CARLSBAD A fee proposed for developers who want to build apartment complexes in Carlsbad is being called excessive, punitive and something that wont accomplish the citys goal of making housing more affordable for the working class.

Carlsbad officials say the fee, which would be higher than what most other cities in the region charge, is necessary to help subsidize enough low-income apartments to meet a sharply growing need for such housing.

The fee would increase the cost of building a typical apartment complex by somewhere around 10 percent, depending on the price of land adding hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even millions, to the total price tag.

Revenue from the fee would go into a fund the city uses to subsidize construction of low-income apartments, which allows the builders of those complexes to charge lower rents to qualified tenants.

The fee, which the City Council is expected to consider in March or April, is based on the same reasoning as the commercial development linkage fee that has become controversial in the San Diego mayoral race.

The idea behind San Diegos linkage fee is that commercial projects create low-paying jobs, which increases the need for affordable housing. The idea behind Carlsbads new housing fee is that market-rate apartment complexes bring new customers to town who buy goods and services, creating low-paying jobs and more need for low-income housing.

A consultant hired by Carlsbad presented the citys Housing Commission an 86-page report in January demonstrating the connection between apartment-building construction and an increased need for subsidized, low-income housing. Partly based on that report, the Housing Commission voted 3-2 on Jan. 9 in favor of recommending the new fee to the City Council.

The reasoning the consultant used is disputed by the Building Industry Association, which lobbies for developers and contractors, and the San Diego Apartment Association, which lobbies for landlords and housing developers.

I think the connection theyre making is overblown, said Molly Kirkland, public affairs director for the apartment association. All the people who work at the new businesses wont be living in Carlsbad.

Kirkland also said the proposed fee, which would be $20 per square foot of construction, would be passed along to people living in market-rate apartments in the form of higher rent.

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Builders howling over proposed fee

Developer Rocco Termini wants to create more housing along Elmwood Avenue in North Buffalo and dub the neighborhood the Pierce Arrow Village, after the nearby former auto plant.

Termini, known for reviving the Lafayette Hotel and AM&As warehouse building in downtown Buffalo, is completing his second project in North Buffalo and is eyeing a third in the same neighborhood.

Termini, through his Signature Development Buffalo LLC, plans to convert the nearly empty former American Radiator office building at 1807 Elmwood Ave. into a mixture of 38 market-rate apartments and some commercial space.

The developer has the two-story building under contract and expects to close on it sometime in June.

Construction would begin immediately, with completion anticipated by January 2015. Termini still needs to obtain approval from the Buffalo Planning Board, and also plans to seek sales and mortgage-recording tax breaks from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, under its adaptive re-use program. The project comes before the citys Zoning Board of Appeals on Feb. 12.

The $9 million project, to be called the ARCO Lofts, follows Terminis newly opened Houk Lofts around the corner on Grote Street and the pending Foundry Lofts across Elmwood Avenue.

What were doing is trying to create critical mass there, with a third building in the neighborhood, Termini said.

Termini completed the $6.72 million conversion of the two-story former Houk Wire Wheel building at 316 Grote St. into 22 apartments, a hair salon and a tattoo parlor called Ink Inc. The 28,160-square-foot building is now open and fully leased as Houk Lofts.

The 85,000-square-foot former FWS Furniture store and warehouse at 1738 Elmwood Ave. is being redeveloped into the Foundry Lofts, with 46 market-rate apartments and 25,886 square feet of commercial space that is already pre-leased. That $23 million project will be completed and open by May.

The 48,000-square-foot American Radiator building is currently owned by Mod-Pac Corp., a formerly publicly traded commercial print and paperboard maker that was taken private by owners Kevin and Daniel Keane in September. The companys facilities are located in the former American Radiator manufacturing plant, which made all the radiators you see in all the old houses in Buffalo, Termini said.

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Termini proposes 3rd loft project for North Buffalo

Monday, February 3, 2014, 11:31am

Nauset Construction has begun work on Temple Place, a 40-unit, six-story affordable apartment complex in Cambridge.

The $11-million project will be built on the site of the former YWCA swimming pool building and will consist of a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, with several units specially designed for universal access or for residents with visual or hearing impairments.

"The construction is taking place within a constricted environment, which presents a number of challenges for Nauset," Nauset president Anthony Papantonis said in a statement. "It's a tight site, so material deliveries have to be well coordinated to minimize disruption to the neighbors. Our vast experience working in the city of Cambridge and other dense urban settings as well as building sustainable residential projects will serve us well in this potentially difficult environment."

Temple Place was designed by Cambridge-based HMFH Architects Inc. to achieve Enterprise Green Community certification. It will feature a green roof, building materials from recycled content and covered on-site automobile and bicycle parking. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.

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Nauset Construction Begins Work On Temple Place In Cambridge

Apartments at 22m flagship city Gatehaus development 'left to rot'

6:00am Monday 3rd February 2014 in News Exclusive By Rob Lowson, T&A Reporter

The award-winning Gatehaus development off Leeds Road

An iconic Bradford apartment building is being left to rot just eight years after it was described as a flagship regeneration project for the city, according to a group of the propertys leaseholders.

The Gatehaus, off Leeds Road in Little Germany, was officially unveiled in 2006 and is now managed by the Cheshire-based property firm, Braemar Estates.

Now, some members of the Gatehaus Owners Association (GOA), all of whom own or lease apartments on the 22 million development, claim the site has fallen into such a state of disrepair that it can no longer attract prospective tenants.

They also claim the building contains serious health and safety risks.

This has been disputed by the firm, which states the building had construction issues when they inherited it, along with a chronic service charge deficit.

Jamil Ashraf, a spokesman for the GOA, said: This is not just about how bad the building looks, there are real health and safety risks for tenants. There is just not enough being done about the problems here. We do a lot of work to try and get the building back up to scratch, but there are huge issues that need sorting out.

We pay a lot of money in annual fees, but the service is not being provided. We invested into Bradford to improve the city, but this building is just being destroyed. Problems arent fixed, they just paper over the cracks.

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Apartments at 22m flagship city development 'left to rot'

INNISFIL - Intensification could be coming to Alcona, but not without a fight.

A seven-storey apartment complex the first of its kind in Innisfil has been proposed for Alcona and proponents of the project got a frosty reception during an open house early this week.

Opposition to the proposal included a petition with more than 110 signatures.

If approved, the 120-unit Abandel Residential Development would be constructed at 1124, 1130 and 1136 Innisfil Beach Rd., east of Janns Boulevard, almost across the street from the Shoppers Drug Mart.

The same property first made the news in 2009 when the owners clear-cut mature trees up to the property line without notifying neighbours or the town, causing outrage from some area residents.

In June 2012, the southern portion of the parcel with its direct frontage on IBR was rezoned to 'commercial' to permit development that could include a restaurant with a drive-through while the northern 1.13 acre property was zoned 'future development'. At that time, the developer's plans showed a seven-storey residential building on the land with both underground and surface parking, and access to Innisfil Beach Road through the southern commercial half of the property.

The open house was sparked by the developer Abandel Group's appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) asking that the property be rezoned 'mixed use 2' (MU2), which most of the nearby properties facing onto Innisfil Beach Road already are.

During the open house, planners for the town and the developer described the background and nature of the development, and a key change.

Instead of access from Innisfil Beach Road, a new driveway would be constructed connecting to nearby Goshen Road, a narrow residential road that currently ends in a cul-de-sac.

The OMB hearing will take place Feb. 12 and on Feb. 5, Innisfil council must decide whether to oppose or support the developer's objection. The town wanted to hear from residents first and scheduled the open house.

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Apartment plan raising concerns in Alcona

(PRWEB) January 31, 2014

At World of Modular 2014, the modular building industrys largest convention, industry leaders will focus on Multifamily Housing, Green Building, Market Trends, Innovation and more. More than 600 developers, contractors, architects, builders, dealers and equipment/service suppliers are expected at the event, slated for March 21-24 in San Antonio, Texas, and hosted by the Modular Building Institute.

In the multifamily market, Tom Faraone with Banker Steel will discuss the B2 modular residential tower at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, New York the worlds tallest modular building. Banker Steel is fabricating the steel chassis for the mixed-rate modular apartment units in this innovative facility being developed by Forest City Ratner Companies and Skanska.

Another New York City apartment building, The Stack, is on the lineup. John Erb of Deluxe Building Systems will discuss this market rate seven-story Manhattan residential facility.

Sustainable design will be highlighted in additional multifamily case studies. Architect Tim McDonald with Onion Flats, a unique development/design/build collective in Philadelphia, will explain how builders can deliver not just net-zero, but beautiful and inspiring buildings during his talk, Net-Zero Modular Construction.

Leading commercial Passivhaus design builder Adam Cohen of Passiv Science will examine Market-Rate Passivhaus Construction: Myth or Reality? Having compiled an impressive set of accomplishments, including the largest commercial modular Passivhaus project, and the first public school, university student center, dentist office, church, commercial kitchen and college dorm, Cohen will discuss potential opportunities and challenges for modular builders and end-users alike.

Other commercial housing presentations will include San Antonios 21-Story Modular Hotel: A Modern Marvel Almost 50 Years Later, Bill Roberts, Zachry Corporation, and Feasibility Study: LEED Certification for Mining Camps, Paulo Correa Labarca, Correa3.

To put modular construction in a larger context, several speakers will discuss market trends and globalization. Sage Policy Group Economist Anirban Basu will offer a Market Forecast. Ethan Cowles of FMI Corporation will examine Market Drivers and Trends in Modularization and Prefabrication, focusing on how modular construction will play an increasingly vital role in improving the productivity of the entire construction value chain. Jim Dunn and Evan Gould from Stack Modular will present on Opportunities and Challenges of Globalized Manufacturing.

On the innovation front, keynote Troy Hazard, a television host and entrepreneur, will talk about Embracing Innovation & Evolution. Paul Bonaccorsi of Intelligent Offsite will discuss the growing use of pods by traditional general contractors who are incorporating this offsite phenomenon into what would otherwise be a 100 percent site-built project. Rob LaCosta from PCL Constructors will present on Automation in Modular Construction. Chris Giattina from Blox will discuss Harvesting Manufacturing Productivity into Design & Construction.

Find out more about the other industry experts speaking at World of Modular and why it is a must-attend event for anyone interested in networking with industry leaders and learning about the speed, efficiency and sustainability of the modular process.

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Multifamily Housing, Green Building, Market Trends, Innovation to be Prime Topics at MBIs World of Modular

Garbage, graffiti, and expired building permits are only the beginning of a long list of hazards bothering neighbors of the Ennis Francis II building on 123rd Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.

The 15-story building was intended to provide new homes for residents of the dilapidated Ennis Francis low-rise apartment complex. But Ennis Francis II is sitting unfinished, with no indication as to when construction will resume.

Both buildings are funded by the Abyssinian Development Corporation, a nonprofit real estate development branch of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church. The corporations financial problems, detailed in a Village Voice article from April 2013, stopped construction of Ennis Francis II in April, but an ADC spokesperson reaffirmed as recently as November that construction on the building would resume and finish on schedule.

Although the sign on the scaffolding advertises a January 2014 completion date, the site remains boarded up.

The tenants of the Ennis Francis housing were promised homes in the new building, but with construction halted, they remain situated in what they describe as nearly unlivable conditions.

Ennis Francis tenants Brenda Brown and Jessica Hughes said they have to boil water and keep their ovens on since heaters in the building are ineffective.

Sometimes we cant even open the windows because its a brick of ice, Brown said.

Brown added that she has to cover her belongings with plastic bags or pile them in the corners of the room to protect them from the rainwater that leaks into her closets. Her closet doors are broken, her apartment has mold, and shes seen cockroaches and dry rot in the bathroom.

The toilets, bath, and shower from Browns unit leak into Hughes apartment downstairs, where the mold is so bad that Hughes must keep the windows open in all temperatures because her daughter has asthma.

Hughes said that nonresidents also hang out in the building at all hours of the day and night.

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In dilapidated housing complex, tenants await construction on new building

Garbage, graffiti, and expired building permits are only the beginning of a long list of hazards bothering neighbors of the Ennis Francis II building on 123rd Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.

The 15-story building was intended to provide new homes for residents of the dilapidated Ennis Francis low-rise apartment complex. But Ennis Francis II is sitting unfinished, with no indication as to when construction will resume.

Both buildings are funded by the Abyssinian Development Corporation, a nonprofit real estate development branch of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church. The corporations financial problems, detailed in a Village Voice article from April 2013, stopped construction of Ennis Francis II in April, but an ADC spokesperson reaffirmed as recently as November that construction on the building would resume and finish on schedule.

Although the sign on the scaffolding advertises a January 2014 completion date, the site remains boarded up.

The tenants of the Ennis Francis housing were promised homes in the new building, but with construction halted, they remain situated in what they describe as nearly unlivable conditions.

Ennis Francis tenants Brenda Brown and Jessica Hughes said they have to boil water and keep their ovens on since heaters in the building are ineffective.

Sometimes we cant even open the windows because its a brick of ice, Brown said.

Brown added that she has to cover her belongings with plastic bags or pile them in the corners of the room to protect them from the rainwater that leaks into her closets. Her closet doors are broken, her apartment has mold, and shes seen cockroaches and dry rot in the bathroom.

The toilets, bath, and shower from Browns unit leak into Hughes apartment downstairs, where the mold is so bad that Hughes must keep the windows open in all temperatures because her daughter has asthma.

Hughes said that nonresidents also hang out in the building at all hours of the day and night.

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Living in dilapidated Ennis Francis complex, housing tenants await construction on second building

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 | 6:12 p.m. CST; updated 11:16 p.m. CST, Wednesday, January 29, 2014

COLUMBIA Instead of a restaurant named after an Italian city, Cory Hodapp will soon own a new downtown apartment building named after his grandmother.

Hodapp, the owner of the downtown plot where The Rome used to be, named his new project, Lofts at Beals on 9th, after his grandmother, who died in 2012.

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The four-story mixed-use building will have two commercial units, one apartment on the ground floor and 13 more apartments on the other floors, according to the website.

The building will have apartments with one to four bedrooms and monthly rents between $600 and $800. One apartment has already been leased, according to the website.

Hodapp launched the website last week to begin leasing the 13 new apartments at 114 S. Ninth St., where construction started in mid-December.

He doesn't plan on opening any more locations.

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Apartments to be built on Ninth Street at former Rome location

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Newswise RICHLAND, Wash. China can build its way to a more energy efficient future one house, apartment and retail store at a time by improving the rules regulating these structures, according to a study by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

PNNL scientists at the Joint Global Change Research Institute, a partnership with the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., have created a unique model that projects how much energy can be saved with changes to China's building energy codes.

Already home to almost one-fifth the world's population, China is not only growing, but rapidly developing. And it's consuming more energy along the way. Reducing energy consumption through building codes is a win-win for China and the rest of the world, by reducing fossil fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions while still promoting economic growth and energy security.

The study focused on realistic improvements to codes that regulate building aspects like insulation and lighting. Improvements to these codes could reduce building energy consumption by up to 22 percent by the end of this century, compared to a no-change scenario, the researchers found.

"A 22-percent cut is a large change in China's trajectory," said Meredydd Evans, the PNNL scientist who managed the project. "More energy could be saved with additional standards and policies, but this study shows that a distinct set of codes can have great impact."

Findings from the study were published in Energy Policy.

Before foundations, buildings start with codes

Since China implemented its first building energy codes in the 1980s, the country has expressed a commitment to reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions through improved codes, Evans said. In fact, China's codes are not radically different than those in the U.S., though significant gaps remains, she said.

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Modeling Buildings by the Millions: Building Codes in China Tested for Energy Savings