ST. PETERSBURG Builders will break ground soon on a downtown apartment building the size of a city block, adding to a flood of new rental construction in an area developers are betting is a gold mine of young urbanites.

Allen Morris Residential said Wednesday it would start construction in July on eight stories of apartments planned for 700 First Ave. S, where the Coral Gables development firm just bought 2 acres for $5.25 million in cash.

Called the Hermitage, the $65 million project, expected to open by the end of 2015, would feature 348 one- and two-bedroom apartments, developers said. Rental prices were not disclosed.

Named after an art museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, developers said the apartments would feature an "art gallery" in the lobby; a rooftop pool and spa; a fitness center; an outdoor grill; and a bicycle storage and service center. A coffeehouse would be built on the ground floor, with potentially other storefronts to come.

Even in a downtown swimming in new construction, the Hermitage sticks out as the largest new apartment project started here since the housing bust. The Beacon 430, a four-story, 326-apartment complex at 430 Third Ave. S, is expected to begin leasing before summer. Modera Prime 235, an eight-story, 309-apartment complex at 235 Third Ave. N, scheduled its first move-ins for this month.

Developer CEO W. Allen Morris said St. Petersburg's job growth and young energy made it "an undiscovered jewel," adding that he envisioned plenty of rental demand from empty-nesters, young professionals or "commuters who work across the bay in Tampa, but want the lifestyle of downtown St. Pete."

"With all the apartments that have been built, all the apartments that have been proposed, there's still an undersupply," Morris said. "There were so many years of no development that we are still way behind."

The land, which once housed an old gas station, was bought in 2001 for $4.1 million by a small group of real estate professionals, seller Pete Apostolou said. It has since been used as an overflow parking lot.

The development of the lot could continue downtown's westward expansion as retailers, barkeeps and restaurateurs outgrow the built-out and bustling Beach Drive area. The lot sits within a block or two of Tropicana Field and an old YWCA converted last year into Rococo Steak, an upscale restaurant.

It is Allen Morris' first major residential project and first development in Tampa Bay, though it has developed dozens of offices, warehouses and retail centers across the state.

Originally posted here:
Biggest new apartment building yet set for construction in downtown St. Petersburg

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SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) San Francisco bestowed honors Friday on the firefighters and other emergency personnel who fought the Mission Bay blaze that destroyed a six-story apartment building under construction just south of AT&T Park.

The ceremony recognized firefighters who kept the massive fire contained to a single building, even as the flames consumed its wood frame and showered ash onto the surrounding neighborhood.

We were really challenged. We had some windy conditions that day, said Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White.

It started out as a small, smoky fire, but it quickly grew, she said, spreading throughout a building that filled an entire city block before the fire could be contained.

There was damage to some surrounding buildings, and to the rooftop of a building across the street because of the hot embers. The Fire Department estimates total damages in excess of $40 million.

This fire was different because it was a building under construction, probably the worst time for it to catch fireno fire protection systems in place, so no sprinklers, no detectors, Hayes-White recounted.

The ceremony at Pier 48 also heaped accolades on police who managed the crowds of onlookers and the street traffic as fire engines maneuvered through commute traffic to position themselves around the building.

It was a huge area that we had to set the perimeter up for, said police Sgt. Will Williams, who described how officers searched adjacent buildings to make sure everyone was evacuated.

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SF Honors Emergency Responders For Work At Massive Mission Bay Fire

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Construction is underway on a new apartment high rise in downtown Kansas City the first of its kind ever built in the area.

The owners believe it is just the beginning of a major transformation for the downtown area.

This $79 million apartment building is the first of four planned to be built in the Power and Light District.

All of them will be owned by the Cordish Company, the owners of Power and Light, and these luxury apartments are expected to attract more than 1,800 more people to live in downtown. There will be 315 units, and rent will start at $800 a month.

Cordish wanted to build these apartments years ago, but the recession delayed their plans until now.

Power and Light officials said over the past decade, the number of people living downtown has exploded from 5,000 to 20,000 people.

Most downtown apartments are already occupied, and there is still high demand by young professionals who want to live closer to where they work.

This 25 story apartment high rise will help fill that demand, and with four apartment buildings being built over the next eight years, many believe it will transform the downtown area into a vibrant, fun, happening place to be.

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High rise apartment building to bring more people to downtown Kansas City

SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco fire officials say a massive blaze that barreled through an apartment building construction site last month was accidental, not arson.

In a report released Tuesday, investigators say the five-alarm fire on March 11 in the city's Mission Bay neighborhood began when a hot or smoldering object ignited wood that was part of the building's structure.

Fire spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said a more detailed report that could explain what caused the blaze is expected in the next couple of weeks.

Fire officials said a day after the fire that they were looking into preliminary reports that workers at the block-long site were doing torch work.

The fire threatened nearby structures and prompted evacuations as firefighters worked to prevent its spread through the neighborhood.

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Officials: Massive San Francisco fire last month that forced evacuations accidental, not arson

David Stalheim, City of Bellingham Block Grant Program Manager, left, answers a question during an Aug. 21, 2012 meet5ing about a about a proposed Catholic Community Services homeless housing project in Bellingham.

ANDY BRONSON THE BELLINGHAM HERALD Buy Photo

BELLINGHAM - Construction of a 42-unit apartment building for homeless and low-income people should begin within the next month, and a lawsuit seeking to revoke a permit for the building is likely to be settled this week.

A nonprofit called the Association of Bellingham Merchants and Citizens formed in September 2013 to challenge the project, to be built downtown on Cornwall Avenue. Doug Robertson, a Bellingham lawyer who represented the association in its appeal, said on Tuesday, April 15, final settlement documents should be completed Wednesday or Thursday.

The lawsuit, filed against building developer Catholic Housing Services and the city, claimed city planners should not have issued a permit for the project, and did not adequately review the impacts the building and its tenants would have on the neighborhood. Of the 42 apartments, 32 would be slated for homeless people, including some with mental illness and addictions.

The association argued in its suit that the city should have required Catholic Housing Services to make parking available to the public. The one-acre project site is now a parking lot.

Perhaps an even bigger concern for the merchants in the association was that another low-income housing project downtown would be bad for business.

Documents filed with the state show that the people involved in the association include Bellingham attorney Bradley Swanson; David Johnston, an owner of Leopold Retirement Residences and part owner of the Herald Building; and Kae Moe, co-owner of Kulshan Cycles.

"The project as approved will significantly diminish the value of surrounding real estate, interfere with and devalue existing businesses ... and negatively impact the interface between the central city core and the future development of the waterfront," the group's appeal said.

Nearby business owners have criticized the Cornwall proposal since it first gained publicity two years ago. They said residents at existing Catholic Housing Services apartments, such as Kateri Court and the Grocery Building, smoke, loiter and otherwise discourage customers from coming into their shops.

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Construction to begin on downtown Bellingham housing for homeless

The San Francisco Fire Department released a report Tuesday morning finding that a five-alarm fire that destroyed an apartment building under construction in the city's Mission Bay neighborhood last month was accidental.

The massive blaze was reported shortly before 5 p.m. on March 11 at the site at Fourth and China Basin streets, where a 172-unit building was under construction as part of the MB360 development project by BRE Properties.

There were no fire detectors installed yet in the unfinished six-story building, according to the report.

The building was expected to be ready to start leasing later this year. Another nearby site of the project with 188 units under construction was not affected by the blaze.

The building, which was under construction with building contractor Suffolk Construction Co., was completely destroyed after the fire spread from the top story.

According to the report, the fire was accidentally sparked on the sixth-floor roof area by a hot or smoldering object.

The fire originated in the southeast section of the building between the top floor and the roof, the report states.

According to the report, the fire caused $40 million in property damage at the $60 million construction site.

Additional contents in the building, valued at $100,000, were destroyed in the blaze.

Surrounding apartment buildings were also damaged in the fire and residents were evacuated overnight.

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Fire department report calls 5-alarm Mission Bay fire accidental

A second three-story apartment building for senior citizens will be constructed off Orchard Road in Oswego as a result of action taken this past week by the village board.

Village President Brian LeClercq cast the tie-breaking vote on the motion to approve the preliminary and final development plans for the second phase of the Diamond Senior Apartment project along the south side of Lewis Street, just east of Orchard Road.

Board members Gail Johnson, Judy Sollinger and Pam Parr cast ballots in favor of the plans, while board members Tony Giles, Terry Michels and Scott Volpe cast the negative votes.

Oswego Senior Apartments LP (limited partnership) is the project developer.

According to information presented to the board by Rod Zenner, the village's community development director, the 63 unit apartment building will be constructed on a 2.76 acre parcel immediately south of the existing 60 unit apartment building constructed as part of the project's first phase three years ago.

Like the existing building, the new apartment building will be clad in three toned bricked and siding and have a gable roof. The building will have a total of 65,809 square feet and include 50 one-bedroom apartments and 13 two-bedroom apartments.

A parking lot with 93 spaces will be located immediately west and north of the building, according to project plans.

Dan Kramer, a Yorkville attorney representing the developers, said the building has an estimated construction cost of $15 million.

As with the existing building, the developers are seeking federal tax credit financing for the project through the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), the state's housing finance agency. This financing method serves to reduce the debt that developers have to borrow. As a result of the lower debt, the developers can offer lower rents to qualified tenants. Developments, financed with tax credits, serve households earning 60 percent or less of the area median income. However, rents are restricted so they don't exceed 30 percent of household income, according to the IHDA.

Kramer said his clients are currently seeking IHDA financing for the second building.

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Oswego OKs Orchard Rd. senior apartments

Building a Fire
Learn how to build a fire from tinder to flames.

By: Paul Balsamo Jr.

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Building a Fire - Video

Wednesday's meeting was "the end of the public review and approval process," said Elizabeth S. Rogan, president of the board.

The plan from Dranoff Properties calls for construction of an apartment building with retail at ground level and parking.

Critics say the project is too big for its site and neighborhood. Proponents claim it would boost downtown Ardmore by drawing young residents to live in a transit-friendly building near the train station.

The meeting's more than five hours of discussion on the proposal was punctuated by tetchy exchanges among commissioners, staff, and audience members.

The last dustup came around midnight, between Commissioner Lewis F. Gould Jr. and Philip S. Rosenzweig, the Building and Planning Committee's cochair.

In a last round of commissioner comments before the vote, Gould scolded Rosenzweig as being "boorish" in how he had laid down rules at the meeting's start for what could be discussed about the project.

Rosenzweig supports the project, while Gould opposes it if it is given state funding, which currently is in question.

Gould also was critical of his colleague's comments about another commissioner, Cheryl B. Gelber, who announced during the meeting that she had gone from being a supporter of the project to opposing it. Gelber was not at the table for the vote.

Rosenzweig used his comment time, he said Thursday afternoon, to reply that he wouldn't "lower myself to respond to Commissioner Gould's venomous comments."

The sniping among commissioners began last weekend in a series of heated e-mails.

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Ardmore development moves closer to approval

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By Hadas Kuznits

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) A new apartment building, with a restaurant and retail space, is being built in center city.

Today, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held for the upcoming AQ Rittenhouse, a mixed-use tower at 20th and Chestnut Streets.

Mayor Michael Nutter says its all part of the planned revitalization of once-elegant Chestnut Street.

It was a terribly blighted building, and through the (Philadelphia) Redevelopment Authority we were able to ultimately move it to private ownership, the mayor told KYW Newsradio. They partnered with the charter school.

One floor of the new building is being reserved for expansion of the adjacent Freire Charter High School.

We are repurposing, rebuilding, revitalizing, renewing, what was once the old YWCA annex, says Leonard Poncia, president and managing partner of Aquinas Realty Partners, describing the 12-story luxury apartment building as providing tremendous amenities from the second-floor courtyard garden to the rooftop sky terrace to the community rooms, yoga rooms, extensive bike storage, to the dog walk. Weve got it all.

The building is expected to be completed by early 2015.

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Construction Set To Begin For Center City Luxury Apartment Building