This morning, the Milan-based real estate investment fund COIMA SGR announced that it had crowned a team of Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) and Stefano Boeri Architetti the winners of an international design contest to fill Pirelli 39, part of a massive portside redevelopment in Milan.

Wedged between Central Station and the Scalo Farini railyard (which OMA is overhauling), Pirelli 39 is home to an existing tower decommissioned by Milan in 2015 over the buildings unsuitability for modern uses and lack of seismic protection. The surrounding site is also in need of environmental remediation. Once complete, Pirelli 39 will join a larger collection of parcels making up the newly reinvigorated Porta Nuova Gioia area, which aims to better integrate the Porta Nuova business district with the citys center.

Our studio is thrilled to have this opportunity to make a meaningful architectural contribution to the city of Milan, our first project in Italy, wrote DS+R partner Elizabeth Diller. As much of our work focuses on the future of cities, the Pirelli 39 project presents a great opportunity to develop a new model of mixed-use development and sustainable urban growth. The project combines the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings with environmentally responsible new construction, and a vibrant living cultural destination devoted to the art and science of plants.

The winning proposal for Pirelli 39 is a complex mixture of new and repurposed buildings that will bring a mixture of residential and office space to the site, along with a bulbous, futuristic laboratory-slash-greenhouse bridge encased in diagrid glass.

The existing building will be retrofitted with both seismic and sustainability upgrades, bringing it in line with Next Generation EU standards (passed as part of the E.U.s COVID recovery plan at the end of 2020, the package includes stringent building efficiency standards intended to combat climate change). As COIMA noted in its selection announcement, Pirelli 39 will be the first Italian redevelopment to be built along Next Generation EU standards.

While the retrofit of the existing office building will reskin it from a clunky International-style office block with heavy mullions to a more typical glass-enclosed tower, the real star of the renderings revealed today is the new residential tower planned for next door. Each floor juts out to a heavily planted terrace, and COIMA has promised that the buildings structural elements will be made from timber, while the nearly 30,000 square feet of photovoltaic panels are projected to generate approximately 65 percent of the buildings annual energy usage. Altogether, an estimated 18,000 square feet of vegetation has been planned to cover the facade.

The residential tower will be linked with the office building via the conversion of an existing building on site that crosses the Via Melchiorre Gioia, one of the citys main thoroughfares. The bridge building will anchor the redevelopment, becoming a transparent greenhouse and events and exhibitions space flowing from the lower levels of each tower and inflating in the center. The bridge is already slated to become an extension of the Biblioteca degli Alberi (Library of Trees) laboratory as well.

COIMA noted that the central theme of the competition was adaptive reuse over demolition and that 70 teams, made up of 359 architecture, landscape, and engineering firms from across 15 different countries, ultimately submitted.

No estimated date of completion or budget has been revealed for the project yet.

Read the original post:
Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Stefano Boeri Architetti tapped for massive mixed-use revival in Milan - The Architect's Newspaper

The City of Austin Permitting and Development Center finished construction Dec. 4. The $121 million building will house more than 900 city employees in the permitting and development services departments. (Courtesy city of Austin)

The $121 million building finished construction Dec. 4. There is no timeline for employees to move into the 251,000-square-foot building, and the city said it will be monitoring COVID-19 statistics as it works to make the call on when to move employees over. The majority of the employees will be coming from One Texas Center in South Austin, according to the city, but some others will be coming from leased office spaces.

The Permitting and Development Center, which was helmed by development companies RedLeaf Properties, LLC and Ryan Companies, is the first office building on the mixed-use Highland development, which also includes residential apartments and the revamped Austin Community College Highland Campus.

ACC is in the midst of a $150 million project to renovate 400,000 square feet of space, the second phase of its redevelopment of the former mall. The project includes new spaces for culinary arts, manufacturing, health sciences and digital media as well as the studio for public radio station KLRU.

Beginning in January, when the spring 2021 semester starts, ACC said some departments will offer limited courses in their new spaces in various subjects, including radio, television, film, culinary arts, geospatial engineering, dance, drama and music. ACC said the renovated campus will house more than a dozen programs once it is fully completed.

ACC's health protocols include health screenings before entering classroom buildings, mandatory facial coverings, and ACC ID or student ID badges required for entry into all buildings. Furthermore, ACC Chancellor Richard Rhodes announced that beginning Dec. 17, all nonessential ACC employees will work remotely at least through Jan. 10.

As of Dec. 22, a total of 23 ACC students and 12 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. According to the community college, there have been no cases of campus transmission.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of RedLeaf Properties, LLC.

Go here to see the original:
$121 million city of Austin office building finishes construction as development continues at former Highland Mall - Community Impact Newspaper

Hang on to your hats; residential real estate could have another explosive year here in the Grand Valley in 2021. There are dozens of subdivisions in various planning stages, including existing ones that are planning additional filings, as well as other new ones that will create thousands of building lots.

Somewhere in the planning pipeline, we have bout 5,000 units - more than well build in any one year, said Dave Thornton, senior planner for the city of Grand Junction. Those 5,000 units include the large Redlands 360 development, which will most likely take 20 years to build out and will include between 1,300 to 1,800 lots.

While prospective buyers probably wont see infrastructure or homes available at Redlands 360 in 2021, there are plenty of other subdivisions that will offer a greater variety of new housing in the coming year.

There are quite a few townhome projects in the pipeline this year, said Kevin Bray with Bray Real Estate, which publishes the monthly Bray Report and tracks other real estate trends in the Grand Valley. Bray is also developing Thunder Valley, which is a single family home subdivision in the northeast thats opening up another filing, and is hoping to develop a new type of housing option at Frog Pond, a small subdivision of small homes off Monument Road in the Redlands sometime in 2021.

Copper Creek Builders is continuing to build apartments at Copper Creek Village, and plans to also build townhomes adjacent to the apartment complex. Ray Rickard is working with the city on a small, in-fill lot near Bookcliff Country Club where he hopes to build 17 lock-and-leave townhomes. The lot had an old, badly-in-need-of repairs home on it, which was demolished in December. Rickard is also planning to build condos on a piece of property near Las Colonias.

Some townhome and condo developments offer a lower price point than traditional single family homes, while others offer an upscale, less-maintenance home that may appeal to second home buyers or those who like to travel. Buyers who want the traditional single-family home on a small to medium-sized lot will also have several new subdivisions in every part of the Grand Valley, from Fruita to Palisade.

Emerald Ridge is one of the largest new subdivisions coming to the market in 2021; when completely built out, the subdivision will have almost 200 homes. The first filing is 98 lots, but developer Janet Elliott hopes to sell about 30 homes in the north area subdivision in 2021.

We have six builders who will build in the subdivision, Elliott said, adding that homes must be at least 1,800 square feet, with a three-car garage. Most will be ranch-style, but a few will be two-story.

Elliott hopes to have the design center at the subdivision complete and ready for consultations with prospective buyers by mid-January.

Another almost 200-unit housing project in the north area has just started the planning process on 24 1/2 Road, just south of G Road, where Valley Grown Nursery operated for decades. That subdivision, Founders Colony, will offer single family homes, townhomes and apartments, when it is completely built out.

In addition to residential subdivisions, commercial real estate projects are also looking positive for 2021, with some long-term projects coming to fruition and others just beginning the long road to completion.

A long-vacant building at 2515 Patterson, which once was home to the Grand Junction Athletic Club, has been undergoing a complete remodel and transformation to become a new type of medical office building, where the focus will be on wellness.

We are still planning on being open in April, said Renee Williams, who has been tireless in her vision to create Foresight Wellness. Two of the partner practices, Colorado West Otolaryngology and ReGenesis Plastic Surgery and Dermatology, hope to move into the building in April. Williams hopes to add a wellness clinic that focuses on helping patients reduce inflammation throughout the body sometime after the soft opening in April. She also hopes to be able to host a grand opening that will allow the curious to see the buildings transformation sometime in 2021, when it is safe to host large gatherings once again.

Commercial buyers are still interested in Dos Rios, the public/private project on the west side of the Fifth Street bridge along the Colorado River, as well as a large chunk of land that has been for sale for decades near Community Hospital. More information about plans and projects will be in Real Estate Weekly when the deals are finalized.

The city plans to continue building infrastructure at Dos Rios, with the completion of the bathroom, parking, paving, landscaping, park spaces and spaces for commercial, residential and retail use. At Blue Heron, the city is looking to reconstruct the Blue Heron boat ramp to provide one area for kayaks and SUPs and a different ramp for boats with trailers.

The city is also planning to build two fire stations in 2021. One will be a replacement for Fire Station 3 near Pomona Elementary School on 25 Road, and the other, Fire Station 8, will be a brand new station at 31 and D 1/2 Road. The sales tax that was passed by voters in 2019 is funding both projects.

Many of the projects already underway in 2021 represent in-fill projects and developments on land that has been under-utilized for years within existing urban boundaries, which was one of the priorities that came out of the recent city survey.

Originally posted here:
In-fill, new construction and re-purposing old spaces and places all coming in 2021 - The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Commercial additions/alterations

APARTMENTS: 1600 E. Simcoe St., Lafayette; Simcoe Development LP, owner; description, apartment renovations; Ben Moore for Fyffe Construction Co., applicant and contractor; $6,040,342.

APARTMENTS: 1106 Moss St., Lafayette; Moss Development, LP, owner; description, apartment renovations; Ben Moore for Fyffe Construction Co., applicant and contractor; $6,040,342.

OTHER: 1702 E. Simcoe St., Lafayette; Errit Joseph Gallien, owner; description, Jamhour Laundromat; Madhat Jamhour, applicant; Good Ole Boys Construction and Services, contractor; $42,500.

OFFICE BUILDING: 2911 U.S. 90 East, Broussard; Reliable EDM, owner; description, addition; Sommer Brothers Enterprises LLC, applicant; Modular Construction Co. Inc., contractor; $600,000.

OTHER: 300 E. Vermilion St., Lafayette; Fire Station No 1, owner; description, replace roof; Schoeffler & Boudier Architects, applicant; Centurion Industries Inc., contractor; $256,960.

205 Stoney Shadow Drive, Lafayette; Prestige Custom Homes LLC; $351,000.

207 Stoney Shadow Drive, Lafayette; Prestige Custom Homes LLC; $382,500.

302 Woodrich Lane, Lafayette; Savoski Scott; $414,000.

221 Colorado Road, Duson; Drenkorp LLC; $117,000.

231 Colorado Road, Duson; Drenkorp LLC; $117,000.

305 Colorado Road, Duson; Drenkorp LLC; $117,000.

315 Colorado Road, Duson; Drenkorp LLC; $117,000.

213 Treescape Drive, Lafayette; Shivers Brothers Construction; $270,000.

301 Acadian Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $198,000.

217 Acadian Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $180,000.

123 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $270,000.

125 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $279,000.

110 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $211,500.

127 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $279,000.

112 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $342,000.

114 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $270,000.

122 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $211,500.

124 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $198,000.

126 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $342,000.

128 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $270,000.

111 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $229,500.

113 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $279,000.

115 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $279,000.

117 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $211,500.

119 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $198,000.

121 Grace View Drive, Lafayette; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $301,500.

211 Ivory Palm Court, Broussard; Bon Maison Builders Inc.; $282,906.

109 Lillian St., Broussard; DSLD Homes LLC; $287,690.

225 Canary Palm Way, Broussard; Blue Wing Builders LLC; $296,350.

200 Tennyson Drive, Broussard; Manuel Builders LLC; $213,293.

216 Tennyson Drive, Broussard; Manuel Builders LLC; $202,653.

Continued here:
Who's building where in Acadiana? Here are the building permits issued Dec. 21-25 - The Advocate

West Dallas most successful development Trinity Groves is heading in a new direction with plans for two large office buildings.

Seven years after the mixed-use development kicked off along Singleton Boulevard, the owners are working to expand. The tallest of the new buildings would be about 30 floors and would sit on the banks of the Trinity River across from downtown.

Its the crown jewel in our master plan, said Jim Reynolds, senior vice president and development partner with Trinity Groves. We started this process over a year ago. We need to provide that office use to continue to build our community in Trinity Groves.

The first building will go up at Herbert Street and Singleton Boulevard, Reynolds said.

We are programing that to be Dallas first mass timber building, Reynolds said. Its a mid-rise office building a creative-type office building. Right now, its programmed at eight stories. It would be for the smaller office tenants looking for space. There isnt anyplace to put them in West Dallas right now.

The Trinity Groves developers will need zoning changes for each of the office projects. Both zoning cases are scheduled to be heard by the citys plan commission in January.

The second building a proposed 400-foot-tall skyscraper at Singleton and Canada Drive is aimed at a major corporate tenant, Reynolds said. The almost 4-acre development site is near the foot of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and adjacent to the Trinity Groves restaurant center.

Its what we call the gateway site, he said. One of the reasons the height is so important is its Dallas opportunity to provide this big corporate relocation site here. It has unobstructed views to the river and downtown. For a big corporation to put their name on that building is really special.

Reynolds said Trinity Groves owners have worked for more than a year with the neighborhood to come up with the development plan for the tower.

The project includes construction of a West Dallas Veterans Tribute plaza and event space on the site. The developers are also committing to provide social programs for residents of the adjoining area.

We will not bring a zoning case we dont have neighborhood support for, Reynolds said. We worked out a plan which was acceptable to them. It has a long-term commitment with things like job training programs and senior services and mentorship programs.

Trinity Groves also is continuing with planned changes at its anchor restaurant campus on Singleton, moving away from the original business incubator program.

We are ready to get going to open up some new concepts, Reynolds said. We just broke ground on our new beer garden. Well have that open in the spring. Youll be able to sit in that garden and enjoy food from all the Trinity Grove restaurants.

The expanded outdoor space will be a plus with the pandemic.

Weve been thinking about this for years, Reynolds said. COVID was the excuse we needed to kick it off.

Trinity Groves developers are also planning a small hotel on Singleton and Amonette Street.

The Trinity Groves partnership, founded by investors Phil Romano, Stuart Fitts and Larry Butch McGregor, owns dozens of properties for future development in the area between Singleton and Fort Worth Avenue. They have long-range plans for more residential and commercial construction on the sites.

Link:
West Dallas' Trinity Groves shifts gears with plans for offices and restaurant reboot - The Dallas Morning News

In response to a recent story on the citys efforts to redevelop Riverside Boulevard an area that includes the former post office building a reader left this Facebook comment about the future of the building: Whatever it becomes, I hope its something that helps keep the younger generations here. Hate to see the town fade.

Wed hate to see the town fade, too, but we dont see evidence of that happening. In fact, we see a growing town shaping itself for the future.

Across the world, 2020 will be remembered forever for the COVID-19 pandemic and rightfully so with 330,000 deaths and more than 80 million cases in the United States alone. While those numbers paint a grim picture, that doesnt mean 2020 was all doom and gloom in Northeast and North Central Nebraska.

Take a look at just a handful of the good things that 2020 brought to Norfolk and the region:

New ag facilities: As part of Northeast Community Colleges Nexus project, work began on a $22.3 million project to build new agricultural facilities. Construction on the project which has been five years in the making began in April and is expected to be completed by next fall.

New skate park: Like the ag facilities at Northeast, a new skate park has been on the drawing board for years. The park built by Spohn Ranch, a renowned design and construction company that specializes in skate parks opened last summer. Because of the companys reputation in the skating world, the park is expected to draw people from across the state.

Growing Nebraska: An effort to lure and keep young people here after college took root this year. The inaugural class of students in preparation for working in 2023 as part of their senior year co-op just completed their first semester at Wayne State College

Street work: A one-mile stretch of Benjamin Avenue that goes by the new ag complex has been widened to three lanes from Highway 35 to Victory Road in a marked improvement for the road that had fallen into disrepair. Up next is a much-needed reconstruction of another stretch of Benjamin, from First Street to 13th Street. Also this year, a section of Braasch Avenue from First Street to Fifth Street was reconstructed.

All these happenings and more are designed with the younger generation in mind.

Continue reading here:
Projects accomplished over past year help shape future for younger generations - Norfolk Daily News

2020 was a banner year for development in St. Louis. The pandemic and a record high murder rate didnt slow most big projects, resulting in a total dollar amount second only to $1.2B in 2018.

The number of permits issued was the 3rd fewest in the last ten years indicating fewer permits for smaller projects. There were 99 permits greater than $1M, totaling $820M. Also there were 118 permits issued for new single family homes.

Most new developments and big rehabs received some form of tax incentive- property tax abatement, TIF, sales tax exemption on construction materials, etc or were tax exempt. The needle has moved some as we see property tax abatements for shorter terms and less than 100% more frequently. Weve also seen the emergence of tax assurance- meaning the amount and/or rate of increase in assessments is set for a period of time. Among the residential project there was little in the way of affordable units. With the return of the states Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) we may see more in the future.

Will 2021 be another billion dollar year? There are currently over $350M in unissued permits, so 2021 will be off to a good start.

A shoutout to the busy bees at the St. Louis Building Commission for posting the permit database and its handy data webpage. Also big shoutout to all those investing in St. Louis!

Here are the top ten plus three for 2020. Note that the building permit amount does not equal the total project cost.

13. Delmar Devine $10.8M by Maxine Clark. 160 affordable apartments and 177,000 square feet of office space for non-profits. It received a 95% property tax abatement for 15 years and state tax credits.

Stltoday Ambitious $100 million St. Louis project hopes to erase Delmar Divide

Stltoday Dog-park bar and Delmar apartments land $12 million in federal tax credits

12. The Verve 3765 Lindell $11.1M by Collegiate Development Group with Architect Modus Studio. 78 apartments. It received a 90% tax abatement for 5 years.

11. AC Hotel in the CWE $15.3M by Koplar Properties, Concord Hospitality Enterprises and Homebase Partners with HDA Architects & JNS Architects. 192 rooms. It received property tax assurance that the assessment would not increase by more the 2% in each biennial reassessment for 10 years.

10. Preservation Square $18M by McCormack Baron Salazar

StlToday Over two years after big HUD grant, Preservation Square project finally nears groundbreaking

9. Square Offices 900 N Tucker $19M Expected to host 1,100 employees. $11.85M TIF and more.

Stltoday Square to move, expand St. Louis office downtown

The developer is Jim McKelveys StarLake Holdings, led by John Berglund. Its also seeking about $20.6 million in state and federal historic tax credits, $4 million in Missouri Brownfield redevelopment credits, state payroll tax breaks through the Missouri Works program and a sales tax exemption for construction materials.

Stltoday TIF Commission recommends millions in subsidies for Square building, MetroLink apartments

8. Expo at Forest Park 301 DeBaliviere $22.4M by Pearl Properties. 278 apartments among two buildings and ground floor retail including a grocery store. They were granted a $12.7M TIF and a CID sales tax estimated to raise $1.4M. Pearl has committed to enter into a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with the neighborhood.

7. Shell Hotel 1221 Locust $25M Reimagine Hospitality plans to have a dual-branded hotel, with 130 extended-stay rooms from Home2 Suites by Hilton and the other 61 rooms as Hiltons Tru brand. It receive a property tax abatement of 87% for 10 years.

Stltoday Shell Building rehab moves ahead

6. Expo At Forest Park 5720 DeGiverville $33.6M

5. 4545 Laclede $36M by Koman Group. 200 apartments. It received a property tax assurance of $200k with annual increases of 2.5% for ten years and sales tax exemption on construction materials.

4. Ameren HQ Rehab $38M Hopefully someday some of its parasitic parking will find more productive uses.

3. WUSTL Neuroscience Building $28M and $13.2M These are only for the steel structure and foundation. More to come. It will be property tax exempt.

WUSTL Med Washington University to break ground on major neuroscience research hub

2 & 1. MLS Stadium $88M and $206M by the Taylor family. It received property tax abatement on improvements of 100% for 25 years, sales tax exemption on construction materials, a 1% CID sales tax, possibly a 1% TDD sales tax and a 1% Port Authority sales tax. Still it not being city-owned means its the best stadium deal the city has entered into since Busch II.

Stltoday MLS stadium will go north of Market Street, include practice fields near Union Station in expanded plan

How did St. Louis County do? _()_/ #Fragmentation #Transparency

Originally posted here:
Over $1 Billion in Building Permits Issued in 2020 - nextstl.com

Written by Oscar Holland, CNN

From museums to performing arts venues, these are CNN Style's most anticipated buildings opening or completing in 2021.

Far Rockaway Library, New York

This striking public library in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York, will replace a small but popular library previously on the same site. But at 20,000 square feet, the new facility doubles the size of the space provided to the community.

Taipei Performing Arts Center, Taipei

Eight years after construction began, the unmistakable Taipei Performing Arts Center is finally set to complete by the middle of 2021. At an estimated cost of 5.4 billion New Taiwan dollars (about $192 million), the eye-catching building -- with its planet-like sphere protruding from one side -- will undoubtedly serve as a contemporary landmark for the Taiwanese capital.

Aquarela, Quito

Jean Nouvel/Ateliers Jean Nouvel/Alberto Medem/Humboldt Arquitectos S.L.

Although composed of several separate nine-story structures, a series of long balconies wrap around and between them to give the project a monolithic quality. The stone cladding, wooden shutters and exterior greenery are intended to help the building both reflect and assimilate with the region's verdant, mountainous topography, while offering residents a tangible connection with nature.

Phase 1 is set to complete in early 2021, though the second phase may yet spill into 2022, according to Nouvel's firm.

Hotel Green Solution House (GSH), Rnne

Denmark will soon welcome what's being described as its first climate-positive hotel, meaning the building is designed to save more carbon than it emits over its lifespan. Serving as a new wing of the existing Hotel GSH on the eastern island of Bornholm, the structure is made almost entirely of wood -- much of which has been upcycled using offcuts from the construction and furniture-making industries. Elsewhere, debris from local granite quarries has been used for decoration and insulation.

The two architecture groups behind the design, 3XN and GXN, have also looked to the building's future: Its individual components are connected using reversible joints, and thus can be put to new use after the hotel reaches the end of its lifespan.

House of Hungarian Music, Budapest

Designed by celebrated Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, this museum, music venue and education center is one of the standout designs from the Liget Budapest Project, a radical overhaul of the Hungarian capital's largest public park.

Located near the picturesque Vrosliget Lake, its undulating roof will feature trees reaching through some of the larger perforations.

The building is intended to celebrate the country's rich musical traditions, but also serves to lure park visitors into the public facilities at ground level, where a largely translucent design helps erode the distinction between inside and out.

It will eventually be joined by a number of other new cultural destinations on the sprawling site, including the Museum of Ethnography and a 50,000-square-meter (538,000-square-foot) New National Gallery.

OurDomain Student Housing, Amsterdam

The idea that students have to settle for soulless, utilitarian housing is outdated. Indeed, this new residential campus in the Netherlands, which contains about 1,500 apartments, offers Amsterdam students the kind of shared amenities and green landscaping that perhaps their parents' generation could only have dreamed of.

The 90,000-square-meter (969,000-square-foot) residential complex is divided into three aesthetically distinct buildings, the most striking of which dramatically parts in a pixelated burst of color. OZ Architect, the design firm behind the project, also hopes the introduction of student residences can enliven a commercial area that has, until now, been dominated by office buildings.

Floating Music Hub, So Vincente

Courtesy NL/photo by Kriolscope

For the past decade, architecture and urbanism group NL has experimented with innovative ways to build quickly and cheaply on water. The firm's self-styled Makoko Floating System -- which allows local builders to assemble prefabricated timber modules into floating A-frames -- has already been used to construct schools in Nigeria and Belgium.

The system's latest iteration is a performance and arts hub in Cape Verde. Sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean, three lightweight structures will house a live performance hall, recording studio and bar, demonstrating that easy-to-assemble floating architecture can offer an affordable alternative to traditional cultural venues.

Sunac Guangzhou Grand Theatre, Guangzhou

Anciens Huang/Steven Chilton Architects/Chong-Art Photography

Designed by London-based Steven Chilton Architects, this 2,000-seat theater in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou was inspired by the flowing texture of embroidered silk. It also nods to the city's history as a trading hub and the tattoo-like drawings of artist Zhang Hongfei, whose golden illustrations adorn the bold red cladding.

Comprising thousands of aluminum panels, the exterior shell appears to gently fold, revealing ground-level entrances and lending the building a soft, sculptural quality -- despite its bulking size. Inside, a circular arena has been configured to host immersive "360-degree" performances when the now-complete building opens in 2021.

Read more:
The transformative buildings set to shape the world in 2021 - CNN

At the end of each year, we like to group the urban development projects that weve been tracking into categories completed,under constructionandannounced. Weve also come up with this fourth category for all of the projects that dont fit neatly into any of the other three. That could mean proposals from previous years that have been dropped, projects that are still very much alive but just havent started construction yet, or, in a few cases, development sites where construction began but has now stopped.

Read on for a list of those projects, and our best guess for what might happen with them in 2021.

There was no news this year on either theNorth Market Tower or the Millennial Tower, which wasapproved by the Downtown Commissionin early 2018.

We saw detailed plans for Confluence Village for the first time, but the project will need to come back to the commission in 2021 before construction can start.

A new owner has plans to finally renovate theMadisons and White-Haines buildingson High Street.

Two otherhistoric buildingsthat were declared unsafe by the city in 2019 remain empty.

There was no news in 2020 about a plan for a mixed-use development on three acres of prime real estate on Capitol Square.

No further action has been taken on a plan from late 2019 to renovate and add onto a historic warehouse building.

Several other proposals from 2019 were also quiet in 2020 Columbus Partnerships plans for a vacant building on Front Street, a seven-story building on Mound Street, the renovation of the Salesian building, new restaurant space on Fourth, and two apartment buildings proposed for small lots.

The proposed renovation of the PNC Building was approved during the first virtual Downtown Commission meeting.

A plan to build a parking garage behind the State Auto building was abandoned after the company reassessed the need for so much parking at its headquarters.

The Columbus Downtown Development Corporation seems to have dropped the COSI Corridor idea.

The renovation of The Broadwin and a historic car dealership may be moving forward in 2021 after both projects were awarded state historic tax credits.

No progress has been made on the planned renovation of the Macon Building or the transformation of the former MLK library branch into a community center.

Two buildings have been demolished but work hasnt started on the new-build portion of this project near East High School.

A plan for the Holy Rosary Convent building doesnt appear to be moving forward.

On the North Fourth Street corridor, plans to build apartments on the Durable Slate site and a boutique hotel on an adjacent parcel have stalled.

At the south end of the corridor, there have been no updates on a plan for a large office building in Jeffrey Park.

A new design for the Parkside on Pearl development was presented to the Italian Village Commission.

There was plenty of discussion in 2020 about a mixed-use proposal at the corner of King and High, but the year ended without a design being approved.

There was no news this year about either of these three projects a mixed-use development at the former Patrick Js site, the renovation of the former Hudson Theater, and the renovation of the former Indianola Junior High.

Work is scheduled to start in 2021 on McDowell Place, a 50-unit affordable housing development on the site of the former West Side Spiritualist Church.

The second phase of the River and Rich project has yet to break ground.

After the Bellows School building was struck by lightning in September, its owner repaired the damage and hinted that a new plan for the building was in the works.

At Grandview Yard, work has not yet started on an office building at 840 Yard Street that was announced in 2019.

South of Goodale Boulevard, some of the land has been cleared for a planned 13-acre development, but theres been no vertical construction.

A plan toconverta Marble Cliff mansion into four residential units and develop the surrounding property got a boost from the Ohio Development Services Agency.

Two contentious German Village proposals one for a hotel and the other for apartments remain in limbo.

The parking lot at Westland Mall was used for socially-distanced concerts, but plans to redevelop the site have not advanced.

Nothing has happened at Cooper Stadium since a new redevelopment plan was floated in 2019.

Work hasnt started yet on a planned 11-story tower at Westminster-Thurber on Neil Avenue.

A new plan has submitted for the long-stalled construction project on Michigan Avenue, but work has yet to resume at the site.

An updated plan for the former Village Bookshop on 161 was scheduled to be heard by the Far Northwest Coalition in late December.

A plan to develop a large site at the corner of Henderson and Olentangy River Road has not been brought back since getting a cold reception from neighborhood groups in 2019.

Work has yet to start on the Arlington Gateway development, although the project was approved by the suburb.

The redevelopment of the Golden Bear shopping center has a tougher path ahead, though, after an amended plan for the site was voted down by the citys Board of Zoning & Planning in June.

There were several new updates to the ongoing saga of the redevelopment of the former International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers site.

It looks like the latest plan to restore the original Port Columbus Air Terminal building will proceed in 2021 after a new nonprofit organization signed a long term lease for the building.

Rogue Fitness decided to build a parking lot where the company had considered putting a 4,000-seat arena.

The City of Dublin hit pause on a plan to build a new field house at Bridge Park.

Work on two large developments west of I-270 hasnt started yet, although they both got the approvals they need to move forward.

All was quiet in 2020 for these projects a Brewery District tower, a massive entertainment complex in Delaware County, a 10-story Short North proposal, the redevelopment of a Reynoldsburg Kmart, and this plan for a large Worthington site.

READ MORE: 40 Urban Development Projects Completed in 2020

READ MORE: 56 Urban Development Projects Under Construction in 2020

READ MORE: 35 Urban Development Projects Announced in 2020

Go here to read the rest:
In Limbo: Still No Shovels in the Ground For These 56 Projects - columbusunderground

Alexandra Clough|Palm Beach Daily News

A department store that closed inWest Palm Beach is being replaced by a luxury rental apartment complex, not another retailer.

The site of a former office building on the Intracoastal Waterway in Boca Ratonis being transformed into a luxurycondominium, where units cost millions of dollars each. And the owner of a Boynton Beachshopping center, where a large tenant shut down during the coronavirus pandemic,is working on a plan to turn part of the developmentinto multi-family housing.

The nearly year-long coronavirus pandemic decimated the county's tourism and hospitality industries, but it hasn't hurt the county's dominant real estate industry.

In fact, the pandemic has fueled strongdemand for the new homes and apartments slated for completion during the next two years, and beyond, as investors and builders snap up any piece of land they can find to build more housing.

The market for new homes and apartments in Palm Beach Countyalready was robustprior to the pandemic. That's because the county is a popular destination for people moving here to escapecold weather and high taxes in the Northeastand Midwest.

But the pandemic created even more interest inthe Palm Beach County homes, especially from wealthy residentsfleeing crowded, urban cities outside the county and state.

"It's a lot easier to socially distance when you can pull into your driveway and walk into your home, rather than get into a dense elevator," said West Palm Beach housing analyst Brad Hunter.

In addition, the acceptance of work-from-home arrangements means people can live where they want, a trendHunter said is "here to stay."

For builders of new homes and apartments, the pandemic has turned housing projection on its head, forcing experts to rethink demand.

Job growth used to be a majortool by which developers decided where to build, said StevePatterson,president of Related Development, an arm of Miami-basedRelated Group,builder of numerous apartment and condominiums in South Florida.

But with the pandemic, "domestic migration from the northern states has played a huge factor," especially since many people moving still canwork from their homes,Patterson said.

That's not to say Palm Beach County'shousing developments are being built now simply because of the pandemic."The decision (to build) was made years ago," Patterson said. "It's a very time-consuming process."

But this prior planning means homebuilders not only have skillon their side, they alsohaveluck, thanks to the unexpected pandemic-fueled demand for residences.

Thecrop of new homes comes at a difficulttime for many existingPalm Beach County residents.

Some people living in housesor apartments face the prospect of homelessness because they cannot pay mortgages or rents, communityleaders say. The pandemic has slammed hotels, restaurants and retailers, leading to job losses, or slashed wages or hours.

Rental eviction moratoriums in placewill expire either at year-end or early in2021, depending on federal efforts to craft another coronavirus relief package. When rental moratoriums end, renterswill be responsible for months of back rent, which many people will not be able to pay.

Some home builders, including GL Homes, already have given money to homeless services' agencies such as The Lord's Place to help keep people from winding up on the streets.

"We are gearing up for 2021, which is going to be a year of helping people stay in their homes," said Diana Stanley, chief executive of The Lord's Place. "We've got to do everything in our power to keep them housed."

Stanley said she understands the demand for new housing. Butshe also worries the county does not have enough affordable housing, although there is some small progress on this front.

Housing Trust Group, one of the nations largest developers of affordable homes, just brokeground on Flagler Station, a new $33 million affordable apartment complexin West Palm Beach.

Apartmentsat Flagler Station will be set aside for residents who earn at or below 30%, 60%, 70% and 80% of area media income,with rents ranging from $393 to $1,689. The 94-unit property is scheduled for completion in February 2022.

Still, for many out-of-towners moving to Palm Beach County for the first time, housing is cheap compared to the high prices paid for houses or apartments in states such as New York, Massachusetts or Illinois, Patterson said.

That's a boost forRelated Group, which is building four rental apartment complexes in Palm Beach County.Theseprojects alone will add 1,405 new apartments to the county during the next two years.

Related is building the second apartment phase of Water Tower Commons, a mixed-use project in Lantana.

Manor at Lantana started construction in September and will feature 348 units, ranging in rent from$2,100 to$3,200 a month, when the project is finished in November 2021. Related previously builtTown Lantana, a 360-unit apartment complex at Water Tower Commons that was finished in December 2019.

Related also is building Manor Broken Sound in Boca Ratonon land in a business park just east of Interstate 95.

The 297-apartment complex, which began construction in July, is expected to be completed in November 2021. Rents will range from$2,000 to $4,000 per month.

Meanwhile, construction is expected to start in 2021 on two high-profile West Palm Beach rental communities.

One is Icon, a two-tower, 399-unit luxury apartment complexat Marina Village, a housingcommunity planned on North Flagler Drive along the Intracoastal.Marina Village isa joint venture withRybovich and has been years in the making. Construction on Icon will starton Jan 6.

When completed in October 2022, the upscale Icon apartmentswill rent for$2,200 a monthfor a small one-bedroom unitto a whopping $10,000 a month for a large penthouse.

The other Related Group project starting construction in West Palm Beach next yearis 575 Rosemary Square. Theluxury apartment complex is being built onthe closed Macy's department store site at Rosemary Square, formerly CityPlace.

This comingMarch, construction will beginon 361 apartments, with rental rates ranging from $1,750 for a studio to more than $5,000 for a large, three-bedroom unit. The project is expected to be completed in December 2022.

Patterson said both West Palm Beachapartment complexescould one day be converted to condominiums, which aren't in vogue right now.

But small, boutique condos are, especially if they are near or on the water.

Wealthy buyers want water views, low-density buildingsand plenty of luxury touches, developers say. This has led to the construction of severalsmall coastal condominiums,where units cost millions of dollarseach.

Despite the hefty price tags, people are buying these pricey condos.

In Delray Beach, there's Ocean Delray, a 19-unit boutique condominium being built on the ocean. Prices range from $5.7 million to $9 million for theunits, and the project is 50% sold out, said John Farina, president of U.S. Construction, one of the project's developers.

Buyers are coming from Chicago, the Northeast and even California, Farina said. The work-from-home trend is so prevalent now, Farina said, OceanDelray's design has been changed to feature an office for every unit.

Units range in size from 3,000 to 4,400 square feet. Completion is set for the second quarter of 2021.

Meanwhile, U.S. Construction plans to start first-quarter 2021 construction of another luxuryDelray Beach condominium on the beach, on the site of the former Delray South Shore Club.

This condo project, dubbed 1625 Ocean, will feature only 14 units. Sales startin January, with units selling for between $3.5 million to $6.8 million, Farina said.

At the south end of the county, in Boca Raton, construction has begun on the Boca Beach Club, a waterfront boutique ultra-luxury condominium.

The Intracoastal Waterway property, on the site of a former real estate sales center, features 32 units, of which 26 already are sold, meaning the condominium already is 81 percent pre-sold.

Prices range from $3.5 million to just under $8 million for the condominiums, which will be completed toward the end of2022.

Inigo Ardid, co-president of developer Key International, said Boca Beach Club buyers like the project's waterfront locationand limited number of units. Manybuyers are New Yorkerswho came to Florida during the pandemic and don't want to return to dense residential buildings in the Big Apple, whererestaurants and theaters are closed, Ardid said.

Boca Beach Club isonly four stories, but it sitson two acres of land. Units are large, about 4,750 square feet, with another 4,500 square feet of terraces.Boca Beach House is so spread out, "It feels like 32 homes, instead of 32 condos," Ardid said.

Meanwhile, in the heart of downtown Boca, construction also has begun on Royal Palm Residences, a 48-unit condominium next to the Boca Raton Resort & Club and featuringIntracoastal Waterway views.Prices range from $1.9 million to $4.3 million.

Sales began in January, just before the pandemic set in. As the months rolled by, so did sales, and now 19 unitshave sold, including to buyersmoving from the Northeast, said Todd Richardson, vice president of sales for developer Group P6. Some potential buyers are even exploring combining units, Richardson added.Completion of Royal Palm Residencesis set for 2022.

It's not just southern Palm Beach County that is seeing construction of small upscalecondos, however.

In Tequesta, at the county's northern edge, developers just broke ground on SeaGlass Jupiter Island, a boutique luxury condominium featuring only21 units.

Since sales launched in May, developers have logged an undisclosed number of pre-construction sales, ranging in price from $5.9 million to more than $10 million. Each unit features ocean-to-Intracoastal views, as well as private terraces with summer kitchens.

The project,being developed by FontainebleauDevelopment and Perko Development Partners, is expected to be completed in the fall of 2022.

Companies that build single-family homes also are busy building more houses, especially large houses, because people working from homewant more space.

"There's demand for bigger houses, home gyms and pools. There's a huge surge in people wanting their own pools," said Brent Baker, president of PulteGroup's Southeast region.

The pool trend reflects frustration by people who live in places where the community pool closed for months due to the pandemic, Baker said.

To meet demand, PulteGroup is working on projects throughout South Florida and the Treasure Coast, in a range of prices.

In Palm Beach County, the company plans to build80 single-family homes starting in the high $500,000s on a former golf course in Delray Beach, in the Sherwood Forest community. The project would mark the fifth time Pulte has turned a golf course into a housing community.

Meanwhile, the company will build more than 400homes in Avenir, a massive housing development in Palm Beach Gardens. Home prices will range from the high $500,000s to the mid-$800,000s, and model homes will be ready by next summer.

Builders such asPulte are snapping up any land they can find for homes.

Recently, Pulte bought a 31-acre site in Lake Worth Beach,at State Road 441 south of Lake Worth Road,for a new community dubbed Windsong Estates. The communitywill feature 93 single-family homes, with prices starting in the low $500,000s.

In addition, PulteGroup also just bought two development sites in Martin County.

One site, a 215-acre site dubbed Bridgewater, is just over the line from Palm Beach. The propertywill feature 107 homes on lots ranging from 1to 5acres. The properties are big enough to build the main house and also"casitas," or small guest houses. Prices will start at $1 million.

Another site, a 13-acre parcel in Stuart, will feature 80 townhomes priced from the low $300,000s.

Baker said PulteGroup can't build and sell homes fast enough. "This past November was our best sales month over, across the board" in all home prices, Baker said.

That's no surprise to Mike Pappas, president of The Keyes Company real estate brokerage.Pappas said the pandemic accelerated the trend of people migrating to Florida when they retire.

"They decided, 'I was going to come to Florida two years from now, but I'm moving now,'" Pappas said.

GL Homes also continues to buildand sellhomes at its many communities in Palm Beach County, which range from 55-and-up enclaves to luxury single-family homes.

Jill DiDonna, GL Homes senior vice president of sales and marketing, said the company's Boca Raton luxury single-family home communities, Boca Bridges and Lotus, with average priceswell above $1 million, have experienced double-digit sales growth in 2020 compared to last year.

And unlike previous years, "where we captureextremely high concentrations of buyers from the Northeast, this yearGLHomeshas seen homebuyers from all over the country relocating" to South Florida, DiDonna said.

Demand for new home construction is keeping localconstruction companies busy.

West Palm Beach-based Kast Construction is building the Manor Broken Soundand Manor at Lantana apartment complexes for Related Group.Kast also is buildingthe luxurious Ocean Delray condominium in Delray Beach, saidDave DeMay, Kast senior vice president.

In the coming year, Kast also will resume work on a massive apartment, hotel and office complex: One West Palm, a 30-story, twin-tower mixed-use project in downtown West Palm Beach that halted construction earlier this year but soon will resume work.

Meanwhile, in Boynton Beach, the owner of the Catalina Centre is talking to Boynton Beach city officials about transforming part of the shopping center into an apartment building that could featureup to 300 units.

The idea was in the works before the pandemic, saidRandy Tulepan, vice president of Roberts Equities, which owns the center.

"But then the pandemic hit and knocked 24 Hour fitness out, and that accelerated things," Tulepansaid, referring to the Chapter 11 filing of the national gym, which has closed many of its locations. 24 Fitness was the shopping center's largest tenant, with 50,000 square feet.

It seems everyone wants a piece of the housing pie in Palm Beach County, and it's not just new residences that are in demand.

Even an old apartment complex in Lake Worth Beach was a recent hot commodity.

TheFloridian, a 60-unit apartment complexon Congress Avenue across from John Prince Park, is a sturdy but plain apartment complex built in 1964. Despite theproperty's age, The Floridian just traded for $6 million, up nearly $2 million from just five years ago, said Ryan Nee, regional manager of Marcus & Millichap, a commercial real estate brokerage.

The property generated several written offers and ended up with a cash buyer, Neesaid.

The seller is a New Jersey resident who wants tobuy another Palm Beach County property. The buyer is a local resident who wants to own rental property.

Judging by the demand for rental properties, Nee added, it's not just people moving to South Florida from other parts of the country.

"Investors are looking to move money here, too," he said.

Continue reading here:
Slate of new apartments and houses coming to the county as demand surges due to pandemic moves - Palm Beach Post