Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Gables Union Market

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) July 13, 2021

Gables Residential, a leader in the management and development of multifamily apartment communities, has broken ground on one of its newest projects in Washington, D.C, Gables Union Market. Gables Union Market is in the heart of the Union Market district, which is a 45-acre district for shopping, entertainment, restaurants, nightlife and more. The community will offer 300 apartment homes and over 20,000 sq. ft. of retail space. EDENs will own the ground floor retail and will bring exciting retail partners to complement the residential component.

Gables Union Market will have thoughtfully-designed amenities such as an infinity-edge pool and sundeck that will take advantage of views of the Capitol and Washington monument, outdoor dining with barbeque grills, a fire pit, shaded lounge/seating areas, a dog run, an outdoor activity lawn and a big screen TV for movies. The indoor amenities will include a community room, game area, state-of-the-art fitness center, a dog wash and two unique spaces to complement the Union Market District a flexible maker space room and a morning/garden room. The second-floor amenity space includes a conference room, several private breakout rooms, flexible seating areas that can double as co-working space, a podcast room and two outdoor terraces.

The community will incorporate green building and efficiency features including an approximately 2,000 SF solar panel array, energy star appliances and water sense plumbing fixtures.

Jorgen Punda, Senior Vice President of Investments at Gables Residential stated, We are thrilled to be adding another exciting addition to the DC portfolio. Union Market is a lively one-stop destination, and we look forward to being a part of this unique and thriving neighborhood.

About Gables ResidentialGables Residential is an award-winning, vertically integrated, real estate company and privately held REIT specializing in the development, construction, ownership, acquisition, financing, and management of multifamily and mixed-use communities. Gables Residential owns, develops, and manages communities in high-growth U.S. markets such as Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, South Florida, Southern California and metropolitan Washington, D.C. Gables also provides third party management services in the Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Tampa, Phoenix, North Florida and metropolitan Washington, D.C. markets.

Gables manages approximately 29,200 apartment homes and approximately 225,000 square feet of retail space and has received national recognition for excellence in development, construction, management, sales, marketing, training, and benefits. These achievements reflect the impact of Gables experienced and dedicated team members, its superior knowledge of the markets served, and its expertise in development and management. For additional information about the company and its real estate portfolio and services, visit http://www.gables.com.

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Gables Residential Breaks Ground on New Development in Washington, DC - PR Web

QUINCY The former Quincy Plumbing and Heating Distributors building on Third and Maine is being targeted for a mixed-use development project.

Derek Price, president of DP Construction, said his company is working to acquire the property and renovate into a commercial and residential facility known as View 21.

Price said he came up with the name View 21 because he feels that the view is the best feature of the building, which overlooks the Navigation Pool 21 portion of the Mississippi River.

Our biggest goal with the whole project, and our property business, is to improve the community with the properties and the projects that we do, Price said. And so we thought this property really fit that and that we could really bring an asset to the city by doing this.

Price said the first floor would contain five commercial retail units, the second floor would have five commercial units that would likely be used for office space, the third floor would contain 11 apartments ranging in size from one bedroom to three bedroom and the fourth floor would consist of five semi-custom lofts.

The roof also will be converted to a rooftop deck.

The entrance to the building was on the west side of the property but Price said it will be moved to the north side since it will have access to parking space previously used by Tiramisu.

Quincy Planning and Development Director Chuck Bevelheimer said he has talked with Price a couple of times about his plans and the city is excited to hear about redevelopment plans for the property.

Outside of this project, DP Construction has worked on the OConnor Wealth Management building on Maine, Quincy Brewing Company on Sixth and Picklemans Pantry on Maine.

Bruce Guthrie, executive director of the District, said DP Construction has proven to be very good at developing and rehabilitating downtown buildings that have sat vacant for years.

That building has been sitting here for quite a few years and those buildings are very concerning to people like me and weve all been very concerned about larger buildings in the city of Quincy, Guthrie said. That building and the plans for a mixed-use development is very important to downtown and it being in a location close to the riverfront and the bridge is just another great example of the momentum that is going on down there.

If the project moves forward, Price said he estimates that the building will be fully remodeled in a couple of years.

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Former heating, plumbing supply building site of mixed-use proposal - Herald-Whig

Newswise New Brunswick, N.J., July 13, 2021 Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Director Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS, who is also senior vice president of oncology services at RWJBarnabas Health and vice chancellor for cancer programs for Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, has been named by the business journal NJBIZ as a 2021 Healthcare Hero in the healthcare professional category.

The Healthcare Heroes awards program was created by NJBIZ in an effort to recognize excellence, promote innovation and honor the efforts of individuals and organizations making a significant impact on the quality of health care in New Jersey. Nominees are evaluated by a panel of independent judges and winners are recognized across 12 categories for their significant impacts on the health care industry and landscape in the state. Categories include: education (individual and organization); health care professional; innovation hero (individual and organization); long term care facilities; nurse of the year; physician of the year; public health hero (individual and organization); volunteer of the year and workplace wellness hero.

As Director of the states only National Cancer Institutedesignated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Libutti is committed to enhancing the delivery of high-quality, state-of-the-art cancer care throughout New Jersey and beyond. I am honored to have been chosen as a 2021 Healthcare Hero during this pivotal time in healthcare, said Libutti. It has been my privilege to further advance the mission of Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health to continue to provide and expand outstanding cancer services especially during this unprecedented time.

Dr. Libutti is a distinguished physician, researcher, administrator and surgical oncologist, who has made significant contributions in the field of oncology. His dual posts strengthen the successful partnership between RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers University, ensuring the integration of the clinical and research missions of Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health. Libutti implements a unique vision to position Rutgers Cancer Institute as one of the top National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country as well as expand its impact throughout the RWJBarnabas Health system and the State of New Jersey.

Through this vision, construction is currently underway to build a newcancer pavilionfeaturing outpatient and inpatient services coupled with research laboratories, retail space, ancillary services and space devoted to patient education and wellness. Slated to open in 2024, the Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center will be New Jerseys first freestanding cancer hospital. Dr. Libutti also spearheaded and is leading the New Jersey Statewide Cancer Programs Collaboration, a taskforce implemented in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic to address oncology-related issues and needs across New Jersey.

Libutti graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and earned his medical degree from Columbia Universitys College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital and his fellowship at the National Cancer Iinstitute. He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, is Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the Nature Journal Cancer Gene Therapy and holds 11 U.S. patents.He is also a Professor of Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and an Affiliated Distinguished Professor in Genetics at Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences.

NJBIZ will hold a virtual Healthcare Heroes recognition event on August 24, 2021 at 8:30 AM. To see the full list of the 2021 Healthcare Hero recipients and learn how to register for the event, visit: https://njbiz.com/2021s-njbiz-healthcare-heroes/

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Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health Leader Recognized as NJBIZ 2021 Healthcare Hero - Newswise

(Washington, DC) Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrated the opening of the Todd A. Lee Senior Residences at Kennedy Street, a 38-unit, all-affordable senior community located in the Brightwood Park neighborhood of Ward 4. All 38 apartments are for residents who are 55 or older and earn no more than 50 percent of the area median income.

The Todd A. Lee Senior Residences embody our DC values and represent the importance of having safe and affordable homes for our seniors to age in place, in the communities they know and love, said Mayor Bowser. Todds legacy will live on through the many families he helped stay in DC, through the innovative programs he created, and now through these beautiful homes for our seniors.

The Todd A. Lee Senior Residences are a result of a solicitation to transform vacant land into affordable housing by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) who also provided a $7.4 million loan from the Housing Production Trust Fund. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) also granted $150,000 to go toward the development of the ground floor retail space. On February 14, 2020, the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) issued $8.2 million in tax exempt bonds and underwrote $5.6 million in low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity for the acquisition and construction of the Todd A. Lee Senior Residences at Kennedy Street.

During his tenure as DCHFAs leader, Todd A. Lee worked diligently to ensure DCs housing programs assisted our residents and that all Washingtonians had access to affordable housing when they needed it, especially our seniors, said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. These 38 residential units are a fitting tribute to him and get us closer to achieving Mayor Bowsers goal of 36,000 new homes, 12,000 of them affordable by 2025.

The Todd A. Lee Senior Residences have one efficiency apartment and 37 one-bedroom apartments. On the ground floor there is more than 1,000 square feet of retail space and an additional 1,700 square feet of common area space, including a lobby, cybercaf, management office, fitness center, and bike storage. All units have individually controlled HVAC systems and environmentally friendly features that meet the Enterprise Green Communities Program, and laundry facilities are available on each floor.

This project was under review by DCHFA during Todds tenure and I know firsthand that he was excited about the opportunity it would afford seniors to age in place in this neighborhood that is undergoing tremendous change. The entire staff of DCHFA and I are proud to carry on Todds legacy and see the delivery of housing that is healthy, beautiful and affordable, while bearing the name of our dear friend, Todd A. Lee, stated Christopher E. Donald, DCHFA Executive Director/CEO.

The Mayor was joined at todays ribbon cutting by the project development team comprised of Dantes Partners, Gilbane Development Company, and H Street Community Development Corporation.

This development stands as a reminder of Todds legacy and his vision for Ward 4 and the District. It is with great honor to have completed one of his project goals and bestow the name of my friend and colleague upon it, said Buwa Binitie, Managing Principal at Dantes Partners and Chairman of DCHFAs Board of Directors.

Gilbane is honored to leave a legacy for Todd A. Lee, which will memorialize his enduring leadership in the affordable housing industry, said Blaise Rastello, Development Director for Gilbane Development Company. Under Todd A. Lees and now Christopher Donalds leadership, we are grateful for our partners at HFA, DHCD, Dantes Partners, and H Street CDC to create 38 affordable homes for the Districts seniors.

At the event, Mayor Bowser also announced the re-opening of applications for the Oramenta Newsome Predevelopment Loan Program that launched in 2018 to help nonprofits and limited equity cooperatives fund predevelopment activities and move their affordable housing projects forward. Ten affordable housing projects benefited from the first round of these loans and $2 million will again be used to cover soft costs incurred in the predevelopment stage by recipients. To submit an application or learn more, please go to dhcd.dc.gov/oramenta-newsome-nonprofit-development-fund.

Mayor Bowser also announced her pilot initiative to help faith-based institutions evaluate how they can use their land assets to help the District achieve its housing goals. The pilot program will afford places of worship grants up to $50,000 to conduct the necessary studies and planning in partnership with development consultants providing technical assistance to take that leap of faith to build more housing in the District. Applications for this program will open in September 2021.

Like with the transformation of our own vacant property into affordable housing, were asking our partners to think creatively about their own assets for affordable housing, said DHCD Director Polly Donaldson. And along with this ask, were providing resources because we know this is what it will take to reach our goals.

The Mayors Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Proposal includes a historic $400 million investment in the Districts Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF), bringing the Mayors investment into the HPTF to $1 billion since 2015.

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Mayor Bowser Cuts Ribbon on New All Affordable Senior Housing Honoring the Late Todd A. Lee | mayormb - Executive Office of the Mayor

The Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) projects a 3.9 per cent growth in the construction industry this year.

AAK in a report released Tuesday pegged the growth on a sharp recovery in output levels compared to periods when work was not permitted or was severely restricted in 2020.

We project that the growth will particularly be propelled by huge infrastructural investments by the Government of Kenya, AAK President Wilson Mugambi said.

He cited work on the Nairobi Expressway, the Lamu Port and the dualling of the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway and the implementation of the affordable housing project as key drivers in the sector's.

Mugambi spoke in Nairobi during the release of the status of the built environment report for the January to June 2021 period.

The bi-annual report highlights developments in the real estate sector, tracks developments in land, financing, infrastructure, policy and legislation.

Mugambi said the growth of the real estate and construction sectors will be pegged on the overall performance of the economy.

He said the contraction in the countrys economy due to Covid-19 was equally felt in the built environment.

The National Treasury has projected that Kenyas Gross Domestic Product will grow by 7 per cent in 2021.

Kenyas construction industrys short term recovery will be supported by a quick return of private investment in the countrys residential and nonresidential construction sector, he said.

The report shows that the residential sector in real estat continues to record improved performance, as demand in retail and commercial spaces decline.

According to the repot, the residential sector recorded an improvement in performance with average total returns to investors at 5.1 per cent year-on-year, up from 4.7 per cent recorded in the financial year 2020.

Improved performance was also realised in the apartments market which recorded average total returns of 5.3 per cent year-on-year compared to the detached units which recorded an average return of 4.8 per cent.

Detached units in areas such as Rosslyn, Ruiru and Kitisuru recorded the highest average year on year returns at 6.7 per cent, 6.3 per cent and 5.9 per cent, respectively, says the report.

Apartments in Westlands, and, South C which traditionally houses Nairobis citys middle-income earners, recorded the highest average year on year total returns of 6.8 per cent and 6.5 per cent respectively.

The report showed that Westlands and Karen were the best performing nodes in the First Quarter of 2021 recording average rental yields of 10.1 per cent compared to the overall market average of 7.4 per cent.

The performance is attributed to the presence of affluent residents who have a high consumer purchasing power with the areas hosting high-end income earners, the ease of access to the areas, and, relatively high occupancy rates of above 81 per cent against the market average of 74.9 per cent.

According to the report, average rental yield in the commercial office sector is expected to decline to 6.8 per cent from 7.0 per cent in 2020, attributable to the oversupply, with the average occupancy rates expected to decline by 2.7 percentage points from 77.7 per cent to 75.0 per cent.

In the first quarter of 2021 nominal rentals for prime space of 500 m on a national level grew by one per cent year on year.

This is better than the 0.5 per cent growth achieved in 2020, but still well below the 5 per cent rental growth of 2019.

The slow rental growth shows that the industrial market is also feeling the effect of the weak economy, although accompanied by less pain than the office and retail property markets.

Despite the ravaging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the overall land prices in the suburbs posted a modest 0.2 per cent increase over the first quarter of 2021 while the satellite towns saw a 1.5 per cent rise.

Riverside suburb which is characterised by a high density of office space recorded the biggest drops in land prices at 1.68 per cent over the first quarter of 2021 and is expected to decline by up to 7.1 per cent over the year.

Ngong led the satellite towns with prices of land increasing by 6.07 per cent over the first quarter of the year and 16.04 per cent annually.

In Kiambu, land prices recorded a 2 per cent drop over the quarter with the annual decline expected to be 12.6 per cent.

Nyari was the best performing suburb over the first quarter with land prices increasing by 2.2 per cent while annually Donholm topped at 3.7 per cent.

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Construction sector projected to grow by 3.9 per - architects - The Star, Kenya

Drexel University and its real estate partner last month broke ground on the first major development that is part of a $3.5 billion innovation neighborhood in University City.

The universitys enrollment for fall looks strong, with hundreds more submitting deposits and fewer withdrawing this summer compared with last year, university officials said.

And, while Drexel had been projecting a $90 million shortfall for the fiscal year that just ended June 30, it appears poised to end with $50 million more than expected, thanks in part to federal stimulus dollars. The university said it had restored contributions to employee retirement funds and added a 2% lump-sum salary payment for most employees to make up for sacrifices during the pandemic. Merit raises will return this year, too.

READ MORE: Drexel president John Fry on managing his school through the coronavirus

Going into [the pandemic], we had high anxiety, said university president John A. Fry. Coming out of it, we have sort of really high hopes.

Now, Fry, who became Drexels president in 2010, is publicly acknowledging for the first time that, although he hasnt decided the exact timing, this could be his last full year at Drexel. He has two more years left on his contract.

The art of this game is you dont overstay your welcome, he said. Im starting my 12th year. Ill finish that out and who knows beyond that, but not a whole lot more. Its time for the natural cycle of change.

His not-too-distant departure means four of the citys top colleges Temple, the University of Pennsylvania, La Salle, and Drexel will have seen turnover in the presidency within a couple of years.

At Temple, Jason Wingard, a former Ivy League school dean and Chestnut Hill resident, began his tenure this month. University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann has been nominated to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Germany and likely will leave before her contract ends next summer. And Colleen Hanycz left La Salle for another presidency last month. They are among a flurry of college leadership changes happening or expected to happen in the region.

Fry, 61, said hes far from done and hopes to land another opportunity at a college or another nonprofit. Asked if he would vie for the presidency of Penn, where he once worked, he declined comment.

READ MORE: College president as urban planner

He said that over the last year, a number of friends and colleagues have encouraged him to run for mayor.

While I am completely devoted to improving the quality of life and economic competitiveness of Philadelphia, he said, I feel that the best way for me to make a difference to the city is by continuing to build Drexels capacity to be a highly effective and impactful civic anchor institution.

Fry is as much an urban planner as he is a college president. When he was an executive vice president under former Penn president Judith Rodin, he helped bring in a movie theater and Fresh Grocer, created the public Penn Alexander School, and started the University City District, fostering relations among colleges, businesses, and residents. At Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, where he became president, he helped to move a landfill and railroad yard, knock down a huge factory, and launch a major redevelopment project.

At Drexel, he partnered with Brandywine Realty Trust to launch the multibillion-dollar project to turn parking lots and industrial buildings between Drexels campus and 30th Street Station into a neighborhood of businesses, retailers, parks, and residential towers, called Schuylkill Yards. Construction has begun on the West Tower, which will include residential, office, and retail space.

He also upgraded Drexels campus, once named the nations ugliest, and in partnership with the Philadelphia School District, opened a new building near campus that will house two public schools this fall. The district will lease the building from Drexel, and Drexel will provide teacher training and expertise in areas, including technology, instruction, performing arts, and health.

He has had an extraordinary portfolio of accomplishments by any university leadership measurement and I would predict much more left in his reservoir, said Tom Kline, a Drexel trustee and namesake of Drexels law school.

READ MORE: Five years in, a look at Drexel's high-flying Fry

Early in his tenure, Fry negotiated Drexels affiliation with the Academy of Natural Sciences; together, the two have a combined endowment of about $960 million.

A native of New York who has a bachelors from Lafayette College and an MBA from New York Universitys Stern School of Business, Fry also led Gov. Tom Wolfs transition team and serves on the Federal Reserve Bank board.

Fry said he intends to remain at Drexel until he finds other partners to help run St. Christophers Hospital, which hosts rotations for third- and fourth-year students from Drexels medical school. Drexel and Tower Health bought St. Christophers out of bankruptcy in 2019 and have been overseeing the hospital as partners, but Tower, which is selling hospitals as it struggles financially, has indicated it wants to step back, Fry said.

Im not moving until that situation is resolved, he said.

Hes also focused on readying the campus for fall. The university currently is looking into employees returning to the office and recognizes the need for flexibility. In addition to weighing needs of employees and the university, Drexel also will consider the city, he said. If office buildings stand empty, that will hurt the city both in wage tax and restaurant business, and in turn the colleges within it.

We have to think about the whole sweep, because a big part of our pitch is Philadelphia, he said. We get to say, Come live and study and work in one of the best cities in the world.

He said University City faces less strain because it is not as dependent on the hospitality economy as Center City.

One piece of Frys vision building over 30th Street Stations rail yard to allow for more development wont happen before he leaves. Fry said a study Drexel was part of showed the development could be done without disrupting Amtrak traffic. He thinks it will happen some day.

It will be a decade or so out, he said.

Staff writer Harold Brubaker contributed to this article.

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Drexel came through the pandemic better than expected. Now president John Fry is contemplating his next step. - The Philadelphia Inquirer

New research and survey data from Thumbtack and Zillow finds a typical for-sale home could need close to $30,000 of work, which could come as a surprise to a majority (65%) of active home shoppers who are not seeking a fixer-upper. More and more are taking advantage of record-low rates to land in the home of their dreams, as just last week, Freddie Mac reported the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) sliding down to 2.90%.

To help first-time homebuyers prepare for their journey, Zillow compiled a list of the most common projects its teams tackle after purchasing homes through Zillow Offers. Using that list of common repairs, Thumbtack calculated the national average costs to complete each project.

According to the new survey of 1,000 homebuyers, the average millennial expects to pay between $10,000 and $15,000 to make a home move-in ready, when in reality, the study found that homeowners should actually expect to spend approximately $26,900 on these projects. In terms of price breakdown, evaluating, repairing, or replacing HVAC systems is the most expensive move-in project, costing $3,615 on average nationwide.

This research suggests first-time homebuyers typically underestimate the costs of the unsexy projects they may have to tackle before they even move in, said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow Home Trends Expert. That sticker shock may be increasingly common in a competitive market where buyers are dropping inspection contingencies as a strategy to win a bidding war.

Homebuyers said they were most excited about improvement projects that allow them to express their personal style and make a home feel like their own: interior painting ($385/room), followed closely by wallpaper installation ($530/room), and kitchen updates like remodels and renovations ($7,445).

We know homebuyers are most concerned about the hassle of home maintenance and repairs. It feels overwhelming to know where to begin, but also, who to entrust with your most valuable possession, said David Steckel, Thumbtacks Home Expert.

Homebuyers are least excited about making roofing repairs, which cost an average of $800 to evaluate and complete. This is followed by general plumbing repairs ($335), painting the entire home exterior ($2,415), and repairing damaged floors ($315-$1,245, depending on the type of floor). These projects tend to be more time consuming or require a deeper level of expertise to complete, which can make homeowners feel out of their comfort zone.

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New Homeowners Surprised by Unexpected Costs - theMReport.com - The MReport

This week in design, Gen Z is using TikTok to turn their rug-making hobbies into full-fledged businesses, while a new hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, brings unsavory comparisons for the citys disgruntled residents. Whatever comes next, stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches and events, recommended reading, and more.

Business News

Hearst Magazines has announced a newly formed vertical called The Hearst Design Collection, comprising three of its shelter magazine titles: Elle Decor, House Beautiful and Veranda. The rebrand follows a major shakeup on the companys sales and marketing teams earlier this spring, which saw Hearst offer buyouts to some 600 staffers, while titles were reorganized under the new headings of Lifestyle, Luxury, Youth & Fitness and Design. The three shelter books were combined to create the Hearst Design Group in 2013, then grouped with Town & Country in 2019 under the banner Luxury Design Collective with publisher and chief revenue officer Jennifer Levene Bruno in charge. Now, T&C will be paired with Hearsts stable of fashion books, while Bruno continues to oversee the shelter category. All three brands' editorial teams, meanwhile, remain unaffected by the restructuring.

When severe winter weather struck the Gulf Coast region earlier this year, it halted production for chemical foam manufacturersyet even as summer has thawed frozen facilities, the industry is still at a loss for foam. Like many other supply chain shortages, Home News Now reports, the issue is one of unrelenting consumer demand, which has been consistently running above capacity for chemical suppliers since the pandemic began. Further complicating things for the mattress and bedding segment are the ongoing anti-dumping petitions introduced in November, which have largely prohibited mattress imports into the U.S. Analyst Jerry Epperson told HNN that industry insiders arent expecting demand to return to stable levels until June 2022.

The Small Business Administration is rolling back requirements for loan forgiveness by eliminating the necessary review step for borrowers of $2 million or more, Inc reports. The amendment is likely designed to save the time and money involved in processing and approving additional financial information; after more than a year of PPP, the agency distributed $780 billion in funding to more than eight million small businesses. Despite the update, experts recommend keeping financial documents on hand for the possibility of a future program audit.

Block Renovation has announced the completion of a $40 million funding round, with participation from Giant Ventures, NEA and Kelly Wearstler. Through the companys platform, homeowners receive a comprehensive renovation plan led by a project consultant and executed by designers, contractors and vendorsall of whom are vetted by Block. The business was founded in 2017 by a Casper co-founder and former Rent the Runway executive, and has since focused on completing kitchen and bath remodels in the greater New York area. With the new injection of capital, Block is extending its services to the Los Angeles area, with its sights set on building out its platform and construction tools.

The Ever Given has finally set sail again, Reuters reports, after halting global trade when it blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week back in March. The container ship had remained docked in Egypt until last week, when its owners reached a multimillion-dollar compensation deal for its release. To honor the occasion, the Suez Canal Authority held a ceremony marking the ships departure, attended by foreign diplomats and broadcast live on television in Egypt.

Visa is partnering with cryptocurrency companies to allow consumers to spend and convert digital currencies through its card program, Insider reports. The payments will be converted from crypto assets to government-issued currency on the backend, just like any other Visa transaction, which means merchants wont need to update their point of sales terminals (or even understand what a blockchain is) to process the digital tender. According to the company, the new features are a response to the more than $1 billion already spent in the first half of 2021 via crypto-linked Visa cards.

Billionaire SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is now living in a 375-square-foot prefab rental house in Boca Chica, Texas, TheRealDeal reports. The 20-by-20-foot accessory dwelling unit, made by the Boxabl company, is a studio space, with one large room divided into necessary bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and living room areas. The move follows a May 2020 tweet from Musk in which he wrote I am selling almost all physical possessions. Will own no house. (That wish likely wont be fulfilled until he offloads his 16,000-square-foot Bay Area mansion, currently on the market for $37.5 million.)

ArtSugar offers art prints and home goods aimed at millenials and Gen ZCourtesy of ArtSugar

E-commerce art curation retailer ArtSugar has announced the completion of a $500,000 seed round led by Curate Capital. The company caters to millennials and Gen Z, offering affordable art prints, sculptures and home goods created both in-house and by artists popular on social media. Following an 80 percent increase in year-over-year revenue since March 2020, ArtSugar plans to expand its product line and stable of artists, create in-person immersive experiences and improve customer experience online.

Launches and Collaborations

Angi has launched a new membership program to connect users with home maintenance, improvement and emergency repair services. As part of the Angi Key membership, subscribers will receive discounts on household projects along with the ability to browse various home services in exchange for an annual fee.

Architect Peter Marino has opened his eponymous art foundation in Southampton, New York, the Wall Street Journal reportsa collection of antiques, decorative objects and fine art collected over the last 40 years and housed in a historic structure transformed by Marino himself. Built in 1895, the 8,000-square-foot, two-story exhibition space was once home to a public library, a home decor showroom and an art museum, and has been restored in the last three years to prepare the space for its next wave of visitors.

Swatchbox, the building products sample provider, has teamed up with Behr Paint Company for the creation of Swatchbox Proan online platform where architects and designers can research and request samples. The new service allows users to browse samples and organize them into custom palettes and collections for free next-day and second-day delivery.

Ashley HomeStore has added a new Baby & Kids category, expanding its furniture assortment with cribs, gliders, toddler mattresses and changing tables from brands like Delta Children, Million Dollar Baby Classic, Donco and Little Seeds, Furniture Today reports. The new offerings will also include teen and tween styles, with floor beds, loft-style bunk beds and youth decor.

In a collaboration with Universal Studios, Hygge & West created wallpaper designs depicting classic films like E.T. the Extra TerrestrialCourtesy of Hygge & West

A wallpaper design inspired by Back to the FutureCourtesy of Hygge & West

Left: In a collaboration with Universal Studios, Hygge & West created wallpaper designs depicting classic films like E.T. the Extra Terrestrial Courtesy of Hygge & West | Right: A wallpaper design inspired by Back to the Future Courtesy of Hygge & West

Together with Universal Studios, Hygge and West has debuted a wallpaper collection inspired by classic movies. Patterns include vignettes from films like Jaws, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and Back to the Future, with imagery such as the sun setting over frothy waves, a UFO landing in the forest and a DeLorean cruising down a mid-century main street.

Showroom Representation

Kravet Inc. has announced it will begin distributing MissoniHome fabrics and wallcoverings through its luxury division in the fall of 2021. The brand will start by launching more than 150 products in showrooms, offering classics and new introductions from 2020 and 2021, including prints, wovens, jacquards, indoor and outdoor products and contract grade fabrics.

Recommended Reading

Greenhouses are a growing trend among homeowners in the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reports, after providing much-needed relief during the pandemics darker months. Once a fixture primarily in high-society households and commercial farms, the glass outbuildings have since become more popular among the everyday gardenerone greenhouse supplier saw website traffic increase by 177 percent over the past year.

Gen Z may be reviving some early aughts trendslow-rise jeans and pop-punk among thembut theyre leaving antiquated email communication in the past. According to the New York Times, a 2020 study discovered a generational gap in work tools, with email prevailing among those 30 and above, while their younger counterparts preferred platforms that promote collaboration, like Google Docs, iMessage and Zoom. Its actually crazy how outdated it is, 24-year-old Adam Simmons said of email to the NYT.

Cue the Applause

The 2021 Emmy Nominations have been announced, and the team from Queer EyeBobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Powowski and Jonathan Van Nesshave secured a spot on the list in the Reality Host category. For the full list of nominations, click here.

The winners of the annual Vision Design + Workroom Competition Awards have been announced, honoring more than two dozen interior designers and workrooms from 10 different states for their achievements in drapery design, motorized window treatment installations, combination and top treatments and more. Brandi and Samantha Day of Day Design LLC in Fort Worth, Texas were awarded with the top honors in the design category, while in the workroom segment, Leslie Excell with Excell In Design Group in Margate, Florida took home the top prize. For the complete list of winners, click here.

Call for Entries

The Black Artists and Designers Guild has announced the new Creative Futures Grant, in which four Black undergraduate and graduate students in architecture, design and fine art will receive $5,000, plus mentorship through BADG and the opportunity to present their project proposal during a members meeting. To apply, click here.

Window Fashion Vision is now accepting nominations for its second 20 Under 40 Awards, open to professionals in any segment of the window treatment industry, including interior designers, workrooms, installers, manufacturers, retailers and entrepreneurs. To submit a nomination before the August 1 deadline, click here.

Southern Living has announced its annual list of Tastemakersa group of 10 women who exemplify modern southern style across the categories of fashion, home, art and beauty. Among the cohort are Stephanie Summerson Hall, founder of Estelle Colored Glass; interior designer Jean Liu; Keith Smythe Meacham of Reed Smythe & Company; and artist and textile designer Riley Sheehey. For the full list of tastemakers, click here.

Homepage image: Kravet Inc. will begin distributing MissoniHome fabrics. | Courtesy of Kravet

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PPP loan forgiveness requirements are rolled back, the foam shortage is here to stay, and more - Business of Home

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Made in America: PHCP-PVF Products Manufactured in the USA - Supply House Times

If youre contemplating a new and exciting home renovation project think a loft conversion, total remodel or creating an open plan space and want to take your ideas to the next level, you're going to appreciate all the advice and expertise you can get.

When it comes to any DIY project, from fitting your own kitchen to installing a new toilet, the lines are somewhat blurred when it comes to the parts of a project that you should confidently take on yourself, and when you should be contacting a professional for deeper insight whether you're an experienced homebuilder or not.

Hiring a structural engineer could make the difference between a house renovation that runs smoothly and successfully, and one that is stressful not to mention more costly.

From both a visual and a safety perspective, it's worth searching the Institution of Structural Engineer's database. This free service will put you in touch with structural engineering practices, with professionally qualified staff, so that you can get the advice you need.

(Image credit: stock.adobe.com)

Additional costs are one of the main turn offs with home improvement and building projects. Which is why the fact that it's free for homebuilders and renovators to search the database and find a local structural engineer, is an extra perk.

With no compromise on efficiency or ease of use, only structural engineering practices with professionally qualified IStructE members are able to become a part of the scheme. Meaning that you will only be put in touch with industry experts that are at the forefront of the profession and sure to give your project the mark of technical excellence that it deserves.

New practices are joining all the time so you should find the help you need.

(Image credit: Stock.adobe.com)

As with any sizeable home improvement project, you'll want to ensure that your building is structurally sound and that working conditions are safety assured to industry standards. Part of the service that a structural engineering practice provides is structural surveys. These identify any structural faults and issues (or lack thereof) with a building.

Your structural engineer will work with your architect and contractor to bring your project to life in a safe manner, identifying and managing the risks associated with your project.

Different surveys can be done, depending on the age of the building/property and on your requirements. Structural engineers will then work with your architect to draw up the best plans to achieve your expected outcome.

(Image credit: stock.adobe.com)

Introducing a structural engineer in the early stages of your project can make for an even more successful result. Going open-plan isn't just about joining two types of space together for example. Getting a professional's perspective and expertise from the start could widen your options and elevate your project to a whole new level.

It doesn't stop there. Basement and loft conversions are increasingly popular home improvement projects. Turning unused dead space into a liveable and beautiful area for the whole household to enjoy is one of the most exciting projects around. But these can be complex projects. It's this type of home reno that will benefit immensely from the input of a structural engineer that is able to carry out a full structural survey.

This involves a full inspection of a property to understand the structural behaviour of the building and whether any work could negatively impact the home or surrounding properties and to make recommendations to help you get the most out of your space. The survey will look for any movement or potential subsidence and other eventualities to ensure you peace of mind that work can be carried out successfully and whether the building is behaving as it should.

As with any reno, it's essential to consider all of the eventualities. Unfortunately, if you haven't planned for any spanners in the works a missed alcove or structural issue and if these become a problem mid-project, it can drive costs (and stress-levels) up.

A visual inspection can help produce technical designs and drawings for home remodels. This is fairly brief and designed to understand the general configuration of the main structural elements which in turn, will help finalise plans to help everyone working on your project deliver in an effective and efficient way.

The purpose of a measured survey on the other hand is to measure up the property, to help create accurate technical plans and to draw up any structural calculations needed, usually this can be done from detailed Architects' drawings. A visual inspection shouldn't be needed additionally to this but your structural engineer will let you know if they need to visit, and if they will need access to your property.

From more defined designs to better planning, searching the IStructe database and having a professional's input from the onset is a brilliant way to pull your home renovation project of dreams together successfully, and smoothly.

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Why it really pays off to bring a structural engineer on board - Real Homes