When we penned the intro for this piece last year, little did we know that in many ways wed still be deep in it by the time 2021s feature rolled around. Amid another holiday season marred by a new variant, seemingly the more things change well, you get the picture.

Surprisingly, however, in spite of the fact that were still very much in the throes of a global pandemic, 2021 hasnt been punctuated by as many high-profile losses in the startup world as the year prior.

Perhaps the first year of the pandemic was simply the final straw for so many companies that were already treading water or maybe an influx of capital sources has kept heads above water. Some companies successfully pivoted and others were born as a direct result of a world forever changed because of COVID-19.

2021 also largely lacked the kind of blockbuster crashes we saw last year, courtesy of names like Quibi and Essential. But even in a non-pandemic year, keeping a startup afloat is still an enormously difficult task, and not everyone managed to make it to the New Year unscathed.

Total raised: $12 million

Image Credits: Abundant

This is a major sputtering in what has been an otherwise remarkable year for robotic startups. In a certain sense, Abundant was ahead of the curve on agtech robotics, which can often be more curse than blessing. Barely two years after rolling out its first commercial deployments, the apple-picking robotics firm quietly closed up shop. Over the years, the company managed to raise $12 million, including a $10 million Series A led by GV (Google Ventures) back in 2017.

Farmers are taking a long, hard look at robotics and automation to help ease the strain of continued labor shortages. Companies like John Deere are investing a lot in homegrown solutions and acquisitions. It seems very much within the realm of possibility that well see more widescale picking robots deployed sooner than later, but the main question at the moment is from whom?

In October, it was reported that Waverly Labs had acquired Abundants IP, meaning that its technology may still live on in some form.

Image Credits: Chanje

In November 2018, TechCrunch reported that FedEx was working with a relatively new and unknown startup as it ramped up its efforts to electrify its fleet of delivery vans. The company announced plans to add 1,000 electric delivery vehicles from Chanje Energy, a California-based and China-backed startup founded in 2015. In subsequent years, Chanje came to be known for its practice of importing electric delivery vans from China and selling them to companies like FedEx, Ryder and even Amazon. FedEx and other customers were left in the lurch when the electric vehicle company reportedly quietly folded sometime this year, The Verge reported on December 15. CEO Bryan Hansel (described by some employees as both charismatic and narcissistic, had partnered with a Chinese company that went bankrupt. Hansel reportedly worked hard to convince investors to buy pieces of that company so that Chanje could keep operating, but to no avail. According to The Verge, he fired the last of Chanjes employees the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

Chanje reportedly still owes many of its former employees months of back pay and promised bonuses, with at least four having filed suit against the startup. Ryder also sued the company for more than $3 million after Chanje did not deliver most of the vans it promised to the fleet company. Meanwhile, FedEx never got the 1,000 electric vans it expected from Chanje from that 2018 deal. That led to the delivery giant being forced to abandon a project to build out charging infrastructure at FedEx depots across California. While FedEx is also suing the company in an effort to get back some of the millions of dollars it had spent on that charging infrastructure, its prospects are bleak.

Image Credits: Dark Sky

In March of 2020, Apple acquired the Dark Sky weather app, which was popular for its hyperlocal focus. Clearly the tech giant was interested in its features, many of which it incorporated into the iPhone weather app. From the get go, Apple had made clear that the Android app would shutter that July. The fate of the iOS app and API service, however, remained fuzzy. (The API service allowed other developers to tap Dark Skys database of weather forecasts and historical weather data.)

By June of 2021, the iOS app and API service officially had expiration dates, with co-founder Adam Grossman writing: Support for the Dark Sky API service for existing customers will continue until the end of 2022. The iOS app and Dark Sky website will also be available until the end of 2022. While this was not an explicit shutdown announcement, it was certainly implied.

Total raised: $2 billion

Image Credits: Katerra

There was a time that Katerra was considered the darling of the construction tech world. Some argue it made prefab construction more mainstream and cool. As it grew, Katerra ambitiously wanted to own the tech stack around a construction project, whether it be office buildings or apartments. But by the end of 2020, signs of serious problems emerged. The startup was said to be on the verge of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy when Japanese investment conglomerate SoftBank swooped in with a $200 million bailout. But it was too little, too late. Katerras vertically integrated approach couldnt keep up with rising labor and construction costs and the company was struggling with delays and cost overruns on some projects, while the COVID-19 pandemic delayed others. Irregularities that the company discovered in accounting practices also added to headaches, according to The Wall Street Journal.

So it was not a huge shock when on June 1, 2021, Kattera was reported to be officially shutting down (The Information broke the news) after burning through more than $2 billion in funding. Founded in 2015, Katerra had at one point been valued at $4 billion and employed more than 8,000 people. When it shuttered, it was believed to have had around 2,400 employees. The failure marked the second high-profile SoftBank-backed proptech that struggled in recent years (WeWork was the first). While there were concerns that Katerras implosion might affect faith in the construction tech industry as a whole, the year still saw a number of large fundings in the space.

Image Credits: Alphabet

Alphabets Loon flew high over the course of its nine-year run, only to come crashing back down to earth earlier this year. Two-plus years after spinning off the X graduate, the company grounded the project aimed at bringing internet connectivity to underserved areas via balloon. Loon CEO Alastair Westgarth noted in a blog post that the project simply wasnt able to achieve profitability.

While weve found a number of willing partners along the way, we havent found a way to get the costs low enough to build a long-term, sustainable business, he wrote. Developing radical new technology is inherently risky, but that doesnt make breaking this news any easier.

Loon said its technologies would continue to live on, having already been adopted by outfits like Project Taara, another Alphabet X moonshot aimed at delivering high-speed internet through light transmission. In September, Alphabet passed an additional 200 patents along to SoftBank, which plans to execute on them as part of its High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) business. Fellow high-flying moonshot Wing, on the other hand, continues to gain steam.

Image Credits: TechCrunch

Before Houseparty sunsetted, it soared. In the early innings of the pandemic, the social video chat app claimed that it was landing 50 million new signups a month, as humans sought virtual connection amid quarantine. Fast-forward to today, and it seems that Housepartys pandemic bump didnt help the company stay relevant. In September, Epic Games announced that it was shutting down Houseparty in October, a little over two years since it first acquired the company for a reported $35 million.

There are a variety of potential reasons as to why the once-booming app was shut down, from the rise of Clubhouse to the inevitable fatigue from Zoom. In a thread announcing the shutdown, Houseparty CEO and co-founder Sima Sistani hinted it was simply a strategy shift.

The metaverse vision and products were working on at [EpicGames] are also about shared experiences, but in a more rich form than 2D video one thats better positioned to shape the next generation of the internet, Sistani wrote.

Houseparty will live on as the core of Fortnites voice chat and within larger projects in the Epic Games metaverse.

Pearl Automation, an automotive accessory startup, shuttered just a year after launching out of stealth mode. Founded by former Apple engineers, Pearl debuted with a wireless rear-view camera and already began shipping out its products, which cost $499.99.

Once connected, the RearVision app in landscape will show you a full-screen view of what the cameras in the license plate holder is seeing, with a 175-degree viewing angle, reporter Darrell Etherington wrote in a 2016 review of the product. You can toggle between the full fish-eye experience, or a warp-corrected view that fills the display corner-to-corner with the space behind your car. You can also pivot the view up or down to get a better look at more of the sky, or more of the ground as needed.

While Etherington liked the industrial design and minimal software of the product, he noted that it is a premium device which needed upgrades: Its still for a specific subset of users those who value quality and craftsmanship and are willing to pay for it, but who also dont have a modern vehicle with its own backup camera, and dont plan on getting one anytime soon. This year, it seems like that subset wasnt enough to keep the company going.

Per Axios, the shutdown was a result of disappointing product sales and a high burn rate, despite the fact that Pearl Automation had raised $50 million in venture capital funding. Investors included Accel, Venrock, Shasta Ventures and Wellcome Trust, according to Crunchbase.

DALLAS, Feb. 26, 2021 A closed Frys Electronics store is seen in Plano, Texas, the United States, Feb. 25, 2021. U.S. electronics store chain Frys Electronics is permanently closing all of its stores, the company announced Wednesday. The company said in a statement on its website that it made the difficult decision to shut down its operations and close its business permanently because of changing consumer shopping habits and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Frys Electronics had 31 stores across nine U.S. states. (Xinhua/Dan Tian via Getty Images)

Mea culpa. This ones not a startup, but it would still feel weird to do a list without it. The Februrary closure of the Bay Area-based electronics chain left a massive Egyptian (or, perhaps, Mayan) pyramid-shaped hole in the hearts of many who grew up wandering its aisles. For me, it was the Fremont store, whose 1893 Worlds Fair theme didnt make for a particularly exciting exterior, but the indoor Tesla coil did the trick.

In an Amazon-ruled world devoid of Circuit Cities, where RadioShack is a shadow of its former self, its frankly amazing that this strange, beautiful beast held on for as long as it could. At its peak, Frys boasted 34 giant stores across nine states. But ultimately, COVID-19 was the final nail in the already troubling environment of brick and mortars. Its a testament to just how big these big box stores were that their former homes are dealing with zoning headaches in their wake.

Image Credits: Joan Cros/NurPhoto / Getty Images (Image has been modified)

Unlike other pandemic-fueled losses over these past two years, the death of LGs mobile division was a long time coming. The South Korean electronics giant simply couldnt keep up in a market dominated by Samsung, Apple and, increasingly, manufacturers in China. In April, LG announced its exit from phones in order to spend more time with TVs and other smart home products.

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

And so rare its vision truly was. When founders Jacob Claerhout and Boris Gordts launched Visionrare, they combined two trends: the gamification of investing and the surging interest around NFTs. The end result was a platform in which users could bid for NFT shares of different startups, stacking up a fake portfolio that they could then compete against others with. It even got some Y Combinator startups on board.

Crypto angle aside, Visionrares pitch was interesting. The fake stock market could get non-accredited investors a track record in betting on startups, and one day serve as a signal for VCs looking for their next hires.

If you think it sounds buzzy, some entrepreneurs and investors had a different word: illegal. Some questioned whether the platform was legal or if it was an investment security, pushback that ended up causing the co-founders to shut down the paid marketplace due to underestimating the legal complexities with selling novelty NFT shares in real startups.

Crypto marketplaces arent controversial, but Visionrares approach to the burgeoning sector rang alarm bells. And that doesnt happen as often as youd think. Nonetheless, the founders promised to relaunch the company soon. Their LinkedIns show that they are continuing to work together, and are building something new.

Nearly a decade ago, Friendsters Jonathan Abrams launched Nuzzel, a social news reading service that highlights headlines that are being read and shared by friends in your network. The simple yet savvy startup soon attracted a loyal user base, especially for Twitter users who wanted a more personalized timeline. According to Crunchbase, Nuzzel had raised $5.1 million from investors, including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

In 2019, Nuzzel was acquired by Scroll, which wanted to bring aggregation and curation to its subscription service. While no one from Nuzzels original team joined Scroll in a full-time capacity, the app continued to function as is until this year, of course. Twitter scooped up Scroll in May and simultaneously shut down Nuzzel. In a blog post that has since been removed, Nuzzels team explained that the product needed to be rebuilt in order to scale with Twitter.

To those of you who love Nuzzel and are disappointed that we cant maintain Nuzzel as-is in the interim, Im as disappointed as you, Scroll CEO Tony Haile said in the now-deleted post. We explored any number of Hail Marys to make that happen and just couldnt get there. Looking to the future, Nuzzels functionality has always felt like it should be a part of Twitter and Im excited to help make it so.

Months later, some good news: While Nuzzel as we know it has ceased to exist, Twitter brought back one of the apps most-loved features, Top Stories, in the debut of its premium subscription service Twitter Blue.

See the article here:
Remembering the startups we lost in 2021 - TechCrunch

December is drawing to a close, ending an unusual year in Fall River history. It was a time of reckoning for some, a new beginning for others. This was the second year of the COVID pandemic that still has the world in its grip, casting a specter over every aspect of life in the city. And yet there were some positive developments too.

We looked back at the past 12 months of Herald News stories and came up with a list of 10 of the most important issues and stories that affect us all. Lets look at them all briefly and wed like you to choose which are the top three stories of 2021. Vote using our form at the bottom of the story.

In 2020, Taryn Camara, a Kuss Middle School teacher was fired over complaints circulated about a post she published on her Facebook page that some construed as racist. The posting was made during a period of national unrest following the death of George Floyd, and Camaras attorney later said the remarks were meant to be sarcastic. This past year, Camara sued the Fall River School Department, theFall River Educators Association and the Massachusetts Teachers Association and an arbitrator gave Camara her job back, along with back pay. The story sparked conversation about the boundaries between peoples social media accounts and their careers and if that boundary even exists.

Social media boundaries: This Fall River teacher was fired for her Facebook post. Here's what an arbitrator ruled.

This past year was a rough one for former Superintendent Matt Malone. In January, the School Committee disciplined him after an investigation revealed he harassed district staff members, including calling a disabled employee the R-word and using inappropriate language toward female employees. He also faced heat for declining to appear before the school board to discuss capital improvements, exchanging testy emails with City Council President Cliff Ponte in a feud that turned public. In June, Malone resigned effective Nov. 1, ending a career that started in Fall River in 2016.

Schools chief steps down: Embattled Fall River Superintendent Malone announces resignation

Six days into the new year, a mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump marched in protest to the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., and caused politically-motivated mayhem on a scale not seen in our lifetimes. Hundreds of people stormed the building, damaging property, ransacking offices, disrupting a joint session of Congress, and threatening lives. Mike St. Pierre, a Fall River grocery store owner, livestreamed himself from Washington participating in the march, and was videotaped hurling an object inside as a door was broken open. St. Pierre was questioned by the FBI. His grocery store has since closed, and he has opened another, similar business.

'Caught up in the moment': Fall River store owner Mike St. Pierre regrets his actions at Capitol riots

In the pandemics second year, not just one but three COVID-19 vaccines were developed with incredible speed, with some form of vaccination eventually rolled out to everyone ages 5 and older. At first with limited supply, vaccines were rationed by age group and medical condition, but by now, vaccines are widely available, some without an appointment, and public clinics are held nearly every day. Thanks to vaccinations and perhaps a seasonal lull, COVID was on the ropes in the summer but with vaccination rates too low and mutations spreading, the virus is raging again as winter starts.

Take your shot: Experts say the COVID vaccine is safe for kids as cases spike across Greater Fall River

Fresh off the release of "Jungleland" in 2020,the cable channel Epix debuted Fall River, a four-part documentary series on a handful of murders in the late 1970s and 1980s, and the Satanic panic that followed. The series won over audiences and critics. Later in the year saw the debut of the Netflix comedy blockbuster Dont Look Up starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep, with scenes shot on the Battleship Massachusetts in 2020. The film headed to theaters before finding its way to Netflix for Christmas.

'Don't Look Up' review: Fall River's Battleship Cove looks good, but McKay's film is a smug mix of angry comedy

After a stratospheric rise to power, Jasiel Correia II fell to earth in 2021, facing a four-week trial of fraud and extortion tied to schemes he orchestrated before and during his tenure as mayor. He maintained his innocence in the face of over 30 witnesses testifying to shocking displays of extravagant luxury spending, misuse of investor money, and shameless coercion of business owners into paying bribes, but was convicted and sentenced to six years in federal prison for his crimes. Hes awaiting a date to report to prison.

Tracing Jasiel Correia's fall: From entrepreneur and mayor, to convicted corruption kingpin

Correias trial, involving marijuana businesses, put a crimp in Fall Rivers burgeoning cannabis economy, with Mayor Paul Coogan promising to retool the local licensing process and make it more transparent. We looked at the state of marijuana businesses in Fall River. Meanwhile, Somerset made headlines by hosting world-famous hip-hop stars at a concert sponsored by Solar Therapeutics, a celebration known as the Cultivators Cup.

The deal with dealing pot: As the Jasiel Correia trial winds down, here's the state of marijuana sales in Fall River

The department made headlines in 2021 for the wrong reasons. The city is facing several lawsuits regarding allegations of excessive force by police officers, with one officer facing discipline for filing false reports to protect another officer. In the spring, an officer accidentally published a post critical of murder victim George Floyd on the departments Facebook page, triggering outrage and a suspension. And there was a serious investigation regarding officers mishandling evidence in outstanding cases, including stashing drugs in their desks.

More mishandled evidence?Fall River police investigate boxes found at officer's home

There was a changing of the guard on Elsbree Street, as the 1978 B.M.C. Durfee High School building was shut down for good after decades of leaks, heating issues, mold problems, construction failures and more but the city's new Durfee High opened. The building construction was on schedule for the start of the September school year, wowing students and visitors who attended open houses. The old building is in the process of being demolished.

Peek inside: What does a $263 million school look like? Check out Fall River's new B.M.C. Durfee High

Though his first term was mostly dominated by response to the COVID pandemic, voters gave Paul Coogan another term in office as mayor. The race was often ugly, getting off to a poor start when challenger and City Council President Cliff Ponte derided the job as ceremonial in a memo to his real estate company staff leaked to the press. Coogan officially starts his new term next year, with Ponte ending his tenure on the council to become a private citizen.

Another term: Incumbent Paul Coogan handily wins Fall River mayoral race

Use this form below to cast your vote for first, second, and third place.

Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

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What was Greater Fall River's biggest story of 2021? Use this form to cast your vote - Fall River Herald News

The council eventually agreed to let the drinks flow. The Quay Restaurant opened on March 2, 1960, with 110 seats in the main dining room, four banquet rooms and, thanks to the city council, a 60-seat cocktail lounge.

Lunch and dinner will be served, according to The Columbian, and a special late-evening supper menu will be offered dating teenagers.

The place was a hit. By 1962, there were plans to invest $100,000 to add a convention facility that could handle display of large exhibits, stage programs, dinner dancing and party-type activities. By 1965, Goodrich was proposing to add a luxury motel, and in 1971 the Inn at the Quay was expanded to 163 rooms. Two years later, it became part of the Thunderbird/Red Lion chain, a large regional hospitality company that was based in Vancouver until it was sold to Doubletree Corp., in 1996.

According to a 1974 restaurant review, the Quay was one of Vancouvers finest: river view tables, an excellent menu with an accent on seafood, interesting wine list even flaming desserts for the flamboyant. The $7.25 Lobster Cordon Bleu and the $6.25 Scampi stuffed with Crab Florentine came with a choice of soup or salad, a loaf of Quay bread, choice of potato or rice pilaf. For dessert, our reviewer chose Mocha Glo, a flaming dessert of ice cream topped with three liqueurs.

In 1977, Columbian reporter Thomas Ryll interviewed Danny Falco, an assistant manager since the day the place opened. Its the good life I love it, said the man known as Mr. Quay, who talked of serving Hollywood celebrities such as Eddie Albert (Green Acres) and Georgie Jessel.

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Final roar for Vancouver Red Lion Inn at the Quay - The Columbian

Located on approximately 350 acres in Bentonville, Ark., the new Walmart Home Office Campus will comprise more than 30 buildings, including office buildings, service buildings, parking decks, and amenity buildings.

The campus was designed to honor Walmarts heritage and will support the growth happening in the area by utilizing 1.7 million cubic feet of regionally-sourced lumber for the structures, making it the largest mass timber campus project in the United States.

The buildings will all provide ample natural light and incorporate sustainable design strategies. These strategies include energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems and over 10 acres of lakes for stormwater collection, which will be used for smart irrigation and rainwater reuse. The campus will also feature thousands of trees, shrubs, and grasses to provide habitat for wildlife, shade paths, bike trails, and to reconnect associates with nature. The project was designed and is being built with the goal of creating zero waste, operating with 100% renewable energy, and using sustainable resources and products.

Additionally, the campus will feature expanded food offerings, convenient parking, fitness and wellness options, and a childcare facility.

Gensler is the design architect for the office buildings and is the executive architect for the overall campus design. Walter P Moore is handling the civil engineering, traffic, ITS, and transportation planning, transportation engineering, and water resources engineering.

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Walmarts new Home Office is the largest mass timber ...

The Lakeview Office Building has been designed to be sustainable. Credit: Adam Hunter / LMN Architects.

LMN Architects has completed the construction of the Lakeview Office Building located at the intersection of Lakeview Drive and Lake Washington Boulevard in Kirkland, Washington, US.

The 46,000ftbuilding is said to be the first large-scale mass timber office development east of Greater Seattle.

Designed to be sustainable, the building features a living roof, two levels of office space and two levels of underground parking.

The buildings two first-floor outdoor areas, as well as a landscaped roof-top common room with a deck, offer a west-facing vista of the Olympic Mountains and Lake Washington.

LMN Architects said that the roof, rain gardens and terraces of the development are designed to reduce water run-off and are inspired by the forested hillsides.

Commenting on the development, LMN Architects partner Pamela Trevithick said: Working in close collaboration with our client at Cascade Management and our team of consultants, we set out to design and build the first large-scale mass timber office development in Kirkland.

The building not only meets modern sustainability standards but also creates a new sense of place in the neighbourhood and celebrates the use of wood.

The project features an all-glass curtainwall exterior with operable windows, with textured punched windows and metal panels accentuating the north and east facade.

For the project, LMN Architects partnered with HEWITT on the living roof and with StructureCraft, Sierra Construction and Coughlin Porter Lundeen on the mass timber structure.

LMN Architects partner John Chau said: The design of the building was informed by the contemporary demands of a sustainable modern office building, the nature around the site and our curiosity for construction innovation.

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LMN Architects completes new office building in the US - DesignBuild Network

The second phase of the Bottleworks District project will include a red-brick triangular building at the corner of Massachusetts and College avenues (see right side of rendering) and then a multifacade office building that runs north along College Avenue (left side of rendering). (Rendering courtesy of Hendricks Commercial Properties)

The developer of the massive Bottleworks District along downtowns Mass Ave plans to break ground next summer on the nearly $100 million second phase of the project, with a larger focus on office space than originally planned.

The second phase, which was delayed due to the pandemic, will feature about 250,000 square feet of new leasable spacemost of it for office users. Initial plans for the phase called for about 60 apartment units, but those were converted to office space due to increased demand, according to Wisconsin-based developer Hendricks Commercial Properties.

Weve been pleasantly surprised with the amount of office interest weve hadits kind of been counterintuitive from the narrative thats out there more globally about what the workplace looks like post-pandemic, said Gavin Thomas, vice president of development for Hendricks.

I think a lot of these companies are looking at where they want to be long-term, and were fortunate that a lot of them are looking at Bottleworks, Thomas said.

Hendricks also began to question whether the 60 apartment units were financially feasible.

The second phase will include a six-story, 140,000-square-foot building at the northeast corner of College and Massachusetts avenues. Another 90,000-square foot, multi-facade building is planned for the southeast corner of Ninth Street and College Avenue. The buildings are expected to feature retailers at street level.

Hendricks also plans to double the size of the Bottleworks parking garage, from 274 spaces to about 550. Its expected to be tucked behind phase two and parts of the first phasethus out of view from outside the development.

No office leases have yet been finalized for either of the new buildings, but discussions are ongoing for each available space. Thomas said the first lease could be signed as early as Thanksgiving, with more expected to follow in December.

The smaller office building will have floor plates ranging from 1,800 square feet for the shorter portion of the structure to as much as 13,200 square feet on the upper end. The northernmost portion of the property will be about four stories, with five-story middle and southern sections. Floor plates on the bigger building at College and Massachusetts will be about 21,000 square feet.

Retail spaces on the structures will range from about 1,500 square feet to 5,400 square feet, with 10 openings on the infill property and seven on the corner building.

Hendricks on Wednesday will seek approval for its planned changes to Bottleworks phase two from the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission, largely focused on minor cosmetic changes and a height increase of about six inches to the infill building.

We dont want to anything for granted, but its almost like Wheres Waldo? with whats changed on this, Thomas said. It was more of a structural change where they had to put the steel in differently. So thats that was driving that change more than anything elsejust the practical buildout of office versus residential.

Thomas said the second phase alone is likely to take about three years to build, with construction commencing in mid-2022 at a tentative cost of nearly $100 million. The entirety of Bottleworks was originally expected to cost about $300 milliona figure he said Hendricks is already nearing with its investments in the first two phases.

Its going to bed pushing $100 million investment on [phase two], so were very close to $300 [million] already, meaning it will likely be more than that once we completely build up the site, he said. But full build-out will take another seven to 10 years.

The second phase will begin with the corner building, with work set for the infill buildings along College Avenue about one year later. The staggered approach allows for easier construction amid what Thomas described as challenges with the site pertaining to construction logistics.

Hendricks plans to begin building the residential component of Bottleworks with about 200 apartment units at about the same time that work continues on the latter part of phase two. The apartment buildings would be located north of phase two and west of the existing Garage Food Hall, south of 10th Street.

Eppstein Uhen Architects and Ratio are the architectural firms on the project.

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Bottleworks' second phase moving ahead with no residential but greater emphasis on office space - Indianapolis Business Journal

Bamboo Farm Office: Headquarters of a Prototype Farm Growing Sustainable Construction Materials / Ingvartsen Architects

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Text description provided by the architects. The Bamboo Farm Office is the new headquarters of a prototype farm in Korogwe, northern Tanzania, where different species of bamboo are being grown to assess their suitability for use as construction materials. The Farm Office building showcases different ways to utilise industrial bamboo, including bamboo corrugated roof sheets, doors,cladding and furniture. The project was designed by architects Jakob Knudsen, Hannah Wood and Otis Sloan Brittain, with consultancy from Salum Mshamu and Lorenz von Seidlein, and constructed by a team of builders headed by Kiondo Mgumi.

The project reconnects with the history of bamboo cultivation in Tanzania to explore the potential of this carbon-sequestering material for use in construction today. Bamboo can grow fifteen times the net weight of timber species such as pine over the same timespan and fares well in a hot, tropical climate. This makes bamboo-based construction products a viable alternative in a current construction market currently weighted towards cement, glass, plastic and unsustainably sourced timber.

Finding alternative material options is critical as according to UN projections, Tanzania's population is predicted to more than double over the next 30 years, which will involve significant material resources directed towards the expansion of the built environment. In addition, Tanzania was ranked fifth in the world for the greatest annual average net loss of forest area over the past decade, felling net421,000 hectares year on year.

The Bamboo Farm Office building utilises passive design principles inspired by traditional Asian and African architecture, where construction techniques have evolved for a hot, tropical climate. The timber frame creates large openings with low thermal mass to ensure the inside spaces remain cool throughout the day and night. Ancillary spaces, including a boot store and toilet on the ground floor, are enclosed with rendered locally produced bricks.

The ground floor shared office and first floor bedrooms are clad in agricultural shade net and wire mesh, with split bamboo screening on the upper floors for privacy. A bespoke kitchenette, furniture and doors were constructed locally, and include woven bamboo board facing produced by start-up Eco-Shelter. The roof is constructed using bamboo corrugated sheets fixed to a timber truss. The project is the first of its kind in Tanzania to be constructed from these novel bamboo products and hopes to highlight bamboos potential as a viable material for future buildings in the region.

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Bamboo Farm Office: Headquarters of a Prototype Farm Growing Sustainable Construction Materials / Ingvartsen Architects - ArchDaily

Minots new City Hall is taking shape after the city council approved plans and design for construction.

An old Wells Fargo building in downtown Minot will be repurposed for the new City Hall.

Officials said they hope the new building will help to alleviate cramped working conditions and scattered work locations.

But the biggest takeaway they hope will be to make it easier for Minot residents to interact with leaders and access services.

Public Information Officer Derek Hackett, who himself has no designated office space inside City Hall, talked about the need to centralize key services.

We have outgrown our current footprints, the police have outgrown their current footprints which is attached to this building, Hackett said.

He added the city will make good use of taxpayer dollars, good use out of federal funding and improve the work environment and the overall governing ability of the city of Minot.

With the design approval, construction firms will be able to bid for the project.

Officials are looking to begin advertising for bids by the end of this week.

City Engineer Lance Meyers told KX News moving City Hall is also about safety.

Our existing central dispatch area is located in a 100-year flood plain, Meyers explained that thats why there is a need to relocate that critical facility and make sure it is completely out of the flood plain and has no flood risk.

Meyers said people working in hallways and closets was also not conducive for good public business.

The citys estimated cost for the project is $13 million. About half of that amount is sourced from federal grants.

Construction is expected to begin early next year. It is estimated the building will be ready for use 12 months after that.

The Minot Police Department will take over the use of the current building when City Hall moves out of it, according to officials.

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New Minot City Hall design approved, bids for construction to begin soon - KX NEWS

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Yet another delay in Washington post office's construction? - Rappahannock News

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) The Eastchester consignment store known as In Your Wildest Dreams is moving to F Street. Unremarkable news, to be sure. Funny, though, how one stores movement can set the dominoes into motion and change things all throughout downtown Bakersfield.

A couple of changes of address, or ownership, or purpose, can set imaginations, and business plans, on a dramatic new course when it comes to the personality of a citys downtown core.

In Your Wildest Dreams, the quaint little consignment shop on 19th Street which is in the process of moving, is an example. It soft-opens in a couple of weeks with the grand opening set for Dec. 3. Owner Dixie Brewer is jazzed.

Were all excited about the future, she said. All the new developers and stuff that are coming in are really building it up. Weve got some good money people coming in downtown creating some new retail downtown, some new breweries downtown. Weve built up F Street over here really really well. We have a solid, solid group over here, so Im extremely optimistic about downtown.

Shes been working closely with Bakersfield City Councilman Andrae Gonzales, who at Wednesdays council meeting was scheduled to ask the council to approve an Economic Opportunity Area Plan Business Incentives Grant Agreement for Wildest Dreams dollar amount not set that will help Brewers store meet some start-up expenses.

Wildest Dreams is changing addresses but not landlords. Property owner Tomas del Toro Diaz says the Eastchester dynamic is changing, in large part because of The Cue, an upscale apartment building nearing its May 2022 opening.

Were trying to kinda create something, a new vibe down here, he said. This was a blighted area and now its kind of up and coming. Its exciting, you know. 18th street has really transformed and my goal is to kind of transform 19th Street. Its really exciting.

Del Toro Diaz says hes considering dividing the old Wildest Dreams in two and among the possibilities is a brewpub.

I would like to see this become a district thats similar to, maybe, to the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara, he said. Something like that. You know? Everyone can come and enjoy themselves.

Hes bullish on downtown. So are the people at Sage properties, developers of the Cue and another project on the site of the old Sinaloa restaurant, also set to be apartments, opening in January 2023 and this 21,000 square foot office building at 20th and N streets, being marketed by Cushman and Wakefield.

Look for more dominoes to fall in the next month or two. Downtown Bakersfield is changing.

Read more:
Downtown business dominoes are falling thanks in part to ongoing multi-unit housing construction - KGET 17