MOUNT VERNON — Residents are fighting a proposed 18-unit apartment building they fear will strain sewers, wipe out parking and displace wildlife near their Oakwood Heights homes.

Bayview Real Estate Consultants Inc. has proposed building a four-story residential structure on what is now a 20-foot-deep, densely wooded ravine between Lorraine Avenue and Lorraine Terrace.

The developer seeks eight variances from the city Zoning Board of Appeals for the project, to allow construction of the four-story, multi-family dwelling in a three-story, single-family zone.

If approved, the project would require crews to clear-cut the area?s vegetation and lay tons of fill at the half-acre site to level out the steep topography for construction.

The project would ?obliterate the character of the neighborhood, overload an aged and crumbling sewer system? and ?lay waste to a micro-ecosystem? that is a habitat to woodpeckers, deer and other wildlife, a consortium of neighborhood groups wrote in a news release this week.

Opponents spoke out against the plan at a Tuesday zoning board meeting and are circulating a petition that already has hundreds of signatures.

The previous owner?s 2001 proposal to build a seven-home subdivision at the site never got off the ground.

Bayview acquired the land in 2006 and initially planned to build just three single-family homes at the site, using leftover fill from another construction project. But the developer shelved those plans after learning the fill was contaminated, then put the project on hold longer after the real-estate market tanked. Given the cost of fill, the developer now thinks an 18-unit building is the only development that would ?yield a positive return,? said its lawyer, Hannah Gross.

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Plan to build Mount Vernon apartments fuels fight over 'character of the neighborhood'

The Penfield, a proposed $62 million, 254-unit luxury apartment building at 10th and Minnesota streets in downtown St. Paul, received its final funding approval Wednesday from a divided city council. Construction could begin in June.

The council voted 4-3 to approve a tax-increment financing district for the building, which will effectively recycle $15 million - 25 years of property taxes generated by the site - back into project development. The city's loan agreement with Dougherty Mortgage is expected to close July 15.

The city will act as developer on the six-story apartment building, which will be bounded by 10th, 11th, Robert and Minnesota streets. A Lunds grocery has signed a long-term lease for the Penfield's ground level, but it will not receive any TIF money or city subsidy. Lunds would be downtown St. Paul's first upscale supermarket.

A Central Corridor light-rail transit station will be situated within two blocks of the site, which once housed the city's downtown law enforcement center.

"This is the last hurdle on the Penfield that requires (city council) action," said council member Dave Thune, chairman of the St. Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority. "It's real this time. This is probably one of the biggest changes for the whole face of downtown."

Thune hailed the Penfield as a "spectacular" addition, but others were critical.

Using anticipated property-tax money to build projects that are more typical of the private sector is

controversial enough, but the prospect of putting public money toward high-end housing struck some members of the council as a poor idea.

Council President Kathy Lantry had previously expressed concern about exposing the city to financial risk and questioned why the city was concentrating so many resources on a single project, rather than building more affordable housing. On Wednesday, she joined council members Melvin Carter and Russ Stark in voting against the TIF district.

Before the vote, James White, a resident of Fairmount Avenue in St. Paul, told the council he had serious concerns about the Penfield, which has gone through various designs since 2005. Previous plans called for a 40-story tower, a hotel and condominiums. A development partnership, Alatus and Sherman Rutzick & Associates, backed out when the housing market collapsed during the recession.

"If two private developers rejected this project, why are you putting taxpayers on the line?" White said.

Thune said federal mortgage insurance from HUD will back up the deal, and he noted that 46 percent of the housing in downtown St. Paul is already considered affordable or below market rate, much of it aimed at low- to middle-income workers. The Penfield will add more market-rate housing to the mix.

"We need both to have a healthy downtown," he said. In Lowertown, the city also is developing the Lofts at Farmers Market, a five-story, 56-unit luxury rental building at Fifth and Wall streets. He said about half those units have been pre-leased.

Thune's support for the Penfield was echoed by downtown activist Larry Englund, who said adding an upscale grocer and market-rate housing will draw young professionals and spur private development.

Council member Dan Bostrom voted for the project but said his biggest reservation is that the Penfield will not be connected to the skyway system, leaving the redeveloped law enforcement building effectively isolated from the rest of downtown's commercial sector.

"I spent a lot of time at that old building," said Bostrom, a former police sergeant, in an interview after the vote. "That was my home for 26-1/2 years."

The project, which will be managed and marketed by Village Green Residential Properties, is expected to be complete by the end of July 2014.

In other council action Wednesday, council members approved a TIF district for the old Schmidt Brewery on West Seventh Street. A developer, Dominium, plans to turn part of the brewery into 260 units of affordable housing for artists. Thune said the developer hopes to close on the project in May.

Acting as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the city council also approved low-income housing tax credits for rehab work at St. Alban's Park, a series of affordable housing units along Selby and Dayton avenues. A rehab loan went to the St. Philip's Gardens low-income housing project on Concordia Avenue at Avon Street.

Frederick Melo can be reached at 651-228-2172. Follow him at twitter.com/FrederickMelo.

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St. Paul gives final OK to downtown Penfield project and its Lunds grocery store

MOUNT VERNON — Residents are fighting a proposed 18-unit apartment building they fear will strain sewers, wipe out parking and displace wildlife near their Oakwood Heights homes.

Bayview Real Estate Consultants Inc. has proposed building a four-story residential structure on what is now a 20-foot-deep, densely wooded ravine between Lorraine Avenue and Lorraine Terrace.

The developer seeks eight variances from the city Zoning Board of Appeals for the project, to allow construction of the four-story, multi-family dwelling in a three-story, single-family zone.

If approved, the project would require crews to clear-cut the area?s vegetation and lay tons of fill at the half-acre site to level out the steep topography for construction.

The project would ?obliterate the character of the neighborhood, overload an aged and crumbling sewer system? and ?lay waste to a micro-ecosystem? that is a habitat to woodpeckers, deer and other wildlife, a consortium of neighborhood groups wrote in a news release this week.

Opponents spoke out against the plan at a Tuesday zoning board meeting and are circulating a petition that already has hundreds of signatures.

The previous owner?s 2001 proposal to build a seven-home subdivision at the site never got off the ground.

Bayview acquired the land in 2006 and initially planned to build just three single-family homes at the site, using leftover fill from another construction project. But the developer shelved those plans after learning the fill was contaminated, then put the project on hold longer after the real-estate market tanked. Given the cost of fill, the developer now thinks an 18-unit building is the only development that would ?yield a positive return,? said its lawyer, Hannah Gross.

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Plan to build Mount Vernon apartments fuels fight over neighborhood 'character'

At a time when the Minot area can ill afford to lose any potential housing, an early morning fire destroyed a large apartment building Wednesday in southwest Minot.

The fire occurred at Chateau Apartment Homes, located at 1725-2nd Ave. SW, near Arrowhead Shopping Center. It involved only one of the building's two units, the Eastern building, according to Investors Real Estate Trust Properties, owners of the complex.

"Construction was currently under way within both the Eastern and Western buildings of the complex," IRET stated in a prepared release. "The Eastern edifice of the complex contained 32 of the 64 total apartment units at the Chateau."

"The building was under construction because of the flood," said Chief C.J. Craven of the Minot Fire Department. "I believe they had just (gutted) it, so the inside was just bare wood."

Craven said the building was fully involved when fire units arrived.

Craven also said it did not appear that anyone was inside the building at the time of the fire, but he couldn't be sure until the investigation is complete.

IRET stated no injuries were reported in the blaze.

The fire was reported at 2:34 a.m. Wednesday. Fire units were on the scene about five minutes later.

Craven said the building had temporary electrical power for construction purposes, and Montana Dakota Utilities was contacted later Wednesday morning to shut off natural gas to the building.

IRET praised the fire department's work at the scene of the fire.

"We at IRET are extremely grateful for (the fire department's) work to ensure that the nearby neighborhood, its people and property were never in any danger from today's unfortunate fire," IRET said.

Firefighters remained on the scene late Wednesday. Craven said his department will probably work with IRET to erect fencing and get security around the site.

He added that it will likely be Friday before fire officials and insurance investigators dig into the site to try determine a cause.

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Apartment building destroyed in Minot fire

With one apartment building nearing completion, an affordable-housing project going up in downtown Lake Elsinore is on the cusp of accepting its first occupants.

Pottery Court should have its first 15 apartments rented sometime in March among the 113 units that ultimately will be available, said project manager Aruna Doddapeneni of Bridge Housing Corp.

"It's going great. We're actually going to move some people in at the end of the month, and we expect to be completed with construction in June," she said.

The project, which will cater to a broad range of income levels, is expected to provide an economic as well as an aesthetic stimulus to Lake Elsinore's historical downtown district.

Pottery Court is on 4.4 acres framed by Sumner Avenue, Langstaff Street, Pottery Street and Riverwalk, a recently completed pedestrian and bicycle pathway along a creek channel leading to the lake.

The area contains numerous deteriorating homes and cottage complexes catering to low-income households, among which various rejuvenated and well-kept properties are sprinkled.

City officials believe Pottery Court, featuring a sleek design and bright exteriors, will set a vibrant tone as properties there are developed anew.

"Aesthetically, it's going to be very pleasing," Mayor Brian Tisdale said. "There's already been some improvements to that area. ... When you start putting things in a neighborhood that look good, it makes a difference in people's attitudes toward the community. It's really about making it a safe, livable community for people to live in."

Also, officials expect that under the management of Bridge, which specializes in developing and operating affordable housing, the complex will attract responsible, hardworking residents. Applicants are screened to ensure they are law-abiding and drug-free.

"I think we've come a long way with low-income housing," Tisdale said. "In the past, you would have low-income areas where the folks who lived there didn't necessarily have to follow the rules. ...

"When people come (to Pottery Court), they can't be on parole, they can't be on drugs and doing other things that cause other housing projects to fall by the wayside.

"We're trying to make sure that those who need affordable housing have a safe and convenient place to live, and that's what that project offers," Tisdale said. "I think it will be a benefit to the city."

The residents there are expected to boost commerce along the Main Street business corridor a few blocks away.

The $26 million complex is being built in phases, and occupancy will be phased in accordingly as buildings are completed.

In addition to the first nearly finished structure facing Pottery Court, the contractor, San Diego-based Wermers Multi-Family Corp., also is polishing up the complex's community building, including a study room, music practice room, party room and kitchen. The property also will have a pool, barbecues, outdoor play areas and a maintenance building.

The eight residential buildings will offer 20 one-bedroom, 48 two-bedroom and 45 three-bedroom apartments to households ranging in income from about $13,650 to $32,500, according to information from Bridge. Monthly rents will range from the low $300s to mid-$700s.

The project was made possible by the city redevelopment agency's $9.7 million loan to Bridge, a strategy put into motion before the state pulled the plug on redevelopment programs.

Although redevelopment ended Feb. 1, agencies throughout the state are still in the process of winding down their activities, and they still have the responsibility for ensuring debts are paid.

Pottery Court's design was created by architect Chris Texter of the national firm KTGY. Texter has said he drew upon the inspiration of renowned, early-20th-century San Diego architect Irving Gill.

The wood-framed buildings have plaster, adobelike exteriors with arches and recessed windows, shaded by awnings and featuring decorative ceramic tiles.

As construction progresses, Texter said, "All the neighbors will be able to see what the finished community is going to be like and what the streetscape feels like."

As with any as-yet-unrealized design, it's difficult for people to envision what the end product will look like, especially when it comes to low-income housing, said Texter, whose has participated in numerous such projects.

"A lot of people don't really grasp the design until the building goes up," he said. "Quite obviously, there's always concern in the neighborhood and community about affordable housing. I think, as in all cases with our projects, they're going to be very pleasantly surprised that it's quite different than what they expected."

Call staff writer Michael J. Williams at 951-676-4315, ext. 2635.

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LAKE ELSINORE: Pottery Court work progressing

DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Crescent Resources, LLC celebrated the start of construction today on a landmark 303-apartment community, Circle Ninth Street. The $47 million apartment project is located on a six-acre site adjacent to Ninth Street and the historic Erwin Mill building.  

The community is being financed by an equity investment from Crescent Resources and financing from Pearlmark Real Estate Partners LLC and U.S. Bank N.A.

"Partnering with solid financiers such as Pearlmark and U.S. Bank that share our commitment to high-quality development will produce an extraordinary multifamily community," said Brian Natwick, president of Crescent's Multifamily Division. "With such an irreplaceable site in close proximity to employers, dining and entertainment options, Circle Ninth Street is poised to offer residents a true work, live and play lifestyle."

"Our investment in Circle Ninth Street is consistent with our strategy, which is focused on proven developers with prime locations in markets with strong growth potential," said Mark Witt, managing director with Pearlmark.

"With the strong market location and the expertise of Crescent's development team, we see great potential for Circle Ninth Street," said Amy Clement, senior vice president of real estate for U.S. Bank.

Several distinct building types, inspired by the existing historic Erwin Mill building and the previous factories and warehouses in the area, will provide a neighborhood feel and context for Circle Ninth Street. The arrangement of the four-story buildings allows for a number of private outdoor amenity areas, including a central lawn, community park, dog park, and pool and fitness courtyard. Highlights of the resident amenities are a wireless cafe, gaming room, demonstration kitchen, lounge, group study library, business center, media room and fitness center. 

A mix of reclaimed industrial materials and clean modern aesthetics will highlight the interior spaces. Circle Ninth Street is designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification requirements from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Cline Design Associates of Raleigh is the project architect and landscape architect. Historical Concepts, based in Atlanta, serves as the design consultant. John R. McAdams of Durham is the land planner and civil engineer, and Vignette Interior Design of Charlotte is the interior designer. State Building Group of Charlotte has been named the general contractor. Kettler Management of McLean, Va., will serve as the property manager.

More information is available at LiveNinthStreet.com.

About Circle

Circle was inspired through extensive review and analysis of current industry trends and marketplace needs. The progressive Circle communities are places where neighbors connect. In addition to presenting a new breed of apartments that people are excited to live in, Circle developments are also infused with the exceptional quality and customer-oriented features that have become Crescent hallmarks.

In addition to Circle Ninth Street, multifamily communities under construction include The Venue at Cool Springs in Nashville, Tenn.; Circle West Campus in Austin, Texas; and Gallery at Cameron Village in Raleigh, N.C. Crescent's planned multifamily communities include Circle SouthPark in Charlotte; and Circle Bayshore in Tampa; and four additional developments planned to start construction in 2012. The company has developed more than 15 multifamily communities throughout the southeast.

About Crescent Resources

Crescent Resources is a real estate development company with interests throughout the southeastern United States. Based in Charlotte and established in 1969, Crescent Resources is known for its single-family, multifamily and resort residential communities. Crescent also develops business and industrial parks and shopping centers. Visit www.crescent-resources.com for more information.

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Crescent Resources Celebrates Groundbreaking at Circle Ninth Street

U.S. construction employment is stuck at well below pre-recession levels in all but eight of 337 metropolitan areas, according to the Association of General Contractors of America.

The Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale area in Arizona had the steepest decline, losing 93,600 jobs, a 53% drop since December 2006, the Arlington, Va., trade group reported today.

The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area showed the second worst performance, shedding 73,700 jobs, a 57% plunge since December 2005.

Since December 2006, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area lost 56,700 jobs, a 36% decline, while the Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine area lost 38,900, a 37% drop. The San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos area lost 38,400 jobs, a 42% fall since December 2005.

Most of the few areas that had more people working in construction than before the recession were enjoying energy related economic upturns. Bismarck, N.D., posted an 11% increase in jobs since December 2010, while Lawton, Okla., had a 5% rise and Longview, Texas, a 4% increase over the same period, the association said.

The stagnation doesn't need to continue, said Stephen E. Sandherr, the group's chief executive.

"What makes these job losses even more frustrating is the fact that many of them could have been avoided," he said. "Thousands more construction workers would be employed today if Congress wasn't years late in passing measures like the highway and transit bill."

Construction jobs won't return to peak levels or higher until Congress funds large-scale and badly needed infrastructure spending, Sandherr said.

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Construction employment below pre-recession peak in most areas

23-01-2012 09:12 Hirco HPG Chennai Construction update video December 2011

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Hirco HPG Chennai Construction update video December 2011 - Video

With an emptiness in his eyes, David Santiago watched as thick, black smoke billowed from his Lancaster Township apartment building Sunday evening.

With the bulk of the flames knocked down, the damage was unmistakable —  and unimaginable.

"I've lost everything," Santiago said, staring blankly at the charred remains of the first-floor apartment he shared with his mother.

"I don't even know what to say. I'm numb. I can't believe it."

Just before 5 p.m., county dispatch received multiple calls reporting a fire at the River Park Gardens complex in the 1100 block of East Orange Street, across from the former Community Hospital of Lancaster.

Fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke billowing from the building and flames shooting from first- and second-floor windows, Lafayette Deputy Chief Scott Hershey said.

Hershey said smoke from the fire could be seen from the Lafayette fire station on Lincoln Highway, which is about two miles away.

Santiago said he wasn't home when the blaze broke out. He had left a few minutes earlier, but returned home after getting a phone call about the fire.

His mother, his sister and his two young sons — ages 4 and 5 — were in the apartment but were able to escape.

Santiago said his mother was taken to Lancaster General Hospital, but he did not immediately know her condition.

Dave Keens, Lafayette assistant fire chief, said late Sunday that he did not believe the woman's injuries were life-threatening. He said she would remain at Lancaster General overnight for observation.

No other injuries were reported.

Keens said the blaze started in a first-floor apartment — where Santiago lived.

Lafayette Fire Chief Ron Nolt said on Monday that a state police fire marshal was at the scene for an hour or two Sunday night, but the cause was undetermined.

He estimated damage at $150,000 to the apartment building and $50,000 to its contents.

Two of the four apartments in the building were destroyed, with the others sustaining minimal damage, Keens said.

He said the durable construction of the brick structure likely helped confine the blaze to one side of the building.

Keens said all of the occupants of the building — about 15 residents — were being assisted by American Red Cross of the Susquehanna Valley Sunday night.

Lafayette was assisted at the scene by fire units from Lancaster city, Lancaster Township, Eden, Witmer, Ronks, Willow Street and Lampeter.

Reader-submitted photos of the blaze

jtodd@lnpnews.com

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Fire destroys apartments

With an emptiness in his eyes, David Santiago watched as thick, black smoke billowed from his Lancaster Township apartment building Sunday evening.

With the bulk of the flames knocked down, the damage was unmistakable —  and unimaginable.

"I've lost everything," Santiago said, staring blankly at the charred remains of the first-floor apartment he shared with his mother.

"I don't even know what to say. I'm numb. I can't believe it."

Just before 5 p.m., county dispatch received multiple calls reporting a fire at the River Park Gardens complex in the 1100 block of East Orange Street, across from the former Community Hospital of Lancaster.

Fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke billowing from the building and flames shooting from first- and second-floor windows, Lafayette Deputy Chief Scott Hershey said.

Hershey said smoke from the fire could be seen from the Lafayette fire station on Lincoln Highway, which is about two miles away.

Santiago said he wasn't home when the blaze broke out. He had left a few minutes earlier, but returned home after getting a phone call about the fire.

His mother, his sister and his two young sons — ages 4 and 5 — were in the apartment but were able to escape.

Santiago said his mother was taken to Lancaster General Hospital, but he did not immediately know her condition.

Dave Keens, Lafayette assistant fire chief, said late Sunday that he did not believe the woman's injuries were life-threatening. He said she would remain at Lancaster General overnight for observation.

No other injuries were reported.

Keens said the blaze started in a first-floor apartment — where Santiago lived.

Lafayette Fire Chief Ron Nolt said on Monday that a state police fire marshal was at the scene for an hour or two Sunday night, but the cause was undetermined.

He estimated damage at $150,000 to the apartment building and $50,000 to its contents.

Two of the four apartments in the building were destroyed, with the others sustaining minimal damage, Keens said.

He said the durable construction of the brick structure likely helped confine the blaze to one side of the building.

Keens said all of the occupants of the building — about 15 residents — were being assisted by American Red Cross of the Susquehanna Valley Sunday night.

Lafayette was assisted at the scene by fire units from Lancaster city, Lancaster Township, Eden, Witmer, Ronks, Willow Street and Lampeter.

Reader-submitted photos of the blaze

jtodd@lnpnews.com

See the article here:
Fire destroys Lancaster Township apartments