Photo by Mike Yoder

A worker removes snow, one shovel at a time, from the surface of the planned multi-story hotel building, currently under construction at the southeast corner of Ninth and New Hampshire. Developers are asking city commissioners to restart the approval process for a seven-story apartment building at the northeast corner of the same intersection.

Soon, tall buildings are going to start growing at Ninth and New Hampshire streets like the grass grows in May.

Work on a five-story Marriott hotel under construction on the southeast corner is expected to move into a higher gear in the next month. And leaders of the same development group are asking city commissioners to restart the approval process for a seven-story apartment building at the northeast corner of the same intersection.

Youll start seeing things move a lot faster down there, said Micah Kimball, an architect with Lawrence-based Treanor Architects, which is designing both projects.

Construction on the 91-room Marriott TownePlace extended-stay hotel recently hit a milestone: It moved above ground. For months, crews have been working on the underground parking garage. But when the weather clears, they'll will pour concrete for the ground-floor lobby, Kimball said.

It is a lot smoother sailing once you are above ground, Kimball said.

Work on the hotel is moving along well enough that the development group, led by Lawrence businessman Doug Compton and architect Mike Treanor, is homing in on a start date for the 114-unit apartment building. Kimball said construction could start mid-year and last about 18 months. Work on the hotel is expected to last until late 2014.

City commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday will be asked to set an April 8 public hearing for a final vote on an incentives package for the apartment development. Commissioners gave preliminary approval to the package in the summer of 2012 as part of the incentives deal for the hotel development. The April 8 vote will finalize the details. They include:

The development group will receive up to $4.75 million in tax increment financing over 20 years. The money can be used to pay for the private underground parking garage and other infrastructure improvements. The money comes from new property taxes generated by the building.

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Seven-story apartment building in downtown Lawrence nears final vote

Residents of The Marke apartments soon will be able to choose between cocktails at the rooftop pool while watching a movie or exercising with a personal trainer at the nearby fitness center.

Without leaving the newly built complex, they can get their pets groomed at the pet spaw, buy snacks at an in-house store or go bowling in the upstairs gaming arcade. Or they can just stay home and summon one of the complex's on-call massage therapists.

Orange County is undergoing an apartment-building boom. At least 18 big complexes, with a total of 8,800 units, are planned for Orange County over the next three or four years.

Developers are rebounding from years of slow apartment growth, spurred by a growing number of renters and high occupancy rates.

The sudden increase is likely to help tenants by keeping rents in check. But there's nothing cheap about most of the complexes. To offset high construction costs, developers are building luxury units, offering the finest pampering that rent dollars can buy.

The amenity wars are in full swing, said Bill Montgomery, president of multifamily acquisitions for developer Sares-Regis Group of Irvine.

Common areas have more private spaces. Complexes offer more entertainment and meeting areas. There are large, commercial-level fitness facilities, Internet cafs and resort-level pool-spa spaces.

Developers expect to complete at least 3,200 new units in Orange County this year. Apartment tracker MFP Research in Dallas has data showing that as many as 5,035 units could be completed in 2014 the most in at least two decades.

Building permits issued last year for multifamily developments which includes apartments hit a high not seen since 1990.

In raw numbers, it's a lot, said Frank Suryan Jr., chairman and CEO of Newport Beach-based Lyon Communities, which is building The Marke and another luxury apartment project in Santa Ana.

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Apartment developers declare 'amenity wars'

This Oct. 21, 2011file photo shows workmen at an apartment building under construction in Williston, N.D. As the western North Dakota oil patch hub of Williston grows, so does the amount of money the city needs to subsidize housing for city employees. Williston plans to seek more state money for housing subsidies, which currently are funded with a mix of state funds and city sales tax revenue. AP Photo/James MacPherson, File)

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) As the western North Dakota oil patch hub of Williston grows, so does the amount of money the city needs to subsidize housing for city employees.

City workers get $500 per month for housing, and the total went from $643,000 in 2012 to $1.2 million last year, the Williston Herald reported (http://bit.ly/1loXIXz ).

"It's just going to continue to grow unless the rents start to moderate to some degree," City Commissioner Brad Bekkedahl said. "I don't see it being less than $1.5 million this year."

The oil boom has led to a housing crunch as people have flocked to the region in search of high-paying jobs. A national study from an apartment renting guide recently found that Williston had the highest average rent in the U.S., at nearly $2,400 a month for a one-bedroom apartment. The amount is higher than New York City's and Los Angeles' average rates.

Williston plans to seek more state money for housing subsidies, which currently are funded with a mix of state funds and city sales tax revenue. The 2013 Legislature gave Williston $60 million for essential housing projects, but the city has about $300 million in needs, according to Bekkedahl.

"As long as we're identified as the highest rent community in the state, this will continue," City Auditor John Kautzman said.

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Information from: Williston Herald, http://www.willistonherald.com

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Cost of worker housing subsidies plagues Williston

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) February 27, 2014

1190 Mission at Trinity Place Apartments http://www.1190missionapts.com/ has announced the welcoming of their new Director of Residential Residential Operations for their luxury top scale apartment building in the SOMA district of San Francisco: Tina DiRienzo. Ms. DiRienzo joins the Trinity Management team with extensive experience in property management including renovation projects, marketing, and resident relations. She was most recently the recipient of the General Manager of the Year award from the San Francisco Apartment Association. She is coming off an extensive construction project and successful lease-up at the Pinnacle on Nob Hill. Her knowledge and expertise will work seamlessly with the upscale apartment building located at 1190 Mission Street.

Our luxury high rise apartment complex in the SOMA district of SF is high in demand and requires the best of the best in managing Residential Operations, and Ms. DiRienzo is San Franciscos best. explained William Harlow, marketing manager at Trinity Management Services. Our sheik, popular apartment rentals in this favorable location are almost always filled to capacity. Residential Operations management is of the utmost importance and Ms. DiRienzos experience and expertise is exactly what we need to fulfill our commitment to resident satisfaction.

To learn more about 1190 Mission at Trinity Place, please visit http://www.1190missionapts.com/ where potential apartment seekers can browse inventory of available studio, and one-bedroom apartments for rent in the South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood.

SOMA (South of Market): One of San Franciscos Hottest Neighborhoods

SOMA has become one of the most exciting areas for apartment rentals and apartment living in San Francisco. Known for its tech crowd, the SOMA neighborhood has attracted residents working in the new Silicon Valley of the Bay Area, San Francisco, home to businesses such as Yelp, LinkedIn, and Twitter as well as commuters to the old Silicon Valley farther south for businesses like Google and other stalwarts of technology in the San Francisco Bay. SOMA brings together an urban flair for living with cafes, restaurants, and other urban attractions plus convenient transportation options such as close access to the 101 freeway, Interstate 80 corridor, and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). Apartment dwellers can enjoy urban living and yet easily commute (or escape) to the larger attractions of the San Francisco Bay Area.

About 1190 Mission at Trinity Place

One's dream apartment awaits apartment seekers. Rising with stunning views of downtown San Francisco South of Market, the all-new Trinity Place is as architecturally stunning as it is comfort-filled and convenient. These luxury apartments located in the SOMA District of San Francisco are more than just a building and an address. They are a community, with a fitness center, a residents lounge with Wi-Fi, childrens play area, front desk associates and 24-hour Courtesy Patrol.

These luxury apartments are a central starting point for getting anywhere in San Francisco with ease. The furnished studio and 1 bedroom apartments are near the Orpheum Theater, Moscone Center, the new Twitter Headquarters and AT&T Park home of the San Francisco Giants. Convenient to Muni or BART, head to work or a night on the town in San Francisco. At Trinity Place, apartment seekers can rent or lease one of the gorgeous studio or one bedroom apartments which include spacious tall ceilings and large windows for spectacular city views. The resident will enjoy preparing gourmet meals in apartment seekers modern kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and black granite counters. Wood-style and ceramic tile flooring add to the beauty of apartment seekers apartment, where apartment seekers can be proud to entertain guests. Furnished apartments are also available to rent or lease. San Francisco corporate suites also available.

1190 Mission at Trinity Place Web. http://www.1190missionapts.com/ Tel. 415-861-3333

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Top SOMA Apartment Complex in San Francisco, 1190 Mission at Trinity Place Apartments, Announces New Residential ...

It's been generations since a high-rise building had its debut on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, but the skyline is finally in for a dramatic change.

A local developer hopes to transform a homely corner of the city's famed commercial corridor early next year by leveling a drab one-story retail center at 4th Street and Broadway. In its place would be a 34-story apartment skyscraper more than twice as tall as most other buildings in the historic core of downtown L.A.

To be built at a cost of nearly $150 million, the apartment and retail complex called Broadway @ 4th would house 450 units and fill in a key block in gentrifying downtown L.A., developer Izek Shomof said.

To market observers who saw the city's former elite streets of Broadway, Spring and Main become run-down and plagued by drugs and crime during the latter decades of the 20th century, it's remarkable that an extravagant upscale apartment tower would even be built in the neighborhood, much less one that would stand taller than City Hall.

"It's a new day for Broadway that large-scale construction is even proposed," said property preservationist Adrian Scott Fine, director of advocacy for the Los Angeles Conservancy. "It wouldn't have even been on anyone's mind 10 years ago."

Most buildings in the historic core date to the early 20th century. The most recent high-rise was an office tower completed at Spring and 6th streets in 1961. Soon after that, Fine said, many businesses began leaving the city's historic downtown blocks for newer office buildings on Bunker Hill and other blocks near the Harbor Freeway.

But developer Shomof has enjoyed success in recent years renovating old office buildings on nearby Spring Street and turning them into apartments served by hip restaurants, bars, nightclubs and shops.

"I have over 2,000 units with no vacancy," he said of his properties around 7th and 8th streets. "Why not go for another 450?"

Shomof recently submitted plans for Broadway @ 4th to city officials and hopes to get the go-ahead to start construction early next year. The developer and his architect face the challenge of coming up with an appropriate design for a new building in an old part of the city.

The site lies in several overlapping city land use zones where development is restricted, property consultant Hamid Behdad said. Among the zones are the Broadway Theater and Entertainment District, the Bringing Back Broadway Corridor and the Historic Preservation Review Area.

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New high-rise on Broadway would be one of tallest in Southland

LOWER HEIDELBERG TWP., Pa. -

The remnants of an apartment building under construction in Berks County continued to burn Wednesday morning, more than 24 hours after a fire reduced the structure to rubble.

Small flames and smoke could be seen rising from the snow-covered ashes at the Legacy at Papermill apartment complex -- an over-55 community -- in Lower Heidelberg Township.

The initial fire broke out early Tuesday morning and quickly went to three alarms as flames engulfed the wooden frame of the structure, which was being constructed next to an already-occupied building.

No one was injured.

Investigators returned to the scene Wednesday in search for what sparked the inferno. A state police fire marshal is assisting in the probe.

Fire officials said the blaze caused about estimated $2 million in damage. The owner of the property told 69 News he will rebuild.

Published:Feb 25 2014 05:28:52 AM EST Updated On:Feb 25 2014 03:06:31 PM EST

This was taken at approximately 4:20 a.m. on 2/25/14 of the 3-alarm structure fire at the Legacy at Papermill Apartments in Lower Heildelberg Twp., Berks Co.

Excerpt from:
Investigators seek cause of $2 million inferno in Lower Heidelberg

By Mike Nolan mnolan@southtownstar.com February 25, 2014 7:44PM

A rendering of the proposed Boulevard at Central Station apartment building in Tinley Park. | Supplied photo

storyidforme: 62625782 tmspicid: 10272743 fileheaderid: 4733890

Updated: February 26, 2014 2:12AM

Construction of a long-awaited retail and apartment redevelopment in downtown Tinley Park could get underway in the spring.

Developer Bob Hansen is working to sew up financing for his Boulevard at Central Station, which will include 167 apartments and businesses, such as restaurants, at street level, according to his lawyer, David Sosin. He said Hansen is finalizing his deal, more or less, and anticipates breaking ground soon.

The five-story Boulevard building is planned for a triangular piece of land at South Street and 67th Court, directly south of the Oak Park Avenue Metra station.

First approved in summer 2012, the project has languished, in part because of tight lending restrictions on commercial projects.

Although similar in some respects to the 295-unit Ninety 7 Fifty on the Park apartment building in Orland Park, that project was largely financed by that village.

Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki said village officials have been kept updated on efforts by Hansen to nail down financing, and that it looks good.

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Delayed redevelopment may start in Tinley Park

LOWER HEIDELBERG TWP., Pa. -

Fire officials said it could take weeks to determine the cause of a massive fire that leveled an apartment building under construction in Berks County early Tuesday morning.

The flames erupted around 3:30 a.m. at the Legacy at the Papermill apartment complex, an over-55 community in the area of Calming Drive and Legacy Boulevard in Lower Heidelberg Township, according to emergency officials.

The 3-story building, consisting of just plywood and studs, burned to the ground, said fire officials.

"I had never seen anything like that before it was an inferno," said Ray Bickley, whose nearby home was damaged by heat alone. "The glass pane of the window was popping because of the heat."

His home's vinyl siding also melted.

More intense damage was faced by the apartment complex beside the blaze. There, officials said three families needed to be temporarily evacuated.

"They just stayed in some ambulances to stay warm until they were able to get back into their apartment," said Chief Thomas Deiterich, Lower Heidelberg Twp. Police Dept.

Fortunately, Deiterich said no one was injured, including firefighters among the 12 departments that were called to the scene.

As of Tuesday afternoon, a cause and origin were unknown. Officials said the fire was under active investigation by a state police fire marshal.

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New construction reduced to rubble after fire in Lower Heidelberg Twp.

Management confirmed that the gym is reserved for market-rate tenants. (Photo: Google maps)

NEW YORK (PIX11) Residents at an Upper West Side apartment building are outraged after finding out rent-stabilized tenants are not allowed to use the buildings new gym.

According to DNAinfo, only tenants who pay market-rate rent at the Stonehenge Village on West 97th Street have access to the new exercise room.

The majority of the residents in the former Mitchell-Lama housing building are rent-stabilized.

A spokesperson for the management company for the building told the website, The small gym we built and opened this week is different in that it is aimed specifically at new and prospective tenants who expect certain amenities and incentives that are commonly available to market-rate renters.

Rent-stabilized tenants key cards do not work to open the gyms door and a sign advises not to hold the door for others.

Residents, however, are calling the situation segregation and say they were left in the dark about the gyms construction and rules.

I cant let you make me a second-class citizen within my own building, said Jean Dorsey, president of the the buildings tenants association.

Dorsey tells DNAinfo she plans on fighting the gym rules.

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Rent-stabilized tenants not allowed to use UWS buildings gym

Construction of the Honors College and International Center will begin in early March.

A&K Construction was awarded an approximate $14.7 million contract to construct the building. The Paducah-based company served as the general contractor for Gary Ransdell Hall as well.

Bryan Russell, director of Planning, Design and Construction, said WKU is happy to work with the company again.

We look forward to another successful partnership on this building, Russell said.

Kerra Ogden, project manager of Capital Construction, said the bids to build the structure were very competitive. While a normal project usually yields five bids, 12 contractors vied for the rights to construct the Honors College and International Center.

Honestly, I dont remember there being that much contractor interest in any other job that Ive ever been involved in, Ogden said.

The company mobilized on Monday. The gravel parking lot has been closed, and Hillcrest Apartments will be removed in early March. In the meantime, the apartment complex will be utilized by Bowling Greens fire and police departments for training.

The three-story building will house the Honors College and its faculty as well as numerous offices, including the Kentucky Institute for International Studies, Study Abroad and Global Learning, and the Office of Scholar Development. The building is projected to be completed by August of next year.

Due to the sinkhole that formed in the Corvette Museum earlier this month, Ogden said testing will be done to further determine if there are any sinkholes in the space where the Honors College and International Center is being built. The process will not hinder the construction progress.

Craig Cobane, executive director of the Honors College and chief international officer, said the building will serve as a gatewayto the rest of the world for students.

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Honors building construction begins in March