Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

MONROE, CT Michelle Kaplin was on remote leave as a nurse at ACES Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School last the spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced educators to close the building. But, rather than stay home, Kaplin chose to join her colleagues on the front lines, taking a job at The Watermark, a continuing care retirement community in Bridgeport.

Kaplin, who now works at David Wooster Middle School in Stratford, served on the medical team at The Watermark, treating residents on the COVID floor, and witnessed the heartbreak of seeing some patients dying alone.

I just felt this calling to go, Kaplin said. I just couldnt imagine sitting home. Its not about the money, its about helping people. I needed to do something about the pandemic.

Kaplin, who lives in Monroe, was recently recognized as aHeartthrob Hero in MDF Painting and Power Washings campaign to show appreciation to health care workers during the pandemic.

Michelle Kaplin, an R.N., at work at The Watermark in Bridgeport.

We all know someone who is working at the front lines of this virus, the company website says. Whether it is a friend, family member, or significant other, those who work in healthcare are appreciated now more than ever. To say thank you to those who are working for us, were going to work for you.Nominate the frontline hero that you love for a chance to win them painting services worth up to $6,000. Say thank you by giving them one less thing to worry about.

The campaign is named after the Sherwin Williams paint shade, Heartthrob, which inspired it.

Kaplin said she doesnt have a clue who nominated her, adding she was surprised to receive a phone call about being awarded the free painting services from the Heartthrob for Heroes campaign.

I thought it was a spam call and asked her to stop calling me, she said of the woman from MDF. Then she emailed me to say, were not kidding.'

Painters from MDF Painting & Power Washing, from left, Renaldo Lima, Alceu Neto and Edson Santos, carry supplies into Michelle Kaplins house in Monroe Thursday.

Who would nominate me? Im a nurse from Monroe and youre in Greenwich, Kaplin thought. Its nice. Im just shocked. There were a lot of doctors and nurses in the ICU doing far more than I was. I was just doing my part in COVID land.

On Thursday morning, a white van pulled up on Kaplins street and three painters from MDF emerged, carrying painting supplies.I cant believe theyre here and Im not paying for this, she said.

She expressed her appreciation to whomever nominated her, calling the painting services a nice gift.

Perfect timing

Kaplin and her wife, Karen Widdows, recently paid Basement Systems to waterproof the walls and floors of their basement, and install a drainage system with a sump pump, after two flooding incidents at their Monroe home.

The guy left and said we should really get it painted. We couldnt afford that, Kaplin said. I got cancer in December. My son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in February. Then COVID struck. No one was thinking about paint.

Because of the pandemic, Kaplin said her radiation treatment was delayed by eight months and her first session was in August.

Michelle Kaplin, right, with, from left, her son Shalom, 14, daughter, Emma, 10, and wife, Karen Widdows.

Kaplin and Widdows have a daughter, Emma, 10, and their 14-year-old sons name is Shalom. Kaplin also has another daughter, Hadassah, 16, who lives with her grandmother, while going to high school.

Emmas bedroom will be painted a blue color called Wave Top.

Aside from type 1 diabetes, Shalom has Autism and a broken femur. The basement is set up like an apartment for him with a medical bed. His area will be painted a green color called Fern Canopy.

Hes into Army and nature now, Kaplin explained.

While working in the living room, Widdows, a human resources professional, was seated on the couch with her laptop and phone in her lap.

I think its fantastic, she said of her wife being honored as a Heartthrob Hero. She deserves it. She worked hard. She has a good heart. When this was happening, she wanted to help out.

Widdows said Kaplin would come home from work and sanitize herself inside their garage, before entering the house to make sure no one would get sick.

I would spray Lysol and get undressed in the garage, Kaplin said. I kept my work clothes in there.

I would bring her clothes and she would come in and shower, Widdows said. The next day, we would take the work clothes from the garage.

While treating patients, Kaplin said she never worried about catching COVID. One time, a woman with the disease checked in and was within inches of Kaplin, who said she was fortunate not to contract it.

She said she probably received 12 COVID tests, while working at The Watermark, where staffers were tested weekly.

Sad goodbyes

The Watermark did not want to risk spreading the coronavirus by having too many visitors coming and going, so Kaplin said families could not visit their loved-ones, until they were at deaths door.

She said family members would either arrange for a video call or sit on a chair in the parking lot to look at their loved-one from their window, while talking on the phone.

When patients were near death, relatives could be suited up with protective gear and go in the room to hold their hand.

Kaplin said some relatives declined to visit, saying that was not how they wanted to remember their loved-one. She remembers talking to a woman, who was incapacitated, telling her that her family loved her, wanted to be there, but it was hard. Kaplan hoped the woman could hear her and feel comforted.

People were scared to go in there. The longterm care facilities were hit the hardest, Kaplin said. Thats why we went into nursing. It was a calling. I was a school nurse on leave and I just couldnt fathom sitting idly by, while people were dying.

Kaplin said people at The Watermark were kind to the medical staff, providing lunches for them every day, adding, those three months were perhaps the most rewarding of my career.

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Hero of the pandemic: Diagnosed with cancer, a Monroe nurse answers the call - The Monroe Sun

Nikola Badger Is Dead Before It Was Even Born

Nikola had conceptualized the truck, but it was to be brought to life by General Motors.

Earlier this week, Nikolas meeting with the auto giant resulted in a new Memorandum of Understanding that had no mention of GMs commitment to build and validate the Badger. The company said in a statement, As previously announced, the Nikola Badger program was dependent on an OEM partnership.", "Nikola will refund all previously submitted order deposits for the Nikola Badger,". Well, its confirmed that Nikola doesnt want to partner with any other automaker.

Back in June when the company revealed details about the Badger, it also said that the truck would debut at the Nikola World 2020 event that was to be held on December 3 and 4, 2020. Here we are on D-Day, mourning for the truck instead of being all excited about its launch. Well, some things are not meant to happen.

Did you have your hopes pinned on the Nikola Badger and were looking forward to its debut, or did you think it was too good to be real? Also, hypothetically speaking, if Nikola went scouting for a new partner-automaker, who would its first choice be to build the Badger? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Source: Cnet

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The truck had a lot of potential, but GMs move to back out of building it has resulted in its death - Top Speed

National Review

As Democratic Senate Candidate Raphael Warnock tries to assure Jews that he is a friend, new video has surfaced of the Georgia Baptist preacher again linking Israel to apartheid.In the video, purportedly from a Palm Sunday sermon in 2015, Warnock also likened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to former segregationist Alabama governor George Wallace.Warnock made the statements shortly after the 2015 Israeli elections, won by Netanyahus Likud Party. On the final day of the campaign, Netanyahu announced his opposition to a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, walking back previous support.In his sermon, Warnock described the Israeli and Palestinian region as a land of violence and bloodshed and occupation, and said he heard a very clever politician running for re-election as prime minister suddenly announce No two-state solution, he said.Thats tantamount to saying, occupation today, occupation tomorrow, occupation forever, Warnock said, using phrasing mirroring Wallaces racist call in 1963 for segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.> During his 2015 Palm Sunday Sermon, Dem. Raphael Warnock explicitly called Israel an Apartheid State, describing it as a land of violence and bloodshed and occupation and he referred to Israeli leaders as clever politicians, and accusing them of being racist and vicious. pic.twitter.com/jfdkOUzung> > -- Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) December 10, 2020Warnock urges his parishioners to consider the Middle East demographics. There are more Arabs in the region that Jews, he said. Without a two-state solution, the Jews in the region would need undemocratic apartheid-like policies, or risk being overwhelmed at the polls.The state will either be Jewish, or it will be a democracy, he said. It cant be both if you dont have a Palestinian state. You would have to have apartheid in Israel that denies other citizens, sisters and brothers, citizenship.Warnock also took aim at a statement Netanyahu made in the lead-up to voting when he warned that his right-wing government was in danger, and urged his supporters to vote because Arab voters are heading to polling stations in droves. Warnock described Netanyahus statement as kind of racist and vicious language.Warnock is one of two Democrats in Georgia trying to defeat Republican incumbents in a January runoff election. If both win, Democrats will take over the Senate.This wasnt the first time Warnocks past statements about Israel have come back to haunt him. Last year, Warnock was part of a group of African American church leaders who toured the Middle East and released a statement accusing Israel of engaging in tactics similar to those previously used by apartheid South Africa and communist East Germany patterns that seem to have been borrowed and perfected from other previous repressive regimes.In a 2018 sermon, after a Hamas terrorists stormed the Israeli border, Warnock accused the Israeli government of shooting down unarmed Palestinian sisters and brothers like birds of prey like they dont matter at all.As a Senate candidate, Warnock has attempted to walk back his apartheid allegations, and released a position paper asserting that he is a friend of Israel.I will stand with Israel and the Jewish people to protect their interests, advocate for the human dignity of the Palestinian people and their position in the world, promote peace, and ensure the U.S. remains economically strong, safe, and secure.

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Michael Hughes Arrested After Shots Fired In Direction Of Several Police Officers In Fountain - Yahoo News

A hometown bar. A living room. A non-French French restaurant. A place for long conversations. These are just some of the words that Mona Poor-Olschafskie and Christian Perkins use to talk about Fin Du Monde, their just-opened restaurant and bar at 38 Driggs Avenue, at Sutton Street, in Greenpoint. The duos vision for the restaurant is multifaceted, but their first priority is to create a place where residents in the neighborhood feel welcome.

We wanted to open a place that we would want to go to ourselves, says Poor-Olschafskie, a hospitality industry veteran who lives a few blocks from Fin Du Monde. A place that was accessible, not a place with a huge super-expensive wine list or lots of ingredients nobody knows how to pronounce.

To note, neither Poor-Olschafskie nor Perkins have much experience working in those types of restaurants, despite each having been in the hospitality industry for more than a decade. Before opening Fin Du Monde, Poor-Olschafskie worked at several of the citys leading breweries, including Threes Brewing in Gowanus and two spots in Carroll Gardens, Other Half Brewing and Folksbier Brauerei. Beers from her old haunts have made their way to the menu at Fin Du Monde, which in addition to a few bottles of wine serves a lager from Folksbier and an IPA from Threes on tap.

The restaurants food menu is loosely French-American but strictly local, a pairing that Perkins picked up while working for restaurateur Andrew Tarlow at hit restaurants such as Diner, Marlow and Sons, and its offshoot butcher shop Marlow and Daughters. Most recently, he helped open Annicka, a brief but well-received Greenpoint restaurant that focused on seasonal food and local craft beer. Theres a similar ethos behind Fin Du Monde, according to Perkins, which aims to serve locally sourced produce and meat without charging more than $30 for an entree, which isnt uncommon at many upscale restaurants in the city.

Its a tightrope walk, but its possible, Perkins says. You have to create a very, very tight menu that isnt reliant upon luxury ingredients.

All told, the food menu at Fin Du Monde is 10 items long, desserts included, and Perkins keeps things simple. The restaurant serves a big French salad topped with fried walnuts and funky Roquefort cheese ($13). Further down the menu, theres a roast chicken and pepper risotto ($22), along with a braised boeuf bourguignon that comes with buttery noodles ($24). These dishes are meant to invoke a French bistro or a Parisian natural wine bar but only sort of.

Its a non-French French place, Perkins says. It has a French name, but we like the goofiness of it.

Like countless other restaurant owners, Poor-Olschafskie and Perkins had been planning Fin Du Monde long before the start of the pandemic in March. In July 2019, the duo launched a GoFundMe campaign to help open the restaurant and assist with construction costs. More than a year and nearly $20,000 in donations later, Perkins likened Fin Du Monde to a train rolling down the tracks that couldnt be stopped. We had no choice but to keep going, and we wouldnt have wanted to stop anyway, he says.

As for the name translated as end of the world in French Perkins says the restaurant is the kind of place you want to be at the end of the world, which he quickly adds is, thankfully, not right now.

Fin Du Monde has roughly 20 seats for outdoor dining and six seats inside at the state-mandated 25 percent capacity. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. and closed Sunday through Monday.

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Greenpoints Newest Restaurant, Fin Du Monde, Brings a Touch of France With Craft Beer - Eater NY

Mina Corpuz|The Enterprise

BROCKTON Rudy Alves is tapping into his artistic background and sharing Cape Verdean culture at his new restaurant Khalil's Kitchen.

"When you come here you're going to get a good meal and enjoy the vibes," he said about the eatery, which opened about a month ago at 808 Main St.

The restaurant serves up soul food with a Caribbean twist, Alves said.The menu includes burgers, fries topped with protein, wings, smoothies and more. Some of the dishes featurelobster, like the mac and cheese.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he closed his T-shirt business andbegan cooking at home to make money for his family. That turned into a business.

While cooking at home, Alves has been able to see his three children more. They were able to be around, which was not possible in his other jobs, like T-shirt printing and tattooing.

His middle child, Khalil, is the restaurant's namesake. At home, Khalil would come around the kitchen and Alves said he had the idea to call the kitchen his.

Since the business opened, his 5-year-old daughterChloe, 2-year-old Khalil and 9-month old son London have visited the restaurant.

Alves said he never imagined that he would open a restaurant. But everything happened so fast, starting out as a vision that he was able to manifest.

"I wake up ready to come here," he said. "I doesn't feel like a job."

Alves found the Main Street space for his restaurant in the summer and worked on it, drawing on his construction background and designing the inside.

The pandemic has been a challenging time for businesses and restaurants. But Alves said that being able to open during this time was motivational.

"If I can do all of this during this time, I can grow and more," he said.

Alves learned to cook from his mother, who wished she had a daughter. She would ask him to cook rice after school so that it would be ready when she came home from work.

Little by little, he would ask her more about cooking. She taught him Cape Verdean dishes that Alves has been able to put his own spin on and blend with other food styles.

He said she she is proud to see him open the business and do something he loves.

Now that Alves has a commercial kitchen, he said there are endless possibilities for what he can cook. He likes to create his own sauces and find his own flavors.

"I'm always trying to create things and experiment," Alves said.

Looking ahead, hewants to share his newfound love for the kitchen. Alves shares pictures on his Instagram @khalils_kitchen_ and plans to release videos that provide a behind the scenes look at the restaurant.

Opening up a restaurant in Boston is a future goal, he said.

Staff writer Mina Corpuz can be reached by email at mcorpuz@enterprisenews.com. You can follow her on Twitter @mlcorpuz.Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.

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Here's what's on the menu at new Brockton Caribbean soul food restaurant - Enterprise News

Name of business: Salt & Pepper Taqueria

Type of business: Mexican restaurant

Location: 2901 N. Tegner Rd. in Turlock

Hours: 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Contact information: 209-427-2946

Specialty: Quesa-Birria

History of business:

When Salt & Pepper Taqueria owner Judyth Avila signed the lease for her catering companys first brick-and-mortar location in Turlock last fall, she had no idea she would be opening a restaurant in the middle of a global pandemic.

Still, despite countless hurdles along the way, the restaurant was finally able to open its doors on November 11 and has been a hit with the community in the weeks since.

I know its one more Mexican restaurant here, but I think were a little different, Avila said.

The food at Salt & Pepper, like the restaurants name, is simple, with no additives and natural ingredients. Since the restaurant opened last month, social media and Facebook pages like Turlock To Go have been flooded with mouthwatering photos of the Salt & Pepper menu, which includes tacos, quesadillas, burritos, tortas and salads made with a variety of freshly-cooked meats.

The Quesa-Birria is a crowd favorite, offering the melted, gooey flavor of a quesadilla along with the savory meat stew known as birria. Other menu items can be ordered with birria as well, and Salt & Pepper also offers keto tacos with a cheesy shell for those who are counting their carbs.

Before the pandemic began, Avila was working on opening the new Turlock location and also opened a second restaurant in Patterson in February. They were meant to be an extension of the catering company she has operated for the last eight years, but now supplement the income she has lost as events are cancelled due to COVID-19.

After signing the lease for the Turlock location in November 2019, there was more construction to be done on the kitchen which continued during the pandemic. Avila said she may have cancelled the project had it not been for the building owner granting her free rent during the brunt of the first shutdown.

Now that Salt & Pepper is open in Turlock, the restaurant was able to offer a few weeks of in-person dining before the latest stay-at-home order forced them to offer takeout, curbside pickup and delivery only.

Despite the setbacks, Avila encourages others hoping to open their own restaurant to do so even though it may seem scary during these ever-changing times.

Just work every day and do your best, even if you dont know whats going to happen, Avila said. Its different times now, but Im really enjoying doing this. I don't see it as a job or money, because of course I need money, but I love the people and the people seem to like what I do.

Visit link:
New Turlock restaurant thriving in face of pandemic - The Turlock Journal

ST. PETERSBURG Marlin Kaplan can picture it now.

Were standing in the middle of the first garden room, he says, gesturing to a large patch of grass.

Right here, on an empty plot of dirt, will be the main dining room a covered area tucked beneath a pergola-like structure, surrounded by lush plants and landscaping.

Over there, a smaller space abutting a parking lot, will be a circular patio, flanked by a towering live oak tree and decorated with bright lights the kind that imbue a holiday-any-time-of-year feel.

In the middle of it all will be a large fountain and a walkway. And all the way in the back, a secluded dining area shrouded by curtains will offer an intimate setting for private gatherings.

Sure, there are some things happening inside, too. But thats not the point. Kaplan is determined to open what he believes will be the restaurant of the future, where outdoor seating rather than indoor dining will be the highlight.

But right now its just a patch of grass.

Two Graces, which will open early next year, is poised to be one of 2021s most interesting and ambitious restaurant debuts. The space, next to Freefall Theatre in St. Petersburg, takes over the former Reading Room building at 6001 Central Ave., which closed in 2019.

Kevin Lane, Lauren Macellaro, Jessika Palombo and Kevin Damphouse together ran the restaurant, which opened in early 2017 and attracted widespread acclaim. It earned Macellaro, the executive chef, a semifinalist nod for the James Beard Foundations Best Chef: South award. The Reading Rooms closure was a loss for both the neighborhood and the Tampa Bay areas culinary community.

Earlier this year, Lane (a co-founder of Freefall Theatre) approached Kaplan, who together with partner Lisa Masterson runs the fine dining restaurant Grace in Pass-a-Grille as well as the gourmet goods-to-go shop Gracie Pasta & Provisions. Kaplan had dined at the Reading Room, and saw potential for a new restaurant in the space. But it was the yawning lot of grass a roughly 1,500-square-foot space abutting the theaters main building and parking lot that really piqued his interest.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Kaplan says hes noticed a big uptick in diners interested in eating outside, likely in response to reports from health experts, who have repeatedly stressed the inherent risks of indoor dining.

Tampa Bays approach to outdoor dining during the pandemic hasnt mirrored that of other cities. While other places have embraced the parklet boom erecting standalone dining partitions outside of restaurants and in parking spaces restaurants here have been more hesitant to the trend. At Grace, Kaplan has been able to take over a few parking spots and expand the outdoor space, but says its nowhere near the kind of business he can do inside. And while other parts of the country have banned indoor dining again amid a national spike in coronavirus cases, that hasnt happened in Florida at least not yet.

Still, Kaplan isnt holding his breath. Even though Gov. Ron DeSantis has repeatedly said otherwise, he doesnt trust that another restaurant shutdown isnt looming. After all, who knows what next year and a new presidential administration will bring?

I really feel like this is the future of dining with COVID, Kaplan said. The restaurant of the future is outdoors.

Since the Reading Rooms shutter, the Central Avenue space has remained vacant. In recent months, Kaplan employed local gardener Maggie Jensen to tend to the property and now the lush garden, once the highlight of Reading Rooms dining program, is once again thriving.

But the main attraction at Two Graces will be the entirely al fresco dining experience that can seat 100 people. The so-called garden rooms are essentially patio spaces divided with landscaping. The main covered space will seat roughly 48 people, and several smaller uncovered patio areas will dot the rest of the property.

Outdoor dining is less attractive during Tampa Bays sweltering summer months, but Kaplan says there are contingency plans for Floridas often unpredictable weather patterns: misters for the hot, balmy days and heat lamps for the odd evening where the temperature dips below 60 degrees.

Inside the restaurant, the space will seat an additional 50 people. Leather banquettes line the dining area, which faces a long bar with room for an additional 12 seats. Chairs are upholstered in bright-colored velvet and a colorful mural from New York illustrator Alli Arnold decorates a wall near the kitchen where a petite chefs counter provides a few extra spots for those looking to get a glimpse of the action.

Though specials will incorporate some of what the outdoor garden has to offer, unlike the restaurants predecessor, that wont be a focal point at Two Graces. Instead, Kaplan said, the menu will feature a New American spread that will be familiar to longtime regulars at his Pass-a-Grille restaurant. Starters include a crispy Brussels sprouts dish with citrus aioli ($16), a baked burrata served with pomegranate seeds and baguette ($22), and mussels with white wine and grilled ciabatta ($15).

The restaurant inherited a large wood-burning oven, from which the likes of wood-fired pizzas will emerge. Some of the larger entrees include dishes like a roasted baby pumpkin filled with pumpkin risotto and topped with a Parmesan tuile ($26); a filet mignon with an herbed breadcrumb crust, artichoke, bacon and potato torte and demi-glace (market price); and pan-roasted sea scallops served with a crispy polenta cake, micro greens salad and a roasted beet sauce ($32).

Handmade pastas from Gracie Pasta & Provisions will be featured, including the Gracie Tagliatelle ($28) with short rib ragu and shaved truffles, and a linguine dish ($22) featuring a mushroom medley, goat cheese and herb butter. For dessert, there will be a blueberry lemon and lavender panna cotta ($8); honey almond cheesecake with amarena cherries ($8); and a triple chocolate brownie with salted caramel ice cream ($8).

Masterson is curating a wine list heavy on organic and biodynamic wines, and the cocktail menu will look to local flora and fauna for inspiration, with drinks named after local flowers.

Though a decent amount of construction and landscaping for the outdoor space remains to be done, Kaplan hopes to be open sometime in early January. He wont open without the outdoor space finished, he says.

After all, its kind of the whole point.

Link:
Could St. Petersburgs Two Graces be the restaurant of the future? - Tampa Bay Times

December 7, 2020 Restaurant/Bar News

Back in September, in the previous millennium, the folks behind Mitchel London Foods had secured their liquor license for a new restaurant in the Baked space at 279 Church, and had started construction on a full service restaurant.

They were cooking along when a fire started in the fourth-floor apartment on Feb. 15, doing minimal damage there but dousing the restaurant space and also damaging Lyons Den yoga studio (which is still operating online till studios can open, FYI). That set the schedule back, and then ran them right into covid.

Enter the pivot. What would have been (and will be eventually) a breakfast-till-late night establishment will now be an elevated grab-and-go, something closer to what the company a catering operation founded by Ed Kochs former chef at Gracie Mansion does already with their Dinner at Home program. They are also kind of famous for their crullers.

The new place is as of now unnamed, but should be open in about three weeks. The likely hours will be 8 to 8, and they are counting on locals to keep things going over the next months, fully aware that things are pretty quiet downtown. Once the world starts spinning again, they will revert to the original plan.

Pivoting is still a little bit dangerous without people going in to work in the morning, said Thomas Mikolasko, who will run the restaurant. But I liked this location to begin with and over the past five months, I really fell in love with it. I hope there are enough folks around to make it a go we dont need thousands, but we will need more than 20 people coming in each day.

More TK when they are up and running.

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Coming Soon: Dinners to go in the old Baked space - Tribeca Citizen

CLEVELAND, Dec. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Historic preservation real estate firm GBX Group LLC, in partnership with Ethos Capital Partners, LLC, project partners, and city officials, today announced the reimagined 2125 Superior Avenue, now known as 2125 Superior Living. This modernized residential and retail property, in the heart of Downtown Cleveland's burgeoning Superior Arts District, is GBX's latest investment in the adaptive reuse of historically significant buildings across the country.

GBX has long envisioned a revitalized Superior corridor having acquired over 20 parcels in the past several years.

Erected in 1914 and originally home to The Prince-Wolf Co. garment factory, the newly rehabilitated 2125 Superior Avenue now consists of a 57-unit, 40,000 square foot mixed-use residential and hospitality site. The design preserves the building's historic significance while featuring a blend of modern amenities. It includes an interior open-air courtyard and dog park for tenants. Street-level will be the home to Green Goat, a bar and caf by local restauranteur Bobby George that will be a gathering place forneighborhood residents, nearby workers, and visitors to the district. The new apartments will begin welcoming residents in early December with the Green Goat slated to open early in 2021.

For Bobby George, Cleveland area restauranteur and lead developer and majority owner of this project, investment in the Superior Arts District is personal.

"I live directly across the street and am putting my money where my mouth is on the belief that the Superior corridor is well on its way to becoming a highly desired destination for businesses, visitors, and residents," said George. "In addition to chic urban living, our project at 2125 Superior Avenue is going to be a foodie's delight with an amazing menu of nutritious and delicious local fare at Green Goat."

Project Continues GBX Group's Investment in Superior Arts District

Cleveland-based GBX has deployed federal, state, and local tax incentives to preserve, redevelop, and manage historic real estate projects in 20 states across the country. It often takes a mixture of historic preservation easements, historic tax credits, and other government programs to make it financially viable to preserve these iconic buildings in the face of less costly new construction.

"Across America, urban neighborhoods like the Superior Arts District that house historic buildings are experiencing a Renaissance. Largely abandoned at the onset of suburbanization a generation ago, these old economic hubs are once again in high demand as young professionals flock downtown for jobs, short commutes, and social allure," said Drew Sparacia, CEO of GBX. "By utilizing federal, state, and local historic preservation programs to save and rehabilitate historic buildings, we can drive needed and significant investment into the urban core while maintaining the fabric of these neighborhoods in lieu of destroying and building new. These projects are a catalyst for economic growth through construction jobs and increased permanent payrolls, and they generate millions in new tax revenues at the local, state, and federal levels."

A case in point is a recent economic impact study conducted on the Empire Improvement Building, GBX's headquarters, located at 2101 Superior Avenue, adjacent to the adaptive reuse project at 2125 Superior Avenue. The study by Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy found that the preservation of the building, both during construction as well as its operations in 2019, returned a combined $7.3 million in added tax revenues. Just as important, the investments made through federal and state tax incentives will be returned to government agencies in just over five years.

Antonin Robert, GBX's President of Community Development and chairman of the Superior Arts Improvement District commented; "We are excited about this project as the latest positive development in the rebirth of the historic Superior Arts District. GBX has long envisioned a revitalized Superior corridor having acquired over 20 parcels in the past several years. The combination of an established Asian community, the proximity of Cleveland State, Playhouse Square, and the ease of accessibility from the innerbelt, makes this area attractive for historic preservation that also attracts new development."

The opening of 2125 Superior Avenue is not the end but just the latest development for the neighborhood. It follows Cleveland City Council's recent support for financial incentives that would propel Brecksville-based CrossCountry Mortgage to create a new headquarters for more than 700 workers by redeveloping a six-acre block between East 21st and East 22nd.

The historic preservation consultant was Peter Ketter. Construction is being completed by PCS & Build, LLC. Construction financing was facilitated by TriState Capital Bank.

For a before and after video visit: https://www.gbxgroup.com/adaptive-reuse-of-historic-garment-factory-adds-modern-residential-units-and-new-restaurant-to-cleveland-s-superior-arts-district/

About GBX Group LLCGBX Group specializes in preserving and operating historic real estate in urban markets. GBX partners with property owners, developers, and local preservation organizations to acquire, redevelop, and preserve historic real estate, generating community revitalization and economic growth. Since its founding in 2001, GBX has completed over 125 projects in 20 states. For more about GBX, visit gbxgroup.com/.

About the Superior Arts DistrictLocated on Superior Avenue between East 19th and East 25th streets, the Superior Arts District was once home to the second-largest garment district outside of New York City. Cleveland's garment district originated in the Flats and Warehouse areas of Cleveland in the mid-1800s, but manufacturing shifted to the Superior Avenue corridor at the turn of the 20th century as demand and improved working conditions prompted the need for larger, safer, and more modern buildings.

The historic buildings lining Superior Avenue have found new life as part of adaptive reuse projects. For residential needs, the structures are a perfect fit for the modern loft-style apartments and live-work spaces. For commercial use, the buildings are ideal for artist studios, warehouses and smaller distribution centers that are gaining in popularity as retailers look to cut the distance to get products to their customers.

CONTACT: Philip Winton, VP of Strategic Messaging, (216) 912-9705, pwinton@gbxgroup.com

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Adaptive Reuse of Historic Garment Factory Adds Modern Residential Units and New Restaurant to Cleveland's Superior Arts District - News-Herald.com

Outdoor seating areas on Shattuck Ave just north of University Avenue in downtown Berkeley. Starting on Dec. 7 through at least Jan. 4, all outdoor dining will be banned. Photo: Pete Rosos

The city of Berkeley and five Bay Area counties announced a new shelter-in-place order on Friday that would impose new restrictions on businesses and restaurants, including shutting down outdoor dining through at least Jan. 4. Local health officials made the decision to not wait until available ICU beds dropped below 15% in the region. The order will take effect at 12:01 a.m., Monday, Dec. 7.

Diners, restaurant employees, and owners weighed in during the last days of outdoor dining in Berkeley about the impact of the order on their lives.

On Thursday, a crew of construction workers gathered during their lunch break at the wooden tables and benches outside Taco and Co. in Southside Berkeleys Durant Square, a narrow courtyard shared by seven other restaurants.

This is where weve been coming every day, said Jonathan Manzano, a worker with B12 Drywall who has been working on a student housing project in the neighborhood for weeks.

Where are we supposed to eat? Manzano asked. The companys employees are staying at a hotel while they work on the project, so they dont have the opportunity to make their own meals. Nearby Durant Square has been a convenient lunch spot for months.

The December outdoor dining ban is just the latest in a long list of alternating directives that restaurants have received since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Outdoor dining shut down in March, re-opened in June and shut down again in July before it was reinstateda few days later. Indoor dining got the green light in Octoberbut was shut down again in November due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. One more shutdown? Restaurant employees said they could handle whatever restrictions the city throws at them.

Its the same as always. If its going to happen, its going to happen. What can I do about it? said Robert Lopez while flipping burgers at Bongo Burger on Center Street in downtown Berkeley. Lopezs hours have been cut he now only works three or four days a week and its been hard for him to support his family. Were short on money all the time. We can handle a few days, even a few months, but after four more months, thats going to be it, Lopez said between calling out orders.

Its beyond that. Weve already been affected enough. Its not going to be worse than its been, said Eric Kaedi, an employee at Daryoush, a Persian restaurant, also on Center Street. On Thursday, the tables inside Daryoush were all set with silverware, napkins and glasses, but the restaurant was empty.

People are still scared. 95% of our orders are to-go, Kaedi said. Whether there is indoor or outdoor dining doesnt matter as much because we still have our to-go orders.

Still, outdoor dining can help draw people in. Tucked away in a courtyard off of Euclid Avenue in Northside, La Vals Pizza and La Burrita usually serve students at UC Berkeley during a typical year. Their shared patio has been a boon during this difficult time.

As long as the students arent here, business is going to be slow, said Juan Guevera, who has worked at La Burrita for two years. But when outdoor seating opened up, we saw some families coming with their kids from the neighborhood getting pizzas. Its not enough, but its helped us to survive this period and pay our staff, said Izat Eliyan, who owns La Vals.

Halting outdoor dining takes away an important draw for restaurants struggling to scrape by with only a fraction of Cal students living on campus this year. The latest order raises ongoing questions for business owners and diners about the trade-offs between the economic pains of closing businesses and the risk of spreading COVID-19.

I understand that stopping outdoor dining would reduce the spread of COVID-19. At the same time, a lot of the staff work paycheck to paycheck and they need money to support their families and to pay rent, said Eliyan, who has had to cut half of his employees since the start of the pandemic, including some student employees who left voluntarily.

Outside in the courtyard on Saturday, diners wearing coats and scarves debated the trade-offs of the latest order. Im worried about the economic impact of closing outdoor dining, said Tate Swindell, holding a slice of pizza from La Vals.

You cant do anything about the economic impact. Follow the science, man, replied Robert Kaufman, seated diagonally across from Swindell. When people start throwing themselves off of buildings and theres anarchy in the streets because of economic impact, then well start talking about reopening businesses.

Then theres the question of whether the outdoor dining ban will change peoples behavior at all. People are still going to get food to-go and sit outside somewhere else, Swindell said.

On Thursday afternoon, a pair of friends ate lunch from Bongo Burger seated in the back of a pick-up truck parked on Center Street. There may not be a table you can sit at, but you can still get food and sit on the curb or sit on a pick-up truck for that matter, said Brandon Imbes-Auf-Ingabritzen.

For now, people in the restaurant business are making it work, stay-at-home order or not. Gueveras hours at La Burrita have been cut by a fourth since March, but he is earning enough to get by in the meantime, grateful that his boss prioritized fellow employees who had families. He knows that wont last forever, though. If it does pass that year mark in March, money is going to start running out. Ill probably try to find another job, Guevera said.

Eliyans playing the long game, too. He is hoping for government aid to push his business through to the summer. Honestly, we are accumulating debt right now with rent that is not fully paid. Were hoping there will be some kind of a stimulus package that can help us pay our rent and pay our staff, Eliyan said. I dont think anything will change until the summer. That is our goal to survive until summer of 2021.

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Berkeley diners and restaurants weigh in on the latest outdoor dining ban - Berkeleyside