The clich goes like this: City reports get created, drafted and approved with grand fanfare before gathering digital dust on a server following years of inaction.

Not true of Edina. The suburban city passed an aggressive climate action plan in December 2021 and has been making strides toward reducing city operations and community-wide carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

City officials have begun to act on the ambitious plan by starting with a significant city hall renovation, described recently in a panel discussion at the American Institute of Architects state convention in Minneapolis moderated by HGA principal Wade Cooper. Edina facilities manager Derik Otten was joined by the HGA staff members who consulted with the city on the plan.

Before the climate action plan passed, Edina had established an environmental commission, benchmarked city and commercial, and installed solar panels on city hall and a community solar garden on a public works structure, Otten said. To pay for projects, the city created the Conservation and Sustainability Fund, which is part of the citys levy, he said.

The climate action plan has more than 275 action points, with several underway. But even before Edina passed the program, it had begun studying city-owned building stock to identify low performers based on energy use intensity data, a measure like miles per gallon for cars.

Edina found the two-decade old city hall would be a perfect candidate for a retrofit after it scored the third highest EUI, after the aquatic center and an indoor city park, both expectedly big energy users.

Otten said the city hall included the police department, a 24/7 operation that consumed more energy than the rest of the building. One of the biggest challenges we had was that although it is two separate buildings, its technically controlled as one, Otten said. One main goal we had is to separate these buildings and operate in these two individual buildings.

HGA mechanical engineer Ben Fuller analyzed Edina City Hall and found that most of its energy went to natural gas heating. Not surprisingly, the building used electricity for lighting and technology, such as computers. Yet he said the building still performed efficiently, with power consumption 30% below a 2009 baseline.

HGAs study of city hall revealed that HVAC systems and the aging solar array would need replacing. Electric systems would need upgrading. The study even looked at the potential of solar carports in the buildings parking lot.

In all, HGA developed 18 measures to improve the building. Otten said timing retrofits became part of the planning. By staggering the spending, we wont have to spend millions and millions of dollars at one time to do a major renovation or have a catastrophic failure by waiting too long, he said.

Otten chose four improvements at city hall; two focused on lighting and involved installing LEDs and a new lighting control system, the other two on ventilation and occupancy control. He said these initial projects would not significantly disrupt the work of employees over a long period of time.

By trying to complete several related projects at once Edina could tell employees they would have to make do with contractors working throughout the building for six to eight months. Still, the result would be better indoor air quality and lighting, Otten said.

Doing several projects at once also meant employees would not have to tolerate contractors coming in at three or four different times over several years. So, we were trying to limit the disruption to the building occupants, he said.

Even though the conservation fund kitty had grown to more than $2 million, Otten received approval from the city sustainability manager to borrow ahead from future years to pay the completion of major projects in a coordinated fashion. Taking on the financial burden was a little easier at that point, he said.

Edina also focused on testing and selecting gaskets for replacement. Otten said city hall has a reputation as a drafty building with leaks in walls, doors, windows, and gaskets. The roof and the solar system on it both needed to be replaced. The solar system only generated 10% of its intended design.

Again, by planning out the investment, the city could do those projects at one time in a few years and increase the solar installation on the roof to 120 kilowatts, and the carport solar would bring the total to 300 kW.

Otten said the biggest challenge was packaging the projects before determining it would be simpler to deal with one contractor for all the jobs instead of three. City council members supported the project after being shown the study identifying needs and then the reasoning behind the selection of the initial improvements.

Otten said the city is now looking at recommissioning buildings to determine how to improve energy performance. HGAs Chris Iacono studied the inefficiencies in buildings heated with geothermal heat pumps combined with a supplemental gas boiler to determine how the city could improve that system.

Other buildings will be studied and retrofitted over the next two decades as the city seeks to reach the net zero goal. For now, though, the city will replace lighting and lighting controls and move on later to HVAC equipment in a few years.

Were not just doing this once and walking away from it; we were going to continue to talk to HGA every year, he said. Work has begun on the $4 million city hall project, with completion anticipated in 2025. The work will include design, engineering, commissioning, third party inspections, lighting, gaskets and sealants, roof replacements and a new solar system.

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Edina puts a climate neutrality plan into action - Finance and Commerce

The client will never pick this, says my boss as he looks over some well-thought-out concept our design department has just developed. It just makes too much sense. It sounds strange, but hes right. Oftentimes corporate minds make decisions of the what-were-they-thinking variety, and car companies are famous for this. For example, Pontiac paraded some nice looking all-activity concept vehicles in front of us, and then chose to produce the rather ham-fisted design of the Aztek. The European and Australian arms of Ford and General Motors produced some outstanding machines that challenged the best the world had to offer, yet they decided not to sell them here. Worse than that, in cases like the Merkur XR4Ti and Cadillac Catera, they did offer them to Americans but with issues like underwhelming drivetrains that hindered their chance for success. I think Volvos designers missed some opportunities in the seventies that were right in front of them; lets talk about them.

Im talking about the brands chance to improve its cool factor. Im about to look at an alternate reality, as I typically do, but somehow the actual history of Volvo seems even stranger than the fiction Ill present. Allow me to explain.

In 1973, Volvos P1800 series of sports cars was over a decade old, with a chassis based on the even older 122 Amazon series. As a sports car with sweeping lines that was conventionally beautiful, the P1800 was a rather enigmatic car for Volvo. Its also a rare car in that it has tail fins that actually work visually without looking gaudy or stuck on. Another strange fact: Jason Torchinsky actually owned one, and its hard to imagine him ever purchasing a car that is conventionally beautiful in this reality. It might have been a lovely looking and relatively sporting car, but a P1800S beat out taxi-cab-like Benz diesels to hold the record for the highest mileage ever put on a car with 3.2 million on the clock (and New York-based owner Irv Gordon didnt even have a garage). It was still a Volvo, after all.

With looming safety and emissions restrictions in the United States, Volvo chose to drop this by-now-aging car instead of developing a new 1974 model. The last of the P1800 series was a shooting brake model Volvo developed from the coupe with an all-glass backlight.

Dubbed the 1800ES, this rare last-of-the-line car (only 8,077 produced) served as a styling inspiration for a number of Volvo cars, including later front wheel drive sport coupes (but not really sports cars) such as the 480 and C30.

After the last 1800ES left the factory, Volvos apparent need for a halo car led them to coachbuilder and styling house Bertone to make their next special coupe. Did Lamborghini Countach stylist and Bertone employee Marcello Gandini create a slick, low, and angular two door performance machine for Volvos next flagship GT? That would make sense, right? I certainly think so, but that isnt what happened.

You might remember a little while back that we talked about the Volvo Bertone Coupe that did actually reach production. The 262C was styled not in Turin but in-house at Volvo, and the inspiration for the design of this coupe appears to have been vinyl-roof-covered American personal luxury cars. Bertone simply produced the car in Italy, literally chopping down the roof of a standard two door like some Kustom Kar house would. Whether you like it or not, the 262C didnt sell particularly well and was absolutely not a sports-car replacement for the 1800ES.

Volvo did get a Bertone show car in 1980 called the Tundra. This fastback (with somewhat odd rear quarter windows) seemed to point a new direction for styling of the Swedish firm. Needless to say, this rather radical-for-the-time concept was too much for the rather conservative maker of boxy cars. Volvo passed on producing the design, though Bertone did present a very similar design to a company with the balls to produce it: serial bizarre-car-maker Citroen. The BX model followed a very similar aesthetic.

What if Volvo had received the kind of Bertone-designed sports car we all thought we would be getting?

If you like angular styling like I do, Bertone had more cool concepts in the late seventies than you could shake a pencil at. At almost exactly the same time that the 262C was launched in 1978, Bertone showed the Lancia Sibilo at that years Turin Auto Show.

This dramatic wedge (in a glorious brown) was what you would expect from Bertone and Gandini: an insanely futuristic concept. The upper half of the car was done in a formed polycarbonate plastic so there were no window seams; the areas where you dont want to see through the clear plastic are painted body color from the inside to hide any structure. To allow the driver to get some air or pay tolls, there are small round window openingsthey slide back inside the car to open. A vertical bar windshield wiper moves laterally across the screen to give full coverage of the glass. In back theres a heckblende panel between the taillights with SIBILO spelled out in Jasons favorite font: seven-segment digital.

Its odd that the Sibilio is based on the unearthly-sounding rally machine Lancia Stratos, since it looks more like a shooting brake than a mid-engined supercar. That has to be one of my favorite sounding motors but I sure as shit dont want that engine right in the car with me.

I kept looking at the rear quarter view of the Sibilo and personally wanted to make some changes, and once I started scribbling something odd occurred to me: the Sibilio was starting to look like a latter day 1800ES. Heres how the Sibilio could be Volvoized into a two-plus-two front engined GT car called the 2800EX..

To make a late-seventies sports vehicle, Volvo couldnt realistically use 200 series bits; the only other parts bin choice might have to be heavily modified components from the new-for-1976 300 series, which in many ways wasnt totally a Volvo.

The Dutch firm DAF was best known for rubber belt transmission cars that raced backwards, so it seemed sort of odd when Volvo bought an interest in the company, ultimately taking full control in 1975. The 300 series was essentially a collaboration with DAF that the Swedish firm used to make a Volvo entry into the small-car market, and many fans of the brand dont accept it as a real Volvo. Still, we have to run with what weve got, and this is it.

At least the 300 does have a rear-mounted manual transmission for outstanding weight distribution, a layout the concurrent Porsche 924 and Alfa GTV used as well. Id love to use the straight six out of the old Volvo 164 but well likely need to use the dreaded PRV V6 or a B21 four-cylinder Volvo engine, specifically later models with the turbo. Still, with that V6 youd have the same engine as the rear-motor Renault Alpine (and later Delorean) but theoretically with more predictable handling. Id like to at least put an extra set of camshafts on that dopey old motor. The rear mounted transmission could be a 5 speed or a 4-speed-with-overdrive as on the 200 series. A 3-speed automatic would be available as an optionnot that crazy Variomatic belt transmission from DAF, thank you.

Modifications I made to the Sibilo body are rather simple but make it a more usable, producible design. The seamless windows obviously have to go, but we can keep the glass seams as tight as seventies technology could do. Ive opened up the rear wheel by removing the skirt; I then lengthened that peak on the rear wheel arch to sort of emulate the remains of the fin on the flanks of the 1800ES. The taillights and odd logo panel of the Sibilo always seemed a bit out of place, so I moved more Volvo-looking lights down and integrated them into the body with a heckblende between them. Rubber bumper protrusions take care of US 5MPH regulations.

In front, the sloping nose is still there but the continuous pyramid-like straight line from front bumper to roof on the Sibilo is broken, with a slightly more upright front windshield. A small hood bulge will likely be needed to clear the motor. A mock Volvo grille sits in the center of the bumper with the signals and fog lamps flanking it. Headlamps are still pop ups since I would never willingly NOT put pop ups on anything that would have existed before 1985. Sadly, the sliding bar wiper wont hold up to Swedish snow, so more conventional blade mechanisms are used.

When people ask the question of which cars had the most bizarre interior design of all time, the common answers like Citroen or Subaru XT dont even come close to scratching the surface of dashboards of Bertone concepts of the seventies. The Sibilo was no exception; a giant cylinder was plopped in front of the driver, the rim of which apparently steered the car. For whatever reason, Bertone chose to throw the radio speaker and warning lights on the flat surface in the center of the wheel, simulating Milton Bradleys Simon. Note also the mechanism that opens the little round window on the door (below).

I think such a control center is a bit too much for any Volvo, so I just used the basic angular aesthetic of the Sibilo and put it in the blender with the lovely dashboard of the original P1800. That car had chrome bezels surrounding the secondary instruments in the center of the dash; Jason claimed that those green centers of the gauges glowed like an illuminated swimming pool at night.

Heres what the Mix-O-Matic produced. Ive created a much more conventional trapezoidal shaped dashboard with angular interpretations of those cool old-school instruments placed inside. There are also parts-bin sourced climate and secondary controls that will look very familiar to anyone who rode in a 245DL back in the day. Because I am not sure if the side windows could roll all the way down, well use AMC Pacer-style fins on the door for you to rest your arm on.

Exactly why would the 2800EX have even existed? Its not like the world needed another Volvo sports car, especially a rather controversial looking one like this, but wouldnt it have made more sense than the 262C that they had the Italian firm actually build? Thats a car that confuses people to this very day. If Im buying a Bertone creation from the seventies, I expect it to be a low, lean, batshit crazy spectacle that looks like its escaped from the set of Space 1999.

What good would it be if it isnt?

Volvo Needs A Modern Electric Version Of The Super-Rare 262C Luxury Coupe (Like The One David Bowie Owned) The Autopian

What A New Saab Might Look Like If This Dutch Solar-Car Startup Brought The Brand Back From The Dead The Autopian

The Retrofuturist Cars Of Sci-Fi Noir Film Gattaca Are Still Relevant Today, Lets Make More Of Them The Autopian

A Daydreaming Designer Imagines If Saab Had Rebooted The Sonett In 1985 The Autopian

See the article here:
Here's The Italian-Designed Car That Volvo Should Have Replaced ... - The Autopian

Photo from Grays Harbor PUD

The Grays Harbor PUD is warning residents of scammers seeking access to homes while claiming to work for the utility.

The PUD tells KXRO that they received multiple reports of individuals claiming to work for the PUD, seeking entry to customers homes to replace utility equipment.

They say that over the past weekend, the PUD staff received emails and phone calls stating that multiple customers had been visited by an individual offering to sell a new, roof mounted electricity meter to the customer.

The person had reportedly claimed that the existing meter needed to be replaced and the new meter would save the customer money.

Officials say this is a scam.

This latest scam is troubling on several levels, in that the perpetrators are trying to get inside the customers homes and that they are hoping to be mistaken for legitimate PUD crews who are working in our community says Customer Service Supervisor Megan Warner. If someone shows up at your door and offers to replace PUD equipment or sell you a new meter, do not give them money, personal information, or let them into your home. The best thing to do is to call the PUD and check if there is a crew who is supposed to be at your home at that time.

The PUD says that they have no affiliation with companies who offer to replace meters at a lower cost and when the PUD does replace equipment, official PUD staff are dispatched to do such work during regular business hours (8AM-5-PM) on the weekdays.

Anyone who is visited by these scammers should under no circumstances agree to send money or give bank account, credit card or other personal information, and should not allow access to their homes.

Customers are advised to contact PUD Customer Service at 360-532-4220 to verify claims of service.

Continued here:
GH PUD warns of latest scam targeting local residents - KXRO Newsradio

We know we must reduce the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere, but some of us still believe that reducing our carbon footprint means sacrificing our lifestyles.

At a New York Times event, former vice president Al Gore emphasized that alternative energy is not about sacrifice. Instead, alternative sources such as clean solar, wind and geothermal simply replace dirty energy.

But, thinking our lifestyles will be affected, we drag our feet instead of taking action now. Fossil fuels still dominate the energy industry long after we have learned that they negatively impact our planet.

Taxpayers still subsidize the fossil fuel industry. In 2022, globally countries provided $7 trillion to the industry. The U.S. reportedly uses $20 billion of taxpayer money toward this bill. How counterproductive it is that we are trying to reduce the use of fossil fuels but still make sure the industry continues.

If the economy will suffer without this ongoing production, maybe we should take a lesson from agricultural practices. When farmers produced too much corn, some were paid not to have a crop. Perhaps we should pay the fossil fuel industry not to drill.

For some politicians, money from the fossil fuel industry provides reason enough to continue slowing down the use of alternative energies. According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the more a politician votes against environmental issues, the more the fossil fuel industry supports that campaign.

Despite the Inflation Reduction Act and its many incentives to switch to alternative energy, change is slow to build momentum. Yet those who take advantage of this program are reducing their carbon footprint without any sacrifice.

When I switched from fossil-fuel energy to solar power for electrifying my home, my lifestyle did not change. If anything, my disposable income increased as my electric bills decreased.

Similarly, friends who now drive the newest electric cars just changed one means of transportation for another. They lowered their carbon footprint with no change in their travel plans. One such friend allows that he now takes longer, more leisurely lunches if hes traveling farther. When his car is recharged, his programmed phone notifies him that he can continue his journey.

Some claim cooking with gas is much better, while others admit they really arent good enough chefs to notice much difference. But what they do notice is that statistics show us childhood asthma increases in homes with gas stoves.

In yard maintenance, lawn mowers have not changed their combustion technology while regulations have demanded that cars do so. Electric lawnmowers work just fine. Also, leaf blowers not only destroy pollinators but also use gas inefficiently. All those leaves can be used as mulch under bushes and in garden beds to provide nutrients and moisture to the soil, as well as winter homes for pollinators.

So many quick changes can be made without threatening our comfort or behavior. In Florida, solar panels on the roof will quickly decrease the reliance on fossil fuels. Outside holiday lights can be powered by solar; pond pumps solar; electricity throughout the house solar.

Our climate is getting hotter and hotter because of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We need to wake up. Act now!

Susan Nugent is a Climate Reality Project leader from Gainesville. This opinion piece was distributed by The Invading Sea website (www.theinvadingsea.com), which posts news and commentary on climate change and other environmental issues affecting Florida.

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Carbon emissions can be reduced without sacrificing comfort ... - Orlando Sentinel

St Mary's at Beachamwell, near Swaffham, was devastated by fire in February, 2022.

Its rare thatched roof - one of few to remain in the region - was totally destroyed.

The scene after the fire at Beachamwell Church (Image: PA)

Roof trusses being replaced at the church (Image: Chris Bishop)

A giant crane moved in to replace the roof trusses on the building, which is believed to date back to early Norman times last month.

Now its crowning glory of reeds is being replaced - by the grandson of the craftsman who last re-thatched it in 1897.

Thatcher Jamie Lloyd at the church at Beachamwell (Image: Chris Bishop)

The thatched roof of the church at Beachamwell is being replaced (Image: Chris Bishop)

Jamie Lloyd, who runs the Hingham-based Anglia Thatching Company, is the third generation of his family to take up the craft.

After three weeks' work on St Mary's with his brother Tom and fellow thatcher Miles Gray, he said the end was in sight.

Jamie Lloyd at work on the roof of the church at Beachamwell (Image: Chris Bishop)

Thatchers at work on the roof of the church at Beachamwell (Image: Chris Bishop)

"We should be done next week, it's just gone perfect," he said.

Mr Lloyd reckons by then, the trio will have got through 2,000 bundles of reed, each thrown up from the ground to the scaffolding above by hand.

Jamie Lloyd throws a bundle of reed up to Miles Gray (Image: Chris Bishop)

Jamie Lloyd throws a bundle of reed up to Miles Gray (Image: Chris Bishop)

He said instead of Norfolk reed, which would once have been the thatcher's go-to material, loss of reedbeds and management of those that remain by conservation groups means he has to look to Hungary for supplies.

Thatchers are also in short supply these days. Mr Lloyd, who learned his craft 30 years ago,said his business had a three-year waiting list and struggled to recruit.

Thatcher Jamie Lloyd at the church at Beachamwell (Image: Chris Bishop)

"I've never known a time when the demand has been so high," he said. "I'm actively seeking labourers and apprentices.

"They don't stick it out, they get an inside job instead. Getting someone to commit to a traditional craft is getting harder and harder.

Thatchers at work on the roof of the church at Beachmwell (Image: Chris Bishop)

"It's not romantic, it's physically demanding but it's a way of life for us and I love it."

Once the thatch has been ridged, the next step is the final layer with a decorative flourish.

Mr Lloyd reckons it should last another 50 years or so.

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Thatchers working on Beachamwell Church after fire - Eastern Daily Press

Over 1,000 schoolchildren are now able study in comfortable conditions in two schools in the Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr, thanks to the support of the European Union.

The schools, severely impacted during the first hours of the full-scale war, underwent extensive renovations as part of the EU4UASchools: Build Back Better project, facilitated by UNDP and funded by the European Union.

Reconstruction works at Lyceum No. 1 included roof replacement, repair of the attic and classrooms, repair of cracks, and protection of the buildings foundation from rainwater runoff. In Lyceum No. 26, the roof and 125 windows were replaced and gutters were installed.

In addition to repairs, the project will soon equip the schools with furniture: desks, chairs, blackboards, bookcases, which will create comfortable learning conditions for students.

The European Union allocated around 390,000 for the restoration works in both lyceums.

Our goal is to transform these, and many other schools around Ukraine, into safe and comfortable environments for every child, thereby fostering the resumption of effective learning, said Claudia Amaral, Head of the EU Humanitarian Aid Office in Ukraine.

Find out more

Press release

Originally posted here:
Ukraine: European Union and UNDP restore war-damaged schools ... - euneighbourseast.eu

The West Virginia University Board of Governors learned about a potential breakthrough from the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute for those suffering from opioid use disorder shortly after it was announced Friday (Nov. 17).

The RNI conducted a first-in-human study using smart pill technology to identify early indications of an overdose.

President Gordon Gee highlighted the achievement in his report to the Board. More than ever, the University is now keenly focused on the modern land-grant priorities outlined in his recent State of the University address such as advancing the WVU R1 mission to deliver solutions to real-world problems and growing the academic medical center to improve peoples health.

Vice Provost Paul Kreider outlined several new majors and programs, including nursing programs in response to the continuing demand for health care professionals.

Most recently, in partnership with the School of Nursing, WVU Potomac State College is starting the only LPN to BSN program in West Virginia, allowing entry-level working nurses to upgrade their credentials while continuing to work, Kreider said.

A new Environmental Engineering major focuses on teaching students the principles of engineering, sustainability, soil science, biology and chemistry to enable them to create solutions to environmental problems. And the University launched a new multi-disciplinary major in esports, one of the first such majors in the country at an R1 institution.

Kreider also pointed to a number of student success initiatives helping to drive improvements in retention and graduation rates, as well as expanded efforts to connect students with service in communities across the state through the innovative Purpose2Action program.

The University also continues to seek out partners like the Maier Foundation to help improve student outcomes at WVU.

The new Mountaineer Completion Grant program launched this fall and is already providing financial support to more than 150 seniors this semester, helping to remove financial barrier to completing their degree on time, Kreider said.

Efforts will continue to ensure offerings are best serving current and future student needs through a more robust annual and overall academic program review process that will dovetail initially with a regular general education curriculum review over the next two academic years.

Download the Academic Affairs Committee presentation, including updates to the Academic Program Portfolio Review which will result in an estimated $17 million in savings.

After months of review, independent financial auditors have provided the University with a report citing the highest level of confidence. They also shared insights about higher education trends which validate the challenges WVU and many other institutions are navigating.

Download presentations from CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, including its Audit Committee presentation and separate audit updates for WVU and the WVU Research Corportation.

We beat up your documents and submissions pretty good. And if I was sitting on your board, I would be pretty proud of these results, said Don Loberg, principal, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. The fact that you havent had a finding is amazing. Your team is doing a good job. Keep moving that ball moving forward as it has been.

A final update on fiscal year 2023 showed the Universitys actual net position was better than projected, including revenues and expenses. And the results from the first quarter of the current fiscal year indicate the University is on track with the budget.

Download the Joint Finance and Facilities and Revitalization/Strategic Plans and Initiatives Committee presentation including the WVU FY23 Final Update and FY24 Q1 Update.

Planning to address deferred maintenance across the WVU System will be supported through $46.6 million in requested projects made by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission pending final approval by the Governors Office as follows:

In other business, the Board received updates on several capital projects such as the Clay Theatre lighting upgrades at the Canady Creative Arts Center, Chitwood Hall renovation, WVU Jacksons Mill sewer and water replacements, renovation of Caf Evansdale Kitchen and the Coliseum Apron Club.

Members also approved moving forward with turf replacement at Monongalia County Ballpark. The turf will reach the end of its life cycle after the 2023 baseball season. All but $250,000 of the estimated $1.2 million needed for the project will be paid with funds from the WVU Foundation.

The University will also acquire a one-acre parcel within the Core Arboretum through the Foundation to enhance and expand the dedicated public greenspace.

Download the BOG Meeting Agenda Booklet from Nov. 17, 2023.

Chair Taunja Willis Miller announced a working group to be developed to assist with enrollment-related initiatives of the University.

A governance ad hoc committee will work to map out and provide guidance to the Board related to several areas, including a presidential search and the Boards overall committee structure and functions.

The next regular BOG meeting is scheduled for Dec. 15.

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New majors, medical breakthrough signal success for WVU - My Buckhannon

News

Well, almost all of them: You will find the only indoor pickleball court in a Philly apartment building on the ground floor.

The developers of RTHe Carson decided that every one of its residents deserves to enjoy a fantastic city view. Thats why they put two roof decks and all of the amenities save one on the top floor. / Photography courtesy of Neff

Back when developers began to build apartment buildings for the middle and upper classes in the 1870s, they wanted a term that would distinguish them from the often-seedy tenement houses or the boarding houses many single men lived in.

The term they came up with was French flat. The idea was that these spiffier buildings offered the same kind of elegance found along the Parisian boulevards.

So perhaps it should be no accident that RREI LLC, the developer of the Carson, incorporated some lessons they learned in France into this building, their most recent to rise in Philadelphia.

The first of the slew of new mid-rise market-rate apartment buildings now rising along Spring Garden Streets eastern reaches, the Carson in several respects resembles RREIs other project along Spring Garden Street, the Dalian (whose front faces Pennsylvania Avenue and the Ben Franklin Parkway).

And thats where Paris comes in.

My father started the company over 50 years ago, says Victor Rodin, RREIs principal and co-founder. Weve done projects as a sponsor everywhere from here where RREI is headquartered to Western Europe, and everywhere in between.

I joined the company around 2011. One of the last projects we did in Europe was a mixed-use development in France, specifically Paris. We bought that expertise back here and built its called Rodin Square/The Dalian.

(And here I thought that project was named for the Rodin Museum just to its southeast. Maybe Victor and Auguste are related?)

In building the Carson, RREI wanted to provide the same level of style, class and luxury as those French flats, but in a way that appeals to modern sensibilities.

That meant stylish modern design in the public and community spaces, a heaping helping of technology, and some unique amenities. It also meant bringing in a property manager with national experience to replace the original manager. Where Scully Company managed the Carson when it opened, Cushman and Wakefield manages it now.

There has been a focus on increasing the services at the building, Rodin says of the current management. They bought in a bunch of different technologies which are really nice for the tenants, Rodin says. And they also gave the staff who work the 24-hour concierge desk an upgrade more of a white-glove approach.

The building entrance (left) and lobby (right)

As one might find at a five-star hotel. And Rodin points out that The Carsons high-ceilinged lobby resembles what one might find in such a hotel. Works by local artists grace its Duchateau wood walls. The high ceilings, by the way, were actually a necessity because of the clearances needed to accommodate a supermarket. The Carson building will have one, but RREI is still in negotiations with an operator and cannot publicly announce who will run the store yet.

But those high ceilings also allowed RREI to add another unique amenity on the ground floor: A basketball half-court.

Basketball/pickleball court

The court is also striped for pickleball, putting the Carson at the forefront of a sports trend thats sweeping the country. The Carson has one of the few indoor pickleball courts in the area. An arcade game room sits outside the basketball/pickleball court.

All the 12-story-high buildings other amenities are found on the top floor.

Rodin explains the bifurcated amenities thusly: The typical modern apartment complex looks like a square donut when viewed from above. It has a courtyard in the middle that contains the outdoor amenities, and the indoor ones surround the courtyard or are located on one side of it.

Instead, the Carson looks like a backwards C sitting atop a one-story podium. And the design put the basketball court where the courtyard would usually go.

A lot of developers would have made [the first floor] their sole amenity [floor] and put some penthouse apartments on the top floor. We wanted the tenants to be able to appreciate the views whether they were on the second floor or the 11th floor, and so the whole 12th floor is amenities.

Clubhouse and bar

Clubhouse game room

Fitness center

On that 12th floor you will find a clubhouse and bar, the fitness center, a game room, co-working facilities and a dog spa on the inside. Tenants can also bring video-game controllers with them and set them up on one of two big-screen TVs in a video gaming room, another amenity unique to this building.

East terrace pool

Skyline view from east terrace

The outside boasts two rooftop terraces. The larger one, on the southeast side of the 12th floor, offers views of the Delaware to the east and features a pergola with speakers that can be closed off for use in inclement weather. It also has two fire pits, an outdoor kitchen, a lawn with a cornhole game and a pool with a fountain at one end. The smaller, west-facing terrace contains a second outdoor kitchen, dining areas, a dog run with a water station and great sunset views.

You might note that our fixtures, furnishings and equipment are kind of funky and cool, Rodin says. Project architect BLTa worked with the duo behind Fearless Restaurants, Marty Grimms and his daughter Sydney, to come up with the look for the buildings amenity spaces.

Living room in a model corner unit

Large windows that stretch almost the entire height of the rooms fill the apartments with light. Units on the buildings south side also get great views of the Center City skyline. Those on the north side get a clear view of the city to the north, punctuated by Temple Universitys high-rises.

Living room in a model one-bedroom unit

Kitchen in a model one-bedroom unit

Bedroom in a model one-bedroom unit

The units have ample closet space as well and no dead space, says Rodin.

Finally, the Carson is located right at the gateway to a great neighborhood. In Northern Liberties, you have everything you could possibly want, he says. And its lively, and theres a really strong community here.

The Carson is also designed to foster one within its walls. It may look like its a luxury hotel, but to its tenants, it feels like home. The building, which opened its doors in May, is about halfway through lease-up.

The Carson By the Numbers

Address:570 N. 5th St., Philadelphia, PA 19123

Number of units:373 studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Some of the one-bedroom units have dens. Studios range in size from 420 to 632 square feet; one-bedrooms, from 685 to 715 square feet; one-bedrooms with dens, from 718 to 995 square feet; two-bedrooms, from 1,040 to 1,130 square feet.

Number of parking spaces:86, in an underground garage, plus five surface parking spaces for guests

Number of bike parking spaces:180, plus an on-site Indego bike share station

Pet policy:Pets welcome, up to two per unit; pet rent is $40 per month per pet. Breed restrictions apply for dogs; contact leasing office for details.

Rents:Studios, $1,630 to $2,150 per month; one-bedrooms, $2,160 to $3,075 per month; one-bedrooms with dens, $2,540 to $3,680 per month; two-bedrooms, $3,270 to $4,295 per month.

More information:The Carson website; leasing office on site; 267-417-7180

Excerpt from:
At The Carson, They Put All the Best Things on Top - Philadelphia magazine

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Nov. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The global structural adhesives market was estimated at a value of US$ 12.2 billion in 2021. It is anticipated to register a 6.9% CAGR from 2022 to 2031 and by 2031, the market is likely to attain US$ 22.1 billion by 2031.

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Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

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More here:
Structural Adhesives Market to Hit USD 22.1 billion by 2031, at a ... - GlobeNewswire

by Will Robinson

Early on the morning of November 14, a handful of residents gathered in the Brooklin School staff lounge for an informational session on the upcoming school renovation vote. After passing out coffee and muffins, school board chair Kathleen Kazmierczak went through the details of the $4 million work plan.

We did our due diligence; we looked at just about everything, she said to a resident who asked about alternative sources of funding.

The coffee-fueled info session was one of several taking place in the lounge since the select board approved the school renovation proposal on October 4. As the December special town meeting draws closer, Kazmierczak intends to spread the word any way she can.

Were sending out 933 mailings, she said, pointing to a box of hundreds of letters to be sent that morning.

A formal public hearing will be held on Tuesday, November 28, at 7 p.m. in the school gym. Another informal information session will be held in the staff lounge on Thursday, December 14, from 8 to 9 a.m.

The vote is on Tuesday, December 19, from 2 to 6 p.m. in the town office. Voters will be asked, by secret ballot, to approve a $4,371,958 municipal bond for renovations to the K-8 school.

Renovation details

The renovations touch on almost every aspect of the building, from the parking lot to the plumbing. The largest and most important item on the list, according to School Union 76 Superintendent Dan Ross, is the heating system. On a tour of the school in his first few weeks as superintendent, Ross said he immediately noticed the problem.

If someone asked me that first day what my immediate source of concern was for the building, it would be the heating system, and that has not changed a year later, he said in a letter to Brooklin residents.

Back in 1998, the school was outfitted with two oil burning boilers. In 2015, the heating system was altered to include a wood pellet boiler, keeping a single oil backup system. In 2021, the pellet stove was removed for not meeting state standards, leaving the job of heating the building to one aging boiler.

Losing the boiler, Ross said, means Brooklin students will become Sedgwick or Deer Isle-Stonington students for however long it would take until the school can reopen.

The new heating system, costing approximately $897,000, will feature a centralized heat pump system and a propane backup. Other projects include roofing, siding and paving as well as updates to the electrical, plumbing, ventilation and insulation systems.

David Bowden, Brooklin Schools head custodian, said most of the wood siding is original and in desperate need of replacement. While not essential to keeping the school open, Bowden said neglecting the smaller projects will be just as detrimental in the long run.

Its all stuff that needs to be fixed, he said.

If voters approve the expense, Ross said the project is scheduled to begin the day after students leave in June and end by the time they return in September.

Tax increases

If approved, the municipal bond is expected to be paid off over 15 years. Brooklins mill rate is expected to increase from 7.3 to 7.79 in the first year, then to 8.35 in the second year, with no further increase. Residents will go from paying $7.79 in taxes per $1,000 in property value to $8.35 per $1,000.

According to data from the Brooklin town office, a house assessed at $250,000 currently pays $1,825 in property taxes. If the project is approved, this number increases to $1,947 (a $122 increase) in the first year, then to $2,087 in the second year ($140 increase), for a total increase of $262 over this years mill rate.

In his letter, Ross said the town currently does not hold any debt and the project represents approximately 1% of your total local valuation.

Originally posted here:
Brooklin gears up for school renovation vote | Community News ... - The Weekly Packet