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A whole new Manhattan skyline will emerge when a dozen-odd planned new projects that have yet to break ground hoist their final I-beams.The big question is: Which, if any, of them will actually start construction in 2022?

A glance at the wish-listgives no hint that the citys real estate destiny, including the fate of tiny apartment buildings, might depend on beating a pandemic that shows no sign of abating.

But developers made their moves years ago. They bought land and air rights, cobbled together financing and signed architects. Some nailed down city zoning and other approvals. Some demolished old structures in the way of their ambitions.

But its a long way from those crucial steps to bringing in the backhoes and shovels. Heres a look at where some of the future jumbos are right now:

The mega-tower planned for the Grand Hyatt Hotel site on East 42ndStreet known as175 Park Avenue got its governmental green light his month when the City Councilapproved a zoning change to allow construction of the $3 billion-plus mixed-use mammoth rising to 1,575 feet.

To exploit East Midtown size-bonus rules, developers RXR Realty and TF Cornerstone will pay for and build hundreds of millions of dollars in Grand Central-area transit/pedestrian improvements and also provide 25,000 square feet of free-to-the-public outdoor terraces programmed for arts and cultural uses.

But dont look to the sky just yet. A spokesman told us, Now that the entitlement process is complete, the developers will spend next year arranging construction financing and reaching out to potential tenants, with plans to start demolition in 2023.

Nearby in the Grand Central area, demolition has begun at343 Madison Avenue, the former MTA headquarters. Boston Properties plans a 1,050-foot-tall tower with more than 800,000 square feet of offices and significant retail. It will also feature numerous underground pedestrian connections to Grand Central Terminal which Boston is providing in exchange for a size bonus under new East Midtown rezoning rules. The project received its City Council green light last month.

However, theres no word yet on when ground-up construction will begin.

West 57thStreet between Fifth and Seventh avenues aka Billionaires Row is without question the most active location for major new projects. Awaiting their marching orders are the empty lots at41-47 W. 57thand12 W. 57th St., as demolition proceeds one block west at125 W. 57thSt.

The No. 125 site was home to the Calvary Baptist Church and the Salisbury Hotel. As we reported in June, the church will be restored and enlarged when a new, 26-story mixed-use tower developed by Alchemy-ABR Investment Partners, financial partner Cain International and the church itself is finished in 2024.

Ground-up construction is to begin soon on the $350 million project once demolition, now underway, is complete. The new tower will include 185,000 square feet of office space. It was delayed when a lender pulled outin March 2020, forcing Alechemy-ABR to find new financing, but all the hurdles have been cleared.

Between Fifth and Sixth avenues, the company founded by Sheldon Solow is demolishing old structures to make way for12 W. 57th, a 670-foot-tall, white marbleluxury condo tower with a retail base, designed by SOM architects. Two buildings are yet to be razed, including the original Henri Bendel address. Solow passed away in November 2020, but his son Stefan Soloviev, who reorganized the various Solow entities under the new umbrella of Soloviev Group, seems no less eager to build.

Meanwhile, excavation is expected to begin soon at another large site, 41-47 W. 57th, where developer Sedesco plans an 1,100-foot-tall mixed-use tower with 119 condo units, a 158-room hotel and a large restaurant. YIMBY reported last week that thanks to an agreement with the MTA, Sedesco is to receive an acre of extra floor space in exchange for building new, disabled-accessible elevators for the 57thStreet F train station.

Meanwhile, Rudin Management is gearing up to demolish anold building at East 48th Street to make way for 415 Madison Ave., a planned 605-foot tower with 343,100 square feet ofoffice space. Rudin first needs city approval for an air rights transfer and for a size bonus in exchange for transit/pedestrian amenities not unlike Bostons plan for 343 Madison. The project will include a retail pavilion and a public concourse. A Rudin rep said, Theyre working to complete ULURP early next year.

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NYC developers poised but hesitant to break ground on slew of projects - New York Post

Plans are in the works for a new building with 14 residences and two offices at 214 Red Cross St. (Port City Daily/Alexandria Sands Williams)

WILMINGTON Before bulldozers can push dirt, developers must receive the A-OK from the city on their plans for construction.

Several property owners in the past few weeks have taken the step to seek that approval, submitting site plans for their projects to Wilmingtons Technical Review Committee. The group of city staffers works with local developers to ensure construction plans are in line with the mandated regulations and standards.

Below are four plans submitted to the TRC in December, and what we know about the forthcoming developments:

Perkins Goodbye Hugs has its sights set on a new home to help send furry loved ones over the rainbow bridge.

The crematory business, currently located in a Netherlands Drive suite, has submitted construction plans for a new building at 1 Lame Street, conveniently located next door to an emergency animal hospital.

RELATED: Wilmingtons first aquamation facility opens

Co-owner John Best indicated he and his partner are still working out details, and a construction timeline is not yet flushed out due to fluctuating building prices. Site plans show a proposed two-story building, spanning 2,280-square feet on the quarter-acre vacant lot.

The move is expected to give customers a better and more intimate experience, Best explained.

Honestly, where we are right now, we dont have a great place for customers to come in and spend some time and have some privacy, he said.

The business opened in 2004 and traded hands in August 2019. Perkins will lay to rest any domestic companion, from dogs to turtles, in both private and communal cremations.

A 16-unit, multi-use building is proposed for a vacant lot on Red Cross Street. The development is expected to go up on a sliver of land, sandwiched between neighboring multi-family buildings and a Cape Fear Community College office.

Located at 214 Red Cross Street, the almost 1-acre piece of property was sold by T P1 LLC in September 2020 for $300,000, according to property records. Port Property Management, a Maine-based company, is connected to the project.

The proposed three-story building, with a basement, would encompass 14 one-bedroom units and two offices. It would span 2,730 square feet per floor.

Riverlights is seeking approval for 16 townhome buildings, containing a total of 43 units, on Watercraft Ferry Avenue. The 4.25 acres in question is between Mosby apartments, River Road, the Lake House Community Center and the communitys lake.

RELATED: Riverlights hops on growing build-to-rent trend with multifamily village

The recently submitted site designs are just one portion of the greater plan for Riverlights, an approximately 1,400-acre, up-and-coming, mixed-use community. Once complete, Riverlights will contain 3,000 residences.

The community includes single-family, patio, multi-family and townhomes as well as commercial space, eight public parks and access to the Cape Fear River.

Vivo Investment Group, a company transforming dying hotels into affordable housing across the country, has submitted its conversion plans for the 7.7-acre property currently home to Budgetel Inn.

City council previously approved the necessary rezoning to convert the 224-room hotel, located at 4903 Market Street, into a 234-unit apartment complex.

Inside the existing two-story buildings, each room will be renovated into a one-bed, efficiency apartment. The design for the 278- and 352-square-feet units combines the living and sleeping rooms and includes one bathroom.

READ MORE: Nuisance hotel in Wilmington may transform into tiny apartments

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Who's building in Wilmington? Pet crematory, Red Cross St. apartments, Riverlights townhomes among plans - Port City Daily

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been authorized to start cleaning up construction sites and close small gaps in the southern border wall nearly a year after President Joe Biden took office and ordered building to stop.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement this week that wall building projects begun by the Defense Department within the Border Patrols sectors in California, Arizona and parts of Texas will be turned over to his agency so any safety and environmental concerns can be addressed.

Work will include installing drainage systems to prevent flooding, erosion control and slope stabilization, construction and improvement of access roads and removal of building materials that will no longer be used.

It was unclear when cleanup and any remediation work will begin.

CBP will also close any small gaps that remain open from prior construction and finish work on incomplete gates, including inoperable storm gates that need to open during the rainy season.

Mayorkas said the the Biden administration is still calling on Congress to cancel any remaining border wall funding left over from former President Donald Trumps time in office and instead fund technology and other kinds of border security measures it considers more effective.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorized to clean up wall construction sites, close gaps - KTLA

San Francisco housing development in 2022 will be the year of the mega-project.

Even as smaller projects are stuck in limbo due to market uncertainties and astronomical construction costs, the citys colossal multi-phased projects like those at Treasure Island, Mission Rock, Pier 70 and Power Station will steam full speed ahead. Streets are being laid out, sidewalks poured, trees planted, streetlights installed and buildings are sprouting from the ground.

Nowhere is this more apparent than Treasure Island, where, after two decades of planning, the first residents will move into new buildings on both the main island as well as the adjacent Yerba Buena Island in 2022.

On Treasure Island Swords to Plowshares and Chinatown Community Development Center will debut the 104-unit Maceo May Apartments late in the year, apartments that will house some formerly homeless veterans. On Yerba Buena Island, Wilson Meany will open The Bristol, a six-story, 124-unit condo project over looking Clipper Cove and the eastern span of the Bay Bridge.

But the creation of a new 8,000-unit neighborhood on the 400-acre island will only accelerate after the first two buildings open. Treasure Island could see work start on as many as 985 units in 2022, including Tidal House, a 20-story apartment tower. A new ferry terminal will open in January offering residents a 5-minute cruise across the bay to the Ferry Building, according to Wilson Meany Partner Chris Meany.

We cant wait to welcome residents early this spring to become a part of this exciting new residential community, said Meany, whose firm is the master developer for the island.

At Mission Rock, across the Lefty ODoul Bridge from AT&T Park, Tishman Speyer and the San Francisco Giants are rapidly transforming an 11-acre surface parking lot with three new buildings one residential, one biotech and one slated to be Visas new corporate headquarters.

Construction crews pour concrete in a section of the new Mission Rock development near Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. The development, a collaboration between the San Francisco Giants, Tishman Speyer, and the Port of San Francisco is building with the impending sea level rise in mind and elevating the ground level.

Construction started December of 2020 on the first two buildings, Visas corporate headquarters and Building A, a 23-story apartment. That was followed by a life science building on Third Street. In 2022 work will start on a fourth building, a 255-unit apartment complex designed by Studio Gang, as well as the five-acre China Basin Park.

We are trying to deliver the park and the four buildings as close together as we can, said Carl Shannon, senior managing director with Tishman Speyer.

All told, work could start on some 3,000 units spread across the citys mega-projects, often former industrial or military properties that require a multi-phase approach and infrastructure work like streets, sidewalks, parks and utilities. About 1,300 units are expected to be completed as part of these projects in 2022, including about 300 units at 5M the 4-acre development next to The Chronicles newsroom at 901 Mission St. and 350 apartments that represent the first phase of a project Local 38 Plumbers and Pipefitters is building with Strada Development at 1621 Market St.

Construction takes place on the steel beams at the top of the 415 Natoma St. office building, part of the 5M development project, in SoMa, San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Feb 5, 2021. The 640,000-square-foot office building recently topped out.

Breaking ground will likely include 708 deeply affordable apartments built at three different public housing complexes 357 at Potrero Hill Annex and Terrace, 183 at Hunters View in Hunters Point, 168 at Sunnydale. At Power Station, a former power plant on Dogpatch waterfront, construction crews are busy restoring the historic 19th century power plant in 2022 grading will be completed and utilities installed.

Our major projects are starting to produce the new homes, open spaces and jobs that weve counted on for years, said Judson True, Mayor Breeds Director of Housing Delivery, who has focused on pushing the mega-projects forward. We still have more to do, but were working with all the City departments closely to help these future neighborhoods take shape.

But while several of the citys largest projects keep on trucking, others are stuck in neutral. The redevelopment of Parkmerced, slated for 5,600 apartments, still has not started, more than a decade after it was approved by the Board of Supervisors. Work at Schalge Lock, on the citys border with Brisbane, has been delayed due to the pandemic, while the 12,000 unit development at the shipyard and candlestick point has been mostly on hold with the exception of one 77-condo building.

And the future for many smaller projects that dont involve public-private partnerships or spread risk out over a decade is even less certain. Stalled projects include an apartment complex slated for 9th and Mission, a tower approved at Market and Van Ness and several mixed-use projects in the South of Market.

While Tishman Speyers twisty, white Mira condo development near the Embarcadero has done well since it opened last year its 70% sold Senior Managing Director Carl Shannon said that the math is not working at the moment for a typical housing project.

Mira condo tower (middle) at 160 Folsom St. seen on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, in San Francisco, Calif.

Construction costs have gone up a lot, and even though rents have recovered somewhat, the generic market rate project in San Francisco doesnt make sense today, said Shannon. You would need rents to go up or construction costs to go down.

John Manning, who heads up commercial real estate financing for Avison Young, said there are very few housing developers looking for debt or equity for new San Francisco projects. Part of that is because sites where projects have been approved are clustered in downtown areas like Civic Center, South of Market and the Tenderloin all neighborhoods that continue to struggle with empty office buildings, vacant storefronts and open air drug dealing.

Neighborhoods that have bounced back more successfully from the pandemic like the Sunset, Haight-Ashbury or the Marina dont have any approved projects ready to break ground.

The areas where development is allowed are, generally speaking, those that have been hit hardest in terms of rental rates and condo values, Manning said. To break ground on a new project would require a vision and confidence that things are going to pop back up to an extent that is hard to imagine right now. Thats not something Im hearing a lot of.

The fact that so many infill projects are not going forward doesnt bode well for housing production over the next few years.

This year the city is on track to open about 4,500 units, most of which started construction prior to the pandemic. Another estimated 5,800 units are under construction, most of which will wrap up in 2022 or 2023. That is a lot less than the high of 10,000 units that were being built in 2016 or 2017. The data suggests that 2022 and 2023 could be lean years in terms of completions, with less than about 3,000 new units a year, according to city data.

Rudy Gonzalez, secretary treasurer of the San Francisco Building Trades Council, said he is optimistic that some of the big projects will help some of the 1,300 union construction workers who are currently out of work. But he said that the fact that downtown office buildings are still largely empty because of the pandemic is hurting plumbers and pipefitters and electricians who rely on tenant improvements in corporate space for about 50% of their work.

Mission Rock is beautiful. Treasure Island is beautiful, he said. But all the (tenant improvement) work generated from the buildings downtown? At the end of the day we are just not seeing downtown come back to life.

Meanwhile housing development battles continue to rage at city hall. San Francisco Board of Supervisors recently made national news for rejecting over 800 housing units proposed for the Tenderloin and South of Market.

Partly in response to that, Mayor London Breed has introduced a charter amendment that would allow some code-compliant projects to bypass the citys famously difficult approval process.

Working people like our nurses, teachers, and even the construction workers who build our homes are suffering because we havent built enough housing for decades, said Breed. Even with the progress on moving large projects forward, we have to make fundamental changes to how we approve and permit housing in San Francisco so families can afford to stay here.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com

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SF has a slew of mega housing projects on track for 2022. Here's what it could mean for the city - San Francisco Chronicle

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the IT industry and investment scenario picks up pace, the first SEZ (Special Economic Zone) building coming up as part of Embassy Taurus TechZone at Technopark phase-III here will be ready by November 2022.

Interestingly, 50 per cent Niagara, the 1.5-million-sq-ft office building, has been leased out even before its completion. Currently, eight out of 11 floors of the building have been built and the construction is going on in full swing to complete it by the deadline.

It is part of the project, Taurus Downtown Trivandrum, a mixed-use development project by Boston (US)-based Taurus Investment Holdings and its partners. The project is expected to be a game-changer for the states IT industry as the building will have several reputed multinational tech firms. Taurus Yosemite, a non-SEZ project, too has been leased out 50 per cent before its construction has even started.

Sources privy of the projects progress say the leasing of Niagara also includes the largest office space deal done in a tier-II Indian city. A twin building, Victoria, will come up near the Niagara building having the same square footage and number of floors. This SEZ building is expected to break ground from November once Niagaras construction is over. The Taurus Yosemite project will have 0.62-million sq ft of non-SEZ office space and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2023.

Besides IT office spaces, there will be a 1.3-million sq ft mall, Taurus Zentrum, which will provide the employees and the public a retail, entertainment and hospitality experience. It is expected to be the largest mall in the region in terms of Gross Leasable Area (GLA) and is likely to be completed in 2024. Asset Taurus Identity, a residential project having service apartments and a 155-keys hotel are also part of the project.

Taurus Downtown Trivandrum is a flagship project of Taurus Investment Holdings in India and is very vital for our future investments in the country. We are excited about the exuberant market response to the project and the pace at which construction is progressing. We are confident of attracting more companies to the city through the project, said Anil Kumar, COO & senior vice-president, Taurus India.

The project will include a world-class water conservation system and a waste management system based on latest technologies. It is being designed as an energy-efficient green infrastructure with a significant part of energy generated from solar power. The buildings will also be equipped with adequate EV charging points. Yosemite and Zentrum have been registered for Gold WELL certification for clean and healthy working environment.

Keystone, an 800-seat incubation facility, is designed to assist businesses with initial work and getting them up to speed, before their office spaces become operational.The first of its kind IT/ITES office facility in Kerala is also the first functional office space building in Embassy Taurus TechZone, the 3-million sq ft SEZ office space being jointly developed by the Embassy Group and Taurus Investment Holdings.

The spaces are equipped with meeting rooms, conference rooms, a cafeteria, fire alarm and fire protection systems, 100% power backup and a building management system for efficient operation. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Rs 2,000-crore Taurus Downtown project in 2018.

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First special economic zone IT office space of Taurus by November 2022 - The New Indian Express

Joe and Julie Bielawski believe theyve found a permanent home for their business, Knowledge Services.

The software solutions company moved into its new headquarters at 9800 Crosspoint Blvd., Fishers, in January 2021. Months of renovation work preceded the move. The building previously housed the Marsh headquarters.

Fishers residents for decades, the Bielawskis had long planned to move Knowledge Services headquarters from Indianapolis to Fishers, but they didnt know exactly where in Fishers until the building on Crosspoint Boulevard went on the market.

We had identified Fishers as a growing market and had an interest in moving to Fishers, said Joe, the companys president. We originally bought property on I-69 and planned to build a building, but then this became available out of bankruptcy just as we were designing the other building.

This was a faster path and offered a lot more amenities than we wouldve built on our own.

Julie, the companys founder and CEO, said because constructing a new building is expensive, the couple decided to pursue the former Marsh headquarters.

The new building wouldnt have been as large or have as many amenities as this one offers, Julie said. It was built as a corporate headquarters, so its an unusual building. Its not your typical building for office space.

The building has two atriums, which allows light to flood in.

Theyre not usable square footage, but it brings a different perspective of behavior in the building, Julie said. We love that the light comes through, and really wanted to embrace that in the renovation. It gave us an opportunity to be a little different.

However, the renovation was still expensive. The total investment was $27 million. The couple was scheduled to close on purchasing the building in March 2020 on the same day most of the COVID-19 lockdowns began.

We had some sleepless nights, Joe said. We didnt know if the business would survive. We didnt know if 90 percent of the population would pass away. We didnt know anything other than everybody was going to work from home, and we were taking on a debt we never even would agree we would ever do.

So, during a time where most construction projects were put on hold, the Bielawskis took a leap of faith.

As it turned out, it was good timing because a lot of the people we needed, like architects and plumbing and electrical and carpenters, were having other projects cancel and delay, and we were full-steam ahead, Joe said.

No part of the building was left untouched during the 10-month renovation.

It looked like World War III in this atrium, Joe said.

Some renovation work is still ongoing. Knowledge Services moved into its space in January 2021. The 165,000-square-foot building also allows Knowledge Services to welcome other tenants in the spare space. So far, one tenant has moved into the space and a second tenant is in the process of moving in.

The couple still owns the 20-acre property between 106th Street and 116th Street on Interstate 69. They said although it is listed on the market, they are in no rush to sell it.

For more, visit knowledgeservices.com.

One special amenity Knowledge Services new headquarters has is the ability for President Joe Bielawski and CEO Julie Bielawski to create a coworking space on the second floor, which spans 35,000 square feet. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced that decision.

All these big corporations were sending everybody home, Joe said. (In spring 2020), Julie and I worked from home, and Julie was on our kitchen island and Im sitting in our room thats our office. Were thinking, Wow, we live in Fishers and in a nice area, but what houses have two offices for those who have dual income? So, somebodys working off the coffee table or in the basement on a card table. And then theres the engagement. We are humans. We like to talk to people and learn about experiences and build culture.

Youre going to work from home, and everything is one dimensional. We thought this is a great opportunity to share with people in those circumstances.

Branded as The Club at Crosspoint Center, the coworking space will start accepting tenants this month. Besides offering a variety of space sizes scaling from what the Bielawskis call a hot desk in a typical coworking setting to executive suites The Club also provides members access to a fitness center, auditorium, conference space, a recreation room with a golf simulator and concierge-style amenities.

Besides the coworking space, Knowledge Services new headquarters also has other unique amenities, like a mothers suite for employees who are returning from maternity leave. New mothers can bring their babies to work and have a safe, quiet space to nurse or pump breastmilk.

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Permanent home: Knowledge Services owners move business to new headquarters in Fishers Current - Current in Carmel

When we penned the intro for this piece last year, little did we know that in many ways wed still be deep in it by the time 2021s feature rolled around. Amid another holiday season marred by a new variant, seemingly the more things change well, you get the picture.

Surprisingly, however, in spite of the fact that were still very much in the throes of a global pandemic, 2021 hasnt been punctuated by as many high-profile losses in the startup world as the year prior.

Perhaps the first year of the pandemic was simply the final straw for so many companies that were already treading water or maybe an influx of capital sources has kept heads above water. Some companies successfully pivoted and others were born as a direct result of a world forever changed because of COVID-19.

2021 also largely lacked the kind of blockbuster crashes we saw last year, courtesy of names like Quibi and Essential. But even in a non-pandemic year, keeping a startup afloat is still an enormously difficult task, and not everyone managed to make it to the New Year unscathed.

Total raised: $12 million

Image Credits: Abundant

This is a major sputtering in what has been an otherwise remarkable year for robotic startups. In a certain sense, Abundant was ahead of the curve on agtech robotics, which can often be more curse than blessing. Barely two years after rolling out its first commercial deployments, the apple-picking robotics firm quietly closed up shop. Over the years, the company managed to raise $12 million, including a $10 million Series A led by GV (Google Ventures) back in 2017.

Farmers are taking a long, hard look at robotics and automation to help ease the strain of continued labor shortages. Companies like John Deere are investing a lot in homegrown solutions and acquisitions. It seems very much within the realm of possibility that well see more widescale picking robots deployed sooner than later, but the main question at the moment is from whom?

In October, it was reported that Waverly Labs had acquired Abundants IP, meaning that its technology may still live on in some form.

Image Credits: Chanje

In November 2018, TechCrunch reported that FedEx was working with a relatively new and unknown startup as it ramped up its efforts to electrify its fleet of delivery vans. The company announced plans to add 1,000 electric delivery vehicles from Chanje Energy, a California-based and China-backed startup founded in 2015. In subsequent years, Chanje came to be known for its practice of importing electric delivery vans from China and selling them to companies like FedEx, Ryder and even Amazon. FedEx and other customers were left in the lurch when the electric vehicle company reportedly quietly folded sometime this year, The Verge reported on December 15. CEO Bryan Hansel (described by some employees as both charismatic and narcissistic, had partnered with a Chinese company that went bankrupt. Hansel reportedly worked hard to convince investors to buy pieces of that company so that Chanje could keep operating, but to no avail. According to The Verge, he fired the last of Chanjes employees the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

Chanje reportedly still owes many of its former employees months of back pay and promised bonuses, with at least four having filed suit against the startup. Ryder also sued the company for more than $3 million after Chanje did not deliver most of the vans it promised to the fleet company. Meanwhile, FedEx never got the 1,000 electric vans it expected from Chanje from that 2018 deal. That led to the delivery giant being forced to abandon a project to build out charging infrastructure at FedEx depots across California. While FedEx is also suing the company in an effort to get back some of the millions of dollars it had spent on that charging infrastructure, its prospects are bleak.

Image Credits: Dark Sky

In March of 2020, Apple acquired the Dark Sky weather app, which was popular for its hyperlocal focus. Clearly the tech giant was interested in its features, many of which it incorporated into the iPhone weather app. From the get go, Apple had made clear that the Android app would shutter that July. The fate of the iOS app and API service, however, remained fuzzy. (The API service allowed other developers to tap Dark Skys database of weather forecasts and historical weather data.)

By June of 2021, the iOS app and API service officially had expiration dates, with co-founder Adam Grossman writing: Support for the Dark Sky API service for existing customers will continue until the end of 2022. The iOS app and Dark Sky website will also be available until the end of 2022. While this was not an explicit shutdown announcement, it was certainly implied.

Total raised: $2 billion

Image Credits: Katerra

There was a time that Katerra was considered the darling of the construction tech world. Some argue it made prefab construction more mainstream and cool. As it grew, Katerra ambitiously wanted to own the tech stack around a construction project, whether it be office buildings or apartments. But by the end of 2020, signs of serious problems emerged. The startup was said to be on the verge of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy when Japanese investment conglomerate SoftBank swooped in with a $200 million bailout. But it was too little, too late. Katerras vertically integrated approach couldnt keep up with rising labor and construction costs and the company was struggling with delays and cost overruns on some projects, while the COVID-19 pandemic delayed others. Irregularities that the company discovered in accounting practices also added to headaches, according to The Wall Street Journal.

So it was not a huge shock when on June 1, 2021, Kattera was reported to be officially shutting down (The Information broke the news) after burning through more than $2 billion in funding. Founded in 2015, Katerra had at one point been valued at $4 billion and employed more than 8,000 people. When it shuttered, it was believed to have had around 2,400 employees. The failure marked the second high-profile SoftBank-backed proptech that struggled in recent years (WeWork was the first). While there were concerns that Katerras implosion might affect faith in the construction tech industry as a whole, the year still saw a number of large fundings in the space.

Image Credits: Alphabet

Alphabets Loon flew high over the course of its nine-year run, only to come crashing back down to earth earlier this year. Two-plus years after spinning off the X graduate, the company grounded the project aimed at bringing internet connectivity to underserved areas via balloon. Loon CEO Alastair Westgarth noted in a blog post that the project simply wasnt able to achieve profitability.

While weve found a number of willing partners along the way, we havent found a way to get the costs low enough to build a long-term, sustainable business, he wrote. Developing radical new technology is inherently risky, but that doesnt make breaking this news any easier.

Loon said its technologies would continue to live on, having already been adopted by outfits like Project Taara, another Alphabet X moonshot aimed at delivering high-speed internet through light transmission. In September, Alphabet passed an additional 200 patents along to SoftBank, which plans to execute on them as part of its High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) business. Fellow high-flying moonshot Wing, on the other hand, continues to gain steam.

Image Credits: TechCrunch

Before Houseparty sunsetted, it soared. In the early innings of the pandemic, the social video chat app claimed that it was landing 50 million new signups a month, as humans sought virtual connection amid quarantine. Fast-forward to today, and it seems that Housepartys pandemic bump didnt help the company stay relevant. In September, Epic Games announced that it was shutting down Houseparty in October, a little over two years since it first acquired the company for a reported $35 million.

There are a variety of potential reasons as to why the once-booming app was shut down, from the rise of Clubhouse to the inevitable fatigue from Zoom. In a thread announcing the shutdown, Houseparty CEO and co-founder Sima Sistani hinted it was simply a strategy shift.

The metaverse vision and products were working on at [EpicGames] are also about shared experiences, but in a more rich form than 2D video one thats better positioned to shape the next generation of the internet, Sistani wrote.

Houseparty will live on as the core of Fortnites voice chat and within larger projects in the Epic Games metaverse.

Pearl Automation, an automotive accessory startup, shuttered just a year after launching out of stealth mode. Founded by former Apple engineers, Pearl debuted with a wireless rear-view camera and already began shipping out its products, which cost $499.99.

Once connected, the RearVision app in landscape will show you a full-screen view of what the cameras in the license plate holder is seeing, with a 175-degree viewing angle, reporter Darrell Etherington wrote in a 2016 review of the product. You can toggle between the full fish-eye experience, or a warp-corrected view that fills the display corner-to-corner with the space behind your car. You can also pivot the view up or down to get a better look at more of the sky, or more of the ground as needed.

While Etherington liked the industrial design and minimal software of the product, he noted that it is a premium device which needed upgrades: Its still for a specific subset of users those who value quality and craftsmanship and are willing to pay for it, but who also dont have a modern vehicle with its own backup camera, and dont plan on getting one anytime soon. This year, it seems like that subset wasnt enough to keep the company going.

Per Axios, the shutdown was a result of disappointing product sales and a high burn rate, despite the fact that Pearl Automation had raised $50 million in venture capital funding. Investors included Accel, Venrock, Shasta Ventures and Wellcome Trust, according to Crunchbase.

DALLAS, Feb. 26, 2021 A closed Frys Electronics store is seen in Plano, Texas, the United States, Feb. 25, 2021. U.S. electronics store chain Frys Electronics is permanently closing all of its stores, the company announced Wednesday. The company said in a statement on its website that it made the difficult decision to shut down its operations and close its business permanently because of changing consumer shopping habits and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Frys Electronics had 31 stores across nine U.S. states. (Xinhua/Dan Tian via Getty Images)

Mea culpa. This ones not a startup, but it would still feel weird to do a list without it. The Februrary closure of the Bay Area-based electronics chain left a massive Egyptian (or, perhaps, Mayan) pyramid-shaped hole in the hearts of many who grew up wandering its aisles. For me, it was the Fremont store, whose 1893 Worlds Fair theme didnt make for a particularly exciting exterior, but the indoor Tesla coil did the trick.

In an Amazon-ruled world devoid of Circuit Cities, where RadioShack is a shadow of its former self, its frankly amazing that this strange, beautiful beast held on for as long as it could. At its peak, Frys boasted 34 giant stores across nine states. But ultimately, COVID-19 was the final nail in the already troubling environment of brick and mortars. Its a testament to just how big these big box stores were that their former homes are dealing with zoning headaches in their wake.

Image Credits: Joan Cros/NurPhoto / Getty Images (Image has been modified)

Unlike other pandemic-fueled losses over these past two years, the death of LGs mobile division was a long time coming. The South Korean electronics giant simply couldnt keep up in a market dominated by Samsung, Apple and, increasingly, manufacturers in China. In April, LG announced its exit from phones in order to spend more time with TVs and other smart home products.

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

And so rare its vision truly was. When founders Jacob Claerhout and Boris Gordts launched Visionrare, they combined two trends: the gamification of investing and the surging interest around NFTs. The end result was a platform in which users could bid for NFT shares of different startups, stacking up a fake portfolio that they could then compete against others with. It even got some Y Combinator startups on board.

Crypto angle aside, Visionrares pitch was interesting. The fake stock market could get non-accredited investors a track record in betting on startups, and one day serve as a signal for VCs looking for their next hires.

If you think it sounds buzzy, some entrepreneurs and investors had a different word: illegal. Some questioned whether the platform was legal or if it was an investment security, pushback that ended up causing the co-founders to shut down the paid marketplace due to underestimating the legal complexities with selling novelty NFT shares in real startups.

Crypto marketplaces arent controversial, but Visionrares approach to the burgeoning sector rang alarm bells. And that doesnt happen as often as youd think. Nonetheless, the founders promised to relaunch the company soon. Their LinkedIns show that they are continuing to work together, and are building something new.

Nearly a decade ago, Friendsters Jonathan Abrams launched Nuzzel, a social news reading service that highlights headlines that are being read and shared by friends in your network. The simple yet savvy startup soon attracted a loyal user base, especially for Twitter users who wanted a more personalized timeline. According to Crunchbase, Nuzzel had raised $5.1 million from investors, including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

In 2019, Nuzzel was acquired by Scroll, which wanted to bring aggregation and curation to its subscription service. While no one from Nuzzels original team joined Scroll in a full-time capacity, the app continued to function as is until this year, of course. Twitter scooped up Scroll in May and simultaneously shut down Nuzzel. In a blog post that has since been removed, Nuzzels team explained that the product needed to be rebuilt in order to scale with Twitter.

To those of you who love Nuzzel and are disappointed that we cant maintain Nuzzel as-is in the interim, Im as disappointed as you, Scroll CEO Tony Haile said in the now-deleted post. We explored any number of Hail Marys to make that happen and just couldnt get there. Looking to the future, Nuzzels functionality has always felt like it should be a part of Twitter and Im excited to help make it so.

Months later, some good news: While Nuzzel as we know it has ceased to exist, Twitter brought back one of the apps most-loved features, Top Stories, in the debut of its premium subscription service Twitter Blue.

See the article here:
Remembering the startups we lost in 2021 - TechCrunch

December is drawing to a close, ending an unusual year in Fall River history. It was a time of reckoning for some, a new beginning for others. This was the second year of the COVID pandemic that still has the world in its grip, casting a specter over every aspect of life in the city. And yet there were some positive developments too.

We looked back at the past 12 months of Herald News stories and came up with a list of 10 of the most important issues and stories that affect us all. Lets look at them all briefly and wed like you to choose which are the top three stories of 2021. Vote using our form at the bottom of the story.

In 2020, Taryn Camara, a Kuss Middle School teacher was fired over complaints circulated about a post she published on her Facebook page that some construed as racist. The posting was made during a period of national unrest following the death of George Floyd, and Camaras attorney later said the remarks were meant to be sarcastic. This past year, Camara sued the Fall River School Department, theFall River Educators Association and the Massachusetts Teachers Association and an arbitrator gave Camara her job back, along with back pay. The story sparked conversation about the boundaries between peoples social media accounts and their careers and if that boundary even exists.

Social media boundaries: This Fall River teacher was fired for her Facebook post. Here's what an arbitrator ruled.

This past year was a rough one for former Superintendent Matt Malone. In January, the School Committee disciplined him after an investigation revealed he harassed district staff members, including calling a disabled employee the R-word and using inappropriate language toward female employees. He also faced heat for declining to appear before the school board to discuss capital improvements, exchanging testy emails with City Council President Cliff Ponte in a feud that turned public. In June, Malone resigned effective Nov. 1, ending a career that started in Fall River in 2016.

Schools chief steps down: Embattled Fall River Superintendent Malone announces resignation

Six days into the new year, a mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump marched in protest to the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., and caused politically-motivated mayhem on a scale not seen in our lifetimes. Hundreds of people stormed the building, damaging property, ransacking offices, disrupting a joint session of Congress, and threatening lives. Mike St. Pierre, a Fall River grocery store owner, livestreamed himself from Washington participating in the march, and was videotaped hurling an object inside as a door was broken open. St. Pierre was questioned by the FBI. His grocery store has since closed, and he has opened another, similar business.

'Caught up in the moment': Fall River store owner Mike St. Pierre regrets his actions at Capitol riots

In the pandemics second year, not just one but three COVID-19 vaccines were developed with incredible speed, with some form of vaccination eventually rolled out to everyone ages 5 and older. At first with limited supply, vaccines were rationed by age group and medical condition, but by now, vaccines are widely available, some without an appointment, and public clinics are held nearly every day. Thanks to vaccinations and perhaps a seasonal lull, COVID was on the ropes in the summer but with vaccination rates too low and mutations spreading, the virus is raging again as winter starts.

Take your shot: Experts say the COVID vaccine is safe for kids as cases spike across Greater Fall River

Fresh off the release of "Jungleland" in 2020,the cable channel Epix debuted Fall River, a four-part documentary series on a handful of murders in the late 1970s and 1980s, and the Satanic panic that followed. The series won over audiences and critics. Later in the year saw the debut of the Netflix comedy blockbuster Dont Look Up starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep, with scenes shot on the Battleship Massachusetts in 2020. The film headed to theaters before finding its way to Netflix for Christmas.

'Don't Look Up' review: Fall River's Battleship Cove looks good, but McKay's film is a smug mix of angry comedy

After a stratospheric rise to power, Jasiel Correia II fell to earth in 2021, facing a four-week trial of fraud and extortion tied to schemes he orchestrated before and during his tenure as mayor. He maintained his innocence in the face of over 30 witnesses testifying to shocking displays of extravagant luxury spending, misuse of investor money, and shameless coercion of business owners into paying bribes, but was convicted and sentenced to six years in federal prison for his crimes. Hes awaiting a date to report to prison.

Tracing Jasiel Correia's fall: From entrepreneur and mayor, to convicted corruption kingpin

Correias trial, involving marijuana businesses, put a crimp in Fall Rivers burgeoning cannabis economy, with Mayor Paul Coogan promising to retool the local licensing process and make it more transparent. We looked at the state of marijuana businesses in Fall River. Meanwhile, Somerset made headlines by hosting world-famous hip-hop stars at a concert sponsored by Solar Therapeutics, a celebration known as the Cultivators Cup.

The deal with dealing pot: As the Jasiel Correia trial winds down, here's the state of marijuana sales in Fall River

The department made headlines in 2021 for the wrong reasons. The city is facing several lawsuits regarding allegations of excessive force by police officers, with one officer facing discipline for filing false reports to protect another officer. In the spring, an officer accidentally published a post critical of murder victim George Floyd on the departments Facebook page, triggering outrage and a suspension. And there was a serious investigation regarding officers mishandling evidence in outstanding cases, including stashing drugs in their desks.

More mishandled evidence?Fall River police investigate boxes found at officer's home

There was a changing of the guard on Elsbree Street, as the 1978 B.M.C. Durfee High School building was shut down for good after decades of leaks, heating issues, mold problems, construction failures and more but the city's new Durfee High opened. The building construction was on schedule for the start of the September school year, wowing students and visitors who attended open houses. The old building is in the process of being demolished.

Peek inside: What does a $263 million school look like? Check out Fall River's new B.M.C. Durfee High

Though his first term was mostly dominated by response to the COVID pandemic, voters gave Paul Coogan another term in office as mayor. The race was often ugly, getting off to a poor start when challenger and City Council President Cliff Ponte derided the job as ceremonial in a memo to his real estate company staff leaked to the press. Coogan officially starts his new term next year, with Ponte ending his tenure on the council to become a private citizen.

Another term: Incumbent Paul Coogan handily wins Fall River mayoral race

Use this form below to cast your vote for first, second, and third place.

Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

See the article here:
What was Greater Fall River's biggest story of 2021? Use this form to cast your vote - Fall River Herald News

The council eventually agreed to let the drinks flow. The Quay Restaurant opened on March 2, 1960, with 110 seats in the main dining room, four banquet rooms and, thanks to the city council, a 60-seat cocktail lounge.

Lunch and dinner will be served, according to The Columbian, and a special late-evening supper menu will be offered dating teenagers.

The place was a hit. By 1962, there were plans to invest $100,000 to add a convention facility that could handle display of large exhibits, stage programs, dinner dancing and party-type activities. By 1965, Goodrich was proposing to add a luxury motel, and in 1971 the Inn at the Quay was expanded to 163 rooms. Two years later, it became part of the Thunderbird/Red Lion chain, a large regional hospitality company that was based in Vancouver until it was sold to Doubletree Corp., in 1996.

According to a 1974 restaurant review, the Quay was one of Vancouvers finest: river view tables, an excellent menu with an accent on seafood, interesting wine list even flaming desserts for the flamboyant. The $7.25 Lobster Cordon Bleu and the $6.25 Scampi stuffed with Crab Florentine came with a choice of soup or salad, a loaf of Quay bread, choice of potato or rice pilaf. For dessert, our reviewer chose Mocha Glo, a flaming dessert of ice cream topped with three liqueurs.

In 1977, Columbian reporter Thomas Ryll interviewed Danny Falco, an assistant manager since the day the place opened. Its the good life I love it, said the man known as Mr. Quay, who talked of serving Hollywood celebrities such as Eddie Albert (Green Acres) and Georgie Jessel.

Read more from the original source:
Final roar for Vancouver Red Lion Inn at the Quay - The Columbian

If youve been looking for ways to cool your home, but your home lacks the ducting that comes with a furnace, you can still benefit from a heat pump.

Often, homeowners incorrectly assume an efficient heat pump only works with furnace-heated homes, where warm or cool air is pushed through ducting running throughout the house.

The great news? Other options ARE available.

Mitsubishi produces effective and efficient ductless heat pumps essentially air conditioners that can also operate in reverse, so they can provide both heating and cooling, notes Allan Lake, president of Surreys Good Guys Heating Cooling & Plumbing.

These can be used in homes with boilers, since they do not require a ducting system. Instead, they have a separate indoor unit that blows out the cold air. Multiple indoor units may be installed to provide additional cooling throughout the house.

Mitsubishi is the best-selling brand of ductless systems in Canada, having built a strong reputation based on the reliability of their products.

Better yet, their indoor units produce as little as 19 decibels of sound less than a human whisper.

And with this weeks chilly temperatures, its good to note that Mitsubishi heat pumps with Hyper Heat technology can effectively heat your home even when temperatures are well below freezing, Lake adds.

But one of the greatest benefits heat pumps offer is in their energy savings savings that benefit your wallet, and the environment. Since heat pumps are much more efficient than gas furnaces, and run on electricity, up to $11,000 in government rebates are now available on new heat pump systems.

READ MORE: Rebates up to $11,000 now available on heat pumps for BC homes

Warm today, cool tomorrow

While the chill is in the air today, those remembering the discomfort of the summer heat dome may be curious about the option of ductless mini-split air conditioners. Unlike heat pumps, air conditioners only provide cooling, but they are less expensive to install (and dont qualify for rebates).

Additionally, they can be used in homes with furnaces when air conditioning is only required in a specific area.

Of course, like any heating and cooling system, your Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioners and Heat Pump is only as good as the maintenance it receives! As Mitsubishi Electric Quality Certified contractors, the Good Guys professionals are also experienced in the service and repair of these systems. Regular maintenance is required to keep your warranty valid servicing is $179 for a ductless system (if you havent used us before, a $40 new customer discount is available). Additional heads are $79 extra.

Learn more about Mitsubishi systems at 604goodguy.com/mitsubishi-air-conditioners or call 604-GOODGUY (604-466-3489) to schedule a free in-home quote today.

Link:
Ductless mini-split systems offer air conditioning for BC homes with boilers Surrey Now-Leader - Surrey Now Leader