The revitalization of Lansdowne Park will cost $7.6 million more than expected according to new reports released Thursday night.

The documents show the air rights to develop buildings in Lansdowne Park with condominiums and offices above retail space will cost Minto Developments — the developer that won the rights — $2.3 million less than expected.

The lower amount comes even after the city, which expected to bring in $10 million for those rights, held a bidding process.

Minto Developments won the rights to build an office building and condo buildings in the park. Minto was also the only developer to submit a bid to construct the office building.

Another Ottawa developer, Broccolini Construction, told CBC News his company wasn't interested in submitting a bid because they weren't comfortable with the city's terms of reference on the project.

Derek Howe of Broccolini Construction noted that Lansdowne is still unproven as a commercial site, so some developers weren't interested in building an office tower on speculation — without having any tenants on-board.

The other additional costs were an extra $2.5 million to move and renovate the Horticulture Building, and $2.8 million the city will have to borrow to deposit in its social-housing reserve fund, in lieu of actual affordable housing space at Lansdowne.

City staff who wrote the reports now advise officials to discuss the concerns with Minto, whose president and CEO Roger Greenberg is one of the heads of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG).

OSEG is the city's partner to redevelop Lansdowne.

The report and its recommendations will go to the city finance and economic development committee Feb. 16.

Go here to see the original:
Lansdowne Park costs $7.6M higher than expected

February 12, 2012, 7:09 PM EST

By Zainab Fattah

Feb. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Dubai’s developers, battered by three years of falling prices for homes and offices, are seeking refuge in retail assets as shopping tourism powers the economy.

Nakheel PJSC, the government-owned company that restructured $16.1 billion of debt last year, is expanding its Dragon Mart shopping center and trying to raise funds for a cluster of restaurants and stores at the tip of its Palm Jumeirah artificial island. Dubai Mall owner Emaar Properties PJSC is getting an increasing share of its earnings from shopping assets as home completions fall.

“Most developers are looking to build recurring revenues because there are so few property sales happening right now,” said Patrick Gaffney, an analyst at HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd. “The sectors that are doing best are retail and hotels because of strong tourist arrivals.”

Dubai’s malls and shops have become more attractive after home values fell by more than 65 percent from their 2008 peak while retail sales have been rising since 2009. Developers that don’t already generate significant revenue from shopping assets will struggle to get a foothold in the market because little is being built or sold and banks are reluctant to finance any type of development in the emirate, including retail, Gaffney said.

Retail revenue in the United Arab Emirates probably increased 5.3 percent last year to 113 billion dirhams ($31 billion) Business Monitor International estimated. That will probably rise to 120 billion dirhams this year and 157 billion dirhams by 2015, it said.

Biggest Mall Owner

Majid Al Futtaim Holding LLC, the operator of Carrefour SA stores in the Middle East, is the largest owner of shopping malls in Dubai. The closely held developer this month raised $400 million selling Islamic bonds for the first time as part of a $1 billion program. Last month the company reported an 18 percent increase in revenue in its home market and said 2011 was its most successful year since being founded in 1992.

Majid Al Futtaim priced its $400 million, five-year Islamic bond, or sukuk, at a rate of 5.85 percent on Jan. 31. The yield rose 4 basis points since it started trading this month to 5.66 percent on Feb. 10. That compares with a 7.4 percent yield for Emaar’s 8.5 percent Islamic notes maturing in 2016. Emaar, Dubai’s second-biggest retail operator, also builds housing and offices.

Share of Income

Emaar reported that 41 percent of revenue and 68 percent of pretax profit came from hospitality properties and leased space including shopping malls in the first nine months of last year. That compares with 24 percent of revenue and 27 percent of profit a year earlier.S

Owning the Dubai Mall, the world’s largest with rentable space equivalent to 50 football fields, also helped the company when it used the asset as collateral to refinance 3.6 billion dirhams of debt at a lower price.

Retailers including American Eagle Outfitters Inc., Limited Brands Inc. and luxury watch seller Rivoli Group are opening shops in Dubai as consumer confidence rises. Macy’s Inc., the second-biggest U.S. department-store company, in January 2010 chose the Dubai Mall to open its first Bloomingdale’s store outside its home market.

Prospects aren’t as bright for developers that haven’t built up retail assets. Union Properties PJSC, which is mainly focused on homes and offices, this month reported a full-year loss of 1.57 billion dirhams. The company in January handed over ownership of properties including some in Limestone and The Index to settle 1.1 billion dirhams of debt.

Debt Due

Development PJSC, partly owned by Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC, has 234 million dirhams of debt coming due this year, compared with about 37.7 million dirhams of profit in 2011. The company had a loss of 2.9 billion dirhams the previous year.

“Even though retail is generally strong, especially at the large malls, we don’t expect many developers to build new ones because funding is tough and there is already a good amount of supply in the market,” Gaffney said. “The areas that will do best are smaller strip malls or supermarkets near housing developments.”

Shopping accounted for about 30 percent of Dubai’s gross domestic product last year, Standard Chartered Bank Plc economist Philippe Dauba-Pantanacce estimated. The Dubai Statistics Center said retail and wholesale trade rose by 9.3 percent and hotels and restaurants increased by 4.4 percent in 2010. It hasn’t yet released figures for last year.

New Shops, Restaurants

Nakheel is in talks with banks to raise at least 300 million dirhams for its first new project since the debt-ridden company received a government bailout in 2009. The Pointe at Palm Jumeirah, across the water from the Atlantis hotel, will include 120 restaurants, 75 shops and landscaped areas for visitors with a view of an offshore fountain.

“The retail sector is strategic for Nakheel,” Chairman Ali Rashed Lootah said at a press conference in January. He added that 60 percent of an extension to Nakheel’s Dragon Mart mall was booked by retailers within a week of its announcement. The company plans to add 1.7 million square feet of retail space and 5,000 parking spaces to the mall.

Even with a growing retail market, Nakheel may have difficulty raising the money after it received a government bailout and restructured debt, according to analysts including Ahmed Talhaoui, the Abu Dhabi-based head of investment and asset management at Royal Capital PJSC.

“Any issue would have to be at a very competitive yield and probably with a structure that gives some government guarantee,” Talhaoui said in a January interview.

Costly Debt

The yield on Nakheel’s 3.8 billion-dirham, 10 percent sukuk maturing in August 2016, fell 123 basis points, or 1.23 percentage points, so far this year to 16.86 percent on Feb. 10, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That compares with an average yield of 4.45 percent for U.A.E Islamic bonds on Feb. 10, the HSBC/NASDAQ Dubai UAE US Dollar Sukuk Index shows.

Emaar, which opened Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, in 2010, derived about 23 percent of its 2011 income from retail rents and is now focusing almost exclusively in Dubai on growing sales at its malls, HSBC’s Gaffney said. Tourists visiting the Burj Khalifa’s observation deck can only get there by going through the Dubai Mall.

“Emaar was better positioned than others when the financial crisis hit,” said Gaffney. “They had already launched and sold so much in Dubai and didn’t have tons of unsold inventory coming on line. They also were focused on the construction of Burj Khalifa, Emaar Boulevard and Dubai Mall, rather than starting new projects.”

Malls, Hotels

Malls and hotels are the main value drivers for Emaar, whose projects span the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, Ahmed Badr said in a note on Oct. 27, when he was head of Middle East property research at Credit Suisse Group AG. He now works as an equity sales specialist with the bank.

Dubai, the second-largest of seven sheikhdoms that make up the United Arab Emirates, racked up $129 billion in debt transforming itself into a tourist and trade hub. While many developments were canceled, attractions including Burj Khalifa and resort hotels like the Atlantis help bring in visitors who shop for goods that aren’t available in much of the region.

“The local population is wealthy enough to be able to keep buying and the tourism growth was very strong in Dubai last year,” said David Macadam, head of retail for the Middle East and North Africa at Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. He said Dubai shopping is bolstered by visitors from the Gulf region, Europe, China, the Indian subcontinent and the rest of the Arab world.

Popular Destination

Dubai hotels reported an 11 percent increase in visitors in the nine months through September compared with a year earlier, according to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. Revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya and armed conflicts in Yemen and Syria mean that tourists in the region have fewer options for vacations.

Buyers spent $114 million in the first week of Dubai’s month-long shopping festival, a 53 percent increase over the year earlier period, according to Karim Beg, Visa Inc.’s head of marketing for the Middle East and North Africa.

“Our marketing efforts have reached new markets in east Asia such as China and Japan and even though this strategy started only three years ago, we have seen its fruit already,” said Laila Suhail, chief executive officer of festival organizer Dubai Events & Promotions.

Dubai has 2.58 million square meters (27.8 million square feet) of mall-based retail space, according to a report by property broker Jones Lang LaSalle. About 173,000 square meters will be completed in the next two years, mostly in small shopping centers or strip malls, it said.

Reluctant Lenders

Banks wary of real-estate lending may make an exception if the business case for a project is clear and if adequate protection is put into place, said Raj Madha, an analyst at Rasmala Investment Bank Ltd.

Union Properties sold a building in the Umm Suqeim neighborhood for more than 140 million dirhams to supermarket operator Spinneys, Chairman Khalid Bin Kalban said in June 2010. Such transactions are rare in Dubai, where developers tend to hold onto shopping assets.

“It doesn’t make sense for owners to relinquish well- performing assets such as malls, which were great source of cash even during the crisis,” said Matthew Green, head of United Arab Emirates research at real-estate broker CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. “Also, when you look at mall owners they are generally companies that don’t have a pressing need to sell. Even if they wanted to sell, it won’t be prime assets.”

Skiing at the Mall

Majid Al Futtaim’s Mall of the Emirates, which contains an indoor ski slope, has a 99.8 percent occupancy rate, while the developer’s Deira City Center and Mirdif City Centre have rates of 98.8 percent and 96.9 percent respectively, according to the company’s prospectus.

Dubai’s mall vacancy rate stands at 20 percent, mainly because of smaller malls with low visitor numbers. Most big international brand retailers won’t open stores in small malls as they look for the most prestigious and high profile locations, Gaffney said.

After the sheikhdom first opened up its real-estate market to foreigners in 2005, developers focused on selling homes as speculation-driven investment drove up prices.

“At the time, it made more sense to sell land and residential units because it was less risky,” HSBC’s Gaffney said. Back then, developers couldn’t determine whether the location would be valuable by the time a shopping center was built, he said.

--Editors: Ross Larsen, Andrew Blackman.

To contact the reporter on this story: Zainab Fattah in Dubai on zfattah@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Blackman at ablackman@bloomberg.net

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Dubai Developers Thrown Retail Lifeline as Property Sales Sink

Last Updated: February 10, 2012 05:01pm ET

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“Retailers in need of reinvention
will continue to downsize or
close stores that fail to meet
operational hurdles," says Rose.

(Mark Your Calendars: RealShare REAL ESTATE 2012, March 22nd in Los Angeles).

ENCINO, CA-Retail properties performed remarkably well and have a strong potential for an upside surprise despite setbacks to the US economy in the second half of 2011, GlobeSt.com has exclusively learned from a National Retail Report. The report, released by Marcus & Millichap, says that space absorption improved for the ninth consecutive quarter, while construction starts fell to their lowest levels in 20 years.

The report also adds that an anticipated rise in net absorption to 77 million square feet will surpass the 32 million square feet of new supply, tightening the US vacancy rate to 9.2% by year’s end.

“The retail sector’s strong performance defied pundits’ expectations,” says Hessam Nadji, managing director, research and advisory services for the firm. “Retail assets overcame a mid-year plunge, as well as a slide in consumer confidence and a modest contraction in per-capita disposable income.”

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Ultimately, Nadji says, core retail sales increased 6.5% by year’s end, with holiday sales growing by 3.8% over 2010. “Private-sector hiring totaled 1.8 million in 2011, with the addition of 466,000 jobs in 4Q,” he says. “Consumers are still under tremendous pressure, but have shown significant resilience amid the financial-market turmoil and recession talk of the past five to six months.”

All 44 markets tracked in the report’s National Retail Index are forecast to post job growth, vacancy declines and effective rent growth in 2012, with San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle ranking at the top of the index. Technology, tourism and strong outlooks for job and population gains will tighten space fundamentals in the five markets that led advancements with seven-spot gains in the national retail index this year, says the report. These include San Jose (#2) and Seattle (#3) with links to technology, strong incomes and low vacancy; Phoenix (#28) and Portland (#6), which advanced on high-tech manufacturing and retail sales; and Miami’s (#14) big decline in vacancy, aided by tourism and low supply.

“Fortress malls, luxury retail stores and well-located grocery-anchored shopping centers in gateway markets, parallel with wholesale clubs and off-price outlets have outperformed the sector,” says Bill Rose, national director of the firm’s national retail group. “Retailers in need of reinvention will continue to downsize or close stores that fail to meet operational hurdles. Limited expansion plans by other retailers must demonstrate substantial value in both market share and profitability to remain viable,” continues Rose.

Retail investment sales increased 32% from 2010 to nearly $61 billion, sparking a 40-basis-point-decline in cap rates to 7.9% on average, says the report. The biggest gains occurred in the $10-million to $20-million property segment, with transaction velocity increasing 98% on a year-over-year basis. Gateway investment markets of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, South Florida and Boston dominated sales activity, according to the NRR.

“Accommodative monetary policy will restrain interest rates for the coming year,” says William E. Hughes, senior vice president and managing director of Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. Furthermore, global investors seeking safety in the midst of ongoing debt crises abroad will migrate to US government debt, which should keep yields low in the mid-term, he says. “CMBS retail loans totaling $1.5 billion will mature in 2012, but many may fail to refinance in the current lending environment because 81% have LTVs exceeding acceptable levels.”

According to Hughes, “Lending for lower-quality, but not distressed assets will ease until economic performance proves out in the first half of the year. While loan assumptions and seller financing will moderate, they will be enough to fill the financing gap.”

Rose adds that “Favorable risk-adjusted returns will be rewarded to those who invest in major mid-American ‘NFL cities,’ while cap rate compression will continue in major coastal MSAs…Clearly, there is no scarcity of liquidity, and real estate fundamentals will continue to spur increased investment sales and finance transactions.”

For more thought leadership from Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, check out "StreetSmart," a blog by Hessam Nadji, the firm's managing director of research and advisory services. The blog provides Thought Leadership positions on a variety of commercial real estate-related issues. Click here to watch Nadji on CNBC's "Realty Check" program talking about multifamily and the housing crash. For more information on the Thought Leadership program, contact Scott Thompson at sthompson@alm.com.

Categories: West, Retail, Marcus & Millichap, Los Angeles

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Retail Property Sector Defies Expectations

GLEN ALLEN, Va., Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry analyst firm NanoMarkets today announced the addition of a new report to the firm's schedule of February reports titled,"BIPV Glass Markets-2012."  The report builds on the considerable amount of industry analysis that NanoMarkets has carried out in the BIPV, smart windows and related markets to provide an eight year forecast and roadmap for BIPV products.  Additional details about the report are available at http://nanomarkets.net/market_reports/report/bipv_glass_markets_2012

About the Report:

This report examines and quantifies the market for BIPV products worldwide with coverage of both commercial and residential markets and a special consideration of the immediate market for BIPV in prestige buildings of various kinds.  This analysis is carried out in the context of the latest developments in regional and national PV regulatory policy and construction industry trends.

The report also projects the development of BIPV glass systems themselves showing how they are expected to evolve from relatively crude systems with low levels of transparency to true integrations of PV and window glass.  The report also looks at what the implications of all of this is in terms of opportunities for both PV and glass firms and assesses the current strategies of firms already pursuing the BIPV glass market.  And as with all NanoMarkets reports, this report contains granular eight-year forecasts in both MW and dollar terms of BIPV glass markets, with breakouts by end user, type of product and type of PV technology.

Coverage Outline:

BIPV Glass Technologies and Products BIPV Glass:  Transparent and semitransparent The economics of BIPV glass The aesthetics and architectural merits of BIPV glass BIPV Glass by PV Technology Crystalline silicon:  Pythagoras and Sunovation Thin-film PV:  A road much travelled by the BIPV glass sector OPV, DSC and Transparency:  Konarka and Dyesol BIPV glass and smart windows Adding intelligence to BIPV glass: Three strategies Retrofits and customization Tapping the market for retrofit transparent BIPV BIPV products customization strategies Plastic as an alternative to glass in BIPV

Markets and Drivers for BIPV Glass

BIPV glass trends in 2011 and 2012 Impact of worldwide construction trends Impact of economic and regulatory factors Important trends in national and regional markets BIPV glass markets for prestige buildings BIPV glass in other commercial and government building markets BIPV glass in residential building markets (multi-tenant and single-family) Other markets for BIPV glass

Forecasts for BIPV Markets

Forecasting methodology Sources of information Pricing assumptions Alternative scenarios Forecast of BIPV glass by end user, type of PV and type of BIPV glass product

About NanoMarkets:

NanoMarkets tracks and analyzes emerging market opportunities in energy, electronics and other markets created by developments in advanced materials. The firm is a recognized leader in industry analysis and forecasts in these areas and has been covering PV markets for six years.

Visit http://www.nanomarkets.net for a full listing of NanoMarkets' reports and other services.

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NanoMarkets Announces Upcoming Report on Building Integrated Photovoltaics Glass

A year and a half after three city businessmen bought the former Quaker Fabric headquarters for $1.5 million, they named five commercial tenants at a press conference Thursday while stating their multiuse project should top $20 million when the residential portion is finished in early 2013.

“I think there will be in excess of 100 new jobs, and I think (this portion of) the project represents in excess of $3 million,” Cordeiro said of his project, which faces the Taunton River and Bicentennial Park.

The key, he said, was the previously announced expansion of Bristol Community College to bring 2,500 students weekly within 18,000 square feet of converted second-floor mill space.

BCC Vice Presidents Steven Kenyon and Joan Menard said in June students would attend day and night classes in adult basic education, GED and work-force training.
Some will be dislocated workers from companies like A.J. Wright that shut down in Fall River last year and Quaker Fabric, which declared bankruptcy in 2007.

“There are a lot of local residents,” Menard, the retired long-time state legislator, said of the students. “We’re very excited about this partnership.”

BCC will add 20 jobs.

Cordeiro, joined by partners Larry Coutu and Alan Macomber, told the media and supportive cast of officials the BCC students triggered commitments for a second restaurant and a coffee shop.

Mayor Will Flanagan hailed the progress, calling it “a genesis of waterfront revitalization.”

He cited eateries locating here and said the investment “speaks volumes about what our city has to offer.”

Kenneth Fiola Jr. reported the news as a further sign of waterfront revitalization.

Neither officials nor developers had details of the tax revenue that will be produced, but Cordeiro said it would be substantial.

The other tenants announced included:

— Red Cedar Restaurant, blending wood-fired cuisine and trendy music on 3,000 square feet of the first floor with a courtyard overlooking the water on the north side. The three partners from Greater Fall River plan to bring 30 to 50 jobs.

— Custom Coffee House, popular in Portsmouth, R.I., and opening its second location fronting Davol Street.

— Arbour Health, a social services agency, bringing offices in 12,000 square feet of space.

— A spa/salon.

“They’ll all be ready for June 1,” Cordeiro said. At that juncture, Cordeiro said they’d have invested $7 million, and about 65,000 of 88,000 square feet on the first two floors would be occupied, along with a church on the lower level.

He also said that in a couple of weeks their building contractor would obtain 90 building permits. It reflects plans for 27 mostly two-bedroom apartments on each of the fifth and fourth floors and possibly the third floor.

That largest phase represents a $14 million cost with completion plans by the first quarter of 2013.

The question of Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill opening this fall came up.

“Remy’s is a work in progress,” Cordeiro said. He said architectural drawings are done and they’ve “hired a full-time attorney to deal with Remy’s lawyers, and we’re moving forward.”

He also introduced general contractor David Sluter of New England Construction, who spoke about their $235 million Rumford Center project in East Providence slated to be fully occupied this summer in similar mill reuse.

Flanagan, beginning his second-term, linked this project from strong campaign supporter Cordeiro to his campaigns for office, saying the city would have a waterfront “bustling with activity.”

He listed things in place or in the planning, such as a 125-slip marina, Battleship Cove, the Carousel and the Marine Museum as destinations.

He said the city also was working with the Regatta owner to see that long dormant waterfront pub on the other side of Bicentennial Park reopened.

Email Michael Holtzman at mholtzman@heraldnews.com.

Read more from the original source:
Commonwealth Landing partners name 5 tenants for multiuse project

Team Capital Bank opens New Jersey office

Team Capital Bank recently opened its newest community banking office in West Orange, N.J.

The West Orange office will be managed by Mira Coccoziello. She and her team will provide personal banking, small business and commercial lending solutions in person and online.
Architectural services for the West Orange bank were provided by Cerminara Architect of Hillsborough, N.J. Iron Hill Construction Management Co., based in Bethlehem, served as general contractor for the project.

Engineering services were provided by Petry Engineering of Fairfield, N.J.

Bethlehem cardiologists' group joins Lehigh Valley Health Network

Lehigh Valley Cardiology Associates, Bethlehem's longest-active practice of cardiologists, joined Lehigh Valley Health Network on Jan. 1.

Founded 25 years ago by Robert Biggs, the group's practice leader, LVCA is the second practice of cardiologists to become employees of Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Their office will remain at 2649 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem, on the campus of Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, where they will treat their patients who need hospitalization.

The first cardiology group to join LVHN, Lehigh Valley Heart Specialists, was formed seven years ago and has 20 cardiologists.

Dan's Camera City to open second store

Dan's Camera City will open a second location at Routes 248 and 33 in Palmer Township in the spring.

With the expansion of Dan's, they will introduce a portrait studio. The expansion will also allow Dan's to add approximately 20 full-time employees to staff the new location. Dan's currently has a total of more than 90 employees at its Allentown store.

Bethlehem YWCA gets $5,000 from First Niagara

The YWCA of Bethlehem was recently presented a check from First Niagara bank in the amount of $5,000 to support the YWCA's Prom Dress Day event. The 2012 Prom Dress Day will take place on March 31 at the State Theatre in Easton.

Continue reading here:
COMPANY NEWS: Lehigh Valley Cardiology Associates joins Lehigh Valley Health Network

CHINO, CA--(Marketwire -02/10/12)- Nan Richardson has joined Chino, Calif.-based commercial/retail contracting firm JG Construction as director of marketing and business development.

In her new position, Ms. Richardson will be responsible for all marketing activities both internal and external, including client relations, creating and managing the marketing plan, as well as overseeing marketing communications for the firm, which is licensed in 11 western states, including Hawaii.

Ms. Richardson enjoys 20 years of successful experience in director-level positions in marketing, public relations and business development for prominent firms in the architectural and commercial interior design fields. She possesses a unique skill set, having earned a degree in Interior Design from American Institute of Interior Design in Lucerne, Switzerland, and worked as a commercial real estate broker. Ms. Richardson is active in a variety of industry groups and charitable endeavors. She was nominated for the 2005 "Top Women in Business" Award by the Orange County Business Journal.

"We are impressed with Nan's background and experience," said Wally Clark, vice president. "Her depth of knowledge and relationships in the commercial real estate industry are invaluable to our marketing efforts."

Founded in 1979, JG Construction is a Certified Woman Owned Business and licensed general contractor in 11 western states including Hawaii. Along with JG Service Company, the two entities comprise family-owned JG Companies and serve national commercial/retail clients with a vast range of projects, from ground-up to tenant improvements to interior remodels. JG Service Company for more than 33 years has provided electrical, mechanical and construction repair services to facility managers and property owners throughout California.

For more information, please visit http://www.jgconstruction.com, or contact Nan Richardson at (909) 993-9393, or nanr@jgconstruction.com.

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Nan Richardson Named Director of Marketing & Business Development for JG Construction

Dales water tower makeover to be featured on TV's Restoration Man

1:17pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in

THE transformation of a former water tower into a luxury home will be revealed on television later this month.

Settle Water Tower – which sits next to the famous Settle-Carlisle Railway Line – has been lovingly restored by railway enthusiast Mark Rand and his wife, Pat.

They bought the grade two-listed structure for £208,000, in October 2010, because of “an overarching desire” to restore the building which was hidden by trees and ivy and allow it once again to be a visual part of Settle Station.

And while the fabric of the water tower was in excellent state, the interior was just an empty shell.

“It came with planning permission for conversion into a dwelling, but the plan wasn’t to our liking,” said Mr Rand, who is a former chairman of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Railway.

The couple submitted new plans, but it took six months before permission was granted and work could start.

In the meantime, Mr Rand took on the colossal job of painting the 72 panels on the water tank himself in order to keep costs down.

“I did it hanging from a gondola, but I knew it was time to stop when the paint blew off the brush in the wind,” he added.

Using local tradesmen, the vast majority of the work was completed within six months and the couple hope to move into their new home by Easter.

“We are thrilled with the outcome,” said Mr Rand, whose favourite part of the restoration is the view from the tower roof which no-one had been able to see before.

The project has been filmed by Channel 4’s Restoration Man programme and, this week, camera crews and presenter George Clarke paid their final visit to the water tower, which was last used in 1968.

“We offered the project to Restoration Man as a means of getting some nationwide publicity for the Settle-Carlisle Line,” said Mr Rand.

“I know more or less what is in the programme but I’m looking forward to seeing it.”

The footage will be screened on Channel 4 on Thursday, February 16, at 9pm.

Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs Rand are looking at the possibility of holding an open day before they move in and intend to open their home as part of the national heritage open days in September.

l More images from the restoration will be published as a picture feature in the Craven Herald on February 23.

Here is the original post:
Dales water tower makeover to be featured on TV's Restoration Man

Water damage provider looks to expand its service area through the addition of new partner companies.

Cleveland OH (PRWEB) February 09, 2012

RestorationLocal.com, one of the leading providers of water damage restoration services in the country, is actively seeking service providers in markets across the US to add to its network of partners. Nearly every home will suffer from water damage at some point, and it is important for homeowners to have a place to turn for help in the event of such a problem.

RestorationLocal.com has established itself as one of the leading providers of water restoration services in the country, servicing 30 states with companies providing 24/7 availability and same day service.

Restoration Local.com provides its partners with top flight marketing and lead generation, allowing them to concentrate on providing the best possible quality service to their customers and freeing them from the extra effort of marketing, promotion, and internet ad campaigns.

The approach utilized by Restoration Local.com makes use of marketing promotions, social media, and white hat SEO techniques that are designed to drive business to a high ranking company web site. When people discover the presence of water damage in their home or business, the process is simple: they go online, search for “water damage” (or a related term), and find the Restoration Local.com site. When they call the number or enter their information, they are immediately connected to a professional, certified water damage repair company serving their community.

The single most valuable benefit to listing with Restoration Local.com is exclusivity: each Restoration Local.com service provider has its own exclusive service area, which means that all leads generated from within that given area are unique to that company. There is no shotgun approach or sharing of leads among multiple providers. Other benefits include a 70% SEO/PPC conversion rate (higher than industry average), no charge for bogus leads or wrong numbers, and no long term contracts.

There are only a limited number of water damage service areas available, so any interested water damage repair company is encouraged to act quickly by calling 1-877-725-2459 or visiting their website.

###

Matt Staton
33 Mile Radius
1-877-725-2459
Email Information

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RestorationLocal.com Looking to Add Water Damage Restoration Partners to Its Roster

Prime Minister pledges his '100 per cent' support for Health Secretary
Tory MP Nadine Dorries says No 10 encouraged ministers to 'smear' Lansley Escalation comes after three unnamed Ministers call for Bill to be scrapped

By Simon Walters

Last updated at 11:40 AM on 12th February 2012

Rattled David Cameron has been forced to come out fighting to save his NHS reforms and prevent Health Secretary Andrew Lansley falling victim to a dirty tricks plot by Cabinet Ministers.

In an angry meeting at No?10, he thumped the table as he vowed to press ahead with the changes, saying: ‘We’ve not shed blood on these proposals not to go through with them.’

Last night he stepped up his offensive, reading the riot act to rebel Ministers, pledging his ‘100 per cent’ support for embattled Mr Lansley, and declaring he is ‘absolutely determined’ not to do a U-turn on the health shake-up. 

Coming out fighting: David Cameron, the Prime Minister, left, last night stepped up his offensive as he tries to save his controversial NHS reforms and the career of his Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, right

But Mr Cameron faced a fierce counter-attack by Tory MP and  ex-nurse Nadine Dorries, who supports the reforms and claims No?10 had encouraged Ministers to ‘smear’ Mr Lansley.

‘Lansley is toast. It is clear that Cameron wants to kill his own NHS Bill – and Andrew Lansley’s career with it,’ she writes in today’s Mail on Sunday.

She says that instead of pillorying Mr Lansley, No?10 should have advised him on how to explain his reforms to patients.

 

Counter-attack: Tory MP Nadine Dorries has laid into Mr Cameron, claiming No 10 had encouraged Ministers to 'smear' Mr Lansley

The escalation in the NHS row came after three unnamed Cabinet Ministers used a Tory website to call for the Bill to be scrapped.

Mr Cameron said yesterday: ‘Andrew Lansley has my 100 per cent support. He is a very strong Health Secretary and is staying  in his job.’

And in a warning shot to Mr Lansley’s Cabinet enemies, a Downing Street spokesman added: ‘The Prime Minister is quite clear – the collective responsibility of the Cabinet means that Mr Lansley has its full support.’

Mr Cameron called the rebel Ministers’ bluff by challenging them to repeat their private criticism of Mr Lansley to him.

The spokesman said: ‘No one has raised this issue with him either before or after these reports appeared.’

In a further sign of his concern, Mr Cameron referred to the way the NHS helped him and wife Samantha cope with their disabled son Ivan, who died in 2009, as proof of his personal faith in the health service.

He said: ‘The reforms are necessary; I am totally committed to the NHS; I and my family have personal experience  of it and I want it to remain free at the point of use.’

He plans to take personal charge of the NHS changes following a loss of confidence in Mr Lansley among voters and Ministers alike.

Mr Cameron will visit a hospital this week in a public display of his commitment to the NHS and plans a series of interviews spelling out why the changes are needed.

Ivan, Mr Cameron's late son: The PM referred to the way the NHS helped him and wife Samantha cope with the disabled son boy, who died in 2009, as proof of his personal faith in the health service

Ministers are increasingly alarmed at the way the NHS Bill, designed to slash bureaucracy and boost efficiency by switching power and money to GPs and patients, has come under attack from Labour, the Lib Dems – and now the Tory Cabinet.

Many Tory MPs think it is too late to save Mr Lansley. Claims that the legislation could be a repeat of the ill-fated Poll Tax that helped bring down Margaret Thatcher have set alarm bells ringing.

Tim Montgomerie, of grassroots website ConservativeHome, said three Cabinet Ministers had urged him to call for the reforms to be dropped – and Mr Lansley sacked.

Opponents? Chancellor George Osborne has publicly supported the reforms, but some MPs say he has privately expressed doubts. Michael Gove, the Education Secretary is also said to be worried about the plan

His statement led to intense speculation as to their identity.

Publicly, Chancellor George Osborne says he supports the  Bill – but some MPs say he has grave private doubts.

Education Secretary Michael Gove, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson and Leader of the Commons Sir George Young are also said to be worried about the reform plan.

By NADINE DORRIES

Last updated at 11:40 AM on 12th February 2012

Last week a prominent political journalist wrote that a No?10 aide had said: ‘Lansley should be taken out and shot.’

Let’s get one thing straight: if you work in No?10 and you say something like that to a newspaper, you absolutely know it is going to be reported and you would only say it if you had been told to say it – or you wanted to lose your job.

No?10 aides aren’t known for their professional kamikaze tendencies so it has to be assumed that whoever said it was acting under orders.

'Machiavellian tendencies': Ms Dorries, right, says the order to smear Mr Lansley was 'most likely' given by Chancellor Osborne, left, as part of an orchestrated campaign against the Health Secretary

In my view, those orders are most likely to have been issued by George Osborne, who knocks the Machiavellian tendencies of Gordon Brown into the shadows.

Such a briefing sends a clear message to Ministers: it was code for the Prime Minister’s general direction of travel. It said: ‘Feel free to start smearing Lansley.’

David Cameron’s endorsement of Lansley in the Commons on Wednesday, when he told Ed  Miliband that Lansley’s chance of holding on to his job was ‘safer than yours’, was conspicuously tepid, bearing in mind Miliband’s dismal ratings. There is only one conclusion: Lansley is toast.

The same No?10 aide also mooted the possibility of former Labour Minister Alan Milburn being appointed to the Lords and put in charge of overseeing the NHS reforms. Again, it is my view that this was a carefully calculated, deliberate leak.

There was never a more vexatious piece of legislation than the NHS Bill, which Lansley has been immersed in for seven years.

His reforms run through every vein and artery of the NHS and are exactly the kind of changes a blue-sky-thinking Conservative Government should be implementing. These are reforms, I might add, that Cameron supported, before the Liberal Democrats mutilated the Bill with hundreds of amendments.

It should have been a winner: Unfortunately, Mr Lansley's attention to detail made it almost impossible for him to speak about the reforms in terms people could understand, Ms Dorries says

The NHS reforms were being worked out long before we were in a coalition and the initial Bill was Conservative to its core, as far from a Liberal Democrat top-heavy view of the NHS as you could possibly get.

The irony is that, originally, it wasn’t that difficult to sell. Messages which articulated the fact that GPs became holders of budgets which empowered patients and put them in the driving seat were clear and simple to get over.

All patients needed to be told was that they would be able to sit in front of a GP and ask: ‘You hold the purse strings now, why can’t I have that drug?’

It should have been a winner with the public. Unfortunately, Lansley’s attention to detail made it almost impossible for him to speak about the reforms in terms people could understand.

He is a man of exceptional intelligence but speaks in the jargon of integrated care pathways, learning networks and triggers for intervention.

The reforms are highly complex and No?10 should have helped Lansley to explain them. Instead they have left him to his fate.

Then Nick Clegg’s chippy Lib Dems got their teeth into the Bill.

They have caused so much mischief, you could be forgiven for forgetting we are in a coalition.

They may have only 52 MPs, but they display the arrogance of a party that knows it holds the balance of power – even though they face annihilation at the next General Election. 

Machinations: Mr Cameron, center, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, background left, and Mr Lansley, on a visit to a patient ward at Frimley Park hospital in April last year

It is clear that Cameron wants  to kill his own NHS Bill – and Lansley’s career with it. Now that Downing Street has started to smear one of its own Secretaries of State, confidence in the Bill and Lansley – a dedicated and loyal public servant, whose only crime has been to apply his immense intelligence and Conservative principles with absolute dedication – will collapse.

A new Secretary of State will be appointed to carry the changes through to a natural conclusion. Many have already been put in place. Primary Health Care Trusts have all but gone; GPs have organised themselves into consortiums; hospitals have adapted.

What is left of Lansley’s reforms will be jettisoned. No doubt it will placate Clegg, but at the expense of a better health service.

I fear the malicious briefings will continue and Lansley will be replaced as soon as Cameron and Clegg can agree upon a replacement ready to please the Lib Dems.

Sadly, it merely goes to show just how far Cameron has removed himself from core Conservative principles.

 

Read more here:
We shed blood on our NHS reforms: Table-thumping Cameron lashes out at Cabinet back-stabbers and vows there won't be a ...