The young city of Brookhaven continued its march to set itself apart with big moves in 2019 that included the mayor leading regional talks on I-285 transit and opening the first mile of the Peachtree Creek Greenway. The city also broke ground on a new $15 million police department and courthouse; approved Emory Universitys $1 billion redevelopment of Executive Park; and finished the year by adding 2,000 new residents with the annexation of the LaVista Park neighborhood.

Mayor John Ernst.

In a race that pitted an established politician against a community activist, John Ernst coasted to a second term as Brookhavens mayor in the Nov. 5 election, defeating challenger Jen Heath. Ernst campaigned on promises to increase green space, protect the citys tree canopy and build more paths and trails while keeping taxes low. He said he plans to continue focusing on the basics, like public works, police and parks. He also said he would continue his strategy of taking a regional approach on transportation needs by working with other governments to find ways to alleviate traffic congestion in Brookhaven and surrounding cities.

An overview of the new sections of the I-285 toll lanes project. The section of Ga. 400 to the north has a separate but connected toll lanes project. (GDOT)

Homeowners living in the northern part of the city packed an April community meeting hosted by Mayor John Ernst and City Councilmember Linley Jones to voice their concerns about the Georgia Department of Transportations plans to build toll lanes along the top end of I-285. Ernst and Jones told them there was nothing that could be done to stop the project and they also learned the project could impact approximately 300 properties, but not all in the city. Ernst and Jones invited an attorney who specialize in eminent domain to outline what the residents could do if GDOT decides it does need some of their property for the project. In Brookhaven, the elevated toll lanes are expected to be constructed near Ashford-Dunwoody Road and Chamblee-Dunwoody Road. Ernst is leading a regional effort to get rapid bus transit incorporated into the toll lanes project.

Mayor John Ernst and the City Council cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the first phase of the citys portion of the Peachtree Creek Greenway.

Exactly one year after breaking ground on the model mile of the Peachtree Creek Greenway, the city hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open it on Dec. 12. The first mile is located between North Druid Hills Road and Briarwood Road and cost $10 million, according to the city. Funding for the Greenway came from hotel-motel taxes. Plans are in the works for the second mile from North Druid Hills road to the Atlanta border. The Greenway is a linear park and multiuse path that is envisioned to stretch 12 miles and connect the city to Atlanta, Chamblee, unincorporated DeKalb County and Doraville.

The day-long Developers Day on Sept. 12 included stops at various sites in the city, including the Peachtree Creek Greenway. (Dyana Bagby)

The city hosted its first Developers Day in September, where officials unveiled illustrations showing a major mixed-use development where the Salvation Army is currently located. They included an 18-story office tower overlooking I-85. The illustration was part of a visioning exercise to show some 50 developers and business owners attending the invitation-only event the kind of redevelopment the city wants to see along Buford Highway. Dramatic drawings of massive office campuses along Buford Highway that were part of the citys unsuccessful bid for Amazons second headquarters were also released to the public. In actual development, the city spent $1.5 million to buy a 1.5-acre parcel on the corridor for a future flyover bridge to Executive Park.

A site plan for Emory Universitys proposed redevelopment of Executive Park. The darker blue buildings show where new facilities are planned, including a hospital, hotel, multiunit residential buildings, office and retail space. A multiuse trail is planned in the center of the development under Georgia Power lines. (City of Brookhaven)

Emory University broke ground in October on its new Musculoskeletal Institute that is part of its planned $1 billion redevelopment over 15 years of Executive Park. Across the street, Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta is finishing up construction on two office buildings and parking decks as part of the build-out of its 72-acre campus. Once the buildings are completed and employees are moved in, CHOA will tear down its current office complex on Tullie Circle and start building a new $1.5 billion hospital on the site.

An illustration of Brookhavens new public safety and municipal court building scheduled to be completed by summer 2021. (City of Brookhaven)

The city broke ground on its new $15 million public safety headquarters that is being built along the Peachtree Creek Greenway. The 34,000-square-foot headquarters will house the police department and municipal court facilities that are currently located in a leased building on Buford Highway. The facility will include a public restroom accessible from the Greenway.

Brookhaven City Councilmemember Linley Jones, standing at front, at Councilmember-elect Madeleine Simmons listen to people share their thoughts on the city considering an LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinance. (Dyana Bagby)

The City Council held a public hearing on an ordinance that would ban local businesses from discriminating against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, classes of people currently not protected by state or federal law. A vote on the ordinance was scheduled for January. The ordinance would be named for Richard Rhodes, the gay activist and resident who urged the city pass such an ordinance before he died in July at age 81.

The Brookhaven Library is located in a outdated building at 1242 North Druid Hills Road. (Dyana Bagby)

Where to build the citys new library that was funded by a DeKalb County bond referendum in 2005 continues to be a debate. County officials said this year they have a strong interest in building the new building on the front portion of Brookhaven Park, property the county still currently owns. The city set aside $2.2 million of its 2018 parks bond money to buy the front portion of the park, but the county says a final agreement has not been made. City officials say they do not want the library built in Brookhaven Park because it would take away significant open green space. They also said the master plan for the park approved in 2018 with community input did not include the new library.

A map of the LaVista Park community expected to be annexed into the city of Brookhaven. (City of Brookhaven)

About 2,000 new residents became part of the city after the City Council approved Dec. 10 annexing the LaVista Park neighborhood just south of Executive Park. The LaVista Park Civic Association requested annexation into Brookhaven because members said they wanted to ensure their voices were heard as Emory University redevelops Executive Park. The city adopted a policy creating special tax districts for newly annexed areas. Property owners will continue to pay higher DeKalb County taxes into a special tax district fund to pay for infrastructure improvements. That ensures the citys existing tax base does not have to pay for what the county did not fix under its watch, according to the city.

A new branding strategy to boost the city into a regional and national presence was unveiled, inviting people to Explore Brookhaven. The council approved spending more than $800,000 to hire consultants to develop a comprehensive strategy as well as marketing materials, including a new logo. Explore Brookhaven will be the used in the citys marketing and tourism materials and even within city departments to distinguish Brookhaven from its older, larger or more established neighbors, according to the city.

See the article here:
Brookhaven's 2019 Year in Review - Reporter Newspapers

Construction will start in January to improve the driving range at the city of Kents Riverbend Golf Course.

The City Council on Dec. 10 awarded a $1.4 million contract to Buckley-based Mike McClung Construction Co., to begin phase one of the project. Contracts for phase two and three of the work will be awarded at a later date.

The driving range is being completed in three consecutive phases, beginning in January 2020 and hopefully re-opening by July 2020, said City Parks Director Julie Parascondola in an email.

Phase one will include removal of the outdated artificial turf and installation of natural grass turf. Crews will regrade the range area to improve drainage and install irrigation. Perimeter poles and fencing on the eastern portion of the range will be replaced and relocated to allow for expansion of the building in the next phase. The miniature golf course also will be removed.

One of the major elements to bring in significant revenue to the golf course is the expansion of the driving range, Parascondola said to the council. It is also the catalyst to transition the golf course into the positive black. We are super excited to finally be here advancing the driving range project. The last time the driving range was updated and remodeled was 25 years ago, so its in desperate need of renovation.

The city will pay for the work with proceeds from the $10.5 million sale of the former par 3 golf course to a developer who is building the Marquee on Meeker apartments and retail space across from Riverbends 18-hole golf course.

The city is using $6 million of the land sale for improvements at Riverbend and $4 million to pay off debt at the complex. Riverbend lost $65,572 in 2018 after averaging losses of about $300,000 per year. The closure of the par 3 course in April 2018 helped reduce costs in 2018. Profit or losses for Riverbend in 2019 are not yet available.

The second phase will include building renovations and the addition of 14 new driving stalls to connect to the existing 32 stations, which will be upgraded. The third and final phase is improvements to the parking lot.

Parascondola said natural turf will be installed on the range because artificial turf has a lifespan of only 12 to 15 years. She added that using artificial turf would require the course to have replacement funds in its capital improvement program in the future, which isnt feasible for Riverbend.

Golfers can see the impacts of what an artificial grass field looks like now without capital re-investment capacity, which isnt visually appealing in any way, she said. A natural grass field allows us to manage the driving range as we would any other naturally grown element on the course, with no expiration date. We no longer have to worry about not having enough capital funding to replace expired artificial grass and our customers will now have a more pleasing visual experience when practicing their golf swing.

Portions of the driving range will close during phase one, Parascondola said. Some stalls may remain open until the second phase when the existing stalls will be upgraded. It remains to be determined if the range will be open during the parking lot project. She said parks staff will keep the public informed when specific closure and opening dates are determined.

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Riverbend driving range improvements in Kent to start in January - Kent Reporter

MUMBAI: Realty player Ashwin Sheth Group is planning to invest around Rs 2,000 crore over the next five years to create a portfolio worth Rs 10,000 crore.

The city-based company, which has a significant portfolio in the residential segment, is also looking to set up more retail and commercial projects to cash in on the growing demand for such space.

"There is indeed a slowdown in the realty sector, but I believe this is the best time for serious developers like us to expand our portfolio. We plan to invest around Rs 2,000 crore in the next five years and create a strong portfolio of residential as well as commercial and retail spaces, mainly focused in the Mumbai metropolitan region," its director Chintan Sheth told PTI.

At present, the developer has a portfolio of around Rs 4,000 crore, which includes 150 lakh sq ft of completed and 50 lakh sq ft of under-construction residential projects. Besides, it also has eight lakh sq ft of commercial space -- including three lakh sq ft of ongoing projects and another 16 lakh sq ft of retail space.

"With this kind of investment, we will be able to increase our portfolio to Rs 10,000 crore worth of assets in the next 5 years," Sheth said, adding that the investments would be largely funded through internal accruals and debt.

He further said the company will now focus on increasing its commercial and retail portfolio, given the slowdown in the residential sector.

"At present, almost 90-95 per cent of our portfolio is residential. But now we want to shift our focus to commercial and retail space especially because of the growing demand in these segments with tech driving the growth," he added.

According to property consultant CBRE, leasing activity for the office segment increased by more than 30 per cent annually to cross 470 lakh sq ft during the first three quarters of 2019 as compared to the previous year.

Sheth said that going forward, 70 per cent of the portfolio would be residential, while the rest would be a mix of retail and commercial.

"However, the model that we are looking at is more of a commercial/ retail development in and around the residential developments. We already have a mall with GIC as our partner and we are looking at acquiring stressed retail assets as well as developing greenfield malls," he said.

Similarly, the company will also develop small size office spaces ranging from 25,000 sq ft to a lakh sq ft depending on the demand in a particular market.

"We will cautiously choose locations and the sizes we would offer. I don't want to develop a structure which doesn't yield returns. Also in case of stressed asset acquisition, we will finalise projects which are value accretive and only after complete due diligence," Sheth added.

Original post:
Ashwin Sheth Grp plans to invest Rs 2,000 crore in next five years - Economic Times

New restaurants, new food pairings and a closed chain store were all part of the Springfield food scene in 2019.

Three restaurants have been added to Fountain Avenue, a coffee shop and pizza restaurant are continuing to expand, and a pancake house closed.

Here are six restaurant stories the Springfield News-Sun followed in 2019:

Openings

Stella Bleu Bistro, Bubbys Chicken & Waffles, and J&Js Phat Head Foods have taken their unique food creations to Fountain Avenue.

A casual fine-dining restaurant,Stella Bleu Bistro, opened in June at 20 N. Fountain Ave.

The bistros owners are Shawn Osterholt and Darin Mitchell.

Osterholt is a local physician and investor, while Mitchell served as an executive chef at both the Urbana Country Club and Cocos Bistro, in Dayton, in the years leading up to the two opening Stella Bleu.

The restaurant can seat as many as 85 customers in the main dining room, with a separate private dining space that can seat about 50. Additionally, the restaurant features an outdoor patio that seats an additional 75 to 100 customers.

Mitchell said most of the food in the restaurant is made in-house, including the ketchup and mustard.

I love food, so do the guys that work for me, Mitchell said. So we love to have fun coming up with a menu and different options.

The menus for both lunch and dinner feature a variety of dishes including steak, seafood, pasta and vegetarian options.

RELATED:Stella Bleu Bistro celebrates grand opening, bringing more business to downtown Springfield

Two restaurants began operating near Stella Bleu Bistro out of the shared-kitchen in the Bushnell Building, 16 N. Fountain Ave.

Bubbys Chicken & Waffles, a food truck/restaurant, has been selling a rare combination of chicken and waffles since the end of June.

Kareem Crossley, the owner, said the cold weather prompted him to move his food truck indoors.

Im not selling plates, Im selling experiences, Crossley said. I like it because it is intimate. I get to connect with my customers on a personal level - Im just not taking your money.

The waffles he sells are not regular waffles they contain Fruity Pebbles to create a sense of nostalgia.

RELATED:Bubbys Chicken & Waffles, a Springfield food trick, moves indoors

J&Js Phat Head Foods, an evening restaurant, began offering curbside service and delivery in December from the shared-kitchen.

John Hartman and James Smith, co-owners and Springfield natives, decided to start the restaurant because of their love for food and desire to own a food truck.

Smith explained that their restaurant is, more like a food truck in a building.

Best selling items include wings and potato wedges with made-from-scratch sauces. Other items include chicken Alfredo French bread pizza, pork Philly, chicken Philly, and hamburgers

Were just trying to get a foothold here because we know we sell quality food, Smith said.

In the future, the co-owners are looking to expand to UberEats, buy a food truck, and test the third-shift market.

RELATED:New Springfield restaurant offers curbside service, delivery

Expansions

Cassanos, a regional pizza chain that owns four stores in Springfield, built a new, modern restaurant beside the Cassanos located at 2123 S. Limestone St.

The new building includes a pickup window, a spacious dining room and a better kitchen. The old building was demolished.

Cassanos isnt expanding, but it is taking a close look at its existing locations and making sure its stores are providing what customers want, Chip Cassano, CEO for the chain said.

Once the store on South Limestone Street was completed, the franchise began a similar project at the Cassanos on North Bechtle Avenue.

RELATED:Cassanos redevelops two existing Springfield restaurants

Another food/drink business expanding isWinans Chocolates & Coffees.

The coffee shop will offer a drive-thru window, a patio and wine at its new location, 1406 N. Limestone in NCF Savings Bank retail space.

We are so thankful for this opportunity and cant wait to bring another something new to The Champion City, Owner, Chandi Shah said.

This is the second Winans location Chandi Shah and her business partner Travis Van Voorhis own - their other location is at North Fountain Avenue.

The new Winans was slated to open in late 2019, but construction on the property is currently ongoing.

RELATED:New Winans location in Springfield will offer wine, drive-thru

Closing

The Springfield IHOP, previously located at 2206 N. Bechtle Ave., closed in late January along with other Dayton-area IHOPs.

A sign left on the door said that the store was closed temporarily, but in March the property was listed for sale.

IHOP employees told this news organization that they were not given much notice before the IHOP restaurants were closed.

A spokeswoman for the restaurant chain previously said that the restaurants parent company was exploring options to reopen IHOP restaurants in the Dayton area that were padlocked and abruptly closed in mid-January.

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Springfield restaurants 2019: Openings, expansions, and a closing - Springfield News Sun

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Vacant since the 2015 closure of The Secret Garden, the building at 255 E. High St. in Moorpark has a new restaurant tenant on the way.(Photo: LISA MCKINNON/THE STAR)

Once the scene of romantic anniversary dinners and a particularlycontentiousepisode of "Kitchen Nightmares" starring Gordon Ramsay, the former Secret Garden Restaurant space in Moorpark has been claimed by a new tenant.

Danny Margolis, presidentof Moorpark-based Command Performance Catering, plans to turn the remodeled buildingat 255 E. High St. into M on High Street, a full-service restaurant that will serve California-contemporary cuisine.

And he hopes to have the work done in time for a summer2020 debut.

"I've always wanted to branch out and do a restaurant. What better location than historic High Street?"said Margolis, who grew up in the city and remembers dining at The Secret Garden before the "Kitchen Nightmares" crew came calling.

"It's a nostalgic address that people would like to see in use again," he said.

Helping plan the project is executive chef Maya Chrestensen, who joined Command Performance in 2003after more than a decade in restaurants.

MORE: Battling cancer, Ventura County winemaker toasts life with local 'Chambang'

Slated to open in summer 2020, M on High Street in Moorpark will include a back patio furnished with a fireplace, cabana-style seating and a shipping container converted into an outdoor bar. The site was home to The Secret Garden Restaurant from 1997 through 2015.(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

"I want to offerfood that is similar to what we're doing in our catering, without being too chef-y. It's a chance to say, 'Look what we can do when we're cooking for two people instead of 2,000,'" Chrestensen said with a laugh.

Depending on the season, dishes could includecrispy-skinned Arctic char with smoky tomato veloutsauce andjuniper-brined Porterhouse pork chops with fig marmalade and a Brussels sprouts succotash.

Then again, "we've changed the menus a hundred times in our heads," she added, laughing again.

The addresshas been vacant since the property changed hands fouryears ago. The restaurant'sinterior was later gutted. Pathways and plantings for the once-secret garden at the back of the building were also removed.

Architectural renderings for M on High Street depict several new outdoor areas, including one furnished with a fireplace and picnic-style seating and another with cabana-style sofas arranged under a trellis. Plans also call for converting a shipping container into a bar and ice-cream station.

The patio area may have its own menu, Chrestensen said.

An architectural rendering shows proposed seating areas at M on High Street, slated to open in summer 2020 at the former Secret Garden space in Moorpark.(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The restaurant's interior will feature tables arranged near the arched windows, with additional seating at large, U-shaped booths and a bar at the back of the room. The main entrance will be moved to a door that opens onto the Magnolia Street side of the building.

Margolis and company hope the new construction will clear away any bad juju still lingering from as far back as the late 1990s. That's whena jury convicted the then-wife of singer Frankie Valliof misdemeanor battery for slapping Secret Garden co-founderSandra Sofskyduring adining-room dispute over the cost of a meal.

A native ofLyon, France, chefMichel Bardavidunveiledhis version of The Secret Garden in 2000. Nearly eight years later, it became the first Ventura County restaurant featured on the Fox reality series "Kitchen Nightmares." The episode made the most of centuries of bad blood between the French, represented by Bardavid, and the Brits, represented by Ramsay.

Bardavid told The Star in 2009 that he regretted appearing on the show, which included scenes of the mock boarding-up of his restaurant with signs saying it had closed due to bankruptcy something Ramsay said "might" happen if Bardavid didn't follow his advice. (The 2007 episode lives on in re-runs and on YouTube at https://bit.ly/2ZkvVzu.)

After bringing back much of the restaurant's fine-dining French fare, Bardavid sold the business in 2015 as the result of a divorce.

In late November, a peek through the windows revealed concrete floors, framework for new walls and "furnishings" ranging from a wheelbarrow to a portable backyard grill.

Margolis was scheduled to submit plans this week to Moorpark's building and safety department and toVentura County's environmental health division.

The new restaurant will welcome rehearsal dinners, birthday parties and other special events with the exception of weddings. Command Performance already is an exclusive and/or preferred caterer at more than a dozenvenues specializing in weddings in and around Ventura County.

"We see this as an addition to the great restaurants we already have in Moorpark, and a way to give people even more reason to come to High Street," Margolis said. "The more businesses that can be successful there, the better it is for Moorpark."

For more information, click onhttps://www.cpcatering.com.

Also coming to the neighborhood specifically, to 165 Poindexter Ave., Suite D is a new tasting room and working-winery space forCavaletti Vineyards, which previously made its wines at another, not-open-to-the-public location.

Owner, grower andvintner Patrick Kelley also served as wine pourer during sneak-peek tasting sessions Dec. 21-22, when selections included a Los Angeles County-grown ros and a Ventura County-sourced syrah.

After some cosmetic remodeling of the site's bathroomover the holidays, Kelley plans to return in early January with the launch of regular weekend tastings. Join the winery's mailing list and/or check the Cavaletti Vineyards website and social-media feeds for updates (https://www.cavalettivineyards.com).

Already open on High Street isVegiterranean Kitchen, a vegan-meets-Mediterranean-fare spot that debutedlast month at what was home to Le Bon Garon before the gourmet salted-caramels shop moved to Los Angeles.

Open only for take-out and catering orders, Vegiterranean Kitchen is owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Sevag Harmandarian and Nora Harmandarian. They're also parents to two daughters ages 10 months and 2 1/2years.

The take-out menu offers soups (gluten-free lentil, $4 and $6; Swiss chard, $5.50 and $7.25), salads (including gluten-free fattoush, $9.50)and appetizers (spinach borag, four for $6, and gluten-free stuffed grape leaves, five for $4.75).

Entrees range from cracked wheat pilaf, or moudardara ($9.50) to gluten-free stuffed eggplant with tahini ($14). Lentil and chickpea wraps ($9each) can be turned into a $12.50 combowith the additionof a drink and a side.

Vegiterranean Kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Call ahead for changes due to the New Year Eve and New Year's Day holidays (481 E. High St., 805-523-2209,https://vegiterraneankitchen.com).

In OAK VIEW in the OJAI VALLEY,the Wendy's Restaurant at 11560 N. Ventura Ave. is closed after nearly 35 years of business.

A patron reports being told that Dec. 21 was its final day to serve square-patty burgers.As of Dec. 24, the restaurant was still listed as open and accepting orders on Wendy's corporate website. The business'phone rangwithout answer.

Attempts to contact a Wendy's spokesperson via phone and email were notsuccessful.

A LoopNet listing for the property describes it as availablein "Jan 2020." The location offers 2,375 square feet of retail space and a drive-thru, described as "unique for the area as newly constructed buildings are not easily being given drive-thru entitlements."

In OJAIproper, the family behindSanders & Sons Gelato announced in a Dec. 23 Instagram post that they plan to open a retail location at 334 E. Ojai Ave., a multi-tenant structure located between Bonnie Lu'sat 328 E. Ojai Ave.and Revelkombucha bar at 307 E. Matilija St., Suite C.

The under-construction space will feature "patio seating with 12 hand-made flavors rotating daily," according to the post. A late-April opening is anticipated.

Founded by Sanders Marvin, Sanders & Sons is also building a production facility on Bryant Circle about a mile away.The company's from-scratch flavors made with Ojai-grown ingredients are available forshipping via orders placed on itswebsite (https://www.sandersandsonsgelato.com).

In THOUSAND OAKS, do-it-yourself Japanese-stylehot-pot dining is the focus atTabu Shabu, in soft-opening mode since Dec. 6.The Orange County-based chain's name is a play on shabu-shabu, or "swish-swish," the action by which patrons cookseafood, vegetables and thin cuts of meat by swirling them in boiling-hot broth at table-top grills.

Prices range from $14 to $65, depending on size and protein selection (the most spendy optionis Wagyu Zabuton short rib).Beer, wine and sake are available.

Operated by Yina Zarowitz, the Thousand Oaks location serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, followed by dinner from 5-9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 5-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (2920 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Unit A, 805-371-8228,https://tabushabu.com).

In VENTURA, the franchisee-ownedBurgerIMrestaurant at 440 E. Main St. has closed after less than two years of business. It is onthe market for $149,000, according to Dec. 23 posts to the business' Instagram and Facebook pagesand old-school flyers available from a box near the front door. Both forms of communication describe a "motivated seller due to family relocation," with the name and phone number of an Encino-based broker as the contact.

Two other, separately owned BurgerIMs in Ventura County opened and closed this year alone. They were inThousand Oaks (1610 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite C), gone after a mere four months, andOxnard (191 E. Gonzales Road), which lastedfive months.

Shuttered locations named in this column are still listed as "open" on the BurgerIM corporate website (https://www.burgerim.com.Attemp)ts to contact a spokesperson for the chain werenot successful.

According toa Dec. 19 storypublished by the trade publication Restaurant Business, BurgerIM recently informed franchisees that it plans to restructure itself a move that couldinvolve filing for bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, the family-owned Evita's Mexican Cafe is scheduled to close on Dec. 31 the self-declared retirement date of owner Aurelio Jaureguiafter 31 years of serving chile relleno burritos and posole verde de pollo.

The restaurant was known as Taco de Mexico when Jauregui bought it and named it after his daughter with wife Martha Hernandez.Evitadiedof leukemia five years later, at age 7.

Hernandez retired in 2017 from the Fillmore Unified School District, where she served asassistant superintendent for educational services. She has encouraged Jauregui to follow suit, although he pledges to stay on past New Year's Eve to help with the transition if an in-the-works sale to a new owner comes to pass.

"I'd like to thank everyone for all the support through the years," Jauregui said. "I've loved being here and talking with customers. That's the part I'm going to miss the most."

Evita's is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays (3868 E. Main St., 805-656-4571).

Lisa McKinnon is a staff writer for The Star. To contact her, send email to lisa.mckinnon@vcstar.com.

Read or Share this story: https://www.vcstar.com/story/money/business/2019/12/27/moorpark-secret-garden-restaurant-kitchen-nightmares-mobving/2679726001/

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Open and shut: Secret is out on new restaurant coming to Moorpark's High Street - VC Star

After decades of rent control, New York City is a perfect case study on the unintended consequences of artificial rent ceilings. The citys system has contributed to soaring rents by removing stabilized apartments from the supply-side of the market, becoming a major driver of the affordable housing crisis. Meanwhile, the condition of stabilized dwellings which make up almost half of our housing stock has fallen woefully behind market-rate standards as expenses rise faster than rents.

Ironically, while any microeconomics text will demonstrate how rent ceilings cause housing shortages, it seems that the longer New Yorks rent controls are in effect and the more the gap between the price and quality of stabilized dwellings and their free-market counterparts grows, the stronger the political will becomes to add fuel to the fire by imposing even more rent control. Todays political agenda increasingly favors strengthening the existing system, as evidenced by the passing of Junes Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act. In its aftermath, New Yorks tenant coalition and members of the city council want to take things even further and broaden rent control laws to regulate free market apartments and commercial spaces by means of the Good Cause Eviction Bill and the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.

Good Cause Eviction amounts to universal rent control. It would limit rent increases on free market units to 1.5 times that years growth in the consumer price index and take away an owners ability to evict a tenant for anything other than what the law deems good cause, for example extended arrears or criminal activity. The Small Business Jobs Survival Act is commercial rent control and would apply to retail spaces of 10,000 square feet or less and to industrial and office spaces of 25,000 square feet or less and introduce a rent guidelines board to oversee allowable rent increases. It would also give tenants in these spaces an automatic 10-year lease renewal option and force both parties into arbitration if they cannot agree on the rent increase. Both bills would drastically shift the balance of power away from landlords and toward tenants. Similar to rent stabilization, these far reaching changes would remove landlords financial incentives to invest in improvements and renovations and more than likely send most of New Yorks building stock on a gradual descent into the same disrepair and neglect as stabilized housing has experienced.

Imposing universal rent control would close the city off to most newcomers and much of the talent pool which makes NYC so attractive to new business. In the same way rent stabilization has driven up prices for free-market apartments, curbing rent growth on all units would act like rocket fuel to the price of vacant units. Over time, tenants with below market rents would face a growing incentive to stay put, keeping more units out of the markets supply side. In addition, most owners fortunate enough to have a vacancy would have an incentive to hold out for the highest rent possible and to think long and hard before committing to a new lease since doing so would mean signing a contract with no end date. The process of finding an affordable place to live under those circumstances would be excruciating.

The effects of commercial rent control would mirror those of universal rent control, making it exceedingly difficult and expensive to rent commercial space while hurting the types of businesses the bill purports to help. Giving tenants a legal right to indefinite renewal terms would make landlords reluctant to rent to small business owners who lack a demonstrated track record of success or a deep reserve of capital. It would also amplify the risk of renting space at below market rent, giving owners little choice but to keep space vacant for extended periods of time while they search for a perfect match.

The natural evolution of the citys commercial landscape would grind to a halt depriving our communities from having the shops, amenities and entertainment that they desire. In a free-market economy, people vote with their wallets. Market rents are a function of what businesses which successfully serve consumers are willing to pay for space. If the community isnt willing to pay enough for a businesss services to cover the rent, then that business is no longer the locations highest and best use. Instead of allowing a better suited enterprise to take its place, commercial rent control would force a suboptimal and outdated use on the community and force the buildings owner to subsidize its existence with rent concessions.

At the heart of New Yorks real estate affordability crisis is a supply and demand disparity between those who need space and the available space to go around. Instead of addressing the issue by adding to the supply by encouraging more housing density and development, broadening rent control to free market and commercial spaces has the potential to stop most new development altogether. The vast majority of new construction within the city limits is in fact redevelopment involving sites already occupied by obsolete or underdeveloped structures. Giving practically all tenants an indefinite right of possession beyond their original lease term would render most of these sites unbuildable as vacating them becomes cost prohibitive. Imagine the cost of negotiating a commercial tenant buy-out where that tenant is legally entitled to a 10-year renewal.

While the intent of both bills is to protect renters, their passage would harm the citys real estate stock, its future development potential and compound its affordable housing crisis. What makes New York a leading world city is its ability to attract new talent, business and investment from all over the globe. The city relies on this ability to fuel its economy, jobs and tax revenues. Signing these bills into law would signal to the world that New York City is closed for business and to newcomers.

Jakub Nowak is a Senior Vice President Investments, Team Leader and Associate Real Estate Broker at The Nowak Group of Marcus & Millichap.

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The Threat to NYC's Growth, Affordability and Quality of Life - Commercial Observer

In the universe of the film "National Treasure," Trinity Church's imposing dark brick and skyward spire hide secrets and treasure.

In Disney's 2004 movie, Nicholas Cage plays a historian and treasure hunter who uses a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence to track down an assortment of gold, jewels, and artifacts buried in the catacombs of Trinity Church. The treasure was, according to the film's plot, hidden there by the Free Masons a real secret society whose membership boasted revolutionaries like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton.

The true story of Trinity Church, which is located in the heart of Manhattan's financial district, involves a lot less gold and lot more history, according to church archivist Joseph Lapinski.

Fifteen years after "National Treasure" hit theaters the movie came out in November 2014 queries about the church's connection to the Free Masons' treasure have finally died down, Lapinski told Business Insider. (Nearly everything depicted in the movie pertaining to Trinity Church is untrue, he said.)

"Oddly enough, I don't get too many questions about 'National Treasure' to have a queued up list anymore," Lapinski said. He has worked at Trinity since 2013.

These days, visitors are more interested in the church's role in the American Revolution, since Alexander Hamilton and his wife Eliza (made newly famous by the musical "Hamilton") owned a pew, worshipped there, and were buried in the adjacent cemetery.

Here's what "National Treasure" got wrong about Trinity Church and the real secrets the building holds, according to Lapinski.

Go here to see the original:
What Trinity Church in New York is like, not as in 'National Treasure' - Business Insider

When you become a Whats Up Newp Supporter, you support our mission of providing local and independent community news, information, and journalism to Newport County and beyond.

RIHousing and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) announced on December 23rd the award of funds to develop highly energy efficient housing for low-and moderate-income Rhode Islanders.

The pilot program, Zero Energy for the Ocean State (ZEOS), is the result of a public-private partnership between RIHousing, OER and National Grid to explore innovative, replicable solutions to utilize cost saving, clean energy technologies in homes.

Locally, Church Community Housing Corporation (CCHC) has received a grant to construct eight, single-family homes in Jamestown and Aquidneck Island. Seven of the homes will be new construction and one includes the rehabilitation of an existing building. CCHC will also develop a building manual that will be easily replicable by small homebuilders, according to a press release from RI Housing.

RIHousing is committed to developing housing that Rhode Islanders can afford, said Carol Ventura, Executive Director at RIHousing in a press release. Energy efficient features in these homes will result in reduced occupancy costs for residents, thereby increasing their disposable income to meet other needs in their lives.

RIHousing and OER have committed a total of $675,000 in funding to three developers who will produce a range of building types in rural, suburban and urban parts of the state.

All three recipients of ZEOS Demonstration funds will develop stock plans to ensure replicability of their zero energy designs. The projects are:

Expanding access to cost-effective energy efficiency measures is vital to Rhode Islands clean energy future, said State Energy Commissioner Carol Grant in the press release. The state has made great strides to expand our energy efficiency programs to more people. The ZEOS program is one more way we are working to support renewable and green energy efforts.

Developers will design and construct affordable, Zero Energy Buildings (ZEBs). ZEBs are defined as any energy-efficient building with zero net energy consumption, meaning the total amount of energy used by a building on an annual basis is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site.

In addition to meeting ZEB standards, developers must also participate in National Grids Residential New Construction Program (www.ngrid.com/save) and will work closely with program partners throughout the design, construction, and data collection phases.

Were excited with the level of innovation and commitment to energy efficient projects in the funding applications received, said Chris Porter, Director of Customer Energy Management at National Grid in the press release. Applicants will deploy a range of methods, including new and emerging technologies, thoughtful design, and sustainable building materials to meet program goals while creating a pathway for scaling ZEBs in low- and moderate-income residential sectors as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Funding awards were announced at the December meeting of the RIHousing Board of Commissioners. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was released in July 2019 with initial funding of $250,000 available. In response to the strength of applications, the RIHousing Board of Commissioners approved an additional $375,000 to fully support the three projects.

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Church Community Housing Corp receives grant to develop Zero Net Energy housing for low-and moderate-income residents in Newport County - What'sUpNewp

A construction worker was killed Saturday morning while setting up for First Night Boston in Copley Square, according to Boston Police and a First Night Boston spokesman.

Police responded to reports of a traumatic injury on Saturday morning at 9:47 in the area of 560 Boylston St.

Something had fallen and hit the worker. The identity of the man, who was in his late 20s, has not been released.

Boston EMS transported the patient to the hospital but he was pronounced dead on the way, according to police.

The man was an employee of a company, United Staging & Rigging, assisting First Night with setup for the annual event, according to a First Night Boston spokesman.

Jon Sharpe of United Staging & Rigging issued a statement on the incident.

We are devastated by todays tragic accident that occurred while constructing a lighting tower for the First Night stage in Copley Square. One of our employees was killed this morning when a 3,500-pound ballast dislodged from a forklift and landed on his chest.

Although emergency responders arrived quickly, he was pronounced dead onsite.

The health and safety of our employees is our number one priority and we are working with the Boston Police and OSHA to determine how this could have happened. We will respond to the findings when the investigations are complete. Tonight, our focus and prayers are with our employee, his family and co-workers.

Boston Police, the Occupational Safety and Health Association and the office of Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins are investigating the death. OSHA did not immediately respond to request for comment.

This morning there was a fatal accident in Copley Square at setup for First Night Boston involving a construction worker, read a statement from First Night Boston. We are deeply saddened by the occurrence and are sending our prayers to the family of the worker.

First Night Boston is a New Years Eve arts festival that begins in Copley Square at 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday and continues all day and night until the last musical performance ends at 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2020.

The event features ice sculptures, musical performances, fireworks and childrens activities. The public celebration is free and open to all, and has been running since 1975.

The event has several local sponsors including Boston Properties, Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 12 Boston and The Boston Foundation.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of the victim in Copley Square this afternoon, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said in a statement issued by his office.

See original here:
Construction worker dies during First Night setup in Copley Square - Boston Herald

captionThe stained glass wall inside Trinity Church in New York City.sourceCourtesy of Tiani Jones/Trinity Church

In the universe of the film National Treasure, Trinity Churchs imposing dark brick and skyward spire hide secrets and treasure.

In Disneys 2004 movie, Nicholas Cage plays a historian and treasure hunter who uses a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence to track down an assortment of gold, jewels, and artifacts buried in the catacombs of Trinity Church. The treasure was, according to the films plot, hidden there by the Free Masons a real secret society whose membership boasted revolutionaries like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton.

The true story of Trinity Church, which is located in the heart of Manhattans financial district, involves a lot less gold and lot more history, according to church archivist Joseph Lapinski.

Fifteen years after National Treasure hit theaters the movie came out in November 2014 queries about the churchs connection to the Free Masons treasure have finally died down, Lapinski told Business Insider. (Nearly everything depicted in the movie pertaining to Trinity Church is untrue, he said.)

Oddly enough, I dont get too many questions about National Treasure to have a queued up list anymore, Lapinski said. He has worked at Trinity since 2013.

These days, visitors are more interested in the churchs role in the American Revolution, since Alexander Hamilton and his wife Eliza (made newly famous by the musical Hamilton) owned a pew, worshipped there, and were buried in the adjacent cemetery.

Heres what National Treasure got wrong about Trinity Church and the real secrets the building holds, according to Lapinski.

The main thing I usually stress is that theres no crypts underneath Trinity Church, Lapinski said. There are some burials under the altar, but theyre not formal crypts in the way the movie portrays.

The cemetery on the north side was created before the churchs construction in 1697. It started as a Dutch burial ground.

The Ludlows, the Bleeckers, the Livingstons all the people whose names are on New York street signs were people who attended Trinity Church, he added.

Many of the people buried there were Free Masons.

The organization eventually took on a more clandestine air as its members assumed influential roles in business and society. Of the 39 people who signed the US Constitution, 13 were Free Masons. However, while the group played a key role in forming the United States, its members did not actually transport any secret treasure.

Today, the all-male order is the worlds largest secret society, with at least 2 million members.

One such headstone marks the grave of a man named James Leeson, and it has a cryptogram that, when deciphered, reads Remember Death a common warning used on 18th-century headstones, Lapinski said.

Beneath the cryptogram are engraved Masonic symbols, including an hourglass, a compass, and a flame rising from an open vessel.

Beyond this indication that Leeson was a Mason, no further record of him can be found, according to Lapinski.

Rather, many powerful male professionals in New York during the 1700s were also part of the Free Masons, and when they were buried at Trinity Church, their headstones included Masonic symbols.

Prominent New Yorkers like Robert Fulton, who invented the steamboat, and Albert Gallatin, who founded New York University, are also buried there.

During the Revolutionary War, the churchs rector even wrote a loyalist response to patriot Thomas Paines pamphlet, Common Sense, which advocated for the colonies freedom.

But according to Lapinski, not all parishioners were loyalists.

Hamilton and fellow patriot John Jay both owned pews at Trinity Church.

There was an interesting dynamic of tension, Lapinski said.

After the American Revolution ended, the churchs new rector, Samuel Provoost, deleted the line in Trinity Churchs charter that stipulated clergy members had to be loyal to the British crown.

On the night of September 20, 1776, a devastating fire destroyed an estimated 10% to 25% of the buildings in Manhattan. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

The third version of the church was built in 1846 and remains standing to this day.

Captain William Kidd, a Scottish sailor executed for piracy in 1701, lent parts of his ship for use during Trinity Churchs construction.

According to Lapinski, there are two references to Kidd in the church archives. Hes mentioned in a short line: Captain Kidd helped with construction of first church by loaning buildings his runner and tackle to pull up stones.

The pirates name is also written on the list of church pews. Kidd shared ownership of the first-row pew with Trinity Churchs rector.

To me, the treasures arent gold and silver and jewels its the documents that get to share the story of where Trinity came from, Lapinski said.

It was signed by King William III in 1697.

These are great resources that tell us who was here and when, Lapinski said.

Archives reflect how we administered services to a growing and changing city, he added.

In the late 1800s, the part of Manhattan near Trinity Church was known as printers row or newspaper row, since it was home to the big-name publications of the day (including The New York Times).

According to Lapinksi, the church accommodated the schedules of people working in these printing presses by hosting 2 a.m. services.

Trinity Churchs central location and immutability has attracted many historians particularly those researching Alexander Hamilton, Lapinski said.

But the interior of Trinity Church is currently closed for construction work.

Trinitys nave, with its 66-foot vaulted ceilings, has been closed to the public for 19 months. According to Tiani Jones, the churchs media relations manager, the nave should reopen in February or March.

The Trinity Church Cemetery therefore includes three separate burial grounds at St. Pauls, 155th street, and the original church. Between those sites, the church owns the last active cemeteries left in Manhattan.

John James Audubon, one of the most prominent ornithologists in history, is buried at the Trinity Church Mausoleum and Cemetery on 155th Street.

St. Pauls Chapel, meanwhile, is famous in part because George Washington went there for services on the day of his inauguration in 1789.

Its assets are estimated at around $2 billion. So the church does, in a sense, hold ample treasure.

Read the rest here:
15 years after National Treasure came out, heres the real story of the Manhattan church that the movie suggests hides buried loot - Business Insider