WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire -02/24/12)- According to the National Association of Realtors® quarterly commercial real estate forecast, all of the major commercial real estate sectors are seeing improved fundamentals, but multifamily housing is becoming a landlord's market commanding bigger rent increases. These trends also are confirmed in NAR's recent quarterly Commercial Real Estate Market Survey.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said vacancy rates are improving in all of the major commercial real estate sectors. "Sustained job creation is benefiting commercial real estate sectors by increasing demand for space," he said. "Vacancy rates are steadily falling. Leasing is on the rise and rents are showing signs of strengthening, especially in the apartment market where rents are rising the fastest."

NAR forecasts commercial vacancy rates over the next year to decline 0.4 percentage point in the office sector, 0.8 point in industrial real estate, 0.9 point in the retail sector and 0.2 percentage point in the multifamily rental market.

"Household formation appears to be rising from pent-up demand," Yun said. "The tight apartment market should encourage more apartment construction. Otherwise, rent increases could further accelerate in the near-to-intermediate term."

The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors® shows a notable gain in its SIOR Commercial Real Estate Index, an attitudinal survey of 297 local market experts.(1)

The SIOR index, measuring the impact of 10 variables, jumped 8.3 percentage points to 63.8 in the fourth quarter, following a gain of 0.6 percentage point in the third quarter. The index remains well below the level of 100 that represents a balanced marketplace, which was last seen in the third quarter of 2007.

Most market indicators posted advances in the fourth quarter, but 71 percent of respondents said leasing activity is below historic levels in their market -- an improvement from 83 percent in the third quarter. Only 29 percent report there is ample sublease space available.

Office and industrial space remains a tenant's market -- 87 percent of participants feel that tenants are getting a range of benefits ranging from moderate concessions to deep rent discounts.

Construction activity is still low, with 95 percent of experts reporting it is below normal, and 83 percent said it is a buyers' market for development acquisitions; prices are below construction costs in 78 percent of markets.

Participants are broadly expecting stronger conditions for the current quarter, with two out of three expecting market improvement.

NAR's latest Commercial Real Estate Outlook(2) offers projections for four major commercial sectors and analyzes quarterly data in the office, industrial, retail and multifamily markets. Historic data for metro areas were provided by REIS, Inc.,(3) a source of commercial real estate performance information.

Office Markets
Vacancy rates in the office sector are projected to fall from 16.4 percent in the current quarter to 16.0 percent in the first quarter of 2013.

The markets with the lowest office vacancy rates presently are Washington, D.C., with a vacancy rate of 9.5 percent; New York City, at 10.0 percent; and New Orleans, 12.4 percent.

After rising 1.6 percent in 2011, office rents should increase another 1.9 percent this year and 2.4 percent in 2013. Net absorption of office space in the U.S., which includes the leasing of new space coming on the market as well as space in existing properties, is forecast at 20.1 million square feet in 2012 and 28.1 million next year.

Industrial Markets
Industrial vacancy rates are likely to decline from 11.7 percent in the first quarter of this year to 10.9 percent in the first quarter of 2013.

The areas with the lowest industrial vacancy rates currently are Orange County, Calif., with a vacancy rate of 4.8 percent; Los Angeles, 4.9 percent; and Miami at 7.6 percent.

Annual industrial rent is expected to rise 1.8 percent in 2012 and 2.3 percent next year. Net absorption of industrial space nationally is seen at 40.6 million square feet this year and 57.7 million in 2013.

Retail Markets
Retail vacancy rates are forecast to decline from 11.9 percent in the current quarter to 11.0 percent in the first quarter of 2013.

Presently, markets with the lowest retail vacancy rates include San Francisco, 3.6 percent; Fairfield County, Conn., at 5.1 percent; and Long Island, N.Y., at 5.4 percent.

Average retail rent should rise 0.7 percent this year and 1.2 percent in 2013. Net absorption of retail space is projected at 9.9 million square feet this year and 23.9 million in 2013.

Multifamily Markets
The apartment rental market -- multifamily housing -- is likely to see vacancy rates drop from 4.7 percent in the first quarter to 4.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013; multifamily vacancy rates below 5 percent generally are considered a landlord's market with demand justifying higher rents.

Areas with the lowest multifamily vacancy rates currently are New York City, 1.8 percent; Minneapolis and Portland, Ore., each at 2.5 percent; and San Jose, Calif., at 2.7 percent.

After rising 2.2 percent last year, average apartment rent is expected to increase 3.8 percent in 2012 and another 4.0 percent next year. Multifamily net absorption is forecast at 209,900 units this year and 223,600 in 2013.

The Commercial Real Estate Outlook is published by the NAR Research Division for the commercial community. NAR's Commercial Division, formed in 1990, provides targeted products and services to meet the needs of the commercial market and constituency within NAR.

The NAR commercial components include commercial members; commercial committees, subcommittees and forums; commercial real estate boards and structures; and the NAR commercial affiliate organizations -- CCIM Institute, Institute of Real Estate Management, Realtors® Land Institute, Society of Industrial and Office Realtors®, and Counselors of Real Estate.

Approximately 78,000 NAR and institute affiliate members specialize in commercial brokerage and related services, and an additional 232,000 members offer commercial real estate services as a secondary business.

The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

(1) The SIOR Commercial Real Estate Index, conducted by SIOR and analyzed by NAR Research, is a diffusion index based on market conditions as viewed by local SIOR experts. For more information contact Richard Hollander, SIOR, at 202/449-8200.

(2)Additional analyses will be posted under Economists' Outlook in the Research blog section of Realtor.org in coming days at: http://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org/.

(3)Beginning in the third quarter of 2011, NAR forecasts have been generated based on historical data provided by REIS, Inc., and do not correspond with prior historical information from previous forecasts. This source permits coverage of additional metro areas than previously reported.

The next commercial real estate forecast and quarterly market report will be released on May 24.

Information about NAR is available at http://www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the News Media section. Statistical data, charts and surveys also may be found by clicking on Research.

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Commercial Real Estate Vacancy Rates Improving, Rents Firming

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille resigned on Friday after just four months in office, plunging the country into political paralysis in the midst of rebuilding efforts two years after a devastating earthquake.

Conille submitted his resignation in a letter to President Michel Martelly, according to a statement by the president's office. There was no immediate word on a possible replacement, though Martelly announced he would address the nation on Friday evening.

Conille's decision to step down came amid political infighting between the two leaders over earthquake reconstruction contracts, as well as a parliamentary investigation into dual citizenship of government ministers, which is illegal under Haitian law.

Conille, a 45-year-old medical doctor and U.N. development expert, was popular with foreign aid donors and many members of the international community involved in Haiti's reconstruction efforts after a January 2010 earthquake shattered the country, killing more than 200,000 people.

He previously served as chief of staff of the U.N. Office of the Special Envoy to Haiti, led by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

The U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a statement calling for the "swift" appointment of a successor to ensure political stability, while expressing "regret" over Conille's departure.

Political tensions between Martelly and Conille recently erupted after Conille announced plans to audit $300 million in contracts awarded by his predecessor after the earthquake.

Conille and members of his Cabinet were also under pressure to cooperate with a parliamentary commission investigating the nationalities of members of the government.

Conille and some of his aides have held jobs and lived for extended periods outside Haiti.

Critics say Conille also alienated parliament and the president, including members of his own Cabinet, by some of his actions.

"It didn't work from Day One," said Alice Blanchet, a special adviser to five former prime ministers, including Conille's predecessor, Jean-Max Bellerive.

POLITICAL SHOWDOWN?

She described Conille's questioning of the earthquake reconstruction contracts as "petty and unpatriotic," noting that no irregularities had been identified by the international community. "That was offensive to parliament and to the president," she said.

The resignation could set the stage for another political showdown between Martelly, who took office in May 2011, and lawmakers in parliament, where he does not hold a majority.

Conille's appointment as prime minister in October only came after a five-month delay during which Martelly's first two nominees were rejected, impeding his ability to assemble a government to move ahead with reconstruction efforts.

"It's so frustrating. It reflects once again the willingness of political figures in Haiti to let policy differences reach the point of total polarization and stalemate," said Mark Schneider, vice president at the International Crisis Group, a Washington-based think tank that monitors Haiti closely.

"We are now embarked on another unknown journey of unknown length to try and find another prime minister," he added, noting how long it took Martelly last year to find a candidate acceptable to parliament.

"These things in Haiti are so destructive," he said. "For a country that is barely keeping it's head above water, this is like picking up another rock that pulls you further down to the bottom."

Two years after the quake, more than a half a million people are still living in tent camps in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and piles of concrete, steel and debris litter the streets.

During a recent visit to Haiti, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice publicly called on the country's political leaders to stop bickering.

"Haiti's executive and legislative branches," Rice said, "need to rise above their interests and work together in the spirit of compromise and overcome their common challenges."

Her words were echoed on Thursday by Mariano Fernandez, head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti.

Fernandez issued a statement expressing concern that "the political deadlock and institutional paralysis between the government, parliament and the president ... are not likely to create the necessary conditions for recovery of the economy and the consolidation of democracy."

(Additional reporting by David Adams in Miami; Writing by Kevin Gray; Editing by Todd Eastham and Stacey Joyce)

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Haiti's prime minister resigns after four months

Duro-Last Roofing, Inc.
525 Morley Drive
Saginaw, MI, 48601
USA

Press release date: February 23, 2012

SAGINAW, MICHIGAN - Duro-Last Roofing, Inc. is introducing a complete line of roof insulation products under the brand name Duro-Guard, at the International Roofing Expo, being held in Orlando, Florida, February 22-24. The product line includes a variety of private-labeled polyisocyanurate (ISO) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation, as well as DensDeck? roof boards. All new insulation products are available to authorized Duro-Last contractors through normal ordering procedures.

"Duro-Last intends to be a complete roofing systems provider to our customers," said Steve Ruth, Duro-Last Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "We already have industry-leading single-ply membranes, standing seam roofing systems, and metal details. Adding insulation to our product portfolio enhances our ability to effectively address virtually any application in the commercial roofing marketplace."

With corporate headquarters and a manufacturing facility in Saginaw, Michigan, and other locations in Grants Pass, Oregon; Jackson, Mississippi; and Sigourney, Iowa, Duro-Last Roofing, Inc. is the manufacturer of the "World's Best Roof"?. Since 1978, Duro-Last has produced a custom-fabricated, single-ply roofing system that is ideal for any flat or low-sloped building. Energy-efficient and extremely durable, the Duro-Last roofing system is also leak-proof, virtually maintenance-free and resistant to chemicals, fire, punctures, and high winds. Duro-Last offers specialized single-ply roof membranes, standing seam panels, and other metal components for single-ply roof installations, and a complete line of roof insulation products. For more information, contact Fred Sitter at 800-248-0280 or visit http://www.duro-last.com.

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Duro-Last® Introduces Duro-Guard(TM) Insulation Product Line

THE saying “lightning does not strike twice” did not apply to Arabaya, who was unfortunate enough to have her vehicle damaged by a roofing structure during two freak storms.

The latest incident happened yesterday near IOI Boulevard in Puchong, when a roof structure was blown off during an afternoon thunderstorm and landed on three cars that were parked along Jalan Kenari 7.

Arabaya’s colleague S. Ravisankar, who caught a snapshot of the incident, said three cars were damaged by the roof truss that had been blown off from an office shoplot.

“A Perodua Kenari suffered the worst damage as the roof truss landed smack on top of the car,” said the 27-year-old.

“Two cars parked next to the Kenari were also damaged — a Toyota Vios and a Proton Pesona belonging to Arabaya.”

Ravisankar said Arabaya suffered a similar incident last year, when a roofing structure was blown off and damaged her Proton Iswara.

According to him, police officers and Fire and Rescue Department personnel arrived shortly after the incident to cordon off the area and remove the debris.

At press time, the Vios and Pesona had been removed from the site.

A similar incident was reported in SS17, Subang Jaya, where a billboard collapsed onto a row of parked cars.

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Roofing structure collapses during freak storm

We recently saw the European Commission recognize 27 IBM Data Centers for energy efficiency. The commission, the executive body of the European Union, was going by the EU’s Code of Conduct for Data Centers, and we’re not 100 percent sure what requirements that entails, but we do know it’s A Good Thing.

In fact, as IBM officials said in a press statement, the honor represents “the largest portfolio of data centers from a single company to receive the recognition.”The idea is to reduce energy consumption “in a cost-effective manner without decreasing mission critical data center functions,” IBM officials said, using certain established best practices.

Great. What might those be?

Speaking broadly, IBM officials rattled off a list of general areas where one can find energy efficiencies in contact centers — energy-efficient hardware, free cooling, cold aisle containment and the like.

A bit more specifically, IBM officials said, one factor that weighed heavily in their winning the EU award is that many of their data centers support cloud computing. This isn’t only to save energy, of course, as the cloud is in high demand these days for its efficiencies, flexibility and profitability and other good common-sense business reasons.

Analytics are a huge part of IBM’s energy-saving success. The company uses Mobile Measurement Technology, an in-house product of IBM Research, using “thousands of sensors to record and analyze temperatures and air flow to detect hot and cold spots,” company officials explain, to get energy flow insight leading to the intelligence that lets IBM “efficiently cool data centers with a high measure of security and reliability and significant reduction in cost.”

The company believes in replacing older hardware equipment with more energy efficient servers, consolidating servers: fewer and more efficient servers = lower energy usage.

So that’s Big Blue’s overall approach. Solid, basic principles at work: Use the most energy-efficient servers you can find because they’ll save you money in the long run; consolidate your server needs; use analytics to find where you can cut down on costs within the data center itself; and take advantage of cloud computing where possible.

Bully for IBM. Does anybody else use a different approach?

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) issued a white paper titled “Best Practices Guide For Energy-Efficient Data Center Design” in March 2011. It addresses energy efficiency across the enterprise, breaking down its recommendations in seven areas.

Information Technology (IT) Systems

This is a good place to start because “IT equipment loads can account for over half of the entire facility’s energy use.” The white paper identifies rack servers as a major culprit, saying they account for “the largest portion of the IT energy load in a typical data center,” taking up lots of space, and drawing full power even when running at 20 percent use or lower, which according to the paper is, in fact, most of the time.

The FEMP recommends looking for servers with variable speed fans, as they can adjust to how much power is needed to actually cool the server. Throttle-down devices are helpful as well, reducing energy consumption on idle processors via “power management.” Use multi-core processor chips where possible, and consolidate your IT system redundancies — “consider one power supply per server rack,” instead of power supplies for each server.

Grouping equipment with similar heat load densities and temperature requirements means you can cool them more efficiently, the paper says, pointing to virtualization as another way to find efficiency.

Environmental Conditions

Yes, these matter. The FEMP cites the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and Network Equipment Building System, which has published recommendations for “environmental envelopes” for inlet air for IT equipment. Done correctly, it can help reduce overall energy consumption, and the recommendations are presented in the paper with cool charts and graphs we really can’t do justice to here.

But bear in mind that variable speed fans in servers are guided by internal server temperature, so if your data center’s using inlet air conditions higher than what’s recommended, well, the fans aren’t going to do the best job they can saving you money.

Air Management

Another important yet frequently overlooked area. Basically, what this refers to is the way you configure the center to get rid of as much air mixing between cool and hot as possible. You have lower operating costs if the hot air being expelled from the equipment isn’t recirculated to the machines again. The cooling air needs to be delivered to the servers as efficiently as possible.

No, it’s not a horribly sexy aspect of data center efficiency, but the money you save is.

The paper talks about cable congestion reducing total air flow, and allowing hot spots to develop. It recommends greater under-floor clearance, of at least two feet for raised-floor installations, and having a “cable management strategy” to minimize air flow obstructions, with possibly a cable mining program, involving the removal of abandoned or inoperable cables. Aisle separation’s a good idea too, with cool air aisles on one side of a row of servers and hot on the other. Those flexible plastic strips you see at supermarket refrigeration sections can really help here.

Cooling Systems

Probably one of the first things you thought of when you thought of data center energy efficiency, but as we hope you’ve seen by now, other considerations play a considerable part. The most common type of system here for smaller data centers would be a direct expansion (DX) system, CRAC units readily available off the shelf. Rooftop units are not pricey and work well, too.

Central air handler systems provide better performance, the paper notes, observing that they can “improve efficiency by taking advantage of surplus and redundant capacity to improve efficiency.”

Chilled water systems are another option, with a high-efficiency VFD-equipped chiller with condenser water reset recommended by the FEMP as “the most efficient cooling option for large facilities.”

There’s much more in the paper about other options for cooling systems.

Electrical Systems

Keep in mind both initial and future loads here, the FEMP white paper warns, adding that efficiencies can range widely from manufacturer to manufacturer. Use uninterruptible power supply systems for backup power, and for maximum efficiency determine exactly what equipment actually needs UPS and which doesn’t.

Demand response is voluntarily lowering energy usage during peak demand, and your utility will probably offer you some incentive to sign up for a program like that. Many companies simply switch to backup power during peak times and pocket the savings from the lower rates.

Using DC power distribution will save conversions, but it’s expensive to install since it’s still not widely-used. And consider savings you can find with lighting — think about what space really needs to be illuminated all day and what space doesn’t. Zone occupancy sensors can really help you reduce your lighting costs and overall energy costs.

Other Energy-Efficient Design Opportunities

The FEMP paper provides a few more things to think about:

On-Site Generation.  With a constant electrical demand this option can make sense. They’re an alternative to grid power. Some places let you sell self-generated power back to the grid, which lowers capital expenses. Co-Generation Plants. This is using a power station or similar technology to help produce electricity, and its waste heat can run a chiller to provide cooling. Standby Losses. Reduce these, and use waste heat from the data center to minimize losses by block heaters. Here’s one place solar panels might make sense. Waste Heat. This can be used to provide cooling — nifty irony there, no? Done correctly, the FEMP says, using absorption or adsorption chillers, your chilled water plant energy costs can be cut by at least 50 percent. Adsorption chillers require less maintenance than absorption models, but are new to the U.S. market.

Data Center Metrics and Benchmarking

You do this to track performance and see where you can find improvements. The paper provides links to various benchmarks.

Measuring Power Usage Effectiveness and Data Center Infrastructure Efficiency is a good place to begin benchmarking, not that they represent the entire, overall efficiency of your whole data center, as the paper says, but rather the “efficiency of the supporting equipment within a data center.” Which is still quite a lot.

Energy Reuse Effectiveness is another area for productive benchmarking, as is the Rack Cooling Index and Return Temperature Index, your Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning System Effectiveness and the Airflow Efficiency, not to mention the Cooling System Efficiency.

On-Site Monitoring and Continuous Performance Measurement is an important area to benchmark, and the paper provides resources to assist with this as well.

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Towards a More Energy-Efficient Data Center

By John DiNapoli

When it comes to making your home more energy efficient, sometimes we can overthink it. Should you install a high-efficiency furnace or solar panels? While these items can save you energy, they are expensive and have a long payback period. We have found that the easiest and most cost-effective way to save energy is to caulk and add insulation.

Recently, we set up a home energy assessment visit with a Unitil customer in Lunenburg. An energy specialist assessed the home's energy use and made a custom list of energy-saving recommendations, which I have detailed below because they are applicable to so many homes.

Insulation

* Box in recessed lights in the attic to prevent blown insulation from coming in contact with the lights. Install a thermadome over the attic staircase.

* Box in heating system in the attic. As a sealed combustion system in the attic, it requires some heat in order to prevent the condensation pump from freezing. This should be done using 2-inch rigid foam board insulation.

* Remove insulation from sloped ceiling in the attic. Having the sloped ceiling insulated increases the heated space to include that of the attic. A more effective barrier would be the attic floor.

* Add 1,289 square feet of R-50 cellulose insulation to the attic floor. Adding insulation will result in an improved thermal boundary, which will minimize the transfer of heat to the outdoors.

* Garage ceiling below apartment

should be dense-packed with cellulose. While there is insulation in the ceiling, there is also air movement, which should be eliminated.

Air tightening

* Reduce air infiltration by 23 percent. Minimizing the changes of air will reduce heating and cooling losses due to convection. Areas of concentration should be attic deck, attic access, doors between conditioned and unconditioned spaces, basement rim joist, as well as any mechanical and electrical penetrations in the home.

Like this Lunenburg customer, most homeowners need to beef up the amount of insulation in their homes. The above changes, many of which are do-it-yourself projects, would reduce this homeowner's annual energy usage by $300 per year.

John DiNapoli is community and municipal manager for Unitil.

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Save energy with caulking, insulation

New One-Stop Site Offers Inspiration, Advice and Community For Kitchen Design and Remodeling

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Williams-Sonoma, Inc. today announced the launch of Cultivate.com, a content site and online resource for kitchen inspiration and design. The website provides information about kitchen design and remodeling in one single destination, offering consumers advice from acclaimed kitchen experts, thousands of inspirational photos, recommendations for local kitchen professionals, and unique planning tools.

“Cultivate.com is part of our strategy to engage customers online around subjects they care about, and to help them enhance their homes”

Part online design magazine, part community networking site, Cultivate.com is focused on providing information and inspiration for kitchen design and remodeling – it is not an e-commerce site and does not sell merchandise. Designers, architects, and other kitchen professionals upload free profiles with information about their business and albums of their best kitchen projects. Consumers who join the site can then create private, online inspiration folders with their favorite kitchen designs and information on the professionals they are interested in working with. Cultivate.com also provides an opportunity for consumers to share their ideas and their kitchens with other enthusiasts.

“Our customers are passionate about their homes, and when we surveyed them about kitchen renovation we heard a common theme – that designing a kitchen can be overwhelming,” said Katherine Rice, vice president of business development, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. “So we created Cultivate.com to offer a resource with an inspirational yet practical point of view, helping make their ideal kitchen a reality.”

Other features of the site include articles and savvy advice from Cultivate.com’s key contributors, a hand-selected group of top designers, architects, craftsmen, and kitchen professionals who share their best design advice, and planning tools such as the Cultivate.com remodeling budget calculator.

“Cultivate.com is part of our strategy to engage customers online around subjects they care about, and to help them enhance their homes,” said Pat Connolly, chief marketing officer, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. “Our e-commerce sites attract more than 100 million unique visitors annually, all of whom share an affinity for creating a beautiful home, and now those visitors can tap into all that Cultivate.com offers.”

For design professionals, the site offers a unique opportunity to showcase their expertise and connect with a large audience interested in kitchen design. In addition, the site partners with leading kitchen manufacturers—including Cambria USA, Miele, Walker Zanger, Sub-Zero and Wolf, and Benjamin Moore—who lend their expertise to the site.

For many, the kitchen is the most important room in the home, and it is a passion point for the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. customer. Cultivate.com will offer a wide range of exciting new content, as well as innovative features and functionality, including a new social media component that will allow consumers to connect on an even greater scale with the kitchen professionals they admire.

As part of its launch activities, Cultivate.com is conducting the “Cultivate Kitchen Makeover Sweepstakes” from February 13 through April 9. A $15,000 grand prize will be offered in conjunction with key sponsors. Details can be found on Cultivate.com/sweepstakes.

ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. These products representing seven distinct merchandise strategies – Williams-Sonoma (cookware and wedding registry), Pottery Barn (furniture and bridal registry), Pottery Barn Kids (kid’s furniture and baby registry), PBteen (girls’ bedding and boys’ bedding), West Elm (modern furniture and room decor), Williams-Sonoma Home (luxury furniture and decorative accessories) and Rejuvenation Inc. (lighting and hardware) – are marketed through 592 stores, seven direct mail catalogs and six e-commerce websites.

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Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Debuts Cultivate.com

By Pat Krochmal pkrochmal@pioneerlocal.com February 24, 2012 2:40PM

A developer is proposing converting George’s What’s Cooking Restaurant into a two-story office building housing physicians’ offices.

Representatives of a developer appeared at a Deerfield Plan Commission meeting Thursday to request a special use and an amendment to a planned unit development ordinance to allow changes at the 350 S. Waukegan Road site.

The restaurant will close shortly because of financial issues, and a group of physicians from Northwest Memorial Hospital want to relocate there, said Lawrence M. Freedman, an attorney with Ash, Anos, Freedman and Logan of Chicago.

The plans for the site don’t change the front of the building much, said Richard N. Gordon, an architect with Interwork Architects Inc., of Northbrook. The entrance of the building will remain where it is. A second floor would top the structure and elevator towers would be added to the outside of the building.

The elevators will not go down to the building’s basement, which has access in the back of the building and will be used only as a storage area. The landscaping and sidewalk around the building will remain the same.

Handicapped parking would increase from seven spaces to nine, Freedman said. Three parking spaces will be lost to accommodate the construction of the elevator towers, but the property still has more than required, he noted.

“It’s a use that would be allowed by zoning, though it will bring us no sales tax,” commission member Robert Nadler said Thursday. “It’s a top retail and restaurant location, but I don’t know if another restaurant would make it there right now.”

Plans for the site will continue to work their way through village requirements until they receive approval.

Read the rest here:
Office building proposed for George’s location in Deerfield

A planned explosion at a construction site injured one person and damaged several cars at a nearby gas station.

According to Maj. Michelle Jones, Morristown Police Department spokesperson, the blast happened just after 1:30 pm Friday at a construction site off Panther Creek Road at West Andrew Johnson Highway.

Jones said the contractor, Mountain Reclamation and Construction, has been trying to clear rock from a lot, and one of their explosions Friday escaped their containment system, raining debris down on the BP station across the seat.

Michael E. Williams of Morristown was inside his car at a gas pump when a rock crashed through the window and hit him. He was transported to Morristown-Hamblen Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Rocks and other debris also hit the BP sign, the building, and five vehicles in that parking lot.  Three other vehicles were also damaged at a nearby car lot.  

The state fire marshall's office is conducting an investigation into the blast.

You Might Be Interested In

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Construction blast injures 1, damages cars & building

The downbound lanes on the Claremont Access are expected to be closed for days — possibly longer — as the city works to repair a Niagara Escarpment retaining wall that burst and spilled mud, rock and debris all over the roadway.

The accident occurred Wednesday afternoon as motorists were going about their usual business of using the access to get up and down Hamilton Mountain.

There were no injuries and the upbound lanes of the important artery were reopened to traffic two hours after the mudslide.

Brian Carnahan, who stopped to take pictures of the mudslide, was heading downbound on the access when he came upon the broken retaining wall.

A section of the wall and a tree had spilled onto the roadway.

“All of a sudden as I turned the corner I started to see this cluster of stuff.”

Carnahan says another man had got out of his car and was directing traffic.

The debris had reduced the downbound traffic to one lane.

Carnahan said as he started taking pictures, he heard a cracking sound “and it started to rain on me with water.”

“There was so much water there, and it just gave,” he said. “I'm surprised it didn't fall on somebody.”

Carnahan said he decided to leave a few minutes later in case another section of the retaining wall gave way.

“Thank God it didn't happen during rush hour because there would be dead people, that's for sure,” he added.

Gerry Davis, general manager of public works, told city council Wednesday night the retaining wall was last assessed and investigated for possible failure in November 2010. He said retaining walls on major road are inspected every two years.

Davis explained it is a double retaining wall and that the top wall had collapsed and crushed the bottom wall. Mud spilled onto the road and covered a tree that stood in the way.

The Claremont Access retaining wall was built in 1971.

Davis said repair costs had not been determined.

The failure might be weather-related, he told councillors, as there are no underground water mains or anything like that in the vicinity.

He said the city has commissioned a geotechnical and a structural engineer to do an assessment on the wall.

“They have to make sure it's safe before sending a contractor in,” he added.

Staff Sergeant Greg Doerr of Hamilton Police says the downbound lanes will be closed for an extended period, possibly days. Police were staying on the scene and Davis said public works would also be there.

City spokesperson Kelly Anderson said earlier in the day that structural and geological engineers were on-site very quickly to determine why the retaining wall failed.

The Claremont Access links Upper James Street with Victoria Avenue North in lower Hamilton. It is the newest of the city's Mountain access routes and carries about 16,000 vehicles each day.

The Sherman Access reopened at the end of October after a month-long closure. It was temporarily shut down when a section collapsed due to drainage problems caused by the Niagara Escarpment.

The cost of those repairs were $350,000.

Special to The Spectator

With files from Daniel Nolan

and Emma Reilly

Link:
Claremont Access still closed after mudslide