The first pieces of the new residential project and urban grocery on Ellicott Street are starting to take shape as Ciminelli Real Estate Corp. moves forward with environmental cleanup of the site and the structural work.

The Buffalo-based developer said Tuesday that all of the urban fill soil has been removed from the site at 201 Ellicott St. as part of a state-supervised remediation. That effort will eventually see the 2.5-acre site bounded by Ellicott, Clinton, Oak and Eagle streets readied for construction into a 220,000-square-foot development after decades as a city-owned parking lot.

Crews have also started work on the primary residential building, with the foundation frame, stair towers and elevator shafts. That building, which will contain 201 affordable apartments, will take longer to build than the single-story Braymiller Market grocery alongside it, on which construction will begin in early spring.

Plans call for the market to be completed in spring 2021, followed by the apartment building in early summer 2021.

Ciminelli is working with CannonDesign, Arc Building Partners and C&S Companies on the project. Other partners include M&T Bank, Evans Bank, Citigroup, Red Stone Equity Partners, Belmont Housing Resources for Western New York and GOBike Buffalo.

Despite parking concerns, 201 Ellicott project gains latest approval

Read more:
Foundation of downtown grocery, apartments taking shape - Buffalo News

Carlsbad approved an additional $4 million this week to build 50 affordable apartments in the downtown Barrio neighborhood for homeless and low-income veterans, their families and homeless people with mental illness.

This is affordable housing done right, said John Nguyen-Cleary, a member of Carlsbads Housing Commission, to the Carlsbad City Council before its unanimous approval of the project Tuesday. It will lift people out of poverty and reduce recidivism.

The City Council approved $4.25 million in 2017 as a 55-year loan to buy property for the development at two separate sites, one on Harding Street and the other on Oak Avenue, both just west of Interstate 5. The developer, Affirmed Housing, has been working on construction financing since then, and has also secured a $10 million, zero-interest loan through San Diego Countys No Place Like Home program.

California voters in November 2018 approved funding for the No Place Like Home program, which helps develop permanent supportive housing for people who need mental health services and are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Some downtown residents have expressed concerns that the apartments will house people with severe mental illness.

Im not objecting to the project ... but I have questions about the severe mental illness, said one long-time Barrio homeowner.

If this were my neighborhood, I would share the same concerns, said Councilman Keith Blackburn. However, Affirmed officials assured the council and residents that there are programs in place to help the mentally ill.

Each of the two apartment buildings will have a live-in manager, with supportive services for occupants and oversight from multiple agencies. Applicants are assessed before they move in to determine whether they can live independently.

Its a housing team, said Heather Pollock, director of housing services for Affirmed. It will be a very robust group working together to ensure the stability of those residents.

Representatives of the agencies involved will work with the apartment residents and managers to monitor the needs of individual residents, including those with mental health issues. Residents with a bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, for example, could be treated with prescription medicines.

Construction could begin by the end of the year, said Jimmy Silverwood, executive vice president of Affirmed, the company that will develop, own and operate the housing.

In all, the development has an estimated total cost of $33 million, said David de Cordova, the citys principal planner, at the council meeting. That includes about $8.2 million to cover things such as the design and architecture of the buildings, and $5.7 million for capitalized reserves to help with the subsidized rents.

The cost of the project averages out to $663,000 per unit, de Cordova said, and the amount is reasonable compared to other developments in the area.

The public benefits include ... providing urgently needed housing to the most vulnerable, hard-to-house populations, de Cordova said. The project also helps Carlsbad meet its housing goals for extremely low and very low income households.

More than half the apartments would be studios, and the rest would have one, two or three bedrooms. Rents would range from $280 a month for a studio to $1,600 a month for three bedrooms.

Founded in 1992, Affirmed has built low-income housing projects in 45 communities across California, including the four-building, 56-apartment Cassia Heights completed in 2007 on Cassia Road just east of El Camino Real in Carlsbad.

See original here:
Carlsbad to build 50 apartments for homeless and low-income vets - The San Diego Union-Tribune

CLEVELAND The 18-month public battle to build a 44-unit apartment complex in Cleveland's historic Little Italy neighborhood will reach a crescendo during the upcoming Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on Feb. 3.

The board is expected to vote on two key zoning variances which would allow the project to move forward, but some residents living near the Cornell Road building site maintain the project will be too large a disruption in their classic east side neighborhood.

Mark Singer said the project needs to be scaled back even further, even though developer Michael Panzica reduced the number of units from 60 to just 44 last summer.

The building is a monstrosity, it is almost the size of football field," Singer said. "Its like sticking a cruise ship in Shaker Lakes. There needs to be at this time a moratorium. There are so many rentals in this area and no one has done a study yet on how many are occupied or not occupied."

Other homeowners, like Lucy Anne Columbus, believe the project will detract from the historic significance of the area and set-up some potential safety concerns.

Were concerned about the emergency vehicles which come down Cornell now on a regular basis, what are they going to do now, how are they going to be redirected," Columbus said. It not only detracts from the three homes that surround this 44 suite building that theyre going to put up, but it also impacts the atmosphere on the neighborhood. Just dont ruin the character of it. There are not enough historical spots, so please preserve the ones that are here."

Michael Panzica, President of M. Panzica Development, said he's been extremely receptive to the needs of the neighborhood, scaling back the project and earning Cleveland Landmarks Commission approval in August.

Panzica said his effort to reach out to the Little Italy community has included four public meetings, allowing residents to express their concerns.

I think weve shown a very strong willingness to work with this community, Panzica said. I think weve come a long way in pleasing the majority and we think it will ultimately bring bodies and residents to this neighborhood to support a lot of the restaurants and shops.

Ray Kristosik, Executive Director of Little Italy Redevelopment, said the project is a better fit than it was when it was first proposed more than two years ago.

Cleveland Councilman Blaine Griffin said he's watching the process carefully and is holding on making final judgment, as the zoning board goes over the development proposal.

Still, residents like Chris Rander who are living near the construction site believe the project is clearly a detriment to the quality of life in that neighborhood.

"It's right in the middle, taking up all this space, its going to dwarf anything around it and we think its too much," Rander said. Please do not grant the variances, its too big, it needs to be rethought.

View original post here:
Cleveland's Little Italy apartment project battle heading to zoning board - News 5 Cleveland

A local developer has broken ground on a retail complex across the street from Ikea, a project that has been in the works for more than two years.

Construction crews started site work recently for The Bend, an eatery-heavy project that would also include a movie theater, after developer J Dapper said he redesigned the underground garage and made other changes to the planned complex in the southwest Las Vegas Valley.

Grading and other site work are scheduled to finish by June 1, he said, though it isnt clear yet when the project will open.

Cost of $65-70M

Dapper, whose project is estimated to cost $65 million to $70 million and will feature 170,000 square feet of retail space, said Thursday he expects to hire a general contractor by the end of February to build The Bend.

Current estimates call for vertical construction to last 12 to 14 months, he added.

Dapper who also reached a deal last year to buy the shuttered Huntridge Theater with the goal of restoring the rundown, 1940s-era venue is building The Bend in a fast-growing part of the valley. Developers have packed the southwest suburbs with housing tracts, apartment complexes and other projects in recent years.

The Bend, on Sunset Road at Durango Drive, just north of Ikea, is slated to include such tenants as Mothership Coffee Roasters, Lotus of Siam, Freeds Dessert Shop and Galaxy Theatres. Plans also call for a five-story office building, which would be built by a separate developer.

Dapper, founder of Las Vegas-based Dapper Companies, unveiled plans for The Bend in late 2017. His company later announced it expected to break ground by the end of 2018.

Plan changes made

The project site, however, appeared quiet until recently. Dapper said a combination of factors accounted for the delay.

The underground parking garage initially was supposed to be much larger than it is now, he said. The redesign took eight to 10 months but probably shaved more than $10 million in costs, according to Dapper.

He also said his group added some square footage to a planned brewery at The Bend, reconfigured some space for the movie theater and changed the projects lead architect, switching from a small firm to a larger one.

As for dealing with Clark County officials, design professionals and others, Dapper said, It just doesnt happen overnight.

Meanwhile, The Bend isnt the only new project in the works across from Ikea.

Clark County commissioners recently approved plans by luxury gym operator Life Time for a three-story, 125,500-square-foot facility just east of the Swedish furniture dealer.

The Minnesota-based fitness chain has said it hopes to break ground this year.

Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Follow @eli_segall on Twitter.

See the original post here:
Work begins on The Bend retail complex in southwest Las Vegas - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Plans in the works for another multi-level building in East Hollywood

A developer wants to add to the growing roster of mid-rise apartment complexes sprouting in East Hollywood.

Kenneth Sauder on behalf of Wakeland Wilcox LLC has filed plans for a four-story, 62-unit building at 4904-4920 W. Santa Monica Boulevard, county records show. The building would have a substantial affordable component.

The entity acquired the property, now a 4,850-square-foot office building and adjacent parking lot, for $6.4 million in September.

The applicant is requesting special zoning considerations under Los Angeles Transit Oriented Communities initiative, which encourages the construction of affordable housing near transit stations.

The $35.4 million development to be called The Wilcox is slated for $13.4 million in No Place Like Home Funds state grant funding, awarded through L.A. County, according to Urbanize.

Some of the other East Hollywood mid-level housing developments in the works:

Read the rest here:
Developer looks to add to East Hollywoods growing multifamily stock - The Real Deal

In OctoberDecember 2019, YIT started construction of two new apartment buildings in Russia. The projects are located in Yekaterinburg and Tyumen. The total value of the projects is approximately EUR 22 million, with nearly 500 apartments to be completed. The start-ups of the apartments are booked in the order backlog of the fourth quarter of 2019.

In Yekaterinburg, YIT started the construction of a new apartment building called Vektori. The 25-storey building will feature more than 270 apartments and a parking hall with business premises and a roof-top recreational area for residents. The building is located in central Yekaterinburg, in the vicinity of diverse services and good traffic connections. The building is set to be completed in late 2021.

In Tyumen, YIT started the construction of the second phase of the Finskiy zaliv residential area. The 9-storey building is planned to have more than 200 apartments, mainly with 23 rooms. Some of the apartments are Transformer apartments, in which the residents can easily make changes to the floor plan when their needs change. In addition, the building will feature business premises and teaching facilities for 40 preschool children. The park area located near Finskiy zaliv offers excellent opportunities for various outdoor activities. The second phase is due for completion in the last quarter of 2020.

In addition, YIT acquired a new plot near the city centre of St. Petersburg at the end of 2019, with the intention of constructing an apartment building with approximately 100 apartments. The future project is located near many universities and cultural landmarks, such as the Mariinsky Theatre.

Read more:
YIT starts with two new apartment buildings in Russia - Property Magazine International

An interview with Dru McAuley, Assistant Vice President, Commercial Financing, First National on site intensification.

Across Canada, governments at all levels have jumped on the site intensification solution to housing shortages and for good reason. As the countrys population grows, it is economically and environmentally preferable to increase the housing density of existing neighbourhoods than to allow more urban sprawl.

However, even though intensification is promoted as good public policy (and Ontarios recently enacted Bill 108 further entrenches such promotion in law) it does not mean owners proposing higher density redevelopments will always find clear sailing at city hall. Indeed, many times the opposite is true.

In this article, Dru McAuley, Assistant Vice President, Commercial Financing at First National and a lending expert who has financed many different types of intensification projects over the years, provides a practical guide to those who are contemplating land use densification.

The Dollars and Sense Benefits of Intensification

McAuleys first observation is that intensification has many clear benefits. When asked to list them, he starts with a basic one: higher density projects provide more housing per hectare. In large cities like Toronto and Vancouver where the shortage of housing options is acute, this is a necessity. Additionally, when an underused urban site is redeveloped, it increases public transit use and creates what city planners call a more complete community featuring healthier patterns of human activity.

For municipalities, intensification reduces the need to build new roads and other infrastructure and brings in sought-after development charges/new property taxes from an increase in the assessment base. For these reasons, provincial governments have given municipalities planning act tools to achieve more compact neighbourhoods. In Ontario, the provinces Growth Plan requires all municipalities to accommodate a minimum of 40 percent of forecast population growth through residential intensification within their urban areas.

Beyond the social benefits, McAuley says there is a compelling economic case in favour of intensification for property owners as higher-density additions yield new sources of cash flow from otherwise underutilized or vacant properties.

The Risks

With seemingly easy, abundant opportunities for intensification present in most urban areas, its a wonder why it doesnt happen more often. A key factor is NYMBYism (Not In My Backyard), which is a general opposition to change for a variety of reasons. NIMBY protests are a common risk factor facing intensification projects.

Another challenge is parkland dedications that generally fall under Section 37 of Ontarios Planning Act. It authorizes municipalities to grant increases in height and density of development in exchange for the provision of facilities, services or matters by the property owner, which are essentially classified as community benefits and commonly referred to as parkland dedications. Toronto has used this to wrest over $300 million in community cash benefits and $212 million in payments and accrued interest from developers since the city was amalgamated in 1998. This is complicated by the fact that there is no commonly applied standard to determine the value of a Section 37 contribution. This makes the cost of the contribution difficult to calculate and can lead to lengthy and substantial project delays.

In Ontario, Bill 108 passed in June seeks to remedy this situation by declaring an upper limit on the charge that can be applied in percentage terms, prescribing a date that valuation takes place (the day before the building permit is issued) and installing a dispute resolution mechanism. Time will tell if these changes make a meaningful difference.

Drus Advice

McAuleys first recommendation to property owners is to informally ask the elected municipal representative in whose ward your project will take place if he/she will support the intensification development as envisioned. You might find the local rep will support the plan, something slightly different or indicate which type of Section 37 benefits will be required to garner support. If there is no support, then it is prudent for an investor to be aware of this from the outset. McAuley said that while gaining councillor backing is not an iron-clad guarantee that the project will make it through the approval process, it is a valuable indicator of how much friction it may encounter.

McAuleys second suggestion is to align yourself with experienced planning consultants, lawyers, architects and builders. A team approach is necessary. Navigating the municipal, provincial and conservation authority approval system takes skilled hands. This might seem obvious, but many investors attempt to go through the process with limited input. For example, a very useful exercise is to engage property tax experts early in the process who will liaise with the local tax authority or MPAC in order to have the increase in property taxes largely agreed upon prior to completion. This simple approach helps avoid tax shock when the reassessment occurs. Generally speaking, a non-fully professional team will not succeed in a site intensification project.

Recommendation three is to seek advice from a mortgage partner early, often and well before building project plans are set in stone. McAuley says First National is regularly invited by clients to run predictive analyses of potential financing strategies using different assumptions. Proactive engagements with an empowered lender like First National lead to better financing decisions, lower risks and lower costs. The benefit here is that financing surprises are avoided, or at least minimized. McAuley has often seen well planned projects fail at the final hurdle because the investors financing assumptions cannot be satisfied. When more equity or debt is required than originally envisioned, it naturally affects investment returns and even the viability of the project.

Recommendation four is to have sufficient contingency funds set aside in a financing to cover extra costs that may arise because of planning and building delays and construction inflation. Lately, First National has seen several project budgets that have had to be revised due to quickly escalating labour and material costs. Contingency amounts in budgets should be realistic. An often used 3% for both hard and soft costs would be considered too low in the current market. Instead, 5% is more realistic. A challenging construction market where booking reliable trades and other service providers is difficult complicates matters because of limited resource availability. Accordingly, investors without sufficient capital to meet cost overruns or supply shortages can get into trouble quickly.

While not a recommendation, McAuley also notes it can pay to be creative about how to achieve intensification. One First National client decided to add three storeys to an existing three-storey, 30-unit apartment building. To make the project work, the owner first approached the city for a soft approval and then worked with a builder, engineering consultants and material suppliers to find a way to construct the addition without asking existing tenants to vacate. The solution was the use of pre-fabricated materials, which reduced the construction window substantially and created much less disruption for existing tenants. There was an obvious concern that if something went wrong with the structure of the existing building during construction, the owner would suffer cash-flow shortages on the existing 30 units. This risk was partly mitigated through proper insurance, thorough investigative work, sound engineering advice and forward planning with regard to adding the necessary additional parking.

Recommendation five is to carefully consider parking. In many communities, particularly suburban centres, providing sufficient parking spaces is a pre-requisite for municipal approval of an intensification project. In the case of the project noted above, the owner had to acquire a vacant lot for surface parking across the street from the apartment building at extra cost. However, for some intensification projects, underground parking is the only acceptable solution and building it can substantially inflate construction costs beyond the point of recovery or reduce the level of density that can be achieved if the owner opts to limit parking capacity. The cost of underground parking in urban areas often a necessity adds tremendously to project costs and should be considered very early in the process. This also underscores the requirement of engaging proper consultants early a parking surprise is one to be avoided.

Overall, site intensification can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding. McAuley noted that First National recently closed a financing for a redevelopment project in north Toronto that was originally conceived six years ago. At first, the property owners proposed building a second apartment tower on a contiguous parcel of vacant land that they owned, which seemed obvious. After lengthy negotiations with city officials, the owner was instead permitted to construct a much smaller rental townhouse complex. The final goal was achieved site intensification and new, high-quality accommodation for local residents even though the preliminary plan could not be realized.

First Nationals Lending Parameters

In determining whether to fund an intensification project, First National applies straightforward thinking. The primary consideration is an obvious one: does the project make economic sense? It does when there is no equity gap. An equity gap exists when an owner asks for a loan of, say, $9 million when the cash flow after development will only support a $6 million financing. As noted above, this might seem obvious. But the importance of engaging a lending partner at the earliest stages of the development planning cannot be emphasized enough.

First National also strives to align itself with owners and developers who have a good level of experience and a proven track record. A borrower who has no high-rise experience, for example, will find limited financing available due to the lack of a track record with this type of asset.

The third consideration is deal size and type. First National typically engages in development or construction financings conventional and CMHC insured of $5 million and up but there are exceptions where smaller loans can be accommodated. The Company also focuses on financing site redevelopments, multi-residential building extensions/additions and new developments, rather than housing infills. An infill occurs when an owner redevelops a site by knocking down an existing structure and puts another building(s) or a larger structure in its place) on an under-used site within an already developed area.

In summary, it pays to recognize when you have a good case for intensification, either because you have excess land that was bought and paid for years ago (as in the case of many Toronto-area apartment sites) or because your existing property has low density. Transforming such properties into multi-unit residential developments that generate new cash flows will take skilled negotiation and committed capital, but is beneficial to you as the owner, your local municipality and the many Canadians whose need for housing is currently unmet.

Should you wish to consult First National on financing your residential intensification project, you can contact Dru McAuley atdru.mcauley@firstnational.caor any member of our Commercial Financingteam.

Read more from the original source:
Have an intensification project on the books? Read this first. - Real Estate News EXchange

SUPPLIED

Two people were injured at the apartment construction site on Thursday.

A construction worker was crushedunder a concrete slab while working on an apartment complex in Auckland, an eyewitness said.

St John said two people were injured in the accident and hospitalised on Thursday morning.

The eyewitness told Stuff workerswere lowering a slabnear the intersection ofPaora and Tautari Streets,in Orakei,when another slab already in place seeminglyfell and collapsed.

"There was stillpanickingthere and there's an ambulance there now. It was pretty rough."

READ MORE:Four workplace accidents in four days: 'Be more aware of risks', WorkSafe says

He said scaffolding at the Eastern Bays construction site might have stopped the slab causing even more damage.

SUPPLIED

The construction company says the site will be "untouched" and it will investigate, as will a subcontractor and WorkSafe.

"I only saw one person but think it might havecollapsedonto another.

"Some of the scaffolding stopped it from falling all the way down," he said shortly before 11am.

Southbase Constructionchief executive Quin Hendersonsaid a 12sq m precast concrete slab was dislodged as another slab was being moved at the Paora Apartments site.

Henderson said first aid was carried out immediately and an ambulance called as a precaution.

SUPPLIED

The Fire Service and St John were alerted after the 6x2 metre precast concrete slab fell.

He said it appeared all required health and safety measures were in place at the site but Southbase and the subcontractor involved would co-operate fully with WorkSafe.

The site and any affected area "would remain untouched" until WorkSafe arrived.

"Southbase and the subcontracting party will be conducting their own investigation."

ST JOHN/SUPPLIED

An ambulance was sent to the construction site on Thursday morning (File photo).

Henderson said Southbase's "immediate concern" was for the two workers' welfare.

They were fine and would be returning to work soon, Henderson said.

He said investigations typically took "a couple of days".

WorkSafe confirmed it was notified of the Orakei construction site incident.

"We are working to establish details of the incident and what our next steps might be," a WorkSafe spokeswoman said.

St John was called to a workplace incident on Paora Street at 9.58am, an ambulance service spokeswoman said.

One ambulance crew, a rapid response unit and a St John manager were deployed.

"We have treated and transported two patients to Auckland City Hospital. One is in a moderate condition and one is in a minor condition."

Fire and Emergency NZ was alerted to reports at 10.05am of a person trapped underneath a concrete slab but firefighters were stood down soon afterwards.

Go here to read the rest:
'Panic' after concrete slab reportedly falls on worker in Orakei construction site - Stuff.co.nz

The City of Covington has provided a year in review assessment of 2019. The second installment of this two-part series looks at infrastructure, neighborhood investment, events and activities from the past year, and parks and recreation. Part one, which focused on economic development, budget and finance, can be viewed here.

Mayor Meyer

Inside and outside of City Hall, Covington witnessed increasing momentum and tangible progress on major goals, including job creation, neighborhood investment, economic vibrancy, increased trust in financial decisions, and Covingtons reputation as a place where talented people want to be.

This was the year that we continued to write a new narrative for a city that is moving toward its best days, Mayor Joe Meyer said. Looking back on 2019, some of the accomplishments were most proud of were completely new decisions, and some built on what the City leaders before us did. Almost everything were working on involves partners outside City Hall, and for that were grateful.

But, Meyer said, much work remains.

Were not finished, he said. We know Covington is still not where it wants to be, and 2020 will see us for example further raise the quality of City services and the quality of life of our residents, seal the deal on economic development projects under way behind the scenes, and market the city more actively outside our borders.

INFRASTRUCTURE:

This photo taken by Prus Construction in late October shows the massive transformation that got under way in 2019 on the Covington riverfront, the long-awaited crown jewel phase of Riverfront Commons (provided photos).

RIVERFRONT REMAKE: After years of planning and searching for funding at City Hall, Prus Construction in September began site work on the $6.54 million crown jewel phase of Riverfront Commons. The overall 2.7-mile project will transform the riverfront in Covington, with Phase II bringing a 1,350-seat amphitheater, two concrete paths totaling 2,800 feet, a cobblestone pier for paddlers and anglers, upgraded overlooks, and a redesigned cul-de-sac at the foot of Greenup Street.

TEXAS TURNAROUND: Covington officials worked with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in 2019 to push forward a plan to reduce accidents on the Brent Spence Bridge by changing where traffic from Fourth Street merges onto northbound Interstates 71/75. The plan, nicknamed the Texas Turnaround, would give drivers more time and space to merge and dramatically reduce backups on the troubled bridge.

INVITING STREETSCAPES: A $1.37 million infrastructure project designed to attract private economic investment by improving the look and feel of downtown got under way in fall 2019. The Sixth Street and Scott Boulevard Restoration Project, with work being done by Adleta Inc. construction, includes rebuilding sidewalks, moving utilities underground, and adding ADA ramps, decorative lamp posts, decorative brick pavement, streetscape trees, and new trash cans. Meanwhile, the City began the process of hiring firms to do design work related to similar streetscape projects on Seventh Street between Madison Avenue and Washington Street and on Madison Avenue between Eighth and 11th streets.

SIDEWALK AMENITIES: Covingtons sidewalks grew more organized and useful in 2019. The City used a federal grant to buy 235 black metal trash receptacles to replace most of the existing (and crumbling) concrete on street corners downtown and in neighborhood business districts. The City also gave permission to advocacy group Ride the Cov to install bike racks in front of popular attractions. By years end, 132 racks (funded by the Devou Good Project) had been installed, with 156 additional racks awaiting approval.

New sidewalks are part of the Sixth Street and Scott Boulevard Restoration Project that got under way in 2019.

NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT:

Through its Neighborhood Services and Economic Development departments, Covington made a concerted effort to invest in its neighborhoods in 2019. Among the initiatives:

LOCAL GRANTS: A dozen projects earned funding during the first two rounds of a brand-new $60,000 Neighborhood Grant Program in 2019, including things like a music and soul food festival in Eastside, sidewalk planters in Latonia, a 4th of July parade in Peaselburg, and a water fountain in George Rogers Clark Park.

ANTI-EYESORES: City Hall in 2019 wrote formal guidelines for a new effort to return to productive use an array of vacant lots and abandoned houses it had accumulated in neighborhoods over the last few decades. By years end, houses were being built or designed on some of the almost dozen properties or so the City had sold or was selling, with more deals under way.

RIPPLE EFFECT: A new public-private program called The RIPPLE Effect yielded its first winner: A neighborhood-submitted plan called the Lewisburg Thorofare Project emerged from a months long competitive process to earn $300,000 in infrastructure improvements and a focused application of City services to jump-start a neighborhood business area. By years end, the project was being implemented and proposals were being accepted for a second round.

LEAD POISONING: The City won a $1.66 million federal grant that will be used to protect children from lead-based paint in older homes. The City expects to be able to fix about 58 homes or apartments over the next three years and is accepting applications, with remediation on the first residences to begin soon.

SLOWER TRAFFIC: In response to concerns about the volume and speed of through traffic in areas tightly packed with houses and parked cars, the City hired consultants to study whether to return traffic flow on sections of Greenup Street and Scott Boulevard to two-way. At years end, a decision had not been made.

NO BUTTS: Aiming to reduce sidewalk litter, the City joined with college students, Keep Covington Beautiful, local businesses, and neighborhood advocates to install 23 cigarette stands or urns in public areas, distribute pocket ashtrays, and start a publicity campaign against cast-off cigarette butts.

MARKET GARDENS: Community groups and budding urban farmers who grow vegetables, herbs, flowers, and other plants in Covington will now be able to sell their harvest on site as well, as the Board of Commissioners voted to allow so-called community gardens to become market gardens, with restrictions.

MISCELLANEOUS:

After the City officially cut the ribbon on the redeveloped Peaselburg Park,, youths swarmed the park to play basketball and soccer and climb on playground equipment. The upgrades are part of an ongoing effort to improve the citys parks.

FUTURE OF PARKS & REC: The Parks & Recreation Division spent much of 2019 defining fun. Why? Because it was working with a consultant to write a master plan to guide how best to identify and invest in the facilities, activities, and sports that Covington families most often use. The initiative included a range of public engagement events and efforts. Its ongoing.

PARKS IMPROVEMENT: The ongoing effort to renovate neighborhood parks, a few at a time, continued in 2019 with the completion (and renaming) of the new Peaselburg Park on Howell Street, the redesign of Barb Cook Park in Latonia, and the beginning of gathering public input on changes to Goebel Park.

RIVER TRAIL: In September, the City ceremonially cut a ribbon to close the books and signify the official completion of Phases II and III of the Licking River Greenway & Trails a recreational trail system used by walkers, dog owners, bikers and hikers on the easternmost edge of Covington. As of now, the trail actually parallel trails includes about 0.75 miles of paved trail atop the levee and about 1.5 miles of a gravel nature trail that cuts through a narrow stretch of woods along the rivers edge.Including road infrastructure, the LRGT stretches 2.5 miles from its endpoints: Eastern Avenue and Levassor Place north to Randolph Park in Eastside, with a couple of access points in-between.

FACES AND NAMES: The seating of the newly elected City Commissioners last January (joining Mayor Joe Meyer were returnees Michelle Williams and Tim Downing, newcomer Shannon Smith, and out-of-retirement Denny Bowman) was just the beginning of personnel moves. Also in 2019: the hiring of Assistant City Manager Bruce Applegate, Zoning Administrator Dalton Belcher, and grant writer Meganne Robinson (a new position), and the promotion of Brian Valenti to assistant police chief (replacing the retiring Brian Steffen) and Greg Salmons to assistant fire chief (replacing the retiring Chris Kiely).

The City hired a consulting firm to study the feasibility of replacing and upgrading Engine Co. 2.

FIRE STATION: The City hired consulting firm Brandstetter Carroll Inc. to do the long-awaited fire facility study aimed at replacing and upgrading the outdated and undersized Engine Co. 2. Explained Fire Chief Mark Pierce: Company 2 as it exists today doesnt come close to meeting our needs, and whatever we recommend to the Commission will be based on hard data put together by the consultant, The various parts of the study are being staggered so the Board of Commissioners can analyze data on things like fire runs, response times, traffic patterns, the demands of future growth, space and site requirements.

CIVIC CENTER: City Hall hasnt had a permanent home in over 50 years, and the current rented space a former JC Penney Department store on Pike Street is too small and poorly designed for government operations. So a citizen task force working with a consultant hired with donated funds spent 10 months in a thoughtful, theoretical, abstract conversation of what a City Hall means for this community. Its report, released in September, said this: If and when the City one day builds a new center, it should be at a visible, accessible, and central site include space for regular community events and programming instead of being a single-purpose fortress dedicated only to government offices be a true civic commons with a place for community debate and demonstrations celebrate the Citys architectural diversity and history.

OPEN CONTAINERS: In May the City adopted a regulation that during certain festivals and special events would allow visitors to walk between establishments throughout parts of downtown with an open beer, cup of bourbon, or other alcohol. To trigger whats called an Entertainment Destination Center zone, event organizers have to apply for a Special Events Permit. The EDC zone is similar to Fourth Street Live in Louisville and Maysvilles The Landing at Limestone.

The BLINK public art festival lit up downtown Covington and brought massive crowds to the city.

MASSIVE CROWDS: Two huge festivals brought massive crowds and international attention to Covington over two weekends in October 2019. The first event, Kentuckys Edge, was an inaugural conference and festival focused on bourbon. Guests at the conference included nationally recognized distillers, experts, and authors. The second festival, BLINK, was a public art event straddling the river that used large-scale light projection to turn buildings into massive canvasses. With pedestrians walking throughout downtown to see the projection mappings and lit-up murals, not to mention attend music concerts, its four days by many accounts brought the biggest crowds in the history of the City.Organizers say from 1 million to 1.5 million people attended BLINK in Cincinnati and Covington.

RETURN OF TOUCH A TRUCK: For the second year in a row, families flocked to the parking lot in front of the Latonia Shopping Center for Touch a Truck a free show-and-tell event that lets kids (and older people) climb on, in, and around public safety and service vehicles, as well as ask questions of the employees who operate the equipment on a daily basis. It featured fire trucks, backhoe, police cruisers and a riot-response vehicle, ambulances, river rescue boats, helicopters and the like.

WELCOMING: The City of Covington and City Hall took several steps to show its commitment to inclusivity and diversity in 2019. Once again, City leaders were active participants in the NKY Pride parade that wound through Covingtons streets and in the Pridefest that followed. As a sponsor of the first-ever NKY Pride Community Awards Celebration, Covington got the mic, and a City leader used the opportunity to urge other cities in the region to follow Covingtons lead and adopt a anti-discrimination fairness ordinance. By years end, several Campbell County cities did. In November, the nations largest LGBTQ advocacy group gave Covington high marks for how its laws, policies, and services treat LGBTQ people who live and work here significantly raising the Citys score on groups Municipal Equality Index. The City also announced its strong support for a program that will make photo ID cards available to immigrants and others who need them. The decision directed all City agencies to recognize what are called MARCC ID cards as a valid form of identification for the purposes of using government services or interacting with law enforcement or other public safety agencies. The cards will soon be issued by The Esperanza Latino Center of Northern Kentucky.

READ READY COVINGTON: The Citys early childhood literacy effort celebrated its one-year anniversary by announcing some impressive numbers: 3,709 children enrolled in literacy apps, 58,395 books read by those kids, 95,418 skill-based games completed, and 1,800 books passed out. Meanwhile, awareness of Read Ready Covington grew with posters in shopfront windows, several sets of alphabet signs spread out throughout Covington as part of a big scavenger hunt, and a mural.

Excerpt from:
City of Covington 2019 year in review: Part two looks at events, infrastructure, neighborhood investment - User-generated content

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What are some must-sees on the ISE 2020 show floor? Where should you take clients out to dinner? What Amsterdam attractions should you visit? All this and more on todays episode of AV+.

The phrase pro AV doesnt do justice to all of the integration crowd, so we atCommercial Integratorwanted to create a podcast that speaks to all of those areas (and more!) under the umbrella of commercial tech integration.

The host, web editor Adam Forziati, has a background in radio and is looking forward to providing listeners with an entertaining, informative audio forum for all topics affecting the industry.

We plan to release a shorter, single-topic episode once every week or two on Fridays (just like this episode). But at the end of each month, well also drop a longer, in-depth episode of the AV podcast with features like Editors Desk, CI Monthly News Spotlight, CIs Project of the Month, and more.

We hope youll share your thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #AVPlusPod !

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Your ISE 2020 Guide in Audio Form: What to See On & Off the Show Floor; Where to Eat; Pro Tips - Commercial Integrator