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While were already expecting a fairly large number of unscheduled free agents to join the market this winter by way of COVID-induced non-tenders, Major League Baseball could also get significant additions to free agency by way of international players coming to the States.

One player, in particular, might just be the prize of the class, and hes reportedly on his way.

Meet Ha-Seong Kim, a soon-to-be 25-year-old Gold Glove, base-stealing, high-contact, offensively well-above-average shortstop set to make his Major League Debut for some lucky team in 2021. He is likely one of the best prospects in baseball:

As you can see by his stats, Kim has been an impactful player throughout his time in the KBO, leveling off with a consistent 140 wRC+ over his last two seasons, while always hitting above average overall. Best of all? Gotta love those trends in strikeout rate, walk rate, and power. He keeps adding a bit more power and walks while striking out less and less.

Hes also considered a plus on the bases and in the field, with every ability to stick at shortstop long-term.

I think Kyle Glasers notes on Kim from back in May before his excellent 2020 season, mind you do a good job of illustrating his skillset and projected abilities:

Hes a 24-year-old shortstop who hit .307/.389/.491 with 19 home runs, 104 RBI and 33 stolen bases in 37 attempts for Kiwoom last year. Kim is a solid all-around player who projects to stick at shortstop. He is a good athlete with good instincts at the position and has the average arm strength to stay on the left side of the infield. He projects to be an above-average hitter and has enough power to hit 12-15 home runs per year in the majors.

Kim is likely to face an adjustment period at the plate when he first arrives in the U.S., but he has the athleticism and twitch to adjust and eventually hit major league velocity. He is a plus runner who adds value on the bases as well.

Again, if that write-up makes you excited, remember that Kim went on to slash .304/.396/.522 (140 wRC+) this past year with 27 home runs and 21 more stolen bases in his age-24 season. Because of his age and talent level, Kim would obviously be a top-100 prospect and one of the top-10 free agents available this winter.

Of course, just because he has become available and can negotiate with all 30 teams at once doesnt mean that process looks similar to a normal MLB free agent. Specifically, whenever Kim does eventually sign a new deal, the winning team will have to pay a fee to his current KBO team, and that fee is on-top of (not withdrawn from) whatever contract Kim signs.

Posting Fee Schedule:

20% of the contracts first $25M

17.5% of the contracts next $25M

15% of anything beyond $50M

So lets say, for example, that Kim signs a deal worth $75 million (which is completely made up, because, frankly, I have *no clue* what a player like him will be able to command given the current financial landscape). The team would actually pay out $88.125 million total ($75M to Kim and $13.125M to the KBO Kiwoom Heroes). Thats just something to keep in mind.

But Ive strung you along long enough lets talk about the Cubs.

Do I think Kim is an interesting potential Cubs target? Well, of course! Hes young, talented, and available at a position of theoretical need by which I mean the Cubs have a hole at second base and have a shortstop, Javy Bez, heading into his final year of team control.

The Cubs could theoretically 1) play Kim at second base alongside Bez for a year before moving Kim to short long-term and letting Bez walk, 2) play Kim at shortstop immediately with Bez shifting to second for a year, before letting Bez walk, or 3) keep both in their long-term plans up the middle by signing Kim and eventually extending Bez, playing these guys at whichever position suits them best. (Drools.)

But given the Cubs financial situation this offseason, I really dont know how much money will be available, even for a seemingly perfect fit like Kim. The Cubs likely dont have zero money, but every indication is that things will be tight. Could they make an exception for a very young, long-term piece like Kim? Might they view this and next years offseason budgets together as one unit, since so much money will come off the books after the 2021 season? Maybe Im stretching because I want the Cubs to add a potentially perfect bat to the mix? Yup!

Of course, even if Ha-Seong Kim does not wind up a realistic target for the Cubs, that doesnt mean that his availability on the free agent market wouldnt impact them at all. Specifically, it could affect them by way of pushing Bez slightly closer toward an extension.

Consider that this offseason, shortstops Didi Gregorius, Marcus Semien, and Andrelton Simmons will all be free agents. And next offseason, shortstops Trevor Story, Brandon Crawford, Jose Iglesias, Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, and Bez will all be free agents. That is a LOT of starting shortstops becoming available over the next 12-14 months (i.e., a lot of competition on the market). Might the existence of another, even younger talent like Kim push Bez to extend sooner than later to avoid being left on the outside looking in? I could see it.

Increasingly, we see the guys viewed as the tip-top of the market getting tip-top dollars, and then everyone else getting squeezed out. Right now, especially after this past season, its hard to argue that Bez is the tip-top guy among that list of names. Playing out the 2021 season and hitting free agency could come with a lot of potential reward for Bez, but also a lot of risk.

Ultimately, the dream scenario for the Cubs is probably locking up Bez AND grabbing Kim while you can especially considering the Cubs top positional prospects play completely different positions (catcher (Miguel Amaya) and center field (Brennen Davis)), and its not yet clear if Nico Hoerner is an everyday guy or a super-sub long-term. And given the financial realities of the franchise at the moment, that might be a heck of a lot more doable than dreaming on a massive deal for Seager, Lindor, or Story.

In any case, for now, the headline is that Kim is coming, and a whole lotta teams are really going to want him. We hope the Cubs are one of those teams, and well be tracking this story closely in the coming weeks.

Brett Taylor contributed to this post.

Read the original here:
Top Korean Hitter Ha-Seong Kim to Be Posted to Major League Baseball - bleachernation.com

Marthas Vineyard towns are seeing a boom in residential construction projects, as building demands soar both up-Island and down. And while the majority of the activity appears to be in renovations some of them massive new construction is on the rise in some places too, Island building inspectors told the Gazette in recent interviews.

Renovations sometimes massive account for much of the activity. Mark Alan Lovewell

The driving force behind the surge is the booming real estate market on the Island, inspectors said.

During the early days of the pandemic, a months-long construction ban halted nearly all work Islandwide for much of the spring. But when the ban was lifted near the start of summer, the demand for building permits fairly exploded and has continued with no letup, according to a wide array of reports, both data-driven and anecdotal. Residential building permit applications began to surge beginning around July, while throughout the summer downtown streets could be seen lined with construction vehicles and pickup trucks, a trend that continues into the fall.

Numbers tell part of the story.

Edgartown building inspector Reade Kontje Milne said during the height of the lockdown from March to June, the town issued 159 building permits, 121 fewer than the same time period last year. But by mid-summer, activity had picked up and has remained steady ever since, Ms. Milne said.

From the start of July through the end of September, Edgartown issued 200 building permits, with 51 issued in July, 48 in August, and a staggering 101 in September. By contrast, the town issued 172 permits during the same period last year, recording 40 permits in July, 53 in August and 79 in September.

The mid-summer surge came as a surprise to Ms. Milne, who said the annual influx of seasonal residents and renters has historically made summertime somewhat of an off-season for building. The pattern changed a little bit because of the construction ban, it just pushed everything back, she said. Normally we would see some quiet time in July and August, we just really didnt feel that. Tisbury building inspector Ross Seavey reported a similar trend. Mr. Seavey said he issued an unusually high volume of building permits this summer, beginning with 30 permits in July, followed by 31 in August and 45 in September. Last year, he issued 20 permits in July, 32 in August and 28 in September. Mr. Seavey also estimated that applications for permits were up this year by about 10 permits in the months of June and July respectively.

Island building inspectors say they see no letup in sight. Mark Alan Lovewell

Its rare for this department to be issuing over 30 permits a month for months in a row, Mr. Seavey said in an email. In the past, an uptick month is usually followed or preceded by a lower month or months.

West Tisbury building inspector Joe Tierney said the summer surge in his town was intensified by a pile-up of projects already in progress prior to the pandemic.

The town issued 64 new permits over the months of July and September, including minor work permits and gas and wiring permits. But many permits from 2019 400 building permits were issued between March 1 and Sept. 30 of last year have just now reached the building stage, pushing the total volume of building activity higher still, Mr. Tierney said.

We could have anywhere from 100 to 150 active permits at a time, he said.

Mr. Seavey said the activity includes new construction as well as renovations. I would say new dwellings and residential renovations are the two areas that have spiked, he said. There is an increase of single family dwellings compared to year over year, but by far the majority of work thats being done in Tisbury is residential renovation . . . the numbers for renovations are definitely up, he said.

Mr. Tierney said West Tisbury too is seeing activity across the board.

Theres been a real smattering of

things people putting in decks, basements, recreation rooms. Its a little bit of everything, he said.

The scale and scope of building projects have also been larger on average this year, building inspectors said.

As homes change hands at a steady clip, renovations, additions and new construction are on the rise. Mark Alan Lovewell

What feels the most dramatically different to me is the scale of project is really changing, said Ms. Milne, noting a trend in Edgartown toward larger, more involved projects that has grown over the past few years.

We have more enormous, complicated compounds that are that are going in . . . And with something like that, while it might look like one more permit, the building, the plan review, every inspection, actually takes up a lot more time because of the scale of these projects, she added.

Meanwhile, commercial construction activity has been slim, with Edgartown issuing only 18 commercial permits from March to September compared with 37 for the same period last year. West Tisbury issued three commercial permits compared with eight last season.

As for the residential construction surge, it is a direct outgrowth of the recent burst in real estate sales activity on Marthas Vineyard, inspectors said.

What we have is a lot of inquiries from real estate agents because there are a lot of transactions happening, said Ms. Milne, who expects requests for renovation projects of all kinds in

the coming months. I think were both kind of anticipating that kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel all of those things are probably coming down the pipeline, she said.

Edgartown has issued permits for 35 more residential additions or alterations this summer than last, according to department reports.

Mr. Tierney echoed Ms. Milnes comments. Theres more to come this fall because of the real estate market, he said. People will want to do alterations and renovations.

Most towns report a sharp increase in outdoor renovations and expansions in particular, such as guest houses, deck repairs and most notably, installing pools.

Contractor vehicles line downtown streets in Edgartown. Mark Alan Lovewell

In West Tisbury, Mr. Tierney said he saw a marked increase in the number of pool houses constructed this summer, while in Tisbury, Mr. Seavey speculates that the number of pools installed surged from a typical one per month to about three or four a month this year. In Edgartown, 11 new pools were installed in the month of September alone, compared with a single pool installed last September. Island contractors and landscapers are on the front lines of the demand, scrambling to keep up with it all. Fred Fournier, who owns Landscope, an Edgartown-based landscape design company, estimated that business is up 40 or 50 per cent this year from last year. Employees in his companys maintenance and construction teams are working on anywhere from 15 to 20 projects each day, he said. And work on some larger scale and longer-term projects is expected to continue through 2023, he added.

Were extremely busy, said Mr. Fournier. The real estate market is gangbusters, people are buying houses, people are buying second homes, and third homes. And with that, they do interior restorations, they do additions, but they also do major exterior work . . . People are expanding on their exterior spaces, absolutely, a thousand-fold.

Building inspectors said there appears to be no letup in the horizon.

There was that initial increase and weve kind of stayed at that plateau, things havent dipped back down to kind of our normal levels, Mr. Seavey said.

Ms. Milne agreed. I think theres steady growth going on in the construction industry. Thats what it feels like, she said. I dont see it slowing down, just from looking at whats out there, it seems like its going to continue.

More here:
Residential Construction Is Booming on Island, Fueled by Surge in Real Estate Sales - The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News

The Cumming Police Department has seen a lot of changes over the last year, including a new chief, new hires and new vehicles, but Cumming Police Chief David Marsh said experience might be the most important change of all.

In July 2019, Marsh was sworn-in an as the new chief of the Cumming Police Department, after working with the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office since 2004.

Marsh said since he stepped into the role, the department has made some cosmetic changes for vehicles and patches and added new equipment, but the reality is the biggest change is the people, 100%.

We have, including me, 21 people working here at the Police Department, Marsh said. When I first started, we had seven, so we had a pretty strong push to get good people in, to get good people hired, to get good people working, and Im pleasantly surprised that we have been able to get that mark.

The chief said those hires have all been for uniformed officers and have run the gamut from new officers to those with experience in Forsyth, Hall and Gwinnett counties and the city of Atlanta, which he counts as a big benefit for the department.

What were really looking forward to in the future is just training and cultivating our police department around that leadership, Marsh said. We dont have a ton of shootings in the city of Cumming, which is great, which is awesome, but should we have one, its nice that we have people that know how to handle that kind of stuff.

Experience is one of the things that everyone wants to have but no one wants to get because it takes years and you have to go through hard things to learn from experience, so when you bring people in that have truly lifetimes of experience from one of the hardest places in the country, it just changes the dynamics of this place exponentially.

Experience isnt the only change the new employees have brought.

Marsh said when he came to the department, officers were not handling calls at all hours of the day, and now they are.

So that was one of the biggest pushes was to get enough officers in who we could kind of fulfill our duties as a police department and handle calls for service, he said. Thats the real basic mandate of what our job is, when 911 calls come in, we need officers that are working around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we didnt have that.

Another internal change has been the addition of a criminal investigation division to look at property and person crimes that have been committed, whereas before the job fell on one officer and was done in addition to their other duties.

What theyve been able to provide in way of investigations to our city, you cant even imagine what its like, Marsh said, and it even concerned me a little bit because, essentially, this agency, we werent investigating any property crime. Anything that was considered a person crime, we were sending to the sheriffs office and they were adding that to the list of however many person crimes that they have. I have been just so proud of their ability to take cases and work them as completely as possible.

Over the past year or so, the department has also seen some additions of new equipment including body cameras, cameras in vehicles and nine new police vehicles.

Go here to read the rest:
Marsh says the biggest change is the people since taking over as Police Chief - Forsyth County News Online

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New openings like Trader Joe's and Aspen Tap House plus other national brand updates - South Bend Tribune

Puttshack, the upscale, tech-infused mini-golf experience, has started construction in The Interlock, a $450 million mixed-use development in West Midtown, according to a press release Thursday. Puttshack Atlanta is slated to be the first U.S. location for Puttshack and is expected to open in spring 2021. It will join the brands three London locations and will be followed by openings in Chicago and Miami later in the year.

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Puttshack will fill its almost 25,000 square feet with four modern and reimagined mini-golf courses where every themed hole is its own game. It will also feature a full bar and chef-created dining menu that will open to an expansive indoor-outdoor rooftop patio space. It is a new concept from former founding team members of TopGolf, which operates an Atlanta location not too far from The Interlock.

Our successful launch, and re-openings, in the UK is proof of the power of coming together to play that is at the core of Puttshack, Joe Vrankin, CEO of Puttshack, said in the release. We are able to safely deliver fun for all our guests through our state-of-the-art safety measures, and we cant wait to bring this experience to Atlanta and so many more U.S. markets to come.

Developed by S.J. Collins, The Interlock is a nine-acre community that is walkable from end-to-end. The community boasts 200,000 square feet of technology-focused office space, 105,000 square feet for retail and restaurant space, 349 apartments, and 18 townhomes as part of the Solis Interlock, 70 townhomes by Monte Hewett Homes, and a 161-room Bellyard boutique hotel.

Puttshack is the first of many tenant spaces that will begin interior construction over the next 30-60 days as we turn spaces over, Jeff Garrison, partner at S.J. Collins Enterprises, said in the release. This is an exciting step forward in the progression of The Interlock and certainly a highly anticipated opening for this one-of-kind entertainment offering coming soon to West Midtown.

The developments other elements include the public Beeline Crossing Park, one-acre rooftop with a modern private pool club, and a lounge with a retractable roof, and a 12,000-square-foot two-story restaurant and outdoor bar with a covered patio and an infinity-edge pool. The Interlock will also house a 50,000-square-foot incubator space by Georgia Technology Ventures and WeWorks 120,000-square-foot co-working space.

[Editors note: this article was updated to clarify the Puttshack owners connection to TopGolf.]

Originally posted here:
Puttshack Starts Construction in The Interlock, Is Expected To Open Spring 2021 - What Now Atlanta

Developer Rise: A Real Estate Company applied for building permits for The Doro Downtown that show a construction cost of $46 million for the apartment and retail project and parking garage.

It also will create space for a ground-floor restaurant and a rooftop bar with views of the river, Downtown and TIAA Bank Field and surrounding development.

We believe the restaurant will also lease the rooftop space as well. It will be a bar, said Matthew Marshall, Rise vice president of development, Oct. 6.

The rooftop bar will have a private elevator service as well, he said.

Through Jacksonville Properties I LLC, Rise wants to develop the 247-unit, five-story wood-frame project over a two-story podium of development. Rise also will build a seven-level, 284-space parking garage with rooftop amenities.

Podium construction is a multistory wood-framing project over a podium of another construction style that could include retail development.

At The Doro, Marshall said the two floors under the podium will have town houses, restaurant and common area amenities like the clubhouse and leasing area.

Rise requests a Market Rate Multi-Family Housing Recapture Enhanced Value Grant of up to $6.23 million from the Downtown Investment Authority for the project.

The request is on the Oct. 9 DIA Strategic Implementation Committee meeting, which is scheduled at 9 a.m.

The grant will rebate 65% of the ad valorem tax increment generated by the project for 15 years.

The project is on 1.77 acres at 102 A. Philip Randolph Blvd. where the George Doro Fixture Co. operated. The warehouse and other buildings are slated for demolition.

Marshall anticipates a total project investment of $65 million.

The Downtown Development Review Board approved final designs May 14 for Rise to build the apartment and retail project to replace the Doro Fixture building, despite objections from local historic preservation advocates.

The oldest building on the Doro property dates to 1914 and more structures were added through 1954, according to the DDRB report, while a state review dates the original buildings construction to 1904.

The Doro Fixture building is not in Jacksonvilles Downtown National Register District and does not have local landmark status to protect it from demolition, according to a DIA staff report.

Codes-ABC Inc. of Orange Park is providing code compliance review for Valdosta Georgia-based Rises construction plans.

Marshall said apartments will comprise:

13 town houses, a mix of one- and two-bedroom units of 909 to 1,183 square feet

22 studio units of 472 to 597 square feet

40 small one-bedroom units of 600 to 642 square feet

116 one-bedroom units from 679 to 750 square feet

56 two-bedroom units from 962-1,217 square feet

Marshall said the company is not ready to release rental rates until the property management division is prepared to market the property.

He said the apartment building wraps around the garage on three sides. The north side of the parking structure facing VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena is exposed.

The site is at A. Philip Randolph Boulevard and Forsyth, Lafayette and Adams streets in the Downtown Sports & Entertainment District.

Rise General Contractors LLC, which opened an office in Jacksonville, is the contractor.

Rise paid $5.2 million for the George Doro Fixture Co. property Sept. 30 through Jacksonville Properties I LLC.

It bought the property from 102 A. Philip Randolph LLC, led by Jacksonville investors Paul and Farley Grainger.

Marshall said Oct. 1 that the company is obtaining building permits from the city. He expects demolition of the existing Doro structure and site work to begin this fall.

Marshall said construction will take about 22 months.

The review board approved The Doro design with the condition that Rise obtain a building permit for vertical construction before demolishing the Doro Fixtures structure.

The city is reviewing permit applications for the almost $59,600 demolition of the warehouse space and $50,000 in site clearing.

Doro Fixture fabricated architectural woodwork, casework and millwork. The property includes almost 62,000 square feet of warehouse space among several buildings along with a parking lot.

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City reviewing permits for construction of The Doro - Jacksonville Daily Record

Single-family homes are becoming more popular with millennials. Offices and multi-family housing are falling out of favor. Warehouses are in big demand. And factory conditions are improving for robots.

The effects of the pandemic on the construction industry are accelerating some trends as new ones emerge, economic analyst Chris Kuehl said Oct. 6 during his keynote presentation at the 2020 virtual fall conference of the Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance.

"It's difficult to make grand national predictions about construction because it's so local, but the promise for construction is pretty positive going into 2021," said Kuehl, the managing director of Armada Corporate Intelligence, a Lawrence, Kan.-based consulting firm.

The commercial side of the construction industry "has done relatively well collectively" thanks to demand for new warehouses all over the U.S., according to Kuehl.

"The growth area right now is warehousing," he said. "As supply chains have changed, people are focusing more on the warehouse and inventory. That's something they haven't had to do for really the last two decades. The just-in-time system was by far the popular system, but it's now creaking a little bit because it's hard to count on that global supply chain."

Manufacturers also are constructing new facilities as they automate more operations.

"This is the irony," Kuehl said. "Back when it was just people working in a manufacturing facility, it could be dirty, un-air conditioned and nasty. The people will deal with it. Robots and computers don't like it and they refuse to work. So the manufacturers have to update their buildings to accommodate the robots."

Also in the commercial sector, Kuehl expects office construction to decline or be flat.

"We know many people will stay working from home. We also know the frustration level of working from home has begun to rise," he said.

On the residential side, spending on remodeling will continue to grow into 2022, possibly at a faster rate, Kuehl said. Many homeowners are staying put and taking on improvement projects, including work-from-home updates like new doors and energy efficient windows.

"Energy conservation is wrapped all around what you do and it's one of the things that could see a real boon," Kuehl told fenestration trade group members.

Those who are moving are leaving the bigger cities and taking advantage of low mortgage rates. They don't have to commute to work anymore and can live in a more remote area.

Urban life also is losing its charm for millennials once drawn to U.S. cities to be near a variety of eateries, entertainment and cultural events. Kuehl said these kinds of services used to make up about 60 percent of consumer spending, particularly for the Gen X and Millennial categories.

"They don't buy things as much as they buy experiences and travel and that's what got cut off. If you're a consumer used to spending your money on restaurants, traveling and concerts, well none of that's allowed now," Kuehl said.

Some millennials are sitting in one-bedroom studios in cities seeing greener grass in the suburbs and beyond, he added.

"Millennials are getting more interested in single-family homes, which will boost that sector quite a bit," Kuehl said. "They have been the most resistant generation to single-family homes but they're starting to move of out of the multi-family preference."

Multi-family housing starts will begin declining, he added.

Kuehl said he planned to talk about what a post-COVID economy will look like when he was named this summer to be the keynote speaker.

But with 34 million cases worldwide and the death toll exceeding 1 million, he focused more on what 2021 might bring.

"We're now working in highly unusual circumstances and its having a series of impacts on the economy," Kuehl said.

He expects higher unemployment to be around for a while.

"It has increased rapidly. It will remain high indefinitely," he said.

He also said business and personal bankruptcies will increase, adding the data is getting worse by the month and will be highly concentrated in the restaurant, hospitality and travel industries.

"This wasn't a financial sector collapse as in 2008-09," Kuehl said. "It was imposed and because of that it started abruptly and could conceivably end abruptly. We're not sure at this stage how it ends. There's lots of conjecture. Do we have to wait for a vaccine to be distributed? Do we have to wait for the pressure on hospitals to be reduced? Do we have to wait for some sort of herd immunity."

And even when a vaccine is available, when do the restrictions change, he wondered.

"Do we wear buttons that say I've had the vaccine, I don't need to wear a mask," Kuehl asked. "It's going to be difficult to go through that to say the least."

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Construction outlook 'pretty positive' going into 2021 - Plastics News

Oakland chefs Julya Shin and Steve Joo were biting their nails waiting for building permits so they could finally make their dream restaurant a reality.

It was March. The repeated delays were increasingly frustrating as theyd hoped to open Nokni, a modern Korean restaurant, in the summer. But when the pandemic hit, the chefs faced a brutal choice: Do they push forward, hoping they can make enough money when they open despite watching other restaurants fail? Do they give up on the restaurant and lose all the time and money they spent planning? Or do they try to wait as long as possible, hoping for a speedy vaccine and an improved economy?

Its a position many Bay Area chefs and restaurateurs found themselves in this spring. Between the planning, funding and construction, it can take years to open a restaurants doors. Some have optioned to put their restaurants on hold indefinitely, others are still trying despite new challenges. But the choice isnt always up to them if an investor or bank loan falls through.

For Shin and Joo, the permit delays were a saving grace. If the permits had arrived on time, they would have been in the throes of construction when shelter-in-place orders hit. Instead, they had the chance to think and ultimately walk away from the restaurant entirely.

We were on the edge of the river, not in the river, Shin said. If youre waist deep, youve started building, youve sunk this much money you just dont know. It could still work. To walk away from the money youve spent is really difficult.

The pandemic has already torn through the Bay Areas restaurants, but its impact on the future of the restaurant scene namely, all of the planned but yet-to-open restaurants is still unclear. Several projects slated to open this year, such as the Jamaican-Malaysian-Iranian combo Calabash in Oakland and the La Cocina Municipal Marketplace in the Tenderloin, still intend to open next year following construction delays. But after that batch opens, some in the industry wonder if months will pass before anything new arrives.

That may depend on how many chefs can afford to keep waiting. Benu chef Corey Lee secured a Mission District space for his highly anticipated Korean restaurant San Ho Won more than a year ago. Jasmine Peterlin, project director for Lees restaurants, said they have no idea when the restaurant might open now. Dominique Crenns casual Salesforce Tower restaurant Boutique Crenn was almost ready to open when the pandemic hit, but now its on hold indefinitely due to the lack of foot traffic downtown.

Fine dining chef Scott Nishiyama similarly hopes to wait out the pandemic, though he still hasnt started construction for his upcoming Palo Alto restaurant, Ethels Fancy. He feels lucky his building permits came late so he could hit the pause button without spending much more money.

He could walk away if he needed to without experiencing a crushing financial loss. But he spent two years hunting down the location in downtown Palo Alto and doesnt want to let it go.

I want to feel confident once we start construction that its a go and that restaurants are looking like theyll hopefully go back to being open for dine-in, he said. I think until we get a vaccine, theres no guarantee of anything.

Some would like to move ahead with their restaurants but feel forced to wait. Mike Fishman, who bought a space in the Mission District in 2018 for a new location of his popular Russian bakery Cinderella, was set to start construction this year. Now, he lacks the cash Fishmans bank stopped issuing loans to new restaurants because of the pandemic, he said.

Others, like Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of State Bird Provisions fame, preferred to take a loss rather than invest more in a new restaurant during such an uncertain time. When the pandemic hit, they were plotting a yet-to-be-named vegetarian restaurant in the Lower Haight and nearly ready to open the Anchovy Bar, an intimate West Coast oyster bar in the Fillmore. But they refocused to save their existing two restaurants, State Bird and the Progress, before attempting to get the Anchovy Bar open, now slated to open in the fall. There simply werent the time or resources to also keep the vegetarian restaurant alive, so they vacated the space.

The pragmatic choice isnt always the easiest to make. Hanif Sadr had been slowly growing his Iranian pop-up Komaaj for five years in anticipation of opening multiple locations in 2020. One finally opened in September, but he had to say goodbye to a fully funded cafe in Menlo Park. In that case, he didnt even have a choice. His investors told him the project, which was also supposed to be an art gallery and events space, simply wasnt going to work.

Komaaj is really my child. I put my life in it, he said. It was really hard for me emotionally.

At the start of the pandemic, wondering if all his work would be for nothing, Sadr went on long hikes alone, foraging ingredients along the way. Those walks inspired a new idea, Komaaj Preservation Lab, which preserves foraged and donated ingredients using traditional Persian methods. It was a way to stay active without opening restaurants thats how you compromise, he said.

For other chefs, those compromises look like pop-ups and new companies touting specialty products. Even if the Bay Area continues to lose brick-and-mortar restaurants, the food scene will hum in different ways. While Noknis Joo is currently spending his time cooking for private clients instead of working on a restaurant, hes hopeful the future will bring unusual opportunities hes never considered before.

No matter what happens within the industry, even with all the unknowns, Joo said, one thing that remains true is there is a deep pool of talent and really creative, passionate people who want to be able to work in some way that involves food.

Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker

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Some of the Bay Areas most anticipated restaurants for 2020 are in COVID-19 limbo - San Francisco Chronicle

Willamette Valley wine country will continue to seep into city limits next year when a new vineyard, winery, and restaurant opens in Portlands west hills. Amaterra, perched on Miller Road near West Haven-Sylvan, will specialize in pinot noir and chardonnay, with city views, 12 acres of vineyard land, and a gravity-flow winemaking facility.

Amaterra comes from Willamette Valley winemaker Matt Vuylsteke, behind micro-winery 51Weeks, and Werner Nistler, the founder of retirement community chain Touchmark. Nistler and Vuylsteke initially collaborated when Nistler opened his estate, Swede Hill; those vines will become the foundation for Amaterras vineyard, near the Touchmark location off SW Barnes Road. The winery will focus on pinot noir and chardonnay, with an adjoining restaurant that will also serve as the tasting room for the winery. Once its open, Amaterra will host concerts and weddings on its outdoor lawn, as well.

Details are scarce at this point the team has yet to announce the restaurants chef but the construction of the winery, restaurant, and its indoor and outdoor event spaces have already begun. Amaterra is expected to open in the spring of 2021, near the intersection of Miller and Barnes Road the address has yet to be finalized with the county.

Amaterra [Official] Vineyard adds unique touch to forthcoming West Hills retirement community [PBJ]

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Amaterra Winery Will Open in Portlands West Hills Next Year - Eater Portland

Joseph Sanches is the president of D. Stephenson Construction Inc. (DSC), the largest African American-owned general contracting firm based in Florida. DSC was founded in 1992 and specializes in the construction of educational facilities, municipal buildings, multifamily residential, airport and other facilities throughout South Florida. Some of the firm's projects include the West Palm Beach Fire Station No. 8, New South Bay Villas, the Urban League of Broward County Community Empowerment Center, Florida Memorial University Athletic Center and the Boca Raton Public Safety Information Management Center.

Prior to joining DSC Mr. Sanches was the chief of support operations at the School District of Palm Beach County (SDPBC). While there he managed more than 3,000 employees, oversaw more than $2 billion in construction projects and managed 29 million square feet of schools, offices, warehouses and other facilities. He is largely credited with leading SDPBC's sustainability focus, including developing sustainable policies and procedures which have earned him a place on the board of directors for the U.S. Green Building Council and the SDPBC a designation as a National Green Ribbon School District.

Mr. Sanches previously worked in New York, Atlanta and the U.S. Virgin Islands for some the country's largest construction and program management firms, including Heery International, Tishman Realty & Construction and Bovis Lend Lease, where he managed the planning, design and construction of malls, hospitals, prisons, multifamily residences, historic structures, government buildings and infrastructure improvements.

He earned a bachelor's degree in construction management from Pratt Institute and an MBA in management from Baruch College. He holds a Florida general contractor's license and he is a LEED Accredited Professional.

Mr. Sanches is on the board of directors of the Black Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. He is also actively involved in the Minority Builders Coalition, National Forum for Black Public Administrators and several other community organizations.

The Miami Times is the largest Black-owned newspaper in the south serving Miami's Black community since 1923. The award-winning weekly is frequently recognized as the best Black newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

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Meet The President Of D. Stephenson Construction | Miami, FL Patch - Patch.com