Ramon Diaz, a longtime business owner in the Manhattanville neighborhood, views his restaurant as home. Throughout his time, Floridita has served generations of families and became a place where younger customers, who had originally eaten there as children, would later return with families of their own.

But that was before Floridita signed a lease with Columbia in 2010 to relocate from Broadway to 12th Avenue, as part of the Universitys initial plans to build a state-of-the-art campus in the restaurants former location.

It was a different kind of world back then, Diaz said, citing the difficulties he faces attracting customers now.

By 2009, wooden construction walls and caution cones spread across entire blocks on 12th Avenue. The areaboth isolated as a home of industrial buildings and now as a construction zoneremained devoid of pedestrians and the foot traffic on which Diaz formerly relied.

Since the onset of Columbia construction, businesses located on the 12th Avenue corridor have all reported a revenue loss of around 30 percent. Two establishments have even closed their doors this past summer.

University President Lee Bollinger announced a plan to expand the space-stressed Morningside campus in 2003. Adding 17 acres of additional land, the multibillion-dollar project would create new campus buildings in Manhattanville between 125th and 133rd streets. According to the project website, the new buildings are meant to revive the neighborhood and draw the community into these areas, which include the 12th Avenue corridornot the retail space it now touts.

Now, 12th Avenue businesses eagerly await the opening of the Business School. Many, however, fear potential construction delays like those faced by the School of International and Public Affairs building, which was slated to open in 2020 but has not yet opened.

The Business School building is scheduled and on track to open in 2022, according to a University spokesperson. But even without delays, the construction of the schools two buildings looms for at least another two years, while other areas of Manhattanville construction are slated for completion nearly a decade in the future. In the meantime, businesses have called for the University and the city to help them survive long enough to reap the benefits of the revived corridor.

Some have attributed revenue declines to construction isolating the area. Large construction sites, coupled with insufficient parking and a lack of access to major public transportation, have made the area undesirable for pedestrians.

Floridita, which used to rely on the heavy foot traffic along Broadway, had to adjust to the new economic landscape on 12th Avenueone in dire need of external assistance.

[Related: Senate committee on space and development left in the shadows of Manhattanville expansion]

The consensus among these 12th Avenue businesses was clear: They were not prepared for the Universitys construction, and the University has not provided them with a safety net, despite its disruption to the corridor.

We felt like we were being told that we could be helped out, but nobody ever sat down and said We can get you some money, fill out this paperwork. Here it is; we can get you some development money. There was never any official [proposal] like that, Bierstrasse owner Roy Henley said.

Negotiated among University administrators and city officials, the Community Benefits Agreement, signed in 2009 after Bollinger announced the Manhattanville expansion, promises a total of $150 million to the community. Under the CBA, the $76 million Benefits Fund provides funding initiatives to community nonprofits, employment, affordable housing, and more as a means of compensating the community for the impacts of the Manhattanville expansion. However, none of these $76 million Benefits Fund is allocated to for-profit establishments.

According to West Harlem Development Corporation Executive Director Kofi Boateng, whose organization oversees the distribution of the Benefits Fund, the money could theoretically go to these businesses. However, the organization has strategically chosen not to fund for-profit organizations using the CBA money because of tax stipulations. If WHDC granted for-profit institutions money, it would need to pay taxes to the IRS, Boateng said. Additionally, he added he did not want to put money earmarked for the community toward privately-owned organizations.

We dont give them money, but we bring the parties to the table to have collective conversion, Boateng said. We are trying to help indirectly, but we are not absent from the issue.

The CBA does have initiatives in place to promote economic development, stating CU expects the project to generate new local jobs and economic opportunities for the benefit of the local community. For retailers, the University has committed at least 12,000 gross square feet of the Manhattanville site to local businesses and entrepreneurs.

But besides negotiations made between two relocated businesses and Columbia administrators, the University has no contractual responsibility to aid the remaining establishments, leaving the question of who, if anyone, has an obligation to support the declining retail area in the midst of Manhattanville construction.

For one, business owners were not represented at CBA negotiations where they could have voiced their concerns over the impacts of Columbia constructionsa point that community leaders said were at the fault of uninformed businesses.

Many of the businesses that chose to open on the 12th Avenue were fully aware of the impending construction that 12th Avenue would face, because for many, they chose to invest in Columbia and the neighborhood. Now, they ask if the University will invest in them.

Continue reading Part 1, in which businesses relocated by the University discuss how they have adapted to their new locations.

Staff writer Clay Anderson can be contacted at clay.anderson@columbiaspectator.com. Follow him on Twitter @Clay_Anders.

News Editor Stephanie Lai can be contacted at stephanie.lai@columbiaspectator.com. Follow her on Twitter @stephaniealai.

Originally posted here:
Upscaled: The cost of Columbia construction for struggling 12th Avenue businesses - CU Columbia Spectator

MIDDLETOWN The former Middletown Indoor Flea Markets last tenant is renovating, renaming and reopening in May, subletting to artisans, antique dealers and some former sellers and restaurants.

The 50,000-square-foot market is part of a 200,000-square-foot partitioned strip mall building at 102-128 Dolson Avenue, home to Playtogs department store from 1959 to 1994.

It will be renamed Emporium Square, when it opens as soon as Mays first week, partly to avoid confusion with the nearby Middletown Flea Market, where several former tenants migrated, in a neighboring plaza.

Separately, LGP Capital of Middletown, owner of Emporium Squares nearly empty strip mall building, recently applied to Middletowns Planning Board to turn most of its remaining 150,000 square feet into a distribution center.

Until summer 2018, it held National Wholesale Liquidators, which repeatedly closed and reopened under that moniker and the name Playtogs Factory Outlet. (Both were unrelated to the original Playtogs).

The last tenant on that side of the strip mall, Hudson Valley Pawn Brokers & Firearms of Middletown, would be given the option to stay if city officials approve the warehouse, the propertys developer said.

The same would go for Pools Plus, which occupies a separate, nearby building, also owned by LGP Capital, thats considered to be part of the strip mall.

As for Emporium Square, Orlando Lalave, owner of Fusion Eyewear, an optical store and the former indoor flea markets last remaining business, is self-funding $400,000 to $500,000 of upgrades to the market.

His store will remain, as he shrinks the rest of the market to 84 booths, from its 164-booth capacity when it more fully operated until its January 2019 closure.

The unused market space will be blocked off, for Emporium Squares later potential use, until LGP Capital can repair that sides roof, Lalave said.

Ive put my heart and soul into it, Lalave said of Emporium Square. I always felt the community deserved better. So, Im going around the Hudson Valley and finding the hidden gems for vendors.

Kris Vassilatos agreed. Shes owner of Body Oils NY and a former vendor, who operates a store by the nearby Shoprite. She called Lalaves plan a 180, that made the market unrecognizable and beautiful.

The new market features all-new 100-square-foot booths, with a chocolate and black color scheme, ornamental bricks and a resurfaced concrete floor.

Lalave plans to sublet to antique sellers and artisan vendors, like pickle, jewelry and chocolate makers, with a rent of $300 to $400 per month, plus strong, reputable businesses like a local hemp extract producer.

Building owner LGP Capital has its own big plan. An LGP representative described the company as a privately held commercial real estate investment firm that buys and manages shopping centers in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

LGP has teamed with Real Deal Management Group LLC of Mahwah, N.J., an experienced commercial developer known for creatively turning former retail spaces into distribution centers, particularly in northern and central New Jersey.

Weve been tracking whats going on in Orange County, and we like what we see, from growth to highway access, said Isaac Neuman, an RDM Group partner.

RDM Group recently received the Middletown Zoning Board of Appeals approval for a novel, cost-saving idea to raise the buildings roof nine feet to 44 feet to accommodate tractor trailers.

Plus, the board allowed the potential warehouse to use 296 parking spaces, down from 741 at the site. LGP Capitals $5 million to $7 million warehouse plan also calls for repaving the parking lot and redoing the buildings exterior with a brick facade.

Twenty-one loading docks would be added to the liquidators building side (for 23 docks altogether with two current ones). And there would be several tree-filled parking lot partitions, including one separating Emporium Square.

A furniture distributor is a candidate for the warehouse, which could operate 16 hours daily and employ 20. Trucks would use an enlarged entrance by Pools Plus, not a main entrance near a Dunkin Donuts.

Emporium Square and Playtogs Plaza, an unrelated, neighboring shopping center, share that main entrance.

Local leaders, including Orange County Chamber of Commerce president Lynn Cione, Maria Bruni, Middletowns community development director, and Mayor Joseph DeStefano are enthusiastic.

I think (Lalave) has a winning formula to go upscale with that indoor market, DeStefano said. Its exciting for him and the city.

As for the warehouse idea, its an important proposal for our tax base, DeStefano added, promising that the planning board will ensure adequate buffering and a safe traffic flow. No one can imagine a retail operation going back into that space when stores are closing across America.

daxelrod@th-record.com

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Upscale market to open in Middletown - Times Herald-Record

By Kevin Green, Midtown Alliance President and CEO

Just two weeks ago, few people had even heard the term social distancing. Yet in a very quick turn of events, we now find this as our temporary new normal. Since cities are made to bring people together and to seed social interaction, our current reality is a hard condition to wrap your mind around, but its here and its necessary. As we pull together as a community to get through this weird global episode, we can be assured that this too shall pass. Once consigned to a chapter in history, it also seems reasonable that many of us will have new appreciation for returning to normal and being able to come together, mix and gather as a community and a society things many of us may have taken for granted a week ago.

When our city is back to normal as it will surely be and hopefully soon we know that public infrastructure is what knits our city together. Without a network of streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, benches, bike racks, signals and signs, there is no city. Although well all be adapting to changing conditions in the near future, our work to create an excellent urban experience continues.

Our urban infrastructure in Midtown has evolved over the last 150 years with one incremental solution built on another by well-intentioned planners and engineers. The sum total of all these changes adds up to our current infrastructure, which may be far from ideal and efficient for current needs. This has led to retrofitting, like turning one-way streets back into two-way, bringing back on-street parking and rethinking space on our streets dedicated exclusively to cars.

Increasingly, designing for the future means incorporating more flexibility, and offering people an abundance of quality choices for how they get around and what they do. It also means proceeding with a sense of urgency.

Authored by the community in the late 1990s, our original Blueprint Midtown master plan is one plan that got executed. The Blueprint set out the vision for what Midtown wanted to become: a mixed-use destination, where buildings meet the sidewalks in a way that enhances the public realm and supports walking as a primary choice for how to get around.That identity has been integral to almost every land use and transportation decision in Midtown ever since.

It only makes sense that the approach to infrastructure projects we take on needs to match the multi-purpose identity of the buildings that get built alongside it.

Roughly 60% of our 2020 budget is dedicated to public improvement projects, ranging from new traffic signals and open space to an expanded network of bike lanes. We want to deliver projects that offer people more options for how they can use a given space or corridor. People who spend time in Midtown want options. Here are some creative examples of infrastructure improvements that Atlanta residents, workers and visitors can look forward to using in Midtown in the near term:

Making a Brand New Street: 15th Street Extension

Improving existing roadways is something we get a chance to do fairly often, but its a rare opportunity to build an entirely new street. With a big assist from the Georgia Department of Transportation, the City of Atlanta and private partners, Midtown Alliance will create a new street grid connection between West Peachtree and Williams Streets that offers people a range of travel options. This new corridor will deliver wide sidewalks, crosswalks, a dedicated bike lane in both directions, and two motor vehicle lanes in each direction that can help alleviate some of the pressure on 14th Street during peak periods. Construction is slated to begin in 2021.

How Six On-Street Parking Spaces Can Become a Mini-Park

Some 95% of respondents to our 2019 Midtown Community Survey said they wanted to see more parks and smaller plazas throughout the district. Were actively looking for different ways to create these spaces, including by reimagining the public right-of-way. One such opportunity is the intersection at Peachtree Street and Peachtree Place, which draws a lot of foot traffic because it features retailers and feeds into the Midtown MARTA station a block away. The Commercial Row Commons project would trade out a handful of on-street parking spaces and rebuild a street median to create a multi-use plaza that would support local retailers, provide a venue for public programming and events in collaboration with the Atlanta History Center, and realign the intersection to make it safer for pedestrians and drivers alike. Construction is projected to begin later this year.

Developers Designing Publicly-Accessible Spaces into their Projects

Midtowns Development Review Committee advocates for developers to build high-quality projects that maximize the potential of their land, fit the districts character and meet its needs for the next century. One recent win came with the design for Midtown Union, a transformative mixed-use project with office, residential and retail space, as well as a boutique hotel. The project will extend Arts Center Way between West Peachtree and Spring Streets, adding a private road that will feature green space, retail space and pedestrian walkways that connect Midtown Union to the Midtown Arts District and the Arts Center MARTA station. Many more developers have the opportunity in front of them to think about how these types of features can create an increased return on their investment, expressed both financially and socially.

Tell us what you think.

Working with our partners at the City of Atlanta and State of Georgia, we have more than 20 additional projects that will be advancing in 2020. Our staff wants to know what you think about these projects. Please accept this invitation to make suggestions about our work, and where you see other opportunities to incorporate multi-use, multi-function design into our projects. Email us at [emailprotected], and for background reading check out our monthly updates on capital projects found here.

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The New Way to Think About Streets and Plazas: Multi-Purpose, Multi-Functional - SaportaReport

@jlo is designing footwear in her spare time. Jennifer Lopez's footwear range, being launched at @DSW stores and DSW.com today, includes sky-high sandals, sexy stilettos, boots, booties and sneakers.The shoe thing for me goes deep, it goes deeper than I love shoes,' Lopez said in an interview.When I was a little girl, I used to look to my idols and wish I could have their jacket or their outfit or their jewelry or their shoes, and it was always so expensive and we could never do that. At DSW, we can do that with quality and high fashion, she said. Her JLO Jennifer collection retails from $59 to $189.On the heels of Hustlers, her Super Bowl halftime performance and her role on World of Dance, where shes executive producer and a judge, along with being the face this season of Coach, Versace and Guess, Lopez was asked about any new projects and how shes dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.Its such a scary, tricky rime right now. Im going to be working from home the next few weeks, working on scripts and branding. In the meantime, trying to make lemonade out of lemons, and enjoy the time with the kids and just trying to stay positive and do all we can as a family to help in this situation and quarantine and set the right example, she said.Tap the link in bio for more of our interview with @jlo.Report: @lisajlockwood #wwdfashion#jlo#shoes#dsw

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LVMH Sets Plans for Cheval Blanc Hotel on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills - WWD

Yesterday, Tom Hanks shared with the world that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive for the coronavirus. Of course, people started paying attention, because while most Americans don't yet personally know anyone affected by the global pandemic, everyone knows Tom Hanks. As an icon of Hollywood, Hanks is not only one of the most likable movie stars, he's also considered a role model for millions of Americans.

Hanks's measured response to his diagnosis is also a model for businesses of every size trying to keep going during this crisis.

Specifically, Hanks mentions his approach to what happens next. "Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?" Hanks shared on social media. That'sa brilliant reminder that in a world where there are far more circumstances than what you can control, the best thing you can dois slow down the panic and focus on the next thing you need to do for yourself, your family, and your colleagues.

Binge-buying toilet paper and hand sanitizer donothing except point out the fact that, as Americans, we're probably not as good at washing our hands as we should be. Panicking about circumstances you can't control does nothing except create more panic.

Instead, create a plan. And when I say plan, I meanfocus on what you need to do today for your team and your business. Set them up for success so that they're able to be productive tomorrow. Then, tomorrow, do the same thing. Anything more than that isn't realistic when you have no idea what your business will face in three days or weeks or months.

Your goal is to keep things moving in the right direction even as the world feels like its lost its way. Things won't be the same, and your business might not be the same, but there is another side.Don't freak out. Make a plan.

Or, in the event that remote work isn't an option, determine how you will communicate what you expect of them directly and transparently.Even when you can't plan far into the future, a little honesty and humility goa long way. By the way, figuring out how to keep your team on your payroll might be costly, but if you're able, there are few better investments you can make than people. Fortunately, it looks like there will soon be help on this front as well.

As the wise manSolomononce said,Gam zeh ya'avor, or"This, too, shall pass." Your job, as a leader, is--one day at a time--to be sure you're in the best position possible when it does.

Published on: Mar 12, 2020

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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Tom Hanks Tested Positive for Coronavirus. His 12-Word-Response Is a Lesson in Handling a Crisis - Inc.

The historic Yellow House in downtown Edgartown is set to have a dash of red on its awning this summer, with the athleisure company Lululemon signing a multi-year rental deal to move from its former location across the street and become the restored buildings first retail tenant in two decades.

Its a rapid transformation for the 18th century building that only six months ago was barely even yellow, its smashed windows, stripped shingles, decaying roof and gray siding all daily reminders of nearly 20 years of neglect in the heart of Edgartowns main street.

Over the winter the once-dilapidated building, now owned by the town and leased to businessman Christopher Celeste, has been the subject of a $2.5 million makeover by Conover Restoration. The smash of sledgehammers and grind of heavy machinery have been daily indicators of the expansive public-private project. During a walk-through this week, project manager and contractor Gery Conover said the work is on schedule and set to be finished by May, with Lululemon planning to open around Memorial Day.

And the Yellow House is now officially yellow again, thanks to a recent paint job.

Our feeling all along was how do you activate the corner of Summer and Main, said Mr. Celeste. This is the top of Main street one of the best locations in Edgartown and it has lain fallow for 18 years. We hope this will bring it back to life.

The story of the Yellow House is part history, part saga. Dating to 1750, the colonial Georgian structure once belonged to Capt. Charles Pease and is one of the oldest buildings on Main street. Owned for decades by the Hall family and formerly home to a bookstore, the building was left unoccupied for decades and fell into disrepair in the 21st century.

Rehabilitation was a long time in the making. Mark Alan Lovewell

Three years ago, the town decided to take the property by eminent domain, paying the Halls $3 million for the building and surrounding land. After a series of starts and stops and some legal wrangling over a public bid process, Mr. Celeste and his daughter Julia Tarka signed a 30-year lease to take over the property and rehab it. The lease provisions include $100,000 in payments to the town and a commitment to complete a full renovation of the property to make it suitable as a commercial retail space.

The Celestes already own and operate Rosewater Market & Takeaway, one door down from the Yellow House on South Summer street, Rosewater Wine & Spirits on Main street, and the Dairy Queen franchise on Upper Main street. The family has also torn down a small retail building on Summer street that is now a two-story building housing the childrens clothing store, Rosebud.

Work began on the Yellow House portion of the project this winter by Conover Restorations. Although a tear-down would have made financial sense, Mr. Celeste and Mr. Conover said this week, the town and historic district required the developers to renovate the building. The building has been extended approximately 15 feet on its western side, and a far wing was taken out because it was not salvageable. Other than that, it looks like a newer version of the Yellow House of old.

Its not a restoration, but it is a rehabilitation, if you will, Mr. Celeste said. Where we could, weve kept as many materials as possible. The goal was, if you looked at it from the outside, it would look like a spiffed up version of the old building. And from the inside, it was built to last . . . Theres some funky aspects of how the house was originally built.

Walking through the building this week, those funky aspects were readily apparent, history literally seeping out of the old floorboards and walls. The original building had a dirt floor cellar, so the first step in the restoration involved jacking up the 30-ton building six feet and replacing its foundation. That process unearthed ancient glass bottles and a 1903 theatre ticket to a Shakespeare festival in Oregon.

The building also had numerous twisted tree logs that were used as supports in the walls. Mr. Conover intends to save as many of them as possible. He has also preserved nearly all the 200-year-old timbers in the second-floor apartments, and plans to leave them exposed when the building is completed.

Its some thrift-Yankee type thing, he said. Thats just the way they used to do it in the old days. You take a tree, and you flatten it off and put in the stud. One hundred per cent original and in its original location.

Contractors Jeff Lucier and Gery Conover. Mark Alan Lovewell

The early plan for the restored building was to house two businesses on the first floor and have three apartments on the two floors above. But that changed when Lululemon said it wanted the entire first floor retail space and could commit to at least a five-year lease, with opportunities to extend it for multiple years further, Mr. Celeste said. He said he received a handful of interested applicants over the winter, but that Lululemon was a trusted renter who he believed would benefit the financial interests of the town, which owns the building.

Im really happy about it, Mr. Celeste said. Theyve been in Edgartown for six years, contributed to the community, invested in programming, and even though theyre a national business, theyve shown that they can provide a lot to downtown Edgartown as well.

The retail space is about 1,500 square feet, and will have a storefront and entrance on Main street. Lululemon is working with the builders to design the space to their specifications although the space will still have the ability to be sectioned into two retail spaces. Mr. Celeste said he intends to rent one of the apartments to Lululemons manager, and hopes the other two apartments will go to workers in Edgartown. He said Lululemon plans to be open 10 months of the year.

Their intention is to not just be a seasonal location, Mr. Celeste said. Edgartown is a charming, walkable business district, and for those of us trying to operate year round business we understand you are trying to make friends in the winter and money in the summer. Those businesses open in the winter do it because they understand part of what makes the Island feel alive. This will help that.

Rosewater Market is also open year round, save for a brief closure after Christmas.

Mr. Celeste said the $3 million investment was not without risk. The buildings former owner, attorney Benjamin Hall, has brought a number of legal challenges, including to the eminent domain taking by the town and subsequent permitting decisions by the Edgartown zoning board of appeals and historic district commission. Although some complaints have since been dismissed, others remain pending in superior court. The town cannot indemnify the family against any rulings made by a judge.

Mr. Celeste said the legal disputes pose no threat to the projects May completion date.

Were not stopping until someone tells us to, he said. My hope is that we have not done this all in vain and that we are not at the receiving end of a negative legal outcome.

Meanwhile, Mr. Conover and his team are working on the buildings final touches, finishing walls, staircases and adding the Yellow Houses characteristic green shutters. For the town, the project represents a major commercial redevelopment on full display in the heart of the historic village, with its distinct New England architecture.

That entire part of the block has been a walk-by zone, Mr. Celeste said. I think it is going to be transformative,

Read more:
Yellow House Construction Stretches to the Finish Line - The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News

Site of redevelopment: Clark Mill Complex, 900 Passaic Avenue, East Newark. Photo via Google Maps.

New housing, retail, and commercial spaces will be coming soon to a sprawling facility along the banks of the Passaic River, as a Queens-based developer will commence construction shortly on a project thats looking to re-imagine the areas industrial heritage.

Last October, we reported on plans to revitalize whats known as the Clark Mill Complex at 900 Passaic Avenue in East Newark. The 13 acres of land on the block once housed what was the countrys largest thread manufacturing firm.

The brick industrial buildings on the land were constructed in 1875 and are part of East Newarks Clark Thread Company Historic District, which is listed on both the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places. The East Newark Planning Board unanimously approved an application to revitalize the land via owners East Newark Town Center LLC, an affiliate of Alma Realty.

Designed by Haldeon-based Bleeker Architectural Group, the development will adaptively reuse eight structures on the property into 616 residential units, 91,022 square feet of retail space, and 4,388 square feet of commercial space. The rental apartments at the East Newark Town Center will consist of one- and two-bedroom units sporting 14-foot ceilings, highlighting the industrial attributes of the existing buildings.

The transformation of the brick complex will include the restoration of a smokestack from the propertys past, but also includes construction of a new parking garage with over 1,350 spaces that sports a rooftop terrace and tennis courts. In addition, 105,769 square feet of vacant space for an undetermined future use is included in the approvals.

The property is just a block from the Tops Diner and located in the neighborhood where the East Newark, Kearny, and Harrison borders collide. Newark Broad Streets train station is just over a half-mile walk away via the Clay Street Bridge and Harrisons PATH station is roughly a mile from the premises.

While neighboring Harrison has a well-publicized building boom underway, the impending redevelopment of the Clark Mill Complex is easily the largest project to hit East Newark in decades. Its set to kick off soon; the Jersey Journal reports that construction of the East Newark Town Center will begin as soon as permits are issued.

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616-Unit Renovation of Historic East Newark Factory Set to Break Ground - Jersey Digs

York Dispatch Editorial Board Published 4:26 a.m. ET March 6, 2020

Malls are facing an existential crisis.

That's nothing new. Large retail shopping complexes have been dying for decades, to the point that there are books of photographs taken in abandoned malls.

The owners of the York Galleria in Springettsbury Township are trying to keep their property from joining that list, with interesting results.

Since 2015, the mall has seen three of its four anchor stores,JCPenney, Sears and finally The Bon-Ton, close. Boscov's remains, and the former Penney site is now home to Gold's Gym and Marshall's. The other anchors sit empty, as do many shop fronts.

More: Springetts changes rules to allow mini-storage at York Galleria

More: Penn National chooses York Galleria Mall for first mini-casino

Owners CBL & Associates have plans for the spaces. A mini-casino is slated to go into the former Sears site at the west end of the building, which required some wrangling, including getting Springettsbury Township to backtrack on an ordinance saying the municipality didn't want to even be considered for the Penn National casino.

And now CBL is taking another step away from the Galleria's retail roots by bringing a mini-storage unit to the former Bon-Ton site.

After much discussion and hand-wringing, and against the wishes of the York County Planning Commission, the township board of supervisors last week voted3-2 toapprovea zoning change to allow the storage area use.

"I think when we look to the future of the mall, the best we can do at this point in this era of retail transformation is stabilize the occupancy and activity in the mall," said Charles Wurster, a supervisorwho voted in favor of changing the ordinance.

The Galleria isincluded in a "town center" overlay on the township's zoning map, a designation intended to develop a walkable retail area. A town center overlay specifically prohibitedmini-storage until now.

Alex Snyder, the attorney representing storage unit companyW.P. Carey, said the retail market doesn't support "big box"stores anymoreand that the next logical step to maintaining the mall would be mini-storage.

"We think this is a way to take a building where there's nothing wrong with it, and put a use in that there really is a need for in the township," Snyder said. "From the outside, no one will know any different other than the building will be fixed up and repaired."

Though one supervisorsuggested turning the space intooffice units,the idea was dismissed by Blaze Cambruzzi, a True Commercial Real Estate managing partner, who said theadjacent casino coming to the mall squandered any chance ofprofessional use.

So it boils down to this: This mall, like so many others, is on the verge of becoming obsolete as a purely retail space. The property owners, like so many others, are reaching out to other industries to fill these spaces that were once lively centers for communities and have become empty shells.

Is it pretty? No. Could there be a better use for the space? Maybe, but what would that be?

The York Galleria could follow the path of the former West Manchester Mall, which was turned inside out in a massive construction project in 2014-15 and now seems to be doing well as the West Manchester TownCenter, anchored by Walmart, Regal Cinemas and Kohl's and featuring a number of pad site restaurants as well as other stores.

But that renovation cost $49 million, and the Galleria is only assessed at $39 million, according to tax records.

The township is allowing the owners to turn the mall into more of a mixed use space, with stores giving way to gyms, casinos and now a storage unit space.

Which makes us think, despite the food court and the remaining retail, at what point will the York Galleria no longer be a mall?

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EDITORIAL: When will the York Galleria no longer be a mall? - York Dispatch

M&G Real Estate and its appointed property developer Qmile Group have announced construction work has started at the 350m Haymarket Edinburgh mixed-use development in the Scottish capital.

Designedby globally renowned architect Foster + Partners, Haymarket will deliver morethan 380,000 sq ft of much-needed Grade A office space along with hotelaccommodation totalling 365 bedrooms and provision for 40,000 sq ft of retailspace.

Thefour-acre site will comprise five buildings, three of which will be offices andthe other two hotels. It is estimated that the office space alone will accommodateup to 4,500 workers.

Inaddition, at the heart of the development will be Haymarket Square, a vibrantnew landscaped public space for the city centre which has been designed tooffer leisure and retail opportunities as well as a social and events space.

M&GReal Estate acquired the four-acre site in 2018 for 49.1m. Following atendering process, the main contractor for Haymarket Edinburghs first phase isSir Robert McAlpine. The contractor is currently on-site delivering HaymarketEdinburghs first building, 1 Haymarket Square, which will provide 110,000 sqft of Grade A office accommodation and has a gross development value of 80m.

Up to500 live direct and indirect construction jobs will be supported on thedevelopment during Haymarket Edinburghs three-year build programme.

Qmile Group has previously worked withM&G Real Estate, Foster + Partners and Sir Robert McAlpine, to deliver the750m mixed-use Quartermile development, also in Edinburgh city centre.

Commentingon the work starting on site, Qmile Group chief executive, Paul Curran, said:Our objective is to make Haymarket Edinburgh a world-class place for business,leisure and hospitality. Our work at Quartermile clearly demonstrated how wecan deliver complex, high-profile projects, so we are very pleased to reunitethe same team on Haymarket Edinburgh.

Thedevelopment has been designed to deliver sustainable commercial and societalbenefits for the city. We will purposefully create a platform for furthereconomic growth within the capital at Haymarket Edinburgh and provide thecitys residents and visitors with inclusive new public space.

Withwork now started on site, the vision for Haymarket Edinburgh is well on its wayto becoming a reality. There has already been significant interest from a rangeof occupiers and we only expect this to increase now we have begun the buildprogramme with the first building, 1 Haymarket Square, scheduled for deliveryduring the second quarter of 2022.

M&GReal Estates director of asset management, Aaron Pope, said: Committing tofund the delivery of this prime mixed-use development in Edinburgh city centrewas a natural choice and perfectly aligned with our investment approach providing industry leading, high quality and sustainable business space thatintegrates seamlessly with the area and provides the kind of environment andfacilities to meet modern occupier needs.

Withwork on 1 Haymarket Square progressing at pace, we are excited to maintain themomentum with commencement of works on the wider development. It will set a newtone for Edinburghs office accommodation and deliver a new attractive quarterfor the city and all who live and work there.

Savillsand JLL have been appointed as office agents and EYCO and Culverwell have beenappointed as retail agents.

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Construction starts on 350m Haymarket mixed-use development in Scottish capital - Scottish Business News

Home Smart Realty franchise opens in Bedford, NH-based Clear Choice opens Mass. office and moreJeremy Belanger, left, senior project engineer at TFMoran was recently selected by New Hampshires Joint Engineering Societies as the 2020 New Hampshire Young Engineer of the Year. The American Society of Civil Engineers-New Hampshire Section nominated him for his work ethic, integrity, enthusiasm for the civil engineering profession and his volunteerism in the community.

Springfield, Vt.-based One Credit Union has opened a new branch in the Shaws Plaza on John Stark Highway in Newport, NH the credit unions seventh branch and its second in New Hampshire. The building was designed by the NES Group of Massachusetts and built by JLN Contracting out of Auburn, NH. The branch will be managed by Patty Kober, who has over 33 years of experience in financial services.

Infinity Realty Group of Londonderry has merged with Bedford-based Keller Williams Metro. Broker-Realtors Cheryl Hazzard and Amanda Butler, along with Realtors Terri Byerly and Julie Dolliver, will continue to serve clients from the IRG location in Londonderry.

Munise Ulker has opened HomeSmart Success Realty in Bedford, part of HomeSmart International, which has a 100% commission brokerage model. As part of HomeSmart, Success Realty agents will get to keep 100% of their commission and have free access to productivity software, online marketing materials, live and on-demand training sessions and agent support, Ulker said.

Manchester-based Clear Choice Home Improvements has opened a second office in Taunton, Mass. The decision to expand across New England and open a second office that allows us to service central Massachusetts, southern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and Rhode Island was a logical step in our business growth strategy, said Jennifer Lanigan, marketing director.

The University of New Hampshire has awarded the Parsons Hall-Iddles Wing renovation project to Chapman Construction/Design of Newton, Mass. The 13,000-square-foot project includes improvement of two large lecture halls, two flat-floor classrooms and adjacent corridors and stairwells as well as replacement of the associated HVAC system. In addition, a new student commons space will be created. Architect and engineer is Harriman Associates, based in Portland, Maine.

Paula L. Scales, president of Brookstone Builders Inc., Manchester, has been included in the 2020 Trademark Women of Distinction Honors Edition. The publication highlights the professional accomplishments and stories of women in business.

Versona, a retailer of womens fashion and accessories, has announced it will be opening its first two locations in New England this spring one at the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua and the other at The Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester.

New England Family Housing will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, March 20, to celebrate its revitalization of the Goddard Block in downtown Claremont. The renovation has created 36 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments and three retail and commercial spaces. The event begins at 10 a.m. at 54 Pleasant St., Claremont.

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People and Property: Real Estate and Construction News From Around NH - New Hampshire Business Review