Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

May 29, 1935March 15, 2012

James M. May, the founder of Mayco Printing, died Thursday in his Hamburg home. He was 76.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. May attended Burgard Vocational High School and served in the Navy from 1952 to 1956, where he learned to print. He worked in various printing jobs before deciding to head off on his own, starting a small business in the basement of his home.

In 1973, he borrowed $2,000 and opened Mayco Printing on Abbott Road in Buffalo. The business grew, and he eventually moved to Seneca Street, where his son, James R., joined him. Mr. May partially retired in 2002, and his son took over the business.

Mr. May had a number of hobbies, including flowers and a love of animals. At one point, his print shop on Abbott Road looked more like a floral shop. But visitors would have been more surprised to find an 18- foot python named Hugger in the back room. Mr. May had a number of animals through the years, including horses, raccoons, birds and his beloved pug, Buddy, who remained by his side throughout the last years of his life.

His other hobbies included aquariums, terrariums, woodworking and magic. He freelanced as a magician for childrens parties and restaurants. He built bird houses in his basement. His final woodworking project was remodeling a doll house he built in 1990 for his first granddaughter, working countless hours until his death. He also enjoyed going to area casinos.

In addition to his son, he is survived by his wife, Carmela; three daughters, Rosemarie Merk, Annmarie Korbar and Jacqueline Medley; and another son, Ralph.

A memorial service will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday in Dannys Restaurant, 4300 Abbott Road, Hamburg.

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James M. May, founder of Mayco Printing, veteran

A committee of students, professors and administrators is working with EHDD Architecture to develop plans for the renovation of Pomona College's Robert S. Millikan building.

The committee, which is made up of students and faculty from the Math and Physics & Astronomy departments and representatives from the Office of Facilities and Campus Services and the Dean of Students Office, hosted a brainstorming session March 8 in Millikan's math lounge.The event allowed interested students to meet the architects in charge of the project and offer input while Physics Professor David Tanenbaum whipped up some liquid nitrogen ice cream.

EHDD, a San Francisco-based firm, has also worked on the Monterey Bay Aquarium and various LEED certified buildings.

One major point of discussion at the meeting was whether to attempt a renovation of the current building or to tear it down and rebuild it completely. Committee members said that while the plans are still vague, they will likely include a science courtyard that would replace the parking lot currently behind the building, in hopes of improving the aesthetics and sustainability of the area.

Students use Millikan both during the day for classes and at night for mentor and study sessions.

There are lots of people here after hours, said Allison Miller PO 12, a math major. Miller mentioned one student who routinely slept at Millikan and then went to his morning class in the building.

At the event, the architects from EHDD asked students to mark on a diagram the ways they entered and exited the building and the paths they took inside the building. The architects collected these diagrams and will use them in creating design plans. The architects also asked students to suggest any ideas they had for a renovation that would make for their ideal Millikan.

Some of the more outlandish ideas included a particle accelerator in the basement, a hot tub time machine in the courtyard and the exclusion of any 90-degree angle from the building. More realistic suggestions ranged from more windows, an additional staircase and better study spaces.

An intense discussion on the merits of chalkboards versus whiteboards also raged on for several minutes as whiteboard advocates suggested that the chalkboards be replaced with the less powdery and noise intensive dry erase system.

Millikan was built in the 1950s and is the final science building to undergo renovation, or potential demolition. The renovation is not only occurring to improve lab, office and study spaces, but also because the current plumbing and air-conditioning systems leave much to be desired.

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Students Work with Architects on Millikan Remodel

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Filled with art inside and out, the new Johns Hopkins Hospital building is the result of a unique and close collaboration between artists from across the country, a curator, a group of architects, Michael Bloomberg and Johns Hopkins. Together, the team has helped to create not just a state-of-the-art medical facility but also a haven that will feature over 500 works of art created for the facility by more than 70 artists.

The new Johns Hopkins Hospital building is one of the nations largest hospital construction projects. It features The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Childrens Center, named in honor of the mother of New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloombergphilanthropist and Hopkins alumnusand Marjorie B. Tiven, Commissioner of the New York City Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps & Protocol.

"Through these exceptional artists and architects, we have created a unique space that incorporates art and design thoughtfully and with attention to detail, said Michael Bloomberg. The center has a calming presence and creates a healing environment for all the families that pass through these doors, the expert medical professionals who work here, and for the Hopkins and Baltimore community.

The new hospital building also includes the Sheikh Zayed Tower, for adult care, named after the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder and first president of the United Arab Emirates.

This was a collaborative effort that included a team from Johns Hopkins, the architecture firm of Perkins + Will, the landscape architects from OLIN, along with consulting architect Allen Kolkowitz and curator Nancy Rosen.

The resulting highlights include:

The goal is to create a humane and dignified experience for those under stress, says Michael Iati, senior director of architecture and planning, Johns Hopkins Health System. The art created for the building and the buildings design are central to elevating the experience of coming to the hospital. Visitors and patients may not be able to quantify this directly but they will feel the buildings uniqueness and comfort.

For over two decades, Michael Bloombergthrough his philanthropic and corporate efforts and his public servicehas demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting and promoting the use of art as an essential element in the creation or refurbishment of both public and private spaces. The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Childrens Center, along with the recent opening of the William H. Bloomberg MDA Jerusalem Station, exemplify his continued commitment to creating world class medical facilities that are enhanced by the use of art and architecture.

Bloomberg is a 1964 engineering graduate of The Johns Hopkins University and a longtime supporter of the University and Johns Hopkins Medicine. He served as the chairman of the Universitys Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2002, overseeing the largest fundraising campaign in the Schools history. He also is the largest donor in the 132-year history of the Johns Hopkins Institutions. The hygiene and public health school at the University was named the Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2001 to recognize his commitment and support. In addition, he has generously supported many other programs, projects and scholarships including the Institute for Cell Engineering, the Institute for Malaria Research, the Bloomberg Physics Building as well as the re-development of the main campus, Gilman Hall and Brody Center.

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Over 70 Artists, a Curator, and Architects Incorporate Art and Architecture to Enhance Healing at the New Johns ...

Regional News of Thursday, 22 March 2012

Source: GNA

Ms Sherry Ayittey, the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, on Thursday appealed to architects to design buildings that could capture sunlight into the interior parts to help reduce the heavy burden of electricity.

She explained that with the cost of electricity rising, there was the need for buildings to be designed such that the roofing, windows and doors could capture sunlight during the day for the bulbs to be turned off to save energy.

Ms Ayittey made the call when addressing the opening session of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), in Accra.

The meeting would brainstorm on past achievements, challenges and chart a good path for the architecture industry.

It is on the theme: The Architect and National Development and sought to discuss areas that would help the industry to design buildings that could withstand the test of time.

Ms Ayittey said it was sad to observe that though there were a wide range of credible professional bodies with the requisite expertise to contribute to the sustainable and harmonious development of the built environment, there was rapid deterioration of the natural environment over the years.

She said the serious problems confronting human settlements and the continuous deterioration in the country was the failure of practitioners in the development of the built environment involving planners, architects, engineers and environmental and social scientists.

Ms Ayittey said since both urban and rural communities were vulnerable and could be adversely affected by the high risk of future climate change it was advisable to promote participatory and stringent land use and planning services as well as zoning codes.

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Sherry Ayittey urges architects to design buildings to capture sunlight

Originally published March 22, 2012 at 5:43 PM | Page modified March 22, 2012 at 11:13 PM

Seattle developer Security Properties has proposed a six-story apartment and retail building in Columbia City that may be anchored by a PCC Natural Markets grocery.

PCC has signed a letter of intent to lease the 25,000-square-foot ground-floor space at Rainier Avenue South and South Edmunds Street, according to several sources.

Tom Monahan, PCC's marketing manager, wouldn't confirm that. "We have interest in that neighborhood," he said, "but no lease in hand."

The 1.5-acre property, considered ripe for redevelopment, is now the site of Columbia Plaza, a retail mall built as a supermarket in the 1950s. Security Properties is in the process of buying it from HAL Real Estate of Seattle, which acquired it in 2007.

HAL had development plans of its own, initially proposing a 306-unit apartment complex with 8,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

But, since the property is in the Columbia City Historic District, new construction requires approval from the city's Landmarks Preservation Board. And its members agreed last spring that the bulk and scale of HAL's project conflicted with the neighborhood's character.

HAL and Security Properties starting talking about a sale last summer and signed a contract last fall, said John Marasco, Security's chief development officer.

Security's proposed project has fewer apartments only about 200 and more retail, nearly 30,000 square feet. Parking for about 260 vehicles would be provided, according to preliminary paperwork filed with city planners.

Marasco said he's confident his company can succeed where HAL failed with historic-preservation advocates. "The biggest difference is, we've actually got the benefit of all those [board] meetings with HAL," he said. "We think we can give them what they're looking for."

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PCC grocery could be part of Columbia City project

A Chittenango businessman soon will be the new owner of the Skaneateles Village Hall.

The village board Thursday voted 5-0 to accept the high bid of $830,000 made by Rick Moscarito.

Moscarito, president of Fingerlakes Luxury Homes Inc. in Chittenango, said he hopes to renovate the lakefront village offices for retail space on the first floor and living space on the upper floors. He is working with Skaneateles architect Robert Eggleston.

Weve been going around and around with ideas, but nothing is set in stone yet, Moscarito said. Whatever I choose to do with the building, its going to be absolutely beautiful and compliment the buildings surrounding it, in addition to preserving the historic look of the building.

Moscarito, 42, owns a development company, Ty-Cass Property Development, that renovates and constructs homes and commercial buildings in Central New York and the Finger Lakes region.

Moscarito, who spends his summers in Skaneateles, said he has renovated two homes in the village, one on Genesee Street and the other on Fennell Street. He also demolished and built another home on Fennell Street.

Those properties, along with two other homes on Owasco Lake about 10 minutes from Skaneateles are run under Fingerlakes Luxury Homes, Moscarito said. One of the properties on Owasco Lake has been renovated, while renovations are about to begin on the other, he said.

In 2007, Moscarito bought Chittenangos Hippie House mansion on Madison Street, and preserved the landmarks high ceilings, thick walls and Italian-style architecture before he moved his two consulting businesses there. The mansion, built in 1864, became known as the Hippie House because it was regularly occupied by bikers and transients.

We try to preserve the historic integrity of every building that we work on, Moscarito said.

The Skaneateles Village Board decided to sell its village offices at 46 E. Genesee St. to consolidate offices and put the building back on the tax rolls.

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Chittenango man plans to convert Skaneateles village hall into retail, residential space

NEW YORK, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Adolfo Carrion, former Deputy Assistant to President Obama and Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, and former Region II Regional Administrator for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development has joined CSA Group as Senior Advisor for Corporate Development.

"We at CSA Group are very excited and honored that Adolfo has agreed to join our firm," stated JJ Suarez, Chairman and CEO, CSA Group. "Adolfo's proven track record in empowering urban communities throughout the United States, coupled with his economic development experience, will be of vital importance as we continue to position CSA Group as a first-in-class, full service project delivery firm in the Infrastructure and Building markets."

CSA Group, is the largest Hispanic-owned architectural, engineering, environmental services, consulting, and construction and program management company in the United States. The firm is staffed with over 550 professionals. It is consistently ranked among the largest firms in the industry in many of its services, with offices in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, including: Puerto Rico; Florida; Pennsylvania; New York; New Jersey; Illinois; Colorado; Brazil; Mexico; Panama; Peru; Argentina; and Haiti.

CSA Group is the only architectural/engineering firm in the country with a Corporate Plus designation from the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC).

For the past three years, Mr. Carrion served as a Presidential Appointee in the Obama Administration. Most recently, as Regional Administrator for Region II of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was responsible for overseeing nearly $6 billion in HUD investments in New York and New Jersey.In this capacity he worked with members of Congress, mayors, city managers, and local public and private sector stakeholders to ensure HUD's policies and programs worked to create economically competitive, environmentally sustainable, and opportunity-rich communities. Mr. Carrion also served as intergovernmental relations advisor to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.

Prior to his HUD appointment, Mr. Carrion served as Deputy Assistant to President Obama and Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, where he was charged with coordinating the policies of cabinet agencies into an effective agenda for cities and metropolitan areas in the US.

Adolfo's work at the White House resulted in the establishment of a White House Urban Policy Working Group and the first comprehensive interagency review in 30 years of federal government approaches and funding in urban and metropolitan areas. His work launched a set of policies and initiatives that aligned the work of federal agencies to offer place-based competitive opportunities for stakeholders throughout the country. These include, among many others, Regional Planning and Sustainability Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, Choice Neighborhoods, The Interagency Partnership on Sustainable Communities, The White House Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, the Strong Cities/Strong Communities Fellowship to assist troubled cities, a coordinated effort to end veterans' homelessness, and a proposal to Congress for a National Infrastructure Bank included in the American Jobs Act.

At the time of his White House appointment, Mr. Carrion was serving his second term as Bronx Borough President and President of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO). As Borough President, Mr. Carrion ushered in an era of building and growth in The Bronx that increased annual investment in the borough from $361 million in 2002 to almost $1 billion in 2008, including the development of 40,000 new housing units, 50 new schools, and two million square feet of office and commercial space. Working with his colleagues in the NYC Council and the NYS Assembly, Mr. Carrion shepherded the plan for a new Yankee Stadium and the stadium area redevelopment.

Adolfo is an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow alum, has served on numerous governing boards of not-for-profit and governmental entities, and is a renown speaker on issues related to urban policy, smart growth, demographics, metropolitan and regional planning. He is also known for his motivational speaking skills. Adolfo holds a master's degree in urban planning from Hunter College in New York City.

Mr. Carrion, 51, was born and raised in New York City and is married to Linda Baldwin, Director of the U.S. Department of Justice S.M.A.R.T. Office. He is the proud father of three daughters and a son.

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Former Deputy Assistant to President Obama, Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, & NY/NJ Regional ...

Recent federal contracts, deals and bankruptcy filings involving Maryland businesses include the following:

FEDERALAmerican Truck & Bus of Annapolis won $44,395 from the General Services Administration for cargo vans.

Brown & Co. CPAs of Largo won up to $7 million from the Department of Agriculture for audit remediation services.

Cherry Hill Construction of Jessup won $7.69 million from the Department of Transportation for improvement services. Place of performance will be in Alexandria, Va.

Consulting Network of Middletown won $17.72 million from the Navy for engineering services.

Development Alternatives of Bethesda won $45.63 million from the Agency for International Development for professional, administrative and management support services.

Dulaney Center Business Trust of North Bethesda won $3.13 million from the General Services Administration to lease up to 18,560 square feet of office space.

Earlbeck of Baltimore won $61,215 from the Army for welders and accessories.

Ingenium of Greenbelt won $2.75 million from the Air Force for information technology services.

J.S. International of Silver Spring won $137,432 from the Army to repair dual temperature water piping.

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Gazette.Net: Contracts, etc.

Posted: Thursday, March 22, 2012 9:56 pm | Updated: 1:55 am, Fri Mar 23, 2012.

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP No one was injured a blaze that ripped through a Pennsylvania Avenue home in the Croydon section of Bristol Township Thursday night.

The fire broke out around 9 p.m., according to Croydon Fire Co. Chief Tom Tryon. At one point during the battle, flames were so intense that Tryon ordered all crews out of the structure.

The fire was caused by an electrical cord that was plugged into a laptop that was under a bed, officials said.

As fire crews were finishing up at the scene, police were called to break up a fight between restoration company workers who had arrived at the home. No one was arrested, fire officials said.

George Mattar, 215-949-4165; email: gmattar@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @mattarmuses

2012 phillyBurbs.com . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Fire heavily damages Croydon home

CONCORD, N.H. -- The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department won't need as much volunteer help this year stocking millions of inch-long salmon fry (young salmon) into the Merrimack River basin because of an exciting new development. About the same number of fry will be stocked, but fewer rivers are being targeted because Fish and Game does not want to stock on top of fry that may have hatched in the wild.

Last fall, adult salmon were released into the Souhegan, Baker and upper Pemigewasset rivers, and successful spawning was confirmed by monitoring radio-tagged fish and counting redds (salmon nests). The shift in strategy was inspired by a record number of 402 returning Atlantic salmon counted at the Essex Dam fish lift downstream in Massachusetts in the spring of 2011. Similar increases were recorded on salmon rivers throughout Maine and Canada. The increase in numbers allowed Fish and Game to take some big steps toward answering questions about natural salmon reproduction.

It has been 35 years since the first salmon fry were released in the Merrimack River watershed under the current Atlantic salmon restoration program, which is funded by the federal Sport Fish Restoration Program. Before 1976, Atlantic salmon had been missing from the waters of the Merrimack since the first attempt at salmon restoration ended more than a century ago in 1895. The original salmon population had been extirpated by dams built in Lawrence and Lowell in the early 1800s.

Optimism ran high in the early days of the modern program. Targets for adult salmon returns were set in the thousands. The program became a catalyst for habitat restoration, land conservation and fish passage projects throughout the Merrimack watershed. Yet the goal of achieving a sustainable salmon run has remained elusive, with an average of 121 adult salmon returning to the Merrimack River each year.

The restoration program holds the first 300 returning Atlantic salmon at the National Fish Hatchery in Nashua, where their eggs are used to produce the millions of juvenile salmon that are stocked throughout the Merrimack River watershed each year. Until 2011, this target was only exceeded once, with 331 salmon returns counted in 1991.

Salmon returns have typically been low because populations throughout North America are in decline. Poor survival in the ocean has been a major obstacle to salmon restoration efforts throughout the region. This remains true despite the closing of an ocean fishery off the western coast of Greenland, where Atlantic salmon congregate before migrating back to their home rivers. Determining the potential cause, or causes, of declining marine survival is a major focus of current research.

"If ocean survival is cyclical, then it is reasonable to believe that salmon restoration can succeed," said Matt Carpenter, a fisheries biologist who coordinates New Hampshire's salmon restoration program. "However, if there has been a fundamental shift in the North Atlantic ecosystem because of a changing climate or other factors, then salmon restoration may not be possible."

It was with this uncertainty about the marine phase of the salmon's life cycle in mind that regional anadromous fisheries planners began, in 2010, to rethink the strategy of the Merrimack River Salmon Program. A common theme has been scaling back hatchery production and shifting focus toward evaluating the potential for natural salmon reproduction in the watershed. This looks especially promising in the Souhegan River, where a recent dam removal has made salmon spawning habitat accessible for the first time in the history of the program. Releasing adult salmon and evaluating their ability to spawn in the wild, rather than waiting until we reach a minimum target of 300 fish before breeding adults are released, will tell us whether the Souhegan River contains habitat that is capable of supporting a sustainable salmon population if marine survival improves.

"It was encouraging to see that marine survival did improve, at least for salmon returning in 2011," said Carpenter.

Fish and Game will continue to monitor the progress of salmon breeding in the wild in the Souhegan and other rivers. In two years, biologists will be able to sample for juvenile salmon, called parr, in areas where successful spawning was recorded.

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A Shift in Strategy for Merrimack River Atlantic Salmon Restoration