CORNING (WENY) - A historic Corning landmark will soon be called "home" to more than 58 people. What many locals remember as Corning Free Academy is now Academy place, a luxurious apartment building that's keeping bits and piece of its original history. Within less than a year, Purcell Construction, has turned an old middle school into 58 luxury apartments. From one bedroom apartments to Townhouses, no two apartments are the same. Before construction began, the contractors made it a priority to keep as much of the building's history as possible. Keeping things like original bookshelves from the library all the way to the chalk boards. "There's also some apartments that have the original chalkboard or the original floor that was refinished and original cubbies," explains resident manager, Loni Sanders. Monday was the first day potential renters could tour the model apartment. So far twelve have already committed to making Academy Place their new home. "This building is a historic building. So there's a lot of great people that have attachments to this building with it being a previous school. A lot of people that I've talked too they either went to school here or taught here," says Sanders. Sanders says the new renters are expected to move in by May 1st. She will be giving tours of the apartments on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 1PM to 4PM. To set up an appointment call 607-936-1300 or visit http://www.academyplaceapartments.com/apartments.html

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Cornings Academy Place Apartments Ready to Rent

Smoke billowed out of the second story apartment as Porter Fire Department firefighters rushed to determine the location of the fire.

Thankfully this fire would have no victims, no property loss for a resident or any real damage as the Porter firefighters were taking part in a training exercise at the now-abandoned Kings Crossing Apartments complex in Kingwood.

For two days, the Porter Fire Department was allowed access to the Kings Crossing Apartment complex to allow for their firefighters to train and learn better techniques to fight fires in apartments and similar residences.

The developers, Main Street Kingwood, who are working to remove utilities and appliances from the apartment complex which closed down Jan. 31, 2015, invited the Porter Fire Department to use some of their units for training.

We were aware of the Main Street project through newspaper, Porter Fire Chief Carter Johnson said onsite. We made a few phone calls to the developer to explain how this would provide a unique opportunity for firefighters to gain experience on building construction and how apartment complexes are laid out.

If these apartments were already going to be torn down, these gives us the chance to do everything we would do if we were actually fighting a real fire such as cutting vent holes in the roofs or ceilings.

They used a smoke machine in one of the apartment units to simulate what it would be like for the firefighters to enter an apartment that was on fire.

Porter Fire Department firefighters also had the chance to undergo similar training at First Baptist Church Porter in a portion of their building that was set to be destroyed due to a recent fire.

According to Johnson, some apartment complexes, especially older complexes, have a common attic that is open from one end of the roof to the other which gives the fire places to spread.

The key is that we have to get up there fast to isolate the fire, Johnson said. This kind of training truly gives the firefighters a perspective that we cant simulate in a burn building. We are doing everything in this training with the exception of lighting the building on fire.

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Invaluable experience: Porter Fire Department undergoes training at empty Kingwood apartment complex

Trammell Crow has bought a 1.89-acre parcel and will build a six-story luxury apartment building that will replace Trygs Restaurant and an adjacent parking lot in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis.

The 164-unit project is being developed by High Street Residential, a subsidiary of Trammell Crow Co., and has received all necessary entitlements. Construction on the mixed-use building is expected to start this spring and will include a 5,000-square-foot restaurant that will be owned and operated by the current Trygs owner. The restaurant concept and name will be different, though.

The former Trygs site provides access to a combination of retail and recreational amenities offering future residents luxury living, coupled with convenience and efficiency, that will cater to multiple rental segments, said Johnny Carlson, senior vice president of Trammell Crows Midwest business unit.

The 3118 W. Lake project, named after its address, is in whats known as the West Lake Corridor and is next to the Midtown Greenway.

Carlson and his team have several other projects underway in the Twin Cities metro, including the Island Residences at Carlson Center, with 174 luxury apartments planned, in Minnetonka. The company recently completed a sprawling commercial building in Roseville and the Arcata, a 165-unit luxury apartment building in Golden Valley. Late last year, the company completed and sold Junction Flats, a 182-unit luxury apartment project in Minneapolis North Loop neighborhood.

The Uptown project was first pitched more than a year ago, and was originally proposed as an 11-story building. Some neighbors objected, saying that it was too tall, out of scale for the neighborhood and would cast shadows on the nearby greenway, a paved recreational trail that runs behind the new building.

Its also at least the second luxury apartment building in the city to replace a popular restaurant. A developer plans to replace the Nyes Polonaise Room across the river from downtown Minneapolis with a 30-story apartment tower.

The project comes in the wake of intense rental housing development in the area. Over the past couple years several hundred apartments have been built, creating increasing competition among buildings. Still, the average vacancy rate in southwest Minneapolis, which includes Uptown, was 2 percent at the end of 2014. That was down slightly from the previous year, according to Marquette Advisors.

The 3118 W. Lake project will include studio, alcove, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, two-bedroom plus a den and three-bedroom apartments. ESG Architects is the project architect, and its being built by a joint venture between Continuum Construction and Big-D Construction.

Jim Buchta 612-673-7376

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Developer unveils final plans for apartments to replace Tryg's Restaurant

The commercial building on the corner of Elizabeth and Liverpool streets will be demolished for the new apartment tower which will stand alongside The Hyde, in Hyde Park's south-west precinct. Photo: domain.com.au

A $400 million residential tower has been announced for Sydney's Hyde Park dress circle.

The 38-storey building will fillthe corner site of Elizabeth and Liverpool streets opposite Mark Foys Emporium, now the Downing Centre. It will stand alongside The Hyde apartment building opposite Hyde Park.

Following a City of Sydney council competition, the design for the apartment tower was awarded to Bates Smart architects.

An artist's impression of the winning design by Bates Smart for 130 Elizabeth Street, opposite Hyde Park. Photo: domain.com.au

The project at 130 Elizabeth Street will replace a 14-storey office building.

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The new residential tower will house 148 apartments with views over Hyde Park. Apartments on its upper levelswill have 280-degree views of Sydney Harbour and the airport.

It is the latest residential offering in the prized Hyde Park precinct. A 25-year lull followed the construction of The Connaught, a 232-apartment building on Liverpool Street opposite Hyde Park.

The Residence on the eastern side of Hyde Park.

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New apartments for Hyde Park

Grading has begun for The Villas at Hickory Tree, a 56-unit affordable housing apartment complex on Hickory Tree Road just west of N.C. Highway 150.

There will soon be more affordable housing opportunities for senior citizens in Davidson County. Developers are building a $9.3 million affordable housing community for citizens over the age of 55 on Hickory Tree Road in Midway.

Halcon Development, LLC based out of Richmond, Va., and Bradley Housing Developers of Aynor, S.C., have begun construction on a 56-unit apartment building in northern Davidson County.

Pam Freeth, development consultant for Halcon, said the company chose the area because there are so many people who are in need of affordable housing.

"There is a huge waiting list at all the other affordable housing units in the area," Freeth said. "The economy is horrible, and there are many people who qualify where getting a discount on their rents can make a huge difference. We do studies to find the need and to look at what the market is saying. We don't want to go into areas where it isn't needed."

The property, which will consist of a single, two-story building, is already being graded, and workers are installing water and sewage lines. The apartment complex will have a laundry room, covered picnic area with a grill, raised bed garden plots, computer center with high-speed Internet access, TV room, library/craft room and community room with kitchen. The property will also have a gazebo and a covered drop-off elevator. Freeth said all the units will be equipped with two panic buttons, some of which are specially formatted for the visually and hearing impaired.

Halcon received $1.18 million low-income housing credits from the North Carolina Department of Revenue toward the project in 2013. The company had previously applied for a Community Development Block Grant under the North Carolina Catalyst Program to help fund infrastructure needs in November 2012. Davidson County Commissioners rejected the application, stating they had not secured appropriate financing.

The apartment complex has been a controversial subject with some residents on Hickory Tree Road. Commissioners approved the rezoning of the complex's proposed location in 2012, despite hearing from multiple residents about the traffic problems it would create. Freeth said her company has taken concerns about the impact to traffic seriously.

"The traffic study said the problem wasn't as bad as first thought," Freeth said. "We are not out to cause any problems. Usually only half of the senior residents have cars anyway, and if they do they don't drive in and out that often. The land was already zoned for a business, which would have been more traffic. We definitely took the traffic pattern into consideration."

Phillip Craver, assistant district engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, said his crews have made adjustments to the road configuration to decrease the impact on traffic.

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Apartment complex on Hickory Tree to cater to seniors

The Idaho Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Boise building owner and against the city of Boise in a legal battle surrounding the currently under-construction River Edge Apartment complex on West Royal Boulevard near Boise State University.

It was March 2012 when 917 Lusk LLC, which owns a building next to the proposed five-story apartment complex, argued that the city had improperly granted a conditional use permit to the apartment building's developers.

Lusk said the area had been zoned for residential/office developments but required a special permit for a building taller than 35 feet. Lusk owners also argued that the proposed apartment building would have an adverse impact on needed parking spaces.

Lusk took the city of Boise and Royal Boulevard Associatesthe developer of the apartment buildingto district court, which agreed with the City Council decision to give developers the conditional use permit.

But in a ruling handed down today, the Idaho Supreme court reversed the lower court's decision, thus upending the permit for the project. The high court ruled that the Boise City Council "erred by affirming the Planning and Zoning decision" and that the commission "abused its discretion."

"We conclude that there is sufficient evidence that Lusk is in jeopardy of economic hardship from the project," wrote the justices.

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Idaho Supreme Court Rules Against City of Boise, Developer of River Edge Apartments

Tuesday, March 3, 2015, by Spencer Peterson

The Moinian Group's colossal rental tower at 605 West 42nd Street will likely never be considered an iconic building, but it can be considered historic; when it's completed later this year, it will hold 1,175 apartments, more units than any other building in New York City. It will eventually lose the title to TF Cornerstone's project to the north at 606 West 57th Street, but nevermind that. For now, the development team is savoring the superlative while they can, and they hired fashion photographer Scott Furkay to shoot a collection of construction photos "in the same vein of those taken during the making of other NYC landmarks." And it's safe to say that they accomplished their goal. Furkay's black and white photos are very reminiscent of Lewis Hine's iconic shots of the Empire State Buildingminus the danger.

Pics and more pics, on Curbed NY. >>

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Construction Watch: In Photos: The Rise of New York's Largest Apartment Building

After two weeks off, new development projects are back in the District of North Vancouver.

A five-storey, 35-unit apartment at Draycott Road received the nod from council Monday to head to public hearing March 3.

The unanimous verdict came less than an hour after the expiration of councils short-lived moratorium on development, which resulted in a two-week deferral of the Draycott Road project.

The rezoning of four commercial lots on the east side of Mountain Highway can only go ahead if council is assured a robust construction management plan is in place, according to a staff report.

There are two developments under construction in fairly close proximity on Mountain Highways west side, meaning excavation and concrete deliveries might have to be co-ordinated to ensure the roadways arent overwhelmed, according to the staff report.

While he supported sending the project to public hearing, Coun. Doug MacKay-Dunn said he needed more details about traffic management.

Id really like to know how were going to handle this, especially with the construction going on, he said.

Coun. Jim Hanson also supported sending the project to the public, citing its relatively small impact on district traffic.

The disparity between the apartment buildings abundant parking and a comparatively few spots for bicycles rankled Coun. Mathew Bond, who suggested the project wasnt in line with district priorities.

The apartment includes 60 underground parking spots, approximately 1.7 stalls per unit, but only 0.54 cycling stalls per unit, he pointed out.

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Apartment block heads to public hearing

AvalonBays Falls Churchlocation, on the edge of Falls Church City, is one of several developments under construction that uses engineered wood and lightweight construction materials. Another of AvalonBays developments in Edgewater, N.J., which also uses engineered wood, was destroyed in a January fire. (Photos: Drew Costley/News-Press)

One of the trends in real estate construction over the last 30 years has been the use of engineered wood and other lightweight construction materials in the building of the structures that house residences, including apartments, and businesses. The advantages to using these materials engineered wood trusses and I-joists used to build a houses roof and floors are that they are environmentally-friendly and cheaper because less wood is needed to constitute these building supplies.

But while this form of construction is completely legal, a tradeoff highlighted by a January fire in Edgewater, N.J. that, according to The New York Times, displaced more than a 1,000 residents of an apartment complex built using engineered wood and other buildings surrounding the complex is that fires in structures built using engineered wood spread faster. And the structures themselves are more prone to structural collapse.

Out of the two major developments in Falls Church City Rushmarks Harris Teeter building going up on West Broad Street and Lincoln Properties The Reserve at Tinner Hill only The Reserve at Tinner Hill is using engineered wood, according to the Citys building inspector Doug Fraser. The Harris Teeter building is a concrete structure.

Another development on the edge of the City, Avalon Falls Church on S. Spring Street, also uses engineered wood, according to construction workers on the site. The property is owned and being developed by AvalonBay, the same company that owned the Avalon at Edgewater complex that was torched in the aforementioned January fire. That complex was also built with engineered wood, according to The Times account of the fire.

Fraser noted in an interview with the News-Press that structures built with engineered wood can be more easily compromised in a fire. If you take an I-joist and burn two inches off the I-joist youve lost most of the structural capacity of that I-joist, Fraser said.

So that worries fire guys. If you get a real big house with I-joists and you have a fire in there it doesnt take as much fire to compromise some of the structure of a houses floor system or a roof system.

Falls Church Citys fire marshal Tom Polera said that most fire folks hate the use of engineered wood, and it has changed how firefighters train and prepare for their job, in addition to changing how they fight actual fires.

Its whats being used in most construction nowadays. It became very popular in the 1980s and 1990s, Polera said. The problem with it is it reduces the time capability of the structure being able to withstand a fire when exposed to heat and fire and more of a potential for collapse.

He went on to explain more about the difference of fighting fires in structures made with engineered wood versus dimensional lumber, a material used in older homes.

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Use of Engineered Wood Poses Benefits, Dangers

4Marq apartment building construction, Minneapolis, MN
All of these pictures were taken by me on either my phone or Nikon D3000. They last from 8/23/14 to 3/1/15. It currently stands structurally at 22 stories. When completed, it will top out at...

By: Grant Simons

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4Marq apartment building construction, Minneapolis, MN - Video