TAMPA Jeff Vinik isnt just developing some new buildings in the Channel District. Hes remaking an entire area of downtown into a new neighborhood, and nearly building a second skyline for Tampas urban identity.

Unveiling a master plan Wednesday, Vinik said he looked around the area after buying the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team five years ago, and saw massive untapped potential. Now his development team is ready to start making his dreams into a reality.

Largely funded privately, the project includes nearly a dozen new buildings, including hotels, office buildings, apartment towers, restaurants, medical school facilities, retail promenades, parks and entertainment venues, with a budget topping $1 billion. In all, the project could remake 40 contiguous acres along the waterfront and rank as one of the largest downtown development projects underway in the Southeast, letting Tampa join ranks of other U.S. cities seeing a resurgence of urban spaces.

We have a blank canvas to develop an entire district to help revitalize downtown and change this area for generations to come, Vinik told several hundred people gathered at the Marriott Waterside hotel for the revealing ceremony. Its critical we create a unified district, and its critical that this district have a soul and a brand.

Viniks team has already begun a nation-wide tour to recruit a major Fortune 500 firm to the area and he said they have several very interested candidates. If successful, they will move forward on office construction and the overall project could add 6,700 direct and indirect jobs to the area with an average wage of $78,000.

Some construction work can begin right away, as Vinik already owns or controls the bulk of the land in the area, and has the strong endorsement of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. By summer, he hopes to have begun dirt moving to re-arrange some dormant streets in the area, and by this time next year he hopes people see a crane building a new medical school campus for the University of South Florida.

After the big ceremony, Buckhorn pulled Vinik aside to hand him a small, white card with a quote from Winston Churchill: We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.

Ive kept that on my desk since the day I took office, Buckhorn told Vinik. Now you keep that on your desk.

Anticipation has been building for months about Viniks plans downtown.

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Vinik's plans include more than $1 billion in construction

Washington County-based Millcraft Investments said Tuesday it secured the first of several retail tenants for a building it is planning on the site of Downtown's former Saks Fifth Avenue department store.

Fogo de Cho Brazilian Steakhouse will occupy space on the ground floor of a building that Millcraft is dubbing 350 Oliver. The building's street-level retail space will be topped by a 585-space parking garage and six floors of condominiums.

Construction of the retail space and parking garage is expected to be completed in 2016, at a cost of $35.5 million. Work on the condominiums would begin after that.

Fogo de Cho operates 24 restaurants in the United States and nine in Brazil.

There are hundreds of millions of dollars being invested on Smithfield Street and Fogo de Cho will be a great complement to the growing number of hotels, apartments, condos and offices being developed here, said Millcraft President Lucas Piatt.

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Brazilian steakhouse coming to former Saks site Downtown

The $56 million Domus Group/Coles development, Lotus, will include 155 apartments. Photo: Supplied

Plans have been lodged with the ACT government for the redevelopment of the Dickson car park into two supermarkets and 155 residential units.

ACT Treasurer Andrew Barr announced in March this year that Coles and Aldi supermarkets, apartments, specialty retail stores and office space would be constructed at the site.

The new Dickson Group Centre, which is a joint venture between Coles Group Property Developments and the Doma Group, will be built on the existing car park on the corner of Antill and Badham streets.

Pending ACT Planning and Land Authority approval, construction of the $56 million project is expected to begin in mid-2015.

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Traders in the area had previously expressed concerns about the development, saying the lack of car parks during construction could sink local businesses.

The plans for a temporary 100-space car park next to the Dickson Pool to alleviate this concern also raised the ire of residents, as 27 trees would be cut down to facilitate it.

In a statement Coles confirmed that in response to community feedback the Land Development Agency had identified an alternative location closer to the Dickson retail centre.

Final negotiations with Coles and the current landowner of the site are under way.

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Plans lodged for Dickson car park redevelopment

Shaw Heights has a reputation.

A doughnut hole in the midst of Fayetteville, the Cumberland County neighborhood has remained neglected as surrounding areas have been annexed by the city.

The area is known for drug activity. Earlier this year, a 3-year-old boy was shot and killed when hit by a stray bullet while sleeping in a mobile home park along Shaw Road.

A stream of pedestrians has worn dirt trails along the side of the narrow street where there are no sidewalks. Vacant and crumbling homes dot the landscape.

But Fayetteville officials are exploring ways to redevelop the neighborhood that lies along the edge of Fort Bragg.

"It certainly looks to us like a doughnut hole we might want to fill in," City Manager Ted Voorhees said.

Voorhees said the city, along with the county, has a responsibility to focus on the quality of life for all its residents, in the city limits and in adjacent areas.

"In an area that has significant under-investment, if that is contributing to poor quality of life, contributing to a crime problem, then we need to do something about it," Voorhees said.

Last year, the city asked the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Government to analyze four scenarios for development there. They were to include various combinations of military and market-rate housing, retail space and public facilities such as a high school, library and recreation center.

But since the report was commissioned, there has been a shift in the military landscape, with Fort Bragg facing troop reductions and opening military housing to retirees and Department of Defense civilians.

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New vision emerging for neglected Shaw Heights neighborhood

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Westgate Resorts on Monday hosted a ground breaking ceremony to celebrate the construction of a new $11 million mixed-use retail development that will feature award-winning restaurants, event and meeting space and a parking garage at Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa on Turkey Lake Road in Orlando.

Westgate Resorts Founder and CEO David Siegel, was joined by Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Orange County Commissioner Scott Boyd, and President and CEO of Visit Orlando George Aguel for a groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of Westgate Lakes Retail Village.

The ceremony celebrated the continuing growth of Central Florida's tourism industry and the impact the locally based company has in that development.

"We're excited about bringing high-quality entertainment, dining and meeting options to our Westgate guests and Central Florida visitors," said Siegel. "The Westgate Lakes Retail Village also will create many new jobs and contribute to the economic development of Central Florida."

Westgate Lakes Retail Village will introduce the company's premium dining concept - already successfully launched at Westgate Park City Resort & Spa (Utah) - Edge Steakhouse to Central Florida. The village also will include Drafts Sports Bar & Grill, retail shops, 32,000 square feet of flexible banquet and meeting space, a full-service marketplace grocery store, game room, two-lane bowling alley and a more than 450-space parking garage.

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Groundbreaking for Westgate Resorts Retail Village

Hobart Historic Restoration wants to start construction on the $9.2 million project by this spring

December 15, 2014 | 5:14 pm

CEDAR RAPIDS A push for more housing in the citys center is getting a boost from two building proposals in Kingston Village across the Cedar River from downtown.

The latest of the two proposals at the most visible of the two locations in the 400 block of First Street SW looking at downtown comes from Hobart Historic Restoration, which has told city officials it will construct a $9.2-million, six-story building with first-floor retail space, four floors of market-rate apartments and a fifth floor with two penthouse condominiums.

B.J. Hobart, an owner of Hobart Historic Restoration, said Monday that the river views that will come with the new project made adding the top-story penthouses to the project too good an opportunity to pass up.

She said the company hopes to start construction this spring.

The second proposal, called Kingston Lofts, features a four-story building with retail space on the first floor and a mix of 23 market-rate apartments and owner-occupied condominiums on floors two through four in the 200 block of Third Avenue SW. The developer, the Ahmann Companies, has put the project cost at $4.1 million.

The Ahmann project, which was first announced some months ago and is further along in the citys development process, is expected to start construction in April with a completion date in July 2016.

The City Council on Tuesday is slated to approve support for the two Kingston Village projects, both of which are slated to go up on city-owned land that the city acquired in its flood-recovery buyout program.

The City Council also is being asked to provide a 100-percent property-tax break for 10 years for the two projects, an incentive permitted by the citys economic development policy for projects that create more downtown housing.

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Developers target Kingston Village for two housing projects

POSTED: 11 December 2014. Retail property with residential above sold

Crosthwaite Commercial have sold the freehold property at 502 Fulwood Road, Sheffield for a private investor to Energytest Ltd for 140,000.

Crosthwaite Commercial have let 11 Sandygate Road in Sheffield on behalf of a private investor at a rent of 16,000 per annum. Following a planning application for change of use, the former retail premises will be opening in the New Year as an Estate Agents.

Crosthwaite Commercial have let the former Barclays Bank at 18-20 Commercial Street, Sheffield to Tech House Solutions for a term of 10 years at an average rent of 20,800 per annum.

Crosthwaite Commercial have let a surplus warehouse within the Hodkin & Jones complex on Callywhite Lane in Dronfield to H2O Bathroom Solutions for a term of 6 years at a rent of 20,500 per annum.

Crosthwaite Commercial have sold the Grade II listed former cutlery works, Advance Works in Mary Street, Sheffield to Symon Donavan Properties for residential conversion. 260,000 was achieved for the three storey long leasehold premises.

Crosthwaite Commercial have let the retail premises at 721 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield for a private landlord to Ian Sills at 6,000 per annum for a term of 3 years. The shop is to retail specialist badminton equipment.

Crosthwaite Commercial are now selling the Bolton Upon Dearne investment having let the shop as a hot food takeaway. The flat is vacant and in need of refurbishment.

Crosthwaite Commercial are marketing the freehold of a terrace of 5 split level garages with land on Bevercotes Road in Firth Park. The 0.14 acre plot has lapsed outline residential planning permission.

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Crosthwaite Commercial

Southern Illinois residents see it everywhere.

In several counties, construction is happening and has been going on for some time.

Some of these projects will be finished next summer, while others extend to 2017.

Projects include expansion of Southern Illinois Healthcare, to Carbondales first swimming pool in years, as well as several road construction projects.

SIH is one of Southern Illinois biggest employers. It has multiple projects in progress.

The construction aspect of the $25 million, 43,500-square-foot Cancer Center is almost completed, said System Director of the Cancer Center Jennifer Badiu.

We are putting all the finishing touches on it right now, she said. It is really coming together and we are ready to show off all the hard work from the people in the community."

McCarthy Construction from St. Louis is the general contractor, but Badiu said the majority of the work was local.

More than 50 percent of the construction costs went to businesses within 25 miles, she said. Only 2 or 3 percent went out of state.

She said there will be an open house in February and the center will begin seeing patients March 2.

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Many construction projects going on in the region

All around Southern Illinois, construction is happening.

Millions of dollars are being spent by different organizations throughout the region in hopes to improve the region.

The construction is not limited to one spot.

Carbondale has three major projects in progress.

Evolve at SIU, at the former site of the 710 Bookstore, is about 25 percent finished, said President of Tartan Realty Group Douglas Reichl.

He said the project will be complete in July. Tartan is the developer of the site.

Other projects in Carbondale include the Super Splash Park in the Carbondale Superblock.

Executive Director of the Carbondale Park District Kathy Renfro said the project is about 50 percent complete. She said the pool will open in May.

Also in Carbondale, a new project just broke ground at the former site of an apartment complex in the 900 block of East Walnut Street.

Mount Vernon-based Heartland Womens Healthcare, the developer of the Walnut Street site, will have 7,000 square feet for an OB/GYN clinic. In addition, The Pediatric Group will be housed there in 3,000 square feet, and an additional 10,000 square feet will be dedicated to retail space, said Ashton Stephens, director of marketing and public relations for Heartland Womens Healthcare.

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Construction is everywhere

PLANS for the second phase of Prestatyn Retail Park were given the go ahead at Denbighshire Councils committee meeting yesterday (Wednesday).

Proposals for the expansion of the new retail complex include the demolition of the existing retail units at the former Iceland and Bevans Homewares site, and the construction of a terrace of four new retail units, the reconfiguration of the existing customer car park, associated landscaping, pedestrian and vehicle access works and an extension to the existing staff car park.

Councillor James Davies, a member of Denbighshire Councils planning committee, said: "This relatively small extension to the shopping park has not been met with universal enthusiasm, partly due to concerns over HGV deliveries, pedestrian safety and the aesthetics of the rear of the units.

There has also been disappointment that the units are not double-fronted. I have been liaising with developers to help tackle these and other issues over the last nine months and a number of welcome alterations have been made to the plans. The constraints of the site mean there is no perfect solution, but on balance the proposals have my support because of the economic benefits that they will bring.

These include jobs, an enhanced retail offer, the regeneration of a tired-looking block, improved pedestrian links to the High Street and the retention and transfer of Iceland and potentially also Bevan's to vacant High Street premises."

Objections have been made to the plans in regards to concerns about increased visitor traffic, lack of turning space for delivery lorries, the height of development being above the existing roofline, loss of retail parking space, poor pedestrian safety at Glyn Avenue and Nant Hall Road roundabout and poor visual aesthetics from Nant Hall Road.

The councils economic and business development team said: The completed phase of the Shopping Park has already brought additional visitors to Prestatyn and created new jobs in the town centre.

This new phase will enhance the town's retail offer still further and the improvements to the connections between the Shopping Park and the High Street proposed in the revised scheme should help other parts of the town centre to benefit from the additional footfall which will arise from this investment.

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Phase two of Prestatyn Retail Park given the go ahead