Brisk leasing of upscale apartments at the newly opened Bakery Living complex in the East End is prompting developers to push up construction of a second apartment building by about a year.

It's another signal of the appetite for apartments in Pittsburgh, where hundreds of high-end units catering largely to young professionals and empty nesters are being built from the ground up in areas including the East End, South Side and Strip District.

Demand has been better than expected, Todd Reidbord, president of Shadyside-based developer Walnut Capital, said of leasing at Bakery Living's first building along Penn Avenue.

Reidbord said about 75 percent of the building's 175 apartments are leased. It opened in June, with rents ranging from $1,150 to $3,200 a month.

Reidbord briefed the Pittsburgh Planning Commission about the proposed second building at a meeting Tuesday. Like the first, it would be U-shaped, five stories tall and have 175 apartments ranging from so-called micros to two-bedroom units.

It's essentially a twin of the other building, Reidbord said.

The second building would be accented with different colors than the first, including slate blue, gray, white and black. Reidbord said it also might offer more fitness amenities, including yoga and Pilates classes.

Planning Commissioner Lucy Spruill voiced concern that only four of the units would be fully accessible to people with disabilities meeting minimum requirements.

I would like to see you do more than the bare minimum, said Spruill, who uses a wheelchair.

Construction is expected to cost up to $25 million. Pending approvals, work could begin in November or December and be completed by June 2016, Reidbord said.

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Strong demand drives East End apartment developers to expedite next project

A seven-story modular apartment building called the Stack, left, is shown next to a decades-old residence in the Innwood neighborhood of New York. (AP photo: Bebeto Matthews)

NEW YORK In a city piled high with ambitious architecture, a seven-floor structure off the beaten path boasts a distinction of its own: Its billed as the first multistory, modular-built apartment building to open in the nations apartment capital.

Called the Stack, the building near Manhattans northern tip aims to show that while stackable apartments can save builders time and money, modular doesnt have to mean monotonous. Its chunky front embraces its building-block roots, but the apartments interiors defy their boxy components with varied floor plans and stylish fixtures and finishes.

Modular construction assembling a building from prefabricated sections instead of building from scratch on-site has been around for decades, but interest has grown recently around the country and in its biggest city. The worlds tallest modular building, a 32-story apartment tower, is rising in Brooklyn.

Advocates say modular building can trim costs and timetables module factories dont have to worry about bad weather and make construction more consistent. Still, the technique presents special challenges (say, driving a 750-square-foot box over the George Washington Bridge), and not all projects have proven speedy. Some have faced pushback from labor interests, not to mention an image problem: The method is sometimes perceived as cheap and, well, cookie-cutter.

Prefab and modular have somewhat of a stigma associated with it, in some peoples minds, whether its appropriate or not, developer Jeffrey M. Brown said. But this approach can really produce cool buildings.

Jeffrey M. Brown walks July 9 through a two-bedroom apartment in the seven-story modular apartment building, called the Stack, that he co-developed in the Innwood neighborhood of New York. (AP photo: Bebeto Matthews)

Some key facts about modular buildings (in stackable form):

The lay of the land

Modular apartment buildings date at least to Montreals Habitat 67 complex, built for the 1967 Worlds Fair and still a desirable address. Section-stacking construction is still a relatively rarity in the U.S.: about 1 percent of the overall market outside single-family homes, according to the Modular Building Institute, a trade association. But interest has grown in the last 20 years, as some developers embraced the efficiency of piecing together components that come complete with floors, electrical systems, appliances even towel bars to create apartments, hotels, hospitals and more. New York Citys Department of Buildings says 39 modular projects have at least submitted paperwork.

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Modular apartments stack up in Manhattan

NYC apartment house seeks to show how modular design stacks up in the quest for cool

NEW YORK (AP) -- In a city piled high with ambitious architecture, a seven-floor structure off the beaten path boasts a distinction of its own: Its billed as the first multistory, modular-built apartment building to open in the nations apartment capital.

Called the Stack, the building near Manhattans northern tip aims to show that while stackable apartments can save builders time and money, modular doesnt have to mean monotonous. Its chunky front embraces its building-block roots, but the apartments interiors defy their boxy components with varied floor plans and stylish fixtures and finishes.

Modular construction -- assembling a building from prefabricated sections instead of building from scratch on-site -- has been around for decades, but interest has grown recently around the country and in its biggest city. The worlds tallest modular building, a 32-story apartment tower, is rising in Brooklyn.

Advocates say modular building can trim costs and timetables -- module factories dont have to worry about bad weather -- and make construction more consistent. Still, the technique presents special challenges (say, driving a 750-square-foot box over the George Washington Bridge), and not all projects have proven speedy. Some have faced pushback from labor interests, not to mention an image problem: The method is sometimes perceived as cheap and, well, cookie-cutter.

"Pre-fab and modular have somewhat of a stigma associated with it, in some peoples minds, whether its appropriate or not," developer Jeffrey M. Brown said. But "this approach can really produce cool buildings."

Poll shows few Americans check doctors vitals before letting them check theirs

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans consider insurance and a good bedside manner in choosing a doctor, but will that doctor provide high-quality care? A new poll shows that people dont know how to determine that.

Being licensed and likable doesnt necessarily mean a doctor is up to date on best practices. But consumers arent sure how to uncover much more. Just 22 percent of those questioned are confident they can find information to compare the quality of local doctors, according to the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Today, 6 in 10 people say they trust doctor recommendations from friends or family, and nearly half value referrals from their regular physician. The poll found far fewer trust quality information from online patient reviews, health insurers, ratings web sites, the media, even the government.

Continue reading here:
World in Brief

NEW YORK In a city piled high with ambitious architecture, a seven-floor structure off the beaten path boasts a distinction: It's billed as the first multistory, modular-built apartment building to open in the nation's apartment capital.

Called the Stack, the building near Manhattan's northern tip aims to show that while stackable apartments can save builders time and money, modular doesn't have to mean monotonous. Its chunky front embraces its building-block roots, but the apartments' interiors defy their boxy components with varied floor plans and stylish fixtures and finishes.

Modular construction assembling a building from prefabricated sections instead of building from scratch on-site has been around for decades, but interest has grown recently around the country and in its biggest city. The world's tallest modular building, a 32-story apartment tower, is rising in Brooklyn.

Advocates say modular building can trim costs and timetables module factories don't have to worry about bad weather and make construction more consistent.

The technique presents special challenges, say, driving a 750-square-foot box over the George Washington Bridge, and not all projects have proven speedy. Some have faced pushback from labor interests, not to mention an image problem: The method is sometimes perceived as cheap and, well, cookie-cutter.

Pre-fab' and modular' have somewhat of a stigma associated with it, in some people's minds, whether it's appropriate or not, developer Jeffrey M. Brown said. But this approach can really produce cool buildings.

Modular apartment buildings date at least to Montreal's Habitat 67 complex, built for the 1967 World's Fair and still a desirable address.

Section-stacking construction is a rarity in the United States: about 1 percent of the market outside single-family homes, according to the Modular Building Institute, a trade association. Interest has grown in the past 20 years, however, as some developers embraced the efficiency of piecing together components that come complete with floors, electrical systems, appliances even towel bars to make apartments, hotels and hospitals.

New York City's Department of Buildings says 39 modular projects have at least submitted paperwork.

Among New York's next modular moves is a Manhattan micro-unit apartment building plan that won a city contest last year; the project is under way.

Original post:
N.Y. building shows how modular design stacks up as cool

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - In a city piled high with ambitious architecture, a seven-floor structure off the beaten path boasts a distinction of its own: It's billed as the first multistory, modular-built apartment building to open in the nation's apartment capital.

Called the Stack, the building near Manhattan's northern tip aims to show that while stackable apartments can save builders time and money, modular doesn't have to mean monotonous. Its chunky front embraces its building-block roots, but the apartments' interiors defy their boxy components with varied floor plans and stylish fixtures and finishes.

Modular construction - assembling a building from prefabricated sections instead of building from scratch on-site - has been around for decades, but interest has grown recently around the country and in its biggest city. The world's tallest modular building, a 32-story apartment tower, is rising in Brooklyn.

Advocates say modular building can trim costs and timetables - module factories don't have to worry about bad weather - and make construction more consistent. Still, the technique presents special challenges (say, driving a 750-square-foot box over the George Washington Bridge), and not all projects have proven speedy. Some have faced pushback from labor interests, not to mention an image problem: The method is sometimes perceived as cheap and, well, cookie-cutter.

"'Pre-fab' and 'modular' have somewhat of a stigma associated with it, in some people's minds, whether it's appropriate or not," developer Jeffrey M. Brown said. But "this approach can really produce cool buildings."

Some key facts about modular buildings (in stackable form):

THE LAY OF THE LAND

Modular apartment buildings date at least to Montreal's Habitat 67 complex, built for the 1967 World's Fair and still a desirable address. Section-stacking construction is still a relatively rarity in the U.S.: about 1 percent of the overall market outside single-family homes, according to the Modular Building Institute, a trade association. But interest has grown in the last 20 years, as some developers embraced the efficiency of piecing together components that come complete with floors, electrical systems, appliances - even towel bars - to create apartments, hotels, hospitals and more. New York City's Department of Buildings says 39 modular projects have at least submitted paperwork.

HOW THE STACK WORKS

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NY building shows how mod design stacks up as cool - Quincy Herald-Whig | Illinois & Missouri News, Sports

Tony Lane, insolvency and reconstruction senior manager at chartered accountants firm Vincents, in Wright. Photo: Graham Tidy

An estimated 114 building and construction-related companies have gone to the wall in Canberra since the start of last year, leaving behind more than $80 million in debts, Australian Securities and Investments Commission data has revealed.

With the downturn in the building, home improvement and renovation sector expected to worsen as public servants remain uncertain about their futures, ACT insolvency specialists say the snowballing "tsunami" of economic pain documented in wind-up notices on the ASIC website wont end soon.

All things being equal we would generally expect an increase in insolvency appointments during such a period (as this), Tony Lane, the senior manager for insolvency and reconstruction with accountants Vincents,told Fairfax.

He warns "larger and larger entities" are likely to fail as the impact of liquidations and unpaid debt cascades through the sector.

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The collapse of one company leaving unpaid debts often will push others over the brink.

(Businesses) most exposed are those with poor and outdated systems, poor or non-existent cost controls, out-of-date service delivery mechanisms, inefficient work practices and poor cash flow, Mr Lane said.

Michael Slaven,of the insolvency firm Kazar Slaven,said he did not expect the rate of company collapses to increase but he wasnt expecting it to slow either.

Kazar Slaven has handled almost 30 per cent of the building and construction-related insolvencies in the ACT over the past 18 months.

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Tough times in building trades won't end soon, experts say

Every tenant will be moved out of the 28-unit D'Ambrosio Drive apartment complex in Barrie's south end during repairs following a fire last weekend.

Initial plans to move a dozen first-floor tenants back into the building that caught fire Saturday night have been changed to evacuating everyone from their homes until the building is restored.

No one's moving back in because it will be a construction site, Sean Fleming, superintendent with the Barrie Municipal Non-Profit Housing Corp., said Thursday afternoon. We're relocating every tenant until the repairs are finished.

The fire started in a unit on the second floor of the three-storey apartment building, around 9:30 p.m., Saturday.

Approximately 50 people were displaced after the blaze tore through the building, causing $500,000 in damage to the building due to smoke and water.

Only about half of the tenants have contents insurance, the Examiner has learned.

Those renters will have their furniture and personal items moved outside, washed and held in storage units on-site until they're relocated to another building, or move back in to 101 D'Ambrosio Dr.

Families without insurance were having their personal items carried out and were washing their belongings before they, too, would be put in bins and moved with them to another location.

Young families who don't have insurance believe they may have to discard many of their belongings, Alley Harrington said.

They don't want us to move things that will contaminate the new place, anything plastic or press board, the smell goes right into those things and stays, Harrington said

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All residents of Barrie apartment building being relocated after fire

Two Houston firefighters whose last-second rescue of a construction worker from a burning apartment building made for breathtaking video have been jointly honored as Firefighter of the Year.

Capt. Brad Hawthorne and Engine Operator Dewayne Wyble, both from Station 18 at Lockwood and Telephone Road, received the award July 16 from the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston. They were honored during the organization's 36th annual Firefighter of the Year luncheon at a Galleria restaurant.

Nearly 200 firefighters and 80 pieces of equipment responded to the five-alarm blaze March 25 at an apartment building under construction on West Dallas at Montrose. But it was Hawthorne and Wyble and the construction worker they saved who captured national attention, thanks to viral video.

As the fire raged, the worker jumped from the fourth-floor balcony to a balcony one floor below. When Hawthorne moved near him on an aerial ladder, the worker made a desperate leap to safety.

Right then, a large section of the top floor collapsed behind them, and the burning wall fell to the ground.

The worker was rescued "pretty much seconds before the fire would have overtaken him," Capt. Ruy Lozano said.

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Daring rescue earns firefighter awards

Developers of a proposed apartment complex near Ross Park Mall in Ross have told commissioners the building would raise the bar on apartment development.

Commissioners July 7 unanimously approved a conditional use and a site plan for the eight-story apartment building being developed by Real Estate Development Associates, Cranberry.

This project by far raises the bar on rental living in the North Hills. It is the most luxurious project that I have ever been a part of, said developer Larry Dorsch. This is something much needed in this marketplace, adding that there havent been any new residential rentals in Ross for more than 30 years.

The building on McKnight East Drive will contain six floors of apartments with a parking garage on the first floor. The top floor will include two lounges, a fitness center and a rooftop patio, said architect Loren Wright.

There will be 149 one- and two-bedroom units. Each unit has a balcony, walk-in closet in the bedrooms, along with a washer and dryer.

Project engineer John Schleicher, of Gibson-Thomas Engineering, said the building would be constructed on five lots that will make 3.73 acres. The lots have been vacant for approximately 30 years, he said.

We believe that this project is harmonious to the area, he said. It is a complementary use with the mall and office buildings.

Mr. Schleicher did not say when construction for the apartment complex will start.

Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer asked if they could put in sidewalks to the mall for residents, employees and shoppers who take the bus. Mr. Schleicher said that Cheryl Drive is a private road owned by the mall, but Mr. Dorsch said they are working with the malls officials on a possible stairway to its parking lot.

One resident had spoken in favor of the project before commissioners voted. Harriet Valliant, a retired North Hills High School teacher, said she has wanted to move into a smaller residence, but has been unable to find anything suitable in Ross.

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Apartment complex near Ross Park Mall wins approval

John Fallon, the lawyer for a developer who wants to build a 95-unit apartment building on lower Bronson Road, had a rough start to his rebuttal at the fourth and final public hearing on the controversial project Wednesday night.

The controversial application by Garden Homes Management was the topic of 16 hours of testimony and debate in the past nine days when the Town Plan and Zoning Commission ended its hearings on the plan about 11 p.m. Wednesday. The Stamford developer's plan calls for construction of a three-story apartment building on 2.7 acres at 92 and 140 Bronson Road. The property, which the developer has a contract to buy, is bordered by an Interstate 95 on-ramp and Metro-North Railroad tracks.

Fallon opened his rebuttal Wednesday by suggesting "conditions of approval" that the TPZ could adopt when it expects to vote on the development application next week. But Fallon only made it halfway through his list before Matthew Wagner, the TPZ's chairman, said it sounded like he was changing the development plan without allowing it to be reviewed by Joel Z. Green, the lawyer for opponents, or the public. Neighbors of the proposed development have expressed strong opposition to the plan at the earlier meetings on the application.

"You're proposing a new plan with new parking, a turnaround and smaller number of units," Wagner told Fallon.

Fallon disagreed: "We offer not a revised plan but a sketch as to how these can be implemented."

Wagner said none of Fallon's proposed conditions of approval had been reviewed by engineers or the public, and questioned whether Fallon was "conceding there are public health, safety and welfare issues that are problematic for which you have to make modifications to your plans."

"Absolutely not," Fallon said.

Fallon said he stood by the application that was filed by Garden Homes and that his proposed conditions of approval were in "no way any admission there are public health and safety issues." He said the commission had an obligation to find conditions of approval, instead of denying the application if they exist, because the development application was filed under 8-30g, the state's affordable housing statute. Fallon said he was trying to be constructive.

Wagner brought Green into the argument by saying he wanted Green to submit something in writing that spoke to what Fallon was proposing.

Green said he and his clients "strenuously object" to Fallon's conditions of approval being part of the record "without our having the opportunity to review them."

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Bronson apartment plan's fate awaits TPZ vote after four nights of debate