Work on a massive $25 million development at the corner of Third Avenue and Broadway, "The Rune," is drawing to a close for the year.

This week cranes are installing sheet piles at the site to provide temporary support for excavation, according to Ted Thompson, senior project manager for CI Construction in Alexandria thats in charge of the work.

Once that is completed, there wont be much activity until spring, Thompson said.

This building has an extensive amount of elevated, poured-in-place concrete floors that are much more efficient to put in place when the weather is above freezing, he said.

The developer is GoodNeighbor Properties LLC.

This past summer, vacant buildings that last housed Bello Cucina restaurant and Blue Collar Bobs were demolished to make room for the development.

The new five-story complex will consist of commercial and retail space, including a new restaurant Mill Valley Kitchen, which is scheduled to open in 2022. The owners also have a Mill Valley Kitchen in St. Louis Park, a Mill Valley Market in Minneapolis and two Benedicts restaurants in Wayzata and Rochester. According to its website, the restaurant will feature locally sourced meats, produce and seafood.

Some of the menu items listed on the website: shrimp and octopus ceviche, grilled chicken wings, ratatouille, Korean BBQ rice bowl, five-spice pork tenderloin, herb-roasted chicken breast and miso glazed sea bass. The restaurant also serves flatbreads, salads, burgers and other items.

The Rune will also include 72 market-rate apartments, ranging from studios to one- and two-bedroom units.

Four stories will be above ground on the Broadway side and three stories above ground on the Hawthorne Street side. The first floor, which will be at ground level on Broadway and have underground parking on the Hawthorne side, will be the commercial level.

There will be another underground parking level below this with 153 stalls.

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Work wraps up on The Rune for now - Echo Press

Already a popular neighborhood fixture, Carmines Pizza Kitchen will expand next year into a built-from-scratch, mixed-use park in Henderson, scheduled to become the future headquarters for the Las Vegas Raiderettes.

Reported by CREConfidential, Carmine Ventos namesake restaurant is headed to the under-construction Matter Park, filling 3,266 square feet with red-and-white checkered tablecloths and mural tributes to Ventos East Coast origins.

Current leasing documents suggest the Pizza Kitchen will take over a corner space at the intersection of Raiders Way and the Sunridge Heights Parkway.

Aiming for a summer 2021 launch, the restaurant will import its menu of pizza, sandwiches, pastas, and salads, and add an outdoor seating area connected by a roll up garage door to the main dining room.

The enormous 26-acre business park will host the Las Vegas Raiderettes, offices, manufacturing companies, light industry, and warehouses, plus plenty of unleased spaces available for potential dining tenants, all a short distance from the Las Vegas Raiders training facility.

Still operating in Rhodes Ranch and two Henderson locations, last year Carmines presented paperwork to the City of Henderson to construct a new 4,980-square-foot restaurant at the intersection of Narissa Avenue and Horizon Ridge Parkway. Yet to be built, no further updates on the proposal were publicly revealed.

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Carmines Pizza Kitchen to join the Raiderettes in west Henderson - Eater Vegas

Alex Gary| Special to the Register Star

MACHESNEY PARK A massive expansion at Pig Minds Brewing Co. is finally complete after six years of twists and turns, and owner Brian Endl still will have to wait several weeks to fully show it off to the public.

The 9,000-square-foot expansion tripled Pig Minds original layout at 4080 Steele Drive.The added space features a wood-fired pizza oven, expanded bar area, 170 additional seats inside, an outdoor patio that seats 150 and a mezzanine on the second floor for private parties. The renovation also includes a 15-barrel exposed brewhouse that triples its brewing capabilities.

We actually started working on this in 2015, but then our property was classified as being in a flood zone, Endl said. It took us 2 years of fighting to get out of the flood zone. We started construction last October. Some of the work was delayed in March and April and we wrapped up construction in September.

Endl said they poured the first beer out of the brewhouse in early November.

Of course, they wrapped up final details just in time for Gov. JBPritzkers order at the end of October banning indoor dining because of the massive increase in new coronavirus cases across the state and country. On Friday, there were a record 187,907 new cases in the U.S., 15,415 of those coming from Illinois.

Its been one thing after another, Endl said. Obviously, we took a big hit in mid-March to the end of May. We actually did pretty well throughout the summer. Even with the restrictions, the months we were partially open, we were beating our sales from 2019.

The expansion will help weather this new storm. Endl said customers have been asking him for years to add pizza to the menu and he read that pizza sales at companies such as Papa Johns have been setting records throughout 2020 because so many other options have gone away.

The additional brewing capacity includes a canning line, which should raise Pig Minds sales in the Chicago market. Until the expansion, Pig Minds had a limited bottling line and mostly sold kegs to Chicago-area bars.

At its peak, Pig Minds has had a staff of as many as 35. After COVID, Endl said hell need to boost that by another 10 to handle the additional customers and brewing demand. But they do have to get through this additional shutdown. The expansion, which was supposed to cost $1.2 million in 2016, ended up costing $2.1 million in 2020. Of the 30 employees he had at the start of the year, they are still trying to scrounge up hours for about 20.

Weve lost a lot of good people because they had to get other jobs, Endl said. Even if we could open up next week, wed have to ease into it. We have to get our staff back acclimated.

Endl said hes well positioned to ride this latest wave out as long as it doesnt last six months. Still, the additional space was necessary. When Endl opened Pig Minds in 2012, it was the areas second microbrew and first fully vegan restaurant. Since, the microbrew competition has continued to grow and more restaurants are adding vegan options.

My wife and I have been vegan since 1992. I know that vegan restaurants and breweries are destinations. Vegans will search for restaurants they can visit in different cities, Endl said.

That was my vision. Initially, the food side struggled because we were vegan. People would ask for at least a limited carnivore menu, Endl added. According to a study by Ipsos Retail Performance, between 2004 and 2019, the number of people in the U.S. who have adopted a fully vegan diet grew from 290,000 people to more than 9.7 million. The last couple of years, on weekends, we were having one- and two-hour waits for tables. Weve had success with the formula and now you see others adding vegan menus.

Alex Gary is a freelance correspondent

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Pig Minds owner hopes good things come to those who wait - Rockford Register Star

Early morning scenes at Cloverdale Farms County Park, a former cranbury farm in Barnegat Township, NJ. Asbury Park Press

BARNEGAT - Jersey Mike's Subs opens today at Barnegat 67, one of the township's newest shopping centers.

"It'sa really great community, with good quality people that we want to be around," said Matt Catania, who, along with partner John Helm ownsand operates28Jersey Mike's locations.

Jersey Mike's is the latest retailer to open at Barnegat 67,a retail and residential complex by New York developerExtell Development Co. located just off the Garden State Parkway's Exit 67A. Taco Bell, now under construction, is expected to open in the first quarter of 2021.

What's Going There: Dollar General, AutoZone among retailers coming to new Barnegat center

Other retailers and restaurantsalready there include Dollar Tree, Dunkin', Planet Fitness, Mamma Rosa and Pan Asia.

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"It was kind of the perfect opportunity, between the community and the brand new center with the Parkway access, kind of a no brainer," Catania said.

Jersey Mike's Subs opens at Barnegat 67 in Barnegat.(Photo: Sarah Griesemer)

What else?:Age-restricted condos, affordable homes, to be built near Barnegat 67

The restaurant's hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant is only serving orders for in-store pick up or third-party delivery. The indoor dining areas at its restaurants are "temporarily closed" to help limit person-to-person contact, Jersey Mike's said.

Barnegat is seeing a burstof new retail construction.

A shopping center, Exit 67 Town Center, is under construction at the corner of Sandpiper Road and West Bay Avenue. Dollar General and AutoZone are on the way there. Domino's and Mattress Warehouse are also listed as tenants, according to marketing materials.

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Jersey Mike's:From tiny Ocean County sub shop to the big leagues

"That area is growing so fast," said Ketan Shah, chief executive officer of Pyramid Service Management LLC, a Taco Bell franchisee."There's a lot of construction and other stuff going on."

Shah said good weather has put construction of his Taco Bell restaurant at Barnegat 67ahead of schedule.

Taco Bell is under construction at Barnegat 67 in Barnegat.(Photo: Sarah Griesemer)

Al fresco dining:Colder temps, outdoor heater codes create new worries for ailing NJ restaurant industry

"With the weather and the amount of work that these guys are putting in, he's ahead of schedule, at least a couple of weeks ahead, so that is wonderful," Shah said.

David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for more than 20 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There and Press on Your Side columns and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.

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Another week, another dismal statistic: We are in a worse place today than we were back in April. So prepare for a COVID-19 edition of the Hill Buzz.

Yesterday, the Mayor held a status update, where she shared the latest statistics and concerns on the coronavirus in our region. You can see the official statistics by clicking here. The most worrisome of these statistics is the ones boxed in red, where you can see that there is an average of almost 20 new cases of coronavirus per day, and the rate of transmission above 1.0 a rapid spread (visit RTlive for more info).

As a reminder, phase two hinged on the R number being below 1.0 a metric later changed to 1.2, as Allison Hrabar pointed out today on Twitter.

Incidentally, if you havent read Allisons excellent discussion of how the District has, in essence, changed the goal posts of whats acceptable in terms of community transmission, do it (The Drift). Its not an enviable position for the District government to be caught between an economic and a public health crisis, but this also feels less than transparent:

The ideal transmission rate of less than one suddenly became less than 1.2, the cap for hospital occupancy was raised from 80 percent to 90 percent, and the number of people with positive test results that had to be called by contact tracers within a day was lowered from 90 percent to 80 percent.

What has the coronavirus done to us? Well, the luxury rental market has all but stalled (Washington Post) and many people have left the area altogether, to be closer to family or to be away from the dread of being around people, while some have happily moved in (DCist). Washingtonian has more tales of people moving out here and of people moving in here. Maybe the pandemic will force people to reckon with the things that mean the most to them and bring about a new balance to peoples lives.

Unfortunately, it seems the pandemic also brings out the worst in people, as workers from CBG Construction have found out. CBG Construction and their subcontractors appear to have stolen wages from workers at several projects. A class action suit was brought up in August of this year. CBG Constructions portfolio includes properties such as the Flats at Atlas, 360 H Street, 501 H Street NE and Kennedy Row on East Capitol Street. DCist

Another company also being caught betraying the public trust is Capitol Petroleum, owner of three Exxon stations on Capitol Hill among other properties. Attorney General Karl Racine filed a complaint against Capitol Petroleum for price gouging during the pandemic and for unfairly increasing profits on gas distribution, and you can read it here.

In school news, the CARES classrooms are starting this week at several schools around the District. In Ward 6, Brent, J.O. Wilson, Miner, Payne, School-Within-School, and Walker-Jones are the only schools currently open for CARES. Councilmember Elissa Silverman tried to introduce emergency legislation to ensure that schools should only reopen when its safe and with a transparent timeline, but the legislation was not allowed in for discussion during yesterdays legislative agenda.

In crime-related news, some rock-throwing youths meant business when, while they were bullying another youth, they also flashed a knife at a neighbor questioning their behavior. The incident happened in the 900 block of 11th Street NE. Yes, these kids are violent and I cant imagine how scary the situation must be, but it begs the question, how have we failed these kids and their families, that they think senseless violence is the only way to engage with the community? Washington Post

(Self-congratulating for not referencing My Cousin Vinny until now.)

The National Review is still trying to convince whoever will listen that the activists who called for taking down the Emancipation Memorial in Lincoln Park were very, very wrong. Okay then, but one has to wonder how things would have gone if a more all-encompassing Emancipation Memorial design by Harriet Hosmer hadnt been so expensive to produce. Thank you to Fords Theater for the more nuanced history lesson, as it ought to be. Excited to see that they will be producing three anti-racism plays this coming season, to further their mission toward shedding light on, and ending, racial injustices.

In restaurant news, the space formerly known as Emilies is rebranding as Paraiso Taqueria. I chatted briefly with the Paraiso team via Instagram and they tell me that the new concept will be based around childhood memories of a Mexican town fair. The new chef, Geovanny Beltrn, is from the state of Guerrero, in Mexico, and he will be developing a menu that tells their story through the food they grew up with and know from home. They are the true heroes of the restaurant industry. There will be tacos, ceviches and more robust offerings such as lamb shank, as well as a Mexican bakery with conchas, churro doughnuts and tres leches cakes. As a reminder, the new Paraiso is at 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Follow them along on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes shots.

Lets end todays buzz on a (bitter)sweet note: Sean Doolittle and his wife, Eireann Dolan, share their Dream Day in DC with The Washington Post. Doolittle is now a free agent and hes relocated to Arizona, but we hope that he and Eireann always calls DC (and, well, the Hill) homeNaturally, our local bookstores starting with Capitol Hill Books get a lot of love in this Dream Day. Right now, a Dream Day for me would be one where people stop getting sick and dying of COVID.

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Hill Buzz | The Hill is Home - The Hillishome

After decades of planning, Champlin will have a new place for people to live, play and gather along a stretch of the Mississippi riverfront that forms the suburbs northwest border.

Construction is underway on the first market-rate apartments in several decades in the city, a mostly residential northwest suburb across the river from Anoka. A restaurant, event center and pavilion are up next. Its all part of Mississippi Crossings, a sprawling $100 million riverfront redevelopment project that will also include a public dock, river walk and plaza.

The riverfront in Champlin used to be a source of commerce in the logging and mill days, said Bret Heitkamp, Champlins city administrator. This will provide opportunities for people who dont live on the river or have access to the river.

The project has been on the drawing board since the late 1990s when residents and city staff started talking about how to make its woodsy riverfront more accessible to residents. This month, Minneapolis-based Greco Real Estate Development and Property Management broke ground on the Bowline, a 214-unit apartment building that will include an outdoor pool and two public pickleball courts.

In addition to the apartments, the project will include an expanded green space with nearly 20,000 square feet of new outdoor community amenities including a city park and a 600-person riverfront amphitheater. Plans call for a pavilion with restrooms and gathering space that can be rented, a public plaza and open space that will have play equipment and an outdoor performance area. To expand recreational opportunities, a public boat landing is planned along with expanded docks to improve access to a 6-mile pool in the river thats popular with recreational boaters.

Heitkamp said with no official downtown area or commercial district, dining options are lacking in the city, so plans also call for a waterfront restaurant thats expected to be completed in 2021. Called Dock 21, a nod to Champlins location 21 minutes from Minneapolis, it will include indoor and outdoor dining options, and there will be a grab-and-go food component that will make it easy for people visiting the public docks. Abrinas on the River, a 19,000-square-foot event center with a 6,000-square-foot rooftop space, can be reserved by residents and visitors for weddings, community groups and other gatherings.

The project was first proposed in February 1999. Its been a long time coming and its nice to see it becoming a reality, said Heitkamp.

Over the decades, planners have been developing private partnerships and assembling additional land, including acquiring some aging apartment buildings and single-family houses. Heitkamp said eminent domain was not required to make those acquisitions.

A succession of mayors, council members and city staff have been focused on improving and adding infrastructure, including the multimillion-dollar reconstruction and cleanup of the Mill Pond Dam. In 2018, the city and MnDOT completed reconstruction of the Hwy. 169 corridor from Hayden Lake Road to the Anoka-Champlin bridge. And last year, United Properties completed construction of Applewood Pointe at Mississippi Crossings, a $30 million, 85-unit senior cooperative community near the Anoka-Champlin bridge.

Last year, Greco was named the master developer for a 12-acre portion of the site, which is part of the Mississippi Crossings Tax Increment Financing District. Grecos president, Josh Brandsted, said the firm will tackle other aspects of the project involving the public infrastructure, such as the public parking facility. Greco recently started working with the Cohesion Group, a Twin Cities-based hospitality and entertainment consultancy that will help bring the dining and event center space to life.

Until recently, the firm has focused much of its work on urban rental projects including several North Loop warehouse conversions. But with apartment vacancy rates in many parts of the Twin Cities on the rise, the company has been pursuing more projects outside the central cities. In the 2000s, the company developed a retail center in Bloomington, and in 2018 focused its efforts on a 400-plus-unit apartment project on a redevelopment site in Shoreview.

In the last four years we have shifted our focus to the suburbs, said Brandsted. Being a local owner/operator, we felt the shifts in the market as they started to transpire.

Continued here:
Construction is underway on first phase of Champlin riverfront revival - Minneapolis Star Tribune

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Winter is coming...and this year with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is much more to fear than White Walkers. But don't fret, because you can still dine out in the cold, as the city is preparing for new, innovative outdoor dining options.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Thursday the winners of the Winter Design Challenge a first-of-its-kind competition for community members to reimagine the winter outdoor dining experience in Chicago.

After receiving over 600 submissions, a team of judges that included architects, designers, chefs, restauranteurs and servers selected three ideas that not only capture the spirit of Chicago, but can provide feasible and safe options for Chicagoans to enjoy dining out as temperatures drop.

The winners of the Winter Design Challenge are:

Amy Young, ASD | SKY, Cozy Cabins: Small modular, adjoining cabins that fit within the footprint of a standard parking space.

We are honored that our concept was chosen for the Chicago Winter Dining Challenge. Our Cozy Cabins idea focused on creating a warm, welcoming experience to encourage Chicago residents to safely dine in rather than take out, said Amy Young of ASD | SKY. We wanted to create an outdoor destination centered around new experiences, neighborhood connections, and a sense of communityelements lost while dining at home. We hope this idea helps support small businesses and safely bring people together during this difficult year.

Neil Reindel, Block Party: A flexible approach to outdoor dining that is adaptable and easy to implement for many different sites and street configurations.

We are excited to have had the chance to reimagine our public spaces and provide Chicagoans an opportunity to experience the city in a fun and unique way. Chicago has always been a resilient city when faced with difficult times," said Neil Reindel. With Block Party we wanted to provide a warm place for people to reconnect as we move forward through the winter and into 2021.

Ellie Henderson, Heated Tables: Modify the Japanese Kotatsu, an economical way to keep warm and cozy in cold months.

I want to thank the City of Chicago, IDEO and the Illinois Restaurant Association for choosing my winter dining idea, said Ellie Henderson. My hope is that my proposal for using heated tables will help restaurants adapt, providing a novel open-air dining experience for their patrons that is safe and comfortably warm through colder months in 2020 and beyond.

The winners of the Winter Design Challenge will each receive a $5,000 cash prize. Additionally, the IRA will be selecting local construction firms that will start the process of bringing these ideas to life. The process will include design development and technical refinement. Once complete, the firms will be able to construct prototypes that can be tested at Chicago neighborhood restaurants in the coming weeks. The IRA will choose those pilot restaurants, and the construction will be paid for with funds that BMO Harris has previously contributed for this purpose, the Mayor's Office said.

"As we approach the winter months and adapt our COVID-19 response accordingly, we owe it to our restaurants to make sure they have what they need to continue keeping their doors open and serving their communities," said Mayor Lightfoot. "Thanks to IRA and the outstanding creativity of our Winter Dining Challenge winners, we will be able to not only make this a reality, but do so in a way that is safe and showcases our City's innovative spirit. I extend a huge congratulations to each of our Winter Dining Challenge winners."

MayorLightfoot also announced in collaboration with the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA), DoorDash will be providing $500,000 in financial support to Chicago restaurants to help cover the costs of winterizing their outdoor dining areas.

As winter weather looms on the horizon, Chicago area restaurants will be able to apply to receive a $5,000 grant to defray winterization expenses such as the cost of heating equipment, additional safety materials to improve indoor dining, upgrades for air filtration systems, bulk orders of blankets for patrons, and more. Applications open on Oct. 16, and recipients will be notified by the end of December.

To qualify, restaurants must be located in Chicago with three or fewer locations operating currently, 50 employees or fewer in 2019, and $3M or less in 2019 annual revenue per store.

Restaurants not only entertain us. They employ a lot of people. They are critical, not just to the employees in the individual restaurants themselves. But think about the supply chain that goes into supporting the restaurant industry in our city. Its vital that we do everything that we can to uplift them to give them a fighting chance, Lightfoot said.

To help restaurants and bars operate outside, the city will be holding webinars next week on safe outdoor operations. To register and learn more, visitwww.chicago.gov/businesseducation.

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Lightfoot announces winners of the Winter Design Challenge: cabins, blocks, and heated tables - RADIO.COM

ELMONT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) Despite delays because of the pandemic, theres hope construction on the new Belmont Park arena will be completed and ready for hockey next year.

Friday marked a milestone in the march to deliver thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity to Nassau County.

It was the topping off ceremony for the New York Islanders UBS Arena at Belmont Park.

RELATED STORY: Islanders, UBS Agree To 20-Year Deal For Arena Naming Rights

Stanley Cup greats John Tonelli, Butch Goring and Clark Gillies were at a topping off ceremony for the New York Islanders UBS Arena at Belmont Park on Oct. 9, 2020. (Credit: CBS2)

The hoisting of the highest steel beam brought emotions from Stanley Cup greats of old: Tonelli, Goring, Gillies.

So much joy as we go and try to create the environment thats necessary to win that fifth ring, Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky said.

There was evidence everywhere that the $1.5 billion site is taking shape, hoping to grow a beloved homegrown franchise while building up the Elmont community for generations to come.

Thousands upon thousands of jobs, its close to the airports, its next to the city, and its really a shot in the arm for the economy, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said.

RELATED STORY: At Long Last, Islanders Officially Break Ground On New 19,000-Seat Arena At Belmont Park

Its being touted as the last great arena built in New York of our generation, where people wont just come to a game, there will be live entertainment in a complex where people will park, eat, play and cheer.

We designed this building specifically to be perfect for the Islanders and perfect for music. This will be one of the busiest music venues in all of the world, said Oak View Group Chief Executive Tim Leiweke.

Its all privately funded. So, too, is a brand new Belmont LIRR station.

The highest steel beam was hoisted into place at the new UBS Arena at Belmont Park on Oct. 9, 2020. (Credit: CBS2)

Civic groups opposed the size and the scope of the project, worried it would worsen traffic, noise and pollution. Their lawsuits were eventually thrown out.

Now, many are rallying around it.

Its definitely gonna bring more revenue to the area in a way thats gonna attract more people, barbershop owner Emmanuel Eugene told CBS2s Jennifer McLogan.

RELATED STORY: New York Approves New Entertainment Complex Near Belmont Park, Bringing Islanders Back To Long Island

One more year? Yeah, think the best, I hope a lot of people coming, restaurant manager Julia Bichaido said.

This represents what will be a return to normalcy for this area, National Hockey League President Gary Bettman said.

The NHL hopes to drop the puck at the arena in November of 2021.

You can get the latest news, sports and weather on our brand new CBS New York app.Download here.

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Topping Off Ceremony Held As Construction Progresses On New Belmont Park Arena - CBS New York

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The Reno Ice Rink is under construction in South Reno on Oct. 8, 2020.(Photo: Andy Barron/RGJ)

After five years, the goal is in sight.

The first phase of the Reno Ice indoor rink in south Reno is nearing completion and expected to open in early December.

Construction superintendent Brad Richter said the rink construction should be complete in late November. The ice rink will be NHL-size, 200-feet-by-85 feet. There will be a mezzanine level capable of holding a restaurant in the future.

The Jennifer M. O'NealCommunity Ice Arena rink is at 15500 Wedge Parkway near the intersection with Arrowcreek Parkway and is easy to see from the highway.

"Every day it's fun coming to work because you get to see progress being made," Richter said. "For a skater like myself, it's exciting to be on site every day."

Construction superintendent Brad Richter is shown at the Reno Ice rink in south Reno.(Photo: Provided to the RGJ)

Richter said it is a little unusual to be working on a big construction project in front of so many people driving by and that several people have stopped to ask him about the rink.

"We see three to four visitors stopping by each week asking about figure skating, hockey leagues and public skating," Richter said. "Once we started erecting the structure, we are seeing those numbers increase and so far, all the comments have been positive with some even asking where they can make a donation and for those who do not know, Reno Ice is a non-profit with a 501(3)C exemption associated. So yes, the pressure is on to deliver."

Shown is the The Reno Ice Rink under construction in South Reno on Oct. 8, 2020.(Photo: Andy Barron/RGJ)

Those interested in donating can go to renoice.org.

Reno Ice will have private lessons, public ice skating sessions, hockey leagues, broomball, curling, trade shows, tournaments, performances and figure skating.

Richter said the rink will be using a reverse osmosis system,which provides pure ice, free of bubbles, particles and cracks, and reduces the overall amount of water used in maintenance on the top sheet. It willprovidea faster skating surface due to less friction.

The Reno Ice Rink is under construction in South Reno on Oct. 8, 2020.(Photo: Andy Barron/RGJ)

The electric Zamboni ice re-surfacing machine will utilizea Level-ice system laser. It will haveautomated precision blade control to createconsistent, level ice,saving energy, water and time between skating sessions.

Richter, 49,is from Waunakee, Wisc., and he moved to Reno three years ago. He was part of the Waunakee Hockey Association where he helped build an ice rink facility. He played hockey since he was a child and playedwith the Madison Capitals of the USHL.

Reno Ice is building a year-round ice rink in south Reno.(Photo: Provided by to Jeff Frame- Frame Architecture, Inc.)

He is still playing hockey in an adult league at the South Lake Tahoe rink.

"Growing up and being exposed to hundreds of different types of rinks has provided me with the insight to help Reno Ice make the correct decisions in regard to operational features, functionality and getting the best product for their money," Richter said.

Richter looks forward to seeing youth hockey grow in Northern Nevada and said getting a hockey team here is alsoa possibility, although nothing has been decided on that.

"It will be great to see kids get out there and Reno grow a youth program from its infancy," he said.

Jim Krajewski covers high school and youth sports for the Reno Gazette Journal. Follow him on Twitter @RGJPreps. Support his work by subscribing to RGJ.com right here.

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Reno Ice rink nearing completion; construction expected to wrap up in late November - Reno Gazette Journal

MANALAPAN Representatives of an applicant that is proposing to construct a Taco Bell restaurant at the corner of Route 9 south and Taylors Mills Road are expected back before the Manalapan Zoning Board of Adjustment on Oct. 15.

Yum & Chill TB Holdings, LLC, is proposing to demolish a Shell gas and service station at the corner and to construct a Taco Bell. The applicant is represented by attorney Peter G. Licata, of the firm Sonnenblick, Parker and Selvers, Freehold Township.

Initial testimony regarding the Taco Bell was presented during the boards July 16 meeting. Testimony resumed on Aug. 20 before the application was carried once more.

Yum & Chill TB Holdings is seeking preliminary and final major site plan approval with bulk variances and use variance relief to permit the demolition of the Shell station and the construction of a 2,578-square-foot Taco Bell.

The Taco Bell is proposed to have dine-in and drive-up service. The 0.8-acre property is owned by PMG New Jersey, LLC, and is in the Office Park 3 zone. The construction of a fast food restaurant and drive-up is not permitted in the OP-3 zone, according to a legal notice published by Licata.

Access to the restaurant would be provided from one driveway on Taylors Mills Road and one driveway on Route 9 south.

During the Aug. 20 meeting, traffic consultant Jay Troutman presented information regarding the number of vehicles that could be in line at the drive-up window at any given time. He said he observed vehicles at a Taco Bell on Route 9 south in Howell for 135 minutes (noon to 2:15 p.m. on a Wednesday in July).

Troutman said that for 75 of the 135 minutes he observed the restaurant, there were between zero and three vehicles on line. For 52 minutes, there were between four and six vehicles on line. For eight minutes, there were between seven and 10 vehicles on line, he said.

Once the line reaches a certain point, people will choose other options. People will not join a line where the wait is going to be too long, he said.

Troutman said the peak times at the Taco Bell would be weekday lunch and weekday dinner. The lowest use would be on Sunday, he said.

Planner John Chadwick testified on behalf of the applicant and sought to make the case that the granting of the use variance would be a benefit to Manalapan.

He said, among other aspects of the plan, that the applicant is proposing to reduce the impervious coverage at the site from 90% to 70% (65% impervious coverage is permitted).

At present, there are two driveways at the site on Taylors Mills Road and two driveways at the site on Route 9. The applicant is proposing to close one driveway on Taylors Mills Road and one driveway on Route 9. Chadwick called that aspect of the plan an advancement of public safety.

The proposed development is a good fit for the Route 9 corridor, Chadwick said.

Jennifer Beahm, the boards planner, did not take issue with the proposed reduction in lot coverage or the closing of the driveways, but did question certain aspects of Chadwicks testimony regarding the advancement of the municipalitys zoning.

Previous testimony offered by project engineer Marc Leber, of East Point Engineering, Marlboro, indicated that left turns from the Taco Bell property to Taylors Mills Road would be prohibited.

During the Aug. 20 meeting, zoning board member Mollie Kamen said she was concerned some people would turn right out of Taco Bell onto Route 9 south, turn right into the neighboring Wendys restaurant, use an access road that connects Wendys to Taylors Mills Road and then turn left onto Taylors Mills Road where that movement is permitted.

Kamen expressed concern that people making the cut-through at Wendys after leaving Taco Bell would come into conflict with motorists waiting on the drive-up line at Wendys.

Concern was also raised that people who want to travel west on Taylors Mills Road upon leaving Taco Bell will turn right onto Route 9 south and then drive through a nearby residential area (Briar Hill Drive, Country Lane, Princeton Drive) to get back to Taylors Mills Road to turn left and head west.

Troutman said most of the vehicles entering the Taco Bell site will be pass-by traffic that will not drive through the neighborhood, but he said he reviewed the issue and estimated that during a peak hour, approximately five vehicles leaving Taco Bell would drive through the Briar Hill Drive neighborhood to return to Taylors Mills Road and head west.

When the Aug. 20 meeting was opened to public comment, many residents expressed concern about the application.

Some residents who addressed the zoning board said they live in the Briar Hill Drive neighborhood and were concerned about vehicles passing their homes; some speakers lamented the closing of the Shell service station; and some residents took issue with having a driveway on Taylors Mills Road.

Resident Salvatore Viscusi said, We have more than we need with fast food restaurants. Keep Manalapan a beautiful little town and dont turn it into a circus.

Resident Rex Lazewski said, I dont think you should change the use of the property.

Resident Karen Eastman said, We dont need two fast food restaurants (Wendys and Taco Bell) on top of each other. I do need a service station.

After the residents finished speaking, the zoning board members took a straw poll to determine where the Taco Bell application stood.

Due to various concerns with the proposed use, the indication was that the application might not receive the five yes votes it needs for the use variance to be granted. The key concern for some board members was the traffic situation at the location.

Licata, who represents the applicant, acknowledged traffic at the site is the key issue, but said the consensus of the applicants professionals is that the project as designed would improve the situation.

Licata asked for the application to be carried to determine if there is a way forward, and the board carried the application to the Oct. 15 meeting.

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Discussion about proposed Taco Bell in Manalapan expected to resume - centraljersey.com