Whatever COVID-19 did to the economy of cities in Utah, it appears that Orem has weathered the storm and come out on top.

Kathi Lewis, Economic Development Division manager, said help from places like grocery stories and hardware stores help give even a slight increase in sales tax revenues in 2020.

Orem is known as the retail hub of the county, Lewis said. We are thrilled to see several new businesses that have opened.

Financial resources

The City of Orem understands this has been a trying year for businesses, Lewis said. To help businesses navigate the COVID storm, the Economic Development Division was able to rapidly provide vital information about federal, state, and county COVID-related financial assistance programs through emails, social media, and the creation of a business resources page on their website.

This information and these important programs have helped businesses stay the course, stabilize, and even flourish in 2020, according to Lewis.

In addition, the Orem Business Alliance was created during this year to support and strengthen the Orem small business community.

It aims to support and strengthen small businesses by providing business networking, advocating for small businesses, connecting businesses to resources, monthly webinars and more.

Lewis also notes the Utah Valley Business Resource Center is always available to help businesses, as well.

The BRC is a one stop shop for support and services at no cost for the Utah Valley business and entrepreneur community, Lewis said. Some of these services include incubator space for startup and small businesses, and a Smart City and Fabrication lab to new businesses access to equipment to test their ideas and process data.

Housed within the BRC is the Small Business Development Center that offers myriad of free classes, workshops and services to help businesses start, grow and succeed.

Lewis said the city has been able to help businesses connect to federal programs such as paycheck protection program loan forgiveness, rental assistance program, and the small business loan program.

Mountainland Association of Governments disbursed over $3 million dollars in Utah County Federal Cares Act grant funding to 271 Orem businesses, she said.

Lewis added restaurants in Orem have figured out how to reach and keep customers. The newly-approved stimulus will also help businesses, like movie theaters, that are having a hard time during COVID-19.

The MAG Restaurant Assistance Program helped 15 Orem businesses with $5,000 worth of products to help each restaurant to expand outdoor dining during COVID.

Lewis said the popular Tru Religion restaurant was one of those restaurants that received financial assistance to expand outside service.

We worked so hard to inform our businesses about funding, Lewis said. She also gave Nate Prescott, Orem Economic Development analyst a nod for his amazing job at sending out emails and running the communications efforts.

According to Jamie Anderson, senior client service specialist with Colliers International, a premier commercial real estate group, business couldnt be better.

Anderson takes particular note of the Orem Tech Center.

Orem Tech Center

The Tech Center at 1400 North just off Interstate 15 is a flex warehouse space.

The demand for industrial space in Utah County continues to grow, Anderson said. The Orem Tech Center has negotiated tenant leases before buildings are out of the ground and completed.

The state of the center in 2020 largely focused on the warehouses phases:

Canyon Tech Center

Justin Farnsworth, general manager of Canyon Park Tech Center, is optimistic about the increased activity and interest in Canyon Park from the regionally strong local tech sector.

Since the end of November, Farnsworth and his staff have given over 120,000 square feet of tours of the Park and generated 12 leads for The Nest, Canyon Parks premier shared mini work space.

The 85-acre low rise office campus is in a unique position to attract companies that dont want to be pushed into a highly dense environment, but are instead are looking for dramatic views of Mt. Timpanogos, ample parking, and state of the art amenities such as trails, walking paths, Provo Canyon and Sundance Ski Resort just minutes away.

Cascade Office Park

Lewis said the city is particularly excited to see what is happening at Orem Tech Center but also at The Cascade Office Park on 800 North, near the Harmons Grocery Store.

Cascade is also doing well, Lewis added. Building one has been completed and is occupied by; Rose Clinic Surgery Center, H2 Homes, Platinum Studio and Daview Allen Construction.

A second office building is currently under construction.

Wolverine Crossing

What was once considered student apartments with empty first floor retail space at Wolverine Crossing south of the Orem Intermodal Hub has come alive in 2020.

The following businesses occupy space in this mixed use development: Proof Pest Control, Brooks Pest Control, Boomerang Books, Set Fire Creative, Kraemer North America, Water Quest and Leavitt Medical.

Lewis said, while growth continues, the retail hub in the business district is University Place.

The Woodbury Corporation (owners of University Place) has set the example of creativity and innovation in bringing the mall forward, Lewis said.

University Place

Several new happenings are taking place at one of Utah Countys most popular retail hubs:

Additionally, University Place is expecting a few new tenants:

Lewis said she saved the best for last. Some businesses have expanded into or are new to Orem:

In all, 2020 ended positively for economic development in Orem. Lewis said she really cant predict the future but believes Orem is moving into 2021 with good prospects.

In 2021, our division will be spending our time helping to attract business to Orem, Lewis said. We will also be helping existing businesses to rebound, thrive, and grow through building and strengthening business relationships, networking, providing beneficial information, and growing the Orem Business Alliance.

Residents can visit the City of Orem Economic Development website at https://econ.orem.org/ for more information.

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Orem has better-than-expected economic year in 2020 - Daily Herald

Sun, Jan 03, 2021 - 9:34 PM

THE Place Holdings has entered into a shareholders' agreement with MCC Land (Singapore) and Ekovest Development (S) to jointly develop a 99-year lease site in Tanah Merah into a mixed residential development.

The land parcel next to Tanah Merah MRT station was acquired by MCC Land for S$248.99 million in November 2020, and can yield 265 condominium units and 2,000 square metres of commercial space.

The joint venture company has an issued and paid-up share capital of S$4 million, with The Place Holdings having subscribed for a 20 per cent stake for S$800,000. MCC Land (Singapore) owns a 51 per cent stake; and Ekovest Development (S), 29 per cent.

Ji Zenghe, executive chairman of The Place Holdings, said: "Together with our synergistic strengths, The Place Holdings will bring our expertise and experience in property and retail management, which we aim to develop into new retail destinations, catering to the under-served retail needs for the local community."

Also, the mainboard-listed company said it is an opportunity for The Place Holdings to establish a long-term, strategic and mutually beneficial relationship with the MCC Group, one of the largest engineering and construction companies in China and globally.

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The investment will be funded by internal resources.

The Place Holdings engages in cultural tourism, property development and property management, and integrated media-related businesses.

Shares in the company closed flat at S$0.033 on Thursday.

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The Place Holdings to jointly develop a residential-commercial project in Tanah Merah - The Business Times

North Temple District welcoming art, at the I-15 overpass. Photo by Luke Garrott.

We just want to make sure people are prepared for whats coming to the North Temple corridor.

Along with several other accolades, 2020 may become known as the year that developers capitalized on the potential offered by public investments in transit, associated high-density zoning and Opportunity Zone designation near transit stations along North Temple in Salt Lake City.

It is the year in which Rocky Mountain Power announced its intentions to open up its sprawling footprint on the scale of a second Downtown to mixed use development.

But other, more tangible proposals were added to the hopper that residents should brace for as construction on thousands of units begins in coming months and years.

In all, developers added 2,280 new housing units to the queue for an area that has been on the cusp of a development explosion for years, according to a review of all TSA applications submitted this year.

While its difficult to say how many people will move into the new units (and how quickly), the new units could be reasonably expected to add about 3,000 residents once theyre built, Planning Division Director Nick Norris told us.

The trend of building more housing units than the number of new residents is increasing the vacancy rate, which is starting to balance out the demand as the supply increases, Norris said. However that rate is changing slowly so its not yet having a noticeable impact on housing costs.

That also means more options for people working the tens of thousands of jobs near the Salt Lake City International Airport to live closer to where they work, and for others to live with less vehicle-dependency.

113 units

OZ development has proposed two, four-story apartment buildings with commercial space at 837 W. North Temple.

The buildings would include 23 micro units, with 22 units per floor on the top three floors. The development would include less than 1 parking stall per housing unit, as allowed in TSA zoning.

Status: In for review.

111 units

Another 1970s-era restaurant building will bite the dust for JAR Real Estate Development and Design of Tomorrows six-story, 111-unit market-rate project on .57 acres at 1625 W. North Temple.

Do Eat Chinese restaurant and its parking lot will give way to the projects studios, 1- and 2-bedroom units, which will range from 450-950 square feet. The buildings ample horizontal balconies are prominent architectural features.

One level of podium parking will house 45 spaces, for a 04 stall per unit ratio. The project is within 750 feet of the Power Station TRAX stop.

Status: Approved for construction as of Dec. 15, 2020.

271 units

The southwest corner 1000 West and North Temple is set to become reframed by two structures included in the Lusso Apartments.

The project would bring 271 market-rate units on just under two acres in the Euclid/Poplar Grove neighborhood, replacing a Chinese food restaurant and parking lot plus seven single-family structures on Learned Avenue.

Divelept designs Jarod Hall is proposing a podium-plus-five project with bold box-like facade features that frame multiple balconies. The Lusso will offer studios, 1- and 2-bedroom units, with ground floor gym, leasing office and 1,500 square feet of retail.

Status: Awaiting planning review.

150 units

This project includes 150 new micro units at 940 W. North Temple, all around 300 square feet.

Status: Under construction.

285 units

The latest proposal for North Temple, the Power Station TOD development would bring 285 market rate rental housing units to two new buildings at 1528 W. North Temple (Cornell St.), site of the closed Diamond Lils restaurant.

The project would have a multi-story parking structure wrapped within one of the buildings and leasing space fronting North Temple.

This is another proposal in the area designed by Architecture Belgique. Its being developed by Henderson Development and Forum RE.

Status: In for review.

769 units

At 769 units on 14.5 acres near North Temples intersection with I-215, this proposed village would become the largest project to date since the creation of the TSA (Transit Station Area) zoning.

Local developers Gardner Batt and Architecture Belgique are proposing seven, four-story buildings at 1925 W. North Temple currently a 16-acre parking lot owned by Diamond Airport Parking. It is zoned TSA-MUEC Transit Station Area Mixed Use Employment Center.

The project would set the rents of all of 769 units at 60% AMI $52,740 for a family of four or about $40,000 for a single person. Gardner Batt received allocations for tax-exempt bonds and 4% tax credits to finance the project.

Status: In for planning review.

45 units

This five-story building, designed by Axis Architects, would include 45 studio apartments ranging from 400 to 500 square feet at 850 W. 100 S.

It anchors one of the citys next great eclectic precincts, the developers wrote in their application in October. The neighborhood is adding restaurants, housing and amenities. Additional, varied housing opportunities are in the offing.

TAG SLC, which is a sponsor of Building Salt Lake, said the building, if approved, would add affordable housing close to Downtown. Indeed, the corridor is among the closest neighborhoods to Downtown Salt Lake City, even if separated physically and psychologically by an outsized interstate and railroad tracks.

Status: In for Planning Division review as of Dec. 10, 2020.

170 units

CW Urban is planning another residential development among its rapid build-out of mid-density townhomes in Salt Lake City.

This one, called The Yard, would exist on the largest footprint and the farthest west of the Centerville-based developers projects in the city.

This time, the project would be a rental project, rather than the hundreds of for-sale units built and sold by CW Urban in the past three years. While The Yard would include 170 units, it would sit on about 12 acres of a currently industrial site at 1230 West 200 South along the Jordan River, representing just under 19 units per acre.

Status: Approved for construction.

35 units

Salt Lake Citys North Temple corridor remains a hot-spot among developers looking to bring transit-oriented developments to the west side.

The latest example is the Villa Nueva, which would bring a five-story, 35 micro-apartment development to 909 West 200 North in Fairpark, within a quarter-mile of the Jackson/Euclid TRAX station and half-mile of the North Temple FrontRunner station.

These 420-square-foot units are designed for maximum efficiency. The kitchens feature a 2-burner stove, full wall oven, European counter-depth refrigerator, full pantry and additional cabinet space, the developer, Micro Villas, wrote of the project. Views to the community skybridge can be open for interaction, or blocked by window shades.

Status: In for planning review.

319 units

This proposal to add density was significantly changed after commission members took issue with design aesthetics at an earlier meeting, but approved the project at their Dec. 2 meeting.

The Kozo House would add 319 units in a 67-foot tall building at 175 N. 600 W. in an area of the North Temple Bridge-Guadalupe neighborhood thats zoned TSA (transit-oriented).

The building marks a significant move toward adding very density housing with small, truly transit-oriented units and small ground-floor retail space.

While people who spoke out against the project accused the developer of greed, Dallin Jolley says hes aiming to keep the studio apartments at 68% AMI. That would mean someone making around $45,000 annually could afford housing within spending more than 30% of their earnings.

Status: Approved for development with a condition to conduct a traffic study.

12 units

This mid-density project would bring 12 townhome units to a 0.28-acre lot at 833 W. Emeril.

Status: Awaiting design review.

Interested in seeing where developers are proposing and building new apartments in Salt Lake, or just want to support a local source of news on whats happening in your neighborhood? Learn more aboutbecoming a member.

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Putting the incoming explosive growth along North Temple into perspective - buildingsaltlake.com

$560,130Style RanchYear built Under constructionSquare feet 1,860Bedrooms 2Baths 2 fullSewer/water $110 a month, plus the cost of water consumptionTaxes $9,158 (estimated)Association fee $180 a monthPets Limited to two animals per

Redbrook, an A.D. Makepeace community in Plymouth, is kind of like the real estate version of an everything bagel: It offers condos, town homes, apartments, twin homes (two attached single-family homes), and single-family houses across 11 neighborhoods.

The Winterberry neighborhood offers six housing styles, including ranches that are not the featureless rectangular boxes sometimes associated with the style. The properties in this neighborhood start in the mid-$400,000s.

The home photographed here is a model of a single-family with a gable roof to accommodate vaulted ceilings. The property, known as the Mayflower II floor plan, has a covered front porch thats just a few steps along a short walkway from the wide driveway. One can also access the home via the mudroom entrance in the two-car garage. Designed by builder The Stabile Cos., the home to be built at 29 Bearberry Path is slated for completion in June.

The front door of the model opens into a foyer with a closet and a direct line of sight to the rear of the home. Off the foyer is the first of the homes two bedrooms. Measuring roughly 130 square feet, the guest room has a walk-in closet and a pair of windows. Next down the hallway is a full bath that has a shower/tub combination with a fiberglass surround, a single vanity topped with granite, and a ceramic tile floor. Other counter and flooring options are available.

The next stop is the shared kitchen and dining area. In the 106-square-foot kitchen, the appliances and cabinetry form an L shape, with the gas stove at the center of one leg and the sink parked beneath a window on the other. The appliances are stainless steel. The backsplash is a 4-inch granite, but buyers can opt for white subway tile. The flooring throughout the common areas is hardwood. The kitchen comes with a pantry, but the built-in desk area is optional. An island with seating for two and shelving helps delineate the kitchen from the dining area.

The dining area, at roughly 194 square feet, is designed to host a six-person table and sits next to a pair of windows. From here there is a 204-square-foot living room with a vaulted ceiling, transom windows, built-ins, and a gas fireplace. The windows and fireplace are upgrades.

In 1930, A.D. Makepeace Co. helped found the Ocean Spray co-op, and the Makepeace property was once primarily cranberry bogs. A 140-square-foot four-season sunroom off the living room makes the most of that view and also has a vaulted ceiling. A door opens to the deck.

An entryway off the dining area offers access to the laundry and linen closets, a roughly 135-square-foot study with two windows overlooking the deck, and the owner suite. Both bedrooms and the study are carpeted; hardwood flooring is optional.

At 221 square feet, the owner suite is a true respite. The vaulted ceiling only adds to the feeling of spaciousness. The suite comes with a walk-in closet, a bedroom area with two windows, and a bath that has a double vanity topped with granite, a ceramic tile floor, and a shower with a fiberglass surround. A tiled shower is optional.

The basement is unfinished.

The home sits on a 0.18-acre lot.

When the community is complete, 1,000 acres will be preserved as conservation or farmland. These areas cannot be developed, save for farm-related activities, as they are under agricultural, forestry, or conservation restrictions.

Redbrook also offers 60,000 square feet of retail and commercial space situated among 10 existing and proposed miles of walking and nature trails, as well as cranberry bogs and woods. Tenants include Old Colony YMCA, Beth Israel Lahey Health Primary Care, Long Pond Physical Therapy, a Rockland Trust branch, a country store, and restaurants. Homes range from the upper $300,000s to mid-$600,000s and from 1,577 to 2,605 square feet, and the community also offers a Meeting House that can be booked for private events, a dog park, private access to two ponds, and various clubs.

The sales office for this neighborhood is at 2 Winterberry Way in Plymouth. For more information, call 508-224-2600.

View more photos of the property below:

Follow John R. Ellement on Twitter @JREbosglobe. Send listings to [emailprotected]. Please note: We do not feature unfurnished homes and will not respond to submissions we wont pursue. Subscribe to our newsletter at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp.

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Home of the Week: Ready for buyer picks, a home among the cranberry bogs - Buying, Home of the Week - Boston.com

Dive Brief:

Despite challenges in finding space to build soccer-exclusive stadiums for teams like the New England Revolution owned by Robert Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots Garber said the MLS is committed to construction of a new Revolution stadium, calling it a priority.

As you know developing these stadiums in cities like New York City, Boston, Chicago is very, very difficult for all the reasons you would expect, Garber said. A lot of exciting things going on with [the Revolution], it was good to see them go as far as they did this year.

Plans for new soccer stadiums often incorporate the surrounding area into a mixed-use development that creates a unique game day experience to compete with the comfort of watching from home. This can make them an attractive landmark for cities, but the stadiums size can still be a challenge for major metro areas.

MLS expansion team St. Louis City SC, for example, recently released plans for public and retail space around its upcoming stadium as a means of keeping the Gateway Mall active when there is no soccer match. Earlier this month, the team unveiled plans for offices, a team store and a practice field south of the 22,500-seat stadium. Prep work on the stadium has been underway since February, and construction on the stadium will likely begin soon, officials say.

Amenities to attract fans also are inside new stadiums. Just this week, Nashville SC announced ticket sales for its 25 private suites and 18 lodge boxes, part of the teams 30,000-seat stadium that is expected to debut in 2022.

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Major League Soccer committed to building more soccer-only stadiums - Construction Dive

By Matt Valentine, Aruba UK&I

The decline of the high street has been well documented for some time, but according to a survey by the CBI, despite multiple lockdowns and the restrictions across the UK, a surge in online shopping has slightly eased the pressure on retailers and as a result, many may be considering their high street space as a thing of the past.

However, brands must think beyond Covid to understand how major culture shifts in the way we shop will require a completely reimagined future consumer experience, and a tech enabled physical space will be a critical part of this.

Consumer health and safety comes first

Rather than turn their back on a physical retail space, brands need to examine how they can create a 360-degree experience for shoppers. To get this right, they are going to need to make sure their digital strategies are flawlessly planned and executed. Yet, before conceptualising the store and consumer patterns of the future, it is key that retailers can reassure customers that they are safe to enter.

Various technologies can be used to achieve this. For example, sensors, cameras, and various software packages can all be used to provide information such as the number of customers in store, whether social distancing is in place, monitoring customer dwell time and stock to suit the demographic known to frequent the store. Staff can then optimise their use of the shop floor and allow for better customer flow through the store.

Additional measures can be taken in store such as implementing a fully touchless experience touch screens just dont go far enough. 80% of UK shoppers have already changed the way they engage with them, with 51% admitting they aim to always wash or sanitise their hands immediately after using public touchscreens. Brands should instead look at how they can utilise mobile payment options. One example of this is Coca-Colas touchless vending machine which uses QR codes to allow customers to mobile order themselves a drink.

The future of the virtual store

As restrictions once more lift, customers will be looking for an in-store experience reflective of our modern times. They will likely favour spaces where firstly, they feel safe and secondly, are surrounded by technology that helps them browse items to get a real sense of how they look and feel and the technology needed to enable this goes beyond virtual queues and self-checkout.

Weve already seen retailers use augmented reality (AR) to create virtual catwalks for their customers and this is something brands could implement with visual displays either in store or in the shop window itself. Beyond this, shoppers may want to project a virtual image of themselves and scroll through various items to get a clear sense of what they want and leave having ordered it from the retailers stock as part of fulfilling their experience.

High street retailers must get ahead and realise the advantages of providing a social experience for customers. Where possible the various stake holders of Britains high streets retailers, landlords, local authorities, and local communities must work together to collaborate. This could mean the high street becoming more reliant on pop-ups, temporary attractions, drop-in centres or activations.

Getting the basics right

For all these solutions to work and give people a reason to come back and spend, stores must provide secure and reliable Wi-Fi for visitors is a major part of creating that positive experience enabling shoppers to engage with highly personalised experiences, while also providing businesses access to their applications that share customer data to help create that experience and promote loyalty and present offers to attract buyers to spend.

In this way connectivity is an absolute necessity for businesses rather than an optional extra. This evolving demand is something that should be front of mind for any business no matter the size. A poor wireless service, inside or in outside spaces is detrimental to an organisations bottom line. Fundamentally businesses need to ensure their network delivers consistently in all areas of their store.

In the past few months, we have all been forced to reinvent and come up with our own version of the new and better normal. Retailers must look beyond the basics of surviving and accelerate their plans to ensure they have resilient digital roadmaps in place to stay in the game.

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Survival of the high street why rapid evolution is needed for retailers to thrive in the post pandemic shopping culture - Premier Construction...

The entrance at 2100 L

After a decade of planning, construction and anticipation, a trophy office building in the heart of downtown D.C. is finally ready to welcome tenants into its amenity-filled spaces.

2100 Lis a 10-story, 190K SF trophy building with a grand two-story lobby, 20K SF floor plates, 8K SF of retail space, floor-to-ceiling glass windows with unparalleled views of the D.C. skyline, and little touches everywhere that celebrate the culture, artistry and history of the neighborhood.

Along with its spacious office layouts and high ceilings, the building offers a rooftop lounge with an adjacent catering kitchen, a rooftop terrace, a spa-quality fitness center, a penthouse conference center and ample parking. There is also an art gallery and a small parkthat offers unique spaces to meet clients and hold meetings.

The buildings north-facing facade features an installation from artist Jan Hendrix. Partnering with Zahner, a company that creates images through laser-cut metal panels, Hendrix designed a pattern similar to the cell structure of the trees you can find throughout D.C. The facade reflects light, creating a shimmering effect outside and inside the building.

The lobby of 2100 L

The building receivedLEED Platinumcertification in October, which was a goal for the 2100 L team from the very beginning. The buildings sustainable features include a direct outdoor air HVAC system, which helps boost indoor air quality and create a safer, more efficient environment for tenants, which is particularly important with air quality at the top of everyones mind.

Akridge, Corporate Office Properties Trust and the Argos Group,the team behind 2100 L,each said that when they embarked on this project they knew they wanted to create something that wouldnt just benefit the retail and office tenants that would call the building home but the community as a whole.

Now, thanks to their efforts, the community not only has a luxurious new office building to attract more companies to the area, but a local historical school has a new facade as well.

More than a decade ago, Akridge, COPT and the Argos Group settled on the Thaddeus Stevens campus as the perfect spot for 2100 L. The city agreed, as long as the development team agreed to two points: the school, which was one of the first public schools in D.C. forBlack students, was to remain a school, and its historic facade needed a renovation.

The team was happy to agree, and it turned out that when it came to finding ways to make a positive impact on the community, the facade renovation was just the beginning.

The landscaped terrace at 2100 L

The Thaddeus Stevens School is an incredibly important landmark for the community, and we wanted to make sure to respect and celebrate that, Akridge Senior Vice President of Development David Toney said. Quickly, though, what started out as a collaboration between the 2100 L team and city officials turned into a broader collaboration with the community as a whole.

Beyond the school renovation, the team behind 2100 L has worked with local community groups to devise ways to benefit residents through art and education.

The team has endowed a scholarship program for D.C. public and charter school children, a program to teach children about real estate development and construction. There is also a commemorative art piece in the pocket park between the school and 2100 L that honors Thaddeus Stevens, anaugmented realityexhibit in the office lobby that highlights the history of the school and an art gallery on the buildings ground floor featuring works byBlack artists.

We didnt want this to be just a run-of-the-mill real estate transaction, Toney said. We connected with community leaders to establish initiatives that could really make a difference.

The Veil at 2100 L

Global law firm Morrison & Foersterhas pre-leasedapproximately 56% of the office building.

The western end of the Golden Triangle Business Innovation District, where 2100 L Street is located, has always been the heart of D.C.s office market, with 43 blocks of arts, culture and entertainment venues alongside restaurants and shops to support the citys employees. The new office building is steps from four Metro stations and just 15 minutes fromRonald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The office market may be facing a challenge right now, but there will always be a market for quality, sustainable office space in the D.C. central business district," Toney said. "Thats what weve created with 2100 L.

This feature was produced in collaboration between the Bisnow Branded Content Studio andAkridge and COPT. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

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In DC, A New Trophy Building Offers Luxury Office Space While Catering To The Community - Bisnow

Development in downtown Phoenix has been on the rise, with $6 billion spent on redevelopment since 2005. These projects are continuing to grow but there are still issues creating a more livable, walkable city, according to a development expert.

There are over 3,500 housing units and 290,000 square feet of retail space being built, and many will be finished by the end of 2020 and early 2021.

According to Downtown Phoenix Inc., there are 19,500 downtown residents. In just over a year, they expect a 13% increase to 22,000 residents by 2022.

Most of the 13 housing developments under construction will include ground floor retail, expectantly bringing more services downtown and add to the existing restaurants and bars. The Arizona State University campus is also continually expanding, attracting more people as well as light rail expansion and scooters to provide accessible transportation.

But these projects might not support the city as well as it seems. With the market shifting and ASU expanding and bringing more students, people need accessible amenities to create a life central to downtown and balance the number of restaurants with other essential services.

The city of Phoenix has done a really good job of putting the investment like the light rail in, working and partnering with ASU to get that development going, Thomas Maynard, vice president of Business Development at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council said. The capital markets are now trying to deploy capital projects all across the U.S., and Phoenix is top of their list in terms of new investment.

Downtown typically caters to millennials, business professionals and college students, Maynard said and that younger people want to live downtown.

With the apartments that have their future rates available, most have a baseline of upwards of $1,200 a month.

Theres not enough diversity in the kinds of units being built you dont have units that can accommodate families because we didnt have a big supply of rental units ahead of these current higher-priced units coming online, Dr. Meagan Ehlenz an assistant professor at the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at ASU said. Its not like we have a supply of affordable housing downtown to create a balance, its really shifting the mark, selling everything at a higher price point.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Planning, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Phoenix is $1,200 $1,400. Most of the housing currently downtown fits into this market rate, but more luxury accommodations are being built above the market rate.

A thriving community has a mix of income and a mix of experiences. But what youre seeing built is very cookie cutter, Shannon Scutari, President of Scutari and Co. and expert in sustainable growth and development said. Its ironic, because we used to have a really hard time getting developers to even look at the urban environment here in Arizona.

In the past decade, the ASU downtown campus stimulated a massive spike in development and population with the expanding campus bringing over 15,000 students and staff downtown weekly.

The latest project is the ASU-Innovation Dorm, expected to be complete by Fall 2021 and is a 16-story dorm building, on the corner of Fillmore Street and First Avenue, with 400 new student housing units that are in high demand for the growing campus.

Some of these new apartments may also help fill that demand with new floor plan designs.

They are offering whats called co-living space where you, as an individual, would have your own room, own bathroom, you share amenities, like a living room and a kitchen. Its almost like a graduated dorm room, Maynard said.

Kenect, a 23-story apartment building just south of the ASU campus on Polk Street and Central Avenue, will offer these floor plans. These units are three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The rooms rent individually for over $1,200 a month, according to the website.

These co-living spaces could help young professionals out of college have more housing options downtown.

Maybe (college graduates) cant afford to have a one-bedroom apartment, right in the middle of downtown But they can still take advantage of the downtown amenities. That shared experience of life, which ultimately is what the younger professionals are striving for, Maynard said.

In order for the city to thrive, there has to be a connection between street access, walkability and residents having a connection to the products and services nearby, Scutari said.

How are the developments hugging the corner, because if theyre not hugging each other at each corner, then the personal experience is not of connectivity, which is one losing track of time and wandering through this store and then getting lost in the moment because Im in my little bubble and Im spending my money at the same time, Scutari said.

Although there are many places to dine, there are fewer retail options within walking distance. According to Downtown Phoenix Inc, there are over 200 restaurants in the greater downtown area and over 40 coffee shops.

The potential retail space under construction could fill over five football fields. There is an opportunity to fill some of the communitys needs.

Currently, there are no distinct public plans as to what will be put in the retail spaces. Maynard projected that services-oriented businesses, such as salons and casual eateries, could cater to the buildings occupants.

Scutari said that many of these developers do not account for how their space will be accessible to the residents or how it will add real value to the area. There is a lot of retail space but once it is filled it may not play well with each other.

Both Scutari and Ehlenz noted Roosevelt Row as a good example of a connection between retail, housing and transportation.

With the development along Roosevelt came many bars within walking distance. Ehlenz said this creates a center of gravity for nightlife and allows for walkability and a place where people can go bar hopping very clearly and easily.

But despite this, there is a lack of shopping and services available within walking distance.

Its really still very car centric, its still not connected to how that [retail] can be vibrant and people can experience it, Scutari said. A lot of people drive by all of that [retail].

The Arizona Center and CityScape make up most of the shopping in the core of downtown. Amenities accessible to residents include dry cleaners, salons, grocery stores and more.

These shopping centers still do not have the connection to the city and each other that Scutari said is needed in order for downtown to truly become a hub of shopping.

The way they were designed it was almost as though they could have been plopped down in any intersection. Regardless of whether there was a transit connection or rail connection, Scutari said.

Frys Signature Grocery Store had a huge impact on the livability downtown. Until its opening in the fall of 2019, there was only one grocery store accessible to residents, and it was north of the core of downtown.

Taylor Bishop, 24, is a communications specialist at Downtown Phoenix Inc. and lived downtown for six years.

When I started as a student at ASU, I had to either shop at CVS or Safeway and I literally walked, there wasnt even a trolley or anything. I walked to Safeway from the dorms, and I remember dropping my groceries, Bishop said.

The Frys was a flagship for large retail downtown and helped eliminate food desert problems downtown. The stores success could provide a clue as to whether other large retailers would put a location in the walkable area, Maynard said.

To have such an urban grocery store with all of the amenities that it has, shows that theres a need for and there are even more residents coming, Bishop said.

There has been a steady growth downtown since the 2008 recession, the same year the city added the light rail.

I think that in terms of the light rail coming to downtown, and then ASUs campus, really created this new momentum and this new market that has been developing ever since, Ehlenz said.

The city of Phoenix began a program in 2016 named the Transportation 2050 plan. This plan will help expand the light rail, bike lanes and improve streets. Funding comes from a 0.7% sales tax, which is expected to generate $16.7 billion over time.

By 2050, this plan will expand the light rail in every direction and add more park and rides, connecting downtown to the rest of Phoenix, creating more of a commuter train.

I certainly think that we have a transit infrastructure that we need to continue to support, Ehlenz said.

While most of the current development is happening in the core of downtown, some are going on in the warehouse district just south of the stadiums like The Battery apartments and The Alta Warehouse District.

Maynard said in the future, the warehouse district is the next place for development.

If you look at some of these other cool cities that have kind of these old retrofitted areas of their downtown, we have all of the bones and the infrastructure for that. So thats something that me personally, Im very excited to see next, Maynard said.

Contact the reporter at [emailprotected].

Link:
Downtown construction is booming, but can the area keep up with development? - Downtown Devil

Construction is underway on a new mixed-use development in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood, just north of Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri, bringing residential living and new retail to the area. An official ground-breaking ceremony was held for Expo at Forest Park on Oct. 27 to kick off the $90 million project.

Expo at Forest Park is a wonderful example of thoughtful, impactful investment that strengthens our communities and drives economic growth, said St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson. This development will completely transform the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood, bringing new resources, amenities and stronger transit accessibility, all within steps of Forest Park, one of our citys most iconic destinations.

Expo at Forest Park will include 287 market-rate apartments and 30,000 square feet of retail space next to the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Transit Center. The project from private developer Tegethoff Development is a transit-oriented development and will include garage parking for Metro Transit commuters and enhanced access to the St. Louis regions MetroBus network and MetroLink light rail system.

Included in the development are plans to adaptively reuse existing transit infrastructure and real estate at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Transit Center, including improving security, amenities and overall transit experience of Metro Transit riders.

Expo at Forest Park consists of two separate multifamily buildings. The south building is 284,500 square feet and eight stories (one below grade) of apartments (184,700 square feet) and amenity space with 5,800 square feet of retail along with a 94,000 square foot parking garage. The north building is 172,600 square feet and six stories (one below grade) of 94,000 square feet of apartments and amenity space with 24,300 square feet of retail and a 54,300 square foot parking garage.

Brinkmann Constructors, a St. Louis-based general contractor, is handling the construction of the entire project, including updating public utilities in the surrounding area. Brinkmann, along with Trivers, Bi-State Development and Tegethoff Development, has been working closely with neighborhood associations and city officials.

Expo at Forest Park is located on DeBaliviere Avenue in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood, just north of Forest Park Parkway. From the beginning of the project, the development team engaged local elected leaders, regional partners, neighborhood residents and community groups to present plans, answer questions and address concerns, and work together to ensure Expo at Forest Park matches the neighborhoods vision.

The new development is by the north entrance to Forest Park near the Missouri History Museum.

Expo at Forest Park is expected to be complete in 2022.

Read more from the original source:
Construction begins on $90 million mixed-use development in St. Louis - REjournals.com

It's been a busy few months at the southwest corner of Yonge and Bloor in the heart of Toronto whereMizrahi Developments' flagship project 'The One'has started its308.6-metre ascent to the top of the Canada's tallest building ranking.We last checked in on the 85-storey project designed byUK-based starchitectsFoster + Partnerswith Toronto'sCore Architects in mid-October, when the final structural steel elements had been erected for the ground floor and its lofty retail space. Much has changed in the several weeks since, with several aspects of the project revealing details of the building's hybrid exoskeleton structural system in the process.

In contrast to a standard structural steel system, the hybrid system employed at The One uses steel elements encased in concrete for extra durability. The first supports to be encased were the eight 40-tonne steel 'supercolumns' around its perimeter, accomplished using large hollow forms placed around the steel columns, and then filled in with concrete. To facilitate the forming of the upcoming second floor, a two-level scaffold and shoring post setup now provides access to the upper reaches of what will be the lofty firstfloor ceiling.

Looking southwest to The One, image by Forum contributor amlem

Most recently, the laying of floor forms and the assembly of rebar has marked the start of work on the second level. Views from above show the exposed crossbeams featured in our last construction update, now surrounded by the decking that will contain the concrete pour forthe level two slab.Levels two and three will largely be dedicated to restaurant/event space, and will see the continuation of the canted steel support columns now extending through the spacious ground-floor retail space.

Looking south over The One, image by Forum contributor thaivic

Things will get even more interesting in the coming months, with an extra-thick slab above the fourth floor to anchor the central elevator core that will be 'floated' over the levels below. The network of canted support columns starting on the ground floor will continue through the soon-to-emerge second and third floors, converging to support the elevator core's base slab, illustrated below.

Diagram showing the angled columns within the wider structure, image via submission to City of Toronto

To the south and west of the tower's footprint, poured concrete construction is forming the surrounding podium structure to meet adjoining property lines.The western podium volume, housing elevators that will shuttle residents between the ground floor and the residential lobby, now stands level with the tower exoskeleton. The southern podium section lags behind the west section, with forming now moving onto the second level--with floor heights much lower than the flagship retail space to the north.

Aerial view of The One, image by Forum contributor Benito

Among the milestones to follow, the yellow 710 Liebherr crane at the north end of the site will soon be relocated to the top of the sixth-floor south podium with the help of the bulky TG2300 crane at the centre of the site. The 710 crane will then assist in the disassembly of the larger central crane, and climb alongside the tower's south side throughout The One's ascent. This will allowfor faster and easier climbing and subsequent removal of the crane.

The One, image courtesy of Mizrahi Developments

Additional information and images can be found in our Database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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The One Prepares for Next Steps in Supertall Ascent - Urban Toronto