By: Vanessa Londono 6:30 am on October 20, 2020

A ten-storymixed-use building has been proposed forBayonne, New Jersey. Designed by Melamed Architect, the structure will comprise 100 residential units, approximately 2,420 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and 102 parking spaces within a stacked parking system. Bayonne Equities BII Urban Renewal, LLC is responsible for the 145-foot-tall development that will be built on four adjacent lots at 281-289 Broadway and 9-11 West 12th Street along a commercial corridor.

281-289 Broadway. Rendering courtesy of Melamed Architect

As reported by Jersey Digs, Bayonne Equities BII Urban Renewal, LLC is seeking preliminary and final major site plan approval with a bulk height variance.

Proposals for the development will go before the Bayonne planning board on November 9.

281-289 Broadway. Rendering courtesy of Melamed Architect

The amenity package includes an outdoor terrace, 1,557-square-foot fitness center with a pool, a spa, a business center, a playroom for children, a lounge, and a kitchenette.

The site is a short walk from the 8th Street stop on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. The site currently holds a parking lot and two low-rise buildings with six residential units. No construction timeline or completion date have been announced.

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Proposed Mixed-Use Development Coming to 281-289 Broadway in Bayonne, New Jersey - New York YIMBY

Christopher Short of Arquitectonica is set to design the project, which willfeature retail and office space, an art gallery and 314 parking spots, the filing says.

An LLC linked to W-G Capital Advisors bought the site last year for $21.5 million, according to property records. W-G Capital and Washburn declined to comment.

The Covid-19 pandemic forced construction on most projects in New York to come to a halt in March, but work restarted during the first phase of the citys reopening in June. Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, previously told Crains that there should be enough work to get the construction industry through 2021 but that 2022 could be a difficult year.

Other major projects planned for Brooklyn include a roughly 385,000-square-foot mixed-use development at 496 Sutter Ave. in East New York from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and a roughly 70,000-square-foot commercial project in Gowanus from Avery Hall Investments.

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Former top city planner developing huge Red Hook project - Crain's New York Business

Construction on the revitalization project for the Seaport World Trade Center on Commonwealth Pier in Bostons Seaport has started. This is according to a recent update from CBT. The project is expected to be a rejuvenated, modern iteration of the historic site and will offer enhanced and improved benefits to the public. In addition, the project is expected to create a multi-use community destination for residents of Bostons Seaport District.

The construction will transform the 705,000-sf building and pier into a hub that will extend and improve Bostons Seaport neighborhood by strengthening its building resiliency, offering robust public amenities, and improving the accessibility of the waterfront. The project is expected to create 56,000 sf of event and meeting space, 45,000 sf of retail space, and a responsive, future-ready workplace environment.

Re-imagining and re-engaging the waterfront

In the new Commonwealth Pier, the developer is seeking to re-engage and re-imagine the waterfront as well as offer visitors, community members, and pedestrians more natural amenities. The project is connected to the Harborwalk and also is also paired with the open-air Harbor Plaza that will have improved docking areas and programmed niches and alcoves carved out along the buildings exterior. These additional features will seek to offer a seamless, active, and inviting public realm.

Adhering to 2070 resiliency goals

The revitalization project for the Seaport World Trade Center on Commonwealth Pier was designed by CBT in partnership with Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects is a Danish design company. In addition, CBT oversaw the projects technical climate adaptation elements. This involved overseeing and supervising the integration of design strategies at both sides and building levels. The integration is expected to facilitate adherence to the 2070 resiliency goals. The new strategies are expected to make Commonwealth Pier one of the most resilient buildings in the entire Boston.

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Revitalization of the Seaport World Trade Center on Commonwealth Pier - Construction Review

Domio Wynwood, Gustavo Miculitzki, and Jon Paul Prez (Credit: Alberto Tamargo/Getty Images)

The Related Group and its partner, Block Capital Group, are looking to sell their apartment-hotel in Wynwood, which has a whisper price of $90 million.

Domio has a master lease for the 175-unit mixed-use building at 51 Northwest 26th Street in Miami. The short-term rental operator signed a 10-year lease with two five-year extension options nearly a year ago for the building, its flagship location in Miami.

Roberto Pesant

The property includes 28,700 square feet of retail space, which is about 18 to 20 percent leased, said listing brokers Roberto Pesant and Jaret Turkell of Berkadia. The two investment sales brokers are listing the building for sale with the whisper price, along with Berkadias Scott Wadler. Related declined to comment.

Block Capital, led by the Miculitzki family, and Related completed the building last year. Its the first hotel to open and operate in Wynwood, though a number of projects are in the pipeline, including a Moxy by Marriott hotel at 255 Northwest 25th Street.

Theres a huge market for this, Pesant said.

Jaret Turkell

Lenny Kravitzs Kravitz Design designed the amenity spaces and public areas, and Arquitectonica designed the building. It includes a 233-space parking garage with bicycle storage; a rooftop terrace with a pool, amenity deck, outdoor kitchen and dining area; and a gym and health club. The units feature Italian kitchens and vanities, stainless steel appliances, washers and dryers, walk-in closets and keyless entry.

Domio Wynwood has performed remarkably well, Pesant said, opening last year in time for Art Basel, as well as operating during the Super Bowl in February. Throughout the pandemic, the building has been at least 50 percent leased, the brokers said. At one point, the building rented a number of units to Jackson Hospital to house employees.

Scott Wadler

The building was designed as a traditional multifamily building, and the developers decided to master-lease the property to a short-term rental operator during construction. Pesant and Turkell said it could eventually be converted back to multifamily.

Some hotel owners across the country are considering alternative uses for their properties, as occupancy and travel remain low, now seven months into the pandemic.

New York-based Domio entered the South Florida market in 2019 when it signed a $1.45 million deal to lease 45 units at the beachfront Monte Carlo in Miami Beach. It competed against companies such as Mint House, Sonder and Stay Alfred to lease the Wynwood building.

Contact Katherine Kallergis

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Related lists Domio Wynwood apartment-hotel for sale with whisper price of $90M - The Real Deal

Will Gilson and his Puritan & Co. team were supposed to open the Lexington a hotel with no rooms, a multi-restaurant project in a multi-level new construction in Cambridge this summer, including a cafe, a casual restaurant and bar with an outdoor terrace, an Italian restaurant, and private dining space. Of course, nothing about 2020 has gone according to plan for anyone, and aside from a summertime outdoor preview of some menu items, the Lexington hit delays.

Parts of the building, tucked away amid the endless construction across from East Cambridges Lechmere MBTA station, are still being finished, and the upstairs restaurant and bar (the Lexington), Italian restaurant (Geppetto), and private dining space are still in the works. But Caf Beatrice debuted on October 17, getting the ball rolling on a project that Gilson says was ambitious in the best of times.

Its been around four years since Gilson was initially asked to be part of the project, which is located within the in-the-works Cambridge Crossing development, 43 acres of retail, residential, and science and technology space. Caf Beatrice has already lived several lives, having popped up in Allston for a six-month run last year and also getting several previews via big sibling Puritan & Co. Now it has its own space, where its currently offering takeout (there are some outdoor tables available, too) and showcasing a taste of whats to come for the project as a whole.

Caf Beatrice centers around pastry chef Brian Mercury. Everything that Brian makes is great, Gilson says. He and I tried for years to figure out a way to work together, and I kind of dangled this in front of him for what we were going to be able to do. It took a lot longer to get here, and the world fell apart in the meantime, but we finally got here, and I think the baked goods that hes doing have turned into a really great, unique, different way that people will experience pastries.

As for Mercury, he describes his baking philosophy as: If it doesnt need to be fussy, we dont make it fussy.

Heres a closer look at some items on Caf Beatrices opening menu.

Salted hazelnut sticky bun

No need to coin a new hybrid pastry term la Cronut, but this sticky bun starts with a croissant-style laminated dough (instead of the more traditional brioche) that gets rolled in espresso powder, sugar, and salt before getting covered in a spread of brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Its then proofed and baked to a crispy texture and topped with a caramel that has heavy cream, salt, more espresso powder, and toasted hazelnuts.

Mercury doesnt want to make things more complicated he understands that people have certain expectations of what a sticky bun should be but, inspired by a laminated cinnamon roll he ate at Cambridges Broadsheet Coffee a couple years ago, he decided to take a different path than the standard brioche. I think that sometimes you can do that with certain things.

The Italian grinder croissant goes a few steps further, starting with the same laminated dough, which gets spread with mayonnaise and whole grain mustard and rolled up with salami, capicola, mortadella, and provolone. After slicing, proofing, and baking, its topped with hot relish, sweet peppers, and a cornichon.

Cookies

Mercury is featuring several cookies on the menu, including the pictured salted toffee chip cookie and breakfast cookie. (Also keep an eye out for Earl Grey cookies and half moons.) The salted toffee chip is straightforward, with salted toffee broken up and added into chocolate chip cookie dough, while the breakfast cookie is almost like a granola bar, says Mercury, inspired by the oatmeal raisin cookies his grandmother made when he was a kid. Mercury swaps in dried cherries for the raisins and adds oats, cocoa nibs, peanut butter, flax, and pepitas an acceptable cookie choice for breakfast, as the menu says.

Pan pizza

Mercurys pan pizza inspired by Sicilian and Roman styles features sourdough using a starter named Siouxsie that Mercury began back at Harvest about eight years ago. Keeping with his desire to avoid fussy things, Mercury tops it with just San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand with a bit of salt, ricotta, mozzarella, and fresh basil.

Sandwiches and more

We wanted breakfast sandwiches that were more than just bacon, egg, and cheese, says Gilson. Enter combinations like Spanish serrano ham with Gruyere and basil or broccoli rabe with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and Muenster cheese.

There are lunch sandwiches, too, including a Cuban, a vegetarian miso-roasted broccoli melt, and one of Gilsons favorites, the nioise, featuring really great Italian canned tuna with a hard-boiled egg, olive-artichoke tapenade, green beans, and roasted peppers. Its also available in salad form, along with several other salads.

Caf Beatrices bagels are sourced from Lexington-based Wicked Bagel, teas come from Mem Tea in Davis Square, and coffee is from La Colombe.

The team is working on plans to offer beer and wine in the future, possibly by winter. The vision is for a European-style cafe, where customers can come by in the evening for snacks, wine, and space to hang out. It doesnt have to be fussy; it doesnt have to be a production, says Gilson.

To start, the cafe is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Order online, if youd like. Find Caf Beatrice at 100 North First St., Cambridge; if youre surrounded by construction, youre in the right place. (Theres also a more peaceful pond area on one side of the cafe and lots of green space nearby.) Upstairs, the Lexington restaurant and bar could open in early November, while Geppetto wont make its debut until 2021. Watch Instagram for updates on all parts of the project.

The Puritan & Co. Team Will Soon Open a Trio of New Restaurants, Including a Rooftop Bar [EBOS]

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Cafe Beatrice Opens at the Lexington in East Cambridge - Eater Boston

After years of legal dispute, Jersey City, the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA) and Kushner Companies have reached a settlement, dismissing further litigation.

Construction of the proposed Journal Square twin towers is now expected to begin next year and will include a 10-level parking garage for residents, a retail and amenity space, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said on Saturday. But the one thing the project wont have is a tax abatement.

Lets be clear. The citizens of Jersey City are the winners here, Eugene T. Paolino, counsel to Kushner Companies, said in a statement. Kushner Companies is eager and ready to move forward shoulder to shoulder with Mayor Fulop and the people of the great City of Jersey City.

Along with the settlement, the project has also been modified.

Both towers will stand 64-stories tall, or 710 feet, on the plot of land thats been vacant since 2007. Each tower will consist of 52 stories of residential units with a 12-story base containing ground floor retail space, amenity space and additional residential uses, Wallace-Scalcione said.

Residential spaces will replace the original plans of five stories of office space and one story of retail space. The faade of the towers will also be re-envisioned; there will be a $2.5 million investment in local arts initiatives; and the developer is required to hire locally, Wallace-Scalcione said.

Originally, in 2014, the developer proposed to build two towers, one 70 stories and the other 50, with more than 3,000 units and 160,000 square feet of commercial space.

Then four years later, Jared Kushners family company filed a federal lawsuit in 2018 when a tax abatement for the project was denied, jumpstarting the ongoing legal battle.

The developer claimed the denial from the majorly Democratic city was bias towards President Donald Trump. Kushner headed Kushner Companies until 2017, when he stepped down from the company to become an advisor for Trump, who is also his father-in-law.

That lawsuit was dismissed, but then the company filed an amended lawsuit. The Fulop Administration has not granted a tax abatement in nearly four years, city spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said.

According to court documents, the parties agree to fully cooperate with each other in order to carry out the provisions of this settlement agreement.

In a statement, Council President Joyce Watterman said this is a big win for everyone involved. She said this will benefit the citys revitalization efforts in Journal Square and can provide opportunities to the local workforce, which is critical now more than ever before.

This has always been about what is best for our taxpayers and Jersey City, Fulop said in a statement. Fortunately, after many years and many prior developers who left this property to stagnate, the citys great team and Kushner Companies have been able to set aside their differences and collaborate to reach common ground.

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'Citizens of Jersey City are the winners: Jersey City, Kushner moves forward with Journal Square project - nj.com

Walk down the main corridor of any S.F. neighborhood right now and youll see empty windows advertising vacant retail space. An August survey found that only 46% of storefront businesses that were open at the beginning of the pandemic are still operating, according to the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and recent data from Zenreach shows traffic at brick-and-mortar locations in the Bay Area was only 38% of whats normal by Sept. 30.

For those that are still in business, from hair salons to bookstores to fitness studios, a landlord willing to negotiate throughout the pandemic could be essential to staying afloat.

Giselle Gyalzen, owner of Rare Device in NoPa, said working with her landlord on rent reductions has been essential since March. She said she feels lucky she wont have to pay back those reductions when the pandemic ends, especially since there is no end in sight. Having to pay back that money when you don't have sales would have been so hard, Gyalzen said. I had a gradually increasing rent through October, but theyve left the conversation open and we talk every few months. There's just so much unknown you can't plan more than a few weeks ahead.

The gift store has been in the location for eight years and she said she hopes to stay in the space long term. While she said her negotiations have been amicable, she knows not all retailers have had this experience. I feel like a few months ago not every landlord was on the same page, but hopefully now they see this is a long-term thing and they'd have a hard time finding new tenants.

Darcie Bell waits at the front door to pick up her online order at Rare Device on Divisadero Street in San Francisco on May 27, 2020.

Balgobind Jaiswal is both a landlord and a store owner in San Francisco, owning four properties on Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights. At his store Cielo Boutique (for which he leases space) sales have only been about 30% of what they were before March, and hes negotiated with his landlord for rent concessions for the remainder of 2020. For the buildings he owns, also on Fillmore Street, hes granted rental adjustments and even let one tenant out of their lease entirely.

He said the luxury retail corridor has been hit especially hard and the current rental prices and vacancies reflect that. He estimates rent is down nearly 10-15% in the neighborhood right now. For his newly vacant space, he said hell likely need to offer a 20% reduction to what his previous tenant paid, but hes had no interest.

Yes, landlords should make concessions, but I think the banks should also make concessions, Jaiswal said. It's the big companies that aren't paying the rent. They have the lawyers.

He has one large international brand as a tenant that has refused to pay rent entirely. He said hes been granted forbearance of his mortgage (the ability to delay payments for a set period of time), but those payments will pile up and still come due eventually with interest, even if he never gets those payments and forgives rent for other tenants. Plus, he still has to pay property taxes and insurance on the spaces.

Jaiswal also has no prospects for the theater he owns, Clay Theatre, which shut down in January after losing money for six years while in operation. The city requires him to lease it to someone who will operate it as a theater, he said, but since theaters remain closed in San Francisco, there are no interested tenants.

Pam Mendelsohn, a broker with Maven Properties, has been busy assisting with rental negotiations since the pandemic began, though most are an ongoing conversation, she said, as the lasting impact of the pandemic remains so uncertain.

She said the pandemic months have otherwise been slow for new retail leasing, but just in the past month shes been fielding more calls from interested parties looking for space. While she said she doesnt think rental prices are down everywhere it depends on the neighborhood and the space she said new construction spaces are down about 20%. Fully built out, ADA-compliant spaces in certain neighborhood corridors may not have dropped the rent at all, whereas a space needing improvement downtown may be more willing to negotiate. Plus, retail varies widely, after all, as tenants like a boutique may be struggling right now, but the bike shop next door is probably doing better than ever before.

She said that while the pandemic has obviously hurt much of the retail sector, for those that do have capital to open a new space, the city permitting has been the biggest hurdle.

One client that wanted to open a store by Christmas wont be able to do so, Mendelsohn said, because they cant get an appointment with the city permitting office until February. She also said that because of the pandemic, it may be time once again for the city to reconsider their formula retail cap, which limits chain retail from operating in San Francisco if they have more than 11 stores globally.

We have a retail crisis right now, Mendelsohn said. If we don't fill our neighborhoods with great retail and great restaurants, people aren't going to want to live here. It's what makes us a world-class city.

Landlord Danny Scher has 10 retail tenants in San Francisco, running the gamut from laundromats to a hair salon to a comic shop. One of his tenants, a small fitness studio, had been thinking about shutting down pre-pandemic. He let them out of their lease once the pandemic was in full swing, but the comic shop next door was doing so well, they expanded their shop into that space.

Scher said hes worked with each of his tenants individually to negotiate whats best for them right now to be able to stay in business. He said hes lucky hes an individual landlord, though, who doesnt have to run his decisions by anyone else.

Credo Beauty on Fillmore Street in San Francisco has signs advertising curbside pickup on May 27, 2020. We had definitely been focused on neighborhoods as part of our strategy, and if there was any doubt in our minds, this has cemented that this is the right approach," said CEO Dawn Dobras.

Dawn Dobras, CEO of Credo Beauty, had planned to open a second San Francisco location in Hayes Valley in 2020. While she said August certainly wasnt the best time to open a new store, the pandemic has supported the companys strategy of opening locations in neighborhoods as opposed to downtown areas. People are living, working, shopping and eating in their community, Dobras said. We had definitely been focused on neighborhoods as part of our strategy, and if there was any doubt in our minds, this has cemented that this is the right approach.

She said both her landlords have been helpful and supportive during the pandemic. No one signed up for 2020, Dobras said. Were a symbiotic relationship. We both need each other to survive.

Julie Taylor, an executive vice president at Colliers International, is optimistic and said often after downturns like this come big booms. I remember after the Loma Prieta earthquake, vacancies were up and down Chestnut Street. Many businesses didnt survive, she said. But what comes after that is all kinds of fresh new concepts, and it's very reinvigorating. This will probably be reinvigorating to Union Square and those neighborhoods with a lot of vacancies.

Mendelsohn agreed, saying that if a store has the financial ability, its a great time to be looking for new space. For the first time, landlords in Union Square are incredibly negotiable, Mendelsohn said. There's space available that hasn't been available in years.

Eleanor Carpenter, owner of Jest Jewels on Union Street, said shed been working toward retirement when the pandemic hit. Shed closed five of six total Bay Area stores and was planning on closing the Union Street store this year. While the pandemic delayed that as she still has a lot of merchandise she wants to sell, she said shes been through enough downturns to know that despite what it feels like now, if you have the right concept, its a great time to take advantage of lower rents with better terms.

Im an old retailer. If I was 20 years younger Id go into business right now because rents are so low you can get the deal of the lifetime with terms of a lifetime, Carpenter said. Merchant to merchant, if you come out with a good concept the people will come in this city. Its time for newness. Enough of the negativity.

Excerpt from:
No one signed up for 2020: San Francisco retailers struggle to survive the pandemic - SF Gate

Helloooooo folks.

I last put together one of these Life on Campus posts back in June. Since then, NC State has turned out to be good at football and that doesnt look like its going to change! By the way, on a totally and completely unrelated note - does anyone have an extra fibula laying around?

Well in terms of campus developments in 2020, I was expecting to see a lot more in the way of business closures around NC State, but luckily the area directly around campus hasnt yet been hit too hard in terms of the strict closing of retail or restaurant space - although Im sure that the majority of businesses in the area are still hurting from a financial perspective. If youre fortunate enough to have discretionary income this year, try to buy local early and often to help support the businesses local to Raleigh.

Players Retreat to Begin Takeout:

I moved back to Raleigh from the DC area at the beginning of 2020. One of the things I was most looking forward to was that I was going to be living just a short walk away from Players Retreat. Well, I made it to PR once this year before the entire world seemingly started burning and coming apart at the seems. Luckily I at least got to see State lose to a bad Boston College basketball team during my one 2020 visit.

At least now it sounds like a bit of Raleigh normalcy will soon return to a degree as Players Retreat is set to begin offering takeout options after having been closed since back when this entire COVID mess began. Earlier this year, the owners at PR stated that it would take a vaccine for them to feel comfortable reopening their doors. However they recently announced on their social media outlets that they would soon begin offering takeout options.

Id also like to use this opportunity to officially throw my hat in the ring should PR require someone to taste test their new takeout menu. Ill distance myself from the staff, wear a mask even while eating and drinking (if theres a will, theres a way), and will gladly accept payment in the form of Old Tuffy pitchers.

Belltower Construction Continues:

Ive referenced these construction efforts in previous posts, but the Belltower is nearing the end of a project aimed at restoring and renovating the hallowed campus landmark that sits at the edge of campus (and one that will hopefully be lit up red on Saturday after a victory over a football program that was at the heart of a two-decade academic fraud scandal at its respective university).

The page Ive linked above shows pictures of the bells that were installed in the tower in June, allows you to view the current progress of the efforts, and gives you information about the Belltowers history. The work is currently scheduled to be completed by the end of 2020, with a rededication event planned for spring 2021 what Im assuming will now be some sort of virtual event planned for who knows when.

DH Hill Renovation Completed:

This is another large scale renovation effort that NCSU began work on during prior years that Ive mentioned in previous editions of this Life on Campus series. The project was primarily performed on the side of the library that faces the Brickyard and was used to expand the librarys atrium, construct a master staircase, include space for the Academic Success Center that houses NCSUs centralized tutoring program office, and add additional technology throughout the library. As a byproduct of the construction on the Brickyard entrance, NCSU also reopened the Hillsborough Street entrance to the library. With construction now finished, both entrances to DH Hill are now open for the first time in decades.

However, with the total dumpster fire that this year has been, there arent very many students on campus to enjoy the renovations. And if youre currently working from home and looking for somewhere quiet so that you can be productive during the day - well youre out of luck too as DH Hill is currently only open to students as a means to keep the number of people inside the library down during this whole pandemic thing. What a year!

Hillsborough Street Hotel Planned:

This has been in the works for a while, but the result of the project has recently shifted. I first referenced this back in June 2018, when the project centered around a condo development called The View at Pullen Circle. At some point along the way those plans have changed and a hotel is now slated to be built in the space, provided that the developers rezoning request is approved by the City of Raleigh.

The hotel is set to be constructed in the small parking lot directly behind Players Retreat and beside Blend Raleigh / Davids Dumpling & Noodle Bar. Therefore the hotel will look directly out onto the Belltower and will be walking distance from Downtown Raleigh, Cameron Village, and NCSU. Maybe by the time that construction is completed in a couple of years, people will once again be able to travel to Raleigh for NC State sporting events.

LakeShore Raleigh Condos on Centennial Campus:

Centennial Campus has been an area that has seen a good deal of development in recent years and it appears that the next project to begin construction on the campus will be the LakeShore Raleigh condos. The complex is set to include 44 units that sit on the shore of Lake Raleigh, hence the developments imaginative name.

Centennial Campus is currently home to various NCSU Engineering buildings, the NCSU Wilson College of Textiles, Hunt Library, the Lonnie Poole Golf Course & Clubhouse, the Stateview Marriott Hotel, various businesses termed as Centennial Campus Partners, and numerous student / young professional apartments.

Gym Tacos on Hillsborough Street:

Gym Tacos currently operates a food truck that serves the greater Raleigh area. They will soon be opening their first brick and mortar location at 3701 Hillsborough Street in a space that has recently been the home to Hieu Bowl Vietnamese Kitchen, and before that to a little known burger joint that was affectionately referred to by locals as Burger King.

Wing It On:

A new wing spot, Wing It On, is coming to Hillsborough Street. Their website shows a total of six locations, one of which is now located in Raleigh. Based on a Google Earth search, this location should be somewhere around the corner from the building that the Hillsborough Street Target is in.

Meat and Bite:

I dont know anything about this place, but saw that its sign was now up on Hillsborough Street down across from Zaxbys. The Yelp page for Meat and Bite lists it as an Asian Fusion and Burger (?) combo spot so I guess thats a thing.

Sushi Mon Closes:

I never visited Sushi Mon, but I passed it more than a few times on walks from East Village (RIP Sweet Prince) to Doak Field before State Baseball games. It was located beneath the Willow Creek 105 Friendly Apartments that sits between the Zaxbys & Stanhope Apartments, and in front of UT & Valentine Commons. Triangle Food Blog reported at the link above that the space will be converted to an Indian restaurant.

The Overlook at Cameron Village:

I tend to focus these Life on Campus posts toward developments on campus at NCSU, on Hillsborough Street, and on Western Boulevard, but I saw this recent news about Carmon Village and wanted to include it here. There have been a lot of efforts in recent years to better connect Hillsborough Street and Cameron Village. And with all of the change that has come to Glenwood South and throughout Downtown Raleigh, both Hillsborough Street and Cameron Village have effectively fallen by the wayside in terms of being considered going out spots late night in Raleigh. Both Hillsborough and Cameron Village are now looked at more as retail or lunch/dinner spots as opposed to anything else.

However, this new Overlook project appears to be aiming at adding a bit more night life into the Cameron Village area. ITB Insider had the first story about the project, which will include 5,158 square feet of retail space split between at least two retail tenants, as well as an upper level overlook area comprised of 4,342 square feet of patio space. The overlook patio space will either include one or two full-service restaurant / bar type offerings. The entire project will redevelop the older Bryan Building thats located at the top of the row of retail shops directly next to Caf Carolina.

Cameron Village has seen its fair share of new real estate developments in recent years and that doesnt appear to be slowing. Between all of the new apartments and retail/restaurant offerings, there was also news a couple of years back that there are plans to reopen a portion of the old underground Village Subway in Cameron Village as a jazz club.

State College Smokestack:

For anyone that has attended NC State, or walked around the campus, youve seen the old brick smokestack with STATE COLLEGE painted down the front in white. This campus landmark isnt going anywhere, but if youre weird like me and curious as to the history / current use of the smokestack, The Technician published a pretty interesting piece about it back in September that Ive linked above.

Education Things and Stuff:

Money Magazine Ranks NCSU Top Public University in NC

The annual Money Magazine university value rankings were released back in August. The publication placed NC State atop the list of public universities in North Carolina based on the value provided to its students as determined by criteria such educational quality, socio-economic mobility, alumni success, etc. NC State ultimately ranked 35th overall on this years list.

NCSU Climbs in US News & World Report Rankings

In a different set of annual rankings, this time published by the US News and World Report, NC State ranked 80th overall among all US universities and 32nd among US public universities. NC State has increased a total of 9 spots overall in these rankings since 2016.

In reality, these rankings are based on subjective metrics that aggregate to comprise a universitys overall total score. The rankings from one publication to the next tend to fluctuate pretty wildly, but it is undeniable that prospective college students use these as a basis for making their college decisions. Since coming onboard at NC State in April 2010, Randy Woodson and his team have done a pretty admirable job of recognizing the importance of these rankings (regardless of their actual merit or inherent flaws) and State has risen in the rankings accordingly.

Thats all Ive got this time around.

Also, just because who knows what the rest of this year has in store for us or what will happen before the next time I post one of these, Id like to formally state again that NC State is good at football and ranked in the Top 25. Damn fibulas.

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Life on Campus at NC State: October 2020 - Backing The Pack

It's a membership-based cigar lounge that also is open to the public. It's open daily, and members have their own key fob for 24-hour access. "It has the feeling of a very upscale, cozy, inviting place to spend time," Stopulos said.

"There's just a lot going on," he said, summing up projects in the works in downtown Davenport.

And because several of these projects are geared toward experiences rather than shopping, "it's going to be a totally different retail experience," he said.

"It really is making East Second Street a destination experience."

Because all of the projects are scheduled for 2021 openings, Stopulos expects they will tap into a lot of pent-up demand for something to do after months of COVID-19 restrictions.

As Carter said: "A year from now, downtown Davenport is going to look a lot different."

If you like craft beer and haven't been to Geneseo, Illinois, since the Lionstone brewery closed, you owe it to yourself to go for a drive.

New owner Richard Schwab has changed the business so much you'll hardly recognize it, beginning with the name, which is Great Revivalist Brew Lab.

The "lab" refers to its specialization in micro brews currently 24 on tap and that it offers the public the opportunity to use its equipment to make their own beer which Great Revivalist will put in a keg or in cans.

Schwab sees this as a great opportunity for people to make their own beer for special occasions such as weddings or 21st birthdays or, really, anytime.

As for its own micro brews, it emphasizes "crazy, different, off-the-wall" beers, Schwab said. Last week he was working on one that incorporates toasted bread. For those with more conventional tastes, he sells Pabst Blue Ribbon and Hamm's.

The brew lab also offers what he describes as an "upscale but affordable, family-friendly" food menu, with such offerings as woodfire pizza and smoked brisket.

In addition to beer, Schwab has added homemade sodas, such as grape, orange, cream and ginger beer all of which taste great over ice cream, he points out.

The decor is all different, too, beginning with the planting of hops a key ingredient in beer all around the outside of the building to create an out-in-the-country feel.

In redecorating, he used wood salvaged from a barn in West Branch, Iowa, and there is a gazebo made from an actual grain bin that overlooks Geneseo Creek.

Because of restrictions surrounding COVID-19 that may be around for awhile, he has built a 25x65-foot patio in back for outdoor dining. He also is installing greenhouse like structures around tables with a fire pit so that they can be used even when weather turns cold.

There also are igloos.

And because the dining is outside, it's also dog-friendly.

Another touch was the hiring of a local artist to create a mural in the back.

Even more than a brewery or restaurant, Schwab wants to make his business "a destination location for Geneseo."

"We're very proud of what we're doing."

Schwab is a former telephone and cable company executive from Seattle who decided about two years ago to leave the corporate world to start his own business.

The brew lab is located off Interstate 80 at 122 S. Oakwood Ave. The phone number is 309-944-5466.

In addition, Schwab is buying the Great River Brewery in Davenport and hopes to re-open it it's been closed since the 2019 Mississippi River flood in early 2021 as the Great Revivalist Brewery.

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Davenport revitalization: 'East 2nd Street is going to look completely different' - Muscatine Journal

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