A new downtown Akron apartment building is taking shape and soon its roof will take shape, too.

The upscale apartment complex, named 401 Lofts, is being built on 2.2 acres at Main and Cedar streets on property that formerly housed the Parrish McIntyre auto repair store.

The lofts are being built by Middleburgh Heights-based Richland Communities the same development company that built the neighboring 22 Exchange.

But unlike 22 Exchange, which requires residents to be students at an accredited university, 401 Lofts will be geared toward students and young professionals.

These are upscale, high-end apartments located in downtown that we think will attract not only students, but young professionals and others who have that desire to live in downtown Akron, said Michael Weiss, project manager for 401 Lofts and 22 Exchange.

401 Lofts will include amenities such as a full fitness center, computer lab, printing stations, free tanning beds, a resort-style heated pool, on-site parking, conference rooms, a yoga studio and a 15-person movie screening room.

Theres a little bit of everything, Weiss said.

Construction is on pace to open the building for occupancy by August 2013, Weiss said. The J-shaped building has been framed and part of the building will be under roof shortly, he said.

The $12 million complex will be similarly priced to 22 Exchange, which rents by the bedroom, starting at $600 a month. Rents havent been set yet for 401 Lofts, but will mostly likely be around $700 a month, Weiss said.

Units at 401 Lofts also will be rented by the bedroom, each of which includes a bathroom. There are 189 units and 323 beds. The project also will have some studio apartments, which are not available at 22 Exchange.

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New downtown Akron lofts taking shape

ABU DHABI -- In 2008, Jane Strachan and her husband, Andrew, bought an apartment in the Empire Tower, a 230-meter building that was still under construction. Tired of paying Abu Dhabi's notoriously high rents, the South African expatriates wanted to make the apartment their home.

Four years later they are still waiting for their apartment, which was marketed at 3.5 million dirhams, or about $953,000. Construction on the project has stalled and they have been unable to get a refund of the 1 million dirhams they paid to the developer, who is not returning calls.

"We feel robbed," Ms. Strachan said. "We feel exploited and absolutely helpless."

Stories like Ms. Strachan's are common in Dubai, the neighboring emirate. After one of the biggest construction booms in history, there is a glut of luxury apartments in Dubai, prices have fallen more than 50 percent and thousands of people who paid for homes before construction are stuck with investments in half-built developments.

Now Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich capital of the United Arab Emirates, is experiencing many of the same problems.

"You would have thought Abu Dhabi would have paid attention to what happened in Dubai," said Paul Preston, managing director of Elysian Real Estate, a U.A.E. property company. "But that is not the case."

Abu Dhabi's ruling family did not open the market to international buyers until 2005, three years after Dubai. In the wake of the decision, the government announced plans to spend billions of dollars on new developments, generating a surge in buying.

"Frenzy is a good way to put it," said Craig Plumb, head of research in the U.A.E. for Jones Lang LaSalle, the property consulting firm. "People were paying more for projects that weren't built than projects that were built."

Developers were offering attractive deals with low down payments to entice buyers. Some projects sold out in one day, primarily to investors.

"Instead of just buying one apartment and putting 50 percent down, they were buying five apartments and putting 10 percent down on each," Mr. Plumb said.

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Once Sky High, Abu Dhabi's Prices Tumble to Earth

By JOY BROWN

STAFF WRITER

Demolition of the Argyle apartment building began Thursday, two weeks after a fire made it structurally unsound.

Organized by general contractor Charles Construction Services of Findlay, crews began using aerial equipment to start tearing down the four-story downtown building. Work had been delayed Wednesday by high winds.

Findlay Service-Safety Director Paul Schmelzer said demolition and subsequent containment of debris will take about a week. The 500 block of South Main Street then can be reopened.

Razing is expected to be done carefully to protect adjacent buildings, particularly one that houses the Wine Merchant. Those two buildings share a common wall, Schmelzer said.

Picking apart most of the Argyle building in relatively small pieces is also necessary for asbestos containment. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has deemed the whole building contaminated because some of the building materials, containing asbestos, caught fire. The asbestos became "friable" or broke into pieces, investigators determined, which enabled the fibers to become airborne and travel to other areas of the building.

Asbestos cleanup at a demolition project typically requires spraying water to ensure containment, and bagging debris in plastic. The materials are then hauled to state-approved landfills that can dispose of them properly.

"The whole building is a hazardous waste product that has to get abated," Schmelzer said. Asbestos handling alone will cost $1 million, he said.

Demolition of the front of the Argyle can be viewed live at http://www.livestream.com/argylebuilding, thanks to TCM Architects, which placed a camera on the Blackford Building across the street.

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Argyle demolition under way

David Rider Urban Affairs Bureau Chief

The City of Toronto has fallen behind other municipalities in banning smoking where people gather outdoors and will consider new options this year, says the chair of Torontos Board of Health.

Councillor John Filion was reacting to a Star story noting that the Lake Simcoe community of Georgina is poised to ban smoking on beaches, in parks and on trails.

The town is among more than 50 Ontario municipalities pushing the indoor-focused 2006 Smoke-Free Ontario law to the outdoors.

Come April, Ottawa will ban smoking at all outdoor restaurant and bar patios, city-owned parks, playgrounds, beaches, sports fields and fruit and vegetable markets. Hamilton will follow suit in May, with a smoking ban on all city-owned property used for recreational purposes.

Toronto led the charge to ban smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars, and in 2009 expanded the prohibition to within nine metres of city playgrounds, splash pads and wading pools.

I think (expanding the outdoor ban) is certainly something we should seriously consider, Filion said in an interview Thursday.

We were leaders in banning smoking and it seems weve fallen behind a bit, and thats fine, but we need to keep moving in the right direction.

We would need public support and the support of the board of health and city council, but I think theres an appetite for a reasonable extension of the ban.

Filion wouldnt suggest possible places to outlaw smoking, saying he didnt want to prejudge a city staff report with options that he expects to see later this year.

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Toronto to look at expanding outdoor smoking ban now aimed at playgrounds

Ever wonder what goes on in restaurant kitchens?

Youd like to think that everyone is washing their hands all day long, the food is being prepared on sterile countertops with a Mary Poppins-type inspector overseeing everything.

In reality, some kitchens hold deep, dark and very dirty secrets.

I once worked in a restaurant where a waiter dropped a basket of rolls on the floor. They slid down several feet to the drain in the middle of the kitchen. What the waiter did next has haunted me to this day. He picked up the rolls, one by one, and put them back in the basket. Despite my objections, he took that bread right out to a table, telling me he didnt want to waste them.

This isn't meant to turn you off from ever going to a restaurant again, and all eateries have to adhere to regular health inspections.

But almost every restaurant worker you'll meet has some stories like this.

I found a chef who was willing to share years of cringe-worthy stories. Rob Burmeister is an executive chef at a New York City restaurant. He also has competed in several food competitions, including the Food Networks Chopped.

Burmeister says in his 25-years on the job he learned everything he knows, watching and working with many chefs all over the country. Some great and some horrible.

Burmeister shared some tales of the dark side of what he says he's witnessed on what goes on in kitchens.

Steak Not Exactly Cooked to Order

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Kitchen Tales From Dark Side

In the mood to give your home a new season update without having to re-mortgage? Sydney's leading interior gurus share their hot tips on how to inject some order and give your abode an overhaul easily and on the cheap.

SIBELLA COURT, Interior Stylist and author http://www.thesocietyinc.com.au

Freshen up:

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A lick of paint on the walls or on a much-loved piece of furniture instantly gives new life. People always see painting as a big job, but an old paint shirt and ten minutes is all you need - washing, sanding and priming is not in my vocab. It's fun searching for the new season colour and, as they say, change is as a good as a holiday.

Out with the old:

If decorating isn't satisfying your desires, restyling your home - or even just a room - might be the dramatic change you need. It's not about renovating the bricks and mortar but changing the furniture arrangement, art placement and colour palette. Let go of the old and don't be restricted by what's 'normal' - think about interesting vistas, create a 3-D space and have a sense of humour.

SHAYNNA BLAZE, Interior designerwww.shaynnablaze.com

Hang those pictures:

Creating a gallery wall is the perfect way to add interest and have everything in one place but it's easy to make it look cluttered. Choose a theme of some description to ensure it looks stylish and keeps the focus on the pictures. Going for frames in the same colour but choosing different shapes gives uniformity - or if you prefer a mixture of different shades and finishes go for frames that are all the same shape.

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Home makeovers on the cheap

St. Lazare Mayor Pierre Kary and MNA Lucie Charlebois show their Stallion jerseys after announcing plans for new field.

St. Lazare will be rolling out a green carpet for its soccer and football players next year.

The town announced Thursday that, thanks to a Quebec government subsidy covering half of the estimated $1. 7-million cost, a synthetic sports field will be installed in Westwood Park, just behind the Westwood Junior High School.

This will extend the sport season and allow youngsters to enjoy their sports on a safer playing surface, Mayor Pierre Kary said, adding that the synthetic field will be installed in time for the 2013 playing season.

A couple of young football players, members of the St. Lazare Stallions, who were present for the announcement, said they were looking forward to playing on artificial turf.

I like the feel of a natural field but it gets so muddy so often that we cant play, said Kevin Turcsik, 12.

His friend, 13-year-old Emile Guilbeault, agreed. This will extend our playing season, he said.

Indeed, Soulanges MNA Lucie Charlebois said that synthetic turf will allow for an early April-to-first-snow season.

And an end to the mud, she said, noting that the synthetic turf will be used by more than 2,200 kids who play in the football league or in the recently renamed St. Lazare/Hudson Soccer Club.

Lucie Tremblay, president of the St. Lazare/Hudson Soccer Club, welcomed the prospect of a synthetic field.

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West Island: St. Lazare to get new synthetic sports field

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's factory output slowed more than expected in the first two months of 2012 to grow just 11.4 percent from a year ago as cooling demand at home and abroad dragged production growth to its weakest in over 2-1/2 years.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast industrial production growth of 12.3 percent in January and February.

Growth in fixed asset investment, which accounted for 54 percent of China's 2011 gross domestic product, slowed to 21.5 percent in the first two months , from 23.8 percent in December.

It was the lowest since the end of 2002 but still above the 20 percent forecast economists.

Retail sales missed market expectations to grow just 14.7 percent in January and February . Economists had expected growth of 17.5 percent.

******************************************************

KEY POINTS:

- Jan-Feb industrial output up 11.4 pct on year (forecast up 12.3 pct; previous up 12.8 pct)

- Jan-Feb fixed asset investment up 21.5 pct on year (forecast up 20 pct; previous up 23.8 pct)

- Jan-Feb retail sales up 14.7 pct on year (forecast up 17.5 pct; previous up 18.1 pct)

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Instant View: China output, investment, retail sales growth slows

Posted: Thursday, March 8, 2012 8:04 pm | Updated: 7:58 pm, Thu Mar 8, 2012.

A new tenant who signed a 15-year lease for a 600,000-square-foot building in Principio Business Park in December is moving ahead with plans to construct an additional 595,000-square-foot building to add on to the existing building.

Restoration Hardware had already received its occupancy permit for 4000 Principio Parkway East when its landlord, Weeks Robinson, requested and was granted a fast-track permit process from Cecil County Commissioners Feb. 21.

The total cost of the project, including interior fit-out, is estimated at $23.7 million and will create 1.2 million square feet of distribution/warehouse space for the luxury home furnishings dealer.

It will be their East Coast distribution center, Roy Clough, deputy director of Cecil County Economic Development, told commissioners during the fast-track request presentation.

They hope to create jobs for about 150 to 165 people, Clough said. And they want to start construction in April and occupy the new building by August 31.

Anticipated hourly wages are $12.

The existing building already occupied by Restoration Hardware was constructed about four years ago, but never leased.

Clough said the county had several prospects for the building, which they commonly referred to as the Trade Center 95, but activity picked up after the building was sold last summer to Atlanta-based Weeks Robinson Properties.

They recently sent us a rendering of the new building which includes an attractive courtyard, Clough said Wednesday as he distributed copies to members of the County Economic Development Commission.

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Restoration Hardware moves ahead with expansion

Appointing David Gonski to lead the Future Fund at the expense of Peter Costello would be 'petty politics' - but opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey would still welcome the businessman.

Cabinet is expected to discuss a replacement for Future Fund chair David Murray next week.

Mr Gonski was hired to advise the government on the views of the seven Future Fund guardians, which include Mr Costello, about who the new chair should be.

On Friday, the Australian Financial Review said while Mr Gonski made no recommendation on who should be appointed, he himself has emerged as a leading candidate.

Mr Hockey says he has a great deal of respect for Mr Gonski.

But he will be disappointed if the former coalition treasurer - who helped establish the $73 billion fund - misses out.

'It seems petty politics that Peter Costello would not be appointed,' Mr Hockey told Sky News.

'Even Kevin Rudd was fair dinkum enough to appoint him to the Future Fund board, the Future Fund that he established.'

But he said Mr Gonski had been a terrific servant of the community in many ways, including completing the recently released review of school funding.

'He is a formidable character and quite frankly I'd welcome his appointment (as Future Fund chair) if it's to be the case,' he said.

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Bypassing Costello 'petty' says Hockey