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COVID-19 continues to have a profound impact on constructionactivity in Canada. Governments have limited what constructionactivities can continue during the shutdown, issued emergencyorders affecting construction litigation, and changed health andsafety protocols at site.

The impacts to construction projects, litigation, and health andsafety vary across provinces and territories. Below is a guidelineresource for how each province and territory is managingCOVID-19's impact on the construction industry. For eachprovince and territory we have assembled and laid out,

1. the list of permitted construction and related servicesthat can continue;

2. the impact of emergency orders on limitation periodsand procedural deadlines for construction litigation; and

3. the recommended guidelines for increased health andsafety practices for construction sites.

Should you have any questions about whether your constructionproject can continue during the pandemic, or how these orders mayaffect your existing or future litigation, please feel free tocontact us. We will keep this bulletin updated on a weeklybasis.

To locate a particular province or territory in the list, pleaseclick it in the list below:

A)Ontario

B) Quebec

C) BritishColumbia

D)Alberta

E)Saskatchewan

F)Manitoba

G) NewBrunswick

H) NovaScotia

I) Prince EdwardIsland

J)Newfoundland

K) Yukon

L) NorthwestTerritories

M)Nunavut

The list of construction and related activities that maycontinue in Ontario during the pandemic are listed below.Ontario's complete list of essential services can be found here.

Construction Services

1. Construction projects and services associated with thehealthcare sector, including new facilities, expansions,renovations and conversion of spaces that could be repurposed forhealth care space.

2. Construction projects and services required to ensuresafe and reliable operations of, or to provide new capacity in,critical provincial infrastructure, including transit,transportation, energy and justice sectors beyond the day-to-daymaintenance.

3. Construction projects and services that support theoperations of, and provide new capacity in, schools, colleges,universities, municipal infrastructure and child care centreswithin the meaning of the Child Care and Early Years Act,2014.

4. Critical industrial construction activities required for,

5. Construction projects that are due to be completedbefore October 4, 2020 and that would provide additional capacityin the production, processing, manufacturing or distribution offood, beverages or agricultural products.

6. Construction projects that were started before April 4,2020, and that would:

7. Residential construction projects where,

8. Construction to prepare a site for an institutional,commercial, industrial or residential development, including anynecessary excavation, grading, roads or utilitiesinfrastructure.

9. Construction and maintenance activities necessary totemporarily close construction sites that have paused or are notactive and to ensure ongoing public safety.

Construction Related Services

10. Lawn care services and landscaping services.

11. Maintenance, repair and property management servicesstrictly necessary to manage and maintain the safety, security,sanitation and essential operation of institutional, commercial,industrial and residential properties and buildings.

12. Businesses that supply other essential businesses oressential services within Ontario, or that supply businesses orservices that have been declared essential in a jurisdictionoutside of Ontario, with the support, products, supplies, systems,or services, including processing, packaging, warehousing,distribution, delivery, and maintenance necessary to operate.

13. Stores that sell hardware products.

14. Garden centres and plant nurseries.

15. Business that provide land registration services.

16. Businessesthat deliver or support the deliveryof services including:

On March 16, 2020, the Ontario Government issued an emergencyorder suspending all limitation periods and procedural deadlines inlitigation. However, effective April 16, the Ontario Governmentexempted the limitation periods and procedural deadlines in theConstruction Act from the emergency order. For more details onthese changes and the impact on liens, holdbacks and constructionlitigation generally, please see our prior bulletin on this topichere: Show Me the Money Government of Ontario to AmendEmergency Order to Allow Release of Holdbacks. The completeregulation exempting the Construction Act that took effectApril 16 can be found here.

See here for the Chief Prevention Officer's guidance to theconstruction sector in Ontario on health and safety related toCOVID-19.

1. List of Permitted Construction and Related Services

Starting May 11, 2020, all construction industry worksites fromall sectors of the construction industry including residential,civil engineering and roads, institutional, commercial andindustrial can resume their activities (however, admin staff mustcontinue teleworking).

A summary of the more limited construction and relatedactivities that may continue in Quebec until May 11, 2020 arelisted below.

Construction Activities

1. Construction firms, for emergency repairs or to ensuresafety

2. Electricians, plumbers and other trades (emergencyservices only)

3. Equipment rental firms

4. Landscaping and landscape maintenance (includingnurseries, garden centres and businesses selling swimmingpools)

5. Construction and renovation of residential dwellings,for any immovable where the taking of possession of a residentialunit must take place on or before 31 July 2020, including thesupply of goods and services that may be required for the work,including the services of real estate agents, land surveyors,building inspectors and assessors, and chartered appraisers

Construction Related Activities

6. Maintenance of essential public infrastructures inproper working order (bridges, municipal buildings, etc.).

7. Construction, maintenance and upkeep of essentialactivities in connection, in particular, with public and privateinfrastructures that may create a risk for public health and safety(private dams, management of hazardous and radioactive waste,etc).

8. Cleaning, upkeep and pest management.

9. Building maintenance (elevators, ventilation, alarmsystems, etc).

10. Household appliance maintenance and repair.

Quebec's complete list of essential workplaces can be foundhere.

By Order number 2020-4251, the Chief Justice of Qubecand the Minister of Justice suspended prescription periods(limitation periods), forfeiture periods and procedural deadlinesuntil the public health emergency is lifted or otherwise amended byfurther order.

Construction hypothec periods are forfeiture periods and aretherefore suspended under the Order. However, contractors are beingadvised to act as if the deadlines still apply and to registertheir notice of hypothec, and notice of intention to exercise ahypothecary right within the requisite time periods (the landregistrar is still open to receive notices).

Additional guidance on how to calculate delays is expected fromthe Government once the suspension is lifted.

The COVID-19 Guides for Construction sites (French Only)published by the Safety of Labour Board (CNESST) on health andsafety can be found here and here.

A summary of construction and related activities that maycontinue in British Columbia during the pandemic are listed below.British Columbia's complete list of essential workplaces can befound here.

Construction and Related Activities

1. Construction work, construction firms, skilled trades,and professionals, and; construction and light industrial machineryand equipment rental.

2. Plumbers, electricians, elevator maintenance providers,property management services, building systems maintenance andrepair technicians, engineers, fire safety and sprinkler systems,and other service providers who provide services that are necessaryto maintaining the safety, sanitation, and daily essentialoperation of residences and commercial buildings.

3. Land registration services.

4. Workers who provide or support inspections to ensureworksites are safe for workers; and who investigate, process andmanage claims for workplace accidents, including services relatedto the care, treatment and provision of workers' compensationbenefits to those impacted.

NOTE: Unlike some other provinces, which have mandated theclosure of any type of business not deemed "essential" or"allowable", British Columbia does not mandate suchclosures across-the-board. A business or service that is not an"essential service" may remain open in British Columbiaprovides that such business or service can comply with therecommendations of the PHO. However, such businesses may be orderedto close by a specific order of the PHO.

Ministerial Order 86/2020 suspended limitationperiods and procedural time periods from March 26, 2020 until thestate of emergency is over (which as of April 21, 2020 is scheduledfor May 29, 2020, see here).

On April 15, 2020, Ministerial Order 98/2020 amended MO 86/2020,lifting the suspension of limitation and procedural time periodsunder the Builders Lien Act (as well as those under Division 5 ofPart 5 of the Strata Property Act) effective April 15, 2020. Oncelifted, it appears that parties will have the same amount of timeto meet a deadline that had been remaining before the suspensionbegan on March 26, 2020.

Please see here for the health and safety measures the BritishColumbian Government has indicated all construction sites shouldfollow: Guidance for Construction Sites Operating duringCOVID-19 Pandemic.

A summary of construction and related activities that maycontinue in Alberta during the pandemic are listed below.Alberta's list of essential workplaces can be found here.

Construction Activities

1. Construction projects and services associated with thehealthcare sector, including new facilities, expansions,renovations and conversion of spaces that could be repurposed forhealth care space.

2. Construction projects and services required to ensuresafe and reliable operations of critical provincial and municipalinfrastructure, including transit, transportation, energy andjustice sectors beyond day-to-day maintenance.

3. Construction work and services, including demolitionservices, in the industrial, commercial, institutional andresidential sectors.

4. Construction work and services that supports health andsafety environmental rehabilitation projects.

5. Construction projects to repair or render operable /safe any public conveyance, including elevators, escalators and skilifts.

6. Construction projects and services that are required toensure safe and reliable operations of critical energyinfrastructure or support supply chains.

7. Any other construction project that can safelyabide by the CMOH Public Health guidelines/directives.

Construction Related Activities

8. Land registration services.

9. Businesses that support the safe operations ofresidences and essential businesses.

10. Road and transportation construction and maintenance

11. The operation, maintenance and repair of criticalinfrastructure (railways, dams, bridges, highways, flood controlstructures, irrigation and water management structures, etc.).

12. Motor vehicle, auto-supply, auto and motor-vehicle-repair,including bicycle repair, aircraft repair, heavy equipment repair,watercraft/marine craft repairs, car and truck dealerships andrelated facilities.

13. Hardware stores and stores that provide hardware productsnecessary to the essential operations of residences andbusinesses.

14. Safety supply stores (safety gear and Personal ProtectiveEquipment).

NOTE: If a business is not listed here as an essential service,it can still continue to operate if: (i) it is not specificallyprohibited from offering services in a location accessible to thepublic; and (ii) the business doesn't fall under previous business, workplace and facilityclosures.

A business must still follow all other public health orders andguidelines for workplaces, including: (i)maintaining physical distancing; and (ii) prohibiting people fromcoming to work sick. Workplaces that are not otherwise restrictedor ordered to cease offering close-contact services or servicesaccessible by the public can have more than 15 workers on a worksite as long as they follow all public health guidelines, includingphysical distancing measures.

On March 30, 2020, a Ministerial Order suspended limitationperiods retroactively from March 17 June 1, 2020. ThisOrder only applies to enactments listed in Appendix "A"to the Order, which list does not include the Builders'Lien Act. As a result, limitation periods under theBuilder's Lien Act are not suspended.

However, the Order also suspends all procedural time periods inactive or intended proceedings from March 17-June 1, 2020. Unlikefor limitation periods, the Order does not specify that thissuspension applies only to the enactments in Appendix"A".

It is accordingly unclear whether the suspension of proceduraltime periods applies to every proceeding under the Builders'Lien Act or otherwise. Given this lack of clarity, parties shouldmeet the deadlines in the Builders' Lien Act.

Alberta's Workplace Guidance for Business Owners can befound here.

A summary of construction and related activities that maycontinue in Saskatchewan during the pandemic are listed below.Saskatchewan's list of essential services can be found here.

Construction and Related Activities

1. Construction firms.

2. Services performed by trades people, residential andcommercial installation and landscaping services.

3. Rental equipment.

Continue reading here:
Construction Through COVID-19 In Canada: A Guideline For What Each Province And Territory Is Doing [Current As At May 4, 2020] - Real Estate and...

One of Dallas top legal firms is eyeing a major investment in Plano.

Haynes and Boone LLP, a 50-year-old law firm with more than a dozen offices around the country, is planning a new location in Planos Legacy West development.

The almost 30,000-square-foot office will be in a new building under construction on Headquarters Drive at Windrose Avenue, according to filings with the state of Texas.

The Haynes and Boone office will be near Liberty Mutual Insurances regional office campus and across the street from the Legacy Hall food and entertainment venue.

Haynes and Boone representatives declined to provide any details about the new office.

The law firms headquarters is in the Victory Park development on the northwest corner of downtown Dallas. Haynes and Boone also has a smaller office at 2505 North Plano Road in Richardson.

The office Haynes and Boone is planning in Plano would be in a building being developed by Legacy West developer Karahan Cos.

Designed by Gensler architects, the project will include almost 87,000 square feet of office space and more than 24,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. There will also be a large parking garage.

On the west side of the building, facing Communications Parkway, will be five stories of apartments 161 units.

Karahan is building the mixed-use project in partnership with Columbus Realty, which has developed apartments in Legacy West Urban Village.

The building is under construction on one of the last sites in the $3 billion Legacy West development.

Here is the original post:
Haynes and Boone eyes new Plano office - The Dallas Morning News

PLANS to convert part of a disused city centre building into apartments has been given the green light.

Phoenix House in Broad Street in Worcester, which was built in the 60s, can now be made into a mix of17 apartments and retail space after the plan by Deansway Regeneration was granted permission by Worcester City Council.

The upper floors of the four-storey building could also be converted into a hotel, under the new plans.

The upper floor office space has been empty, apart from a section retained for occasional use by the previous owner, for several years, with some parts having fallen into a serious state of disrepair.

The rear of the building will be converted into apartments with around half the space remaining as a shop.

A statement included with the application said: The proposals would positively contribute economically to the city through the creation of temporary construction jobs and improved retail and commercial space, which has over recent years suffered from a lack of investment.

There would also be new residents bringing disposable income into the city.

The proposals would contribute socially through the creation of new housing choices for a range of different population cohorts and would offer short term accommodation options for visitors to the city; the scheme would also offer environmental benefits through the improvement to the appearance of the building within a sensitive part of the city, and create accommodation which is sustainably located, reducing dependency on motorised transport.

Overall, we consider the proposals constitute sustainable development, and would positively enhance the conservation area and settings of neighbouring designated heritage assets.

The proposals would bring activity and people into the city centre, improving natural surveillance and vitality to a building that contributes nothing to the city at present.

Excerpt from:
Empty building in Worcester to be converted into flats - Worcester News

The office market in the West Loop neighborhood of Fulton Market was all set for a historic year. The now-trendy district started 2020 with a total inventory of around 4.2M SF, but developers attracted by the robust leasing thatbrought in Google, McDonalds and WeWork have an additional 2M SF under construction and set for delivery in the next 12 months.

Courtesy of Shapack Partners

167 North Green St. in Fulton Market

But with so much new space coming online and a dense concentration of coworking space, what had been the central business districts hottest submarket now faces a lot of uncertainty, according to Colliers International, which just released stats on Q1.

Considering possible social distancing changes, the businesses of this community may see a dip in attraction in the near term, Colliers said. The coworking model is expected to change dramatically and such a high percentage of coworking firms in the area may make the area vulnerable to vacancy increases, in particular sublease vacancy, in the near term.

By the end of the year, the neighborhood will host more than 600K SF of coworking space, including WeWorks 133K SF on three floors at 167 North Green St., a new towerthat developers Focus and Shapack Partners began building in April 2019 and plan to finish by the end of 2020.

The submarkets vacancy rate shrank to 7.5% by the end of last year, but with the completion of several major office projects, including Sterling Bays 333 North Green St., a 19-story, 553K SF office and retail building, the rate jumped in Q1 to 15.2%, even after 228K SF of positive absorption.

Courtesy of Colliers International

Fulton Market statistics

Among CBD submarkets, River North may have the best chance of making it through the pandemic without permanent damage, Colliers said. Like Fulton Market, its a former warehouse and industrial loft district attractive to creative users. But River North is already highly developed, and its more than 16M SF inventory has a diverse mix of tech firmsandcreative firms, along with residences and entertainment options that keep attracting new tenants.

The neighborhoods vacancy rate now stands at 10.3%, and many new lease deals were completed in the last two years, Colliers said.

Tenants in these assets looking elsewhere for a deal will have a difficult time finding comparable space with the same amenity access and ease and proximity of public transportation, according to the Colliers report.

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River North May Prove Resilient To Pandemic, But It's Going To Hurt In Fulton Market - Bisnow

The languishing site of the On The GO Mimico condo developmentwhich ceased construction before reaching grade when its developer failedcould soon be host to a two-tower mixed-use project. A rezoning application was submitted for the property at 327 Royal York Road in October, 2019 by VANDYK Group of Companieswhich envisions 29 and 44-storey residential towers and commercial space along with a reconstructed Mimico GO Station integrated into the podium.

Looking northwest to 327 Royal York, image via submission to the City of Toronto

The 27-storey, 242-unit On The GO Mimico project was placed into court-receivership in 2017 after developer Stanton Renaissanceran into financial problems. Metrolinx had partnered with the developer on the project, which would have contained 141 underground parking spots for GO commuters.

The site at 327 and 315 Royal York, image via submission to the City of Toronto

The development site is located directly north of the existing Mimico GO Station at 315 Royal York Road in the Mimico Triangle, an area currently characterized by light industrial land uses. Purchasing the property in 2017, VANDYK is the largest landowner in the area, and has proposed other high-density developments at 23 Buckingham Street and 39 Newcastle.

Looking northeast to 327 Royal York, image via submission to the City of Toronto

In October, 2018, Metrolinx announced that they had partnered with VANDYK in a deal which would see the developer pay for the construction costs of a revamped Mimico GO Station in exchange for the air rights above the transit hub. Mimico Station was built in 1967, the same year GO Transit began operation. Serving about 1,200 riders daily, ridership at the station is expected to triple by 2031.

Looking west towards 327 Royal York, image via submission to the City of Toronto

VANDYK's plan calls for 104.4 and 146.4-metre-high residential towers designed by SvN. There would be 499 one-bedroom units, 121 two-bedroom units, and 67 three-bedroom units for a total of 687 residences. Along the south face of the project facing the rail corridor, VANDYK proposes 8,809mof office space. A further 276m of retail and 1,096mof transit-related space is proposed. A combined 514 parking spaces for residential, visitor, office and retail users would be held within a three-level below-grade and a three-level above-grade garage. 103 of these on-site parking spaces would be reserved for commuters on the 315 Royal York portion of the site.

The reconstructed Mimico GO Station would include direct connectivity to Royal York Road, pick-up and drop-off spaces, a west tunnel providing platform access, a transit plaza, and bicycle facilities. A multi-use pedestrian and cyclist path would form part of the Mimico-Judson Greenway contemplated by the Mimico-Judson Secondary Plan.

View of the west facade along Royal York Road, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Paying deference to the height of the townhouses to the north, adjacent to Christ Church Cemetery, the podium would rise four storeys. On the east and west sides, the podium climbs to eight storeys to accommodate parking and office spaces. The long east-west massing of the podium also has the benefit of mitigating noise for condo residents. Diagonal precast concrete fins are employed to frame views outwards and reduce solar heat gain. The cantilevered podium provides protection from the elements for GO commuters and Greenway users below.

Glazing, wood framing and wood fins are proposed as the primary materials cladding the new station. The north wall of the station building, which faces the Greenway, is imagined as a canvas for public art.

Sectional perspective of the podium, image via submission to the City of Toronto

The towers adhere to the 750 m floor plate and 25-metre tower separation policies under the City of Toronto's Tall Building Guidelines. Two-storey faceted precast panels are applied uniformly across the two towers, continuing the architectural expression established on the podium. Indoor amenity spaces are proposed on the fifth and ninth floors and would provide for views to the exterior terraces and green roof spaces.

In their 2018 announcement, Metrolinx said a temporary station will be in place by 2023 while the new building is constructed. The rezoning application is currently being reviewed by the City.

You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like to, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

* * *

UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis. Sign up for afree trial of our New Development Insiderhere.

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Mimico GO Station to be Integrated in VANDYK Mixed-Use Development - Urban Toronto

On Yonge Street north of the North York Centre Centre area of Toronto, a block-long pit is forming at the future site ofAoyuan International'sM2M Condoscommunity. Work on the five-towerWallman Architects-designed development, namedin a nod to the local postal code, has been active since last year when the former Newtonbrook Plaza and an adjacent office building were demolished to make way for the new density.

Panorama looking east across M2M site, image by Edward Skira

Demolition activity wrapped up last Fall, a few months after the first cuts were made into the office tower at the site's south end. Drilling activity followed around the perimeter of the site, forming the first elements of a pile and lagging shoring systemvertical steel piles bracing slats of horizontally-placed timber laggingwhich holds back the surrounding soil as the pit reaches its final four-storey depth.

Looking southeast across M2M site, image by Edward Skira

At the south end of the site, where the first phase towers will rise, digging has bottomed out at a 13.3-metre depth below street level. Digging continues in a south-to-north orientation, with only a section at the north end of the site yet to begin excavation. From this area, a long soil ramp extends into the heart of the pit, providing access to the base of the excavation that will eventually be replaced by a crane and sets of construction stairs.

Looking northeast across M2M site, image by Edward Skira

The installation of a first tower crane will mark the next major milestone in the construction process, marking the first steps in forming for the underground garage that will span the site. The initial phase that will rise first from the south end will include 34 and 36-storey condominium towers with a total of 810 units atop a commercial/retail podium. Three additional buildings will eventually populate the remaining block to the north.

Phase 1 of M2M Condos, image courtesy of Aoyuan International

You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like to, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

* * *

UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis. Sign up for afree trial of our New Development Insiderhere.

Read more here:
Excavation Bottoming Out for M2M Condos in North York - Urban Toronto

Opposite Bond Street tube station can be found a small brick building, with a lion on top. At least, you can usually, as for the past few years its been covered in Crossrail hoardings, as the building next to it was demolished to make space for an upgrade of the tube station.

Fortunately, the tiny brick building was saved, and new images of the planned shops/block of flats that will be built here have confirmed that the odd little thing will remain in place.

But what is it?

It is the remaining one of a pair that used to stand on either side of the road fronting onto Oxford Street.

This was the London residence of the Earl of Aldborough, who leased the land from City of London (it used to be their Banqueting House), where he built a grand residence, Stratford Place, in 1771-4. Consisting of two uniform rows of houses, leading to a small square to the north side closed by the Classical front of Aldborough House (now Stratford House). The entrance was marked on the Oxford Street front by two brick gatehouses, crowned by lions, originally closed by railings and a gate.

The road is the sort of road that grand people visiting grand buildings would expect to see staff waiting for them and the odd little building on the corner is a porters lodge, to carry bags and the like for the grand visitors.

There used to be two, but sadly the western partner was removed in 1915 when the current building there was erected as a Lyons tea house.

Fortunately the remaining lodge is now protected as a heritage asset.

The protection is a slight surprise, as it sat next to a rather of its time concrete building from 1969, replacing an 1890s bank, and keeping the totally out of place 18th century brick box next to their new concrete block must have irked the architects Seifert and Partners no end.

There have been attempts in the past to reuse the porters lodge as a small retail cubicle, but Westminster Council keep refusing, which is wise.

The 1969 building was demolished during Crossrail works, as underneath two huge shafts were dug down to the tunnels to provide access to the construction site, and one of them was later reused as a lift shaft.

Now that the concrete office block has gone, its to be replaced with a less distinctive, but more appropriate for the area brick building with shops and flats, and the old porters lodge, temporarily removed during the Crossrail works, is to be restored.

The old lion of Oxford Street will be back.

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The old lion of Oxford Street - IanVisits

News

TULSA - Construction crews are starting work on an 85,000 square foot commercial space in Tulsa's Greenwood District.

The new project called "21 North Greenwood" will offer office and retail space at the corner of Greenwood and Archer on Black Wall Street.

Project developer Kajeer Yar told News On 6 the 5-story building will replace an empty lot thats in the process of being cleared for construction now.

Yar said it will have a roof for private events and even concerts for up to 499 people.

Crews will also build ground and raised parking on-site with 167 spots.

The project should wrap up in the spring of 2021.

Yar said the completion date is meaningful, along with the name 21 North Greenwood because the opening is set to happen 100 years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, which took place in the Greenwood District.

He said he hopes 21 North Greenwood is part of the revitalization of the Greenwood District.

More:
New Development On Black Wall Street to Offer Office and Retail Space - News On 6

TAMPA A large piece of debris on Wednesday flew off one of the two luxury residential towers under construction as part of the $3 billion Water Street Tampa project, officials said.

Tampa Fire Rescue said wind blew scaffolding materials from an elevated area" from one of the towers under construction at 815 Water Street at about 5:30 p.m. There were no injuries when it crashed to the ground.

The wind blew some stuff up, said Tampa Fire Rescue spokesperson Jason Penny. It was mistaken for a collapse.

The site of the incident is part of the Water Street Tampa project being overseen by Strategic Property Partners. That is the joint venture between Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Cascade Investment, the private wealth fund of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, to build more than 9 million square feet of commercial, residential, hospitality, educational, entertainment, cultural and retail space. Vinik is also a member of FBN Partners, a group of local investors who have loaned $15 million to Times Publishing Co., which owns the Tampa Bay Times.

Coastal Construction, the general contractor for the site, is investigating the cause of the incident with all subcontractors and workers involved, said a spokesperson for Strategic Property Partners, the developer of Water Street Tampa.

No injuries were reported and debris was immediately removed from the roadway by construction crews," the spokesperson said.

Doug Belden Jr., 28, was out jogging in downtown when he said he came upon the aftermath: a large slab of what looked like metal and rebar that stretched almost from the median to the sidewalk of Meridian Avenue. Workers peered over the top of the building as their bosses urged them to get down as fast as possible, he said.

You could tell the bosses of the job site were losing it, he said.

He had just run by the construction site five minutes earlier and felt fortunate to have missed the crash. The area, around the corner from Sparkmans Wharf and steps from the Tampa Riverwalk, would usually have been packed if not for the coronavirus lockdown, he noted.

I imagine there would have been some fatalities if this pandemic wasnt going on and people were out and about, he said.

The base of 815 Water Street will be the site of the new GreenWise Market grocery store that Publix plans to open. The project itself will have two towers, 26 and 21 stories, and will have a total of 420 units across from Amalie Arena. It was not known which tower the debris fell from.

See original here:
Large piece of debris flies off Water Street Tampa construction site - Tampa Bay Times

The streets in Tyler were quiet as the stay-at-home order continued in Smith County. However, an echo boomed near the Saunders Avenue bridges of hammers and construction.

While the city waits for all businesses to open, the new apartment complex, the District at Midtown, is on schedule to be completed. It is near the hospitals and the new medical school at the UT Health Science Center at Tyler.

We have three buildings, the first one will be completed mid-July, each one will be done a month after, mid-August, and September for the last one, said real estate developer Samuel Scarborough. Construction is an essential service. Weve been able to go right along without any issues.

What makes this project different from others is additional challenges to make sure contract employees do not get sick.

Everyones been great. We are taking the precautions, but its outside, everyone is spread apart doing their individual subcontracting work, said Scarborough. Its a usual construction project.

Scarborough said he is going through applications and pre-leasing now for the 36-unit apartments, which feature 24 one-bedroom units and 12 two-bedroom units.

Scarborough said in May he will have more news on the old King Chevrolet lot downtown. Scarborough said that project will bring 112 high-end apartments units with 4,000 square feet of retail space.

See the original post here:
Construction on schedule in Tyler: District at Midtown apartments - Tyler Morning Telegraph