Scott and Julie Brooks are busier than ever before. When they opened the doors of their new bathroom remodeling business last month, they were caught off guard by the amount of customers looking to remodel their home.

Like many in the construction business, when the housing market collapsed in 2007, Scott, who worked as a licensed contractor for more than 20 years, wasnt sure what he was going to do.

Home sales plummeted. Construction jobs werent coming in.

When the homes werent selling, I needed to find something to do, he said.

Thats when he stumbled across Bath Planet, a bathroom remodeling company based in Palatine, Ill. The company is backed by BCI Acrylic Bath Systems, a privately held manufacturer of tub and shower-liner systems.

The business extensive line of products includes walk-in tubs, therapeutic tubs, tub-to-shower conversions and a number of other bathroom products.

We cater to the people who want to remodel their bathroom but also the aging-in-place population. We get a lot of interest from people who are getting older and having a harder time getting in and out of their shower, Scott said.

After looking at all Bath Planet had to offer, and discovering it was a company that earned the Good Housekeeping Seal, Julie said it just seemed like a good fit with Scotts years of experience as a contractor.

The reason we liked the idea was because it was something we were familiar with, and weve flipped a lot of houses. Its always exciting to fix it up and see what you can do, so we knew it was the kind of thing that would attract business, she said.

The Johnson City Bath Planet is the first location of its kind in Tennessee. Its also the first of four locations Scott plans to open with his development plan for the growing remodeling business. The other locations will be in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Asheville, N.C.

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Soaking in sales: Bathroom remodeling company seeing plenty of business

The nonprofit Pioneer Heritage Corporation will not go through with raising the $1.8 million necessary to acquire the Old Rock Church and turn it into a community center, citing a lack of interest from the community.

Dale Astle, the chairman of the corporation and a Providence City Council member, said the building will remain in its current form as the Providence Inn Bed and Breakfast, as well as a venue for weddings and special events.

Weve cut that discussion off, as the board voted not to continue that, Astle said. Weve evaluated the results of community surveys, and then theres the issue of what would we do with the building after we acquired it. Theres just not a lot of interest on the part of the community, especially to turn it into an office building.

Last fall, with the help of the Logan-based Cache Landmark construction company, the Heritage Corporation floated color artists renderings of what the new Old Rock Church could look like as a future headquarters for city government offices, a multi-purpose community gathering place, a cultural heritage center, and a community gardens and park. The hope was that such a makeover would revitalize the historic downtown area of Providence.

In October, Astle and the Heritage Corporation hosted an open house event at the building to gauge community interest in the proposed project. After the event, Astle said he was very disappointed in the events response.

Then the group asked a Utah State University political science class to conduct a survey of 1,000 registered voters in Providence. Potential for the project might have seemed positive on the surface, as it showed that two-thirds of survey participants supported turning the building into a community center.

However, only 10 percent of those surveyed were willing to put dollars toward it, said Astle. Also, only about 45 percent said theyd be willing to put time or dollars toward it. Most of all, 90 percent of respondents did not support a tax increase to help pay for the project.

Astle said he feels very comfortable about the decision not to move forward with the Old Rock Church project. The cost for the project, in addition to the acquisition, would have been an estimated $4.3 million, according to Astle.

I think the very best use for that church is to get it to be an ongoing successful business and for (Karl Seethaler, the owner) to continue what hes doing there. I dont see that it would work as a city center; it would be too expensive.

An ad-hoc group of Providence residents, called Friends of the Old Rock Church, will help Seethaler with better marketing of the bed and breakfast and reception center, Astle said.

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Old Rock Church drama persists: Nonprofit backs out of discussions to acquire Providence landmark

TILTON Village board members voted to send a message Thursday to Vineyard Church officials that they will not rezone land the church had expressed interest in to construct a new building.

Mayor David Phillips told board members he thought the property the church was seeking is better suited to remain zoned as commercial. The land is the site of the former L&L Mobile Home Park, located on the northeast corner of Illinois Route 1 and 14th Street.

When church officials approached village board members, they had said the site fit their needs because it was located close to Illinois Route 1 and I-74.

Phillips said he was simply trying to save the church representatives time because they still had to go through a zoning board hearing in seeking to have the property rezoned and then the matter would ultimately end up in front of the village board for approval.

Phillips said he is willing to work with church officials to find another site for the church and he has already made suggestions about other sites to church representatives.

In another vote, trustees gave tentative approval for the construction of a craft distillery in the village.

Ernie Trinkle and Tyler Langston appeared before board members seeking a lot located on Hodge Street directly south of the UPS facility for the construction of a building that would house a craft distillery.

A craft distillery is a small legal still that is capable of producing distilled spirits. A craft distillery is able to produce up to 5,000 gallons of distilled spirits a year under federal law.

Trinkle told board members that 16 percent of the distilled spirits sold in the U.S. is produced by craft distilleries. The distillery would only sell to businesses with a liquor license and would be prohibited from selling directly to the general public.

The pair intend to produce rum in a 27-gallon still. The still will be fired by natural gas and would create minimal odor according Trinkle and Langston. The pair said their business would be called Bottoms Up Distillery and would market their rum under the name Rum Shine.

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Village denies church lot near I-74

DANDRIDGE (WATE) - A tip led to arrests and charges Friday for two convicted Tennessee sex offenders working at a church construction site in Dandridge.

Sheriff G.W. "Bud" McCoig got a tip Friday morning that a sex offender was working construction at First Baptist Church on Highway 92. The church is the biggest one in Dandridge, where a daycare and preschool is run on-site. At least 100 children are on the property on any weekday, according to staff.

He found Ricky Dean Moore, 49, of Edgewood Drive in Knoxville, and Michael David Sadler, 51, of Valley View in Knoxville, both working there.

Moore was convicted in 1995 of child rape, attempted child rape and sexual exportation of a minor. Sadler was convicted of sexual battery in 2000.

The men were helping display a large sign in front of the church that said "Shame on Pastor Brown."

"They showed up in February and have been here Monday through Friday everyday since then," explained Pastor Bob Brown, whose name is on the sign. He said the church is undergoing a renovation, and somehow his name was dragged into a labor dispute between a subcontractor and the company that hired Moore and Sadler.

"They hired them and paid them minimum wage to hold the sign," said Brown, telling us how he held no grudges against the two men at the time. He said the pair became a common sight on the property.

"I'd wave at them coming into work. I've taken food and water to them. We had a good relationship with them, never knowing they were convicted sex offenders," Brown said.

The church has a daycare and, by law, a sex offender cannot be within 1,000 feet of a daycare. The men were arrested for violating the sex offender registration law.

Both were working for Mid South Carpenters Regional Council.

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2 sex offenders arrested at Dandridge church construction site

BY MATTHEW BRUCE Correspondent May 18, 2012 8:26PM

A rendering of the proposed Boulevard at Central Station apartment building in Tinley Park. | Supplied photo

storyidforme: 30720624 tmspicid: 10272743 fileheaderid: 4733890

Developers of a nearly $35 million mixed-used project proposed for downtown Tinley Park introduced their vision to the villages plan commission Thursday.

The development team laid out construction plans for The Boulevard at Central Station, a five-story building that would include 167 apartment units and 24,500 square feet of commercial space.

The project, to be located along South Street between 67th Court and 174th Street, would include one-, two- and three-bedroom units that eventually can be converted to condominiums if market conditions dictate. The majority of the apartments would be two-bedroom units.

The estimated cost of $34.8 million makes it essential to get the project rolling while interest rates are favorable, officials said.

We need to start this year. We want to start this year, project attorney David Sosin told the plan commission. Of course, one of the key issues for a developer are interest rates, which are wonderful right now. Next year, we dont know.

Bob Hansen, the main developer, said in April he first approached village officials in 2002 with the idea to build on the vacant strip. Fluctuations in the real estate market changed the plans over the years, with developers submitting six major plans to village officials, Sosin said.

This plan has been in the works for quite some time, as you know, he said. Weve weathered the worst downturn in residential housing in memory. ... We think were there today, and really ready to go with the plan.

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Plan for downtown Tinley apartment project ‘really ready to go’

A new apartment building near the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is on schedule to go from foundation to finished in just five months.

Using pre-cast concrete panels, contractor J. Scull Construction Services expects to have the six-story building finished by Aug. 15, in time for 130 students to move into the two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments and start the school year.

Passers-by will see the progress advance by a floor a week for the next five weeks, and the roof will go up during the sixth week, leaving time for interior finish work.

The time frame is very aggressive for a six-story structure, Scull project manager Brandon Moore said. Getting turned loose in April and then finishing in August is a quick turnaround.

He said the precast panels are trucked to the site from a manufacturer in Sioux Falls.

In addition to being quick to install, the panels are energy-efficient, with insulation within the panel, along with more insulation installed on the interior wall.

You really get an efficient building type that will reduce heating and cooling costs, Moore said.

Project developer Hani Shafai, owner of Dream Design International, said his management group, Technology Housing LLC, has started leasing units in the building, which is called Rocker Square. Rents range from $370 to $475 a month for a 12-month lease, with the option of furnished or unfurnished space. The price includes utilities, a washer/dryer unit in each apartment, plus cable and Internet.

When this apartment building is finished, Shafai said, he will start construction on a similar apartment building next door that will have apartments ranging from studios to two-bedroom units. Together, the buildings will house 336 people. The ground floor of the first building will include a management office, a common area and a small coffee shop run by the universitys food-services provider.

The apartments are being built on the former site of a group of dilapidated houses and apartments that were razed this spring. The construction is the first step in the School of Mines 30-year, $500 million plan to redevelop the neighborhood between the university campus and East Boulevard. Plans call for student housing, a new sports arena and event center, parking structures and an expanded student center.

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Apartments rise quickly along St. Joe

An unknown buyer has paid over $90 million for an unfinished penthouse apartment, setting a new mark for the priciest home in New York City. The developer of a new high-rise building under construction on157 West 57th Street would not reveal the exact price for the 11,000-square foot, two-story penthouse, but did tell The New York Times that it was below the elusive $100 million mark that real estate watchers expect to be broken any day now. It breaks the previous New York City record of $88 million paid by a Russian billionaire to buy a Central Park West apartment for his daughter last year. On a per-square foot basis, however, this is a much better deal. The latest sale went for about $8,000 a square foot, while the Central Park West pad went for more than $13,000.

The new building, called One57, will eventually rise to 90 floors over Midtown Manhattan, making it one of the tallest residential buildings in the world. With more than half apartments still be to sold, it's possible that the $100 million mark could be surpassed on one of the lower floors before construction is even finished. Two other New York apartments have gone for more than $50 million in just the last week suggesting there is plenty of one-percenters looking to pay top dollar for a new pad.The buyer of the One57 penthouse was not revealed, but the developer said that the family was not from anywhere in the former Soviet Union and it is someone that people would recognize.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at dashiell at dashiellbennett dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

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$90 Million Apartment Sets a New Real Estate Record

A proposal to build a five-story, 20-unit student apartment building at 2124 Grand Ave. won approval from the St. Paul Planning Commission on Friday, May 18, with conditions.

The building, which will replace a duplex and a single-family home at Grand Avenue and Finn Street, will have one level of underground parking with 37 stalls. Three more stalls will be along an alley.

The building, which will be constructed in the permit parking district by the University of St. Thomas, will be limited to up to 20 on-street parking permits for residents and up to five additional permits for management.

The developer, Cullen LLC, is required to provide up to 24 bicycle stalls and a space for a car-sharing service such as HourCar, as long as a car-sharing company is willing to locate there. Other conditions governed stormwater management and the placement of windows on the site.

Neighboring residents had objected to an increase in student housing, but city staff found that the project does not defy an ongoing moratorium against converting owner-occuped homes into student rentals since the development will be new construction.

The planning commission approved the project by a 15-1 vote.

SALVATION ARMY

Meanwhile, the Salvation Army won one and lost one before the commission Friday.

The Salvation Army recently received the go-ahead to open a co-ed youth shelter at the Booth Brown House on Como Avenue.

The 16-bed emergency shelter would house young people

Continued here:
St. Paul Planning Commission: Student apartment building on Grand Avenue gets the nod

Pet food drive

KINGSTON Kingston Animal Hospital is hosting an ongoing pet food drive for the local food pantry. Donations are needed for both cat and dog foods. Canned and dry foods will be accepted, but not perishable items. Donations can be dropped off during hospital hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, at Kingston Animal Hospital, 192 Main St., Kingston.

Cub Scout Pack 49 Summer of Fun

KINGSTON The Boy Scouts of America teaches young people to be good citizens and trains them to become leaders.

Your son will want to join for the fun and friendship. Youll want to join for the character development and values taught throughout the program.

Cub Scout Pack 49 invites boys currently in kindergarten through fourth grade to join the fun.

Join now and take part in the Summer of Fun pack program. Pack 49 offers more than a dozen summer activities for the whole family to enjoy. See what makes Pack 49 unique.

Registration for the 2012-2013 scout year and summer programs is on-going. Contact Colleen North at 781-585-2626 orcubscoutpack49@comcast.net for additional information.

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Custodial Supervisor SBM Site Services

Base Pay : $24,960 $29,120 /Year Employee Type : Full-Time Industry : Other Great Industries Manages Others : Yes Job Type : Installation Maint Repair Facilities Experience : At least 5 year(s) Post Date : 5/14/2012 Contact Information Contact : SBM Site Services Ref ID : 1649

Description Custodial Supervisor Huntsville, Alabama

SBM Site Services, an international facilities service company, is searching for an experienced Custodial Supervisor who will add to our team and continue to raise the bar in client service, safety, and growth. As a supervisor, you will be responsible for overseeing all activities within the assigned program, and will adhere to, implement and demonstrate safe work practices and procedures. The successful candidate will be highly organized with experience managing janitorial crews or 7-15 crewmembers.

CORE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES * Conduct employee training * Prepare schedules and routes for service personnel * Regularly inspects facilities and audits inventory, supplies and equipment * Implements organization policies and goals * Facilitate budget requests to identify areas in which reductions can be made * Participate in the development of long-range plans, conceptual designs, and capital outlay requirements for program/process improvements * Assists with coordination of program specifications, requirements for proposals and contracts, and associated documents * Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, such as, FLSA, OSHA, ADA, etc. * Acts as liaison between company, customers, clients, employees, and subcontractors * Establishes and maintains contact with contractors to ensure the smooth working of the contract process

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS * 5-7 years of custodial experience * Must be able to work assigned shift hours * Must have floor and carpet experience * Must be able to pass a pre-employment drug screening and background check and have a clean driving record

COMPENSATION The annual salary range for this position is $24,960 to $29,120 depending on experience.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS For immediate consideration, please apply online.

ABOUT THE COMPANY SBM is an international company providing facilities support services to some of the worlds leading Fortune 500 companies. Our dedication to delivering the highest quality service and cost savings solutions with the least environmental impact possible has launched SBM into the top one percent of service providers in the facilities maintenance industry. Today, SBM services more than 350 million square feet throughout the United States, Canada, and Latin America, with plans to expand globally in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Our innovative employee programs, supportive management structure, and extensive career advancement opportunities make SBM a great place to work. As a result, our turnover rate is one-fourth the national average. We respect and promote the professional and personal growth of our employees and are committed to the success of one another. Teamwork, integrity and compassion are core values of our company, and we go to great lengths to ensure that our employees are satisfied and rewarded for the work that they do.

Requirements * 5-7 years of custodial experience * Must be able to work assigned shift hours * Must have floor and carpet experience * Must be able to pass a pre-employment drug screening and background check and have a clean driving record

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Custodial Supervisor, SBM Site Services