Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - The City of Fort Lauderdale, brimming with energy and culture, has blossomed into one of South Floridas most bustling, live-work-play destinations in recent years. Known for its famed beaches, dining, retail and eclectic arts scene, those longing for connectivity and community eagerly awaited the debut of CURV; an apartment community encompassing a vitality that parallels its coveted locale. Marking its completion, the deco-inspired multifamily project received its Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) on August 26th from the City of Fort Lauderdale.

The 243-unit CURV launched virtual leasing and will welcome its first residents next month. The project is developed by Ram Realty Advisors, which specializes in the acquisition and development of multifamily, retail, and mixed-use properties in select high-growth markets throughout the Southeast. CURVs leasing and property management are led by Bozzuto, a real estate company known for its experience in delivering superior hospitality and professionalism.

CURV is designed to shape the way residents live through a harmony of modern conveniences, unparalleled luxuries, and nearby urban adventures. After 24-months of construction, the eight-story property will introduce its stylish residences and diverse amenity offerings with an approachable, yet sophisticated appeal. Light, bright, modern, and unique, CURVs architecture brilliantly reflects a continuous flow of energy emulating the citys spirited nature. Designed by Roger Fry Architects, the propertys faade draws inspiration from South Floridas distinct Art Deco style, boasting a sleek appearance with geometric forms synonymous with the early 20th-century art movement. Breathing life into its surroundings, CURV also incorporates various lush green spaces throughout.

We are excited to unveil CURVs contemporary collection of residences in vibrant Fort Lauderdale and initiate the leasing process, said Kerry-Ann Wilson, Vice President of Development for Ram Realty Advisors in Florida. Designed to fit the lifestyle flow of todays residents, who desire to have it all, it is our anticipation that this property will serve as a comforting respite and welcomed addition in the community.

When it is time to change direction and unwind, residents can find their center within the distinctive, on-site common areas. CURV dwellers will bask in the glow of South Floridas sun at the resort-inspired pool, while indulging in some R&R in private cabanas. Dining al fresco is a breeze with access to a summer kitchen with gas grills, a gazebo, and an outdoor TV. Workout enthusiasts can test their strength at the state-of-the-art fitness center equipped with exclusive Mirror on-demand workouts and yoga studio. Pet lovers can pamper their furry companions at the grooming salon. And, to streamline the experience, CURV offers LuxerOne package lockers with cold storage and valet dry-cleaning, designated resident-only parking, and electric car charging stations.

With 16 uniquely designed studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans, CURVs dwellings range from 748 to 1,603 square feet. Refined finishes include elegant light fixtures, glitzing quartz countertops, subway tile backsplashes, stainless-steel appliances by GE, full-size washer and dryers, spacious walk-in-closets, expansive balconies, and secure keyless entry. Select units will also feature intimate den spaces, spa-style soaking tubs in the bathroom, and private terraces to maximize natural light.

For heightened ease during the move-in process, CURV keeps residents health of top-of-mind by implementing the Welcome Home Commitment. An initiative led by Bozzuto, this program ensures apartments have been cleaned, inspected, and sealed prior to move-in, with a 30-day guarantee.

Located at 410 SE 16th Court, CURV neighbors the lively epicenter of Downtown Fort Lauderdale with proximity to pristine beaches, marinas, and the city centers trending restaurants and retailers. With immediate access to major highways and thoroughfares, such as I-95 and South Federal Highway, and Port Everglades, the Broward Health Campus, and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, CURV provides its residents with the connectivity they seek.

For more information about CURV and to schedule a virtual tour, please visit livecurv.comor call 833.400.8690.

ABOUT RAM: Ram Realty Advisors LLC acquires and develops multifamily, retail, and mixed-use properties in select high-growth markets throughout the Southeast. The investments are capitalized by Ram-sponsored discretionary private equity funds and institutional co-investment vehicles. Since 1996, Ram has deployed in excess of $3.2 billion of capital. Ram and its predecessor entities were founded in 1978. The Company is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and has offices in Charlotte and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

ABOUT BOZZUTO:The Bozzuto Group is an experience-focused real estate company distinguished by their innovative developments, dedicated customer service, and top-rated workplace culture. With award-winning expertise in homebuilding, and multifamily development, construction, and management, Bozzuto is devoted to delivering extraordinary experiences for those they serve.Since their founding in 1988, Bozzuto has developed, acquired, and built more than 50,000 homes and apartments. Celebrating 31 years of creating sanctuary for their residents, Bozzuto currently manages 75,000 apartments and 2.2 million square feet of retail space along the East Coast, Chicago, Boston, Miami, and the Northeast.

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The City of Fort Lauderdale Welcomes the Launch of 243-Unit Deco Inspired CURV Apartment Community to Its Coveted Locale - MultifamilyBiz.com

The Madison Plaza Apartments are on the rise in Kent, just under the large crane that shoots into the sky.

Crews are building a seven-story, 165-unit urban-style apartment building that will include five stories of residential units built atop a two-story parking garage and ground floor retail space, according to city documents. The complex is at 102 Madison Ave. N., between West Smith and West Meeker streets, just west of the Uplands Playfield Park and the Interurban Trail.

As proposed, the building is configured with entry points on three of the four frontage streets, with pedestrian-oriented entries and display windows along Madison Avenue and Meeker Street.

Pedestrian awnings, planters, benches and lighting are planned around all four sides of the building. Raised planter beds, benches, bike racks and trees located along the sidewalks will add utility, visual interest, privacy buffering between the residents and surrounding areas, and create a semi-public transition space between the building, sidewalks and adjacent streets and uses, according to city staff.

The approximately 300 square feet of retail space located at the southwest corner of the building will include a food and beverage use and will provide retail store frontage at Madison Avenue and Meeker Street. A two-story lobby is accessed from Madison Avenue via a main entrance featuring three entry doors, approximately 380 square feet of transparent glass windows, and contrasting wood siding material.

The building will also include an indoor fitness center, a game lounge and a 11,900-square-foot rooftop gathering and recreation space for use by residents of the building.

Construction started earlier this year and is scheduled to be done in summer 2021. Developer Imad Bahbah, a Kent architect, originally presented plans for the project to the city in 2016 with plans to open in 2018.

The Kent City Council granted the developer an eight-year multifamily tax exemption for the project in 2017. The developer still must pay taxes on the land value, but not on the building valuation. Mayor Dana Ralph signed the exemption in February 2018, and city staff issued a conditional certificate in May 2018 that is valid for three years and may be extended upon request by the developer, according to city staff.

Seattle developer Tarragon used the property tax break to build the Dwell at Kent Station Apartments, which opened in 2016. Auburn-based FNW Inc./Landmark Development Group received the exemption to build the 492-unit Ethos Apartments along West Meeker Street on the former city-owned Riverbend par 3 golf course. The first phase of the apartment complex has been built and the second phase is under construction.

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A construction crew member on Tuesday, Aug. 25, scrambles down the crane in place to build the Madison Plaza Apartments in Kent, 102 Madison Ave. N. STEVE HUNTER, Kent Reporter

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Vermont Business Magazine David GWhite, CRE, President, White + Burke Real Estate Advisors, today shared just-released information about important business disruptors the issues and trends impacting UScommercial and residential real estate. White is a member of The Counselors of Real Estate(CRE), the global professional association which annually announces The CRETop Ten Issues Affecting Real Estate, an update of market trends and conditions, which influence real estate opportunities and risks.

The number one issue, unsurprisingly, is the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways in which this will impact the real estate market.

In examining real estate markets, we must consider existing fragility, adaptability to new demands, and potential relevance to new markets. Demand will be defined by the extent to which this crisis leads us to abandon old habits and adopt new ones. We have seen this in the northeast in every sector from the already struggling retail to the variable office marketplace. And as the CREs point out, there are more questions than answers at the moment.

Real estate is a lagging indicator. With the economy expected to take a few years to recover from the effects of COVID-19, our industry will show ripples for a few more.

Economic renewal ranked second on The Counselors list, with the U.S. economy showing signs of decline prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant segments of the economy remain debilitated. Leisure and hospitality, retail, air travel, and construction can expect slow and partial rebounds into 2022. Ironically, the healthcare industryespecially workers in lower-income jobsis facing an intense financial squeeze in the wake of the coronavirus. For these reasons and more, we all suspect this recession may take the W shape a dip to follow some initial recovery.

Capital market risk rounded out the top three issues of concern for The Counselors, as the last four months have presented not only real-time volatility of the capital markets, but also confirmed how quickly debt and equity capital liquidity can stop flowing when risk and returns are difficult to measure.

The remaining seven issues identified by The Counselors of Real Estate are Public and Private Indebtedness, Affordable Housing, Flow of People, Space Utilization, Technology and Workflow, Infrastructure, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), respectively.

While these are national and international observations, they are all applicable in Vermont as well. Never in my thirty-plus year career have I seen a macro event have such a rapid and dramatic impact on smaller markets and industries, says White.

White + Burke Real Estate Advisors acts as an outsourced real estate department for businesses, organizations, and municipalities, specializing in development services, asset management, permitting, public-private partnerships, and commercial brokerage.

David G. White has been a CRE member since 1994.

The Counselors of Real Estatehas identified the current and emerging issues expected to have the most significant impact on real estate for the foreseeable future, with the COVID-19 pandemic being the leading concern of the 1,000-member organization.

COVID-19 may be the greatest environmental experiment of our real estate lives. The change wrought by the virus and its aftermath will teach us about priorities, resilience, and demand in ways that we did not dare test before. The 2020-21 Top Ten Issues are an attempt to overlay this new world onto an already changing real estate environment.

In examining real estate markets, we must consider existing fragility, adaptability to new demands, and potential relevance to new markets. Demand will be defined by the extent to which this crisis leads us to abandon old habits and adopt new ones. The duration of the lockdown has been a factor, and so is the confidence with which we emerge. Key questions without answers include: Will we be willing to shop in crowds, sit in theatres, and live close together to the same extent that we did in January?

Two primary factors may drive the effect of this pandemic on real estate markets. One reduces demand. The other may increase it. Will real estate demand be reduced by the virtual office and a preference for home entertainment?

Will we insist on lower density wherever we go? Will social distancing habits persist, and require reduced density in airplanes, airports, stores, restaurants, theaters, offices, banks, and government buildings? This could require larger spaces and higher costs to accommodate the same functions.

Real estate is a lagging indicator. With the economy expected to take a few years to recover from the effects of COVID-19, our industry will show ripples for a few more.

The U.S. economy was heading toward a tipping point prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and beyond that we find deep and persistent challenges facing the economy and the real estate industry.

There were a number of statistical signals of deceleration for those willing to see them. Annual job growth in the U.S. had dropped from roughly 3 million in early 2015 to about 2 million in 2019. Industrial production expansion peaked in mid-2018 and had decelerated into negative territory by late 2019. Growth of the labor force had declined from the double-digit pace of the final three decades of the 20thcentury to less than 8 percent from 2000 to 2019, driven in part by the reduction in the U.S. birth rate.

Significant segments of the economy remain debilitated. Leisure and hospitality, retail, air travel, and construction can expect slow and partial rebounds into 2022. Ironically, the healthcare industryespecially workers in lower-income jobsis facing an intense financial squeeze in the wake of the coronavirus. The impact of the economic lockdown on state and local tax revenues could reduce non-federal government employment levels, as occurred in the Global Financial Crisis, and shelve important infrastructure projects. Such risks suggest an unusual W-shaped recession, a second contraction following the initial improvement of a partial economic re-opening.

The post-COVID-19 economy will not be settling into long-run GDP, spending, and employment growth rates that bear any similarity to the 2000 2019 period. Once the first year of recovery is accomplishedand even this will mean some jobs permanently lostfinal demand for U.S. businesses, including real estate, will remain truncated. For the decade of the 2020s, the economy is constrained by long-run potential GDP growth that is a weak 1.5 1.6 percent. That is the new normal for which we need to prepare.

The last three months have presented not only the real time volatility of the capital markets, but also how quickly debt and equity capital liquidity can stop flowing when risk and returns are difficult to measure.

One thing we have seen since the middle of March is that volatility has spiked which makes pricing debt more challenging. In the face of effectively zero interest rates, the risk premium spreads, valuation metrics and the underwriting assumptions become critical. Percentage of rent being paid in each sector is an important metric as is late debt service payments.

Federal intervention helped to limit a complete seizing of the markets but doesnt necessarily mitigate the longer-term concern about defaults and loses. While pricing stability and liquidity appears to have somewhat returned, late payments and loan defaults have seen a significant increase.

Mortgage REITs took a significant hit early in the pandemic, despite no losses in collateral due to loan defaults. Even with some share price rallies, the commercial mortgage REIT sector is down more than 36% YTD, with several down more than 50%.

While publicly traded shares have come back from early pandemic levels, some sectors continue to feel the effects of market re-pricing. Commercial real estate markets will experience a revaluation driven by lodging, retail, and office.

COVID-19 behavioral changes will steer real estate and ultimately what capital will cost. Non-COVID related risks that deserve our attention are the 2020 presidential election, the switch from LIBOR to SOFR as an index, and reporting regulations that will require investor focus. We will get through this period and come out stronger, but what are the risks ahead and what will they cost?

All real estate is local and the value ofand demand forcommercial real estate can be influenced by local indebtedness funded by local taxes.

While fiscal and monetary intervention were necessary in the Great Recession of 2009, and in the current public health crisis, understanding the tentacles of that intervention is a Top Ten real estate issue. Public debt needs to be translated locally to understand the interconnections of air travel, ports, logistics infrastructure, and public transportation that influence commercial real estate demand, value, and investment activity.

Some noteworthy observations:

In this era of political divisiveness, there are two things that most can agree on: 1) there is a tremendous need for affordable housing throughout America, and 2) there is a strong Not in My Back Yard or NIMBY agenda.

According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, there is a shortage of more than 7.2 million affordable rental homes for extremely low-income renter householdsthose with incomes at or below the poverty level or 30% of their area median income. Moreover, the lack of affordablefor-salehomes drives up rents and increases prices of multifamily investment properties.

According to the Urban Institute, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the affordability crisis driven by the lack of housing supply was one of the biggest problems facing the U.S. housing market.Home prices in the bottom 20th percentile increased 126percent between January 2000 and December 2019. This is a substantially larger increase than the 87 percent increase for homes in the top 20th percentile.

Suggested solutions to the crisis include: (1) expediting the approval process by adding Inherently Beneficial Use to municipal land use laws to circumvent Not in My Back Yard opposition, (2) expand taxpayer funded one-time front-end subsidy programs for affordable housing and encourage the expansion of existing subsidy programs at the federal, state, and county levels, (3) use the power of zoning to create subsidies necessary for providing more affordable housing and market rate housing at no additional cost to the taxpayers.

The flow of people between and within countries has always been a critical driver of real estate and the economy. Today, the worlds economies and people face unprecedented challenges to mobility. Immigration has ground to a halt, initially driven by nationalistic policies in the U.S. and countries throughout the world, and more recently by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reduced migration and COVID-19 behavioral changes will hurt demand for residential, hospitality, and retail real estate, particularly in communities that have historically relied on such demand.

An early May Harris Poll showed that nearly 40% of urbanites are considering fleeing the city as concerns about the virus and economic effects of the pandemic take hold. Given the cost of moving and the disposable income required, such urban flight is primarily viable for wealthier households and those with remote employment options. Potential expansion of suburban and spoke employment facilities, as discussed by Google in May, to reduce mass transit reliance, will also be a key factor in determining how far this dynamic progresses.

The flexibility of people to move to better jobs has driven productivity and the real estate markets. Real estate implications will be determined by how long behavioral changes brought on by the virus last, the quality of innovations in healthcare, living, and working that emerge, and the quality of world leadership.

COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on the design and use of the real estate space, with a level of transformation and rebuilding not seen since the end of WWII. COVID-19 has stressed the use, location, mechanical infrastructure, and interior configuration of commercial buildings. In as much as safety issues were at the forefront after 9-11, a new focus is being placed on the health of building occupantsfrom building entry and vertical transit to improvement of indoor air quality, including the reduction of transmission threats of airborne particulates.

Density and affordability of housing, job opportunities, social services and health care, and cultural, sports and recreational activities will be even more key in urban planning, with significantly-revised expectations on capacity.

Acceleration of planned, medium-density, mixed-use communities will replace old retail formats, with design that embraces walkability and integration of uses that enable continued normalcy in case of subsequent lockdown orders. Intentional design will deliver social connectedness with physical distancing that integrates residential, office, retail, and public spaces closely resembling older European cities.

Many classic retail formats and retailers will never recover and will require creative re-use or fundamental redevelopment to replace their former vitality.

Amidst the pandemic, there is an urgent call for technology to monitor, manage, and mitigate risks. The combination of migration back to the office, the need for reconfiguration and change in operating methods, and the general desire for working remotely, is accelerating the adoption of technology in the built environment.

Many technologies will go from nice to have to mandatory. These may include: tracking of people in buildings; contactless doors and elevators; air and water quality monitoring; airflow and recirculation control; mandatory remote building services; and health screenings for contractors and facility staff.

Necessity will move us to better and smarter buildings and operations. Forced adoption of web meetings, safety standards, privacy and collaboration tools, and cyber security has brought the benefits of technology to even the most resistant users. Changes in density, use patterns, meeting frequency, and movement are likely. The result will be spaces that are safer, more efficient, and better prepared for the next big surprise as property owners and managers create confidence for tenants, residents, and shoppers.

Infrastructure has a significant impact on land and the built environment and once again is a principal and critical issue affecting real estate this year. As the world reawakens to its vulnerability to extreme events amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are forced to view infrastructure through a different lens given its crucial function in helping to sustain life and commerce.

Funding remains elusive. The ongoing infrastructure crisis is manifested in an estimated underinvestment of $15 trillion in global infrastructure by 2040. Basic infrastructure needs will go unmet and potentially impact real estate values and development patterns as underserved locations become less livable or even undevelopable. Meanwhile, the American Society of Civil Engineers rates U.S. infrastructure a dismal D+.

Further complicating the infrastructure crisis are major disruptors including the pandemic, extreme weather, cyber attacks, and terrorismall of which will require novel, adaptable and strengthened infrastructure across the globe.

Retailers across the globe are increasingly relying on a complex and expanded logistics infrastructure as online sales grow as a percentage of total revenue. As stores reopen and the surge potentially subsides, the demand for a strong logistics infrastructure, particularly of last-mile warehousing and distribution facilities, will depend on the degree to which online shopping remains as a permanent behavioral change for large segments of the population.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is no longer an emerging trend, but a critical component of real estate investment. While COVID-19 has underscored the importance of ESG issues, this new norm is a result of trends already underway, including dramatically changing acceptance of the risks of climate change, innovations in the measurement and tracking of ESG performance, new innovative ESG investment alternatives, the growing influence of millennial investors, and substantial recognition of ESG initiatives from corporations.

Within real estate investing, ESG requires a more conscious focus on stakeholders and different perspectives from investors and clients, to tenants, residents, building staff and contractors. Issues of equity, sustainability, health and wellness, and diversity all filter into decision-making.

Walkable urban areas, for example, have successfully captured more affluent and younger people attracted to job access, public transit, entertainment, and restaurants. These urban spaces are accounting for virtually all new office and rental multifamily construction.

The role of resilience and control of operating costs is more important than ever as investors and operators navigate the blow of near-term rental revenue losses, especially for the hospitality, entertainment, and retail sectors. It is the opinion of Counselors of Real Estate that ESG has been established as a prudent risk mitigation strategy that will contribute to long-term value creation that real estate has historically enjoyed.

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David White announces 2020-21 Top Ten Issues Affecting Real Estate - Vermont Biz

LEDIC plans on building 146 apartments using the five historic masonry structures that make up the gin shop. The project takes up about 15 acres of the site. LEDIC is calling the property The Mill. The inset on this illustration shows a view from the water.(Photo: Staff Illustration)

PRATTVILLE The gin shop buildings tower over downtown physically and psychologically, and arethe reason Prattville exists.

Those buildings have always been there, said Paula Martin, on a recent afternoon watching her grandchildren scamper around the Heritage Park Fountain. The park, at Main and Court streets, offers chamber of commerce views of the buildings. I was born and raised here. Both my grandfathers worked at the gin shop. I cant imagine Prattville without the gin shop.

Daniel Pratt founded the city that bears his name in 1839. But even before then work was going on. Pratt picked the fall line of Autauga Creek to power his industrial empire. He started making cotton gins, then he built a spinning plant. Soon a sash and door mill was humming, along with a foundry and lumber yard. Pratt, born in Temple, N.H., had built sprawling manufacturing complex in the Deep South.

Fast-forward 181 years to today and those historic buildings are Prattvilles iconic landmark. Generations of families worked there when Prattville was a sleepy little farm town.

In the past several decades the buildings fell intodisrepair after manufacturing stopped there in 2008 as the work went overseas. Continental Eagle, the company that has its roots in Pratts gin shop, closed the buildings in 2011.

What would happen to the structures concerned local history buffs and residents alike.

An artist's rendering shows the outside layout of future gin shop apartments.(Photo: Contributed)

The gin shop has a new life on the horizon, thanks to preservationists and good old American capitalism. A $37 million project will rehab the five historic masonry structures to make way for 145 loft style apartments.

Phase I of The Millproject is scheduled to begin by Sept. 30, and willaddress the site being in a floodway with the construction of a levee, site cleanupand weatherizing the existing buildings for added protection during the construction phases. Weather permitting, Phase I should take about six months, and construction of the apartments will immediately follow.

"The site plans for The Millhave not changed since we started this project, and is still slated to be 145 high-end apartment units that reflect the site's history, said said Kea Calame, senior vice president of Envolve Communities, said in an earlier interview. Envolve was formerly LEDIC Realty. As stated in the beginning, there is no retail space in our plans, as we firmly believe this project should be an extension of downtown that encourages residents to shop and visit the already established retailers."

The Historic Prattville Redevelopment Authority bought the complex for about $1.7 million on Dec. 18, 2014, in a mortgage foreclosure sale on the grounds of the Autauga County Courthouse. A crowd of about 250 broke into applause and cheers as the sale was closed.

Imagine that, cheers at a mortgage sale. But this is Prattville, and they love their history.

HPRA saved the gin shop! then-Sheriff Herbie Johnson shouted from atop the steps. Johnson is a child of the gin shop. His father Woodrow worked there, and he spent some time on the floor as well running the machines.

No one could have guessed then that it would take six years to get any type of project at the site off the ground. Other companies looked, but Envolve made the decision and investment.

The view of the dam from the old Daniel Pratt Gin Shop in Prattville, Ala., on Thursday August 31, 2017.(Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

There was sea of red tape to negotiate from state and federal alphabet soup agencies. There were tax credits to acquire, and then re-acquire due to delays beyond the control of all participants.

The delays have led to a feeling among some residents of resignation.

"Every year or so we here the work is going to start, the work is going to start, Ronnie Tolliver, another Prattville native said. And every year, nothing. No movement over across the creek. I hope this is the real thing, but Ill believe it when I see it.

Materials have been delivered to the site to cover the crumbling roofs of the buildings, think massive rolls of very thick plastic garbage bag material.

Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr. understands the show me perception among some.

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Im like everybody else, I want to see work done on the site, he said. That work will be starting soon. Im very excited for what the future holds.

Officials expect the apartments to be a shot in the arm for an already thriving downtown. Several businesses moved into buildings downtown years ago when news of the apartments first surfaced.

I think you are going to see an economic boom downtown once the apartments are completed and people move in, Gillespie said. Those buildings are the reason we are here. Its going to be great to have them contributing to the life and economy of Prattville once again.

Trees grow on the eaves of the old Prattville gin shop in Prattville, Ala., on Wednesday August 19, 2020. (Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

The gin shop has served as a backdrop for Prattville events. The tract covers about 40 acres, including the mill pond and dam. But its the view from Court Street thats the go to shot. From there you can see most of the buildings and the mill pond dam.

It has served as a setting for countless prom shots and senior portraits. Wedding and engagement photo sessions are common. Theres not a local politician who hasnt used that scene in campaign literature.

Each one of the buildings is unique,Calamesaid in an earlier interview. There really is nothing else like this out there. No two apartments will really be the same. We are going to incorporate the original design and construction methods of each building in our repurposing effort.

Trees grow on the eaves of the old Prattville gin shop in Prattville, Ala., on Wednesday August 19, 2020. (Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

That means windows galore, exposed brick walls, and spotlighting the massive beams and columns that support the buildings. The apartments will be of an open design, to make the best use of those features, she said.

The most prominent building visiblefrom the park or Court Street view is the one just across the creek, where Pratt had a corner office. Up there on the roof you cant miss it, a pine tree grows from the gutter three stories up. The tree seems both out of place and at home at the same time.

I hope they can save the tree, said Matt King. Ive gotten used to it being there. I dont know, its a tough tree, growing up there like that.

The old Daniel Pratt Gin Shop in Prattville, Ala., on Thursday August 31, 2017, is shown with an artists rendering of renovations planned for it.(Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

The tree has become a symbol of the effort to save the gin shop, said Tom Newton, chairman of HPRA.

We are going to do our best to save that tree and replant it in a place of honor on the property, Newton said. Any time when we had a set back, a delay in this project, I thought about that tree. How it has grown, how it held on. Its a tree in a gutter, man. It deserves to be saved.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.

Read or Share this story: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/08/28/looks-like-renovation-prattvilles-historic-gin-shop-begin/5604196002/

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Finally, it looks like renovation of Prattville's historic gin shop will begin - Montgomery Advertiser

Earlier this year, global construction consultancy firm Linesight opened a new Dallas office. Now, the Dublin-headquartered company is further progressing its presence in the Central U.S. with 1.3 million square feet of new projects that value more than $600 million.

According to Linesight, Dallas-Fort Worth is the second-busiest construction market and second highest data center leasing market in the country. The team is bullish on North Texas, the state, and the rest of the central regionthat rising market demand will allow Linesight to be an asset to developers in optimizing project timelines.

Linesight is seeing great growth in our project pipeline throughout Texas and the Central region, Darren Newell, Linesights Dallas program manager and associate of cost and project management, told Dallas Innovates. Particularly in the areas of long term, mission critical projects, commercial new builds, and TI renovations.

Linesight sees its new Dallas office as broadening the companys capabilities throughout the Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Nebraska. Linesight deploys globally developed project management techniques to provide cost and general consultancy services to the construction industry.

Clients are in a range of sectors: residential, commercial, data centers, life sciences, high-tech industrial, hospitality, healthcare, and retail. According to the company, its specialist project teams are able to improve project delivery time, cost efficiency, and value.

For instance, Linesight most recently provided its services for advisory, broking, and solutions company Willis Towers Watsonits largest project yet.

The three-floor renovation project in Dallas, which was completed ahead of schedule, involved combining three existing offices spaces into one in Ross Tower. The team worked with architectural firm Verderame & Cale and general contractor Balfour Beatty to modernize around 72,000 square feet of office space, including conference rooms, workspaces, and a three-story atrium.

Following the completion Willis Towers Watson, Linesight decided it was the right time to open its next office in Dallas, according to Executive Vice President Patrick Ryan. With construction demand growing in the Central U.S., having a dedicated office in the region gives us a clear understanding of the local issues facing the industry, he said.

According to Newell, technology played a major role in Linesights ability to complete the project early.

Designs, RFIs, and submittals were all done through a portal and punch lists were generated instantly via software.

Newell says this allowed for instant access, visibility, and transparency, along with quicker decision-making, valuable time saved, and no need for a report to be written and sent after the walkthrough.

Innovative tools used throughout the project, such as laser scanning equipment, measurement tools for offsite construction, and modern lifting equipment for the atrium, helped us speed up the manufacturing process and complete work within shortened timeframes, he says. The contractor also implemented technology for site inductions with videos and visual displays for site specific rules to ensure a safer site and to reduce risks.

Saving time on construction isnt an easy feat, but the company says its entire project team has the tools necessary to make the renovation a success.

Creating a new space on schedule for hundreds of employees represented many challenges, Justin Rehrer, the real estate manager for Willis Towers Watson, said. However, Linesights ability to understand our timeline, budget and vision has allowed for a smooth transition.

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Silver Olympic figures grace the black tile walls of Studio 2000. Lucky Lindy airplanes fly through storm clouds and lightning bolts in each corner. Arch windows overlook Monument Circle, and footprints are worn into the original terrazzo floors from decades of barbers standing in the same spots beside the chairs.

Its an unbelievably unique space in the building, said Adam Slutsky, an asset manager for Novel Coworking, the company that owns the space. Theres nothing else like it.

The details of the salon, including its black-and-gold color scheme, are characteristic of the 1930s architectural style Art Deco. The style, known for its simple, clean shapes, streamlined look, and stylized, geometric ornamentation, also had a fascination with modern machines like planes and boats.

The interior of the space that once housed Studio 2000 in the Circle Tower includes Art Deco details including Olympics-inspired figures and depictions of planes on walls and the studio's black tile walls.(Photo: Novel Coworking)

The salon operated as a mens barbershop from 1929 to 1989 until Studio 2000 owners Linda Williams and Mel Brandenburg acquired the space and reopened in December 1989.

Its operated in that form, passing from one hand to the next, until the present, Slutsky said.

In the 1920s, there was a glamor to downtown shopping, Indiana Historical Society archivist Jordan Ryan said.

It was an event, they said. It was an experience.

Art Deco, known for its glamour, was often used to decorate salons of ocean liners, trains and skyscrapers like Circle Tower. Salons and barber shops were also a part of the glamor of downtown shopping in Indianapolis. The 1920 Indianapolis City Directory lists more than 350 barber shops.

We dont know of any other space like this, any other Art Deco barber shop thats so complete and preserved.

Studio 2000, on Monument Circle, lived in one of the most complete original 1920s Art Deco barber shops left in the country. The spas interior has been hailed by historians as one of the best surviving examples of original Art Deco in the world. Located in the historic Circle Tower, the Studio 2000 space is one of the most recognizable and historic features of the entire building.

We dont know of any other space like this, any other Art Deco barber shop thats so complete and preserved, Slutsky said.

But after three decades on the Circle, Studio 2000 shuttered its doors Aug. 7.

After the coronavirus pandemic shut the salon down, its owners were left without an income. As companies moved to working from home, office towers and parking garages surrounding the salon remained empty. In a Facebook post announcing Studio 2000s closing, the salons owners said current social and economic conditions have cut their sales by more than half.

We cannot operate at a loss and keep our head above water during this downturn in retail business, the owners wrote.

In the Facebook post, the owners reflected on memories of weddings, fashion shows and charity fundraisers. They reminisced about watching clients grow up, get married and bring their own children to the salon. The owners said the salon closing was like losing a family member.

We had our season in the sun, the owners wrote. But it is time to say thank you everyone and goodbye.

As Studio 2000 shuts down, lovers of the space are left wondering what will happen next for this historic time capsule.

Based on its layout, Slutsky said it would make sense for another salon type business to move in, but he imagines the space would also work well for a number of other professional services and offices.Most importantly, he said he hopes whoever takes over the space will appreciate its beauty and historical significance.

The owners of Studio 2000 were such great stewards of this space and really had a love for this space, he said. Were committed to helping find someone like that who can continue the legacy of this space and be committed to preserving and enhancing that historical significance like Studio 2000 did.

Its really a public treasure for the city. And we want it to continue to operate in that way.

With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, Slutsky said it is difficult to say when the space will be filled once again but he hopes the company will find a new user in a few months.

With everything thats gone on with the pandemic, its a difficult time, he said. But were cautiously optimistic that as these dark clouds pass, that people will feel more comfortable coming back to work and to downtown.

Slutsky said it would also be ideal if the space remains open to the public in some way as it was while it was Studio 2000.

Its really a public treasure for the city, he said. And we want it to continue to operate in that way.

The Studio 2000 space was designed by the iconic architectural firm of Rubush & Hunter, who designed the rest of the Circle Tower. When they came together in 1905, Ryan said Rubush and Hunter were a dream team of architectural style chameleons, capable of designing in Renaissance Revival, Tudor Revival, Art Deco and more.

Art Deco details are shown inside the Market Street entrance of the Circle Tower building.(Photo: Bass Photo Co. Collection, Indiana Historical Society)

Rubush & Hunter designed many well-known downtown buildings, including the Hilbert Circle Theatre and the Madame C. J. Walker building. The duo designed more than 250 buildings in Indianapolis, the Midwest and Florida, but 100 have been demolished. Their remaining Art Deco projects in Indiana include the Coca-Cola Bottling Co., the Heslar Naval Armory and the Architect and Builders Building.

Sadly, weve lost a lot, Ryan said. Losing some of these buildings was a real tragedy.

While Indianapolis doesnt have as many Art Deco buildings as certifiable Art Deco cities such as Cincinnati, Miami and Chicago, Ryan said the style has still shaped Indianapolis architecture today.

Sadly, weve lost a lot. Losing some of these buildings was a real tragedy.

A departure from the elaborate ornateness of Victorian architecture, Art Decopreferred a simpler, more streamlined style with stylized, geometric patterns. The style was also associated with luxury and modernity and used expensive materials. As Art Deco replaced Victorian styles, in 1930, the Circle Tower replaced the ornate Victorian style Franklin building that came before it.

The building was constructed by William P. Jungclaus of the Jungclaus-Campbell company, one of the longest running construction companies in the country. The company still operates out of the same office on Massachusetts Avenue.

Ryan said the Circle Tower is arguably the best example of Art Deco in Indianapolis.

Clad in smooth Indiana limestone punctuated with Art Deco details, the tower boasts a two-story entrance of carved granite, limestone and bronze opening into a lobby decorated with black marble and bronze detailing in the Art Deco black-and-gold style.

The difference between old and new is striking, Slutsky said. Youd walk off the elevator and be transported back to 1928. The building is breathtaking from when you walk into the lobby.

The lobbys elevator includes aquatic scenes of bronze fish that Ryan said is influenced by the architects time in Miami and by the stylized representations of nature often found in Art Deco. Circle Tower is also known for its Egyptian motifs with Egyptian figures carved below the archway entrance and scattered throughout the buildings interior and exterior.

A historic photo shows the elevators in the lobby of the Circle Tower in 1930.(Photo: Bass Photo Co. Collection, Indiana Historical Society)

Ryan said the designs tell a story of the time. The Egyptian details come from a nationwide obsession with all things Egyptian following the discovery of King Tutankhamens tomb in 1922. In Studio 2000, the Lucky Lindy airplanes harken back to aviator Charles Lindberghs historic first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Many of the salon spaces details are also inspired by the Olympics that took place during the time.

You need the buildings and the places to have that visceral feeling of memory and shared history, Ryan said. Circle Tower is a really important structure in that sense.

Contact Pulliam Fellow Christine Fernando at cfernando@gannett.com.

Read or Share this story: https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/arts/2020/09/01/studio-2000-leaves-behind-iconic-art-deco-space-downtown-indianapolis/5618802002/

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Studio 2000 has closed. What will happen to the iconic Art Deco space it occupied? - IndyStar

By: Michael Young 6:30 am on August 30, 2020

Construction appears to have stalled at 128 East 28th Street, an eight-story, ten-unit building in NoMad. Not much progress has occurred since our last update in late December, when the reinforced concrete superstructure was nearing topping out, and work has yet to begin on the undulating metal and glass curtain wall. TRA Studiois the designer andSinha Development is the developer of the 80-foot-tall, 21,038-square-foot project.

New photographs show the metal faade clips attached to the edges of the floor slabs on the main northern elevation facing East 28th Street. The wooden formwork that was in place at the time of our last visit has been disassembled, and only the sidewalk scaffolding that covers the ground floor and second story remains. Its unclear when the envelope units will arrive on site and begin installation.

128 East 28th Street. Photo by Michael Young

128 East 28th Street. Photo by Michael Young

128 East 28th Street. Photo by Michael Young

The property will yield 17,300 square feet of residential space from the second through eighth floors. Each unit is set to average 1,734 square feet. A full-floor home will take up the sixth story with a duplex spanning the top two floors. The duplex is designed to be perched above the main setback, atop which will be where the private outdoor terraces will be located. The rear elevation has a simpler design that includes balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows. The ground floor and cellar levels will contain nearly 3,100 square feet of retail space.

The backside of 128 East 28th Street. Rendering by TRA Studio.

A formal completion date for 128 East 28th Street is unclear at the moment, though some time in 2021 is most likely.

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128 East 28th Street Awaits Faade Installation in NoMad - New York YIMBY

From Housing to Retail: Redefining Programs and Spatial Typologies

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With society's needs and aspirations shifting, spatial typologies and architectural programs are continually being questioned, and this re-evaluation creates the premises for innovation. The following is an exploration of how architecture is metabolizing society's fundamental changes throughout several aspects of everyday life, challenging the existing assumptions regarding program and space.

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For the past months, most architectural typologies have fallen under scrutiny, with the profession analyzing not only how these aspects can adapt to the pandemic in the immediate future, but also how they could embody prospective technological evolution and changes in lifestyles. Looking further down the line, past this health crisis, but still acknowledging it, this article features trends and projects that hint at the future of housing, retail, education and office spaces, highlighting the significant forthcoming changes to these programs.

In recent years, numerous collective housing projects have embraced the inclusion of shared amenities, shifting towards more community-oriented models. Moreover, sustainability and a move towards a collaborative economy are aspects informing the new spatial typologies of collective housing.

Based on modularity, flexibility, and shared services, Space 10's and EFFEKT's design, The Urban Village Project, is a response to the increasing social isolation and lack of affordable housing. What is striking about this project is that it takes the service-oriented ethos of contemporary society and transcribes it into a long-term housing model, with subscription-based amenities and (in theory) a reversible construction system.

Even before the health crisis, housing developments were increasingly becoming mixed-use schemes, creating autonomous parts within the urban fabric, with a strong focus on outdoor space. The current situation seems to have exacerbated these ideas, as shown by Vicente Guallart's proposal for a self-sufficient community in China. The design defines a new urban typology, informed by the experience of the pandemic, with a highly diverse program, as well as energy and food production systems, that turn the development into an almost self-sufficient environment.

The office space was already changing even before the health crisis hit, as the pendulum swing from cubicles to large open-plan spaces was facing some reconsideration, with studies showing the latter as having negative effects on mental health and productivity.

Co-working represents a departure from the common office typology, providing all the amenities of a traditional office, as well as the fertile ground for social interaction and networking. Selgascano's design for the Second Home Hollywood Office stands out as a unique co-working spatial model through the close intertwining of office space and nature. The small-scale pods benefiting from natural light and cross-ventilation, scattered within a garden-like space make for an innovative office typology, one robust enough to potentially function within the limits of a pandemic.

The future of the office has already been speculated at length, and there is a largely accepted belief that the flexibility of work might be here to stay, transforming the office into a collaborative hub, with the bulk of tasks carried out through remote work. Redefining the office might mean including it into mixed-use typologies, having multiple companies share the same space on rotation, and creating easily customizable spaces. Tapping into the latter is Stephan Hrlemann's flexible Dancing Office concept for Vitra, a system of partitions allowing for fast layout changes in open-plan office spaces.

With retail increasingly moving online (more so during the pandemic), brick and mortar retail spaces become more a question of experience, presence and consumer connection to the brand, as Nayan Parekh, principal at Gensler, points out in an interview for the Wall Street Journal.

With an emphasis on engagement, rather than transactions, experiential stores, like the House of Vans in London designed by Tim Greatrex, might become ubiquitous. An embodiment of the brand's culture, these new retail spaces need to account for an entertainment factor, giving customers a reason to access the physical store. As an example, the Harman Experience Store in Munich designed by Gensler, provides a social experience, through the possibility to host lectures, concerts, even car launches.

Large retail centres would also need to integrate within the leisure landscape, shifting towards a mixed-use typology, as is the case of OMA's Wollert Neighborhood Center. The project brings together retail and community spaces such as a public outdoor theatre, childcare and education facilities, creating what the practice calls a "social condenser".

For the past two decades, educational environments have shifted from being places for knowledge dissemination to spaces of collaboration. Communication, flexibility and connection with the outdoors have become essential aspects in designing new spatial typologies for schools and higher education buildings.

An extraordinary example of that is Tezuka Architects' Fuji Kindergarten. With an interior space that can be opened up to the outside for the majority of the year and an accessible roof as the main play space, the project encourages socialization and independence. On the same lines, but in the context of higher education, Diller Scofidio+Renfro's project for the Stanford Art & Art History Building has all major functions opening towards an outdoor space, while also allowing for outdoor teaching.

Community is essential when designing for learning, and while virtual access to knowledge continues to evolve, the experience of the place remains critical. Thus, the possibility to access higher education online will most likely not replace in-person learning, and post-pandemic education might see the coagulation of a hybrid between the two. The Columbia Business School, another project by Diller Scofidio+Renfro, currently under construction, is already prepared to host this educational model, through the digital technology and large projection walls integrated into the design of classrooms, as Charles Renfro explains in this Design Disruption episode.

These examples illustrate some of the trends informing the architectural typologies that accommodate most of our everyday lives, with hotels, museums, hospitals and many more still to reconsider. A challenge to rethink how we live, work, learn, shop and consume culture is always present, but the current crisis might be a catalyst for innovation in typology and program.

This article is part of the ArchDaily Topic: How Will We Live Together. Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and projects. Learn more about our monthly topics here. As always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.

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From Housing to Retail: Redefining Programs and Spatial Typologies - ArchDaily

Walking up 15 stories can take some time. Thats why McShane Construction Co., when working on a recent transformation of a 15-story former office building in Clearwaterinto luxury apartments, had a strategy to make it more efficient.

Just the simple travel time of walking up 15 flights of stairs can take you 15 minutes going up and 15 minutes going down, says McShane Construction Co. Senior Project Manager Derek Lewis. In the grand scheme of a day, you can lose an hour just traveling between floors.

To save time, finish trades started on the top floor and went down, with materials flowing the same way. As youre bringing trash out of the building, youre jumping things down to the floor below, he says. Once youre done on the floor, theres not a reason to go back. It makes things run a lot more smoothly if you can keep from backtracking.

Courtesy. McShane Construction Co. added exterior walls, window systems, unit walls and corridor walls.

That sense of efficiency was top of mind for McShane as it led construction work on the project, dubbed 1100 Apex. The project by GSP Development involved converting a tower built as an office building in 1972 into apartments. The project wasnt without its challenges, including finding enough workers to get the job done.

McShane, based in Rosemont, Ill., has satellite offices, including one in Auburn, Ala., that handles the majority of the companys Southeastern work. McShane got involved with the project in late 2017 before construction started in early 2018. The firm was tasked with finding some savings in construction. We tried to do as much due diligence as possible, says Lewis. We found a few items where we could save.

McShane provided a value-engineering log with options to the developer. Cost savings pitched included buying prefabricated granite countertops from overseas instead of cutting them on site and using alternatives to high-end porcelain tile. The company, in a statement, says savings amounted to over $2.6 million.

Lewis, who declines to disclose the cost of the project, says savings also come from using a tower thats already in place versus building a 15-story structure from the ground up.

In 2005 and 2006, before the economic downtown, another company tried to revamp the building. Lewis says it gutted the structure and built a two-story parking garage before the project ground to a halt.

The first thing we had to do when we showed up was make sure everything was safe, says Lewis. The site had become a safe haven for homeless people living in the garage and tower. McShane made sure a no-trespassing order and guardrails were in place before starting work.

When we got involved, it was pretty much a concrete shell, he says. The building, exposed to the elements from about 2006 to 2018, had taken a beating and needed some concrete reinforcing.

One big thing that we struggled with was the building code, says Lewis. Since the tower was constructed in the 1970s, the building code had changed a lot. McShane worked with fire and building departments to determine what had to be done.

It didnt seem there was enough skilled labor to take care of it. Keeping guys on the job on a daily basis was a very difficult task. Derek Lewis, McShane Construction Co.

The projects architect, Tampa-based Kimmich Smith Architecture, reconfigured floor plans for residential use, working around columns placed sporadically throughout each floor. McShane added exterior walls, window systems, unit walls and corridor walls.

There were six superintendents on the project plus Lewis as senior project manager. With a project the scale of 1100 Apex, scores of other workers were needed, too. Staffing for those needs proved to be another challenge.

With many in-progress developments in the area, competition for workers was fierce. It didnt seem there was enough skilled labor to take care of it, says Lewis. Keeping guys on the job on a daily basis was a very difficult task.

Projects down the street would offer workers a raise of 10 to 15 cents an hour, and theyd leave the McShane project and take that job. The hardest workers to find were in waterproofing, painting and framing along with drywall hanging and finishing. Tampa is hot, says Lewis. Theres so much going on there, it makes sense.

To solve the problem, McShane sought help from its subcontractors. What we ended up doing was relying on relationships with local contractors, he says. Workers were pulled from other jobs in Florida and elsewhere in the Southeast. You can get into a bidding war with labor, and it will just keep going and going. Luckily, we did have those relationships in the region that were able to help.

The now-complete project has 134 units, with 111 in the tower and 23 in surrounding townhomes. Theres also a 201-space parking garage and two ground-floor retail spaces.

Lewis says he expects to see more projects like 1100 Apex in coming years. With more urban development and limited land, prime property thats sitting around could become more attractive. Plus, with the pandemic leading some companies to abandon office space, more office buildings could become ripe for residential redevelopment. He says, Were seeing a shift out of the office climate, and I think theres going to be a lot more of this adaptive reuse.

Read more from the original source:
Project transforms '70s-era office building into luxury apartments - Business Observer

Charlotte, NC LaConcha Hotel is a member of the Crowne Plaza family of Hotels. As such, they maintain a 4-star rating consistently. On arrival, we proceeded to the front desk and were greeted immediately. There were plenty of signs asking everyone to please wear a face mask and compliance was excellent during our visit. We were informed that about 50% of the hotel was blocked off for remodeling. This hotel has 2room sections on opposite sides of the reception area. One is a 9 story set of rooms, and that is where the remodeling was taking place. We were given rooms on the opposite side, in a 4 story section. We were informed of the restaurant and the retail store was closed because of Coronas limitations.

Rooms; We selected a 1 queen room with a courtyard view. Our room was large and comfortable. The hotel had instituted new cleanliness protocols prior to our arrival. One of those protocols stated that no employees would enter our room for any reason during our stay. That was most interesting, as there was no daily housekeeping. If you wanted clean linens, you called down to the front desk. The towels were left in a sealed bag, at your room door. There were extra bath supplies, so we never had a problem during our 4-night stay. The entire hotel was very quiet during our stay, and we really enjoyed the extra solitude. There was an outdoor pool on a second-floor rooftop that we enjoyed several times during our stay.

City of Key West; Normally a bustling tourist city year-round, we found most areas were open for business, with very few crowds. All restaurants, with a few exceptions, were open under reduced capacity. That actually turned out to be a benefit for us, as we were never crowded. The beaches were also thinly populated. We found some of the snack locations and some beachside retail shops were closed, but those were an exception rather than a rule. Every time we have visited, the line for photos at the Key West Monument was enormous.

Join us next week for more on Where in the World is Phil- August 2020, Part 6

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Where in the World is Phil- August 2020, Part 5 - Mint Hill Times