HALLOWELL If it wasnt for Bridget Barrow going door-to-door with a local electrician, businesses in Hallowell might still be without power.

Like other places in central Maine, Hallowells Water Street sustained substantial flood and wind damage from this weeks massive rainstorm, which pushed the Kennebec River to unprecedented levels. The local businesses on the citys main strip were unable to get electricity restored until each building was cleared by an electrician.

It was a fact Barrow, who manages several properties on Water Street through Tenant Solutions, did not know until Thursday night when Hallowell City Manager Gary Lamb posted the notice on the door of one of her properties.

Then, she got to work.

I went home and made 20 copies of the notice because I thought, No one down the hall probably knows this, and I got my clipboard, my flashlight and my headlamp and informed everyone I could, she said.

She called Nicholas Electrical Company, which volunteered staff time on Friday and went door to door with her. Barrow was worried that if the street went another day without power, the pipes would freeze.

Because of the flooding, each building on Water Street from the colorful chairs to Lucky Garden had to be individually checked to make sure the power could be safely turned back on. To prevent a fire or a transformer from blowing when the power was restored, Barrow and the electrician had to check the breaker panels and the electric meters to make sure they did not sustain water damage.

The process of going door-to-door took the entire day, but they were able to reach every building and business owner.

With every building clear and a few had to have their meters switched off because of the flood damage, like Maine Local Market Barrow and the electrician from Nicholas Electrical could tell Central Maine Power the news: they did it.

If she did not get to everyone, or clearing each building relied upon unorganized individual efforts, the strip along the water on Water Street still could be without power.

It was 5 a.m., (on Saturday) and I was praying that since every building was cleared and by 7 a.m. Central Maine Power confirmed we got our power back, Barrow said. I called my tenants and they can be home for Christmas and be warm and not have to worry about their pipes freezing.

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A local property manager organized power restoration in Hallowell after this week's flooding - Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel

Move over Larry Ellison, theres a new mogul cutting into your longtime Malibu turf. On exclusive Carbon Beach, where Ellison owns no fewer than 13 houses, two eye-catching contemporary homes recently sold. Back in August, a 5,600-square-foot 1990s build went for $26.7 million, and now a 4,000-square-foot stunner about 12 doors away just closed for $28.5 million.

Records reveal both lavish beach houses were bought by the same man: Gary Friedman, the billionaire chief executive of the high-end furnishings juggernaut formerly known as Restoration Hardware.

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Its not clear why Friedman wants or needs two spacious and vaguely similar-looking houses on the same stretch of sand, but its entirely possible that one will serve as his temporary crash pad while the other is undergoing renovations, or perhaps one is intended to be guesthouse for friends and family.

Whatever the case, Friedmans latest acquisition has a bit of a interesting ownership history. From 2018 until 2021, the house was owned by billionaire Robert F. Smith, who used the place as a high-end income property, frequently renting the place out to short-term tenants. In late 2021, Smith sold the house for $21.8 million to noted property developer Saffron Case and her husband Timothy. The Cases held onto the place for two years, giving it a thorough remodel, before flipping it to Friedman for the aforementioned $28.5 million.

Guarded by an electronic driveway gate, the redwood-sided structure includes an expansive great room adorned with custom rift cabinetry and plaster walls, plus a separate bar area. Fully remodeled, the kitchen includes stone countertops and white oak cabinetry. Three of the homes bedrooms are located on the main floor, while the lavish primary suite rungs the full length of the house and includes a private office, a spa-style bathroom and boutique-style closet.

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Out back, a 60-foot wooden deck fronts the beach. Ideal for entertaining, the backyard area also includes a built-in barbecue center, a fire-pit and an outdoor shower for hosing off the sand.

With just one brief interruption, Friedman has been CEO of RH, the company formerly known as Restoration Hardware since 2001, and has overseen multiple reinventions of the luxury home furnishings retailer. Today, the San Francisco native sports a net worth that tops $1.6 billion,per Forbes. In addition to his two new Carbon Beach retreats, he also maintains a Beverly Hills mansion, that recently popped up for sale with a $44 million asking price. Last year, the San Francisco native sold a half-builtLos Angelesestate for $24 million to an anonymous buyer.

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Restoration Hardwares CEO Pays $28 Million for His Second Malibu Beach House - Yahoo Singapore News

FIXER UPPERS From left, Lachlan Murdoch, David Zaslav and Bob Iger. (Photo illustration by Dawn Camner; see below for credits)

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From Disney to Amazon, who had the worst and best year?

Sorry folks. If you think 2023 was bad, wait until you see what 2024 has in store. The big media home renovation project is moving into yet another phase with Warner Brothers Discovery positioning itself as a potential acquirer of Paramount Global. If that happens or other combinations involving Comcasts NBCUniversal or even the Dolan familys AMC Networks expect legions of foot soldiers headed to the unemployment office, as the chase to keep up with the tech giants increasingly winning for time and money from the TV pie gets harder and harder.(Are you in the business of selling dayparts or demos? Your days are numbered.)

There are more walls to be knocked down, archaic practices to be tossed in the giant post-linear dumpster.Everybody even the big tech giants is redoing their 2024 budgets with an eye on caution after a more disappointing year than expected.

We all had six months to stare at our numbers. The part that scares me about it? Were the kind of business when you hack off too much, theres nothing left to create with.

- a top studio boss

Social media viewership is growing up from 33 minutes a day in 2019 to one hour and a minute this year a 17 percent jump while pay-TV households are expected to drop from 66 million to 54 million over the next five years, according to research from Activate CEO Michael J. Wolf.

Efficiency is the buzzword of next year and every smart media executive will be looking for ways to bring AI into the mix. AI is already radically altering how we search for and create content, inevitably reducing labor costs.

As one studio boss pointed out, you can only cut so far before you destroy the potential for creativity. We all had six months to stare at our numbers, this person says, explaining that the pandemic plus the Hollywood strikes turned everyones eyes on the vast sums being spent. The part that scares me about it? Were the kind of business when you hack off too much, theres nothing left to create with.

Today I will:

Tell you about the big macro business trends already underway for 2024.

Examine the strengths, weaknesses and assign a letter grade to the eight big studios and streamers for this year.

Lay out expectations for the next year for each major player.

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Big Media's Home Renovation Isn't Over - by Claire Atkinson - The Ankler.

10 Home Renovation Trends That Are on Their Way Out, According to Designers  MSN

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10 Home Renovation Trends That Are on Their Way Out, According to Designers - MSN

'We're lighting experts can you tell from our own home makeover?'  The Telegraph

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'We're lighting experts can you tell from our own home makeover?' - The Telegraph

Engineering and design firm Olsson has moved into its new Fayetteville office. The companys first official day with a new address was Dec. 4.

The new 37,000-square-foot building, with Olsson exterior signage, is at 3537 N. Steele Blvd. next to First National Bank of NWA. C.R. Crawford Construction of Fayetteville started work on the three-story building in the summer of 2022. Legacy National Bank in Springdale financed the buildings construction.

Olsson provided all engineering and landscape design, and Core Architects in Rogers was the building designer. Some amenities include a rooftop patio, bicycle racks and electric vehicle charging stations.

Olsson vacated its existing Fayetteville office (302 E. Millsap Road) and occupies the new buildings entire third floor and most of the second. The company has 68 employees in Fayetteville and space to accommodate approximately 100 workers.

Our team in Arkansas has continued to grow, which requires more space and a modernized work environment that will continue to attract top talent in the area, said Brad Strittmatter, Olssons CEO. We also want a space that will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients in the region.

Fayetteville office leader Brad Hammond said Olsson will host an open house at the new building on Jan. 25.

Our new office is a great example of the investment Olsson is making not just in Northwest Arkansas but in the entire state and region, Hammond said. Were very much vested in Arkansas, and we are excited to be part of the huge growth going on in the area. Our intent is to provide a top-notch environment that will make people enjoy coming to work every day, and I think this office accomplishes it.

Olsson maintains headquarters in Nebraska and has offices in 10 states. The company entered the Northwest Arkansas market in 2018 when it acquired McGoodwin Williams & Yates, the regions oldest engineering firm founded in 1946.

Olsson partnered on the new building with development firm Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners in Rogers. A limited liability company they control bought the 2.34-acre lot from Kevin Farmer in April 2022 for $1.75 million.

Matt Imhoff, a vice president at Sage Partners, said none of the buildings available space has been leased yet. That includes 3,466 square feet on the second floor and 12,315 square feet on the first floor.

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Olsson moves into new office building in Fayetteville - talkbusiness.net

A pair of development firms scored a $47.3 million construction loan for a five-story office building in Miami Beachs South of Fifth neighborhood.

Bizzi+Bilgili a partnership between Bizzi & Partners and Turkish investor Serdar Bilgili and Sumaida + Khurana are developing The Fifth Miami Beach. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is a partner in the project. The 60,200-square-foot building, which will include retail and restaurant space, will be at 944 Fifth Street and 411 Michigan Avenue.

The Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board approved the project last year, including the developers plan to renovate a historic two-story building on the site and move it closer to Michigan Avenue.

Construction of The Fifth started in May, and completion is expected in 2025, according to a news release. The building is nearly 20 percent pre-leased.

Cain International provided the financing, amid an uptick of construction loans this month as developers rush to close deals before year-end.

An entity led by Sumaida + Khurana and Bizzi & Partners principals bought the development site in 2021 for $8.9 million, records show. Schmidt, who served as Google CEO from 2001 to 2011, and his wife, Wendy Schmidt, have an 88 percent stake in the entity that owns the site, The Real Deal reported last year based on records filed with Miami Beach. Sumaida and Bizzi own the remaining 12 percent.

Bilgili got involved in The Fifth Miami Beach after he and his BLG Capital development firm partnered this year with Bizzi & Partners on various projects in the U.S. and Europe. Bilgili, whose BLGs projects in Turkey include Soho House Istanbul and Ritz-Carlton Residences Istanbul, entered U.S. real estate in 2018 when he partnered with developer Michael Shvo to scoop up properties nationwide. But their partnership devolved into litigation, and the two parted ways following a court settlement.

Bilgili and Bizzis other planned joint investments include the 88-story 125 Greenwich condo tower in Lower Manhattan, a long-stalled and recently restarted development.

New York-based Bizzi & Partners is led by Davide Bizzi and Alessandro Pallaoro. The firm has projects in the U.S. and Europe, mostly in Italy. In Miami Beach, the firm co-developed the Eighty Seven Park condo tower with Terra.

Sumaida + Khurana, based in New York, has a portfolio of $1.2 billion of projects completed and under development, in New York and Miami, according to the release. This includes the 611 West 56th Street and 152 Elizabeth Street condominiums in Manhattan. The firm is led by Saif Sumaida and Amit Khurana.

The Fifth South Beach is among numerous South Florida office projects under construction, despite a leasing slowdown and increased sublease availability due to remote work and more expensive financing costs that have prompted some tenants to reevaluate their needs. An analysis by The Real Deal of six Miami-Dade County projects showed half of them hadnt scored any pre-leases as of August.

In Miami Beach, some city leaders have pushed for more office development as a way to shake the citys party-place image and attract companies that moved to South Florida from 2020 to last year.

Shvo is among the developers seizing on Miami Beach. Roughly a dozen blocks north of The Fifth Miami Beach, he plans The Alton, a six-story office-residential project on the northwest corner of Alton and Lincoln roads. Shvo also wants to build a six-story office building at 1665-1667 Washington Avenue and redevelop the 13-story office building at 407 Lincoln Road.

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Bizzi+Bilgili, Eric Schmidt, Partner Nab Office Project Loan - The Real Deal

Developer To Transform Century-Old Office Building Into Residence Inn  CoStar Group

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Developer To Transform Century-Old Office Building Into Residence Inn - CoStar Group

Beautifully renovated ranch home in sought after Cannon Crossing. This 4 bdrm, 2.5 bath home boast hardwoods throughout the main, all new paint, lighting, blinds & door hardware. The massive kitchen has brand new SS appliances, hardware, granite, tile backsplash, eat-at bar overlooking the huge family room w/gas fireplace. Sunroom off kitchen. Lg. primary bdrm w/new carpet & huge renovated bath w/new tile, soaking tub, marble counters, under mount sinks, designer mirrors & lighting & lg. walk-in closet. 2 lg. secondary bdrms w/new carpet, hall bath w/new tile, quartz countertops, undermount sinks, designer mirrors & lighting. 4th bdrm/office has hardwood floors. Updated Laundry Rm. Updated powder room w/heavy molding, new vanity, mirror, lighting & hardware. The foyer & dining room boast new, heavy molding. The home sits on a corner lot across the street from the pool, clubhouse & playground & has extensive, mature landscaping & irrigation system. Walking distance to shopping center.

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Luxury homes on the market in Cabarrus County - Independent Tribune

Attention to detail is everywhere with this meticulously maintained home in the private Brompton Condo Community. Just move in enjoy this worry free 2 bd (possibly 3) 2.5 bath home. This home welcomes you with cathedral ceilings, an immaculate wide plank natural maple hardwood onto a beautiful bright great room with a gas fireplace. The front sitting room can be a possible den or bdrm. Gorgeous designer kitchen cabinets that overlook a beautiful serene park-like backyard. First floor owners suite includes tray ceiling, walk in California closet, soaking tub & huge jet shower. Also on the 1st floor is a lovely laundry room. Upstairs feature a large loft with a pristine full bath & bedroom. The original owner thought of everything; central AC (2022), sprinkler system, full house generator, water filtration, radon mitigation, security system ,central vacuum system. The HOA includes grass cutting all around, landscaping in front, water/sewer fee, garbage collection & snow removal up to front step, common area maintenance, common area taxes & insurance. This luxury home is situated on a quiet cul-de-sac & includes condo tax status, A must see! Also listed as a condo: B1489932.

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Luxury homes on the market in Buffalo - Buffalo News