Fourteen subway lines serve the Lower Manhattan neighborhoods of Soho and Noho (South of Houston Street and North of Houston Street, respectively), making them among the citys most transit-accessible areas. Nonetheless, due to restrictive zoning and New York Citys widespread designation of historic districts, these areas have experienced much less new construction since the 1960s than many surrounding neighborhoods. A recent city study examines the uniquely antiquated and convoluted zoning restrictions that turn real estate development into a lot-by-lot, and sometimes even floor-by-floor, community battle. It suggests that Soho and Noho could someday become normal neighborhoods, where people live, work, and shop, and enjoy access to more housing, including some affordable housingbut to get there, New York City first needs to overcome demands for new zoning restrictions.

In 1961, still actively industrial, Soho and Noho were designated as manufacturing zones, where no new housing would be permitted. By the late sixties, though, industry was in decline and artists and other bohemians were moving into former factory loft spaces. The city faced pressure to permit the residential presence, but it wanted to preserve industrial businesses, too. The solution: invent a new use of space, a hybrid of residence and manufacturingthe joint living work quarters for artists (JLWQA). The idea was that artists needed large loft spaces for their creative work but also needed to live in these spaces because they could not afford separate residences. The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) took responsibility for certifying that people who needed these spaces were, in fact, artists.

JLWQAs were legalized in Soho in 1971 and in Noho in 1976, but problems arose immediately because designating housing by vocation is impractical. Artists may die, get divorced, have children, or stop making art; and many people who moved into the areas had never been artists. In the 1980s, the city and state legislature responded with a series of amnesties that legalized non-artists living in JLWQAs; soon it became hard to know who was an artist, who was a legal successor to an artist, who was amnestied, and who was living in the area illegally. According to the city, only about 30 percent of the housing units in Soho and Noho today are JLWQAs, and only a fraction of these are occupied by artists. Yet JLWQAs remain the only kind of residential use allowed as of right in Soho and Noho, and DCLA is still certifying artists to comply with the law.

Soho and Noho have another set of restrictions on ground-floor spaces. In the 1970s, the City Planning Commission allowed JLWQAs on upper floors but wanted to preserve ground floors for factories and warehouses. Ground-floor retail was prohibited in much of Soho and all of Noho. Nonetheless, the citys study identifies these areas as major retail districts. As with residences, various mechanisms have been used to legalize ground-floor retail, but much retail space remains in a kind of zoning limbo.

In a 2018 study of Noho, I recommended fixes to the current arcane zoning. Residences (where anyone can live) should be permitted wherever JLWQAs are today. Retail should be permitted on ground floors. New housing construction should be permitted on lots that are vacant or being used for parking or single-story retail. Taller buildings with more floor space should be permitted. Many of these recommendations can apply equally to Soho.

The citys study accepts the need for new housing and notes the possibilities for affordable housing but is ambiguous about the appropriate size for new buildings. In an area with so much transit access and where most buildings are preserved in historic districts, the few new buildings should maximize housing potential. The city, responding to local constituencies, suggests that artists should retain their preferential treatment for space in the areabut this designation has never worked, and the city shouldnt devote enforcement resources to micromanaging who lives in one small, affluent neighborhood.

The city should advance its recommendations with vigor. New York cant credibly advocate growth and change in less fortunate neighborhoods while strangling two affluent neighborhoods in red tape. The zoning change needs to be cleanly done and not tied up in new, unworkable restrictions. In any event, Soho and Noho will be heavily regulated to preserve their distinctive nineteenth-century commercial architecture. Within those limitations, though, the neighborhoods should be able to evolve, diversify, and regenerate, as a mix of old and new.

Eric Kober is a retired New York City planner and currently Adjunct Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

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On the Need for Rezoning Soho and Noho in Lower Manhattan - City Journal

Brandywine Realty Trust is developing Metroplex Two, a 280,000-square-foot office building in Plymouth Meeting, near Philadelphia. Strong job growth in the area has led to greater demand for more quality office space after years of limited construction.

Office vacancies are falling across the big metros of the Northeast as robust user demand outpaces the supply of new construction. Deliveries in the last year have primarily been limited to Class A, build-to-suit properties and mixed-use developments. Meanwhile, office tenants are seeking high-end amenities at favorable prices.

Nationally, the office vacancy rate stood at 16.8 percent in the second quarter, up slightly from 16.6 percent a year ago, according to real estate research firm Reis. Net absorption for the quarter totaled 3.2 million square feet, down from 3.9 million square feet a year ago. The average asking rent was $33.79 per square foot, up 2.2 percent on a year-over-year basis.

Approximately 11.1 million square feet of office space was under construction at the end of the second quarter across Philadelphia, New York and Boston, according to CoStar Group. Helped by approximately 8.3 million square feet of absorption in the second quarter, the average vacancy rate across all three markets was 8.1 percent.

Rather than undertake costly new ground-up construction projects, many developers are choosing to redevelop existing assets and efficiently incorporate office space into mixed-useprojects.

Coworking tenants occupied 54.2 million square feet of office space nationally at the end of the secondquarter, according to CoStar. In Philadelphia, New York and Boston, the tech and coworking sectors dominate office leasing and set the standard for Class A office development.

Key features of these spaces often include access to public transit and surrounding retail and restaurant options. Even single-tenant offices are moving away from classic cubicles in favor of flexible, or collaborative, environments where employees are not assigned to specific desks and can freely work wherever they feel comfortable.

Philly Market Undersupplied

A decade of minimal office construction in Philadelphia is driving up demand for new supply and putting upward pressure on rents.

According to CoStar, the vacancy rate in metro Philadelphia was 8.7 percent in the second quarter, with 784,000 square feet of net absorption. A lack of buildable land in the city proper has driven developers to the suburbs, and most of those projects are preleased before building begins.

Of the nearly 1.9 million square feet under construction during the second quarter across metro Philadelphia, approximately 221,000 square feet was speculative office space, or 12 percent of the total amount.

Demand for Class A office space in Philadelphia is high, but theres nothing out there for tenants that want new product, says Les Hagget, first vice president of advisory and transaction services at CBREs Philadelphia office. Even as the population has steadily grown, the city has maintained its character of passion and grit. Its a great place to live and work, and that increases the demand for great office space.

Higher education and medical facilities have historically led Philadelphias economic growth, but more recently there has been an uptick in demand from life sciences and biotech companies. Lab space is in especially high demand in the University City submarket, which includes The University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, the University of the Sciences and the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College.

Tenants in Philadelphias office market value amenities related to wellness and quality of life. Employees who walk and bike to work value onsite gyms with lockers and showers to change clothes before or after work. New construction and renovation projects are incorporating large windows for natural light, higher ceilings and larger rooms.

The supply of coworking and flexible office plans in Philadelphia has increased by 20 percent in the last year, and its only going to increase more, says Hagget. The good news is the demand for that type of space is keeping up with the new supply, and larger companies want to have a more flexible office space.

A joint venture between PREIT and Macerich recently launched Fashion District Philadelphia, a 900,000-square-foot mall redevelopment bringing dozens of shopping, dining and entertainment destinations to the Center City area. Within the development, coworking office providers REC Philly and Industrious will occupy 10,000 and 47,000-square-foot spaces, respectively.

Rents in Center City are growing 5.5 percent year-over-year, averaging $33 per square foot as of the second quarter. By comparison, CoStar reports that rent growth in Philadelphias central business district has averaged 3 percent annually for 15 years.

Keystone Property Group has begun construction on Sora West, a 427,333-square-foot mixed-use project in Conshohocken that will also include restaurant, retail and hotel space.

In the suburbs of Plymouth Meeting, Brandywine Realty Trust plans to develop Metroplex Two, a 280,000-square-foot Class A office building. The property will join the existing Metroplex One at the site, but construction will not move forward until an anchor tenant is secured, according to CoStar.

Building Skyward in NYC

As tech and coworking powerhouses absorb much of the highest-quality office space in New York City, developers in the area are turning to mixed-use projects and vertical construction to keep up with the demand for new space.

CoStar reports that New York Citys vacancy rate stood at 8.3 percent in the second quarter, with net absorption totaling 4.8 million square feet.

Meanwhile, approximately 27 million square feet of office space was under construction. The $26 billion Hudson Yards mixed-use development in Manhattan accounted for roughly half of that amount. The diverse mix of tenants preleasing space at Hudson Yards including BlackRock, Time Warner and Pfizer has spurred speculative construction and redevelopment of office space in the area.

The 1.9 million-square-foot Two Manhattan West office that is currently under construction is slated for completion in 2022. Moynihan Train Hall at the Penn Station Complex will offer 767,000 square feet of speculative office space catering to tech tenants by the end of 2020.

WeWork was the largest office tenant in the market in the metro area at the end of the second quarter, occupying more than 5 million square feet. The company recently leased 362,000 square feet at 437 Madison Avenue but will not move in until January 2021.

The tech boom is continuing this year, says Eric Anton, associate broker at Marcus & Millichaps New York City office. Tech companies are flexible, and they usually value amenities more than square footage. New York City has an extremely limited amount of land to build on, so building owners and developers are instead choosing to amenetize existing assets.

Outdoor amenities seem to be the most highly prized office features from the incoming millennial workforce, according to Anton. Developers are incorporating green space, balconies and terraces into Class A office buildings, along with indoor lounges and media rooms. Coffee bars, either staffed with baristas or automated, are another popular trend. Office gyms are in lowerdemand as condo and multifamily properties are increasingly supplying that amenity.

People didnt used to care as much about amenities in an office space, but now its super important, says Anton. I dont see a big pipeline of new product being delivered over the next few years, but thecoworking and tech sectors have driven demand for flexible workspace.

Silverstein Properties completed the development of 3 World Trade Center in June 2018. The 80-story, 2.5 million-square-foot tower is anchored by advertising media company GroupM, which occupies 700,000 square feet. Now, Uber is set to lease 300,000 square feet for a new headquarters office on seven floors of 3 World Trade Center.

The Related Companies is currently developing 50 Hudson Yards in Manhattan. The 2.9 million-square-foot building will be New York Citys fourth-largest commercial office tower when completed in 2022. Global investment firm BlackRock will relocate its corporate headquarters to the 58-story building, where it will occupy 850,000 square feet on 15 floors.

Boston Market On Fire

Growth in the education, technology and medical fields has led to strong tenant demand for flexible workspace in metro Boston. In particular, the life sciences and coworking sectors are generating a significant amount of leasing activity.

The Boston office market is on fire, says Aaron Jodka, managing director of client services at Colliers Boston office. Vacancies havent been this low since the fallout of the dot-com bust. Coworking has been a massive disruptor in the Boston area, and mixed-use is primarily driving new construction.

CoStar reports that Bostons office vacancy rate registered 7.3 percent in the second quarter, with net absorption totaling 2.7 million square feet. Wayfair, DraftKings and Verizon Wireless were among the major space lease signings in 2018 while tech and coworking firms accounted for half of all leasing in Boston, says Jodka.

From late 2018 to mid-2019,WeWork absorbed approximately 1.6 million square feet of office space, and the coworking giant is now the second-largest tenant in Boston behind Fidelity Investments.

Boston has access to a workforce of 250,000 college graduates from world-renowned institutions such as MIT, Harvard and Boston University, says Jodka. This, along with an abundance of new residential housing, has prompted new office construction throughout the city, with an increasing number of those developments being speculative in nature.

There was approximately 10.1 million square feet of office space under construction in the Boston metro area at the end of the second quarter. Of that total figure, approximately 4.3 million square feet wasspeculative space.

New developments are responding to a high demand for quality-of-life office amenities such as gyms, bike storage and green space. The workforce is driving demand for shared conference facilities, coffee lounges and especially access to public transit.

Millennium Partners is developing the Winthrop Center, a more than 1 million-square-foot mixed-use development in the Financial District, which will include 750,000 square feet of office space as well as residential and retail tenants. The developer is expected to deliver the project in early 2022.

HYM Development Group is developing One Congress, a 1 million-square-foot office tower in the Bulfinch Crossing mixed-use development. When construction is complete in 2023, financial services firm State Street Corp. will anchor the tower with a 510,000-square-foot lease for 15 years.

Office tenants in Boston are hyper-focused on making their employees experience the best it can be, says Jodka. The latest differentiator in the amenities arms race is access to food halls. Since most dedicated office assets are not able to accommodate that kind of service themselves, mixed-use leasing is the name of the game today.

By Alex Patton. This article originally appeared in the October 2019 issue of Northeast Real Estate Businessmagazine.

Link:
Developers Adapt to Tight Office Market in Northeast - REBusinessOnline

Onni Group president Rossano de Cotiis and a rendering of 369 West Grand Avenue (Credit: Brininstool+Lynch)

Onni Group has secured another huge loan for its latest Chicago endeavor, a 41-story residential tower in River North.

The developer has secured a $150 million construction loan from Goldman Sachs, Cook County records show. This is the second large loan Onni Group has taken out this year for a property in the Chicago area.

Though the company has made waves on the West Coast, they are now investing significantly into the Chicago residential market. In July, the company took out a $165 million refinance loan from Citibank for the first tower in its Old Town Park megaproject, which has the citys priciest rental listing at $45,000 a month. That loan replaced a former $110 million construction loan from 2017 from Wells Fargo.

The project at 369 W. Grand Avenue, which replaced a vacant hardware store at 353 W. Grand Avenue, broke ground earlier this year and is currently under construction. Called The Grand, it adds to the spate of new apartment buildings the Vancouver-based firm is working on near the river, including a 373-unit building in West Loop and a massive potential development project at 900 North Halsted on Goose Island.

The $150 million loan will aid the construction of the 41-story building, which will have a retail space on the ground level, 250-space parking garage and 356 units rising above the River North area. The facade will be made of glass-clad panels and recessed balconies the architect of the project, Brininstool + Lynch, said on their website.

The project went through many phases and was initially rejected by Alderman Bendan Reilly (42nd) in 2015. The revised plan, which passed this fall, includes more green space. Onni paid just under $9 million to acquire the land in 2012.

Goldman Sachs and Onni Group did not immediately return requests for comment.

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Onni Group lands big loan for 41-story River North tower - The Real Deal

by nadignewspapers@aol.com November 23, 2019

by BRIAN NADIG

A mixed-used development with nine apartments is being proposed for a parcel at the southwest corner of Pulaski Road and Rosemont Avenue in Sauganash.

Plans call for the existing one-story commercial structures on the 9,309-square-foot site to be demolished to accommodate the construction of a three-story building with 2,628 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor, five apartments on the second floor and four dwelling units on the third floor. Plans also call for 11 on-site parking spaces.

In January a portion of the site at 6248-52 N. Pulaski Road was rezoned from B1-1 to B1-2 to accommodate the construction of a mixed-use building with six apartments. The new proposal adds the smaller lot at 6246 N. Pulaski Road to the project, allowing for a larger building.

The smaller lot would be rezoned to B1-2 and combined with the larger lot to the north.

There is no city affordable housing requirement for the project because it would consist of fewer than 10 apartments.

A four-story office building at 6232 N. Pulaski Road, which includes Pan American Bank, is located immediately to the south of the development site.

"They had community meetings (on the proposal), and there was no objections," Alderman Samantha Nugent (39th) said.

New construction projects will hopefully attract new businesses to the area, Nugent said. "East and west of Pulaski people tell me they want restaurants, a bakery," she said.

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Retail and apartments planned in Sauganash - Nadig Newspapers

Once completed in 2023, CityPlace Burlington will boast 318 apartments, a rooftop restaurant, a 174-room hotel and nearly 700 parking spaces.

Construction on themuch-delayed project will begin in August 2020 and is expected to wrap up 30 months later.

Thats according to new documents that project majority owner Brookfield Asset Management filed with the city late last week. The Burlington City Councils Board of Finance will review them at its meeting Monday night.

The memos provide the first glimpse into the new design since Brookfield unveiled its scaled-down proposal nearly a month ago. The 14-story towers in the original design, which spurred lawsuits and financial challenges, were replaced by 10-story buildings.

The submitted designs don't include plans for the former Macy's building, which was not part of the original project but is now envisioned as the future home of the University of Vermont Medical Center offices.

In July, Brookfield announced that the scope, scale, and the timing of construction would change.

The scaled-down design uses lighter weight steel and is now projected to cost $120 million to build, according to the documents.

The memos reveal that the development agreement between the developers and city will likely need to be amended. And still uncertain is the exact amount of revenue the new proposal will bring in to pay back debt incurred by tax-increment financing.

In 2016, Burlington voters approved a $21.8 million TIF bond toto fix up sidewalks and rebuild streets lost to the former Burlington Town Center mall decades ago. Such debt is meant to be repaid with additional tax revenue, known as increment, generated by the new project.

Jeff Glassberg, a liaison between the city and the developers, wrote in a memo that TIF funds from the project will pay for the reopening of Pine and St. Paul streets and "streetscape upgrades" to parts of Cherry and Bank streets that abut the project. It's unclear if the money will fund everything initially envisioned.

The memos also outline the projects phasing and amenities. New schematics for the hotels southern tower show seven retail spaces on the ground level, topped off with a rooftop restaurant, community space and observation deck.

The residential tower on the north side of the site will feature 121 studios, 142 one-bedrooms and 55 two-bedroom units. The designs dont specify the rental rates, but Brookfield has committed to making 20 percent of them affordable as required by Burlington's inclusionary zoning ordinance.

Brookfield also anticipates having to undergo state permitting under Act 250 because of the hotel concept. The developers say a hotel is responsive to market demand and can contribute to the continued dynamism of downtown Burlington.

Originally posted here:
CityPlace Burlington to Be Fully Built by 2023, New Docs Show - Seven Days

A new apartment community may be the first construction to replace Dallas old Valley View mall.

Pennsylvania-based builder Toll Brothers has filed permits to construct a rental community on Preston Road just north of LBJ Freeway on part of the old mall property.

The new apartments are part of a $1 billion mixed-use development to be constructed on 25 acres of the mostly demolished Valley View site.

Toll Brothers is building apartments in the project along with Dallas developer KDC and property owner New York-based Seritage Growth Properties.

Almost 2 million square feet of offices, apartments, and retail and restaurant space are planned in the Park Heritage development, which is going up where a Sears department store, auto center and parking lots once stood.

In May, the developers knocked down the old Sears buildings as part of a redevelopment of the 173-acre Valley View property.

Toll Brothers filed permits to build the first 266 apartments at Park Heritage. At the same time, KDC and Seritage are working with office, retail and potential hotel companies interested in the rest of their site.

Toll Brothers Apartment Living is already active in the Dallas area. The rental home division of the big national homebuilder is constructing a 22-story, 270-unit apartment tower in the Oak Lawn neighborhood. And the builder has a 280-unit project in West Dallas.

Most of the 46-year-old Valley View mall has been demolished to make way for a planned 430-acre neighborhood redevelopment dubbed Dallas Midtown.

Plans for the district on the north side of LBJ Freeway include a variety of new construction surrounding a 20-acre park.

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New apartments on the way at old Valley View mall site - The Dallas Morning News

Construction has reached the first setback on HAP Eight at215 West 28th Street in Chelsea. The 20-story, 210-foot-tall residential project is being designed by DXA Architects and developed by HAP Investments, and consistsof two separate buildings spanning over 300,000 square feet. The two structures are addressed as 215-219 West 28th Street and 221-229 West 28th Street.

215 West 28th Street sits directly across the street from The Fashion Institute of Technology, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Photos from the sidewalk show the bare reinforced concrete superstructure awaiting the start of the curtain wall installation. It is uncertain when that process will begin, but the metal clips on the edges of each floor plate to which each faade panel will be attached are in place.

Looking west at 215 West 18th Street. Photo by Michael Young

215 West 18th Street. Photo by Michael Young

215 West 18th Street. Photo by Michael Young

215 West 18th Street. Photo by Michael Young

The development will contain 112 rental units and 87 condominiums and feature amenities including a fitness center and spa, a rooftop deck, and bicycle storage. Both structures will contain 20,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, as well as feature identical architectural designs, with the only difference being the color of their faades. The setbacks will act as landscaped terraces for several residents.

The property is the largest new development on the parcel and is located next door to Skidmore Owings & Merrills upcoming 12-story office at 322-326 Seventh Avenue, aka 28 & 7. Both sites are right by the entrance to the 1 train at the 28th Street station, while Pennsylvania Station is six streets to the north.

A completion date for HAP Eight has not been announced, but sometime in the second half of 2020 is probable.

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Construction Reaches Halfway Mark on HAP Eight, aka 215 West 28th Street, in Chelsea - New York YIMBY

The Grand at 130 S. Grand Ave. is a mixed-use project being developed by Related Cos. It will have more than 400 units.

Those cranes that have become a fixture of the downtown skyline arent going away anytime soon.

The area has delivered more than 50% of L.A.s new rental units since 2018, and that pace is expected to continue in 2020.

At the same time, average rents in the area have increased a mere 1% compared with an 8% increase citywide, according to the Downtown Center Business Improvement District.

Were delivering a record number of units, but over time, downtown is able to absorb them, said Nick Griffin, executive director of the DCBID.

Projects that have been on the market for a year are already seeing occupancy rates of 90% and higher, he added.

The market remains strong downtown, said Laurie Lustig-Bower, an executive vice president at CBRE Group Inc. We would expect that even with the buildings that they are forecasting to build, that are coming on, that the market would absorb them.

The third quarter saw fewer units delivered than in previous quarters, which Griffin said helped with occupancy rates.

During the third quarter, there were 5,744 residential units under construction and an additional 33,315 units proposed, according to DCBID data. Griffin said roughly 1,200 units would open by the end of the year.

Multiple projects

Projects under construction now include Park Fifth, a property with nearly 350 units and retail space being developed by MacFarlane Partners; 1133 S. Hope St., a property with roughly 200 units and retail being developed by Z&L Properties Inc.; The Grand, a massive mixed-use project being developed by Related Cos.; and Oceanwide Plaza, a $1 billion project being developed at 1101 S. Flower St.

The high number of units coming online, Griffin said, helps with affordability.

Across the city and the region, rents continue to rise because of the shortfall of supply, he said. Downtown L.A. is a perfect case study of what happens when you deliver more supply.

Brokers expect the units coming online to be filled quickly.

Were only running at a six-week vacancy period, said Kitty Wallace, an executive vice president at Colliers International Group Inc.

Lustig-Bower said there is a severe shortage of units compared to the workforce in downtown, adding that the large number of units in the works would likely be absorbed.

Condos cooling

The number of condo sales downtown tells a slightly different story.

In the third quarter, 79 units sold for an average price of $690 per square foot, compared with 99 units for $723 per square foot the same time the previous year, according to DCBID data.

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Downtown on the Upswing - Los Angeles Business Journal

Developers have submitted their first detailed plan to begin transforming 10 acres of former industrial land along Portlands eastern waterfront.

Portland Foreside Development Co. filed a site plan application for the first phase of development of the former Portland Co. complex. That phase will touch three out of the six development blocks at 58 Fore St., plus the construction of a public plaza that will connect Fore Street to the waterfront.

The initial phase will include a new office building on the westernmost portion of the site that is expected to be used by Sun Life U.S. and its subsidiary FullscopeRMS. Sun Life would join the payment processing firm Wex, which relocated to that area earlier this year. It will also include a local market hall, event space, housing, structured parking and other restaurant, retail and service uses.

As a whole, this proposed development presents an unparalleled opportunity to grow the citys tax base, add housing, and create jobs, the application states.

A neighborhood meeting has been scheduled on Monday from 5-6 p.m. at the St. Lawrence Arts Center on Congress Street. And the Planning Board will conduct its first workshop on Tuesday.

The development of the former Portland Co. complex has been in the works for years.

Founded in 1846, the Portland Co. complex was built to connect Portland to Montreal by rail and was the first locomotive factory in the United States that brought all of the necessary shops and a foundry together on one site. It remained in operation for 137 years and was deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

The redevelopment efforts began with a controversial rezoning process in 2015 that prompted area residents to launch a citywide referendum to protect waterfront views that was ultimately rejected by voters.

A master development plan was approved in late 2016, locking in key programming and land uses.

At full build-out, the plan calls for 638 units of rental and resident-owned housing, 132 hotel rooms, nearly 60,000 square feet of retail space, a new marina and nearly 124,000 square feet of office space. A total of 736 parking spaces are proposed for the site, mostly on the ground floors of the buildings.

At least 10 percent of the housing units would have to be made affordable to middle-income residents. However, the developer could buy its way out of that requirement for $105,000 per unit. More than $6 million could be infused into the citys housing trust fund, which provides incentives for affordable housing developments.

Development activity has been evident this year.

Over the summer, crews demolished buildings that were deemed to be noncontributing structures within the newly created Portland Company Historic District. Crews dismantled the historic Pattern Storehouse brick by brick so it could be rebuilt during this phase closer to the waterfront, where its expected to become a restaurant.

A new marina was also completed over the summer.

The citys Development Review Services manager, James Rather, said last week that the staff was still working its way through the weighty application ahead of the Planning Boards first workshop on Tuesday. Rather said the staff in the citys bustling planning office was like a snake trying to digest a wolf.

Its a big project, Rather said. Were still learning about the project. Its still early, and there will be multiple workshops on this.

Casey Prentice, a principal for the Portland Foreside Development Co., did not respond to requests for an interview on Wednesday or Thursday.

According to the project description, phase one will touch three of the six development blocks.

The westernmost parcel, Block 1, is located at the end of the newly constructed portion of Thames Street.

A new, 95,100-square-foot office space for Sun Life with ground floor retail is proposed for the upland side. And a reconstructed Pattern Storehouse, or Building 12, is proposed along the waterfront and is expected to be occupied by Evo restaurant with office space and two residential units above it.

Block 2 is located in the center of the site and referred to as the historic core.

Plans call for the restoration of seven historically significant buildings. One of the buildings is described as Market Hall, which will showcase local food and beverage vendors, chefs and culinary-focused entrepreneurs and retail space. The upper floors will consist of 17,900 square feet of event space and 12,400 square feet of office space. A total of 35,900 square feet of space will be devoted to retail, restaurant and other service uses on this block.

Blocks 1 and 2 will be separated by a public plaza that will be constructed within a 50-foot-wide public easement. The project summary states the plaza will include an expansive public upper viewing level and a public lower plaza to provide for the enjoyment of views of both the rehabilitated buildings of the Portland Company Historic District and Casco Bay.

Block 4 is located to the east of the historic core and comprises the last upland redevelopment site.

There, developers are proposing to build a five-level parking garage for 652 vehicles. The garage will be used as a foundation for a future residential building that will be built on top during a future phase. But the first phase includes 12 units of housing, totaling 12,900 square feet, along the west side of the garage. Its unclear what type of housing that will be. And the south side of the garage will include 1,100 square feet of retail, restaurant and services uses.

The application also includes plans to relocate a portion of the Narrow Gauge Rail Roads rail line farther inland, so an existing pathway can be relocated closer to the waterfront.

From a planning perspective, its a transformative project for that area of the city so its pretty exciting to see, Rather said.

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Developer seeks permit to begin ambitious redevelopment on Portland waterfront - Press Herald

It was in June 2016 that the former Orchard Hills Golf Course property on Ga. Highway 16 on Newnans southeast side was rezoned as a major industrial and commercial site. Today, the property is about to become the home of a 1.5 million sq. ft. Goodyear Tire and Rubber distribution and warehouse facility. Thats the equivalent of a facility covering more than 34 acres.

Coweta County Development Authority President Trae Westmoreland on Nov. 21 said Goodyear is consolidating facilities around the metro Atlanta area and will be locating at a 1.5 million sq. ft. distribution and warehouse facility on the property of the former Orchard Hills Golf Course on Hwy. 16. Thats in the triangle formed by Interstate Highway 85, Ga. Highway 16 and Turkey Creek Road, less than two miles south of the Piedmont Newnan Hospital complex and just southeast of downtown Newnan.

The new development is expected to bring up to 250 jobs to Coweta, Westmoreland said.

The facility being built to accommodate Goodyears needs represents a $140 million investment, Westmoreland said.

Westmoreland said the infrastructure for the development has been completed, with the expectation that construction could begin in the near-term, and with a construction period of approximately 12 months.

The property is adjacent to Interstate 85 and is in close proximity to the recently completed extension of the Newnan Crossing Bypass and the I-85 interchange at U.S. Highway 29.

The Coweta County Commission in June 2016 voted to rezone the 281-acre former golf course site to accommodate 3 million sq. ft. of industrial property and 300,000 sq. ft. of retail space along Hwy. 16.

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New Goodyear plant in Coweta to bring 250 jobs - The Citizen.com