Published: Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 12:09 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 12:09 p.m.

WINTER HAVEN | Crews are working on Cypress Gardens Boulevard to repair a ruptured gas main.

Polk County Fire Rescue responded about 10:15 a.m. to the gas main break at the construction site of a new Pep Boys auto parts store at 5636 Cypress Gardens Blvd. Officials said the 3-inch gas pipe was ruptured by a piece of heavy construction equipment.

Initially, the Discount Tire store across from the site was evacuated, but employees were let back in about 11:15 a.m.

Florida Public Utilities is working to shut the gas supply off and crews are working to open all lanes of Cypress Gardens Boulevard.

Spokesman Dave Walters said Polk Fire Rescue and the Winter Haven Fire Department are on scene as a precaution.

Britt Guyer, who owns the Golden Corral restaurant located within the road closure area, said he's concerned about his business with the road being shut down during lunchtime.

It's like cutting your blood supply off, he said.

As of about 12:15 p.m., crews had closed the leak and were working to repair the broken main.

Terrance Mike, safety coordinator for Florida Public Utilities, said it construction crews hit the pipe and scraped it causing the leak. Crews should be finished repairing it by the end of the day.

Original post:
Gas Main Ruptured by Construction on Cypress Gardens Boulevard

TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - A major rehabilitation project is underway on a landmark Toledo bridge.

Despite the ever changing weather, ODOT confirms The Anthony Wayne Bridge will be completed on budget and on time.

Last week, crews removed the second of two truss spans on either side of the bridge.

Now, the new spans can be constructed.

Work on those have already started and will continue through next year.

The majority of ODOT projects are weather permitting, but crews are able to work on the bridge during the winter months.

It's a historic bridge, and we want to preserve that. So ,what we are doing is that we are restoring the bridge. Obviously we've got a lot of updates to do, and we will work very carefully, said Theresa Pollick, Public Information Officer Ohio Department of Transportation District Two.

The closure will last for 19 months and that's primarily for the safety of workers and drivers.

The bridge deck, sidewalks, railings, lighting, fencing and expansion joints will be replaced and updated.

Substructure work and structural steel repairs to towers will also take place.

Read more:
ODOT: Anthony Wayne Bridge construction on budget, on time

A new, quick-service Chinese restaurant called Junzi Kitchen is set to open at 21 Broadway this spring, replacing A-1 Pizza and adding to the growing number of new businesses on Broadway.

The restaurant, which will serve Northeastern Chinese food in a Chipotle-style service line, is a project partnered with the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute, and will incorporate sustainable food practices into the business.

We have the opportunity to introduce a very interesting, authentic culture, said Yong Zhao FES 15, CEO and co-founder of Junzi Kitchen. We want to make this food accessible to all people.

The restaurant will serve wraps, rice bowls and salad bowls with protein and vegetable fillings and a choice of sauce. Zhao said that the menu draws from the Chinese dish chun bing, or spring pancake, which is served at a round table with fresh ingredients and is not typically served at Chinese restaurants in the U.S.

Orange chicken doesnt exist in my hometown, said Zhao, who hails from Northeast China.

This past summer, Junzi Kitchen was one of the 10 projects selected for the Yale Entrepreneurship Institutes Summer Fellowship program, which provides a $15,000 grant to student startup ventures. Since Zhao and his team developed their project over the summer, they have been running test kitchens around New Haven to develop recipes as well as production and serving methods. The restaurant has run tests at The Grove in New Haven and plans to continue running pop-up locations before its opening, slated for March 2015.

Michael Keefrider, Junzi Kitchens director of communications, customer experience and sustainability, said that the seasonal climate in Northeast China is similar to Connecticuts, so similar vegetables grow well in both places. He said that the restaurant plans to use bok choy, kale, brassica, cabbage, Chinese kale and cauliflower in their dishes.

Keefrider added that the restaurants approach to sustainability extends beyond the food itself, and that the business will consider sustainability in its upcoming construction. He also said that Junzi Kitchen will use energy-efficient equipment and will focus on using recycled and compostable materials, as well as managing their own waste.

Wanting Zhang FES 11, co-founder and operations director of Junzi Kitchen, said that the restaurant aims to meet the needs of students, both by selling food at affordable prices and by staying open late.

Its nice having more healthy options that represent different types of foods, Adelaide Goodyear 17 said after hearing about the new restaurant.

Read the original post:
Chinese restaurant to open on Broadway

Erik Kabik/ErikKabik.com

The Nobu Hotel and Restaurant ribbon-cutting opening with chef Nobu Matsuhisa and business partner and actor Robert De Niro in Caesars Palace on Saturday, Feb. 2,2013.

By Robin Leach (contact)

Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 | 5:04 p.m.

Restaurant and hotel partners Robert De Niro and Nobu Matsuhisa from Caesars Palace have teamed up with Australian multimillionaire mogul James Packer to take over the 11-year abandoned K Club on the twin island of Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean.

In a $250 million deal, the resort once owned by Italian fashion designer Krizia will be restored to its former glory when Princess Diana used to visit with her young sons Princes William and Harry.

When I lived on nearby Jumby Bay in Antigua, I often visited. It was a super-luxurious, beautiful dream resort. Although now rundown, there has been no vandalism. Its on one of the most beautiful stretches of sand in the world named Lady Diana Beach.

New Prime Minister Gaston Browne was so pleased with Robert and Nobus signed memorandum of agreement over the weekend that he appointed the actor a special economic envoy to attract even more investment to the Caribbean nation.

Robert is expected to sign the official contracts next month, with construction for the renovation and expansion underway before this time next year. Sources in Antigua tell me that Robert wants it to be the most environmentally and ecologically friendly resort in the world.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the worlds premier platinum playground.

Read more from the original source:
Robert De Niro, Nobu Matsuhisa, James Packer to restore Caribbean resort

Published: Monday, December 1, 2014 at 10:58 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, December 1, 2014 at 10:58 p.m.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH With a roomful of residents watching Monday night, the citys Planning and Zoning Board unanimously denied a key request by developers of a proposed new beachfront hotel.

The developers of the planned 146-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott, planned on about a 1.5-acre site just north of the Breakers Restaurant and Lounge, had asked that the citys coastal construction setback line be moved an average of 75.5 feet to the east to allow for the construction of the hotel building, a swimming pool and a deck.

The City Commission will have the ultimate say on the request.

The request was one of three associated with the hotel and considered by the board in front of at least 200 people at the Brannon Center, with the majority attending being residents opposed to the project. Many were associated with the fast-growing New Smyrna Beach Citizens for Smart Growth, wearing red to show their solidarity and some carrying signs with the words High Density Hotel crossed out, while also declaring Stop the Madness.

Its just too big, too close and too wrong, Lillian Conrad, one of the members of the citizens group, said of the hotel.

City Planning Manager Gail Henrikson, who recommended against relocating the coastal construction setback line, said construction of habitable portions of any buildings have been prohibited east of the line since it was established in 1985.

Glenn Storch, an attorney representing the developers of the hotel, said the citys coastal construction setback line is flawed.

Taking someones rights to use their property based on a faulty line without scientific basis is arbitrary and capricious, and what that does is open yourself up to all kinds of problems, he told the board.

Henrikson said if the City Commission votes against the request to relocate the coastal construction setback line it would force developers to scale back the intensity of their development.

Read the rest here:
NSB board turns down proposal for hotel

LAKEPORT, Calif. After months of construction and preparation, brothers Alex and Tim O'Meara are set to open their new brewery and restaurant this weekend.

O'Meara Bros. Brewing Co., located at 901 Bevins St., will celebrate its grand opening beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.

Final preparations were still under way on Monday, as Tim O'Meara discussed the opening against the sound backdrop of power tools.

It seems like construction will never end, he said.

However, the tools at work on Monday were being used to install lights over the business' signage.

That's literally the last thing, he said.

The O'Mearas describe their new venture as a fusion of microbrewery and restaurant, featuring several beers brewed on site and a specially designed menu of pub grub.

Alex, 30, and Tim, 27, grew up in Upper Lake and later moved to the Bay Area to pursue careers.

Tim O'Meara has been a homebrewer for years while his brother has been in business. In recent years they returned home and decided to go into business together.

We've been interested in running a business like this for our whole lives, Tim O'Meara said.

View post:
O'Meara brothers prepare to open new brewery's doors

NIAGARA FALLS Construction of a new $22 million to $25 million Doubletree by Hilton hotel on Buffalo Avenue is expected to start by the end of next month.

Partial demolition of the former Fallside Hotel at 401 Buffalo Ave. is scheduled to begin in two weeks, the project architect told the city Planning Board Wednesday night.

Were going to be working all winter long, said James E. Boy, of Roberts, Shackleton & Boy, a Cheektowaga engineering and architecture firm. Construction on the project, being undertaken by Merani Hospitality LLC, will begin before demolition wraps up, Boy said.

The new hotel will include a nine-story, 84-foot tower which will overlook the Niagara River with the top two floors consisting of between 14 and 18 one-bedroom suites. The hotel, whose main entrance will be on Buffalo Avenue, will have between 193 and 195 rooms, depending on how many suites are included.

The construction work that starts before the demolition is completed will include building the towers foundation.

Most of the existing four-story building along the Robert Moses Parkway that was part of the Fallside is being demolished. The part that is being kept will be used for hotel rooms and banquet space, Boy said. The two banquet rooms, to be located on the first two floors, will be able to hold 450 and 250 people, respectively.

The hotel also will have a pool, as well as a restaurant and bar in the lobby area near the new front entrance on Buffalo Avenue. The restaurant also will have an outdoor eating area facing the river.

In terms of the inner-workings of the facility, it will have an indoor loading dock and indoor trash compactor.

In total, demolition is expected to take between two and two-and-a-half months. Construction is expected to take 18 months, with completion in March or April 2016, Boy said.

In March, project officials said demolition on the project would start as early as late April or early May of next year. On Wednesday, they said they have been dealing with regulators on asbestos issues at the site.

More here:
Construction of new Niagara Falls hotel to start in November

The first Buffalo restaurant born of a food truck will be Marble + Rye, opening on Genesee Street in early 2015.

Michael Dimmer and Christian Willmott, proprietors of one of Buffalos most highly praised food trucks, will offer sandwiches, snacks and grown-up entrees at 112 Genesee St., around the corner from the new Catholic Health building.

Its been a hard couple years on the road with the truck, paying ourselves enough to sustain, since we knew this was the end goal, Dimmer said. Theyre hoping for a March opening, but who knows.

The restaurant will offer a takeout window and easy online ordering, aiming to lure time-strapped lunch crowds created by recent downtown developments, Dimmer said.

A big cast-iron griddle will be cooking up crusty burgers and perhaps taco fixings. A wood-fired oven will add smokiness too. There will be a full bar, and about 70 seats. Possible dishes will include a banh mi burger of local beef, and a steak frites version. There will be charcuterie.

There also will be toast. We have this crazy fascination for toast, especially wood-fired toast, Dimmer said. There will be a toast board that will be running, hopefully an important part of our menu.

Arancini will remain a truck-only feature, though.

Dimmer and Wilmott started the Black Market Food Truck in January 2013. They will be partners in Marble + Rye. With items like seasonal arancini and sandwiches of house-made mortadella, BMFT won Buffalo Sprees Best Food Truck award in 2013.

After a current hiatus for engine overhaul, the truck will be back on the road, Dimmer said. It will be a limited schedule during the winter, however. If its negative 10 outside, as weve seen firsthand, theres no sense in standing outside.

Closed: Hertel Avenue hamburger haven Sterling Place Tavern is closed for good.

See the original post here:
Buffalo food truck spawns Genesee Street restaurant

Buffalo Wild Wings, the Minneapolis-based restaurant and sports bar chain, has talked with developers of Tanglewood Pavilion but has no current plans to locate in Elizabeth Citys newest shopping center.

Chris Hake, director of retail development for Thompson Thrift, the Indiana-based firm developing Tanglewood Pavilion, confirmed his firms discussions with the popular eatery that specializes in chicken wings.

Hake said Thompson Thrift has been advised Elizabeth City is on Buffalo Wild Wings list for future expansion, but no local restaurant is currently planned.

We will continue to follow up with representatives from BWW as the project gets closer to grand opening, Hake said in a recent email.

Construction on Tanglewood Pavilion, which is located off Halstead Boulevard Extended adjacent to the Shoppes at Tanglewood, began in September and is expected to be complete by either late summer or early fall of next year.

A number of retail giants, including T.J. Maxx, Ross Dress for Less and Hobby Lobby, have already committed to locating stores at Tanglewood Pavilion. Zaxbys, the Georgia-based restaurant chain that also specializes in chicken wings, also has announced plans to build a restaurant in the new shopping center.

It was in fact a discussion about new restaurants that might locate at Tanglewood Pavilion that spurred the most recent speculation that Buffalo Wild Wings is also looking to expand here.

At a 4th Ward citizens meeting several weeks ago, Mayor Joe Peel mentioned Zaxbys commitment to build a restaurant here and then went on to say there was a possibility Buffalo Wild Wings might come as well.

City Manager Rich Olson noted that Buffalo Wild Wings has a very aggressive expansion plan in North Carolina. He also noted that Thompson Thrift representatives are in talks with the restaurant chain.

Representatives of Buffalo Wild Wings did not return repeated phone messages last week. The company did, however, respond by email, confirming what Hake had said about its current plans.

Read the rest here:
No local Buffalo Wild Wings for now

For more than a year theres been a big hole in the South Perryneighborhood.

Thats soon to end, say the two Spokane doctors who own the property at Ninth Avenue and PerryStreet.

Lisanne Laurier and Harold Preiksaitis say theyve started work on a two-story commercial building at 907 S. Perry St. after overcoming soil problems, city permitting difficulties, revisions in design plans and the fact that theyve never undertaken a developmentbefore.

This is my first and my last project, said Preiksaitis, agastroenterologist.

The couple said they bought the property and demolished the

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An artists rendering of the building project at Ninth Avenue and PerryStreet. (Full-size photo)(All photos)

For more than a year theres been a big hole in the South Perryneighborhood.

Thats soon to end, say the two Spokane doctors who own the property at Ninth Avenue and PerryStreet.

Read more here:
Construction begins on delayed South Perry project - Fri, 28 Nov 2014 PST