Construction has started on a huge new mall on the Manatee Sarasota line, but more than the shoppers are excited because the development means thousands of jobs.

The $315 million Mall at University Town Center is being built by Taubman Centers Inc. and Benderson Development Co. of Manatee County and will be similar to International Plaza in Tampa. Taubman also developed International Plaza.

The mall work means 1,000 construction jobs, 2,000 jobs at the mall, and another 3,000 for the planned retail and restaurants around the new mall.

"It's been 35 years since there has been a new regional mall built in the greater Sarasota Manatee area," said Mark Chait, of Benderson Development. "We're really pleased and excited that 50 percent of our specialty retailers will be new to this market.

"They will really add an element that's been lacking and people are truly excited for."

The anchor stores will be a Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's and Dillards.

The plan stalled a few years ago, but is now expected to open in October 2014 off of Interstate 75 near Lakewood Ranch.

The county will welcome $100 million in annual sales tax revenue, and the mall is expected to pump about $400 million into the regional economy.

"This is going to give us a lot of jobs, which is sorely needed and it is going to be a good thing for everybody," said Carol Whitmore, Manatee County commissioner. "But, this is going to stimulate Manatee and Sarasota county, big time."

And there is more construction planned. Two hotels, office space and 1,700 homes are also due to be built in the area.

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Sarasota mall means shops, thousands of jobs

CHAMPAIGN Upscale apartments could be going up this spring in a new development at the southern entrance to the University of Illinois Research Park, but a retail component faces a tougher financial hurdle, developers say.

Meanwhile, park managers are exploring whether to invest more than $200,000 in an extension of Champaign-Urbana's Big Broadband network through the research park's newest phase to serve clients' growing data needs.

Plans for a retail-residential project at First Street and Windsor Road have been on the books for years but stalled in 2008 along with the economy. Conditions have improved, and construction of a major extension of Fourth Street through the park is nearing completion, opening up the east side of First to development between St. Mary's Road and Windsor.

Developer Peter Fox has been working with a university design review team on an 8-acre complex at First and Windsor.

Plans call for four residential buildings with 50-plus rental units set back from the corner, built around a water feature, and two retail buildings fronting First and Windsor with 10 units totaling 23,000 square feet. Site drawings unveiled this week show room for expansion to the north and east two additional residential buildings and two more 7,200-square-foot retail buildings.

The design review committee requested that some residential units be placed above the retail space; that some buildings be three stories and include a brick exterior; and that the retail buildings be pushed close to the street, with parking in the back, to create more of a community feel, similar to the Village at the Crossing.

Fox also hopes to make the development energy-efficient, possibly achieving LEED certification. Designs call for geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels on the carports, high-density insulation, green roofs, and a sustainable storm-water retention system.

Fox hopes to have the residential portion completed by the fall of 2013. To do that, he said he'd need to break ground by February or March.

But he's less certain whether the retail portion makes financial sense, given potential competition in the area and high construction costs relative to retail leasing rates of $15 to $16 a square foot.

Cost projections from UI Facilities and Services for extending the university's gas, electric, water and sewer lines to the area came in much higher than expected almost $977,000 compared with the $330,000 initially projected, said research park Director Laura Frerichs. The water feature in the current design requires a ring of utilities around the site, which pushed up the cost.

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UI Research Park construction plans take shape

Oxford Properties Group upped the ante on Friday among Torontos casino suitors with details of a $3-billion plus proposal for a swath of downtown real estate next to the Rogers Centre that would see black jack tables among a new hotel, residential, office space and a redeveloped Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The group hired Foster + Partners, the architects behind Abu Dhabis Masdar City Development, Washingtons Smithsonian Institute and Londons Canary Wharf Underground Station, to sketch out a master plan for Oxford Place, located on 11 acres on the south side of Front Street, between Simcoe Street and Blue Jay Way.

The plan, contingent on authorities giving a casino the go-ahead, includes a new and expanded convention centre, new retail, office and residential space, 4,000 new underground parking spots and an integrated casino and hotel complex. The casino would make up less than 10% of the project, Oxford said in a press release, and would be funded, built and operated by the casino operator selected by the provincial government, should it do so. The company is also contemplating a new 5.5 acre park over the existing rail corridor.

Although the casino itself represents less than 10% of the projects area, it is a necessary and essential catalyst for the entire development and is a use that will be complementary to Torontos core in the way that we have designed and conceived it, said Michael Kitt, Oxfords executive vice president in Canada, in a press release.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. in March announced plans to build a new casino in greater Toronto, but says it will not put one in a city that does not want one. The issue has triggered considerable debate in Toronto, with people voicing their support and opposition at a public forum this week. Paul Godfrey, chairman of the OLG and also chief executive of Postmedia Network Inc., the parent company of the National Post, has said that downtown Toronto is OLGs first choice. Caesars, MGM Resorts, Las Vegas Sands Corp., Woodbine Entertainment and Onex Corp. have all expressed interest, with Caesars in particular saying it considers the Metro Toronto Convention Centre as the best site. MGM prefers Exhibition Place.

If the decision is made to have a casino in the City of Toronto, Oxford believes it can provide the best location and the ideal solution for all stakeholders, Blake Hutcheson, president and CEO of Oxford Properties, said in the press release. We have engaged an extraordinary team to develop the very best plan for this site and to transform this entertainment and commercial hub into a world class destination.

Oxford Properties The Oxford proposal.

The proposed location of the casino and hotel is on the western edge of the property. Renderings depict two hotel towers on that part of the land, with the casino at the base of one, and another two sky scrapers on the eastern side for commercial and residential. The company wants to phase construction of the new, state-of-the-art convention space before demolition begins. The expanded convention centre would result in over 22 acres of contiguous exhibit space, the press release said.

The company described its proposal as a well-conceived private sector solution that does not require public infrastructure or other funding.

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Downtown casino, new convention centre could hit Toronto after $3-billion proposal

Marco Filice believes that a bright future lies ahead for Highway 7.

I think it has the potential to be the next Yonge Street, says the senior vice president for Liberty Development, which is developing Centro Square, a two-tower, 800-unit condo project located at Highway 7 and Weston Rd., at the edge of Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. (The site was previously home to Al Palladinis Pine Tree Lincoln Mercury car dealership.)

Centro Squares two residential towers one 33 storeys, the other 31 storeys will sit atop a podium that will include more than 250,000 square feet of office and retail space.

Centro Square is only the latest in a slew of mixed-use condo projects that have been cropping up in recent years along Highway 7 from Vaughan to Richmond Hill to Markham as York Region works to concentrate high-density development on its major thoroughfare, in accordance with Ontarios smart growth strategy.

This intensification effort will be aided by the eventual construction of Viva transits Highway 7 rapidway, a bus rapid transit (BRT) service that will run down the median of Highway 7, connecting the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre with the Richmond Hill and Markham town centres.

There will also be a new TTC subway station opening at Highway 7 just west of Jane St., the final stop on the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension.

With all that mixed-use development and the transit to support it, Filice is convinced Highway 7 will ultimately rival North Yorks densely populated Yonge St. condo corridor. There are going to be a lot of new developments here in the years to come, he says.

Liberty has staked a few claims along Highway 7. The developer has completed work on Eko, a 196-unit project in Markham Centre at Highway 7 near Warden Ave., and has launched another, Royal Gardens, at Highway 7 and Bayview Ave.

Centro Square, situated at the entrance to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, is one of a number of other projects in the area particularly the Cortel Groups Expo City, just east of Centro Square that are helping develop a true city centre for Vaughan where none had existed before.

Centro Square has been designed by Kirkor Architects (the same firm that worked on Libertys mammoth World on Yonge project just north of Steeles Ave).

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Centro Square the gateway to Vaughan

The site of the former Saks department store Downtown could become a multi-story parking garage framed by retail and topped by a residential tower under a proposal to be considered by the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority board today.

Under the plan, Millcraft Investments and McKnight Realty Partners would team with the city's parking authority to redevelop the Saks building on Smithfield Street and two URA-owned properties at 339 and 347 Fifth Ave.

The proposal calls for the construction of 101 apartments above the parking garage, which would be built at the Saks site, and 20,000 square feet of retail space on Smithfield and Fifth.

Yarone Zober, URA board chairman and chief of staff to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, said the proposal was one of three the URA received following a request to developers in August for the redevelopment of the Saks site for residential and retail uses. One of the other proposals involved the construction of a hotel.

The Millcraft-McKnight plan "was the best of the three proposals by far," Mr. Zober said.

URA board members will vote today on whether to enter into 90 days of exclusive negotiations with the developers on the project, with the option to extend the period by another 60 days.

Millcraft Investments is a subsidiary of Millcraft Industries, the Washington County developer that has redeveloped the former G.C. Murphy and Lazarus-Macy's stores and the former State Office Building, Downtown. McKnight Realty was responsible for the redevelopment of the former Gimbel's department store on Smithfield and is the owner of the Henry W. Oliver Building next door. It plans to convert part of that structure into a hotel.

One of the principals in McKnight is William Rudolph, a URA board member. Mr. Zober said Mr. Rudolph has recused himself in discussions involving the property and will continue to do so.

As part of the deal, Millcraft and McKnight would be responsible for developing the retail components of the project. Each also would pay to have a certain number of parking spaces built in the garage in support of the apartment units and the hotel at the nearby Oliver Building.

The parking authority would be responsible for financing and building the spaces available to the public. The URA has envisioned a garage of roughly 500 spaces. The cost of the proposed Millcraft-McKnight project was not known.

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Developers offer plan for former Saks site

OAKLEY -- Instead of newly built retail space sitting empty for what could be nearly a year, the city will shop around for businesses willing to lease it temporarily.

The City Council voted Tuesday to start soliciting lease proposals for the retail building that's being built next to Carpaccio Ristorante, which is also under construction in the Oakley Plaza shopping center on Main Street.

The space could house two small retailers or one average-size store.

Unless the city finds temporary tenants, a new law could result in the building remaining unoccupied until the state has approved its plans to sell the property.

When redevelopment agencies were dismantled in February, nearly all cities assumed the role of "successor agencies," a separate legal entity. These successor agencies are required to sell off the redevelopment agencies' assets.

In Oakley's case, that means disposing of the retail building, which, along with two restaurants going up in the shopping center, are being built entirely with redevelopment money.

But legislation enacted in June requires successor agencies first to submit their plans for disposing of assets to a local oversight board as well as the state for approval.

City officials fear that it could be nearly a year before the state signs off on Oakley's plan and a tenant has made whatever changes it needs to the store's interior, time during which the structure isn't generating sales tax revenue

"I think it would be wise to get something in there as soon as possible," said Mayor Kevin Romick, noting that he passes Antioch's downtown on his daily commute to work and finds the empty storefronts there "demoralizing."

So council members are opting for a workaround: Lease the space temporarily, and then, after the oversight board and state approve the plan, the city would buy it from the successor agency and lease it out again on a long-term basis.

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Oakley seeking short-term tenants for downtown retail building

OWENSBORO, KY (WFIE) -

Larry and Rosemary Conder recently began work on their newest building at the corner of Second and St. Ann Streets.

Once construction is complete, Court Place will be what's called a mixed use building with retail space on the first floor and condos on the upper floors.

That construction means that the time capsule wall facing St. Ann Street will soon be covered up.

Kera McFadden is a manager at Bee Bop's where the wall is located on the outside of the building, and she says this newest building has already helped its neighbor, even in the earliest stages of construction.

"They heard the music outside, they came in, and they never knew we was here. We had a lot of first-time customers that came in, so it's helped our business a lot," McFadden said.

Unlike most projects the Conders take on, Court Place is being built from the ground up instead of the usual restoration.

Economic development leaders feel that this mold breaking will be good for the area.

"I'm hoping that this will signal a trend in the private market that, you know, from the ground up projects can work and can draw new people in," Joe Berry with Owensboro EDC said.

And that time capsule wall adds to the uniqueness of the project.

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Owensboro's downtown development continues to move forward

Last Updated: October 8, 2012 10:10pm ET

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A rendering of the two 26-story towers that will be built above the historic Victoria Theater on 125th Street in Harlem.

NEW YORK CITY-A new hotel, apartments, retail and cultural space are all part of a $143-million plan to bring a mix of commercial uses to Harlems storied 125th Street corridor. After Empire State Development approved Danforth Development Partners plan to construct more than 300,000 square feet above the historic Victoria Theater in July, the developer has tapped architect Ariel Aufgang to design the project with a special focus on preservation and progress.

The whole idea of developing this mixed-use structure is that we are trying to make a destination for the community and for people from outside the community, Aufgang tells GlobeSt.com. It will be the center of attention.

The project which will rise midway between the New York State Office Building and the Apollo Theater involves the construction two 26-story towers, a hotel and an apartment building, will be constructed above the historic Victoria Theater, whose original 1917 terra cotta facade and ornate lobby will be restored. The two towers, a 210-room hotel and a 230-unit apartment tower, will have a combined 360,000 square feet of space.

Aufgang part of Suffern, NY-based Aufgang + Subotovsky Architecture says the team is working to preserve and restore historic components of the theater while bringing new amenities and services to the area. He notes that the hotel will be the first full-service hotel in the history of Harlem, complete with a 5,000-square-foot ballroom and a four-story base called the podium, which has 25,000 square feet of retail space and 25,000 square feet of cultural space. Upon completion, it will house institutions such as the Classical Theater of Harlem, JazzMobile, the Apollo Theater Foundation and the Harlem Arts Alliance.

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360,000-SF Victoria Project To Highlight Harlem's Past--and Future

by Romesh Navaratnarajah Punggol is rapidly developing into a major commercial and residential hub, underlined by strong interest for the new Watertown development.

Over at the upcoming retail mall Waterway Point (pictured), supermarket NTUC FairPrice Finest and Shaw Theatres have signed on as anchor tenants.

The FairPrice Finest outlet will occupy around 30,000 sq ft of retail space and provide a variety of quality products and value-added services. It will be the 10th of its kind in Singapore and the second 24-hour Finest outlet after Serangoon Gardens.

Christopher Tang, CEO of Frasers Centrepoint Commercial, said that NTUC FairPrice Finest's commitment as an anchor tenant "affirms the strong appeal of Waterway Point and we are confident that the Mall will be the centre of attraction at Punggol waterfront".

Waterway Point will feature a "24 Hour Basement" level, where Shaw Theatres and FairPrice Finest will function round-the-clock.

When completed, 40 percent and 30 percent of the mall's floor space will be for retail and F&B outlets respectively, while the remaining space will be occupied by entertainment, educational institutions, banks and other service providers.

The entire S$1.6 billion-plus Watertown development is jointly developed by Far East Organization, Frasers Centrepoint and Sekisui House and will integrate residences, the mall and an extensive public transport network.

Meanwhile, close to 97 percent of residential units at the 992-unit development have been snapped up with only 34 units remaining, mainly three- and four-bedders ranging from 1,173 to 1,550 sq ft.

At the same time, new buyers will receive FairPrice Finest vouchers ranging from S$8,000 to S$10,000.

The construction of the retail mall is expected to end in 2015, while the residential component will likely be completed by 2017. Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd was awarded the main construction contract for the project.

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Punggol waterfront development shaping up

MARTINSBURG - Mountain State University wants to tear down about half of the former Sears store at Martinsburg Mall and replace the old department store's space with two retail outlets, two restaurants and several outdoor landscape features.

"We want to divide the space into four discreet spaces within the confines of the original Sears structure," Brentz Thompson, assistant general counsel for Mountain State University Building Co., told Martinsburg Planning Commission members at their meeting Wednesday, adding that the plans would entail demolishing the existing structure.

MSUBC is the legal entity that holds the titles to MSU properties, including the mall, Thompson said.

He and Don Epley, director of leasing for the mall, presented MSUBC's request to amend the previously approved concept plan for the mall. The mall is zoned planned business.

After a public hearing, during which no one spoke, planning commission members granted the request unanimously.

Planning Commissioner Jeff Molenda raised concerns about increased car and pedestrian traffic in the area of the old Sears store with the change in the site's use.

Mike Covell, the city's engineer and planner, pointed out that if the proposed changes come to fruition, MSUBC would have to return to the planning commission with site plans for approval. He said at that time, discussions about parking, traffic and pedestrian access could be discussed.

According to documents provided by Epley, the proposed development would convert the existing 75,640-square-foot Sears store to two retail spaces totaling 30,625 square feet and 11,977 square feet of free-standing Pad A and Pad B restaurant buildings. He said that about 50 percent of the existing building would be torn down.

The retail space would abut the existing mall and the pads would be located west of the retail spaces across a landscaped area, featuring a garden, an arbor-covered walkway and other outdoor amenities.

Also in the changes to the concept plan are two outparcels and moving the mall's sign a little north of its current location along Interstate 81. The sign now is on the lot where the soon-to-be-opened Olive Garden restaurant is under construction.

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Commission OKs mall plan changes