Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Drew Harwell, Times Staff Writer Drew HarwellTampa Bay Times In Print: Wednesday, October 17, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG The Tampa Bay Rays are seeking permission to bat around ideas for a new ballpark, a hopeful sign for developers of a potential stadium in the Carillon Business Park.

But to really take off, the Rays Park at Carillon project will need support from an even bigger team: the office, retail and apartment leaders who would run the businesses beyond the field.

Commercial real estate brokers and lenders said the proposal pitched by developer Darryl LeClair has legs: centered among Tampa Bay's biggest cities, Carillon has a booming office sector and plenty of room to grow.

But some doubt that the striking project, which LeClair's firm CityScape estimated could cost up to $570million, could attract enough business muscle to keep it from falling apart.

"There's a lot of skepticism that people would go there, a lot of skepticism that it would get funded, and a lot of skepticism that it would be successful," said Darron Kattan, a managing director at Tampa commercial real estate firm Franklin Street.

"The Rays do not have a track record of drawing in a big audience, and that's something lenders and developers will look for," Kattan added. "Real estate investors would be very cautious about putting their money out there, simply because it's unproven."

No major league stadium blends nonbaseball construction and the playing field to the same extent as this proposal, where 1.6million square feet of attached buildings and retail space form a large part of the outer walls.

Site plans call for a halo of Mediterranean Revival-style offices, retail space and apartments surrounding the ballpark's outer plaza, with a "premier hotel" on the first-base line and a concert venue beyond center field.

CityScape has promoted Carillon's mid Pinellas location as key to its success, better able to entice Tampa fans than the Rays' downtown St. Petersburg home at Tropicana Field.

Read more from the original source:
Retail and real estate experts mixed on whether proposed Rays stadium complex in Carillon is viable

By Drew Harwell, Times Staff Writer Drew HarwellTampa Bay Times In Print: Wednesday, October 17, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG The Tampa Bay Rays are seeking permission to bat around ideas for a new ballpark, a hopeful sign for developers of a potential stadium in the Carillon Business Park.

But to really take off, the Rays Park at Carillon project will need support from an even bigger team: the office, retail and apartment leaders who would run the businesses beyond the field.

Commercial real estate brokers and lenders said the proposal pitched by developer Darryl LeClair has legs: centered among Tampa Bay's biggest cities, Carillon has a booming office sector and plenty of room to grow.

But some doubt that the striking project, which LeClair's firm CityScape estimated could cost up to $570million, could attract enough business muscle to keep it from falling apart.

"There's a lot of skepticism that people would go there, a lot of skepticism that it would get funded, and a lot of skepticism that it would be successful," said Darron Kattan, a managing director at Tampa commercial real estate firm Franklin Street.

"The Rays do not have a track record of drawing in a big audience, and that's something lenders and developers will look for," Kattan added. "Real estate investors would be very cautious about putting their money out there, simply because it's unproven."

No major league stadium blends nonbaseball construction and the playing field to the same extent as this proposal, where 1.6million square feet of attached buildings and retail space form a large part of the outer walls.

Site plans call for a halo of Mediterranean Revival-style offices, retail space and apartments surrounding the ballpark's outer plaza, with a "premier hotel" on the first-base line and a concert venue beyond center field.

CityScape has promoted Carillon's mid Pinellas location as key to its success, better able to entice Tampa fans than the Rays' downtown St. Petersburg home at Tropicana Field.

Continued here:
Retail, real estate experts mixed on whether proposed Rays complex in Carillon is viable

Kolkata, Oct 17:

A US trade mission comprising 20 US companies and organised by the US Foreign Commercial Service of the US Department of Commerce and the American Institute of Architects, has made a halt at Kolkata on a three-city tour of India.

The first Architecture Services Trade Mission from the US aims to introduce US firms to Indias rapidly expanding market for architectural and engineering services and to assist them in pursuing export opportunities in the sector.

According to Dean R. Thompson, US Consul-General in Kolkata, this was one of the largest trade delegations to visit Kolkata since 1999.

"We stopped at Chennai first and then came to Kolkata, from here we will be moving to Bangalore. It is an exciting time to be in India," he said at a press meet to announce the purpose of the trade delegation here on Wednesday.

The sectors that hold high potential for US architectural firms include master planning, regional and neighbourhood design, as well as architecture for ports, hospitals, healthcare facilities, airports and other transportation infrastructure.

shobha.roy@thehindu.co.in

Read the original post:
US architecture services mission acquaints itself with Indian market

A historic train caboose has made its final journey.

Caboose 715, one of a series belonging to Flaglers Florida East Coast Railway, left its base Oct. 1 at the Florida Pioneer Museum in Florida City for its new permanent home at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum near Zoo Miami.

The wooden caboose arrived at the Florida City museum in January 1967. It is believed to be the last of its kind of 60 previous existing Florida East Coast cabooses numbered 701-760.

We are happy to know that caboose 715 has a permanent home now, said Richard C. Beall, an engineer for Tri-Rail who took on the much-needed restoration project of the old girl three years ago.

But sending it to its permanent home at 12450 SW 152nd St., accomplished with a $6,500 anonymous donation, is one step toward saving the old caboose.

Caboose 715 is gradually deteriorating and the restoration phase requires $79,000 in funding, $8,000 which has already been donated, followed by the actual restoration.

In 2009, when Beall and his wife were dinning at the Capri restaurant across the street from the Florida Pioneer Museum, he went to visit the caboose.

There were large holes in the roof, and I could literally put my hand through her rotten siding on the south side, Beall said.

Bob Jensen, president of the Florida Pioneer Museum, said that community efforts have twice restored Caboose 715 to near original condition once after Hurricane Andrew only to have vandals destroy their work over time.

In fact, more damage came from vandals than hurricane Andrew, Jensen said.

See the rest here:
Historic caboose gets a new home, restoration hope

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas said on Wednesday he was not sure he would be able to put down a rebellion by several backbenchers that is threatening to bring down the center-right cabinet as early as next week.

The central European government lacks a safe parliamentary majority and without a deal with a group of deputies in his Civic Democrats (ODS), Necas will lose a confidence vote tied to tax laws due to be debated in parliament from next Tuesday.

The government has proposed to hike the country's two sales tax rates by 1 percentage point each and to raise taxes for top earners to squeeze the budget gap to 2.9 percent of gross domestic product next year from 3.2 percent this year.

Necas said there could be no deal if the dissenters aimed to oust him, which some observers see as the real motive, rather than their stated aim of avoiding tax hikes at a time the economy suffers from a recession.

"If the heart of the matter is factual content of policy, then certainly it is moving towards some kind of an agreement," Necas told reporters. "If something else is at the core of this, for example replacement of the ODS chairman or the prime minister, then clearly there can be no agreement."

The tax plan was criticized by ODS founder, President Vaclav Klaus, in what became a rallying cry for a group of seven deputies to challenge Necas, although they had backed the tax hikes in several previous votes.

Klaus also undermined Necas ahead of a party congress on Nov 2-4 by vetoing a bill needed to start pension reforms next year.

Necas needs every single vote to win, given that his coalition's strength has shrunk through defections and a split within a junior coalition party to 100 seats in the 200-seat lower house from 118 it won in the 2010 election.

The rebels have been gaining strength, with some regional ODS officials joining the criticism of tax hikes after the party widely lost regional polls last weekend, following years of austerity and exposure of past graft dealings.

Necas offered a concession this week, which would raise only one of the tax rates. But the rebels said that was not enough.

Continued here:
Czech PM uncertain he can survive tax vote as deadline nears

A former Windsor cabinet minister said she's being flooded by calls to run for the leadership of Ontario Liberal Party.

Sandra Pupatello was the MPP for Windsor-West for 16 years and served as Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

She told CBC News the idea of being leader didn't occur to her until McGuinty resigned on Monday night.

"The opportunity was certainly not there, so no one would have been thinking about it," she said.

McGuinty will continue to serve as premier until a new leader is chosen by the party.

Windsor-West MPP Teresa Piruzza said that process might take a while. She told CBC Windsor that it might take until February or March of next year for the party to find a replacement.

The other prominent Liberal in Windsor is current Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.

University of Windsor political science professor Lydia Miljan said if Duncan was interested in eventually becoming leader then McGuinty's timing wasn't helpful.

"It's almost as if Dalton McGuinty's choice and decision to resign the way he has really undercut any aspirations for Dwight Duncan. This isn't the way you promote your minister of finance," Miljan said.

Running for the leadership is a "huge and weighty decision," said Pupatello.

Originally posted here:
Former Windsor MPP considering a run for Liberal party leader

Moscow (dpa) - Russian President Vladimir Putin sacked a cabinet minister on Wednesday - the first such sacking since he returned to the Kremlin five months ago.

Oleg Govorun, 43, minister for regional development, was the man leaving his job, the Kremlin said. He had been appointed to the job by Putins predecessor Dmitry Medvedev, who is now Russias prime minister.

Putin criticized Govorun on live television in September, after which the official went on sick leave.

The Kremlin in recent days repeatedly denied that the snubbed Govorun had resigned.

Putin has named Igor Slyunyayev as a replacement.

Slyunyayev will pay special attention to deteriorating government-owned buildings, particularly apartment buildings, Putin said, according to an Interfax news agency report.

Russias Ministry of Regional Development is responsible for improving infrastructure in the 83 provinces and regions of the worlds largest country.

Commentators have accused Medvedev of failing to protect Govorun, in the latest development in the convoluted relationship between the prime minister and president. dpa wj um sbk mat Authors: Wolfgang Jung und Ulf Mauder

More here:
Russia's Putin sacks cabinet member appointed by Medvedev

The United Association of Storm Restoration Contractors (UASRC) has added Roofing Contractor Marketing (RCM) as a Premium Associate Member. RCM is for Roofing Companies who want to dominate the internet in their market. The foundation starts with strong roofing websites and then Roofing SEO to attain top internet positions and marketing dominance.

Round Rock, TX (PRWEB) October 17, 2012

The UASRC Associate Member program is designed to give organizations involved in the storm restoration industry the opportunity to support the UASRC and our charitable outreach programs. Our mission is to promote the highest ethical standards in the catastrophe restoration industry, adhering to a code of professional conduct, educating property owners about the insurance restoration process, and giving back to the community through outreach and charitable programs. To contribute as an Associate Member means you are committed to these same standards and looking to help elevate the industry to a higher level of quality and reliability.

The UASRC promotes Associate Members through various methods including web branding, press releases, social media, highlighting participating companies on our member outreach programs and connecting with our member companies. The level of promotion depends on the level of commitment.

The five levels of membership are:

Basic

Standard

Premium

Flagship

Private

Original post:
UASRC Announces Roofing Contractor Marketing as a Premium Associate Member

Roofing contractor Fort Lauderdale, FL specialists at Roofing Emporium are now working seven days a week. This extension of the residential and commercial services is designed to provide faster services to homeowners and business owners that need roof related repair work completed.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (PRWEB) October 17, 2012

Contracting delays are one of the issues that a homeowner or a business owner could face after storm damage is reported. There are hundreds of licensed contractors working in Florida although manpower can be limited immediately after weather damage happens. The recent expansion of contractors at Roofing Emporium is one way that this company is helping to overcome contractor delays. Roof repair assessments and roof installation estimates can now be received online from the Roofing Emporium website to help speed up the services provided in North Florida.

Roofing materials are one key aspect of strengthening a roof and protecting it from future damage. While a variety of materials are used in roofing, some companies have made the switch to develop energy efficient products as well as those that are wind resistant. The Owens Corning company is one of the most trusted names in the roofing industry for quality and performance. The Roofing Emporium contractors now use Owens Corning materials for repairs and installation work.

Water damage is one of the factors that can lead to roof weakening and roofing material deterioration. Not all insurance companies offer protection again mold growth that can be present on roofs in Florida due to the high humidity levels. Part of the new materials now used by Roofing Emporium contractors includes algae and mold resistant shingles. This effort is now used to prevent mold growth from happening and spreading to other sections of a roof that can lead to weakening or other severe deterioration.

The new seven days a week work schedule for Roofing Emporium is part of a greater initiative to provide expedited services in North Florida. Roofing Emporium also has expanded its services into nearby states to allow a broader range of services to be available to homeowners and business owners.

About Roofing Emporium

Roofing Emporium provides its residential and commercial roofing services to North Florida homeowners and businesses. These experts are among the contractors that are known as the first responders to reports of weather damage. Roofing Emporium has invested heavily into its company and has now improved its website and contractor database. Online services include helpful information for homeowners and business owners as well as online quote capabilities. The state licensed contractors that are available through Roofing Emporium are now being referred seven days a week.

Garrett Wadford Roofing Emporium 904-900-2801 Email Information

View post:
Roofing Contractor Fort Lauderdale, FL Specialists Now Work Seven Days a Week at RoofingEmporium.com

GREENVILLE On second thought, Vickie Glasscock is not resigning as the executive director of Phoenix Charter School in Greenville, at least not yet.

A story in Tuesdays Herald-Banner indicated that an emergency meeting of the schools board of directors had been called for Monday night, concerning Glasscocks announcement that she was resigning her position immediately.

Glasscock issued a statement Tuesday evening, indicating that the notice which had been sent by the schools legal representative to the Herald-Banner the night before was issued prematurely.

The article ... was, unfortunately, a premature announcement of my resignation from Phoenix Charter School, Glasscock said. In my 14th year at the school, I would not resign my position lightly. The Board of Directors did not accept my resignation, and we agreed to continue moving forward to achieve our goals and raise expectations for the school year. We will always agree to focus on our students and their success.

We have many initiatives planned for this year: a roll out of one to one laptops for all secondary students, new additions to our Career and Technology Classes, STEM Classes, Drum Corps, and more Experiential Learning Opportunities. We also have increased our student enrollment, community partnerships, and experienced Instructional Leaders.

It is an exciting year of growth for Phoenix Charter School, and I am honored to be a part of it.

Continued here:
Glasscock not resigning yet