site is included with this submission. This application includes the site improvements (including costs associated with re-configuring the Ithaca Community Gardens) and two mixed-use buildings that would be built in Carpenter Park, 303,255 square-feet in total and carrying an estimated cost of $47.1 million. The six-story buildings would have ground-level retail, parking on the back of the ground floor and on the second floor, and a mix of 1-3 bedroom apartments on floors 3-6. In total, the mixed-use buildings will include approximately 166 market-rate units, 23,000 square feet of commercial space, and 187 internal parking spaces. The project also comes equipped to meet the city's Green Building Policy

Given that this is only creating a few jobs directly and does not fill as critical of a need as affordable housing or a medical clinic to serve lower-income households would, the request here is a more typical 10-year tax abatement. The abatement would save $4,172,103 in property taxes over 10 years. The sales tax exemption on the construction materials would reduce costs by $2.4 million, and the mortgage recording tax exemption would save $95,000, for a total of $6,667,108 in requested savings. Over the same 10-year time period of the tax abatement, the project would pay an additional $2,083,571 in property taxes on top of the current taxes paid for that 5.66-acre chunk of the property, and indirectly supports new sales taxes from the future retail tenants.

If the abatements are awarded, the stated plan in the application is to begin construction in the spring of 2021, with completion two years later. Discussions at city planning board meetings have indicated this portion is the "Phase II" of the site's buildout, to start construction after private equity and affordable housing grants have been secured for the medical building and affordable housing respectively.

Along with the 66.5 full-time equivalent jobs offered in the applications, the project promises over 750 construction jobs over the buildout period (typically, one-third to one-half may be on the site during any one phase, so if they all moved in tandem, it would be more like a few hundred at any given time). The project team estimates 30 to 35% of the construction labor will be locally sourced.

For those interested in having a closer look, the applications are here.

The IDA will have their first look at the application on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. The meeting will be livestreamed here when the meeting starts. Comments, questions and concerns can be sent to Tompkins County Area Development's Ina Arthur at inaa@tcad.org and should be sent no later than 9 a.m. on Oct. 14.

Read more from the original source:
Carpenter Park redevelopment abatement heads to IDA - The Ithaca Voice

The purpose of the houses to be built in Hirvensalo, Turku, is to compare the climate effects.

To Turku there are two apartment buildings on the rise that differ only in their materials: one is made of wood, the other of concrete.

The floor plans and apartment areas of both houses are identical. In addition, they are located on the same plot, so the conditions are the same. There are good conditions for comparison, says the CEO of Mangrove in Turku, which specializes in ecological housing construction. Antti Lundstedt.

The houses will be built in Hirvensalo for the City of Turkus rental housing company ICT Asunto, and will include 82 rental apartments.

Construction work is underway. The houses are estimated to be completed in November 2021 and will be built with two different work teams.

The two of you carbon footprint and carbon handprint calculations have been utilized in the design of the new apartment building. They investigate the climate impacts during construction and life cycle.

According to VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, the carbon footprint of a concrete apartment building is 75 per cent larger than that of a wooden apartment building. The comparison included the foundation, bottom floor, exterior and partition walls, midsole and top floor, stairs, windows, doors and balconies.

In this project, we take the research further and take into account, in addition to building elements, the behavior of materials, in-service maintenance, occupant satisfaction, and the carbon footprint of buildings, which in turn lowers the carbon footprint, says Lundstedt.

The results will be reported more comprehensively throughout the life cycle of the buildings, ie also after completion. At the same time, residents experiences of, for example, indoor air and sound insulation are studied.

Mangroves responsible foreman Veli-Matti Toivonen (left) and CEO Antti Lundstedt.Picture: Piritta Fors

Mangrove has built numerous buildings across Finland, the design of which has assessed both the carbon footprint and the carbon handprint.

The best way to reduce the carbon footprint and increase the carbon footprint of the entire life cycle of a building and building is to take them as design starting points and construction goals.

Hirvensalo will be Mangroves first wooden apartment building, but there are already several similar ones on the design table. The Hirvensalo wooden house is built of clt elements, ie multilayer boards, which consist of cross-glued solid wood.

In the wooden apartment building, the design time was about a third longer. We have done concrete projects in the past, so we knew the details better, says the responsible foreman, Mangroves project manager Veli-Matti Toivonen.

In addition to planning, the ecological way of operating is reflected in site operations and recycling arrangements.

Its a big cultural change. In the orientation, we emphasize the responsibility of employees, and different wastes have their own, carefully labeled pallets. For example, due to the higher amount of packaging waste in the finishing phase, a waste compactor enters the construction site. And every employee knows that if only one paint can is hit on the wrong stage, for example, the full price of expensive municipal waste will go from the stage.

New according to the design data, the carbon footprint of a wooden apartment building is about 8.5 percent smaller than that of its concrete double. The carbon handprint of the positive climate effects, on the other hand, is about three times that of a concrete house.

Wood acts as a better carbon sink. Still, it must be remembered that concrete is also needed, which means that both materials are important, says Toivonen.

There are few differences in the foundations of the houses. A wooden house could be built on the foundations of a concrete house but not the other way around.Picture: Piritta Fors

According to him, the concrete benchmarks for the builder are the balcony tiles, the facade and the details of the windows.

In addition, there is sprinkling in the apartments in the wooden apartment building, Toivonen says about fire protection.

Mangrove has also estimated that weather protection will double the cost of maintaining a wooden apartment building site.

Managing director According to Lundstedt, a comparison of about 500 sites showed that the climate impact of Mangrove sites is about 20 percent lower.

District heating has been selected for the Turku apartment building project.

Based on the calculations, geothermal energy would have reduced life cycle climate emissions by another ten percent.

According to the low-carbon calculation method being developed at the Ministry of the Environment, the net climate impact of a wooden apartment building is significantly lower than that of a concrete apartment building. Lundstedt says that calculated in this way, the net climate impact of the whole is pretty close to zero.

The more wooden apartment buildings we can build, the more concrete we can use.

Fact

Founded in 1994, a domestic family business.

Developed in 25 years from construction consulting tasks to the construction of terraced and apartment buildings.

In addition to the Turku region, operations in the Uusimaa, Western Finland and Pirkanmaa regions.

Net sales last year EUR 20.48 million, profit for the financial year EUR 1.34 million. Net sales increased by 68.1 percent.

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Go here to read the rest:
Housing Two otherwise identical apartment buildings are being built in Turku, but one is made of wood and the other of concrete - Pledge Times