The Tuscaloosa Riverwalk development is seen in Tuscaloosa on Thursday. Another Broken Egg and Orange Leaf Yogurt, which are new to the Tuscaloosa market, will be among the restaurants in the Riverwalk condo-retail development that will open later this year.

TUSCALOOSA | An upscale brunch restaurant and a frozen yogurt shop will be among the first retailers at Riverwalk Place, the luxury condominium-retail development under construction on the citys Riverwalk.

Another Broken Egg Cafe and Orange Leaf Yogurt, both new to the Tuscaloosa area, are expected to open in late summer on the first floor of the development overlooking the Black Warrior River, said Brandon Clark, a real estate agent for the projects developer, Bill Lunsford Construction & Development in Northport.

Construction is coming along great, Clark said of the $14 million project, which will include 22 luxury condo units, plus another restaurant and four additional retail shops.

He said Lunsford hopes to have the projects certificate for occupancy for all the units from city building inspectors by Sept. 15. The certificate is the final approval needed before occupancy.

The project has 15 sales contracts for the condo units, and Clark said Lunsford hopes to announce more retail tenants soon. The one- and two-bedroom condos will be on the two upper floors of the two-building project. The condos prices start at $475,000.

Clark said inside finishing work has started on one of the buildings, which has been enclosed, and the roof will soon be in place on the second building.

Inquiries have picked up for the remaining retail space, Clark said.

When he announced the project last fall, Bill Lunsford said he was being selective in recruiting the retail tenants.

We are trying to bring in new businesses that are not in Tuscaloosa for everyone to enjoy, he said at the time.

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Riverwalk will include upscale cafe, yogurt shop

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The YMCA of Greater Cleveland will move its downtown branch into the Galleria at Erieview, illustrating how developers and tenants are dreaming up creative ways to remake old retail space.

A 40,000-square-foot fitness facility, including a three-lane lap pool, will fill the southeast section of the glassed-in former mall in downtown Cleveland.

Building owner Werner Minshall plans to donate the space to the YMCA, which will undertake a $9 million renovation that could be finished in early 2014.

The deal is a much-needed win for an iconic property in a key downtown district.

For years, the Galleria has scrabbled to stay alive by leasing space to non-retail tenants and booking weddings and events. As owners of empty shopping centers have turned to churches, offices and business incubators to fill space, the greenhouse-like Galleria has garnered attention for growing herbs in its central atrium for local restaurants.

The YMCA will fill a large hole, once leased to stores including The Limited. The downtown gym, which has 3,650 members and hopes to surpass 5,500 members at the new location, could boost traffic in the parking garage, the food court and the neighborhood.

"It has been what I would call a loss leader for us for seven or eight years," Minshall said of the property. "We've managed to make do, and now with this deal we've finally turned the corner. Once it's done, the Galleria will be profitable."

After the donation, the nonprofit YMCA will essentially own a business condominium and pay fees to help operate the building.

Since 1911, the YMCA has maintained its offices and downtown branch in a historic brick building at 2200 Prospect Ave.

In 2009, Cleveland State University acquired the building, which includes 148 apartments, and leased the fitness facility and offices back to the YMCA. The university hopes to find a developer to remake the building, and nearby properties, for student housing.

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YMCA to move downtown branch into Galleria, taking 30 percent of the former mall's retail space

FARGO A south Fargo retail space that has long sat dormant is stirring to life.

The structure that once housed Media Play in the 4000 block of 13th Avenue South will soon be home to a DSW shoe store now under construction, building permit information filed with the city shows.

Elsewhere in the same structure, construction is expected to begin soon on space that will become an Old Navy store.

The new store will replace the current Old Navy store on 13th Avenue in West Fargo.

In addition, part of the space that housed Media Play, which closed in 2005, will be remodeled for use by Bremer Bank.

And thats not all.

A LongHorn Steakhouse will be going up soon in the former Media Play parking lot.

The restaurant is the brands first foray into North Dakota.

Likewise, the new DSW store, which offers discount designer shoes, will be the companys first store in North Dakota.

All of this development is in addition to an Ulta Beauty store that opened late last year in the same general area.

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Media Play building, parking lot see new life

02-03-2012 12:36 Ken Connolly of Pheasant Hill Homes describes the different insulation methods and wall assemblies being implemented in this energy efficient heritage home restoration. Roxul ComfortBoard insulation is key to these wall systems.

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Character Home Restoration: Part 4 - Insulation - Video

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Even as thousands of contractors in the American Home Shield network await the results of the 2011 Contractor Quality Bonus award program, they can begin earning a share of $1.2 million available in bonuses for quality performance in 2012. And this year, American Home Shield, the nations leading provider of home protection plans, has created more opportunities for its top performers to win big.

New award levels are now offered in each of the programs two categories:

The program, now in its third year, continues to grow in popularity and company officials believe they know why.

Our contractors work hard, and like everyone, they appreciate being recognized among their peers for a job well done, said Dave Quandt, senior vice president of field operations for American Home Shield, a business unit of The ServiceMaster Company. They understand that along with the potential for a bonus payout, theyre taking part in a program that can help them grow their business, especially in these tough economic times.

Last year our contractors responded to nearly 3 million service requests from our customers, and we expect this number to grow in 2012, he said. Thats a lot of opportunity for customer interaction. When customers feel they receive exceptional service, theyre much more likely to refer that contractor to friends and family which not only lets us know were hitting the mark, but it also opens the door for contractors to grow their business.

Quandt said customer feedback weighs heavily in the scoring process, given the emphasis that American Home Shield places on the customer experience in every aspect of its operations.

Our mission is to simplify and improve the quality of life for the customers we serve, and this feedback helps us know how we and our contractors can do an even better job of meeting this challenge, he said.

Although contractors began earning points for the 2012 program on Jan. 1, its not too late for them to get involved.

Winners of the 2011 Contractor Quality Bonus award program will be announced in the coming weeks. To learn more about the American Home Shield Contractor Quality Bonus Program or to become part of the companys independent contractor network, visit AHSBigScore.com.

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American Home Shield Beefs Up $1.2 Million Contractor Quality Bonus Program in 2012

by Peter Corbett - Mar. 1, 2012 12:20 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

A crosswalk linking Scottsdale Quarter to Kierland Commons has been popular with shoppers since it opened last fall.

Now one of Kierland's stores, Restoration Hardware, is crossing the road for a new three-story space at Scottsdale Quarter on the corner formerly occupied by the short-lived Oakville Grocery, which was torn down last week.

Restoration Hardware plans to move by next year into a new, three-story building on the northeastern corner of Scottsdale Road and Butherus Drive.

"I would describe (the building) as an eclectic Italian-villa look," said Scottsdale architect David Ortega, vice chairman of the city's Development Review Board. "I think it works well with their corporate image."

The board approved the building, designed by George Melara and Gwen Jarick of Nelsen Partners Inc., at its Feb. 16 meeting.

Ortega said it is unusual for a 2-year-old building like Oakville Grocery to be razed and replaced.

"It tells you how valuable things are," he said. "It's a prominent corner that's a gateway for the whole Scottsdale Quarter."

The new 22,405-square-foot building will have two main levels with a mezzanine and rooftop terrace. It will be just under 54 feet high.

Restoration Hardware, which features reproduction, vintage designs of home furnishings, is the latest of eight new tenants for Scottsdale Quarter.

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Restoration Hardware to relocate to grocery's site

By MEG KINNARD Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Gov. Nikki Haley has chosen a 34-year-old attorney to lead South Carolina's labor and business licensing agency.

Haley on Friday introduced Holly Gillespie Pisarik (peh-ZAR-ik) as her choice to run the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Pisarik will serve as interim director while legislators debate her confirmation.

She graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2007 and worked as an attorney in Columbia. Last year, she became an attorney for the agency, where Haley says Pisarik helped then-Director Catherine Templeton streamline the agency of about 400 employees.

Templeton was confirmed this week to lead the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. The Republican governor had chosen her to run the labor department because of her legal specialty in fighting labor unions.

Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Haley expected to announce LLR replacement

Robin Rombach/Post-Gazette

The living room features Craftsman-style fireplace and a columned room divider. It has original stained mahogany and cherry woodwork and original stained-glass windows. The five-bedroom home is on the market for $149,000.

A longtime landlord who owns buildings in and around New Kensington, Don Ryan is used to people asking him to take a look at houses for sale. Some are in such bad shape that he stops by but doesn't get out of the car. When he does buy one, he rarely asks his wife's opinion.

The house at 258 Freeport Road was different. Peering in through the beveled-glass front door, he saw a beamed living room ceiling and Craftsman-style fireplace with columned room divider. He called his wife, Kim.

"I think you better come look at this," he said.

She did and her thought was the same as his: We're buying this house.

"I guess we fell in love with the beamed ceiling and fireplace in the living room," Mr. Ryan said. "We hadn't even been inside and we decided to buy it."

After a yearlong renovation, they have put the five-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath house (MLS No. 891652) on the market for $149,000 through his mother, Janet Ryan of Century 21 American Heritage Realty (724-994-1311 or ww.century21ahr.com).

It was not a good candidate to flip, Mr. Ryan said, because it needed so much work. It was more of a hobby project for him and his wife, and he knew they would be lucky to recoup the money they put into it. Yet they couldn't resist.

NEW KENSINGTON

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Buying Here: New Kensington

You may have considered spending this year's tax refund on a home improvement project. So, which projects would be money well spent, and which would not?

Your home is your biggest asset, so it's important to keep it in good shape and make improvements that you can enjoy right away that will increase your home's value.

Angie Hicks, Founder of Angie's List, gives some advice on where to start home remodeling, "If you are considering updating your house this year, consider remodeling the kitchen or the bathroom. Those two rooms get the best return on your investment- about 85 percent. But the key here is not overdoing it, but keeping up with the Jones's. So if you're the only house in the neighborhood without granite countertops then it makes sense to add them, if you're not - skip out on that extra."

Remodeling those rooms can get pricey. If you're on a limited budget, you may want to think outdoors.

Phil Gettum, Gettum Associates, Inc., explains the type of home remodels they have been doing lately, "We are doing a lot more screened porches. Outside decks, pergolas, outdoor living spaces which brings more space into the house, but it's not as expensive, so those tend to kind of fall under that scale as well."

Projects with the lowest return on investment include swimming pools, home offices, sun room, master suite and third bay on your garage.

Regardless of what projects you choose, planning is key.

Angie explains why it is important to plan ahead, "To make sure your remodeling project goes smoothly, the plan is plan, plan, plan and communicate, communicate, communicate. Plan ahead, lay out your budget, have ideas ahead of time, and then communicate with your contractor regularly - that starts with the estimate, documenting in the contract, all the way through the entire project."

Other great remodeling projects that will add to your home's value and have a great return on investments are siding and new windows.

Content: We all think about ways to improve or update our homes, but many of us don't know how to get beyond that wish list stage or can't afford big budget items.

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Angie's List: Home Remodeling

01-03-2012 17:43 http://www.reroofamerica.com - We are your Kansas City, Missouri best roofing contractor. With expertise and experience in both commercial and residential roofing services -- re-roofing, roof repairs, restoration, maintenance, roofing inspections, etc. Our foremen and installers are factory-trained in the best roofing techniques for all systems. We are your best Kansas City roofing company in Missouri. Learn more about us by visiting our website now http://www.reroofamerica.com

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Best Roofing Contractor Kansas City, Missouri Mo | Your Kansas City Roofing Company - Video