The shows curators, Nicholas Dagen Bloom, a scholar and advocate of public housing, and Matthias Altwicker, a Brooklyn architect, document the various ways midcentury public housing reformers replaced slum tenements mostly with far less dense forms of urbanism. All those high-rise slab buildings and H-, Y- and T-shaped housing complexes were designed to provide tenants with more light, air and open space. They were about replacing slum tenements with quasi-suburban developments. The same approach defined middle-class projects like Co-op City in the Bronx. Low density was the point of building towers in the park.

So while the notorious Lower East Side tenements described by Jacob Riis in How the Other Half Lives packed in some 1,100 people per acre, leaving only 13 percent of the tenement blocks as open space, Queensbridge Houses in Queens, from 1939 one of the largest public housing complexes in North America was built for 245 people per acre. Three-quarters of the site remained open space.

Public housing was designed to take people out of the city, Mr. Freemark said, but denser urban neighborhoods are where people with choice have almost always preferred to live.

He cited Chicago, where the densest neighborhoods are mostly on the wealthier North Side. In New York, the largely well-to-do Upper West Side is one of the densest neighborhoods in the city; underserved East New York, in Brooklyn, is one of the least dense. Few buildings in New York are more densely populated than London Terrace, in Chelsea. Designed around the same time as Tudor City, its a 22-story behemoth with some 1,600 apartments. To build it, Henry Mandel, Frenchs rival, demolished rowhouses along West 23rd Street between Ninth and 10th Avenues.

While Mandel imagined working-class tenants occupying London Terrace, over the years John OHara, Nicole Kidman and Debbie Harry moved into the building. In 2013, the television producer David Chase bought Susan Sontags penthouse at London Terrace for $9.65 million.

London Terrace was built to house 931 people per acre. Its nearly four times as densely populated as Queensbridge, 18 times as dense as Co-op City, closer to the density of city centers in Paris and Barcelona.

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Everything You Think You Know About Housing Is Probably Wrong - The New York Times

In the nearly six months since a four-storey apartment was evacuated in Fort Saskatchewan, the condos president is hopeful owners can repair the building, and its lawyer said that repair could take up to seven months and cost millions of dollars.

This has been a very long and difficult time for us. Those in the evacuated building are still paying their mortgages, taxes, and condo fees as well as rent on another place to live, said George Cook, president of the Riverview Estates Condominium Board, at a news conference Monday.

Cook and five members of the board represent 87 condo owners, including 44 families who were forced to evacuate the complex at 9930 100 Ave. after the city of Fort Saskatchewan declared it structurally unsafe on Aug. 2.

A neighbouring apartment does not carry the same risk but, as members of the same Riverview Estates corporation, its unit owners could also be responsible for bearing the cost of repairs.

As the magnitude of the repairs has continued to unfold, to say that we are in shock is an understatement. The extent of the repairs and effect of the financial burden is heartbreaking. Many are worried that people may lose their homes or investments over this crisis, said Cook.

Riverview Estates is planning an information meeting in March after what Cook described as an onerous and complicated process, including working with engineers and a cost consultant, to come up with cost-effective solutions, Cook said. He thanked everyone who had a hand in helping, including the Red Cross, which was able to provide temporary hotel stays and food for those who needed it, he said.

This could have happened to anybody, said Hugh Willis, lawyer for the condo corporation. If owners approve a rebuild, it could be completed in five to seven months, Willis said.

The buildings problems are primarily in the crawl space under the first floor, said Willis.

In August, he said those problems appeared to be related to flaws in the buildings construction.

An inspection report by the citys safety codes officer in July 2002, obtained by Postmedia through an access to information request, notes that the crawl space foundation has been backfilled, but at that point, no poly or poly cover had been installed yet. In March 2003, another report said there was minor touch-up and clean-up work to do, but the apartment, built by Nova Construction Ltd., was ready for occupancy.

When residents first started complaining about spongy floors last summer, structural engineers were brought in to inspect and the citys safety codes officer issued an evacuation order.

The engineering company behind the condominium complex, Jacobsen Hage Engineering, had its engineering permit cancelled just one year after the condos were built.

lijohnson@postmedia.com

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Owners hopeful evacuated condo can be repaired, but it could cost millions - Edmonton Journal

Fire safety of apartments is one of the many legacy issues to be faced by government and it cannot be long-fingered until there is a tragedy, writes Eamon O'Boyle of Chartered Fire Engineers and Event Safety Consultants

It is essential that high-risk buildings be identified, and the initial focus should be on buildings where people sleep overnight. These include apartments, hotels, hospitals, dormitories and student accommodation blocks.

Fire safety of apartments is one of the many legacy issues to be faced by government and it cannot be long-fingered until there is a tragedy, writes Eamon OBoyle of Chartered Fire Engineers and Event Safety Consultants.

The British government recently announced that it intends to fund the replacement of unsafe aluminium cladding on all high-rise apartments. In the context of the Grenfell fire tragedy the then prime minister Theresa May said that it was of paramount importance that everybody is able to feel and be safe in their homes.

This surprise announcement will resonate with the many residents of apartments and other buildings in Ireland that were not built according to fire safety regulations and standards during the years of the Celtic Tiger.

It is interesting that much attention has been focused on apartments, but these were not the only category of building constructed during the boom.

The statutory position in respect of fire safety in apartment buildings in Ireland has been found to be deficient and has been the subject of a great deal of media commentary over the past number of years.

The statutory imperatives are included in two enactments, the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 and the Building Control Act 1990 -2014.

The Fire Services Act 1981 and 2003 require owners/occupiers of premises to ensure that their premises achieve and maintain an adequate standard of fire safety in order to safeguard occupants.

This is achieved by ensuring that adequate escape routes, emergency lighting, protection against fire spread, fire detection and alarm systems, furnishings and fittings, fire safety management and training of occupants are provided.

The Building Control Acts 1990-2014 are centred on the following principal areas:1.) Building Regulations (Building Standards) (Part B of the Second Schedule addresses Fire Safety)2.) Building Control Regulation and Administration of Fire Safety Certificates3.) Powers of Enforcement and Inspection

The building regulations require that buildings are safe in the event of fire. The aims of the fire safety element of the building regulations are to provide: Means of Escape (Regulation B1): Internal Spread of Fire (Linings) (Regulation B2): Internal Spread of Fire (Structure) (Regulation B3): External Fire Spread (Regulation B4 Facilities for Fire Services (Regulation B5)

Responsibility for compliance with fire safety requirements in all buildings are matters for: The owner The designer The builder

Each has different responsibilities, but it is essential they each discharge their responsibility fully to ensure the highest level of fire safety within dwellings.

Where a dwelling is occupied by a person other than the owner, the occupier has a duty of care to ensure they act responsibly in relation to fire safety arrangements.

In 2014, the Building Control System was revised. The overall objective is to achieve better building construction, in compliance with building regulations. This is achieved through: Identification of specific roles and responsibilities Statutory certification inspection plans Lodgment of compliance documents with building control authorities.

Breeches of either act carry criminal sanctions but also involve implications in respect of title necessary for property transfer purposes.

The enforcement of both enactments has attracted much negative commentary with a few high-profile cases being litigated in the highest courts.

Priory Hall has illustrated the inherent fire risks of many apartment blocks. In many cases fire safety certificates were not complied with and the inherent faults were not apparent to residents.

While Priory Hall has since been made safe it is not known how many other apartments throughout the country are still dangerous.

The absence of reliable data on the extent of the problem is a key issue to be faced. Based upon a review of planning applications received in respect of apartments between 2005 and 2008, this would suggest that up to 6,000 apartments were constructed nationally.

It is reasonable to expect that 75% will still have legacy issues and not be fully compliant with fire safety regulations and standards based on our experience.

It is essential that high-risk buildings be identified, and the initial focus should be on buildings where people sleep overnight. These include apartments, hotels, hospitals, dormitories and student accommodation blocks.

It is estimated that the typical cost of remedial work per apartment would be in the region of 15,000. Based on these estimates and of work already completed the cost could be in the region of 100 million.

It is worth noting that NAMA spent 100 million on bringing properties for which it had responsibility up to standard.

It worth noting that the response to date has been to change the regime of regulation for the future but it does not address the evidence of widespread non-compliance with fire safety regulations.

Indeed, there has been little or no debate or proposals on the structuring or financing of the necessary remediation.

Local authorities have the power to order building owners to carry out a fire risk assessment and report the inspection findings with an action plan to repair faults.

The most common faults are in relation to fire stopping which prevents smoke from moving from one apartment unit to another.

Fire stopping is hidden in wall cavities and partitions and its absence can only be detected by professional inspection.

The retro-fitting of fire stopping measures can be done by professional and competent builders within a short period once the extent to the risk is identified.

This work must be undertaken under professional supervision. The subsequent issuance of compliance reports will allow owners to feel safe and add to the national housing stock that can be bought and sold based on need without a cloud hanging over its safety.

Fire safety of apartments is one of the many legacy issues to be faced by government and it cannot be long-fingered until there is a tragedy.

The direct intervention of government, as in the case of pyrite, may be the only workable solution. Initially, an action plan to quantify the scale of the problem must now be undertaken. Work must then begin to rectify faults based on assessment of risk and priority.

Author:Eamon OBoyle, director, Eamon OBoyle & Associates, Chartered Fire Engineers and Event Safety Consultants.

Fire safety of apartments is one of the many legacy issues to be faced by government and it cannot be long-fingered until there is a tragedy, writes Eamon O'Boyle of Chartered Fire Engineers and Event Safety Consultants.The British government recently announced that it intends to fund the replacement of...

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Fire regulations and legacy issues from the Celtic Tiger years - Engineers Journal

A housing developer has submitted a planning applicationwith Warwick District Council to turn to the old Earl Clarendon pub building in Kenilworth into four apartments.

Leamington-based home development company, Esprit Homes Construction Ltd., bought the pub building last year for 383,500.

The development company has applied to change the use of the property from a public house at 127 Warwick Road to four apartments at the same location.

People can submit comments about the pending planning application through the Warwick District Council planning portal online.

Statements of support have been submitted by two companies on behalf of the Leamington developers.

Esprit Homes Construction hired Hub Transport Planning Ltd to provide access and transport advice for the proposed residential development.

The proposal to convert the former pub building into provide four residential apartments includes two two-bedroom and two one-bedroom dwellings.

The site is located on the eastern side of the A452 Warwick Road, approximately 350m south of Kenilworth town centre.

The proposed apartment scheme will provide six dedicated parking spaces to the rear of the building for the four apartments, all of which will be provided with an electric charging point.

The Hub Transport Planning report said the average car ownership for the Kenilworth area is 1.39 cars per household, and based on that average, the required parking level for the development would be 5.56 spaces (1.39 x 4 apartments).

The developers also instructed Cerda Planning Limited to prepare a planning statement to support the change of use application.

The Cerda Planning report said the Earl Clarendon public house ceased trading in February 2019.

The supporting planning report also said a development of eight apartments located at nearby 131 Warwick Road was granted planning permission in March 2018.

The access to the apartments would be through the existing private access drive between numbers 131 and 135 Warwick Road and through the rear car park of the existing apartment building.

Access to apartment number 1 would be from the rear of the building with pedestrian access to apartments, 2, 3 and 4 from the central courtyard and garden of the existing apartment block.

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Plans to turn old Kenilworth pub building into apartments go to Warwick District Council - Kenilworth Weekly News

Properties at 6525, 6559 and 6585 Sussex Avenue in Burnaby were sold for $40 million in May 2016. They have since been demolished to make way for a new development | File photo: Rob Kruyt

A judge has declined to award special costs against a businessman who was ordered to pay $1.15 million in outstanding commissions after flipping a bundle of Burnaby lowrise apartments for a $6.67 million profit.

In November 2015, Wenxue Wang had accepted offers on three adjacent lowrise apartment buildings at 6585, 6559 and 6525 Sussex Ave. in Metrotown for a total of $33.3 million, according to evidence presented at a 23-day civil trial last year.

He had signed an exclusive listing agreement with realtor Laura Zhao and her father Raymond Zhao, president of Vancouver Home Park Realty Ltd., according to court documents.

Wang had also agreed to pay them a $300,000 bonus for assembling the properties for him, the documents say.

Without telling the Zhaos, however, Wang began working with another agent, Robin Fu, and flipped the properties a few months later to a new buyer for $40 million, earning $6.67 million in profit.

When Raymond Zhao pressed Wang about the exclusive listing agreement, Zhao said Wang had told him to forget about it or he would sue him over the $300,000 bonus, according to the court documents.

Wang claimed the Zhaos had gotten him to sign the bonus agreement under false pretences and he hadnt been aware of it until he picked up his cheque from the sale.

Wang ended up suing the Zhaos for the return of the $300,000, and the Zhaos sued Wang for the unpaid commission.

This low-rise rental apartment on Sussex Avenue was demolished in late 2018 - Jennifer Gauthier

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ward Branch, who described the two parties as being in separate evidentiary universes, said the claims ultimately came down to credibility and that he preferred the Zhaos evidence.

In a ruling in September, he granted the Zhaos claim and dismissed Wangs, ordering him to pay $1.5 million in outstanding commissions.

The Zhaos then argued Wang should be ordered to pay special costs because of a smear campaign they said he had waged against them in a deliberate and malicious effort to damage or destroy the business and personal reputations of Home Park and its principals through accusations of fraud and dishonesty, according to another ruling by Branch last week (January 21).

Special costs are awarded when the court finds one of the parties in a civil case has engaged in reprehensible conduct.

In his latest ruling, however, Branch declined to award the Zhaos special costs, saying Wangs allegations of fraud and dishonesty were insufficiently reprehensible.

Branch said it would be difficult for the Zhaos to argue the allegations of fraud against them were totally unfounded.

Branch noted evidence at trial had shown Laura Zhao had forged Wangs signature on a document, Raymond Zhao had overstated the Zhaos right to interest on Wangs deposits and Raymond Zhao mayhave exceeded the proper scope of his role as general manager of Home Park given he didnt have his own real estate licence.

Politicians held gold-coloured shovels at a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new 125-unit non-market rental project in Metrotown. - Kelvin Gawley

Branch ordered Wang to pay the Zhaos legal costs but ruled special costs against him were not warranted.

The Sussex apartments, meanwhile, have been demolished to make way for a new, 47-storey mixed-use tower and a 14-storey, non-market-rental apartment building.

The developer, Thind Properties, is working in partnership with the province, City of Burnaby and New Vista Society on the non-market-rental part of the project.

Construction began in April 2019.

Burnaby Now

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Land-assembly investor sued over $40m Burnaby flip gets reprieve from judge - Business in Vancouver

The city of Iqaluit has raised municipal property taxes by three per cent for 2020 the fourth consecutive tax rise since 2016.

"A three per cent increase this year felt manageable and would allow us to make significant investment in our infrastructure," said city councillor Kyle Sheppard, chair of the city's finance committee.

Sheppard said council could have raised the mill rate by one, two or three per cent and opted for the greatest increase. It's expected to bring the city an extra $634,999.

A mill rate is the amount of tax payable per every $1,000 of assessed property value.

The previous city council voted to increase 2019 property taxes by five per cent to bring in an extra $433,298. The increase was to make up for raises in salaries, heating fuel and electricity.

"They took five per cent for the taxes, which was a huge increase, but that was eaten away by water breaks in the city," said Iqaluit Mayor Kenny Bell.

Bell says last year's waterline breaks cost about $700,000. These breaks contributed to the city's potable water shortage.

"We're taking more to make sure that we can at least try to replace things instead of just fixing existing problems," said Bell.

The money needed to fix the city's water infrastructure problems are far beyond any revenue the city could bring in through property taxes.

In the 2020 capital expenditure plan, the city budgets nearly $4 million for water system upgrades. These are things like pipeline replacements, repairs in the Happy Valley neighbourhood, and upgrades to the utilidors, the city's utilitypipes that run above and underground.

Another $1 million is budgeted for pumping water from the Apex River.

Property taxes are the largest source of revenue for the city of Iqaluit. In 2018 the city made $19,905,138 in taxes, according to the city's 2018 audited statements. This year, it expects to make $20,956,400.

Not all property tax revenue comes from single family homes.

The city breaks down its taxes into five mill rates:

Residential "7/8" is for single family units, such as a house or an individually owned condo. The other residential classification,"9/10" is for properties that have two or more family dwellings, such asan apartment building or full duplex.

There are other mill rates for commercial, industrial and institutional properties.

When the city says it is "raising property taxes," what they are actually doing is increasing the mill rate. So a three per cent increase in 2020 means the city is raising the previous year's mill rate by three per cent.

The city of Iqaluit has the power to change the mill rate. What they don't do is property assessments, which assess the value of your home.

This task falls to Gerry Towns and Chelsea Bradshaw of GT Property Assessment and Tax out of Edmonton. They also work for the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation and assess every property in the territory.

In Nunavut, there are two kinds of assessments: the general assessment that happens within 10 years of the previous general assessment, and the annual assessment that happens every year.

The general assessment creates a base upon which all properties are evaluated. It takes into account things like construction costs, zoning changes and inflation. In its calculation, the general assessment looks at property values from two years prior. The last time Iqaluit had a general assessment was in 2014, which means all properties in Iqaluit were assessed on the construction costs in 2012.

The next general assessment year is 2024, and everyone's property values are set to go up. That's because everyone's homes will be valued based on 2022 building construction costs.

Why on earth are things done like this? The idea is that if everyone is evaluated on the same base year, taxes will be distributed more fairly.

Butjust because everyone's property values are expected to go up in 2024, it doesn't mean your property taxes will skyrocket. The city will recalculate the mill rate for this year to make sure that doesn't happen.

According to Towns, in the last three general assessments, the mill rate in Iqaluit went down.

Annual assessments are less complicated. They calculate changes to the land or the building that affect its value, like the addition of a garage, or an extension to your house.

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Everything you need to know about Iqaluit's property taxes - CBC.ca

PEORIA, Ill. The former Double As Pizza Sports Bar & Grill building on Radnor Road is finally getting a new owner.

Weavers Fresh Food & Drink is expected to fill the spot thats been empty for nearly two years. The future establishment is currently in the renovations process, with contractors still painting and setting up furniture in the building.

The restaurants owner, Matt Weaver, was the previous co-owner of Sheltons Bar on West Farmington Road. Weaver said the when it came to opening the new establishment, it was a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.

I had my eye on the building for a while and feel the timing is right, Weaver said.

He said the restaurants food will be a variety including pizza made from scratch, as well as salads, sandwiches, Cincinnati chili, lemon shakeups, and more.

Weaver said the restaurant will also include some unique additions such as game rooms for kids, carry-outs and private rooms for business meetings, sports teams, and family get-togethers.

He also made it clear there would be no gambling machines.

I decided to keep it more focused on fun for the whole family and maximize seating rather than putting in gambling machines, Weaver said.

He said the restaurant is expected to open in early March.

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New family-friendly restaurant to take over former Double As building - CIProud.com

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDSDare County Animal Shelter

Sealed bids for completion of the Dare County Animal Shelter will be received on February 11, 2020, in the Dare County Administration Building, 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo, NC, for 01-Fencing, 03- Concrete, 04-Masonry, 05-Metals/ Steel, 06-Casework, 07-Roofing, 07-Caulking, 08-Glass and Glazing, 08-Doors, Frames and Hardware, 08-Overhead Doors, 09-Drywall, 09-Flooring, 09-Painting, 10- Specialties, 12-Furnishings, 21-Fire Protection, 23-Mechanical & Plumbing, 26-Electrical, 31-Sitework and 32-Landscaping.

This project will be bid and awarded in accordance with North Carolina law. Sealed proposals from Contractors will be received until 1:00 p.m. All bidders must submit for prequalification by 2:00pm on 2/3/2020. Bids submitted by non-prequalified bidders will not be considered. All bids will be opened and read aloud starting at 2:00 p.m. of the bid day. Bids must be delivered in person and on the supplied Bid Form and include a bid deposit worth 5% of the total bid value. Electronic and faxed bids will NOT be accepted or reviewed. All times are local prevailing times.

Information requests concerning the project shall be submitted in writing to: Alex Palagyi of The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company via email (alex.palagyi@whiting-turner.com)

Bidding material, prequalification material, and complete plans and specifications may be obtained from the Whiting-Turner Building Connected site and will be available until the bid due date. All subcontractors are responsible for emailing Alex Palagyi (alex.palagyi@whiting-turner.com) for access to the Building Connected site.

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and Dare County reserve the right to reject any and all bids, waive informalities and irregularities in bidding, and to accept bids which are considered to be in the best interest of the County. The Whiting Turner Contracting Company and Dare County also reserve the right to require any bidder to submit information needed to determine if said bidder is responsible within the meaning of N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-129.

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Feb. 1: St. Andrew's By The Sea Annual Acolytes Chili/Chowder Cook-Off - The Outer Banks Voice

NCDOT is warning drivers today to use caution on NC 12. Crews are working to remove wind-blown sand from the travel lanes of NC 12 in spots between Rodanthe and the Basnight Bridge. The road is currently open, but motorists should drive with extreme caution and expect delays while crews work. Strong Northeast winds are expected to continue today.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDSDare County Animal Shelter

Sealed bids for completion of the Dare County Animal Shelter will be received on February 11, 2020, in the Dare County Administration Building, 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo, NC, for 01-Fencing, 03- Concrete, 04-Masonry, 05-Metals/ Steel, 06-Casework, 07-Roofing, 07-Caulking, 08-Glass and Glazing, 08-Doors, Frames and Hardware, 08-Overhead Doors, 09-Drywall, 09-Flooring, 09-Painting, 10- Specialties, 12-Furnishings, 21-Fire Protection, 23-Mechanical & Plumbing, 26-Electrical, 31-Sitework and 32-Landscaping.

This project will be bid and awarded in accordance with North Carolina law. Sealed proposals from Contractors will be received until 1:00 p.m. All bidders must submit for prequalification by 2:00pm on 2/3/2020. Bids submitted by non-prequalified bidders will not be considered. All bids will be opened and read aloud starting at 2:00 p.m. of the bid day. Bids must be delivered in person and on the supplied Bid Form and include a bid deposit worth 5% of the total bid value. Electronic and faxed bids will NOT be accepted or reviewed. All times are local prevailing times.

Information requests concerning the project shall be submitted in writing to: Alex Palagyi of The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company via email (alex.palagyi@whiting-turner.com)

Bidding material, prequalification material, and complete plans and specifications may be obtained from the Whiting-Turner Building Connected site and will be available until the bid due date. All subcontractors are responsible for emailing Alex Palagyi (alex.palagyi@whiting-turner.com) for access to the Building Connected site.

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and Dare County reserve the right to reject any and all bids, waive informalities and irregularities in bidding, and to accept bids which are considered to be in the best interest of the County. The Whiting Turner Contracting Company and Dare County also reserve the right to require any bidder to submit information needed to determine if said bidder is responsible within the meaning of N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-129.

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Wind, sand complicating NC 12 travel - The Outer Banks Voice

Freire and Boone went on to collaborate on an additional projecta exhibition that stretched from Team to both of Boones New York locationsand they maintained a social relationship.

I love to go to the movies, and Mary Boone, it seems, also loves to go to the movies, Freire said. It was like, why bother going to an art dinner in a boring art restaurant where youve got to whisper because everyone at the other tables works at some other art gallery? We would go to movies on the Upper West Side, on Sunday afternoons, Sunday mornings.

Freire couldnt recall any special, shared cinematic taste between the two of them, but he does have a visceral memory of bringing her to see Michael Hanekes slow-burn thriller Cach (2005) at the New York Film Festival. Theres a point in that movie where someone, seemingly out of nowhere, slits their own throat. And Mary grabbed my armshe has kind of, you know, couture-y nailsand they went right into my arm. I thought to myself, Make a note: Never take Mary Boone to see a scary movie again!

I asked Freire if he thought Boone would make a return to the New York art world once her prison term is up. Somewhat surprisingly, he said nobut not due to any failing on Boones part, nor because of any backlash from the community regarding her financial crimes.

It might just be that Boonewho cut her chops in the high-flying 1980s and became a dashing personality to be reckoned withsimply cant compete in an age where international mega-galleries gobble up artists and estates.

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Artists Reflect on Mary Boones Legacy a Year after Her Prison Sentencing - Artsy