With one apartment building nearing completion, an affordable-housing project going up in downtown Lake Elsinore is on the cusp of accepting its first occupants.

Pottery Court should have its first 15 apartments rented sometime in March among the 113 units that ultimately will be available, said project manager Aruna Doddapeneni of Bridge Housing Corp.

"It's going great. We're actually going to move some people in at the end of the month, and we expect to be completed with construction in June," she said.

The project, which will cater to a broad range of income levels, is expected to provide an economic as well as an aesthetic stimulus to Lake Elsinore's historical downtown district.

Pottery Court is on 4.4 acres framed by Sumner Avenue, Langstaff Street, Pottery Street and Riverwalk, a recently completed pedestrian and bicycle pathway along a creek channel leading to the lake.

The area contains numerous deteriorating homes and cottage complexes catering to low-income households, among which various rejuvenated and well-kept properties are sprinkled.

City officials believe Pottery Court, featuring a sleek design and bright exteriors, will set a vibrant tone as properties there are developed anew.

"Aesthetically, it's going to be very pleasing," Mayor Brian Tisdale said. "There's already been some improvements to that area. ... When you start putting things in a neighborhood that look good, it makes a difference in people's attitudes toward the community. It's really about making it a safe, livable community for people to live in."

Also, officials expect that under the management of Bridge, which specializes in developing and operating affordable housing, the complex will attract responsible, hardworking residents. Applicants are screened to ensure they are law-abiding and drug-free.

"I think we've come a long way with low-income housing," Tisdale said. "In the past, you would have low-income areas where the folks who lived there didn't necessarily have to follow the rules. ...

"When people come (to Pottery Court), they can't be on parole, they can't be on drugs and doing other things that cause other housing projects to fall by the wayside.

"We're trying to make sure that those who need affordable housing have a safe and convenient place to live, and that's what that project offers," Tisdale said. "I think it will be a benefit to the city."

The residents there are expected to boost commerce along the Main Street business corridor a few blocks away.

The $26 million complex is being built in phases, and occupancy will be phased in accordingly as buildings are completed.

In addition to the first nearly finished structure facing Pottery Court, the contractor, San Diego-based Wermers Multi-Family Corp., also is polishing up the complex's community building, including a study room, music practice room, party room and kitchen. The property also will have a pool, barbecues, outdoor play areas and a maintenance building.

The eight residential buildings will offer 20 one-bedroom, 48 two-bedroom and 45 three-bedroom apartments to households ranging in income from about $13,650 to $32,500, according to information from Bridge. Monthly rents will range from the low $300s to mid-$700s.

The project was made possible by the city redevelopment agency's $9.7 million loan to Bridge, a strategy put into motion before the state pulled the plug on redevelopment programs.

Although redevelopment ended Feb. 1, agencies throughout the state are still in the process of winding down their activities, and they still have the responsibility for ensuring debts are paid.

Pottery Court's design was created by architect Chris Texter of the national firm KTGY. Texter has said he drew upon the inspiration of renowned, early-20th-century San Diego architect Irving Gill.

The wood-framed buildings have plaster, adobelike exteriors with arches and recessed windows, shaded by awnings and featuring decorative ceramic tiles.

As construction progresses, Texter said, "All the neighbors will be able to see what the finished community is going to be like and what the streetscape feels like."

As with any as-yet-unrealized design, it's difficult for people to envision what the end product will look like, especially when it comes to low-income housing, said Texter, whose has participated in numerous such projects.

"A lot of people don't really grasp the design until the building goes up," he said. "Quite obviously, there's always concern in the neighborhood and community about affordable housing. I think, as in all cases with our projects, they're going to be very pleasantly surprised that it's quite different than what they expected."

Call staff writer Michael J. Williams at 951-676-4315, ext. 2635.

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LAKE ELSINORE: Pottery Court work progressing

DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Crescent Resources, LLC celebrated the start of construction today on a landmark 303-apartment community, Circle Ninth Street. The $47 million apartment project is located on a six-acre site adjacent to Ninth Street and the historic Erwin Mill building.  

The community is being financed by an equity investment from Crescent Resources and financing from Pearlmark Real Estate Partners LLC and U.S. Bank N.A.

"Partnering with solid financiers such as Pearlmark and U.S. Bank that share our commitment to high-quality development will produce an extraordinary multifamily community," said Brian Natwick, president of Crescent's Multifamily Division. "With such an irreplaceable site in close proximity to employers, dining and entertainment options, Circle Ninth Street is poised to offer residents a true work, live and play lifestyle."

"Our investment in Circle Ninth Street is consistent with our strategy, which is focused on proven developers with prime locations in markets with strong growth potential," said Mark Witt, managing director with Pearlmark.

"With the strong market location and the expertise of Crescent's development team, we see great potential for Circle Ninth Street," said Amy Clement, senior vice president of real estate for U.S. Bank.

Several distinct building types, inspired by the existing historic Erwin Mill building and the previous factories and warehouses in the area, will provide a neighborhood feel and context for Circle Ninth Street. The arrangement of the four-story buildings allows for a number of private outdoor amenity areas, including a central lawn, community park, dog park, and pool and fitness courtyard. Highlights of the resident amenities are a wireless cafe, gaming room, demonstration kitchen, lounge, group study library, business center, media room and fitness center. 

A mix of reclaimed industrial materials and clean modern aesthetics will highlight the interior spaces. Circle Ninth Street is designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification requirements from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Cline Design Associates of Raleigh is the project architect and landscape architect. Historical Concepts, based in Atlanta, serves as the design consultant. John R. McAdams of Durham is the land planner and civil engineer, and Vignette Interior Design of Charlotte is the interior designer. State Building Group of Charlotte has been named the general contractor. Kettler Management of McLean, Va., will serve as the property manager.

More information is available at LiveNinthStreet.com.

About Circle

Circle was inspired through extensive review and analysis of current industry trends and marketplace needs. The progressive Circle communities are places where neighbors connect. In addition to presenting a new breed of apartments that people are excited to live in, Circle developments are also infused with the exceptional quality and customer-oriented features that have become Crescent hallmarks.

In addition to Circle Ninth Street, multifamily communities under construction include The Venue at Cool Springs in Nashville, Tenn.; Circle West Campus in Austin, Texas; and Gallery at Cameron Village in Raleigh, N.C. Crescent's planned multifamily communities include Circle SouthPark in Charlotte; and Circle Bayshore in Tampa; and four additional developments planned to start construction in 2012. The company has developed more than 15 multifamily communities throughout the southeast.

About Crescent Resources

Crescent Resources is a real estate development company with interests throughout the southeastern United States. Based in Charlotte and established in 1969, Crescent Resources is known for its single-family, multifamily and resort residential communities. Crescent also develops business and industrial parks and shopping centers. Visit www.crescent-resources.com for more information.

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Crescent Resources Celebrates Groundbreaking at Circle Ninth Street

U.S. construction employment is stuck at well below pre-recession levels in all but eight of 337 metropolitan areas, according to the Association of General Contractors of America.

The Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale area in Arizona had the steepest decline, losing 93,600 jobs, a 53% drop since December 2006, the Arlington, Va., trade group reported today.

The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area showed the second worst performance, shedding 73,700 jobs, a 57% plunge since December 2005.

Since December 2006, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area lost 56,700 jobs, a 36% decline, while the Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine area lost 38,900, a 37% drop. The San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos area lost 38,400 jobs, a 42% fall since December 2005.

Most of the few areas that had more people working in construction than before the recession were enjoying energy related economic upturns. Bismarck, N.D., posted an 11% increase in jobs since December 2010, while Lawton, Okla., had a 5% rise and Longview, Texas, a 4% increase over the same period, the association said.

The stagnation doesn't need to continue, said Stephen E. Sandherr, the group's chief executive.

"What makes these job losses even more frustrating is the fact that many of them could have been avoided," he said. "Thousands more construction workers would be employed today if Congress wasn't years late in passing measures like the highway and transit bill."

Construction jobs won't return to peak levels or higher until Congress funds large-scale and badly needed infrastructure spending, Sandherr said.

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Construction employment below pre-recession peak in most areas

23-01-2012 09:12 Hirco HPG Chennai Construction update video December 2011

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Hirco HPG Chennai Construction update video December 2011 - Video

With an emptiness in his eyes, David Santiago watched as thick, black smoke billowed from his Lancaster Township apartment building Sunday evening.

With the bulk of the flames knocked down, the damage was unmistakable —  and unimaginable.

"I've lost everything," Santiago said, staring blankly at the charred remains of the first-floor apartment he shared with his mother.

"I don't even know what to say. I'm numb. I can't believe it."

Just before 5 p.m., county dispatch received multiple calls reporting a fire at the River Park Gardens complex in the 1100 block of East Orange Street, across from the former Community Hospital of Lancaster.

Fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke billowing from the building and flames shooting from first- and second-floor windows, Lafayette Deputy Chief Scott Hershey said.

Hershey said smoke from the fire could be seen from the Lafayette fire station on Lincoln Highway, which is about two miles away.

Santiago said he wasn't home when the blaze broke out. He had left a few minutes earlier, but returned home after getting a phone call about the fire.

His mother, his sister and his two young sons — ages 4 and 5 — were in the apartment but were able to escape.

Santiago said his mother was taken to Lancaster General Hospital, but he did not immediately know her condition.

Dave Keens, Lafayette assistant fire chief, said late Sunday that he did not believe the woman's injuries were life-threatening. He said she would remain at Lancaster General overnight for observation.

No other injuries were reported.

Keens said the blaze started in a first-floor apartment — where Santiago lived.

Lafayette Fire Chief Ron Nolt said on Monday that a state police fire marshal was at the scene for an hour or two Sunday night, but the cause was undetermined.

He estimated damage at $150,000 to the apartment building and $50,000 to its contents.

Two of the four apartments in the building were destroyed, with the others sustaining minimal damage, Keens said.

He said the durable construction of the brick structure likely helped confine the blaze to one side of the building.

Keens said all of the occupants of the building — about 15 residents — were being assisted by American Red Cross of the Susquehanna Valley Sunday night.

Lafayette was assisted at the scene by fire units from Lancaster city, Lancaster Township, Eden, Witmer, Ronks, Willow Street and Lampeter.

Reader-submitted photos of the blaze

jtodd@lnpnews.com

See the rest here:
Fire destroys apartments

With an emptiness in his eyes, David Santiago watched as thick, black smoke billowed from his Lancaster Township apartment building Sunday evening.

With the bulk of the flames knocked down, the damage was unmistakable —  and unimaginable.

"I've lost everything," Santiago said, staring blankly at the charred remains of the first-floor apartment he shared with his mother.

"I don't even know what to say. I'm numb. I can't believe it."

Just before 5 p.m., county dispatch received multiple calls reporting a fire at the River Park Gardens complex in the 1100 block of East Orange Street, across from the former Community Hospital of Lancaster.

Fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke billowing from the building and flames shooting from first- and second-floor windows, Lafayette Deputy Chief Scott Hershey said.

Hershey said smoke from the fire could be seen from the Lafayette fire station on Lincoln Highway, which is about two miles away.

Santiago said he wasn't home when the blaze broke out. He had left a few minutes earlier, but returned home after getting a phone call about the fire.

His mother, his sister and his two young sons — ages 4 and 5 — were in the apartment but were able to escape.

Santiago said his mother was taken to Lancaster General Hospital, but he did not immediately know her condition.

Dave Keens, Lafayette assistant fire chief, said late Sunday that he did not believe the woman's injuries were life-threatening. He said she would remain at Lancaster General overnight for observation.

No other injuries were reported.

Keens said the blaze started in a first-floor apartment — where Santiago lived.

Lafayette Fire Chief Ron Nolt said on Monday that a state police fire marshal was at the scene for an hour or two Sunday night, but the cause was undetermined.

He estimated damage at $150,000 to the apartment building and $50,000 to its contents.

Two of the four apartments in the building were destroyed, with the others sustaining minimal damage, Keens said.

He said the durable construction of the brick structure likely helped confine the blaze to one side of the building.

Keens said all of the occupants of the building — about 15 residents — were being assisted by American Red Cross of the Susquehanna Valley Sunday night.

Lafayette was assisted at the scene by fire units from Lancaster city, Lancaster Township, Eden, Witmer, Ronks, Willow Street and Lampeter.

Reader-submitted photos of the blaze

jtodd@lnpnews.com

See the article here:
Fire destroys Lancaster Township apartments

1 March is bringing changes to all homeowners who are undertaking significant building or renovation work.

Changes to the Building Act mean that from the start of next month, all critical building work must be done or supervised by licensed building practitioners (LBPs). This type of work includes foundations, framing, roofing and cladding in residential homes, as well as active fire safety systems in small-to-medium-sized apartment buildings.

"For homeowners, the change means they must make sure that any work done is handled by an LBP, and they submit a copy of the LBP memorandum with their building consent application," says Manager Customer and Regulatory Services Simon Pickford.

"The Department of Building and Housing made these changes in the Building Act 2004 to encourage better design and construction.

"When you're looking at building or renovating, the first question a homeowner must ask is if the person they are working with is an LBP."

Professions required to become LBPs include designers, carpenters, roofers, external plasterers, bricklayers and block layers. Registered architects, chartered professional engineers and plumbers are already deemed to be LBPs.

An exemption will be available to owner-builders (DIYers) when the Building Amendment Bill No. 3 has been passed into law.

For more information on the LBP scheme and on how to find a licensed building practitioner, click on the links at the bottom of this page.

How does the LPB scheme affect the building consent process?

From 1 March:

When you submit your building consent application, you will need to include a memorandum (certificate of work) from an LBP certifying that the design work complies with the Building Code. Otherwise, your application will not be accepted.

Restricted work cannot start and inspection will not be accepted until the Council has been advised, in writing, of the relevant LBP who will be doing the work.

When your building work is completed, you will need to include the memorandum (record of building work) from your trade LBPs with your application for a code compliance certificate (CCC). Otherwise, your CCC may not be issued.

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Building Act changes coming for homeowners

The long downward slide in housing construction may be coming to an end.

While the rate of new building remains well below prerecession levels, construction permits for new housing increased slowly, but steadily, most of last year.

Not only is the housing market improving; it is also changing, with fewer single-family homes being built, and more apartment buildings.

Prior to the housing collapse, five to six times more single-family homes than apartment buildings were built each year. Today, the ratio is about three to one. If the trend continues, the housing market may be taking a radically different shape.

Housing has been a major drag on the economy since it collapsed. From early 2006, when the market peaked, to June 2009, when the recession ended, the pace of housing construction fell 75 percent.

In 2009, the number of new single-family homes completed dropped to 500,000, from a high of 1.9 million in 2006. For all housing units, including single-family and multiunit dwellings, the fall was similarly dramatic - from 2.2 million to 800,000.

Trends in housing construction are reflected in the interplay between new building permits and completed units. The number of permits issued approximates the number of new homes planned. But not all permits lead to completed houses. Even in the best of times, some buildings never get started and others are delayed.

When the market is booming, the number of permits is slightly above the number of units completed each month. This indicates confidence in future demand for homes.

The picture is different in a crisis. From mid-2006 to the end of 2009, applications for building permits dropped precipitously. Since some construction was already under way when housing collapsed, it made sense to complete many of those buildings. As a result, the number of permits issued fell below the number of housing units completed. This is a sign that builders are cutting back on planned construction, a symptom of oversupply in the market.

The slide in home building moderated at the end of the recession, but it has not yet recovered. Now the tide seems to be turning.

As of the end of last year, the number of housing units completed no longer exceeded the number of permits issued. Builders are applying for new permits and completing projects at about the same rate.

This rate is much lower today than it was prior to the recession, but we are no longer in crisis mode.

Housing construction has finally started to add to the overall growth in output - another sign of normalcy. New residential investment contributed positively, if modestly, to economic growth during the last three quarters of 2011. We have not seen growth of this kind since 2005.

Most of the increase in housing permits came from the construction of new apartment buildings. The number of new permits for multiunit structures has doubled since mid-2009, and permits exceed completions by a healthy margin. Nevertheless, apartments, like single-family homes, are still being built at a lower rate than prior to the recession, with about 150,000 multiunit buildings completed last year, compared with 280,000 units in 2006.

By contrast, the much larger single-family segment of the housing market still hasn't stabilized much. The number of new permits for single-family homes has stayed virtually constant since mid-2009, and the number of homes completed still slightly exceeds permits. This implies that builders are planning to build even fewer houses than they're building now.

Part of the reason is the large number of single-family homes already on the market. In December 2011, 2.1 million single-family homes were for sale - only slightly fewer than the 2.2 million available during the boom year of 2005. Back then, business was brisk. The demand today is much lower.

Housing construction may have turned the corner, but the new road appears to be headed for a high-rise apartment complex, not a neighborhood of neatly trimmed lawns.

Polina Vlasenko is a research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research.

See the article here:
Housing market is coming back in a different form

The Charlottesville City Planning Commission approved initial plans this week for a two-phase construction of a 300-unit apartment complex on the corner of Arlington Blvd. and Millmont St, near the Barracks Road Shopping Center.

Peak Campus Development, the company heading the project, hopes to begin construction this May, Peak Campus Development spokesperson Jeff Githens said.

The complex will be built in two phases. The first calls for the demolition of existing physical structures, to be replaced by a 230-unit complex with an attached parking garage. In the second stage of construction, the developers plan to build 70 additional residential units. When complete, the development will house nearly 600 residents, likely graduate students.

“We’re proposing to build a Class A apartment building with high conductivity to its surroundings,” Githens said. “[The building] is optimally situated between shopping centers in Charlottesville for access to both retail and to U.Va.”

Three medical offices currently occupy the space: Jefferson Trial Behavioral System, Region Ten Community Services and the University of Virginia Psychology Department.

The first phase of construction will displace the Jefferson Trial Behavioral System and Region Ten Community Services. Offices rented by the University Psychology Department will remain occupied until August 2014, when the second phase of construction begins.

Peak Campus Development aims to create “better pedestrian interaction with the building and [accommodation for] additional entrances,” and “improve the façade appearance at street level.”

A required traffic survey showed the effect of the project on traffic patterns near the complex.

“[Findings] indicate that the project will have a lower impact on area traffic than the existing use,” said Ebony Walden, a project planner for Charlottesville’s Department of Neighborhood Development.

The project plans are designed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, Walden said. The complex will also feature bicycle storage and will be located along a bicycle path and a bus route.

“Alternate transportation is important to us and to the city,” Githens said. “We want to be as environmentally friendly as we can to optimize the use of utilities.”

Walden said she hopes the development will be an asset to the city.

“I hope it will encourage walkability, increase commercial activity in the Barrack’s Road Shopping Center and provide new housing options to Charlottesville’s students and residents,” Walden said.

Peak Campus Development also plans to make a donation of $360,000 to the City’s housing fund to promote affordable housing initiatives throughout Charlottesville.

Read more here:
Apartments near Barracks Road likely to house nearly 600 graduate students; construction to begin this May

by DEREK KRAVITZ - Feb. 16, 2012 07:00 AM
AP Real Estate Writer

WASHINGTON - -- Construction of single-family homes cooled off slightly in January after surging in the final month last year. But a rebound in volatile apartment construction kept builders busy and pushed housing starts to their highest level in more than three years.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that builders broke ground on a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 699,000 homes in January. That's up 1.5 percent from December and the highest level since October 2008.

Construction began on 508,000 single-family homes last month. That's a 1 percent drop from December and the first decline in four months.

Still, December single-family homes were revised up strongly to show builders started 513,000 homes -- a 12 percent gain from November.

Apartment building, a more volatile category, jumped 14.4 percent. Building permits, a gauge of future construction, rose 0.7 percent.

Single-family home construction rose in each of the final three months of last year, bringing the pace of those starts to the highest level since April 2010. The modest but steady gains helped boost confidence among builders after the worst year for single-family home construction on record.

Still, the critical gauge of the housing market's health has a long way to go before most declare a full recovery is under way. The current pace is less than half the rate in which those homes went up during the 1990s. And it's only one-quarter of the 1.82 million single-family homes that builders started in January 2006, at the peak of the housing boom.

Most analysts say it could be years before the industry is fully recovered from the damage caused by the housing bust.

Builders are starting to see some signs of progress.

A measure of builder sentiment has risen for five straight months and is now at its highest level in nearly five years. Many builders are seeing more people express interest in buying a home, leading them to believe 2012 could be a turn-around year for the market. Mortgage rates have never been cheaper. And home sales started to rise at the end of last year.

Yet for all their optimism, builders began only 428,600 single-family homes last year. It was the fewest on records dating back a half-century. And home prices are still falling.

Though new homes represent just 20 percent of the overall home market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in taxes, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Builders are struggling to compete with deeply discounted foreclosures and short sales -- when lenders allow homes to be sold for less than what's owed on the mortgage.

After previous recessions, housing accounted for at least 15 percent of U.S. economic growth. Since the recession officially ended in June 2009, it has contributed just 4 percent.

Another reason sales have fallen is that previously occupied homes have become a better deal than new homes. The median price of a new home is about 30 percent higher than the median price for a re-sale. That's nearly twice the markup typical in a healthy housing market.

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US housing starts rise modestly to start new year