Dec. 29Construction of a new affordable housing project for the elderly has begun in Dupont.

The Dupont Housing for the Elderly project is being developed at the former Ben Franklin School at 611 Walnut St.

Michael Molitoris, executive director of the Housing Authority of Luzerne County, the developer, said the project represents a unique public and private partnership and the culmination of three years of planning to create a housing development which will remove a vacant deteriorated building and transform the site into a "true community asset" to provide affordable housing to low-income seniors. Construction is projected to be completed in December 2021, he said.

A + E Group JV of Wilkes-Barre designed the building which consists of 36 one-bedroom units. Four of the apartments will be designed to be accessible handicapped units and one apartment will be designed for the hearing/sight impaired.

Common amenities, which are located on the first floor, include a community area, a kitchen, an elevator accessing all floors, on-site management and supportive services office and community facilities for laundry.

The building was certified with Enterprise Green Communities for its advanced energy efficiency, the use of zero VOC paints and sealers and water-resistant materials in humid areas for quality interior environment.

The financing structure for the $10.79 million project includes low-income housing tax credits through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency with equity investment of $7.56 million facilitated by Enterprise Housing Credit Investment, LLC and other permanent financing commitments from PHFA Housing Trust Fund and the County of Luzerne HOME and Housing Trust Fund programs. Citizens Bank has provided a $5.4 million construction loan.

Trade Eastern, Inc. is the general contractor. Legal partners include Dermot Kennedy, Ernest (Bucky) Closser and Bruce Anders/ Low-Income Housing Tax Credit technical services are being provided by Tom Elias of T. Elias and Associates.

The Housing Authority of Luzerne County will provide management and maintenance staff with technical support from JLD Compliance Advisory, LLC of Hummelstown, PA. Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton will provide supportive services to assist residents in meeting their everyday needs to remain independent.

Dupont Borough Council and Council President Stanley Knick were key to the plan to develop affordable housing for the elderly when they acquired the school back in 2015, according to a press release announcing the project.

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2115, @CVAllabaugh

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Visit The Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) at citizensvoice.com

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Construction of housing project for the elderly begins in Dupont - Insurance News Net

COVID-19 is altering Minnesota commercial real estate in subtle ways from a boost in office subleases to quick construction pivots to adapt offices and apartments to allow tenants to safely gather outside in the winter or toil away indoors.

Doran Cos. was building its new Birke apartment complex in Minnetonka last summer when the coronavirus forced it to rethink its "amenities deck."

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advising that people avoid socializing indoors, the developer scrapped original designs and opted to heat the deck concrete to allow 125 future tenants to more comfortably use the outdoor BBQ grills, hot tub, fire pits and seating well into December and January.

The change was a first for Doran but is one in a growing number of COVID pivots that building designers are making to cope with a pandemic that is not expected to be completely eradicated for months, even as vaccines roll out nationwide. Many design changes are adding tens of thousands of dollars to construction projects, but not breaking the bank.

Still, the effects of COVID-19 are expected to last for years as office and factory workers, baristas, nurses aides and apartment tenants continue to look for built-in safety measures.

Minnesota building owners quickly installed touchless elevators, hand-sanitizing stations, temperature check-ins and new air-filtration systems during the early days of the pandemic. But now that the virus cases have surged, developers are adding shower rooms, private offices and heated three-season outdoor patios across Minnesota.

Builders are asking themselves, "What are the long-term impacts of COVID?" and then altering their plans, said Doran President and Chief Executive Anne Behrendt. Many are also careful to ask, "Are we going too far with design changes that are reacting to COVID, but that in two or three years may not be how people really want to live and interact?"

The Building Owners and Managers Association estimates only 10 to 15% of Minnesota workers have returned to the office so far. With that percentage not expected to escalate dramatically until well into 2021, it pays for some developers to embrace their COVID construction changes now.

Even with COVID's uncertainty, "You are probably building what still will be utilized for years to come," said Sam Newberg, senior field research analyst at property management and leasing giant CBRE and a BOMA member.

Some Transwestern office-lease clients in Minnesota recently expanded conference rooms thinking they will need bigger collaborative spaces post COVID-19.

The idea being that employee's "individual work" will continue to be done from home while collaborative or project work will be the thing that draws staffers back to the office in clumps even after the virus subsides, said Transwestern Principal Erin Fitzgerald.

Of its 12 Twin Cities projects, Doran Cos. pivoted again this month, changing the blueprints for a Richfield apartment complex going up next to Lunds & Byerlys. Designers dumped plans for an open business center in the lobby and are instead building three individual offices.

Seeing the demand swell for apartment workspace during COVID, Doran added more indoor and outdoor co-working spaces for a Tonka Bay luxury apartment complex now under construction.

"Post-COVID, the only thing that will stick around is people will continue to work from home," said Tony Kuechle, Doran president of development.

Subtle COVID changes are also altering buildings where the workforce can't work remotely.

Oppidan Investment, the senior-housing developer that broke ground on its sixth senior-housing complex in Minnesota one month ago, is adding a screening/locker room with showers for staffers at each of its new properties because of the pandemic. The room will become the new entrance for all staffers.

"We are doing that in Grand Rapids [Minn.] and in all of our [other] new communities," in California and on the East Coast, said Oppidan President Blake Hastings. "It's another step to keep [our workers] safe. So if they are concerned about bringing anything [virus-related] home, they can shower on site and change clothes before leaving work. It gives them a place to decompress and allows us a place to screen these teammates [before] coming into work."

Oppidan is also adding sinks in its resident hallways so aides can wash hands more frequently, Hastings said.

The vaccine won't be widely available for months so this is "the right thing to do," even if it costs more, Hastings said, noting that each new staff locker room will cost the same as adding one senior apartment to each building.

Offices, factories and other industrial builders are taking a different page from health care property managers and installing hospital-grade heating and air-conditioning systems (HVAC) that also purify the air. Murphy Warehouse in Minneapolis recently installed sterilizing UV lights in all its rooftop air systems. Those who sell the units are swamped with inquiries.

"We are definitely selling and shipping more units with the higher-efficiency filters today than ever before and we are shipping orders with the [air-sterilizing] UV lights definitely more than ever before," said Jim Macosko, product general manager at HVAC-maker Daikin Applied Americas.

Daikin, a Japanese firm with two factories in Faribault and one in Owatonna, sees demand spiking for three technologies it can embed in its Minnesota-made HVAC systems. It's using more Merve 13 and 14 air filters or embedding UV lights to trap or kill germs.

Separately, it's also starting to install bipolar ionization equipment in some HVAC systems. Ionization electrically charges air particles and neutralizes bacteria and viruses.

Daikin has yet to install the systems at its own Minnesota factories but has bolstered air-exchange rates and now runs air filters 24/7 not just during work hours, Macosko said.

Even with the arrival of a coronavirus vaccine, high-tech air-purification systems will not fall out of favor after COVID-19 is gone, he said. After all, "COVID won't be the last virus we have."

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COVID will leave lasting changes in Minnesota office and apartment projects - Minneapolis Star Tribune

A Boise developer hopes to add a small office and retail building to a block that will soon include two residential projects in the Downtown Boise core.

Weve been following the two apartment projects developed by Clay Carley and other groups on Grove St. between Fifth Street and Sixth Streets for the last few years. The related but separate projects, currently under construction, will bring a rent-restricted apartment project on the 6th St. side of the block known as Thomas Logan, as well as a market-rate apartment building on the 5th St. side dubbed The Lucy. The two buildings will share a plaza in the middle along Grove St.

[19-story condo tower planned for Downtown Boise]

Now, an area previously designated for a pocket park will instead get a three-story commercial and office building, if a plan submitted to the City of Boise is approved.

The small site sits along 5th St., right behind the Chip Cookies building. The plan from Carley and developer GGLO for Fifth and Grove would include a retail space on the ground floor with two stories of office above.

Though the previously noted ground floor pocket park would go away they hope to include about the same amount of green space somewhere else: the roof.

The vegetated fescue roof, viewed from nearby buildings, draws inspiration from the Boise Foothills in the distance, an application letter from GGLO notes.

Renderings show a series of shaggy green plantings on the roof of the building.

The larger form has an open floorpan for users, with large open windows facing east to the park across the street, and to the west, GGLO wrote. Internally, the building provides flexible spaces with large openings to the street, with exposed floor and roof structures. The exposed wood joist ceilings on each level give the open spaces a colorful richness and natural textures that will be visible from street level.

A public hearing on the project is set for January 13th at 6pm. Participants can testify in person or online. Due to limitations with the City of Boises online permit system, we cannot link you to the hearing notice, but if you click this link, then click Documents, then navigate to page 4, then select PDS-Legal Notice DR_HYBRID MEETING LEGAL NOTICE 1-13-2021 you can find further details.

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Three-story office building proposed to slide in between apartments, alley in Downtown Boise - boisedev.com

A jump in apartment construction projects in November boosted the tight supply of homes in the booming US real estate market, according to government data released Thursday.

With borrowing rates at record lows during the Covid-19 pandemic, home sales have been one of the bright spots in the US economy, pushing prices higher and challenging builders to keep up with demand.

Total housing starts rose 1.2 percent compared to October to a 1.55 million seasonally-adjusted annual rate, the Commerce Department reported.

That was slightly better than economists had expected, and a solid result heading into winter when construction usually slows.

Building initiated on multi-family units jumped eight percent, while single-family starts rose just 0.4 percent, according to the report.

Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics said the total increase was a slight disappointment, but the 6.2 percent surge in building permits -- also concentrated in apartment buildings -- points to another increase in December, and a jump in home sales in the spring.

"All these numbers -- but especially starts -- are erratic from month-to-month, but the key point here is that construction activity has not yet fully caught up with the surge in housing activity, leaving room for modest further gains," he said in an analysis.

Housing starts in the Northeast more than doubled last month, while activity fell in the South and Midwest, according to the report.

hs/cs

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US apartment construction boosts housing supply in November - Yahoo News

Some of the City of Fishers major construction projects will be finished in 2021, including the 146th Street and Ind. 37 interchange and the Nickel Plate Trail tunnel under 116th Street, among others.

146th Street and Ind. 37 will be the citys major road construction project for next year.

Fadness

Mayor Scott Fadness acknowledges that 2020 was a prolific year for road construction in the city.

It was a very busy year in terms of road improvements, Fadness said. In 2021, there will be a bit of a rest. The only major road infrastructure project youll see in Fishers next year is 146th Street and State road 37 under serious construction.

Earlier this year, 126th Street and Ind. 37 opened as part of the State Road 37 Project.

Fadness said the most disruptive portion of the Nickel Plate Trail will be tackled in 2021.

That is the 116th tunnel being built, he said. For a period of time, 116th Street will be closed to traffic as we build that tunnel. Our hope is to see significant work done on the Nickel Plate Trail in the downtown area in the near future, and at the end of next year, we expect to see that trail open from 106th Street to 131st Street.

Some stretches of the trail on the south side and north side are complete, and the 116th Street tunnel will connect to those stretches.

Its always the most complicated work is the downtown trail section, but at the end of that, we will have world-class infrastructure, Fadness said.

In the spring, 116th Street will close. Fadness said crews will work when schools arent in session.

The first phase of the Geist Waterfront Park will begin next year.

There will be a lot of activity out there. The beach, the parking lot, the restrooms, the gate, the entranceway are all parts of that first phase, Fadness said.

Fadness said the city plans to open Geist Waterfront Park in the spring of 2022. The project will go to bid in February or March. Three phases are planned, but the park will be fully functional after the first phase.

Construction of First Internet Bank and CRG Residential will continue in 2021. (Submitted renderings)

First Internet Bank will remain under construction in 2021, with completion planned for the end of next year. Fadness also said CRG Residentials downtown project will be under construction through all of 2021. CRG Residentials project is a five-story apartment building with 241 units, 10 townhomes, office and retail space along 116th, North and Maple streets. The project also will include a parking garage.

Another 116th Street project includes the Maple Del west of the Chatham Tap restaurant. Fadness said the project will break ground next year.

Our economic development team continues to work, so theres a lot of interest and activity on investing in our community, so I really am optimistic about 2021 when it comes to jobs and investment in our community, he said.

In 2021, the City of Fishers will launch a series programs to grow home ownership.

This is a new idea we are looking at for next year, Mayor Scott Fadness said. Theres a desire to see diversified housing stock in our urban core multi-family homes, new homes, single-family residential homes, so we are trying to work toward having a creative program in place to accelerate that opportunity.

Fadness also wants to refresh the citys sense of community.

Hopefully, as we clear COVID and are able to interact and engage as residents once again, I really hope we have a strong offering of opportunities for people to engage in their community as well as they did, if not better, than they did prior to the pandemic, Fadness said.

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Looking ahead: Fishers major projects in 2021 include the Nickel Plate Trail tunnel and First Internet - Current in Carmel

In a pandemic environment not friendly to commercial tenants, the SoDo (for South Downtown) development centered on the 1010 State St. property is tilting more toward residential than originally planned.

Kyle Shirley, the principal of the TinTin Properties LLC that has been working since 2017 to develop the block bordered by East 10th and East 11th avenues, won approval Dec. 17 for a rezoning that will allow for that emphasis on apartments.

The City-County Planning Commission of Warren County, meeting via Zoom teleconference, approved in an 11-0 vote the application from TinTin Properties to rezone the 1.09-acre property from central business to planned unit development in order to use more than 50 percent of the first floor of the existing structures for residential.

The rezoning, which will go to the Bowling Green City Commission for final approval, will allow Shirley to expand the residential portion of the 511 E. 10th Ave. building that is called 511 Flats in the original development plans.

What happened is when he (Shirley) started the interior buildout, he was slightly beyond the 50 percent maximum, said Chris Davenport, the attorney representing TinTin Properties. That triggered the necessity for this request.

Plans call for a maximum of 30 apartments in the development, which is adjacent to the 23-unit Armory Lofts apartments also overseen by Shirleys group.

With occupancy in the Armory apartments and those in the Roebuck building at 1010 State St. running at about 85 percent, Shirley reasoned that it made more sense to emphasize the residential aspect of the development.

What Kyle found is that there isnt justifiable demand for commercial space on the first floor, Davenport said. There is demand for additional residential space.

Shirley said the rezoning will allow him to build a two-bedroom apartment on the first floor of the 511 Flats building and still include a small footprint for commercial.

He said the total SoDo development now has 25 apartments that range in rent from $950 to $1,700 a month.

For high-end downtown rentals, the 85 percent occupancy is acceptable, he said.

Shirley said he hasnt had as much luck with the commercial portion of the development, which includes 6,000 square feet in the basement of the Roebuck building.

Weve had a few people look at the space, Shirley said. Its just not the right time. The whole basement floor is available. Its a blank envelope at the moment.

The planning commission also approved a Future Land Use Map amendment and rezoning request that could allow Stewart Richey Construction to expand the industrial use of its property at 2137 Glen Lily Road.

Stewart Richey was approved for a FLUM amendment taking the 35.61 acres at 2137 and 2191 Glen Lily Road from mixed-use/commercial and moderate density residential to industrial. The property was then approved for rezoning from light industrial and residential estate to heavy industrial.

According to the application, the rezoning is needed in order to bring the property into compliance with zoning ordinance regulations and accommodate future industrial uses.

The rezoning will go to Warren Fiscal Court for final approval.

Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.

Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.

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Downtown development to focus on apartments | News - Bowling Green Daily News

Bisnow/Miriam Hall

Long Island City from Manhattan

TF Cornerstone, the developer tapped to build Amazons campus in Long Island City before the deal went south, is now planning to build two big apartment buildings in the neighborhood.

The firm filed plans with the Department of Buildings for two buildings that will span a total of 1.43M SF, The Real Deal reports. One building, at 55-01 Second St., would feature 575 units while the other, at 2-10 54th St., will contain 812 units.

The site cost the firm $285M back in 2018, a deal that was secured just daysbefore Amazon announced its plans to build nearby. The tech giant had planned to build its campus on the Long Island City waterfront, but the community and local politicians chafed against the billions in tax breaks and grants Amazon was due to receive. They also voiced concerns about the strain on local infrastructure and what the tech giants presence would mean for rents and housing affordability.

Ultimately,Amazonwithdrewfrom the city, a stunning decisionthat devastated many who predicted it would have been a boon for the area. Instead of bringing a promised 25,000 workers to Queens, earlier this year, Amazon paid$1.5B to WeWork for the former Lord & Taylor building on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.

TF Cornerstone is also active in Manhattan,joiningwith RXR Realty for Project Commodore, a mixed-use building planned for the site at 109 East 42nd St. Last year, it paid Greenland and then Forest City New York $143.1M for Pacific Park land parcels at 615 and 595 Dean St. in Brooklyn.

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Developer Who Almost Landed Amazon HQ2 Planning Scores Of Apartments In Its Place - Bisnow

Pictured is an artists rendering of Avenue on 34th, a mixed-income apartment complex being constructed at 2136 W. 34th St. (Contributed rendering)

Construction has begun on a four-story, 70-unit apartment complex at the site of the former Doyles Restaurant on West 34th Street.

Avenue, a Houston nonprofit that develops affordable housing, announced Tuesday that it had broken ground on Avenue on 34th, a mixed-income rental development on a 2.1-acre site at 2136 W. 34th St. Construction is expected to be complete by mid-2022.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week that included Avenue executive director Mary Lawler, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston Housing and Community Development Department director Tom McCasland and Amegy executive vice president Brian Stoker, whose bank is a primary lender for the project.

We are delighted to advance construction on Avenue on 34th at a time when affordable housing with proximity to the Inner Loop is such a critical need among working families, Lawler said in a news release. The influx of new developments in and around the citys urban core has resulted in the demolition of existing lower-cost housing and, as a result, has priced low- and middle-income families out of many communities.

The Houston City Council voted unanimously in September to provide a $9.09 million loan to Avenue, using Hurricane Harvey Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Funds awarded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Texas General Land Office. According to the council agenda item, the estimated total cost of the project is nearly $18.2 million.

Avenue said another funding source for the project are 4 percent low-income housing tax credits allocated by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Additional funders include the Houston Housing Finance Corporation and Hunt Capital Partners through a multi-investor fund that includes Aetna.

The general contractor for the development is Block Companies, which Avenue said will host a community day and job fair in February. The event will be free, open to the public and include information about employment opportunities for local construction-related jobs.

Citing a recent report by the United Way of Greater Houston, Avenue said 25 percent of the nearly 11,000 households in the 77018 zip code where its new development will be located qualify as ALICE, which stands for asset-limited, income-constrained and employed. Such families represent hardworking members of the Houston community whose household income is above the federal poverty level, but insufficient to cover basic necessities such as housing, child care, food, transportation and healthcare, according to Avenue.

Data shows that affordable homes help strengthen families and communities as a whole, providing families with a path forward to greater financial stability and improved health outcomes, Lawler said.

Avenue on 34th will feature 23 one-bedroom apartments, 27 two-bedroom apartments and 20 three-bedroom apartments, with a total of 14 units offered at market rate. The rest will be designated for families earning between $35,000-$65,000 annually.

Among the amenities to be offered are an outdoor play space, learning center and activity room, business center and fitness room, along with resident services such as after-school tutoring for children as well as credit-building and homebuyer education programs for adults.

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Avenue breaks ground on 34th Street apartment complex - The Leader

Celebrating reaching the highpoint in the construction of the Market Square apartment building are Corinthian Homes Construction Director David Speight (centre) with (left) architect Rob Hebblethwaite of FCB Studios and (right) Richard Scott, structural engineer and Technical Director with WSP (Image: James Lawley)

A project to revitalise Hayles harbour front has celebrated a major construction milestone with the topping out of its landmark first apartment building.

The topping out ceremony, the traditional celebration of reaching the highest point of construction, saw the completion of the concrete roof slab to the Block D apartments which will sit at the heart of the new scheme and will be named An Garth (The Yard).

Construction got under way earlier this year at North Quay which will feature beautifully designed homes, new shops and open spaces, all set within a stunning waterside location just yards from the magnificent Hayle Towans beaches with their three miles of golden sands.

Situated on the edge of what will become the new North Quay Square and close to the quayside, the apartment buildings contemporary wharf style homes will enjoy stunning water views, with many properties having a balcony or terrace.

At five storeys, it is the tallest of the new buildings being constructed as part of the award-winning development.

David Speight, construction director for Corinthian Homes, said: We are very pleased and proud to be celebrating this milestone at the end of what has been a transformative 12 months for the North Quay scheme.

It represents not only a high point for this particular building but for the whole team of more than 100 construction professionals, local contractors and apprentices, which has worked so effectively, diligently and safely together in making such impressive progress during this extraordinary year.

In addition to the successful work to the apartment building, there has been significant progress right across the North Quay development:The first block of new quayside townhouses has been largely completed, with all these homes now sold.

Major infrastructure work is continuing to create underground car parking in preparation for further development along the quaysides.

Site preparation and significant ecological work has taken place for a new spine road which will link the waterfront and hilltop areas of the site.

A project to repair and repoint some of North Quays listed quay walls is under way as part of the Corinthian Harbour and Marine Programme.A new beachside restaurant - Lulas - successfully opened at North Quay, with the support of Corinthian Homes, and had proved popular with local people and visitors.

Phase one of the scheme will feature 140 properties over 11 buildings, including 17 three-bedroom wharf style houses and one, two and three bedroom apartments, many with views over the Hayle estuary and beyond.

Earlier this year, the development by Corinthian Homes (part of the Corinthian Homes Group), and designed by internationally renowned architects and urban designers Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, was announced as a winner in the Project Category in the prestigious Housing Design Awards 2020.

Mr Speight said a planning application had been submitted for Phase two of the scheme, to include a new hotel and community centre, improved water sport and harbour facilities, cinema and new open-market and affordable homes.

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Hayle Harbour development celebrates milestone with topping out ceremony - In Your Area

Marvels Jonathan Marvel and Dattners Kirsten Sibilia

In the early weeks of 2020, architect Jonathan Marvel saw a steady stream of multifamily and public works jobs come across his desk.

And then everything came to a screeching halt, he said.

Marvels eponymous firm wasnt alone. Design work dried up during the height of the pandemic as many construction sites shut down and financing became scarce.

Still, once construction work was permitted to resume in New York, many firms saw business pick back up. The Real Deal compiled a list of the most active architecture firms of 2020, based on the square footage of ground-up projects.

For the purposes of this ranking, TRD went by the architect of record listed on new building permit applications filed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 4 with the citys Department of Buildings. The list includes several firms that have repeatedly ranked among the most active companies over the last several years, although a few newcomers also cracked the top 10 this year.

Marvel, which didnt make last years list but ranked third in 2018, saw activity pick back up in the second and third quarters.

Our steady, long-term clients stuck with us, and Im very grateful for that, Jonathan Marvel said. I think theres a glimmer of light coming across for 2021.

The firm recently rebranded as Marvel no Architects to underscore that its work goes beyond building design and other disciplines, including landscape architecture and urban planning.

In May, the firm filed a permit application for the third phase of Rockaway Village, a residential complex in Far Rockaway. The latest phase includes three buildings at 20-12 and 21-02 Mott Avenue and 17-21 Redfern Avenue, with a total of 538 apartments. The three buildings are expected to collectively span 634,000 square feet, making the project Marvels largest new building filing of the year.

Its expected to break ground in early January. The five-phase project, which will ultimately include 1,700 affordable apartments, is being developed by Phipps Houses.

Like Marvel, Dattner also didnt rank among the top companies last year, but came in seventh in 2018.

We feel like we were really lucky that we came into the pandemic with a healthy backlog, said Kirsten Sibilia, the firms managing principal. The schedule on projects has changed in many cases. Projects have slowed down, but there is a shared commitment to deliver the affordable housing that is needed.

Much of Dattners portfolio consists of affordable housing projects throughout the city. Its largest new filing this year was for a 585,000-square-foot residential tower at 700 Atlantic Avenue in Prospect Heights. The building, which is being developed by Greenland Forest City Partners, is expected to include nearly 700 apartments and more than 4,300 square feet of commercial space. Its part of the 22-acre Pacific Park site, a massive development that has faced a series of delays since it was first announced in 2003. The developer filed plans for the tower in May.

Just as last year, Hill West was the architect of record on six new development projects that collectively spanned just over 1 million square feet. This year, however, the firm jumped up three spots compared to 2019, when it ranked sixth.

In October, a permit application was filed for a 566,000-square-foot mixed-use building at 355 Exterior Street in Mott Haven, in the Bronx. The project, which is Hill Wests largest ground-up project this year, will have more than 555,000 square feet of residential space and more than 10,000 square feet set aside for commercial use.

In 2018, SLCE was the citys most active architecture firm in terms of new development. Last year, the firm dropped down to fourth place, a position it held this year.

SLCEs largest project this year was a 47-story mixed-use tower planned for 98 DeKalb Avenue, on the border of Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene. The development is expected to span a little more than 418,000 square feet with 609 apartments and retail on the first floor.

The firm is also serving as architect of record on a pair of apartment buildings in Long Island City at 55-01 Second Street and at 2-10 54th Street that will span 1.43 million square feet. This project, along with another at 43-14 Queens Street that will span 770,000 square feet, were not included in this analysis, since they were filed after TRDs data pull.

Sometimes one is all it takes. Such was the case for BL Companies, which is listed as the architect of record on a single new building permit filed this year.

The project, a nearly 771,000-square-foot warehouse planned for 55-15 Grand Avenue in Maspeth, is the future home of Amazon, which signed a lease for the under-construction space in June. RXR Realty and partner LBA Logistics bought the site in 2018 for $72 million.

BL Companies got its start in 1986, first as a small transportation planning and civil engineering firm. The company, now headquartered in Connecticut, has since grown into an architecture, engineering and land surveying firm.

In mid-April, a permit application was filed for a 320,000-square-foot, mixed-use building at 35 Commercial Street in Greenpoint, which will feature 374 apartments. Park Tower Group is developing the project, which is part of the 11-building Greenpoint Landing complex. The firm, which is based in the Financial District, is also working on a nearly 300,000-square-foot mixed-use building at 312 West 43rd Street.

Aufgangs two largest projects this year are part of the Peninsula Hospital redevelopment, an 11-building complex in Far Rockaway developed by the Arker Companies. This year, plans were filed for 5119 and 5123 Beach Channel Drive, mixed-use buildings that will respectively span 220,500 and 161,800 square feet. The two buildings will have a total of 451 apartments.

GF55 has been active in the outer boroughs, with projects located in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island. The firms largest new project was a 208,000-square-foot residential building at 475 Bay Street in Staten Island. BFC Partners, the company behind Empire Outlets, is developing the project. The firms second-biggest project was a 184,000-square-foot, mixed-use building at 1016 Fox Street in the Foxhurst section of the Bronx. The building is being developed by the Atlantic Development Group.

Brooklyn-based J. Frankl largely focuses on residential, mixed-use projects. The firm was founded in 2010 by Joseph Frankl, who set out to form a mid-sized company.

The larger firms, there is a lot of bureaucracy, he said.

The firm is new to TRDs annual ranking of the most active architects. Its largest project was a 172,000-square-foot residential building at 26-25 Fourth Street in Astoria. The firm is also designing a 131,000-square-foot, mixed-use building for developer Solomon Feder at 1640 Flatbush Avenue in Midwood. That project is expected to include 171 apartments.

Miami-based Arquitectonica rounded out this years ranking, marking the first time since 2015 that the firm has made the cut. The companys largest project of 2020 was a 300,000-square-foot mixed-use building at 145 Wolcott Street in Red Hook. Draw Brooklyn is developing the project.

Contact Kathryn Brenzel

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Here are 2020s most active architects - The Real Deal