At a public hearing concluded last week, green was the watchword in the commissioners discussion.

The Marthas Vineyard Commission (MVC) wrapped up a public hearing in one session last Thursday night on a proposal by the Island Housing Trust (IHT) to build a six-unit affordable housing rental apartment building at 6 Water Street in Vineyard Haven. But not before the commissioners put IHT executive director Philippe Jordi, accompanied by IHT board chairman Richard Leonard, through the paces during a more than 90-minute discussion, and put off a decision by one week.

Most of the commissioners questions focused on the affordable housing projects design elements, and particularly the lack of greenery on the 0.11-acre site close to Five Corners.

Photo by Michael Cummo

This dilapidated house will be replaced by a six bedroom affordable apartment building.

The MVC reviewed the affordable housing project adjacent to Stop & Shop as a development of regional impact (DRI). Approval could come tonight. On Monday, the commissions land use planning committee voted to recommend approval with the condition that the MVC approve the final landscaping, architectural detail, and stormwater management plans before a building permit is issued.

Plans call for a two-and-a-half story, 3,600-square-foot building. There will be six 600-square-foot apartments, three handicapped accessible ground floor units and three on the second floor, each with one bedroom and one bathroom. Mr. Jordi said IHT worked closely with Tisburys Affordable Housing Committee, Planning Board, Historic Commission, building department, and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to come up with the design

It is our intent to develop a project that contributes to the village of Vineyard Haven and the communitys critical need for year-round affordable rental housing, Mr. Jordi said last Thursday night. We ask that you close the public hearing and make your decision tonight, so that we have time for the Tisbury Zoning Board of Appeals public review process in advance of the state and local grant funding process this fall.

Green versus housing

Commissioner Joan Malkin of Chilmark called attention to a bricked area on the plans that includes the developments only parking space, to be used for deliveries, pickups and dropoffs only.

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MVC poised to approve Water Street affordable housing

Construction is set to begin next week on an Uptown Dallas apartment tower.

Dallas Cheng Investments and Stoneleigh Cos. are building the 20-story residential high-rise on the former site of the Hard Rock Cafe on McKinney Avenue at Routh Street.

Called One Dallas, the building will contain about 200 apartments plus extensive retail on the first two floors.

Development partner Paul Cheng said the groundbreaking will be on July 23.

It will feature six levels of underground parking, charging stations for electric vehicles, rooftop pool and interior lobby designed by designer Francois Frossard, Cheng said.

Dallas architect Phillip Shepherd designed the building along with Humphreys & Partners Architects.

One of the restaurants will be called Style and Grace, featuring a superstar chef from New York City, Cheng said. The other restaurant we are finalizing the lease so we are not able to announce just yet.

Real estate brokers say the developers have talked to several high-end local eateries about moving into the project, including The Palm, which is now in downtowns West End.

Cheng Investments is building the tower in partnership with Illinois-based Stoneleigh, which is headed by Rick Cavenaugh.

The two firms bought the McKinney Avenue tract almost a year ago.

Continued here:
Groundbreaking set for McKinney Avenue high-rise

By Michael Kransz | Published 07/09/14 1:26pm | Updated 1 hour ago

Ithaca, Mich., resident Mike Hardman does construction work July 9, 2014, on the Midtown Apartments, 3433 E. Michigan Ave. The project, that broke ground October 2013, is set to be completed in early August. Danyelle Morrow/The State News

Although the overall student population has remained stable in recent years, increasing numbers of international students plus the hope of attracting young professionals to the area have driven nearby-campus housing developments.

By fall 2014, at least two apartment buildings already leasing out spaces are slated to open. By fall 2015, potentially five more apartment buildings might be completed and join the new housing ranks.

Aside from the tentative housing plans of the Red Cedar Renaissance and Park District projects, all the apartment buildings feature either studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom or some combination at higher-end prices.

Although nearby-downtown locations and intimate room setups come at a pricier cost, DTN Vice President Colin Cronin said graduate students and young professionals are more apt to lease them.

Cronin, whose company is currently manning the Gateway Project and a portion of the Park District project, said the hope with nearby-downtown, upscale apartments is that businesses will tailor themselves to the increased population of young professionals.

If you can get a slightly different group living down there, then the rest change their offerings, Cronin said. The more diversity you can get downtown, the more it will change the downtown over time.

These apartments, and the businesses that assumedly will tailor to the demographic shift, could drive post-graduation student retention in East Lansing, he said.

Planning, Building and Development Director Tim Dempsey said fostering a young professional population in East Lansing has, for some time, been one of the citys priorities.

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New apartment construction booms in East Lansing

Aided by the economic recovery, the gentrification of the part of West Berkeley once devoted to light manufacturing and warehouse space continues apace. On June 16 architect David Trachtenberg filed an application for a use permit for a 5-story mixed use building on the site at 2001 Fourth Street now occupied by Grocery Outlet, a discount retail store which is part of a more-than-200-store chain.

Long-time Berkeleyans remember that the market used to be called Canned Foods. It has filled an important niche for the financially strapped West Berkeley shopper, specializing in packaged food items that had dings and dents, were close to their pull date, or were marked down for some other reason that didnt affect safety or nutritional value. It will be sorely missed if it closes, patrons say.

An obligatory large yellow sign has been hung on the back wall of the store facing University Avenue, but it lists only the architect, not the owner. Yesterday, the City of Berkeleys Planning Department posted the full application and accompanying plans on its current zoning list. A number of variances from height and density zoning regulations are requested.

The site owner is listed on the applications as RI Berkeley LLC. A Planning Department staff member told the Planet that the site is owned by Read Investments, the same owner as the adjacent Read Building. In a 2008 entry on Trachtenbergs web site, the Read Building was described as the first phase of a larger master plan for the entire block. The boundaries of the square block are Fourth, University, Addison and Fifth.

A second Read Investment building designed by Trachenberg is now under construction on the northeast corner of the block, the Aquatic Residences at 800 University Avenue. That one is advertised on the Read site as a 58-unit mixed-use apartment boasting two roof top sky lounges, an outdoor bocce ball court, a high end fitness center and lush gardens.

Also on June 16, Reuters reported according to un-named sources that the Grocery Outlet chain is being offered for sale at the price of one billion dollars. The story said that Grocery Outlet has about $100 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization and could sell for more than 10 times that figure.

A year ago the chain announced plans to move its headquarters from the Berkeley location to Emeryville. The San Francisco Business times reported that Grocery Outlet was started in San Francisco, but it moved to Berkeley in 1992 to a 20,000-square-foot space at 2001 4th St. that sits above a Grocery Outlet store. The Berkeley space is owned by Read Investments LLC, a real estate firm founded by the same Read family that founded Grocery Outlet and owns real estate that the retailer leases.

In 2009, family members sold an 80% stake in Grocery Outlet to Berkshire Partners to facilitate continued expansion of Read Investments, according to the corporations web site.

The current co-CEO of Grocery Outlet is MacGregor Read, grandson of the companys founder, and several Read relatives are Read Investments partners and executives.

Both employees and customers of the Berkeley Grocery Outlet have told the Planet that they are concerned about the stores closing just as new apartments are adding thousands of residents to the neighborhood. The closest large food vendor is the West Berkeley Bowl, outside walking distance for most of those who live in the University avenue area. A few blocks east, the building formerly operated as a supermarket by Andronicos, and before that by the Berkeley Co-Op, now houses a thrift store.

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Demolition Sought to Replace Grocery Outlet Building with 5-Story Mixed Use Project

Authorities are looking into whether the multi-use property that burst into flames and killed four adults and three children was in compliance with Lowells building codes, but documents show the structures owner had a clean record with the city.

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said he has asked Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan to join him in a thorough review of the dwellings code compliance history.

The building, owned by Sanjay Patel of DK Ram LLC, had a ground-floor liquor store and eight residential units, according to city records. One of the units located at 81-85 Branch St. was vacant, and 48 to 50 people lived in the building, according to authorities.

Patel was one of the first property owners to sign up for a building inspection in 2013 after Lowell passed a residential unit ordinance requiring sanitation inspections in 2012, according to authorities. The building passed the inspection in March 2013 with no negative comments, according to city documents.

Words cannot begin to express the sadness I feel for everyone affected by the devastating fire this morning, Patel said yesterday in a prepared statement. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who died and those who were injured. I have met with the authorities today and will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation into this tragedy.

Coan said there was not an automatic sprinkler system in the building. The building was allowed to skirt the sprinkler system rule because it was built in the late 1800s and did not have any major construction done, according to city authorities.

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Apartment building passed inspection, had no sprinklers

By Scott Daugherty The Virginian-Pilot July 10, 2014

CHESAPEAKE

Kendra Smith wasn't thrilled with her temporary home Wednesday.

Her apartment building was evacuated the night before because of a kitchen fire in one of the units, so the 55-year-old former accountant was staying at the Red Roof Inn on Woodlake Drive. She said it was difficult for her to walk upstairs to her second-floor room. She also lamented leaving some of her heart medication in her apartment and wished she'd grabbed her coffee maker.

But given Smith's former living arrangements, she wasn't complaining. The hotel was better than the Jeep Grand Cherokee she called home before moving into Heron's Landing last year.

"This ain't home, but at least it's got a roof," Smith said with a laugh Wednesday while chatting with friends outside the hotel.

Fifty-eight formerly homeless people - including veterans, unemployed construction workers and former police officers - were forced from their apartments Tuesday after a fire in the 2100 block of S. Military Hwy. All are expected to be able to return today, officials said.

Capt. Scott Saunders, a Fire Department spokesman, said the 10:15 p.m. blaze in a second-floor apartment triggered the building's sprinkler system. He said only one sprinkler head was activated, but water flooded parts of the first and second floors and forced the building's electricity to be turned off.

One resident suffered smoke inhalation but refused to be taken to the hospital, Saunders said. There were no other injuries.

Heron's Landing opened in March 2013. The 60-unit, $10 million project offers formerly homeless adults the chance to live in studio apartments. The building was funded by South Hampton Roads cities and is run by the nonprofit Virginia Supportive Housing.

See the article here:
58 displaced at Chesapeake apartments for homeless

A six-story apartment building proposed for Shorewood has won village zoning approval over opposition from some residents, who say it will be too tall for their neighborhood.

The Village Board, after nearly four hours of a public hearing and board discussion, voted 7-0 late Monday night to approve the building, whichGeneral Capital Group plans to develop west of Oakland Ave. and south of Olive St.

The apartment building, with about 90 units and street-level retail space, will be part of a larger project that includes a two-story Metro Market, to be built north of Kenmore Place, with a four-level parking structure between that upscale supermarket and the apartments. The existing one-story Pick 'n Save supermarket, and two smaller vacant buildings, will be demolished to make way for the new development.

General Capital, and village officials who support the project, said the apartment building needs to be six stories to make it financially feasible. While the village's master plan for Oakland Ave. calls for buildings no higher than four stories, those two extra floors bring additional apartments that create more rental income.

Supporters say Shorewood has other buildings that are six stories or higher, including the LightHorse 4041 apartment building, which opened last year west of Oakland Ave. and south of Kenmore Place. They said the continued redevelopment of Oakland Ave. is generating more property tax revenue for the village, and its school district.

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6-story apartment building wins Shorewood approval

Steamboat Springs Building in Routt County in the first half of 2014 has outpaced the same stretch of last year, with the number of permits and construction valuation up, according to the Routt County Regional Building Department.

While both Steamboat Springs and the rest of Routt County have seen an increase in building activity, the greatest gains were within Steamboat city limits.

Total construction valuation overseen by the department was up almost 10 percent compared to last year, and the number of building permits in Steamboat and the county increased by about 42 percent.

But while construction valuation in Steamboat Springs was up about 60 percent, it fell more than 30 percent in the county despite there being more building permits issued, 76 to 58.

About $4 million of that valuation increase in Steamboat was from two permits being pulled for the 42-unit SkiView apartment building (formerly SkyView) being constructed by Brinkman Partners, but there also have been 17 single-family home building permits issued so far this year as well as one duplex permit.

Initially, according to department staff member Dana Seidenberg, the homes were larger, but more modest projects have come along as of late.

Overall in Steamboat, there have been 131 building permits issued through June compared to 88 in the same period last year, an increase of almost 50 percent.

Revenues for the Routt County Regional Building Department were almost $570,000 through June, up about 40 percent compared to last year.

Weve been seeing that every year is a bit of an incline, Seidenberg said, adding that the department has hired another staff member to do inspections through the summer.

Seidenberg said the new inspector was hired in June and likely will work till November or December.

Continue reading here:
Building figures in Routt County outpacing last year

It is a $75 million waiting game.

The leader of a Chicago development group wasn't saying Monday whether plans for a $75 million, five-story apartment/retail building near the Kansas University campus are at risk if the company doesn't receive a requested 95 percent tax rebate from local governments.

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will be the first of three local governments to consider the property tax rebate, but it is uncertain whether the rebate has the votes to win approval.

"It is a project that would be competing with other landlords in the area, and that gives me a problem with the subsidy request," said City Commissioner Bob Schumm.

The city's Public Incentives Review Committee last month was split on the request for a 95 percent tax abatement. The group deadlocked 4-4 on the issue. Mayor Mike Amyx, as a member of the PIRC, voted against the 95 percent request, but showed support for an 85 percent abatement. Commissioner Jeremy Farmer voted for the 95 percent request.

Jim Heffernan, a principal with the development group HERE LLC, said the company was "hopeful" that commissioners would agree to the tax rebate. At last month's PIRC meeting, he said a lesser tax rebate such as the 85 percent proposal could put the Lawrence project in jeopardy.

"These apartments will have no equal as it relates to amenities and convenience in Lawrence," Heffernan said.

The project is slated to be built at 1101 and 1115 Indiana St., which includes what is currently the Berkeley Flats apartment complex and a single-family home of a longtime resident who previously had rejected several offers to sell her home. Plans call for the five-story building to be constructed into the hillside that is just across the street from KU's Memorial Stadium and just north of the Kansas Union parking garage.

The building would have a mix of 239 two-bedroom and four-bedroom apartments and about 13,000 square feet of retail space. The project also would include an innovative 577-space parking garage that uses an automated system that moves cars via a track and lift system without the aid of a driver.

The project is expected to have upscale finishes and amenities. Heffernan previously has said many of the apartments will rent for about $1,200 for a one-bedroom unit or about $2,800 a month for a four-bedroom unit.

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City set to decide property tax rebate request for $75 million apartment project

City inspectors said Monday that they are giving the owner of aSherman Hill apartment building more time to make improvements.

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For the past month, residents of the Navarre apartments on 15th Street in Des Moines have been waiting to find out if they are going to be evicted.

Inspectors said they have now granted a one week extension because progress to address issued inside the building is making progress.

Phil Delafield, director of community development, said the owner and property manager have made enough reasonable progress that the city will grant the extension. They are hoping all repairs will be done by next Monday.

Last month, a lack of general maintenance including a leaking roof, plumbing, electrical problems, asbestos, broken windows and screens contributed to the city issuing a court-approved order for the removal of all tenants from the 12-unit building.

Half of the residents have moved out. The remaining five say they're hoping they won't have to move.

Inspectors went through for an hour Monday afternoon, and saw improvements including the plumbing is all fixed, new smoke alarms and window screens, the leaky roof has been repaired. More drywall and plaster repair is to be done and some electrical work, according to the building manager.

The manager said he was hoping for a three-week extension.

"It's cosmetic. We've only got five tenants left. I don't see much sense in making five tenants move out because of some cosmetic issues that we are actively pursuing to get finished," said Matt Funk, property manager at Navarre.

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Apartment manager gets new extension after inspectors' visit