Commercial property developers are backing David Cameron's call to get Britain building again, according to a new report.

The construction of new offices in London has increased by 44pc compared with last year, aided by lower build costs, and is now three times greater than its lowest level three years ago.

The rise in construction has been identified in the latest crane survey by property services group Drivers Jonas Deloitte, which measures the amount of space under construction through the number of cranes on the skyline.

The Coalition sees construction and investment in infrastructure as a key path to economic growth for the UK.

According to the DJD survey, 9.2m sq ft of office space is under construction in London, 28pc more than six months ago. The projects under construction include the Walkie Talkie skyscraper by Land Securities and Canary Wharf Group and the Cheesegrater by British Land (LSE: BLND.L - news) and Canadian group Oxford Properties.

Anthony Duggan, head of research, at DJD, said: "While construction continues to rise in the core City and West End markets, our research also shows that activity has returned to King's Cross and the Docklands, as well as a further increase in activity along the Southbank. This is a sign that developers feel that the low levels of construction compared to historic trends and lower building costs are compelling."

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Lower building costs lift office starts

Twelve local fire companies rushed to downtown Chambersburg early Thursday afternoon when fire broke out on the roof of a Franklin County office building next to the courthouse.

Sparks from the demolition of the adjacent Harmon building ignited hay bales that were placed on the roof of the addition at the rear of 14 N. Main St. to protect it from construction debris, according to a news release from the commissioners, whose offices are housed in the addition.

The demolition is part of the $2.2 million project that includes renovations to the current county complex and the Junior Hose Co. building.

Workers were cutting through concrete containing rebar, which caused the sparks, according to the commissioners news release.

One construction worker was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Seen far away

Smoke from the burning hay could be seen from several miles away on Interstate 81.

William FitzGerald, Chambersburgs emergency services chief, said the fire was reported at 1:04 p.m. Firefighters evacuated the building, attacked the fire from the front of the building and had it under control in about 15 minutes, FitzGerald said. It took about two hours to make sure the fire was totally extinguished and North Main Street was closed to traffic for about three hours.

FitzGerald added the 50 firefighters on the scene did have trouble seeing the edge of the roof and knowing what areas of the roof were no longer stable.

Our biggest challenge was safety, FitzGerald said.

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Fire damages Franklin County building

The Radnor Board of Commissioners agreed Monday to a license agreement with SEPTA to access part of its municipal parking lot at Glenbrook Road while the transit authority rebuilds a retaining wall.

The wall holds back the bank at the Route 100 line.

The wall is badly deteriorated; its taking our parking lot with it, pointed out Stephen F. Norcini, public-works director.

The wall has even collapsed in one area.

Because of limited right-of-away onto the lot, which is at 822 Glenbrook Road in Bryn Mawr, the transit authority sought access to eight parking spaces that will be cordoned off from public use and reserved for construction purposes.

The anticipated project length is five months.

Not only will the transit authority repave the area impacted by their construction activities but SEPTA has agreed that after it completes the project it will resurface and stripe the entire parking lot. The value of such paving and stripping of the parking area outside of the work area is valued at $12,000.

The township recommended to the board that the temporary loss of parking spaces is outweighed by the cost savings of not having to repave the lot. According to the township, the lot is not heavily used and on a normal weekday there are more unoccupied parking spaces than occupied ones.

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Radnor board OKs SEPTA's access to lot

The Ghent Planning Board moved closer to approval of a site plan for the Price Chopper Wednesday with discussion and partial resolution of differing opinions on a retaining wall, lighting and buffering trees.

Chatham Associates of Albany has applied for site plan and subdivision approval to build a 43,000-square-foot Price Chopper Market on 7.08 acres at 2595 Route 66. The parcel is just south of the current Price Chopper, located at Chatham Plaza.

Price Chopper engineer Mike Tucker described a revised lighting plan he had submitted, with recessed bulbs, and a 33 percent reduction in after-hours lighting; and an updated landscape plan, with a mix of wildflowers in front, and a relocation of maple trees so as not to interfere with power lines. The trees would be in a variety of heights, he said, with 30 percent over eight feet.

Much discussion was devoted to the retaining wall. At previous meetings, board members who had favored a traditionally constructed stone wall were convinced that it would be cost-prohibitive, and that a precast, faux-stone wall would be affordable and strong enough for the purpose.

Board member Larry Machiz expressed concern about the one-over-two-and-two-over-one design of the fake stones.

I can live into the concrete wall with stain, but I have trouble to me, its going to look fraudulent, he said. He asked them to look at another designer.

As the discussion continued, Board Attorney Ted Guterman urged members to move toward a decision on the application.

You cant be talking about a wall for two months, he said.

Its the most visible thing, said board member Martin Silver.

From our point of view, we stepped back from a laid stone wall, Machiz said. This is a stronger and cheaper product. But we need to get the right look out of this. Were moving forward.

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Price Chopper plan creeps forward

DOB Brings Back Wall Check Pgm.

No Penalties If Problems Found

Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri announced that the Department of Buildings (DOB) eighth annual No-Penalty Retaining Wall Inspection Program is underway.

Under the program, New Yorkers can request a free inspection of their retaining wall without the threat of receiving a violation if the wall is found to be in poor condition.

During inspections, DOB inspectors will examine a walls structural conditions to check if there is any bulging, displaced material or if the wall is leaning. If repairs are needed, the DOB will defer issuing violations to allow property owners time to take corrective action. However, if dangerous conditions are found, the agency will take immediate action to make sure the unsafe conditions are corrected as soon as possible.

Inspections can be requested between now and June 30 by calling 311.

Property owners have a responsibility to make sure every corner of their property is safe, and this program reminds them to pay special attention to their retaining wall, said LiMandri in a statement. Retaining walls can deteriorate over time, and starting today, property owners can ask for a free, no-penalty inspection so they can have the opportunity to fix any structural conditions before its too late. Homeowners can save themselves time, money and heartache by taking the proper precautions and calling for an inspection today.

Launched in 2005, the No-Penalty Retaining Wall Inspection Program was created following the collapse of a retaining wall above the Henry Hudson Parkway. The program seeks to ensure that retaining walls in New York City are properly maintained in order to prevent future accidents. Over the past five years, the Department has performed over 400 retaining wall inspections as part of the program.

Retaining walls are designed to hold back soil that would otherwise move to a more natural slope or incline if the wall were not in place. Over time, these walls can deteriorate as the seasons change and temperatures rise and fall, posing a safety risk to nearby buildings. By law, property owners are required to maintain these walls and perform periodic inspections of them every five years and submit reports on their condition to the DOB. New Yorkers are encouraged to call 311 to report any noncompliant conditions.

For more information, please visit the DOB website at http://www.nyc.gov/buildings.

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DOB Brings Back Wall Check Pgm.

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Mas lig-on nga retaining wall sa Horizon

Friday, May 18, 2012

THE Taft Property Venture Development Corp., developer of the Horizons 101 condominium project on Gen. Maxilom Ave., is fast-tracking the restoration of the retaining wall that collapsed last month.

In a news conference yesterday, Horizons 101 project manager Engr. Oscar Umali said they are expected to finish the repair by the first week of June.

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Umali said they are four days ahead of schedule, mainly because the repair is being done 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

7-step solution

He said theyre into their 35th day of repair, after promising the Cebu City Government to finish it in 60 days.

Following the collapse of their previous retaining wall, the Gaisano-owned firm adopted a seven-step solution to prevent a repeat of the incident.

This included, among others, rebuilding a stronger wall, repairing the damaged houses and installing a soldier pile, a 26-piece, 12-meter steel pile to support a portion of the collapsed wall.

With the new retaining wall, Umali assured that last months incident will not be repeated.

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Wall repair to finish ‘ahead of schedule’

Perhaps it's the popularity of poker? Whatever it is, new decks of designer playing cards seem to be all the rage.The latest is 52 Aces edition 2 and with contributions from the likes of Eduardo Recife, Pale Horse, Matt W Moore, Gary Taxali, Seldon Hunt, Nathan Jurevicius and Molly Crabtree, it looks particularly impressive.

The project was co-ordinated by Marc Wnuck of the German publishing entity Zeixs. The first 52 Aces deck - entitled the Classic Edition - was released in 2009 won awards and sold out. "We know about the other decks, but they don't all have the quality ours has. We love poker and we wanted to create the best one," he says.

The Classic Edition led to loads of positive feedback, and through it Wnuck built up an array of contacts from around the world to call upon for the second one. The new deck will be released next month with a limited print run of 999 decks. It's the same concept, with a different package. "Why change a winning formula?" he says.

Chris Parks - aka Pale Horse - is based in St Petersburg, Florida, and created an image entitled Demon Cat for the project. "My work is heavily influenced by ancient civilizations, religion and various world cultures," he explains. "The Cat Demon piece I created for the seven of spades card was inspired by woodblock prints and evil spirits in Japanese mythology."

The upcoming edition of 52 Aces can pre-orderd here.

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52 Aces served

Two Dillon restaurants are prepping for summer, and angling for a little more business, with expansions.

Pug Ryan's Steakhouse and Brewery is putting the very final touches on its remodel, while the owners of Adriano's Bistro and Deli in Dillon are busy working on a new 130-foot deck.

It's probably one of the biggest views I've ever seen, Pug's owner Travis Holton said Thursday from his restaurant's newly built deck. The sun sets over Buffalo and Red mountains.

The new deck, which overlooks Lake Dillon Drive, has already been in use for a few weeks. Customers love it so far, and Holton absolutely expects the addition to bring in some extra revenue, especially when he opens the restaurant up for lunch later this month.

Inside, the entryway was expanded (and provides a bigger space to showplace business merchandise), the bathrooms are now larger and handicapped-accessible, a previously separate dining room was remodeled to open up to the bar, and brewing capacity is bigger. There are five new tanks, which will allow the business to make more beer and get its cans distributed to an expanded market. Brewers also now have the capacity to play around with seasonal brews, Holton said.

In the remodeled dining room, Holton said there's plenty of space for bands and dancing in front of two new windows, something he plans to focus more on in the future. There's not much of a music scene for residents around Dillon if people want to see a live band, they usually have to drive to Breckenridge, and then possibly drive back with a couple drinks in them, Holton said.

The Pug's expansion is the first project for the Dillon Urban Renewal Authority, a commission created to improve the town's center and encourage development.

The new addition is 17-feet wide, and while there will be plenty of regular dining (30 tables), it is meant to serve as a space for weddings. The middle of the deck will be perfect for an aisle, Ottoborgo said. Just adjacent to the deck, there will be a floor for music and dancing, benches, a fire pit, water fountain and a flower wall.

It's a one-stop shop for a wedding, Ottoborgo said. I'm hoping to bring more people into the Town of Dillon.

One hundred people at a wedding in Dillon means 100 people who need a hotel, Ottoborgo said. And, it could open up the door for other local businesses, like a flower shop. He's hoping to have it done by mid-June; if it's finished by July, there are already a few couples interested in holding weddings there this summer, he said.

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Two Dillon restaurants, two new summer decks

The Staples girls golf team upset previously undefeated Greenwich, 181-189 Wednesday at Longshore Golf Course.

Host Staples raised its record to 12-2. Greenwich dropped to 14-1.

Two days before their showdown with Greenwich, the Lady Wrecker senior captains, Kim Hynes, Sarah Ressler and Eliza Duvall practiced with Staples boys senior captains Austin Alieniello and Sam Shaffer Monday.

"The captains were very focused, and we knew before the match they were determined to win it," Staples girls coach Bob Byiteck said. "Sarah, Kim and Eliza were in their tournament mode, and they were ready to play the match. They treated it like it was an FCIAC and state tournament match."

Hynes said, "They [Alianiello and Shaffer] are a lot more competitive than us, and it helped us because Greenwich is very competitive. It was a nice practice."

The Lady Wreckers had to contend with Brooke Nethercott, who Byiteck said is one of the best high school girls golfers in the state. Nethercott is slated for the University of Hartford next year, and as expected, she led the Lady Cardinals by shooting a 39.

Greenwich's Alexandra Sazhin (40) was a stroke behind her teammate, but the Lady Cardinals' next score was over 50.

Staples, on the other hand, had four girls shoot in the 40s, which enabled the team to overtake Greenwich. Hynes led a well-rounded Lady Wrecker attack by shooting a 41 to finish two over par. She was one under par after the fourth hole with three pars and a birdie. The birdie came on the par-5 third hole by making a long putt.

"It took me awhile to get there, and I thought it would come either this week or next week," Hynes said. "I was very focused and took it one shot at a time."

Ressler and Chrissy Cantor both shot 46s.

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Staples decks previously undefeated Cards