Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

NEW YORK, June 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Petri Plumbing & Heating, a family-owned home service company that has served Brooklyn and Manhattan for over a century, offers owners of vintage homes in the city guidelines for proper HVAC maintenance and tips for recognizing when it's time to replace your system.

"Brownstones and other historic homes have a lot of charm, but the older construction can make it difficult to efficiently regulate the temperature and air quality," said Michael Petri, owner of Petri Plumbing & Heating. "Since June is National Homeowners Month, we want to help New Yorkers know when it's time to consider an HVAC upgrade."

Most air conditioning failures happen in early summer, when the HVAC system is strained by climbing temperatures. The risk of failure increases if the system hasn't had a professional spring tune-up. Today's modern Energy Star-certified HVAC models, however, are more efficient than older systems and offer better performance with less energy and lower costs. In addition, ductless systems, programmable thermostats and zoned HVAC technology can be used to create custom solutions for most homeowners.

Petri Plumbing & Heating advises homeowners to keep these facts in mind when considering whether to repair or replace their HVAC:

Petri stresses the importance of professional consultation and installation.

"A professional will know when to recommend supplemental heating and cooling like ductless mini-splits or zoned HVAC technology to ensure whole-home comfort," he said.

As an essential business, Petri Plumbing & Heating is committed to keeping customers and employees safe while providing exceptional service. The company is practicing social distancing and ensuring technicians sanitize their equipment and work spaces as well as wearing personal protective equipment. Petri Plumbing & Heating also offers Zero Contact Service to reduce the risk of disease.

For more information about Petri Plumbing & Heating, or to schedule a service call, visit https://www.petriplumbing.com/ or call (718) 748-1254.

About Petri Plumbing & Heating, Inc. Petri Plumbing & Heating, Inc. is a family owned and operated business serving Brooklyn and the New York City area. Founded in 1906, the company offers a 100 percent guarantee on all services, upfront pricing, and friendly and knowledgeable Service Experts for all kinds of home and business plumbing and heating needs. Services offered include water and gas pipe leak repair and installation, fixture installations, inspections, boiler repair, water heater installation, complete bathroom, kitchen, laundry & utility room remodeling and more. Petri is also licensed and certified by Green Plumbers USA, the first in New York City to receive this designation. For more information, please visit http://www.petriplumbing.com or call 718-748-1254.

MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR (865) 977-1973 hripley@ripleypr.com

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Petri Plumbing & Heating offers HVAC advice to owners of older homes as temperatures rise - Stockhouse

New construction in Fienup Farms by Fischer and Frichtel, a beautiful, 223 AC community.This impressive 1.5 story has 4 BD, 3.5 BA, 3,419 s/f & incredible finishes. The popular Glenhurst II has impressive curb appeal w/James Hardie siding, stone, light craftsman details, 3 car garage w/added depth, carriage style gar doors, arch shingles, full yard sod, prof landscape & lawn irrig. Features inc a MAIN FLOOR MASTER, custom spa bath, engineered wood flrs, 11 clngs in the Grt Rm, 8 solid doors, gas FP, Deluxe Kit, island, Quartz c-tops, SS KitchenAid appl, 36 gas c-top, chimney range hood, dbl convection ovens, micro drawer, a princess suite, step up Bonus Rm, low e windows, R 38 ceiling insul, dual HVAC, 14x16 covered patio w/a 21x16 open patio, tall bsmt pour & more. Community amenities inc a 26 AC lake w/paddle boat dock, fishing docks, 50+ acres of common ground, pickle ball courts, walking trls, pavilions, fire pit, comm garden, playground & tot lots. Top rated Rockwood schools.

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From Caseyville to St. Albans: See some of the most expensive homes that just hit the market - STLtoday.com

The two-story home in Hull, MA, was built using the modular construction method. Excel Homes manufactured the modules and the home was built by Seacoast Modular Homes Inc.

HULL, Mass., June 1, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Modular Home Builders Association awarded the Home of the Month distinction to a modular home in Hull, MA. The "beach break" model is blocks from the ocean. The home was manufactured by Excel Homes and was assembled on-site by Seacoast Modular Homes Inc.

Images of the home and a full breakdown of the home's features can be found on MHBA's website.

The home is part of an urban infill project and the developers decided to utilize modular construction for increased speed of construction. This decision paid off as the Massachusetts Governor issued a stay-at-home order two weeks after the delivery of the modules. According to Seacoast Modular Homes Inc., the developer of the project "has been able to expand [their] sights on to other projects that [they] may not have considered with [their] build-in-place mentality."

The home itself is a beautiful five-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath, modern coastal model featuring wood and tile floors throughout and custom finishes. The home is equipped with a view of the Atlantic thanks to a second-story balcony that sits over the living space.

Thanks to the speed and agility of modular construction methods, this home didn't face crippling delays due to COVID-19. Modular home construction takes place in a controlled environment which neutralizes delays from weather. It also enables manufacturers to exercise more control over working conditions.

Modular Home Builders Association (MHBA) is the only national trade association dedicated exclusively to serving modular home builders and manufacturers. MHBA also advocates at the state and federal level to ensure a fair and competitive playing field for the industry. For more information, please visit http://www.modularhousing.com.

SOURCE Modular Home Builders Association

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Coastal Beach Home Awarded "Home of the Month" Distinction From Modular Home Builders Association - Yahoo Finance

The affordable homes in Herefordshire will use modern methods of construction (MMC) and will see ilke Homes provide the land for development.

ilke will manufacture the 120 affordable homes for Stonewater, in its 250,000 sq ft factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.

The turnkey deal is a further step in the firms evolution from manufacturing homes to becoming a fully-integrated developer.

Supported by Homes England, the currently derelict site, the former Holmer Trading Estate, will be transformed to tackle the growing demand for affordable homes in Herefordshire.

Upon completion, all the homes will be available for either affordable rent or shared ownership and will be equipped with fully-fitted kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms supported with accreditations from NHBC.

The deal follows ilke Homes recent expansion of the business with new offices in London, Birmingham and Bristol, as well as creating a new homes and development unit, to manage the near-200% annual growth.

Matthew Bench, executive director of partnerships at ilke Homes, said:The need for affordable housing has never been more acute, and with construction having been paused on sites up and down the country, speed will be absolutely vital.

By packaging up private land with turnkey development solutions in partnership with housing associations such as Stonewater, we can quickly scale-up the delivery of high-quality, energy-efficient affordable housing across the country.

Our recent expansion into new regions gives us a greater national reach and with wide ranging offerings including providing superstructures, turnkey solutions and full land-led developments, we can truly drive the benefits that come from offsite manufacturing.

Matthew Crucefix, director of development (West) at Stonewater, commented:Scaling-up the delivery of affordable homes is vital to ensuring that everyone in the UK has a place to call home.

As we face the current coronavirus pandemic it has never been more important to do all we can to increase housing supply where it is safe to do so.

This scheme is exactly the type of progressive development opportunity that will help meet the challenge we face to provide the affordable homes needed to tackle the housing crisis.

Stonewater has demonstrated its agility in uncertain times by purchasing this land which has the benefit of an outline planning consent, were excited to be working up the reserved matters planning with ilke Homes and moving this project forward.

Gordon More, chief investments officer at Homes England, added:Our strategic partnerships with housing associations are an important part of our commitment to delivering more affordable homes across the country.

Utilising modern methods of construction is crucial to building new homes at the pace required, so its fantastic to see Stonewater using their strategic partnership with Guinness to collaborate with a leading offsite manufacturer like ilkeHomes.

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Partnership to deliver 120 affordable modular homes in Herefordshire - Planning, BIM & Construction Today

The City of Toronto has identified two sites for the first phase of its modular supportive housing initiative, which aims to provide housing to 100 individuals experiencing homelessness by the fall of 2020.

The project, which was announced at the end of April, aims to build a total of 250 modular units by the spring of 2021.

City and CreateTO staff have been evaluating City-owned land across Toronto using criteria that included local demand for affordable housing, development potential of the site, local infrastructure, access to public transit, access to health and other community services, as well as zoning and other bylaw considerations, a statement from local officials said Tuesday.

Two sites have been identified for the first phase of the project: 150 Harrison St., which will have 44 bachelor apartments and is the former site of the 14 Division police station, as well as 11 Macey Ave., which will have 56 bachelor apartments and is located near Victoria Park and Danforth.

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The City will select qualified, non-profit housing providers to manage each site. The modular homes will be pre-fabricated and installed on-site, officials said.

Each of buildings will have self-contained bachelor units and shared communal kitchens.

Officials said there will also be a community engagement process online.

I have led City Council in supporting the modular housing initiative because it is a key way in which we can provide residents access to stable, affordable, high-quality housing as quickly as possible, Toronto Mayor John Tory said.

Through modular housing we can quickly create permanent housing options that will impact the lives of many people in our city.

The modular housing program is one part of the wider HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan. That plan calls for the approval of 40,000 new affordable rental homes and creation of 1,000 modular homes.

The modular housing program is estimated to cost $47.5 million, with the first phase carrying a price tag of $20.9 million.

With files from Nick Westoll

2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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City of Toronto identifies 2 sites for supportive modular housing initiative - Globalnews.ca

SVN | SFRhub Advisors is offering a 25-home portfolio in Charlotte County for $5.7 million. COURTESY RENDERING

With growing demand expected for rentals, companies are looking to South Florida and other parts of the U.S. to cash in on the trend of Build for Rent housing single-family homes developed in groups for the purpose of being rented out instead of sold.

A Phoenix, Ariz.-based commercial real estate brokerage that specializes in selling Build for Rent (BFR) communities, SVN | SFRhub Advisors is offering a 25-home portfolio in Charlotte County for $5.7 million, a 63-home portfolio in Fort Myers for $20.2 million, and a 72-home portfolio in Cape Coral for $15.1 million, among other BFR developments in Florida and the United States.

Developers such as Toll Brothers, Neal Communities, and ERC Homebuilders are all growing BFR portfolios as well.

Build for Rent can apply to a company that builds or manages a whole stand-alone community of single family houses or acquires houses on scattered lots.

The Marietta, Georgia-based FirstKey Homes acquires single-family homes for the purpose of renting them out, whether they are newly built or older homes. FirstKey offers rentals from Floridas Southwest Coast to West Palm Beach, and other parts of the U.S. A sign on one of their company vehicles advertises Pet Friendly rentals.

SVN and Lotus Commercial Real Estate Advisors is working with builder Neal Communities on Mangrove Estates, the 63-home portfolio in Fort Myers slated to be complete in 2021. COURTESY RENDERING

(Build for Rent) is definitely not a fad, said Glenn Palmer, executive vice president at SVN International Corp. First Coast Commercial in Jacksonville. Its a market sector thats here to stay. And itll take business not just from single family home sales but from the multi-family market as well.

After the federal lender Freddie Mac began backing loans for BFR companies over the last year, it helped clear the way for their development and garnered the interest of Wall Street banks, Mr. Palmer said.

SVN and Lotus Commercial Real Estate Advisors is working with builder Neal Communities on Mangrove Estates, the 63-home portfolio in Fort Myers slated to be complete in 2021. The projected $20 million community will offer three-bedroom plans of 1,531-square feet and four-bedroom plans of 1,812- to 2,064-square feet.

SVN estimates that the owner-operator of Mangrove Estates would charge an average monthly rent of $2,570 and make a net operating income of $1.26 million per year based on current market values.

Its hard to say what market segment BFR communities will command across the U.S. in coming years, but The Urban Institute says growth in rental households will exceed that of homeowners by 4 million from 2010 to 2030.

According to SVN, demand for single-family home rentals is being driven by millennials who cant afford the costs of buying a home because of factors such as unemployment, student debt, and economic uncertainty; and baby boomers looking for a lock and leave, maintenance-free lifestyle.

The pandemic may also encourage the trend as more people look to work at home and avoid crowded apartment buildings.

Floridas tax friendly status compared to states such as New York also make it an attractive place for developers of BFR communities, which are usually managed by a third-party, similar to many multi-family housing units. Amenities such as smart home technology, pools, and other upgrades are often built in to the rental price.

Middle to lower-priced homes work better with the BFR model, but not high cost housing where land cost is so exorbitant, the cost of the homes is so high, you couldnt really rent them effectively, said Mr. Palmer. (BFR) can work in lower, middle; were not sure they work in the luxury market.

A developer based in Riverview, near Tampa, ERC Homebuilders is set to create BFR communities across several market segments.

We are developing a combination of conventional construction, modular and manufactured housing communities, wrote Gerald Jerry D. Ellenburg, chairman of ERC.

We like the manufactured housing rental model since the resident can pay approximately 2/3 the cost per square foot as in conventional. And they develop and open for rent so much sooner. We just now contracted a parcel outside Tampa for 60 manufactured homes and that will develop and rent out very quickly.

SVN touts BFR as attractive to invest in for several reasons, including that tenants stay longer compared to multifamily/ apartment rentals. In apartments the average stay is less than two years compared to about five to eight years among single-family home renters, says Mark Peterson, director of SVNs Build for Rent Division.

The stickiness we refer to it as, of the tenants in a rental home, is fundamentally longer, he said.

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A wave of 'Build for Rent' communities coming to South Florida - Florida Weekly

A Vertical Neighborhood in Tehran and a Zero Emission House on the Beach: 9 Unbuilt Projects Submitted by our Readers

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This weeks curated selection of best unbuilt architecture features conceptual residential projects submitted by our readers from all around the world. Highlighting innovative designs, approaches, and compositions, this roundup puts together a series of inspiring interventions that offer a fresh look on the typical house structure.

In the following article, ArchDaily has gathered ideas from Poland, France, Hungary, Iran, and the United States. Grouped under one common theme, the feature includes a new take on the typical building complex, an attempt to shorten the transitional gap between a house and an apartment, and a collection of modular residential models that can be implemented anywhere. Moreover, it also showcases Christophe Benichous latest intervention, The Pleated House located in the Hautes Alpes in France, a hyper-sustainable house on the beach and a structure completely erased and integrated into the natural landscape.

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Read on to discover 9 conceptual house proposals and their descriptions from the architects.

STUDIO SAHEB

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Bookan residential tower is a 10 story tower located in the northern part of Tehran. Seeking for an innovative solution to provide moments of the traditional lifestyle of living in villas in this new vertical tower, while having sufficient light and space for greenery, the proposal works with the notion of faade and its relation to mass and the way it defines the border between inside and outside. Contrary to the usual take on facades that consists of pushing it inward and sticking it to the central core in a way that living spaces remained in their places, many high-quality in-between spaces have been created which raise the quality of inhabitants life.

Studio Vural

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Initially inspired by a squids rainbow flash at a nighttime fishing expedition, the Dune House is a powerful prototype for the future of homes at a global scale. There are no machines but humming electrical devices that power, heat, cool and vent. There is no chemical waste or fuel. The only carbon emission is the candlelight on the dinner table. The construction is planned to be respectful of local bird and animal habitats and is a success in natural preservation since it is only recognizable from sea and blends seamlessly with nature; immersed not imposed.

Boozhgan studio

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Koocheha, meaning alleyways, is an attempt to shorten the transitional gap between a house and an apartment. The project has revolved around the creation of a vertical neighborhood; of single houses that are embedded in a residential complex. The design process had two main concerns: circulation throughout the vertical and horizontal connections, and also provision of light to all units. In order to resolve these issues, the building mass is divided into two volumes creating a void in between them.

FORMA Architects, PLLC & Mark Gettys Architects

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Using the local vernacular of ocean building an elevated walkway, wooden fencing, and structural stilts the project reimagines the canonical beach house by inserting a series of exterior volumes into interior domestic spaces. Rather than packing all the house functions into a singular volume, the sleeping, bathing, living, and pool-lounging areas are pulled apart and interspersed with open-air gardens. An elevated boardwalk links the spaces together along a singular axis, directing movement and the eye toward the ocean.

Christophe Benichou & Virgile Ponsoye

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The Maison W, or the pleated house, is a rental housing project located on the slopes of the Pic de Charance, above Gap in the Hautes Alpes in France. It is a singular architecture project. It is discreet and exuberant, strange and familiar. It is familiar because it takes up the codes of the modern villa, paying tribute to it. It is also strange when it dares diverting from the abstraction of it. It distorts its lines and folds to try to establish a dialogue with the local geology while offering unique architectural sensations inspired by both the client and the sites singularity.

ARC- Ashkan Rafiey Cooperation

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This project poses the question of how a recognized space can perform as the structure of a villa. Doing so, instead of designing a plan inside a structural envelope, with recognizing private and public spaces of a villa, and extracting them from one another, the villa can be defined by two elements, enabling the spaces to express their plans as they are. This project is a single unit house located in Damavand, Iran. The site of the project overlooks a broad view of nature, including the Damavand volcano.

Adrian Kasperski Architekt

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The house was designed in the hilly scenery of the Krakow Valleys. Principal assumptions of the project were suited to a context, proximity to nature, and preservation of intimacy by future inhabitants. The project entails a transformation and an attempt of maximal use of a surrounding landscape and nature, a creation of shelter to dwell in with a simultaneous the least possible interference in the natural values of an existing place. The building seems to be invisible from the western and southern parts. A green roof adjusted to a natural land inclination does not spoil a surrounding landscape.

Casas inHAUS + Fran Silvestre Architects / Mario Ruiz / Yonoh

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Fran Silvestre Architects, Mario Ruiz, and Yonoh Creative Studio have been in charge of designing the new models that the Valencian modular houses company Casas inHAUSwill offer to its future clients worldwide. The new housing designs range from transferring the Mediterranean essence with Fran Silvestre, to a volume set by Yonoh Creative Studio, defined by light and the play of planes, and finally, a curved and fluid space that creates a refuge from the environment by Mario Ruiz.

Pricsy and Partners Architects

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The house is situated on the top of the hills surrounding Budapest, on a site that declines evenly to the southwest. The shape of the house is a quite low-key part of the street-view. The unique form of the house is defined by two intersecting cuboids that lie on top of each other. The social spaces can be found in the cuboid parallel to the street, while the private areas are located in the orthogonal one. Where the cuboids intersect each other, you can find the supplementary rooms and the stairs.

HOW TO SUBMIT AN UNBUILT PROJECT

We highly appreciate the input from our readers and are always happy to see more projects designed by them. If you have an Unbuilt project to submit, click here and follow the guidelines. Our curators will review your submission and get back to you in case it is selected for a feature.

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A Vertical Neighborhood in Tehran and a Zero Emission House on the Beach: 9 Unbuilt Projects Submitted by our Readers - ArchDaily

Top COVID-19 stories and newsCase summary

The latest local and Canadian news on novel coronavirus

5:30 pm Lake Shore East road closure to be extended this weekend for ActiveTO

The city will once again close roads to vehicle traffic as part of the ActiveTO program.

After the Gardiner closed for maintenance last weekend, the closure on Lake ShoreWest will return and the Lake Shore East closure will be extended east to Leslie Street.

Here's the list of this weekend's closures, which will take effect on June 6 at 6 am and last until June 7 at 11 pm:

The ActiveTO program encourages people to get outside while keeping a distance from one another in order to curb COVID-19 spread. The road closures providegreater space for walking, running and biking.

5 pm Around 150 people are diagnosed with COVID-19 in Toronto each day: de Villa

Toronto Public Health officials are still seeing approximately150 people newly diagnosed with COVID-19 each day, medical officer of health Eileen de Villa said today.

She outlined the contact tracing process when a new case is reported, noting thatsome contact follow up investigations are completed quickly sometimes within a few hours while others are complex and involve contacting several people across jurisdictions.

The press has reported delays in the process. De Villa noted that from May 27-29, Toronto Public Health was able to contact almost 90 per centof new COVID-19 cases with in 24 hours. "This rate changes daily depending on the number of cases we receive," she said.

Since yesterday, the city has reported 139 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the city's total to 11,652.The number of people who have recovered is 8,948 people recovered, an increase of 165 since yesterday.

There are 378 people hospitalized, with 83 in intensive care. Another 10 people have died. In total, the virus has killed845 people in Toronto.

4:45 pm Street food vendors and food trucks allowed to operate again

The city is allowing street food vendors, food trucks and ice cream trucks to start operating again, Mayor John Tory announced today. Operators must adhere to physical distancing and follow health and safety regulations.

There are 177 non-motorized food carts, 325 motorized refreshment vehicles and 75 hot dog carts licensed by the city.

Customers are also being asked to keep two-metres distance from others while in line and to take their food home or to a park to eat.

Tory added that the summer weather and the lack of clarity around regulations for food trucks operating during the pandemic led the city to prioritize their reopening. Medical Officer of Health Eileen de Villa also said the ability for people to physical distance at these vendors, as well as the fact that they are outside, reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread when ordering street food.

2:41 pm Doug Ford sends a warning to commercial landlords

Premier Doug Ford had tough talk for commercial landlords who are not working with tenants to apply for the CanadianEmergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program.

The program sees landlords, tenants and the provincial and federal governments splitting the cost of rent, with the Ottawa and the provinces paying 50 per cent. However, many small businesses still fear they will be evicted.

Ontario has resisted calls from businesses to impose a ban on commercial evictions during the pandemic. When asked about British Columbia's decision to ban commercial evictions for landlords who won't participate in CECRA, Ford said he is prepared to "act" against similarlandlords in Ontario.

"Theyre just refusing to do it," Ford said during his Queen's Park news conference on Wednesday. "What theyre doing is theyre testing me. Thats going to be the wrong thing to do. Were going to give it a few more days and well act.

" All the landlords out there you wanna play hardball? Well play hardball then because Im going to protect the little guy," he added.

Applications for the CECRA opened last Tuesday.

2:33 pm Doug Ford says COVID-19 testing might be available at pharmacies

The Ontario government is in talks to make COVID-19 testing available at pharmacies, Premier Doug Ford confirmed today.

"Were in conversations right now with some of the largest pharmacies. Stay tuned over the next little while," he said. "I think it's a good model."

Ford was referring to a deal between CVS Health and New York State that doubled the state's capacityfor diagnostic testing to40,000 testsper day.

Ontario's current lab capacity is 20,000 tests per day and Ford's stated target is 16,000 tests per day.

Ford added that he hopes he'll have news for the public about when Ontario can move to stage two of the reopening plan "over the next week."

2:29 pmOntario to spend $150M for broadband in rural communities

Premier Doug Ford and Infrastructure Minister Laurie Scott said today that the provincial government will spend $150 to improve broadband and cellular service access in remote and rural communities.

The funding is part of the $315 million planUp to Speed: Ontario's Broadband and Cellular Action Plan, which was announced last July.

Telecom companies, municipal governments, First Nation communities and non-profits are being invited to submit funding proposals, the government said in a news release. The province will fund a portion of each approved project.

10:57 am Ontario reports 338 new COVID-19 cases, 19 more deaths

Ontario has confirmed 338 new COVID-19 cases, an increase of 1.2 per cent. That brings the province's total to29,047. Another 327 cases are now considered resolved. In all,22,811 people have recovered from the virus.

Today's new case countis down following three days of successive increases that saw an uptick to 446 cases yesterday.

Another 19 people have died. The provincial death toll is now 2,312.

Ontario surpassed Premier Doug Ford's testing goal of 16,000, with17,537 tests completed since yesterday and another11,636 cases under investigation.

There are791 patients in hospital, with127 in intensive care and 92 in intensive care on ventilators.

10:15 am City reveals two locations for modular housing projects

Toronto is accelerating a plan to build modular housing on two city-owned sites.

On Tuesday, the city revealed further details of the project that will see see 44 bachelor apartments built at 150 Harrison on the former site of the 14 Division police station and 56 bachelor apartments built at 11 Macey, near Victoria Park and Danforth.

The properties will be managed by "qualified, non-profithousingproviders," the city said in a news release, and the homes will be pre-fabricated and installed on site. Each self-contained bachelor unitwith have a kitchen and washroom. There will also be a shared communal kitchen and administrative and program space.

On April 30, council approved an expedited plan to build a250-unit modular housing project on city-owned land for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis.

The first phase of the project is expected to be ready for occupancy by September 2020 and another 140 units will be completeby April 2021. The plan passed 23-1, with only councillor Stephen Holyday opposed.

8:30 amCanada has more than 92,000 cases of COVID-19

Thereare 92,410 cases of COVID-19 in Canada and 7,395 people have died.

The outbreak is aserious public health threat though most people whocontract the virus have not been hospitalized.

Symptoms include cough, fever, difficulty breathing and pneumonia in both lungs and may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure. Peopleage 65 and over and people with compromised immune systems and/or underlying medical conditions have a higher risk of contracting asevere case.

8:32 pmOntario extends state of emergency until June 30

The province has extended the state of emergency until the end of the month.

On Tuesday, the Ontario legislature voted to approve the move, which allows the government to create and enforce emergency orders, such as the closure of non-essential businesses and prohibiting gatherings of five people or more.

Ontario has been under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic since March 17.

@nowtoronto

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Coronavirus updates: Street food vendors and food trucks allowed to operate again; Doug Ford threatens to "play hardball" with commercial...

Prior to coming together to form The Wants post-punk sound, members Madison Velding-VanDam, Jason Gates, and Heather Elle were all rising up in the Brooklyn DIY scene. Velding-VanDam and Elle still make up two fifths of punk-rock band BODEGA, and Gates, whos part of the Veda Rays and has worked in the studio with names like Debbie Harry and Lykke Li, met Velding-VanDam in 2014 and the two instantly started making music together.

In March of this year, The Wants released their debut full length album titled Container after being signed to the new London based label Council Records. The self-produced album hosts sounds from post-punk to synth-pop and minimal techno, as Velding-VanDam is credited for vocals, synth, and guitar with Elle also on vocals and synth but adding bass, and Gates in control of drums and live electronics.

Of the 12 tracks on Container, The Motor is now accompanied by a music video that was influenced by Velding-VanDams upbringing outside of Detroit, Michigan, specifically the industrial site and coal mine of Zug Island situated on the Detroit Rivers far end.

Growing up, my step dad collected art, he had a really great collection of Detroit artists. One of them, James Stephens, made this amazing painting called Vapors, and he had another one of Zug Island, and that's this very strange part of Detroit, Velding-VanDam said. It was originally just a nature preserve, then it became one of the most polluted zip codes in the country.

I have some weird, bubbling memories of it as a child, and I ended up associating it with the painting, he said. But I went back there, and was just blown away by this monstrosity. It's this weird island compound that's guarded so intensely, it's like Detroit's Area 51, [with] these flaming tubes of burning [fossil fuels] and piles of coal, like the Gates of Mordor.

The environmental consequences of Zug Island were inescapable to Velding-VanDam, who started filming the wasteland with girlfriend and photographer Madison Carroll. Detroit is such a weird place, it's a mixture of so many things; intense poverty and disenfranchisement, abandoned buildings and intense energy, but at the same time Midwestern people can be so sweet. Zug Island just somehow embodied that to me, The Wants frontman said.

Since The Motor riffed off of Velding-VanDams experience with Zug Island, he isnt a stranger to incorporating the places on Earth that stay in his conscience within the lyrics he writes for The Wants. Thus the words heard throughout Container often graze upon that notion.

The band initially emerged in the Brooklyn DIY scene, but Velding-VanDam never truly felt heard in it. It took going back home to realize how disconnected I felt from the New York scene, he said. My more formative years were actually spent outside of the US; I lived in Germany, and there's actually this amazing kinship between Berlin and Detroit, so I sort of learned about the beauty of where I had grown up that I didn't quite understand.

I didn't really feel like I had a voice that related to New York, so I needed to talk about something that was outside of that. I found a voice outside of the place that I was in and realized that that's okay, the frontman said.

With Containers influences, Velding-VanDam looked to the distinction of Detroit and the complexity of its people, the struggling people in our economy, and their philosophies, my philosophies, and our philosophies, and going into those spaces and inhabiting them, he said.

The Fear My Society song is one I had been working on for a long time, and I thought it just really took shape within the story of these unincorporated areas and industrial locations that we were filming in, said Velding-VanDam. It became like a post hoc exercise, making the music match the artwork and vice versa.

Container was named after a shipping container located in the parking lot of a dumpling factory that The Wants primarily rehearsed and recorded in for the album, which Velding-VanDam said was a funny, cheeky way of talking about [the] shipping container that we saw as a way to say that everything's a commodity. Everythings packaged, and we're sort of all in our little modular homes or suburban containers, so it just seemed like a good way to describe the world right now.

When you don't have a lot of money you get creative; I've lived in attics and closets, he said to elaborate on the origins of the bands recording space. So I really wanted to find a place for us to rehearse that wasn't a metal or concrete factory where everyone else goes, and some artist's places are too quiet. This sort of eccentric couple said, 'Well, we've put a shipping container in our parking space.' And I said perfect. Absolutely perfect.

For an engineer to work on the album with the band, they turned to Jermey Cimino, a young hip-hop engineer whos worked with artists such as J Cole and Pharrell. He has this ability to get a very vinyl tone which is kind of dark analog, but have it bump like modern music, Velding-VanDam said of the bands engineering decision. We wanted to sound contemporary without getting rid of what it was that we know best, which is drums, bass, guitar.

The Wants released Container on March 13th, the day that the pandemic was starting to gain more prominence as international travel bans were put into place. Velding-VanDam recalled the fogginess that clouded their minds that day, but in light of it all, he wants the band to keep moving forward.

We made a mini doc about the container and filmed some rehearsals in there and in Bushwick, he said. It feels a little weird because it was right before the pandemic, so it'll have a retroactive narration where our headspaces are quite different.

On top of The Wants mini documentary, we just started working on a second record right away and we're pretty well into phase one of getting tracklists, said Velding-VanDam. Our new songs, they're a refinement and continuation of the story that we were really inspired by and where we ended up with Container. So our goal is to have a second record out by the time that the industry would open up again.

Read more from the original source:
Brooklyn Band The Wants Talk New Music Video for The Motor - vmagazine.com

So you've got your eye on some lovely Ikea garden furniture. Want 20% off? Of course you do! And it's so easy to start saving, all you need to do is become an Ikea Family member. If you haven't heard of it before, it's basically a club for Ikea lovers. It's totally free, and you get discounts, free tea and coffee in store plus loads more one-off benefits like events and workshops.

All you need to do is sign up over on the site and you will get discounts immediately! You will also receive a card in the post that you can use in store. So keep scrolling to sign up now and see the best bargains you can bag with your new discount.

For more garden ideas make sure you check out our hub page.

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First off, how gorgeous is the new Ikea garden furniture collection? It's called Solblekt and is so beachy and tropical we love it! Very holiday at home, which is something we all need right now. Plus it's also included in the Ikea Family members discount so you get 20% off the whole range!

This rocking chair is just 75 which the Ikea Family discount, so cute, definitely gives us a retro vibe with the muted stripes. The sunbed is down to 100 that pale green colour is just so lovely a summery, perfect for adding a subtle hint of colour to your garden.

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TRN Dining Set | Was 35, Now 28 for Ikea Family membersPerfect for even the smallest of outdoor spaces, this modern take on the traditional bistro set is the perfect spot to enjoy your morning coffee or unwind at the end of the day. And for under 30, we really don't think you can go far wrong.

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Oh if you invest in one piece of Ikea garden furniture, let it be a hammock! This one is only 25 and it's the perfect addition to your garden if you want to create a real staycation feel. Chill in there reading your book with an iced coffee and be transported to a beach on the Med. And of course for some shade, you are going. to need a parasol this one is also only 25 and how gorgeous is that print please?!

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PPLAR Modular Sofa Section | Was 60, now 48 for Ikea Family membersThe beauty of modular garden furniture is that it can be completely customised depending on your preferences and the space that you're working with. Styled with plenty of cushions, blankets and other soft furnishings, it's the perfect spot to unwind after a long day.

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And we just couldn't resist this very cute beach chair. It's a little bit 80s Hawaiian shirt vibes, but we are okay with that, it's just 55 and folds completely flat so great for storing and carrying to the beach/garden/balcony.

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PPLAR / HGSTEN Dining Set | Was 490, now 470 for Ikea Family membersThis six seater dining set is perfect for those looking to set up a spot for al fresco dining with all the family and once lockdown is lifted with friends too. Stunning white wire chairs make a subtle statement and are sure to work in almost any garden scheme.

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SOLLERN Outdoor Stool | Was 60, now 48 for Ikea Family membersNeed somewhere to store all the cushions you'll be styling your garden furniture with? This handy stool not only provides plenty of space to do so, it also doubles up as a foot rest for ultimate relaxation.

Go here to read the rest:
Get 20% off Ikea garden furniture with this easy hack* - Real Homes