Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

according to the architects, meaningful social change can be achieved by following four main principles: 1. building economically, to the benefit of the client; 2. earmarking a bigger share of the budget to labor costs rather than expensive imported materials, (this also benefits the local population by empowering them with construction skills); 3. an adaptive and future-proof spatial scenario that can respond to unpredictable needs, to the benefit of the client and the island; 4. using materials and human resources from iran, to reduce construction and transportation costs and increase the GDP, to the benefit of the whole country.

image by tahmineh monzavi

architecture has the capacity be a mediator in the middle ground that converges the interests of different groups, from the state and investors to various classes and groups of people, concludes the design team. majara does so in bringing together the owners of land from the neighboring port of bandar abbas who organize an annual landart event in hormuz, the investors from the capital city tehran, and the local people of hormuz as partners in the project. see ZAV architects previous work on designboom here.

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by soroush majidi

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by payman barkhordari

image by soroush majidi

video by somayeh saeidi

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by payman barkhordari

image by payman barkhordari

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by tahmineh monzavi

image by tahmineh monzavi

diagram image courtesy of ZAV architects

diagram image courtesy of ZAV architects

diagram image courtesy of ZAV architects

diagram image courtesy of ZAV architects

diagram image courtesy of ZAV architects

topographic plan of majara residence in its context image courtesy of ZAV architects

space usage plan image courtesy of ZAV architects

section AA image courtesy of ZAV architects

section BB image courtesy of ZAV architects

section CC image courtesy of ZAV architects

project info:

name: presence in hormuz 02location: hormuz island, irancompletion year: 2020gross built area: 10,300 sqmarea: 4000 sqm landscape area: 6,300 sqm

design team architecture firm: ZAV architects website | instagramlead architects: mohamadreza ghodousi, fatemeh rezaei, golnaz bahrami, soroush majididesign assistants: sheila ehsaei,sara jafari, payman barkhordari, mohsen safshekan, kaveh rashidzadeh, hossein panjehpourlandscape: maryam yousefi, morteza adibinterior design: sara jafari, taraneh behboud, sara nikkar, mohsen dehghanlight consultant: tajang lightsupervision: soroush majidi, payman barkhordari, sheila ehsaeimodeling: somayeh saeidipresentation: fereshteh assadzadeh, somayeh saeidi, arshia hashemipour, dorsa tavakoli, sara fallahzadeh

owner: ali rezvaniclient: ehsan rasoulofstructural design: behrang baniadam, rouhi touskicivil engineering: farhad beigielectrical engineering: pejman moradian mechanical engineering: saeid afsharianculinary manufacturer: matbakh araenvironment consultant: salman rasouli, roya yazdizadehaccommodation consultant: nasim mosavarphotography: tahmineh monzavi, soroush majidi, payman barkhordarivideo: somayeh saeidi

construction team project constructor: amir tehrani nobahariconstruction manager: hormat ghasemiconstruction vice-manager: ramin koulaghani, amin timasmechanical constructor: javad irandegani, hamid haji posht-e-golfloor constructor: davoud etemadifenestration builder: mehra companyinterior plaster: gholamali abbasiexterior plaster: esmaeil salimiconstruction painter: farzad moharamilogistics: nabiollah timas, borhan pouyan, ali ghanbari, ayoub owj hormozi, khalil owj hormozi, abdolhamid hormozi, davoud hormozi, ali ghalandari zehi, farhad shadan, assad gedri, abbas gedri, ali ghazi, majid bazmandeh, ali nasernia, rahmat ghalandari, davoud mohtaji, morteza mohtaji, mohammad vahedi, mosayeb zarei, kambiz naroui, yasser naroui, nassir narouii, din mohammad naroui, mojtaba farhadi, abbas nasaji, esfandiar khorshidi, khoubyar khorshidi, jalal bameri, ghassem bameri, enayat karami, reza amirian, eshgh ali, nabi akrami, mohammad moallemi, sajad gholampour, seyfollah rasouli, ali golzari, soheil khedmatkari, hosein zohouri

philip stevens I designboom

dec 07, 2020

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ZAV architects builds a village of domes on iran's hormuz island - Designboom

This Trinity Bellwoods couple spent $75,000 transforming their new backyard into a cozy retreat

Fraser Fullard, an investment banker, and Martha Ziolkowski, an interior designer and ceramicist, bought their Trinity Bellwoods house in February, just before the pandemic kicked into high gear. Once it became clear that theyd be stuck at home for the foreseeable future, they embarked on a drastic backyard renovation, turning a sad patch of grass into a cozy 400-square-foot, cedar-filled escape with a stone fountain, fire pit and plenty of hidden storage. Heres how they did it.

Fraser: Martha and I met on Bumble in 2018. I loved how happy she looked in all her photos, and her fantastic sense of adventure.

Martha: I was drawn to Frasers sarcastic humour. We bonded over our shared experience in the corporate grind, since Id worked as an engineer and management consultant in my late 20s.

Fraser: Our relationship progressed quickly, and we bought a house at Yonge and St. Clair four months after we started dating. After two years, we started hunting for a new place in January.

Martha: We werent feeling the neighbourhoods vibe. Were in our early 30s, and we wanted to live somewhere more lively.

Fraser: We settled pretty quickly on Trinity Bellwoods. Martha grew up near High Park and has always loved the west end. We have lots of friends in the area, and we loved the idea of living closer to nightlife and great restaurants. Plus, access to the park would be great for our one-year-old Labradoodle, Oscar.

Martha: The housing market was pretty lean back in January, so it was a scary time to be looking. Anything that came up was selling fast and attracting bidding wars. We knew we had to move quickly if we wanted to get a place.

Fraser: In early February, we saw a a semi-detached, three-storey home with a basement unit and tenant. We fell in love with it the second we saw it. The house dates back to 1880, and the owners recently renovated it down to the studs, with a mix of heritage elements and modern comforts. Then they flipped the property as an investment.

Martha: It had a lot of warmth. We loved the charming wall of exposed brick on the main floor and the original railing upstairs. We also loved the master suite on the third floor, with a bedroom, walk-in closet and bathroom.

Fraser: We decided to put in an extra-strong offer so we could add a condition to walk away penalty-free if we werent able to sell our St. Clair home. There were about five other bids on the house, which was stressful. We traded the condition for a higher price, and they accepted our offer of $1,825,740, with an end-of-May closing date. The previous owners hadnt touched the backyard, but that didnt bother us. At first, our only focus was putting up some sort of gate so Oscar could safely run around. We planned to add a little more design and flair inside but leave the backyard as is.

Martha: Before we moved in, we painted everything white, updated all of the bathrooms with custom marble vanities, added a wood-burning fireplace to the living room, replaced all the lighting fixtures and installed a Sonos WiFi speaker system throughout.

Fraser: We ended up selling our St. Clair house without any issues and moved into the new place at the end of June.

Martha: Once we realized wed be stuck at home for the rest of summer and likely fall, we decided to go full-throttle on making our outdoor space as livable as possible. There was a small patch of grass, which was sunken in some spots, with a pipeline running through the yard. It smelled terrible, and there were flies.

Working around the Covid restrictions over the summer was trickyespecially when it came to in-person meetings and who was allowed on the property. I worked closely with our landscape architect, Sander Freedman. I was inspired by a fountain I saw on Pinterest and wanted to bring in stone, wood and greenery to create a relaxing space. We also had an outdoor fire pit from Best Buy that we wanted in the centre of the space.

Fraser: There was a lot of work to do. Construction started in late July with Peter Kim of J.B. Kim Landscaping, and his team worked until October. We poured in concrete for the base of the lounge area and along the side of the house.

Martha: The design evolved over the course of the project. I met with Peter practically every day. Originally everything was going to be made out of cedar, but Peter is an extremely creative metal worker, and he suggested we add architectural pieces, like fencing around our barbecue area.

Fraser: It made the space feel contemporary. Theres still a lot of cedar, but the black metal accents throughout add a great contrast. One challenge was creating space for our sporting equipment. We have a lot of bikes, golf clubs and skisitems youd typically store in a garage or basement. But we didnt have either, so we designed a storage area underneath the back porch. We spent a few weeks digging down to make room. Now its a full-height, weather-proof 75-square-foot space and the perfect place to store all our gear.

Martha: I love how peaceful the backyard is. When it was warmer, the sound of the water trickling out of the stone fountain really helped us bliss out after a long work day. And the uplighting adds such a great vibe when we look out from our kitchen in the evenings. The whole space feels airy and chill. We extended the Sonos audio system from the house into the back. I even ordered patio heaters so we can enjoy it throughout the rest of the winter.

Fraser: Before the latest lockdown, we hosted some socially distanced get-togethers, and the backyard felt like a true extension of the house. I love the idea of it being an outdoor room that flows naturally with our open-concept first floor. The additional 400 square feet in the backyard is definitely useful these days, with the two of us working from home.

Martha: We were scheduled to have an 80-person wedding at Langdon Hall in August, which fell through because of Covid. We decided to go up there anyway for four days in October, and eloped with just the two of us, our officiant and photographer. So, in a way, our new house and backyard helps make up for the big celebration and honeymoon that we werent able to have this year. Wed never have spent this much on the backyard renovation if it hadnt been for Covid. The whole project cost about $75,000. But now that its finished, we use it every evening. We bundle up, turn on the Christmas music and sit together with wine.

Excerpt from:
This Trinity Bellwoods couple spent $75,000 transforming their new backyard into a cozy retreat - Toronto Life

If you have wanted a spa bath, now may be the time to install it.

Last week the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and John Burns Real Estate Consulting (JBREC) released their third-quarter 2020 Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI.) For the first time this year, theKBMIis above 50, at 61.9; up from 44.2 in Q2 and 41 in Q1. Scores of 50 indicate expansion and scores below indicate contraction.

NKBA members rank the overall health of the industry at 6.9 (on a scale of one to 10,) just below the 7.2 reported in pre-COVID Q4 2019. While confident about current business conditions at 56.5, industry members are even more optimistic about future conditions, which they set at 66.9 as 2020 draws to a close.

As we approach the end of an unprecedented year, the industry outlook is promising, said NKBA CEO Bill Darcy. While COVID-19 will continue to present challenges to the supply chain, labor and spending, were grateful to be one of a few industries that has actually seen growth in response to consumers spending more time at home and looking to make their spaces more functional in this new normal. Kitchen and bath professionals are well-positioned for continued success into the coming year.

The Do-It-Yourself aspects of the kitchen and bath remodels kicked in as soon as Americans began to sequester at home, Darcy says.

Paint sales in big-box stores went up immediately, followed by more intensive home improvement projects.

Consumers have undertaken a lot of remodeling in 2020, but significant opportunity remains, especially for the kitchen and bath market, going into 2021, notesTodd Tomalak, Principal at JBREC. Much of the already completed renovation work has focused outside the home redoing decks, gardens and outdoor entertaining spaces in response to COVID-19 restrictions.For many families working and schooling from home, 2020 wasnt the ideal time to redo a space as essential as the kitchen or bathroom. As such, we anticipate continued activity for kitchen and bath remodeling next year.

In the first half of 2020, NKBA members predicted negative sales for the year, but Q3 brought better news for the industry, which now expects a 1.1% increase in YOY sales compared to 2019. In fact, Q3 sales in 2020 were up 2.1% from 2019, and sales grew 5.9% since last quarter overall ranging from designers, who saw a smaller 3.2% increase, to manufacturers, who experienced a significant 9.6% rise.

More than half (62%) of all companies surveyed report COVID-19 drove higher demand to their business in Q3. While the crisis continues to have some adverse effect on the industry, with 29% reporting the pandemic has led to lower demand, its negative impact has lessened each quarter and, at 5.9 (on a scale of one to 10), is nearly 30% lower than the Q1 rating of 8.1. Among those industry professionals who havent seen demand return to normal levels, 29% expect it to do so in 2021.

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Kitchen And Bath Remodels Up During COVID-19 Restrictions - Forbes

The Week

No one expected Donald Trump and his supporters to lose the 2020 presidential election graciously, least of all those of us who thought he had a much better chance of winning it than public polling suggested.This is why, in one sense anyway, I think we should not put too much stock in surveys like this one, which suggests that only a quarter or so of Republicans "accept" the results of this year's election. Ever since Democrats and their allies in the media began using this phrase in the fall of 2016 in a bad-faith attempt to secure some kind of worthless pledge from Trump (they would ignore this apparently world-historic imperative by spending the next four years insisting that Trump was not himself the duly elected president), I have found myself asking exactly what it is supposed to mean. Does the result of a presidential election depend upon our attitudes concerning it? You might as well ask people whether they "accept" the results of bad weather or personal financial setbacks.Which is why I believe it makes more sense to see the conservative response to the 2020 election not as some bizarre new development on the American right or even as the outgrowth of QAnon and other conspiracy theories, but rather as the inevitable culmination of a process that began long ago.For decades now it has been clear that the flipside of Americans' veneration of the office of the presidency, which combines the functions of head of government and head of state into one extraordinarily powerful title, is our insistence that presidents whom we do not ourselves support cannot be just that: politicians we did not vote for and would just as soon not see re-elected. Instead, the opponents of virtually every president in my lifetime, from Bill Clinton to Trump, have insisted that he was at the very least illegitimate, if not a tyrant.These vague inclinations have a way of justifying themselves. After years of omnidirectional scandalmongering by the House GOP, Clinton was impeached in 1998. George W. Bush, who owed his election to a Supreme Court decision that outraged half the country, spent most of his eight years in office being compared to characters from dystopian novels and to various historical dictators; everything was the subject of intense, indeed at times ludicrous scrutiny, from his invasion of Iraq to his re-election in 2004, which was the basis of another of conspiracy theories involving (what else?) the manipulation of electronic voting machines. Barack Obama's legitimacy was cast into doubt by his enemies long before his inauguration thanks to the so-called birther controversy, which actually began during Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential run. Meanwhile Trump was accused by liberals of being some kind of Russian plant from the minute he took office, a ludicrous fiction of which his previous opponent appeared to be convinced four years later.Complaining about supposed democratic norms is a mug's game. In a country in which authority tends to be understood in what might politely be described as conditional terms, it should not be surprising that the sizable portion of the electorate supporting one candidate should reject the other. The days when people of my grandparents' generation calmly insisted that the person in the White House deserves our full respect and support regardless of one's vote are as remote as the gold standard or smoke-filled rooms at party conventions.My guess is that at some point, likely well beyond the point at which it serves any purpose save those of nostalgia and self-aggrandizement, we will come to regret our inability to acknowledge the victories of presidential candidates we dislike, much less to hope for their success in office. The presidency is too powerful for it to; if our constitution had been meant to give us something more akin to the partisan and provisional office of prime minister, I suspect we would be in a very different position.In the meantime, however, insisting that only one half of the country should greet the results of presidential elections with unconditional enthusiasm makes about as much sense as asking why 70 million people should have been allowed to vote for the losing candidate.More stories from theweek.com 7 criminally funny cartoons about Trump's potential pardon spree The GOP is driving itself mad Trump gets a judicial reality check

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Kitchen and bathroom remodeling made simple with Granite Transformations of North Phoenix - Yahoo News

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The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are 220,000,000 shower heads installed in homes across the United States. They also estimate that about 10 percent of those shower heads are replaced each year due to wear and tear, bathroom remodeling and other reasons.

Here's what to know about buying and replacing a shower head if you're in the market for a new one.

Your shower head, along with your shower faucets, are part of your overall shower system. And the shower head, of course, is where the water comes out.

Most shower heads manufactured in the U.S. follow the National Pipe Thread standard of 1/2-inch. This helps ensure that any shower head you choose will fit into a standard shower elbow. Still, it's worth noting the outside diameter of your shower elbow and desired shower head before buying, especially if you're considering one manufactured outside the U.S.

There are three main types of shower heads:

Fixed shower heads are mounted on the wall of your shower. You can usually angle them and even adjust their height, but you can't remove them from the wall. Most people prefer multi-function shower heads like the Tibbers Shower Head that lets you change the spray pattern and pressure.

A popular option within the fixed shower head category is the rain shower head. These extra-large shower heads can be mounted on a wall or a ceiling to create the experience of standing under rainfall. They're great for anyone looking for a luxurious, spa-like shower experience. One well-rated option to consider is this Voolan Rain Shower Head.

Handheld shower heads let you hold and direct the water wherever you want. They usually have a flexible hose and are mounted on the shower wall with a bracket. This can be a good option if you regularly wash pets or children in your shower, are recovering from an injury, have mobility issues or just want an easy way to clean your shower. You can buy just the shower head or a set, like the AquaDance High Pressure Chrome Face Handheld Shower that also includes the hose and holder.

Dual shower heads have a handheld unit attached to a fixed shower head. They offer the best of both worlds if you can't decide between a fixed shower head or a handheld. One well-rated option is AquaDance Premium High Pressure Three-Way Rainfall Combo.

Gallery: 10 Ways to Keep the Cold Out This Winter (The Family Handyman)

If your shower space and budget allow, consider installing a fixed shower head and a traditional handheld shower head.

One final consideration is the shower head finish. Most people match their shower head to their bathroom faucets and other bathroom hardware. A few of today's most popular shower head finishes are copper, nickel, chrome, brass and bronze.

It's a good idea to replace your shower head if it:

No longer gives off good, strong water flow. This can be caused by sediment buildup, so you can try to clean your shower head before buying a new one.

Has an unfixable leak. First, see if you can fix your dripping shower.

Has substantial sediment buildup. This is especially common with hard water.

Has uncleanable mold. You can try to clean off mold by soaking the shower head in vinegar overnight and then running the hot water.

You might also decide to replace your shower head if you're doing a bathroom remodel or if you want a water-saving shower head. When shopping for an eco-friendly, low-flow shower head, look for the WaterSense label.

Note: Most shower head manufacturers offer a limited lifetime warranty, so check on that before you buy a new one.

Replacing a fixed shower head is usually as simple as unscrewing the old shower head, then screwing in and tightening the new one. A special situation arises when you need to install toggle bolts for an adjustable shower head within a fiberglass or plastic shower.

With handheld shower heads, you'll also need to screw the bracket into the wall if it's not already installed. Things get a little trickier with dual shower heads. You'll typically need to install a diverter that routes water to both the handheld and the fixed shower heads, but that is a fairly easy DIY endeavor.

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The Homeowner's Guide to Shower Heads - MSN Money

I have to wonder why so much attention is given to couples becoming engaged at Christmas time?

According to jewelry ads, and virtually every Hallmark Christmas movie ever made, more couples are engaged at Christmas than at any other time of the year.

Maybe its the chance to kill two turtledoves with one stone? The lure of making a diamond the gift for that year is just too good? Whatever the reason, its a very romantic trope.

What is often lacking, though, is some holly jolly attention to what a very married Christmas is really like. Not better. Not worse. Definitely different.

Mr. Wonderful is pretty much a saint. He has his own fans, and everyone finds him easygoing and charming. Obviously, hes awesome and every day is a fresh joy.

That said, he does tend to struggle with shopping. He has been pretty much spoiled in that my love language is acts of service far more than gifts. Nonetheless, I still like a nice box to unwrap from time to time.

He has in the past given me some amazing gifts. He has been fortunate in having a daughter. From an early age, Girl Wonder took over the care and keeping of moms wish list.

Unfortunately, with college and work taking precedence these days, she was not in the house to assist him in shopping this year. Accordingly, he kept asking ME what I wanted for Christmas. Like women since time began, I am prone to surprise me, which is not the answer he was hoping for.

My mother once told me, correctly, that men are terrible at reading minds, but theyre pretty good at doing exactly what theyre told. Plus, the best way to get what you want is to ask for it. I finally just sent him a link to a watch I might like to have. Nothing crazy. Reasonable price. Remember, I sent him the link, people.

Apparently, and we will glean more detail as the incident is reconstructed as we go to trial, the link would not work for him. Thus, he made the mistake of looking me the mother of his children and his wife of over two decades in the eye and uttering the fateful words: Just go ahead and order your own gift.

His calling hours will be held at the close of the pandemic. He was a good man, and we will miss him.

That is the kind of mistake no self-respecting boyfriend or girlfriend should ever make. Heres some cash, get your own present. No, baby. It takes marriage to make a man that brave.

A dear friend has also been married for ages. Recently her husband, who usually isnt insane, tricked her into going hiking. Shes a fit and fun type person, so she agreed to hike a few miles in the hills of Tennessee.

They hiked eight miles. Eight. Eight is not a few. Eight is an awful lot of miles. My friend was not amused.

Worse, her husband decided he really liked hiking. Im told he stomped around, swinging his arms and declaring that he felt invigorated. This led to his belief that they were going to become an outdoorsy hiking couple and be invigorated regularly. My friend can now often be heard muttering, I swear to God if he gives me hiking boots for Christmas

Once married, I did muddy the waters of gifting bliss by actually wanting things like a new vacuum cleaner, sofa or remodeling our bathroom to count as our gifts to each other. Nothing says I love you like a new wax ring.

Add children, and the very married Christmas takes on a new look. Mostly the look of surprise on Mr. Wonderfuls face as he was just as surprised as the children were as they opened their gifts on Christmas morning.

He is a wonderful, hardworking man, and his efforts provided the children with many glorious Christmas mornings. He also rarely had much of an idea what they were getting. I was the hunter and gather of the gifts, after all.

We have enjoyed 28 Christmases together. 24 of them married. Each of them more magical than the last. We dont always get the gift-giving right but the gift of laughing about it is always in style.

Married Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

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Have yourself a very married Christmas - Farm and Dairy

Brainerd Chemical Company Inc. is a major manufacturer and distributor of chemicals for research facilities, industrial plants and agricultural operations.

C L Boyd Company Inc., aka the Clarence L Boyd company, is the John Deere construction equipment dealer for much of Oklahoma and more than 100 years old. The Crews family has been involved in operations since the 1930s.

CACI is a $5.7 billion company whose mission and enterprise technology and expertise play a vital role in our national security, safeguarding our troops, and enabling our government to deliver cost-effective and high-quality support for all Americans..

Casualty Corporation of America, Inc. is a locally owned Oklahoma property and casualty insurance company based in Jones. The company commenced business in 1964.

CEC is a privately held, multidiscipline engineering firm whose collaborative, highly skilled problem-solvers provide solutions to improve infrastructure, from conception, to design, to construction. Incorporated in 1966, CEC has grown to more than 210 employees strong, with offices located in Texas, along with Oklahoma. Clients include numerous federal, state, municipal, county, government agencies and private organizations.

Central Technology Center, part of the Oklahoma CareerTech system, provides technical education leading to individual success and elevates the workforce through economic development collaborations. Last year, CTC had more than 20,000 enrollments and provided customized business and industry training to 400 companies. Training included a wide array of safety classes with an emphasis on tailoring curriculum to meet the needs of each specific industry.

City of Mustang offers wide-ranging services to the citizens of Mustang, a suburb of Oklahoma City. An award winning Library, unmatched recreational opportunities and programming, emergency services that are well planned, equipped and trained, a commitment to reinvest in infrastructure, a construction environment that is not over regulated, a fiscally conservative administration, a calm political climate and a willing and helpful team of employees are what make the organization successful.

Claims Management Resources adjusts and recovers property damage claims for self-insured entities. CMR partners with organizations in the utility industry and governmental agencies.

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Who are the Top Workplaces contenders? - Oklahoman.com

Three projects and initiatives in Covington and Ludlow received funding Tuesday from the 2020 Urban Revitalization grant program from Duke Energy.

The utility company awarded $213,500 to eight projects and small business assistance programs across the Cincinnati area.

This is the tenth year of the program which has awarded more than $2.6 million to 83 projects across the region.

Its exciting and gratifying to see how these grants have spurred development and lasting change along dozens of Main Streets across southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky over the past 10 years, said Amy Spiller, president of Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky. These urban cores are transforming into vibrant and entrepreneurial hubs with beautifully restored buildings, dynamic businesses and a diversity of new jobs.

The Duke Energy grant really uplifts and injects life into our project and inspires hope around what we can bring to the West End community amidst a health and racial pandemic, said Toilynn ONeal Turner, founding director of the Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center, which was awarded $100,000 as part of this years Urban Revitalization grants.

The reality is every dollar makes a significant impact, said ONeal Turner. And the initial dollars, for things like our architect and our surveyors and to develop our marketing strategy, these dollars are crucial for us to see the vision of this project coming to life.

Its been a wonderful experience to keep moving forward at a time when many of us are really trying to evaluate and address how were going to move forward collectively.

$10,000 was awarded to the Catalytic Development Fund of Northern Kentucky for 722 Scott Blvd. in Covington, the former site of NorthKey Community Care.

The project will create 11,600 sq. ft. of office space.

The grant funds will assist in architectural and engineering drawings, as well as other pre-development costs required to qualify for historic tax credits.

The Catalytic Fund was also awarded $15,000 for 471 Elm St. in Ludlow where North South Baking Co. is set to expand. Owner Kate Standfest owns and operates the business and is working with the Catalytic Fund to transform the property into a commercial baking kitchen to serve wholesale customers, and to offer on-site retail.

The grant will go towards architectural design and engineering services for the 3,000-sq. ft. building which was originally home to an automobile service and filling station.

The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington was awarded $11,000 in support of culinary businesses and a commercial bakery retail space.

The funding will allow the organization to offer virtual support to local chefs, many of whom completed its chef fellowship program, launched in 2016 to support local residents passionate about food, but lacking money and connections to bring their visions to fruition.

It will also allow for pre-development work on a shared retail and commercial bakery space on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

-Staff report

Image via Kenton Co. PVA

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Covington, Ludlow Development Projects Awarded Funds - The River City News

Flagler County commissioners on Monday will consider approving a $20 million loan from a commercial bank to finance the proposed Sheriffs Operations Center in Bunnell, significantly adding to the countys current debt load of $142 million and annual debt servicing of more than $11 million, records show.

Six banks responded to Flaglers Nov. 3 request for proposals to finance the loan. The countys financial adviser is recommending awarding the bid to CenterState Bank, whose Gary Lubi, a well-connected local banker and past president of the now defunct Chamber of Commerce, submitted that banks proposal: a 15-year loan at a fixed 1.83 percent interest, pending a closing on or before Dec. 18. Lubi has brokered various financing and re-financing arrangements with Palm Coast, the county and the school board over the years.

CenterStates was not the lowest bid. Capital One offered a 1.68 percent interest rate, one of J.P. Morgans four options was a rate equal to that of CenterState, and RaymondJames offered a 1.69 percent rate. Other bidders were KeyBank and Truist.

While CenterState did not offer the lowest fixed interest, Jay Glover, the countys financial adviser wrote in a memo to Jerry Cameron, the county administrator, their proposal includes an attractive draw down feature that will allow the County to draw funds down through June 30, 2022. This minimizes the interest cost in early years and gives the County flexibility on final draw if the full $20,000,000 is not needed to complete the project. When comparing the CenterState proposal to the lowest interest rate proposal (Capital One at 1.68%), there is a small present value benefit in debt service cost with the draw down feature.

The CenterState loan would bring principal and interest costs of the loan to $22.85 million.

Architects and the general contractor on the project unveiled plans for the 51,000 square foot building along the future Commerce Parkway, south of the Government Services Building complex, at a commission meeting on Monday. The county is the landlord for all constitutional officers, responsible for housing all their offices at the countys expense. The sheriffs Office vacated its operations center off State Road 100 in mid-2018 after employees became chronically sick from what was believed to be water intrusion and other issues that caused symptoms similar to sick building syndrome. The county had bought and renovated that building for $7 million less than three years before. The building was sold at a huge loss in July: the buyer paid $807,000 for it, an apparent difference of just $423,000 from the price the county paid for it in 2013, but that was before the nearly $6 million in renovations the county invested in the building. The county is still carrying that debt.

Contrary to Camerons claims to commissioners on Monday, the proposed loan for the new building will not be bonded and financed by the countys half-penny surtax that the commission approved in 2012: since the commission voted in the tax, foregoing a referendum, the commission does not have the authority to bond revenue or finance a loan from that particular tax. It will finance the bank loan through the countys portion of the states sales tax revenue.

The two taxes are often confused, as Cameron appeared to have been on Monday when a commissioner noted that the local surtax doesnt go on forever. It does if you say it does Cameron told the commissioner (the tax is not set to expire before 2032). Each tax generates about $2.9 million a year.

The small county surtax we enacted cannot be used to pay debt and cannot be used to repay this bank loan, County Attorney Al Hadeed confirmed. (Cameron himself appears to have ordered his public information office not to answer questions about his inaccurate statements on Monday. When asked what bond he was referring to on Monday, Julie Murphy, whos in charge of Camerons PR, wrote, This is not a public records request. The records, however, which were not provided by Murphy, clarify the picture, though it isnt clear why Cameron did not disclose the financial recommendations to commissioners on Monday: the countys financial adviser sent his memo on Dec. 1.)

The countys commission-approved half-penny surtax has paid or will pay for such things as the cottages at Princess Place Preserve, parking at Bings Landing, improvements at Bunnells Carver Gym and the long-planned, yet-to-be-built south branch library. Revenue from the half-penny share of the state sales tax, which may be bonded, paid for the jail expansion, the once and future sheriffs operations center, the GSB complex and will be used for a west-side fire station.

But in both cases, money spent on those projects means its money diverted from other needs. That will also be true of the financing of the sheriffs operations center, which will significantly narrow the countys ability to pay for other projects through that fund. It is difficult to conceive, for example, how the county would pay for both the operations center and a branch library. The countys available funds for unexpected projects or emergencies will also be further limited.

The loan amount for the proposed sheriffs building falls short of projected costs for the building, which on Monday were pegged at just under $21 million, when architectural and engineering fees and furniture costs are included, as they must be. The cost does not include an additional building for purchasing and logistics planned for the sheriffs grounds, and it does not include interest on the loan, all of which would push the cost well beyond $21 million.

Fortunately for the county, it has no legal debt limits.

The $142.5 million in debt the county is currently carrying was issued between 2004 and 2020. Not all of it is for general government services. For example, the nearly $10 million owed for the Plantation Bay sewer plant and water projects the commission approved this year and last are administered through a separate fund that only Plantation Bay utility ratepayers are responsible for. Thats also the case for the outstanding debt of $6.5 million from when the county acquired the plant in 2014. The airport and a Beverly Beach utility the county administers also have their own funds, outside of the general government stream.

In sum, the county currently owes $115 million through its general government funds, and $27 million through proprietary funds such as Plantation Bay and the airport. In general government, for example, the county took out a bond to build the GSB complex in 2005 and refinanced in 2015, leaving it with a still-outstanding debt of $52 million. The $33 million bond to build the courthouse in 2005 was not refinanced. The county still owes nearly $29 million on that building. (See the countys debts in detail here.)

Read the rest here:
$21 Million Sheriff's Building Would Be Financed With 15-Year CenterState Bank Loan at 1.83% Interest - FlaglerLive.com

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CINCINNATI Duke Energy today announced the recipients of its 2020 Urban Revitalization grants, which deliver $213,500 to eight redevelopment and small business assistance programs across southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

This is the 10th iteration of the companys Urban Revitalization grants. Since launching the program in 2011, Duke Energy has awarded more than $2.6 million to 83 grantees across Greater Cincinnati.

Its exciting and gratifying to see how these grants have spurred development and lasting change along dozens of Main Streets across southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky over the past 10 years, said Amy Spiller, president of Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky. These urban cores are transforming into vibrant and entrepreneurial hubs with beautifully restored buildings, dynamic businesses and a diversity of new jobs.

Video Amy Spiller speaks about Urban Revitalization grant program

On top of funding redevelopment projects in urban areas outside of Cincinnatis central business district, this years Urban Revitalization grants also provide support to entrepreneurs and small businesses that continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Duke Energy grant really uplifts and injects life into our project and inspires hope around what we can bring to the West End community amidst a health and racial pandemic, said Toilynn ONeal Turner, founding director of the Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center, which was awarded $100,000 as part of this years Urban Revitalization grants.

The reality is every dollar makes a significant impact, said ONeal Turner. And the initial dollars, for things like our architect and our surveyors and to develop our marketing strategy, these dollars are crucial for us to see the vision of this project coming to life.

Its been a wonderful experience to keep moving forward at a time when many of us are really trying to evaluate and address how were going to move forward collectively.

VideoToilynn ONeal Turner speaks about impact of Urban Revitalization grant

Duke Energy, through the Duke Energy Foundation, provided more than $2 million in grants across Greater Cincinnati communities in 2020. This includes nearly $300,000 for pandemic-related causes like hunger relief and elder care, supplies for front-line workers, and grants to struggling small businesses owned by women, veterans and minorities.

Grants provide gap funding, catalysts for further economic development

The vision for the Urban Revitalization grant program emerged during and after the Great Recession. Thats when Duke Energy leaders learned that nontraditional developers like community groups, small business owners and entrepreneurs were interested in giving new life to historic, yet blighted and neglected, buildings that once served as the epicenters of communities and neighborhoods. However, these visionaries experienced difficulties getting these projects off the ground.

Plans to restore a 100-year-old structure from top to bottom oftentimes cannot move forward due to small, but critical, upfront costs, like the development of detailed architectural and engineering plans, said Spiller. This is where the Urban Revitalization grants prove invaluable.

While our funding is modest in comparison to the costs to redevelop or revamp a property, these catalyst grants are vital for individuals and organizations to obtain the necessary credentials for seeking and securing permits, additional grants and traditional financing for construction.

Photos Urban Revitalizations grantees, past and present

2020 Urban Revitalization grantees

The following Greater Cincinnati projects were awarded grants today:

Catalytic Development Funding Corp. of Northern Kentucky

The redevelopment of the former NorthKey Community Care building will create 11,600 square feet of high-quality and desirable office space. Future tenants will value the buildings location, which is one block west of Covingtons vibrant Madison Avenue commercial corridor and 1 mile south of downtown Cincinnati, as well as its 40-space, on-site parking lot. The Urban Revitalization grant will be put toward architectural and engineering drawings, as well as other predevelopment costs required to qualify for historic tax credits. Experts believe this project could serve as a catalyst for the redevelopment of at least three neighboring properties along Scott Street.

Catalytic Development Funding Corp. of Northern Kentucky

Kate Standfest owns and operates North South Baking Co. and sells her delicious baked goods at events, cafes and coffee shops across the region. Soon shell be able to expand her operations and create jobs all while giving new life to a vacant, 90-year-old structure in the heart of Ludlow. Standfest is working with the Catalytic Fund to transform the building at 471 Elm St. into a commercial baking kitchen that will serve North South Bakings existing wholesale customers as well as offer an on-site retail area. The Duke Energy grant will be used for architectural design and engineering services related to the transformation of the 3,000-square-foot building, which originally housed an automobile filling and service station.

Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington

The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington will use its Urban Revitalization grant for two purposes. First, the funding will allow the organization to offer virtual support to local chefs, many of whom completed the Chef Fellowship program. The fellowship program was launched in 2016 to support local residents who are passionate about sharing their food creations but lack the money, language, connections and more to make their dreams come to life. The virtual support will help these individuals and other food entrepreneurs navigate the realities of operating food-based businesses during the pandemic.

The second focus of the Duke Energy grant is predevelopment work associated with the creation of a shared retail and commercial bakery retail space along Covingtons Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. commercial corridor. This future community asset will serve the broader neighborhood and provide an affordable space for local bakers looking to start their own businesses.

Avondale Development Corp.

The planned Avondale Leadership Development Center of Excellence will be a high-tech, multipurpose education and training facility serving as a hub for community members and the growth of next-generation leaders. Avondale Development Corp. will use its grant money for a variety of predevelopment work associated with transforming the 1.2 acres of vacant land in the heart of the Avondale community.

Among other amenities, the Avondale Leadership Development Center of Excellence will offer affordable office space for local small businesses; multipurpose space for community events, programs and groups; a 400-seat auditorium for major community forums and meetings of nonprofit organizations; and an industrial kitchen that will serve as a soup kitchen for community members, as well as a facility for restaurateurs.

College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corp.

Just a stones throw from recent Urban Revitalization grantees Tortilleria Garcia and Kiki, the Ruth Ellen Building at 5904 Hamilton Ave. in College Hills mid-business district is primed for a new beginning. The College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corp. was awarded a grant to begin restoring the buildings historic integrity including the removal of a deteriorating facade that was added about 60 years ago.

The grant dollars will be put toward developing architecture and construction drawings, both of which will qualify the project for the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program a requisite to ensure the projects short- and long-term viability. Once the Ruth Ellen Building is restored, it will feature 11 housing units capable of housing more than 20 residents who will add to the liveliness and strength of the College Hill community.

Hamilton County Development Corp.

The Hamilton County Development Corp. will apply its Duke Energy grant dollars toward the creation of an assistance program that aims to help small businesses, especially those owned or led by minorities and women, that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This support includes helping businesses navigate the various state and local programs and relief packages available; guidance related to cash flow, staffing, marketing, accounting, supply chain and more; and expert advice on planning for the post-pandemic recovery period and the expected longer-term shift in consumer behaviors.

Mt. Airy Community Urban Redevelopment Enterprise (CURE)

The Mt. Airy CURE is in the midst of facilitating the revitalization of the Mt. Airy business district and surrounding neighborhood, which is located in and around Colerain Avenue in northwest Cincinnati. The organization will use its grant to create conceptual renderings of its business district and commercial properties that will be used to build interest and grow momentum among developers, businesses looking to set up shop in the area and other stakeholders.

Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center

Cincinnatis West End neighborhood has a rich history, and Toilynn ONeal Turner intends to preserve and build upon it with the creation of the Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center. Named for Toilynns father, a famed Cincinnati artist and civic activist who passed away in 2018, the center will be a modern, professional-grade facility that will celebrate the works of local African American and multicultural artists. It will also serve as a multipurpose hub that houses a marketing agency, co-working studios for creatives of color, and street-level retail and event space that will host national and local performances, conferences and meetings.

The grant will fund complex architectural and engineering plans for the complete restoration and expansion of a historic, yet vacant and dilapidated, West End property that will be home to the Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center. The award will also be put toward the creation of renderings and other graphics and presentation materials to support the centers ongoing marketing and fundraising efforts.

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electric service to about 870,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to approximately 542,000 customers.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure units regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortunes 2020 Worlds Most Admired Companies list, and Forbes 2019 Americas Best Employers list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energys illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Lee Freedman800.559.3853@DE_LeeF

Original post:
Duke Energy awards more than $200000 to Greater Cincinnati ventures that aim to spark redevelopment, help small businesses - Duke Energy News Center