Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Firefighters rescued people and pets from a burning east side apartment building Friday afternoon, and five people - including one who jumped from a second floor window - were taken to area hospitals in serious condition.

All five people taken to hospitals were suffering from various degrees of smoke inhalation, and the man who jumped from the window also suffered a broken leg. Three other people were treated at the scene.

Crews were first called to the building at 5143 E. Washington at 12:24 p.m. The first units to arrive on the scene reported seeing smoke and immediately called for more help.

A nearby construction crew Sergio Construction was working across the street when the fire started. They told 24-Hour News 8 Reporter Julian Grace that they rushed in and helped residents. The crew used its own ladder to get four residents out of the burning building through a window.

"We saw the fire come in. We saw the kids and people jumped inside and put up some ladders," said one worker.

That help was key, Indianapolis Fire Department said.

"They were very instrumental in getting people out," said IFD spokeswoman Rita Burris.

IFD reports it found "chaos amongst the thick black smoke and heavy fire." Firefighters found an unconscious woman on the second floor and carried her out.

After the fire was under control, about 45 minutes after crews arrived, firefighters turned their attention to rescuing pets. Our crews watched as two dogs were brought out of the building. IFD reports five dogs and two cats in all were rescued by firefighters, though an unknown number of animals perished.

All 10 apartment units were damaged by the fire, and IFD said the building was a total loss, with damage estimated at $650,000, according to Battalion Chief Shawn Grass.

See the original post here:
Five seriously hurt in apartment fire

Some couples planning to tie the knot at Hotel at the Lafayette made their decisions, in part, because of multilevel, outdoor patios that were to be built.

The patios are no longer possible, developer Rocco Termini said Thursday, because of objections by a nearby property owner.

Termini, who is renovating the once-rundown Lafayette at a price tag of $42 million, said he was unable to convince Jake Schneider, owner of the adjacent Warehouse Lofts at 210 Ellicott St., that noise from the patios would not disturb his tenants. He would have needed Schneiders approval to buy the alley space from the City of Buffalo.

The patios are not going to happen. The City Charter says adjoining property owners must agree to the sale of the property, and Jake Schneider doesnt think its in the best interest of his property to have noise outside his apartment [building], Termini said.

Im disappointed, but I know the law, and the law is the law.

That was a bitter pill to Kenneth Sciarrino and Tina Danner, who chose the site for their July 21 wedding because of its the turn-of-the-century appeal and patio atmosphere.

It is a huge disappointment, Sciarrino said. The only other option we would have is to change our location, but that would require us to change our wedding date, which cannot happen. Were too far in at this point.

Schneider was out of town and unavailable to comment.

Molly Orton was also disappointed by Schneiders decision. She and Jason Brocious relocated to Cleveland nine months ago and are returning to Buffalo this summer to get married.

I looked at [the Lafayette site] and fell in love with the whole aspect of it. We really love Buffalo, and hope to be back there some day, and wanted to center the wedding in a place that really says Buffalo, Orton said.

Go here to see the original:
Neighbor’s objections scuttle hotel patio plans

GRAND RAPIDS The board that manages the 16-year-old Van Andel Arena is starting to look at its next 16 years.

That future could include filling in arenas south end to add more seating, adding a 900-car attached parking garage, and building in new concourses, restaurants and outdoor smoking decks, according to a 35-page study presented to the Grand Rapids Kent County Convention and Arena Authority Friday.

General Manager Richard MacKeigan said the $50,000 study by the arenas original architects, Rosetti & Associates, is not a wish list but an assessment of the potential for the 12,000-seat arena.

Im think all of these should be looked at, MacKeigan said. Im not saying any of these should be done.

Our plan is to dive into it with our team as well as our financial team to see what might work.

The biggest change would be to fill in the south end of the arena to mirror the north end facing Fulton Street. The project would create a mirror of the southern face and possibly add a three-level parking garage with retail shops on the ground floor.

The survey also looked at the buildings heating, cooling and electrical systems, concluding they aer in good condition but may need some upgrading in the future.

If the authority decides to pursue any of the improvements, MacKeigan said it will be added to the facilitys long-term capital plan.

The report was created by looking at what other newer arenas have done since the Van Andel Arena was completed in 1996 and by assessing the current condition of the facility.

The arena, which hosts more than 500,000 visitors a year, recently completed a $1 million addition to the building's northwest corner that added more concession stands and a wider pathway in that area to alleviate backups during events with large crowds.

Continued here:
Looking at the future of Van Andel Arena after 16 years

(PRWEB) March 02, 2012

Contract Carpet One, the premier retailer for carpet and flooring in Maryland and the DC metro area, announce a new look to their online presence. The Beltsville retailer gave their website a redesign with a focus on reaching their customers better, and turning more online visitors into customers.

The Beltsville carpet provider has spent over 30 years in the region, and has three generations of experience in providing carpet installation, commercial flooring, hardwood flooring and more to home & business owners.

Contract Carpets redesign of their website was not solely for aesthetic purposes, but is part of a commitment to reach the DC area and beyond, to provide all of their flooring needs. The newly-pressed site, developed on the WordPress platform, is built to increase the organic reach of Contract Carpet Beltsville.

Owner & President Kurt Zanelotti, the third generation of Zanelottis in this industry, and his company also offer expert tips and resources on their Beltsville Carpet Blog. This in hope of better educating incoming visitors on the best practices and latest trends in carpet and flooring.

About Contract Carpet One: Contract Carpet Systems/Contract Carpet One is one of the Washington areas leading floor covering providers licensed and operating in four states plus the District of Columbia.

Contract Carpet Systems was opened in 1976 by Tony Zanelotti, the son of an Italian immigrant and tile setter, Louis. Tony learned the craft of ceramic installation, before he was called into action in World War II. Upon returning to the States, Tony worked as a DC police officer while moonlighting for a local rug company before eventually opening Contract Carpet Systems.

In 1985, his son Kurt came on as the third generation of Zanelottis in the floor covering trade. Today, Kurt operates both Contract Carpet Systems, and Contract Carpet One Floor and Home as its President and Owner.

# # #

Visit link:
Contract Carpet One Redesigns Website for Leads

Extending your living space downstairs to the basement doesn't mean having to lower your design expectations. Proper lighting, well-designed feature details, potentially vibrant colours, and comforts typically associated with above-grade rooms can help transform the sometimes forgotten space below into a place where you and your family will want to spend time. True, there are many challenges inherent in remodeling lower levels low ceilings, dampness, and poor lighting, coupled with the need to preserve storage areas and utility access. But all of these can be overcome with good design, appropriate materials, and a bit of ingenuity.

Function

Most primary living areas kitchen, living room, dining room have a predetermined function. Reclaiming a basement is like discovering real estate you didn't know you owned. It's easy for your plans to overwhelm both you and the space. Start by assessing your needs. An extra bedroom? A home entertainment area? An exercise space? An office? Then ask yourself what that use will require. Insulation to muffle the sound of teenagers or music? A refrigerator or sink for serving food and drinks? Establishing different zones within a large open room is one approach that makes the most of light and sound movement.

Lighten Up

Most likely the single most important factor, lighting is key in creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere.

If ceilings are dropped, you wont want to extend them anymore by hanging fixtures below ceiling tiles, so opt for recessed pots instead. Layering is also important; have plenty of task lighting, but be sure to include ambient light in the form of table and floor lamps. Make the most of natural light if you can try and keep pathways to basement windows unobstructed to let as much natural sunlight stream in as possible.

Build in a bathroom

Almost all new construction includes a bathroom below ground level; if youre renovating, youll have to call in a contractor, plumber, and electrician for this job. Keep fixtures and colours light and bright for a feeling of maximum airiness, especially if your bathroom doesn't have a window. If youre sitting on the fence about whether or not its worth all the work, consider this: not only will it make living in the house easier, but it will absolutely increase your resale value by thousands of dollars.

Storage Space

Open concepts are great, but youll need to reserve some square footage for storage. For basements with walk-out entries, consider converting some space into a mudroom, with floor-to-ceiling cupboards and shelves for outerwear and shoes, sports equipment and tools. Craft and sewing rooms are quite popular, and can provide not only functional work space, but clever storage as well. Dont forget the so-called wasted space under the stairs: there are manufacturers now that build functional drawers and cupboard units specifically for this area.

Go here to read the rest:
Design Life: Taking your basement to a whole new level

Phihong USA 48607 Warm Springs Blvd. Fremont, CA, 94539, USA

PHIHONG ANNOUNCES NEW 50W, 4-CHANNEL AC-DC LED DRIVER WITH STANDARD DIMMING

Fremont, CA - Phihong USA, a global leader in power technology including power supplies, adapters, Power-over-Ethernet and LED lighting, has developed a new series of multi-channel drivers for indoor and outdoor lighting applications. Designated the PDA050W-450G, the driver is equipped with four outputs of 450mA and offers a standard 0-10V dimming capability.

"The lighting industry is making a decided move from fluorescent and compact fluorescent bulbs to much more cost-effective and environmentally friendly LED diodes and drivers for longer lasting energy savings," said Keith Hopwood, vice president of marketing for Phihong USA. "Phihong is committed to staying ahead of the curve by introducing a line-up of cost-competitive external AC-DC drivers to retrofit existing lighting installations as well as for OEMs and their rapidly growing demand for high quality lighting power."

The power supply is equipped with four constant current outputs of 450mA at a nominal output voltage of 24.5V DC. With an AC input range of 90VAC to 304VAC the driver can be operated at the standard North American mains voltages of 120VAC or 277VAC for residential, commercial and industrial applications. The driver bears safety approval from UL, meeting UL8750, and has outputs that are class 2 per UL1310 that are appropriate for linear fluorescent replacement installations.

The PDA050W is water-resistant and fully potted with ingress protection ratings of 65 and may operate in a temperature range of 0C to 50C. The highly efficient and reliable driver has minimum average efficiency ratings from 82% at 120VAC input to over 84% at 277VAC input and has a calculated lifetime of 50K hours at maximum load and ambient 50C.

The LED driver comes fully equipped with input over-current protection, short-circuit protection, output over-voltage protection and open-circuit protection and has a minimum power factor correction greater than 0.9. Phihong also offers a 5-year warranty on select LED drivers including the PDA050W.

Designed in a typical ballast shape and size for ease of retrofit implementation in office lighting fixtures, the series measures 242mm x 43.5mm x 30.5mm and weighs 675grams. For more information including product datasheets please visit http://www.phihong.com/LED.

About Phihong

Phihong is one of the leading suppliers of power solutions, including power supplies, adapters, LED drivers and Power-over-Ethernet products to networking OEMs. With global sales for 2010 exceeding $550 million, Phihong has engineering and manufacturing facilities in North America, Taiwan and mainland China. For more information contact Glenn Morton, Phihong USA Corporation, 47800 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538, or call (510) 445-0100, fax (510) 445-1678, email usasales@phihongusa.com, or visit http://www.phihong.com/LED.

Read more from the original source:
AC-DC LED Driver offers 0-10 V dimming capability.

by Edward Gately - Mar. 2, 2012 10:30 AM The Republic | azcentral.com

Many Fountain Hills residents have been waiting a long time to see commercial development on the south side of downtown's Avenue of the Fountains off Saguaro Boulevard.

Will residents finally see something materialize this year?

In 2007, the land was rezoned to encourage mixed-use development. The next year, the Town Council entered a development agreement for the Fountain Hills Town Square, which called for 490,000 square feet of theater, retail, restaurant, office and residential on 15 acres. But financing fell through with the onset of the recession.

Now, a new plan has surfaced to build a smaller, $28 million entertainment complex. The Avenue would include a 2,226-seat, 12-screen movie theater -- the town's first theater -- and new retail, restaurant and office space. The 6.5-acre site is at the southwestern corner of the Avenue of the Fountains and Verde River Drive, near the Fountain Hills Community Center and Centennial Circle.

The project totals more than 155,200 square feet.

The partners in the latest development are GMK Building and Development, the Fackler Trust,Haffar Entertainment Group and Sivers Cos. California-basedHaffar Entertainment would operate the theater.

George Kasnoff of GMK Building and Development and Dave Fackler of Nielsen-Fackler Planning & Development are heading up the project.

On Feb. 2, the council approved a concept plan and development agreement. The approvals came with several stipulations, such as the completion of a traffic impact study, a landscaping plan and a reduction in parking on the south side to increase the setback from the Village at Towne Center, a nearby condominium community.

Wendy Kelleher, a member of the Village's HOA board, said she and other residents had concerns about the complex and parking being too close to their complex.

More:
Fountain Hills could be strolling The Avenue

The Tuscaloosa Riverwalk development is seen in Tuscaloosa on Thursday. Another Broken Egg and Orange Leaf Yogurt, which are new to the Tuscaloosa market, will be among the restaurants in the Riverwalk condo-retail development that will open later this year.

TUSCALOOSA | An upscale brunch restaurant and a frozen yogurt shop will be among the first retailers at Riverwalk Place, the luxury condominium-retail development under construction on the citys Riverwalk.

Another Broken Egg Cafe and Orange Leaf Yogurt, both new to the Tuscaloosa area, are expected to open in late summer on the first floor of the development overlooking the Black Warrior River, said Brandon Clark, a real estate agent for the projects developer, Bill Lunsford Construction & Development in Northport.

Construction is coming along great, Clark said of the $14 million project, which will include 22 luxury condo units, plus another restaurant and four additional retail shops.

He said Lunsford hopes to have the projects certificate for occupancy for all the units from city building inspectors by Sept. 15. The certificate is the final approval needed before occupancy.

The project has 15 sales contracts for the condo units, and Clark said Lunsford hopes to announce more retail tenants soon. The one- and two-bedroom condos will be on the two upper floors of the two-building project. The condos prices start at $475,000.

Clark said inside finishing work has started on one of the buildings, which has been enclosed, and the roof will soon be in place on the second building.

Inquiries have picked up for the remaining retail space, Clark said.

When he announced the project last fall, Bill Lunsford said he was being selective in recruiting the retail tenants.

We are trying to bring in new businesses that are not in Tuscaloosa for everyone to enjoy, he said at the time.

Excerpt from:
Riverwalk will include upscale cafe, yogurt shop

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The YMCA of Greater Cleveland will move its downtown branch into the Galleria at Erieview, illustrating how developers and tenants are dreaming up creative ways to remake old retail space.

A 40,000-square-foot fitness facility, including a three-lane lap pool, will fill the southeast section of the glassed-in former mall in downtown Cleveland.

Building owner Werner Minshall plans to donate the space to the YMCA, which will undertake a $9 million renovation that could be finished in early 2014.

The deal is a much-needed win for an iconic property in a key downtown district.

For years, the Galleria has scrabbled to stay alive by leasing space to non-retail tenants and booking weddings and events. As owners of empty shopping centers have turned to churches, offices and business incubators to fill space, the greenhouse-like Galleria has garnered attention for growing herbs in its central atrium for local restaurants.

The YMCA will fill a large hole, once leased to stores including The Limited. The downtown gym, which has 3,650 members and hopes to surpass 5,500 members at the new location, could boost traffic in the parking garage, the food court and the neighborhood.

"It has been what I would call a loss leader for us for seven or eight years," Minshall said of the property. "We've managed to make do, and now with this deal we've finally turned the corner. Once it's done, the Galleria will be profitable."

After the donation, the nonprofit YMCA will essentially own a business condominium and pay fees to help operate the building.

Since 1911, the YMCA has maintained its offices and downtown branch in a historic brick building at 2200 Prospect Ave.

In 2009, Cleveland State University acquired the building, which includes 148 apartments, and leased the fitness facility and offices back to the YMCA. The university hopes to find a developer to remake the building, and nearby properties, for student housing.

See the rest here:
YMCA to move downtown branch into Galleria, taking 30 percent of the former mall's retail space

FARGO A south Fargo retail space that has long sat dormant is stirring to life.

The structure that once housed Media Play in the 4000 block of 13th Avenue South will soon be home to a DSW shoe store now under construction, building permit information filed with the city shows.

Elsewhere in the same structure, construction is expected to begin soon on space that will become an Old Navy store.

The new store will replace the current Old Navy store on 13th Avenue in West Fargo.

In addition, part of the space that housed Media Play, which closed in 2005, will be remodeled for use by Bremer Bank.

And thats not all.

A LongHorn Steakhouse will be going up soon in the former Media Play parking lot.

The restaurant is the brands first foray into North Dakota.

Likewise, the new DSW store, which offers discount designer shoes, will be the companys first store in North Dakota.

All of this development is in addition to an Ulta Beauty store that opened late last year in the same general area.

More here:
Media Play building, parking lot see new life