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AUGUSTA

Three families homeless after apartment house fire

A fire chased three families out of an apartment building on Hospital Street on Friday afternoon, but no one was injured.

Augusta Fire Department Battalion Chief Ed Charles said the state Fire Marshal's Office is investigating how and where the fire started in the four-unit building at 208 Hospital St.

The fire was reported at 2:43 p.m. and was burning strong when firefighters arrived five minutes later.

"I'm not sure how that got past everyone that was driving up and down the highway," he said. "When we got there, there was fire showing over the top of the roof."

Hallowell resident William Bowden, who owns the building, said he bought it four years ago and had put in a new roof and windows. Three of the units were occupied, and he planned to renovate the empty apartment so he and his wife could downsize by moving in.

"I've been a landlord for 35 years, and this is the first fire," Bowden said. "I've never had to deal with anything like this."

Bowden said he believes that residents of all three occupied apartments were home when the fire started. They all made it out safely.

Excerpt from:
Dispatches

by Emily Adams The Daily Home

Construction on Coosa Village Apartments began a few weeks ago in Sylacauga. The complex on 13th Street will house residents age 55 and older. Photo by Bob Crisp/The Daily Home

The future Coosa Village Apartments is on about 15 acres on West 13th Street.

Plans for the 53,588 square-foot complex include 56 one-story, brick units with a layout similar to duplexes.

There will be 25 one-bedroom units, two one-bedroom handicapped units and one one-bedroom unit for the sensory impaired. Plans also include 26 two-bedroom units, one two-bedroom handicapped and one two-bedroom for the sensory impaired.

Each one-bedroom unit will be about 820 square feet, and the two-bedroom apartments will be about 1,000 square feet.

The complex will include a community building, mail center and gazebo, as well as 112 parking spaces for residents and guests.

Coosa Village Apartments, Ltd. chose Sylacauga in response to the citys large population of senior citizens.

A 2010 census from the U.S. Census Bureau showed of 12,749 citizens, 3,746 are at least 55 years old, a number the census said is expected to rise.

Birmingham-based Park Lane Construction is building the complex, which is privately owned by Coosa Village Apartments, Ltd.

Original post:
Construction begins on retirement apartments

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Plans for several different apartment buildings are in the works for the city of West Lafayette and Purdue.

With construction season right around the corner, planned development projects are popping up all over the area.

Anybody who has driven down Chauncey Hill or out on Lindberg Road may have noticed a few housing construction projects well underway.

Right now, there are as many as seven different planned development projects in the works for the West Lafayette area. Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission Assistant Director Ryan O'Gara said the economy is the reason why we are suddenly seeing these projects pop up. He says when the recession hit, plans came to a halt.

"We had developers come in, bring us their concepts, and then they'd sort of disappear for awhile and then they'd come back and actually file to rezone the site and begin the project negotiations. So basically what we've seen is clearly that's an indication that, you know, banks are probably lending again," said O'Gara.

Most of these projects are apartment and housing buildings surrounding Purdue's campus. These projects are all in different stages of the building process. For some, construction is well underway, while others are still waiting to be approved by the area plan commission.

"What we're seeing is a host of projects that are interested in increasing densities near campus and really creating a neat, urban look," said O"Gara.

Assistant Director of Off-Campus Student Services Ashley Darnell said students are not obligated to live on-campus. he says if they choose to live off-campus, these new apartment buildings will give them more options.

"Not every student is going to find that the pro's of living on-campus are better than the pro's of living off-campus and they really have to balance those out," said Darnell.

Some of the projects are located in the Chauncey Hill area, Northwestern Avenue, Lindberg Road, and around State and Grant streets.

The rest is here:
Construction thrives in West Lafayette

A developers plan to construct an 82-unit apartment building at Southeast Division Street and 37th Avenue has drawn the ire of nearby residents who say the project will clog streets and leave less parking.

The four-story building will include a small portion of retail space and three stories of apartments, with studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units.

The developer, Urban Development Group, wants to build small, affordable apartments for young people who dont need lots of space and who work in the service industry, said project manager David Mullens.

Unhappy Richmond neighborhood residents confronted Mullens during an open house Monday night at the Waverly Heights United Church of Christ. The neighbors focused on two concerns: parking and the effect on the Division Green Street/Main Street Plan, a project passed by the City Council.

Parking is an issue because construction of the building wont include new spaces. Mullens said the company would lease a lot across the street with 18 spaces that might fit 20 cars.

He also said the project will be marketed to those without cars and that incentives, including bus passes, are possible.

But some neighbors said that isnt enough.

Allowing an 82-unit building without parking is a dangerous precedent, said Jordan Lanz, who lives four blocks from the site.

Lanz said after the meeting that hes worried other developers will construct similar buildings on Division Street with little or no parking for tenants.

The city has encouraged high-density housing along public transportation corridors. Lanz acknowledged that but suggested such developments should be smaller or not clustered in the same neighborhoods.

View post:
An apartment building proposed for Southeast Division and 37th concerns neighbors

A deck collapsed overnight at an apartment complex on Corby Avenue rendering two apartments uninhabitable, Thursday, March 15, 2012.

Two Santa Rosa families were evacuated from their Corby Avenue apartment building Thursday morning after an upstairs deck collapsed in the early morning hours, fire personnel said.

No one was injured, and the families were never at immediate risk.

But the wood-construction deck served as the only entrance and exit for one of the families, and their apartment has been red-tagged as uninhabitable by the Sonoma County building department, Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Jack Piccinini said.

Those living in the apartment below them also were told evacuate because the damaged deck is right above their entry, he said.

Piccinini said he hoped the deck could be shored up quickly and the families permitted to return. The American Red Cross is providing emergency housing for a few days in the meantime, he said.

The roughly 10-by-15-foot deck apparently had been rotting out without anyone noticing until a large portion of it gave way around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, upsetting plants, a barbecue, a bicycle and the like, and creating a racket that awakened those sleeping inside, Piccinini said.

One point of the deck is collapsed, he said. It's still attached to the building, but it's sagging dramatically.

The residents were told to stay inside and stay safe until the morning, when firefighters returned to guide them out safely after they had collected enough belongings to get them through a couple of days.

Read more from the original source:
No one injured in deck collapse at Santa Rosa apartment building

Arlington, VA (PRWEB) March 15, 2012

Just off Route 50, within blocks of the Courthouse Metro station, Insight Property Group LLC has kicked off construction of Grayson Flats Arlington, a 67-unit luxury apartment building scheduled to deliver in October of 2012. Buvermo Investments of Bethesda, MD is the equity partner in the $25 million development.

The four-story Grayson Flats will be the first completed development project for Insight. Founded in 2009 by longtime multifamily industry veterans Richard Hausler and Michael Blum, the Tysons Corner, VA-based company has acquired over 500 existing apartments and has over 1,000 more multifamily units in its current development pipeline.

In addition to Grayson Flats, current Insight development projects include two buildings scheduled to break ground later this year: one in downtown Silver Spring, MD and one near the Huntington Metro station in Alexandria, VA. Two more projects -- another development in Arlington and one on H Street, NE in Washington, D.C. -- will follow shortly thereafter.

Grayson Flats is being built on a 1.67-acre site at 1200 North Rolfe Street, which Insight acquired in 2010. The company demolished an existing 55-year-old apartment complex and is replacing it with the new high-end Grayson Flats. The site abuts Fort Myer and has a park-like setting, yet is conveniently located just off the Route 50 ramp and a few blocks from Courthouse Metro. It also is near a variety of eclectic shops and restaurants on Wilson Boulevard.

Transportation and transit are key selling points for the project. Grayson Flats residents will enjoy quick and easy access to the entire Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, the Columbia Pike Corridor, Routes 50 and 66, the George Washington Parkway, Key Bridge, Georgetown, the Pentagon, and major employment centers throughout the Washington, D.C. region. Not only is Metro within walking distance, but there is Metrobus service next-door and bike-sharing stations nearby.

Grayson Flats is one of a handful of projects to break ground in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor over the past year, said Sarah Davidson, Managing Director/Partner of Insight Property Group. As a smaller boutique project, its a contrast to the 150-plus unit developments prevalent in the area. It offers spacious floor plans, green space, courtyards, balconies and terraces, an ideal setting for dog owners, and a fantastic location.

Lessard Design, Inc. and Preston Partnership designed a modern, amenity-rich building that will offer apartments larger than typical Ballston/Rosslyn offerings. The homes will average 1,100 square feet; the largest units, with two bedrooms, two and a half baths, and a den, will offer over 1,450 SF of living space. Selected residences will have their own 400 SF rooftop terraces and all homes will have large transom windows that create light-filled spaces.

Grayson Flats will offer a variety of outdoor amenities including a courtyard with open cabanas, fire pit and bocce lawn, and a rooftop deck for residents with views towards downtown Washington. Other shared amenities will include garage parking under the building with elevator access to all levels, a fitness center, lounge with a kitchen, bar, cyber caf, Wi-Fi, and a billiards area. In addition to being pedestrian-friendly, the building will provide bike storage and an electric car charging station.

Each individual apartment will have a balcony or terrace, hardwood flooring, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and full-size washer and dryer, as well as high-end cabinets, fixtures, and lighting.

Read the original post:
Insight Property Group Starts Construction of 67-Unit Luxury Apartment Building in Arlington, VA

NORTH MANKATO The developer of the Marigold project in North Mankato unveiled a new project Tuesday that would bring a $16 million, six-story, 101-unit rental housing complex to lower North Mankato.

With mostly one- and two-bedroom units, the complex would aim for higher-end renters those making $50,000 a year or more with rents estimated at $1,100 to $1,800 per month.

The developer will seek an estimated $1.8 million in tax-increment financing spread over 24 years to help finance the project.

Van Moody built and opened the first phase of the development just over a year ago and had planned two future phases. Architect Bryan Paulsen told the North Mankato Port Authority on Tuesday that the proposal combines phase two and part of phase three with the plan being called Marigold 2.5.

Sometimes bigger is more cost effective. Thats the case here, Paulsen said of the proposal.

The building would include underground parking, along with some covered parking on the first level as well as outdoor parking. The first floor would also contain a lobby, bar/lounge area for tenants, and a fitness room.

The five stories of housing would include amenities such as granite countertops and individual balconies on each room.

City Administrator Wendell Sande said details of the proposal will be firmed up during the next 60 to 90 days after which Moody will have firm budget numbers and a formal financial proposal for the city.

U.S. Bank is providing primary financing and President Todd Loosbrock said the bank is continuing to do its due diligence on the loan package.

If the financing and other details come together in the next three months, construction could begin in July with the building opening in 2013.

Continue reading here:
Developer unveils six-story, 101-unit apartment building for North Mankato

There was a significant drop in the number of new homes and apartment buildings under construction in the final quarter of last year.

Bureau of Statistics data show the total number of new homes under construction fell 6.9 per cent in the December quarter of 2011 in seasonally-adjusted terms.

It also found the number of apartments being built plunged 13.9 per cent.

The result came on top of a decline of 5.8 per cent in the September quarter, downwardly revised.

Housing Industry Association senior economist Andrew Harvey says the apartment sector has fared worse than private home construction in the past year.

"You've had the removal of the last bits of the government stimulus flowing through in the public sector, and that's coming off as well," Mr Harvey said.

"The public sector does have a high degree of apartment buildings, so that's flowing through there." Mr Harvey says the figures should send a signal to the Reserve Bank on interest rates, after it kept the official cash rate on hold in February and March.

"They probably should have cut at the last meeting," he said.

"We've seen a pretty weak GDP result for the December quarter, and continuing signs that much of the economy isn't as strong as it should be, and some rate relief really is needed." Although the figures reflect activity from last year, TD Securities head of Asia-Pacific research Annette Beacher says they are a key leading indicator of construction activity, and this latest result does not bode well for the sector in the near term.

"While mining, business investment and exports as a share of GDP continue to surge, dwelling investment as a share of GDP in 2011 was 3 per cent, back to levels usually associated with an outright recession," Ms Beacher said in a note on the data.

View post:
New home construction continues to slide

A photo from the East Norwich Avenue apartment fire.

Columbus fire responded to a fire in the 100 block of East Norwich Avenue at about 5:30 a.m.

Firefighters pulled two victims, 34-year-oldChris Lennonand 31-year-old Jessica Walker, out of the burning apartment. They remain in critical condition at The Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center.

Battalion Chief Michael Fowler told NBC4 the male victim is not an Ohio State student but the female either is a student now or is an alumnus. The victims have not been identified while family and friends are told about the fire.

Brad Defauw lives next door to the apartment on East Norwich Ave. that burned Tuesday morning. He said it could have happened to him.

"But as far as, you know, a real fire during the night,I guess right now we don't even have any sort of protection at this point, said Defauw.

Thats because the two smoke detectors in his apartment are broken.

"This is right up here. This is where our smoke detector should be (pointing to a smoke detector without a cover)but obviously you can see that it's not really in place right now. We have a battery, but that battery is dead, explained Defauw.

What about the smoke detector upstairs?

"The battery has been beeping for quite some time, Defauw said.

Read the original:
North Campus Apartment Fire Has Students Thinking About Safety

The Arlington County Board has approved a loan to a non-profit that would fund the construction of an 83-unit affordable-unit apartment building on Columbia Pike.

The Board voted 4-0 to lend up to $6 million to the non-profit developer AHC Inc., which is headquartered in Arlington. The building would be located at 5511 Columbia Pike and replace a Shell gas station, part of a parking lot, and some other undeveloped land.

Funding for the project would come from the county's Affordable Housing Investment Fund, as well as from the AHCMultifamily Revolving Loan Fund, which is made up of federal Community Development Block Grant funds.

It is through public-private partnerships like this that the County is working to preserve affordable housing opportunities on Columbia Pike as the corridor redevelops, County Board Chair Mary Hynes said in a statement. This is an important investment that will help ensure that Columbia Pike, even as it is revitalized with more ground-floor retail, more public spaces and new housing, remains affordable for working people.

The six-story structure would include nineteen apartments affordable to families making 50 percent of the area's median income ($53,750 for a family of four). 64 units would be affordable to families earning 60 percent of the area median income ($64,500 for a family of four).

Read more:
Arlington Approves Affordable Housing Loan