Envy Apartment

A 27- story apartment tower planned behind the Goll Mansion on Milwaukee’s East Side received the endorsement of the city’s Plan Commission Monday , despite neighbors’ continued objections. This slideshow requires JavaScript . The controversial $55 million project by Chris Houden, the Madison-based developer and the owner of the property, to move the 118-year-old mansion at 1150 N. Prospect Ave. toward the street to make room for the residential tower has been in the works for more than a year. “We are thankful for the commission’s review and the broad support we’ve received from the community,” Houden said after the meeting. “We share their perspective that the proposed development will be a great addition to the East Side neighborhood , and the city of Milwaukee.” The Plan Commission deadlocked with a 3-3 vote on the project in 2016. However, the project was praised by the panel Monday for its design and green features. After more than an hour of testimony, plan commission member...

LAKE Macquarie is being transformed at a rate not seen for generations, with a construction frenzy spilling over from Newcastle and pushing Warners Bay and Charlestown skywards. The Lake Macquarie council area, which includes a swath of greater Newcastle suburbs and townships such as Morisset, Cooranbong and Swansea, had about 2,700 development applications worth $607 million approved in the last financial year . That is 550 more than the previous year, and an increase of 23.5 per cent. About $250 million worth of construction is underway and, while not on the scale of Newcastle’s $900 million transformation, the Lake figure is mainly private investment unswollen by major public works  like the Newcastle light rail . There is also more than $300 million worth of development in the pipeline. Among the projects attracting buyers’ interest are the $80 million Water’s Edge apartments proposed for the Esplanade at Warners Bay. If approved, Water’s Edge will take the site of a former ...

A few dozen people spent their lunch hour Aug . 22 discussing City of Carmel projects as part of the Carmel Small Business Network . Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard spoke in the city council chambers about issues such as property taxes, debt and proposed projects such as purchasing an antique carousel and constructing a luxury hotel. Brainard told the group of business owners he’s sending his 2018 budget to the Carmel City Council and that he expects the tax rate to remain flat. He defended his plan to spend approximately $5 million to acquire an antique carousel built in 1907. “It will make it a more interesting visit to Carmel,” he said. Brainard also explained how it makes financial sense for the city to become part owners of a luxury hotel in the Carmel City Center area . He said most hotel chains wants to see big returns on investment, and the city is happier with smaller profit margins from the hotel because of what it will mean for economic development. “If we’re going to g...

But the city, which shares a border with the Bronx, has an enviable location, said Sam Mermelstein, a founding member of Enclave Equities, a development firm active there. About 30 minutes from Grand Central Terminal by way of the Metro- North commuter railroad , Mount Vernon is closer to Midtown Manhattan than many Brooklyn neighborhoods. Enclave is at work on a five-building, 179- unit residential rental project on former industrial property near the Fleetwood station that will offer Manhattan-style extras like rooftop terraces and gyms. And, in a break with recent nearby projects , the $ 48 million development , set to open next year, will offer all market-rate units. The rents for its one-bedrooms will be about $1,700 a month, which is less than half of what new- construction units cost in Lower Manhattan, according to online ads. “It makes no sense that this area is not booming,” Mr. Mermelstein said. One complaint from Mr. Mermelstein and others is that Mount Vernon’s retail...

New properties could be built in the heart of Chesterfield. MJ Developments (Chesterfield) Ltd has submitted a planning application to Chesterfield Borough Council to convert the currently vacant first and second floors of 1-3 Knifesmithgate into ten apartments. The ground floor, which is occupied by the Odyssey restaurant, does not form part of the application. The application states: "The proposed development provides sustainable centralised town centre living in the form of well proportioned residential apartments in the heart of the popular market town . "As it is important to retain as much of the original character as possible, there is very limited proposed alteration to the elevations, particularly to the outward street facing elevations . By limiting the work and unnecessary modification to the external envelope, this retains the original character of the building. "There is no parking provision proposed for the residential accommodation." Supporting...

There was a time, and it wasn’t long ago, when Mission Valley was farmland. Black and white photos from the 1960s show rows of turnip plants and herds of grazing dairy cows owned by farmers. “I remember the stories of how they would take the cows under the freeway after they built Interstate 8, or 80 back in those days,” said Rob Hutsel, a fourth- generation San Diegan . “The deal with the landowner was he still had to get his cows to the river. And so they left a tunnel under it so they could take their cows down to the river to get their water... I always wonder whatever happened to the tunnel.” The completion of the I-8 freeway around 1960 was the beginning of the end of an era in valley. The Mission Valley mall was built, and the valley became a suburban shopping destination . Now, another shape shift is on the horizon. Hutsel is president of the San Diego River Park Foundation and a member of the city’s Mission Valley Planning Group . He sees opportunity in Mission Valley . “...

HUD Update of Manufactured Home Standards Coming Soon? The agency has a proposed rule under OIRA review, with an NPRM to be published in September 2017. Aug 25, 2017 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development apparently is about to publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would update the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards by adopting certain recommendations made to HUD by the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee , known as MHCC. The agency has a proposed rule currently under OIRA review, with an NPRM to be published in September 2017. According to the reginfo.gov website, the proposed rule is based on the third set of MHCC recommendations to update and improve various aspects of the Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards. It would add new standards that would establish requirements for carbon monoxide detection , stairways, fire safety considerations for attached garages, and for draftstops when there is a usable s...

CLOSE The Americana Lodge in downtown Redding , California, closed in January after hundreds of alleged code and safety violations , and now The Hignell Companies hopes to repurpose the building. Wochit Architectural renderings of the proposed remodeling project to turn the closed Americana Lodge into The Lofts. (Photo: Russell Studio) Plans to convert the shuttered Americana Lodge in downtown Redding to apartments come before the city Wednesday afternoon . The project has been hailed as a catalyst for the area since The Hignell Companies of Chico announced it was purchasing the former motel late last year. Hignell would transform the property between Pine and Market streets into 24 one-bedroom and 20 studio apartment units that would average between 400 and 500 square feet of floor space. At least four of the apartments would be set aside for very-low and low-income renters. The Redding Board of Administrative Review will consider Hignell’s site development permit application ...

MONTCLAIR, NJ - The Montclair Planning board met on Monday night to discuss adjustments made to the plans for the redevelopment of the former Diva Lounge on Bloomfield Ave. This building, which has been uninhabited for many years except for an auto repair business , is expected to be transformed into a mixed used facility containing both apartment buildings and retail space. However, many residents and planning board members have expressed concern regarding its size and the impact that it would have on the surrounding community. Christine A. Nazzaro-Cofone, PP, AICP presented her report to the planning board . According to the revised plan, the site will now contain 11 apartments and 3600 square feet of retail space, rather than 19 units as previously proposed. Sign Up for E-News “All of the uses that are proposed on this application are permitted as of right in your C1 district so there is no issue with use, density or height,” she said. The plan is also proposing 19 parking spaces...

The city of Tampa is on the cusp of a total makeover. With billions of dollars in investment and dozens of new apartment, condo, office and cultural buildings in the pipeline, the city's skyline and surrounding communities are poised to look a whole lot different than what it does today. But dreaming up the future of Tampa doesn't come without its challenges. For all the promises of a new urban core filled with hotels, parks, food halls and stores, there are also potential pitfalls. The Tampa Bay Times identified the five key obstacles that stand in the way of some of the biggest projects proposed in Hillsborough County . Many of these challenges are ones local politicians and business leaders have been fighting for years to find a solution. Others are fairly new territory, but still pose a real threat to the region's continued growth. [LOREN ELLIOTT | Times] A construction site is seen just north of Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa , Fla., on Monday, May 1, 2017. Curr...