Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Acts of generosity can come from a variety avenues: government officials, business owners, nonprofits or just a regular person helping out their neighbor.

During Michigans coronavirus shutdowns, dozens of stories have emerged that offer folks in Washtenaw County and the surrounding area hope in a time of uncertainty.

City council members thanking health care workers. Hardware stores donating personal protective equipment to hospitals. Churches offering drive-thru confessions. The list of ways people are dealing with self-isolation and social distancing grows by the day.

Here are five more things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis in Washtenaw County.

If you have a story of a business, organization or person creatively dealing with social distancing and home isolation, or are going above and beyond to help others, please email Samuel Dodge at sdodge@mlive.com.

5 things that give us hope amid the coronavirus pandemic in Washtenaw County

5 more things that give us hope amid the coronavirus outbreak in Washtenaw County

Ann Arbor City Council Member Kathy Griswold, D-2nd Ward, poses for a portrait at a crosswalk on North Maple Road on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019 in Ann Arbor. Griswold is campaigning for better lighting at crosswalks throughout the city. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive.com)Photos by Ben Allan Smith

Ann Arbor City Council Member promoting effort to thank health care workers

City Council Member Kathy Griswold, D-2nd Ward, is helping promote a local womans effort to place signs around Ann Arbor thanking essential workers and health care providers.

Ann Arbor resident Susan Schmidt printed 250 signs last week that read Thank You Healthcare Workers! In a matter of days, the signs have quickly spread throughout Ann Arbor, planted in yards and other places, including many in the Old West Side neighborhood where Schmidt lives.

Ann Arbor woman gets amazing response to yard signs thanking health care workers

Griswold posted three different variations of Schmidts design on Facebook for people to print and post themselves. More yard signs will be available for safe distribution sometime late next week to attach the images to signs, Griswold wrote in the post.

The response Ive gotten from community members, especially health care workers, has been amazing, Schmidt said. Health care workers in particular have been really moved by the community support.

Andrew Stines unloads boxes of medical supplies that are being donated to UM Hospitals at the North Campus Research Complex on Saturday, March 21, 2020. UM Hospitals are asking for donations of medical supplies amid the coronavirus outbreak. Supplies needed include disposable face masks, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, among others.Jenna Kieser

Hardware store in Ann Arbor donated excess masks to Michigan Medicine, St. Joseph Mercy, other hospitals

Armando and Ita Reyes, the married co-owners of Carpenter Bros Hardware & Rental, 2753 Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor, realized two weeks ago that they had a stocked inventory of a valuable asset: N95 masks.

Their supply included 150 of the masks needed throughout Michigan and the country. They also had 500 latex shoe covers, 100 packages of gloves, five respirators and 18 decontamination Tyvek suits. Two weeks later, their supply is no more, as the Reyes donated it all to southeastern Michigan hospitals.

Two weeks ago, we held back on the items we were going to put out on the floor expecting that theyd be a high need for health workers, said Ita Reyes. I let my husband know about (various hospital supply drives), so we started donating our supply.

The store provided supplies to the University of Michigan Health System, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Beaumont Health and Henry Ford Allegiance in Wyandotte.

I know there are place that are actually selling (this stuff), Reyes said, but were just giving it out. U-M is literally calling stores all over, thats how big the need is. We just decided that whatever we had was needed out there.

Reyes also owns and operates Ita Yoga Studio, which is holding online classes at discounted prices during the state COVID-19 shutdown to promote social distancing. You can find the hardware store at Carpenterbroshardware.com and the studio at Itayogastudio.com.

11

Local launches free food pantry on porch of River Street home in Ypsilanti

Ypsilanti community porch pantry urges residents to take freely, give cheerfully during coronavirus crisis

At a time when social distancing has limited contact between neighbors, DReal Graham is still looking to build community with a simple message: Take freely, give cheerfully.

Those are the words on a sign welcoming neighbors to visit the front porch at 315 N. River St. in Ypsilantis Depot Town, where Graham and local realtor Tyler Weston have teamed up to provide easy access to a variety of nonperishable food items and other household essentials.

The community-sponsored U-Access Community Pantry is the work of Ypsi Local, which Graham and Weston started on March 17. Since then, Graham has worked to keep items the community has deemed essential in stock.

From canned fruits and vegetables, to boxes of pasta and oatmeal, to baby wipes, diapers and even an occasional package of toilet paper, items are flying off the shelves at a time when making a trip to the grocery store might be more difficult than usual for some.

Im overjoyed when I return to the pantry and food items are off the porch, Graham said in between restocking shelves Tuesday, March 31.

Drive-thru confession at Ann Arbor Catholic church

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 2250 E. Stadium Blvd. in Ann Arbor, is offering drive-thru" confessions from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 2. The sacrament will be available again from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 4.

One commenter joked that the seal of confession, or the requisite confidentiality kept by priests once a parish member tells them their sins, may be an issue now that priests and member must be six feet apart for social distancing.

To learn more about this service or to help St. Francis stay afloat during a tenuous time financially for many organizations, visit stfrancisa2.com.

Brighton nonprofit donates funds to people in crisis, PPE to medical clinics

Fund a Life, a Brighton-based nonprofit, partnered with local investment agency Executive Wealth Management to donate thousands of dollars to organizations assisting people severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

The partners donated $4,000 each to Bountiful Harvest of Brighton and The Torch & Torch 180 in Fowlerville. Both organizations will use the funding to fill food gaps for community members in need throughout Livingston County, according to a press release.

We feel that it is dire times right now and we really need to make sure all hands-on deck. Make sure we are helping everyone out and get through the crisis we are going through. said Michael Chechel, managing director at EWM, in the release.

Bountiful Harvest will work to supply meals, including delivery service to seniors, vets and more. In addition, the organization will provide school kids with a weeks worth of breakfast and lunch. Food pickup is also available at 290 E. Grand River Ave. in Brighton.

The Torch & Torch 180, located at 131 Mill St. in Fowlerville, is providing a similar service, including free food, grocery and hot meal delivery to the community.

For more information on how to support Fund a Life, Executive Wealth Management, Bountiful Harvest or The Torch & Torch 180, call 810-229-6446.

They are need of a lot of volunteers and a lot of help, anybody if you can give donations of money, food, your time, whatever you can do," said Mark Howell, leader of Fund a Life, in the release.

Howell also said in an email that his organization acquired 3,000 PPE masks which will be donated to Woodland Cancer Center, as well as Michigan Medicine hospitals in the area.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

Complete coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in Michigan here.

Read more from the 5 things that give us hope series:

Ann Arbor caterer donating thousands of meals: 5 more things that give us hope amid coronavirus

350 meals delivered to families in need: 5 more things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis

Free toilet paper with an oil change: Another 5 things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis

5 things that give us hope amid the coronavirus pandemic in Washtenaw County

5 more things that give us hope amid the coronavirus outbreak in Washtenaw County

An extra 5 things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis in Washtenaw County

Another 5 things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis in Washtenaw, Livingston counties

Originally posted here:
Yard signs show appreciation for health care workers: 5 more things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis - MLive.com

Temperatures are rising, the sun is occasionally peeking out of a bluer sky than weve seen for a while, and many of us are itching to start working on lawns that may not look so great after a long, wet winter. Before you spend a lot of money on herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, realize that less is often more when it comes to spring lawn care.

The time to spread pre-emergent weed control is when forsythia blooms. Those bright yellow blooms are the first to emerge in early spring, and they are good indicators that the soil is beginning to warm and weeds are close to germinating.

Annual weeds such as crabgrass and goosegrass germinate in the spring. Depending on how thick your turf is and the amount of weed seeds in the soil, these weeds can outcompete with your grass and take over your lawn. If you miss the pre-emergent window and weeds start to sprout, your best bet is to apply some post-emergent herbicide to your lawn, when weeds are small.

Its not a good idea to apply nitrogen fertilizer to your lawn in the spring, so avoid applying a weed-and-feed herbicide. The best time to fertilize your lawn is in the fall. Spring feeding promotes the growth of warm-season weeds. Also, high amounts of nitrogen in spring and summer can result in increased damage from white grubs in the soil. High nitrogen levels restrict turf rooting, and that adds to the damage from grubs feeding on the turf roots.

Be aware that not all weeds are bad. We love to have pristine lawns, but the herbicides and pesticides needed to acquire those types of lawns are often detrimental to our pollinators. Dandelions are important early spring flowers for bees. If you dont like them, you can mow off the blooms before they go to seed, rather than spray them with herbicide.

For more information, call the Pulaski Co Extension office at 606-679-6361. Become a fan of Pulaski County Horticulture on Facebook, follow @hortagentbeth on Twitter and/or follow kyplants on Instagram.

Asof March 23, 2020, the Pulaski Co Extension office is closed to foot traffic. However, you can still reach all agents via phone, email, or social media. Programs and/or trainings will continue to take place electronically or with drive-through type interactions.

Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

Link:
Go light on the lawn care in spring - somerset-kentucky.com

TOWN OF TRENTON

Kevin T. Juech

April 14, 1958 April 1, 2020

Its with heavy hearts we have to say Kevin Thomas Juech, often called The Animal, Calvin, Ivan Putski, Kevy, Edd, Big Dog, and Kevin From Heaven of The Town of Trenton, owner of Kevins Lawn Care and Eastside Landscape Supplies, both of West Bend, who passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at 4:07 a.m. at Aurora Hospital in Hartford of congestive heart failure and heart complications.

Kevin was born on April 14, 1958, to the late Melroy Juech and the late Judy Juech (nee Matenaer) at St. Joes Hospital of West Bend. Kevin went on to grade school at Holy Angels in West Bend and later went on to West Bend East High School completing 10 years. Kevin and school didnt agree but he still became a very successful businessman! He then met the love of his life, Dawn Juech (nee Solheim), known to some as munch and others as MOTHER. Kevin and Dawn were united in marriage on July 28, 1979, at St. Johns Lutheran Church in West Bend. In April of 1981, he decided to start up his own lawn care business, the first one in West Bend, driving around with the old Gremlin with the push mowers busting out the back window, numerous times with the help of his brother-in-law and key employee Doug Solheim; followed by Chris Peters that helped the business continue to grow to what it is today and with much help from Jim Tilt sticking around for as many years as he did, and of course his two kids, Jason and Amanda that have been stuck working together getting into scraps day in and day out. Cutting lawns at night and being Mr. Busybody was him, so he proceeded to work construction at many different places including Bruce Muckerheide Construction of West Bend and later went on to work at Henry R. Marohl in Wauwatosa as a heavy equipment operator, where he learned how to pick up a penny on the forks of a skid loader without hooking any dirt before later retiring.

After so-called retiring he continued working for himself and his wife driving one of their quad-axle dump trucks. A few years went by and he decided not to drive the dump trucks on a full-time basis but rather start up Eastside Landscape Supplies of West Bend that opened spring of 2005, which he not only owned and operated but was known as a relations manager that guy really knew how to jack the jaw. Throughout his wonderful, short, life he enjoyed spending the very little free time he did have with family, trillions of friends, and talking on the phone. People always said, Yeah, I seen Kevin today in his loader with a cigar hanging out of the mouth and on the phone.

He was always into speed and anything with a motor. He was into everything from four-wheeling with his CJ7 Jeep to racing his friends down the Milwaukee River with his pickup truck. He loved racing, period. He raced limited late models many years at local tracks including Plymouth, Manitowoc, and Chilton. As times got more crazy with the businesses he hung up racing but was always still involved whether he was a push truck driver for the sprint car division, spectating, or visiting down in the race shop with good friends as they worked on his son, Jasons, grand national.

His newest little gig was watching Jason race r-c trucks thinking he should even consider getting one for himself. He did enjoy having his Mustangs and telling his daughter, Amanda, that his 2013 Shelby GT500 would beat any of her cars. However, the Shelby would never leave the garage and it has no miles on it because he would never take the time off of work to actually drive it. In the winter months you would often find Kevin running around plowing snow puffing on an old cigar, splitting and hauling firewood, and watching the West Bend Bombers Hockey Team. Kevin and Dawn not only were sponsors of the West Bend Bombers Hockey Team but would also travel throughout the state to go and watch.

One thing many people wouldnt have seen in Kevin was the love he had for animals. He always enjoyed the welcome home by the howling of his daughter, Amandas, purebred Siberian Huskies as they could hear him approaching with one of the quads as he rattled the straight pipes and just couldnt resist hitting that jake brake! He was hoping to have started a dog sled team with them guys.

Kevin is further survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Dawn Juech (nee Solheim) that everyone always referred to as MOTHER; Jason Juech (special friend Kim Mertes, Kaylee, and Carson), Amanda Juech (special friend Chris Peters), Kent Juech, Merri and Dennis DeRuyter, Kurt Juech (Darla Francis), Missy Averill (Tony Wondra), Kerry and Wendy Juech, Karl Juech (Justine Bonenfant) Kris Little Kev and Melissa Juech, Debbie and Neal Carsen, Diane and John Stockhausen, Doreen Solheim, David and Mary Solheim,Doug and Kathy Solheim, many wonderful nieces and nephews; trillions of wonderful friends, and fur babies Kevin always referred to them as his mountain lions Blaze, Boss, and Saleen!

Kevin was preceded in death by his father, Melroy Juech, and mother, Judy Juech; father-in-law Donald Solheim and mother-in-law Doris Solheim; sister-in-law Dannyel Lawrence and brother-in-law James Lawrence; many fur babies: General, Peanut, Pepper, Magic, Jasper, Levi, Lucky, Mountain Lion Moochie, and the Little Guy Blake.

Due to COVID-19, private visitation is being held. Interment will take place at West Bend Cemetery Association/ Washington County Memorial Park. Celebration of life will be at a later date to be announced. The Phillip Funeral Home of West Bend is assisting the family.

Flowers or donations are greatly appreciated and can be made at the time of the celebration of life in remembrance of Kevin Juech to the American Heart Association, Plymouth Dirt Track of Plymouth, The West Bend Bombers Hockey Team of West Bend, and The Washington County Humane Society.

The family would like to thank Dr. Trivedi and his complete nursing staff along with Dr. Malik and his complete nursing staff. We would also wish to thank all past and present employees for their continued support in helping the businesses grow to what they have become today, as well as a big thank-you to all past and present customers for all their continued years of business and we look forward to doing business with them in the future. A big thank-you also to Phillip Funeral Home of West Bend and Slinger youre all family.

The Phillip Funeral Home of West Bend is assisting the family. For more information, call 262-338-2050 or visit http://www.phillipfuneralhome.com.

Read more:
Kevin T. Juech | 2020 | gmtoday.com - Greater Milwaukee Today

TCPalm's Rob Landers brings you some of today's top stories on the News in 90 Seconds for April 3. Treasure Coast Newspapers

To provide our community with important public safety information, our newsroom is making stories related to the coronavirus free to read. To support important local journalism like this, please consider becoming a digital subscriber.

As the novel coronovirus makes its way through Florida, hospitals on the Treasure Coast already havemore than half of theirintensive care beds filled, according to a state database.

The three counties have 164ICU adult beds;plus sixpediatric ICU beds aLawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce. As of noon Monday, patients filled 96of the adult beds, or about 59percent, plus half of Lawnwood's pediatric beds.

As of noon Monday, 55people on the Treasure Coast were admitted at hospitals related toCOVID-19.

Thursday, theAgency for Health Care Administration announced it had published a data dashboard of real-timehospital bed availability to provide the public with greater visibility on hospital capacity and census.

While the COVID-19 public health crisis is unprecedented, Florida has a strong foundation of emergency preparedness built on government collaboration at all levelsstate level emergency infrastructure to support local responses, state and county public health expertise and resources, and a high-quality, dedicated health system, said agency Secretary Mary Mayhew.

Monday, Lawnwood had 40of 54 of its adult ICU beds filled, about 74percent. But officials said they have a plan if more beds are filled.

"We stand ready to activate established and exercised surge plans, including setting up triage tents and mobilizing additional resources in collaboration with federal, state and local entities," said Lawnwood spokeswoman Tiffany Woods. "Our surge plans include using all available patient care space within our hospitals and in other settings across our healthcare system."

Overall bed availability on the Treasure Coast showed about 54percent of the 1,807 were filled Monday.

This publicly reported data will be a critical statewide resource for anticipating individual hospital needs and monitoring bed availability across Florida," Mayhew said.

Thedashboardprovides search options for counties and individual hospitals within the counties for overall beds and ICU beds.

More: Coronavirus cases: Third person dies in St. Lucie County

More: St. Lucie, Indian River, Martin counties embrace DeSantis' statewide safe-at-home order

Stancil is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm.Contact Stancil at 321-987-7179

or lamaur.stancil@tcpalm.com.Twitter: @TCPalmLStancil

To stay up to date with our breaking news coverage and our exclusive content, be sure tosubscribe.

Read or Share this story: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/2020/04/06/many-intensive-care-beds-filled-treasure-coast-hospitals/2940444001/

Go here to see the original:
More than half intensive care beds filled at Treasure Coast hospitals - TCPalm

During its temporary closure, the Lone Star Flight Museum is offering virtual experiences and sharing content via its social media pages. (Courtesy of Lone Star Flight Museum)

April 7: Check out Galveston Bay Foundation's latest video

Every Monday, the local conservation nonprofit is releasing an educational video with accompanying activities geared toward elementary- and middle school-age learners. The first video, which debuted March 23, focused on oysters and oyster reefs. Other video topics, all themed around conservation, include wetlands, Bay biodiversity and The Microscopic Ecosystem.

Where to tune in: Visit this page.

April 8: Experience the Lone Star Flight Museum

While the Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport is temporarily closed, virtual visits are open 24/7, and the museum also is streaming short videos live nightly for free at 6 p.m. The museum produces daily themed social media posts about STEM, video tours of planes and exhibits, behind-the-scenes views of the archives, how-to's and more.

Where to tune in: Visit this page.

April 9: Do an earlynmorning workout

Camp Gladiator League City introduced its #HustlefromHome workout series on March 17, which includes printable 30-minute, at-home workouts for any time of day as well as live virtual hourlong classes at 5 a.m., 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Where to tune in: Visit this page.

April 10: Learn about the performing arts at a trial class

Bay Area Arts Conservatory is offering dance, musical theater, acting and voice training for ages 2-18 through virtual classes during the month of April. Instructors are uploading video content to each class every week along with other activities.

Where to tune in: Register at this page.

April 11: Stir up success with Lemonade Day

Lemonade Day Houston is a free online lesson program aiming to teach kids how to make lemonade out of lemons and build business and character skills to help them navigate lifes challenges. Kids can learn how to set up a lemonade stand in the future or start any other kid-friendly business, such as dog-walking or lawn care.

Where to tune in: Visit this page.

April 12: Color Houston-themed pictures

Numerous local artists have turned their works into coloring book pages, which are available for printout.

Where to tune in: Print the coloring book here.

Continue reading here:
VIRTUAL TO-DO LIST: 6 Bay Area businesses, nonprofits offering activities to stream from home, April 6-12 - Community Impact Newspaper

Although work has stalled because of coronavirus restrictions, the developers of the Union Square Tech Hub now known as Zero Irving are still on the hunt for office tenants and planning their next steps for construction.

RAL Development halted work on the 21-story office building earlier this week after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that all nonessential construction was suspended to prevent the spread of the respiratory virus. Before then, workers had put up six stories of concrete and were getting ready to pour the seventh floor on the site of the former P.C. Richards store near Union Square South.

However, its not your typical office project. The development, which is being built on city-owned land, is going to be partially devoted to training new generations of coders and helping them get jobs. It will also include step-up space for young, growing tech companies.

The ground floor retail space is about to be leased to Urbanspace, which will operate a 10,000-square-foot food hall with a 1,700-square-foot outdoor terrace in the rear yard. Tech networking group Civic Hall plans to operate the second through seventh floors on a significantly below-market lease of $50 per square foot. (Civic Hall has been involved in the project for quite some time, but its lease is not yet finalized.) There will be an event and conference center on the second floor, and the third, fourth and fifth floors will be licensed to job training and workforce development organizations focused on placing people at tech companies. The eighth through 12th floors will offer step-up space for younger startups that need shorter lease terms, ranging from six months to five years. As part of RALs ground lease with the city, the developer cant ask for more than one years security deposit from tenants who rent on these floors. The rent for these floors will not be discounted.

The remaining 13 floors will be typical market-rate office space for established tech firms. Asking rents range from $95 to $145 per square foot, with higher floors renting at pricier rates. The 14th and 21st floors have smaller private terraces, and there will be a top floor, 6,300-square-foot roof deck with seating and landscaping thats accessible to all of the office tenants. The building will also feature a full-service gym. JLLs Mitch Konsker and Ben Bass are handling the leasing.

Some developers have struggled with supply chain issues since coronavirus hit China and Italy, but RAL planned so far ahead that most of its materials were ordered before the pandemic.

The vast majority of our curtain wall system is actually coming from Colombia, said RAL President Spencer Levine. Weve been working on the curtain wall for two years. The vast majority is ready to ship. We have a small portion that is being fabricated in China. There is a slight delay in that and were seeing how we can work with the sequencing of construction to fit that in afterwards.

Read the original here:
Developers of Zero Irving Manage a Construction Shutdown and Leasing - Commercial Observer

An indoor garden at the American Dream.

Source: American Dream

It is becoming even harder to call American Dream a megamall.

Instead, theroughly 3 million-square-foot developmentthat sits alongside a bustling highway in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is morphing into more of an ultimate amusement park. More like Disneylandif it fit under one roof. With shifts in strategy over time, retail is becoming even more of an afterthought, while entertainment takes center stage.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic hitting the U.S., American Dream was slated to be a mix of 55% entertainment-related tenants and 45% retailers, when it was completely finished. Now, the project will be roughly 70% entertainment and 30% retail, according to its developer, Triple Five Group.

American Dream shifting its leasing strategy amid this pandemic could serve as the most damning evidence we have seen against the retail industry to date. The property, years in the making, has helped to take the pulse of retail as long as it has been under construction.

When ground was broken in 2004, under the project's original developers,Amazon's ascent and the e-commerce boom was just beginning. Names like Circuit City, Sports Authority, Blockbuster, RadioShack and Toys R Us were still in business. American Dream's blueprint has, as a result, been rewritten time and time again.

Now, this project will also be the true test for consumers paying for touch-and-feel experiences, once coronavirus restrictions are lifted. Will people want to ride roller coasters? Ride down water slides? Go ice skating within 6 feet of someone else? Play put-put? American Dream will teach us.

"We are going to come out of this super strong ... really strong on the entertainment side," Don Ghermezian, co-CEO of American Dream, told CNBC in an interview. "I think when [coronavirus] is over, people will be so stir crazy. Initially there will be some trepidation ... but I think we are going to have so many people."

Up until March 13, when Triple Five Group announced it would be temporarily closing American Dream to try to help halt the spread of COVID-19, what had already opened there was aNickelodeon theme park, an NHL-regulation-size ice skating rink, and an indoor snow park for skiers and snowboarders that had opened in the winter. The only retail at American Dream, so far, had been a towering IT'SUGAR candy store.

On March 19, a first wave of retailers like Zara and H&M were anticipated to open their doors to the public, in addition tothe world's first DreamWorks Animation Water Park.But all of that, along with the final construction at the property, has been delayed until further notice. A fresh reopening date has not been set, with the entire country still uncertain when this pandemic will subside.

Coping with its own losses, American Dream has furloughed "most staff" and cut the salaries of others, according toGhermezian. "This has cost us a lot of money," he said.

But the onesilver liningin the situation if there ever was one has been being able to rethink the future of American Dream, the co-CEO said. As of March, the development was not yet fully leased, giving Triple Five Group flexibility to reassess the new deals it wants to sign.

"There is no doubt that when this is over, there will be retailers that were just making it along ... trying to survive. Those retailers that were on the bubble I fully expect a number of those retailers to be gone," Ghermezian said.

"They cannot handle having no income coming in," he said. "And some of them are furloughing. It is a very difficult time. I fully expect there will be records set for retailers' closing [in 2020]. This virus has exacerbated that situation. A lot of retailers aren't going to reopen."

Ghermezian said no retailers have backed out of American Dream to date. The property is slated to have a Saks Fifth Avenue department store in the luxury wing, along with a variety of high- and low-end retailers including Ulta, Lululemon and Old Navy.

Now, instead of adding even more apparel and shoe stores, American Dream will have a trampoline park and one-of-a-kind, Instagram-worthymuseums,where visitors can pay to spend an afternoon exploring themed rooms with extravagant props and backdrops, Ghermezian said, citing these as two examples of what is to come post-COVID-19.

American Dream is also zoned for 3,500 hotel rooms, with plans to construct several hotels that will connect directly to the rest of the project via skybridges. The hotel operators have not yet been announced.

The purpose of adding this space, according toGhermezian, is to give out-of-town visitors easy access and room to spend a night or two during their excursions.

American Dream said it will be adding eight more rides to the already open Nickelodeon theme park, building on its early success.

Source: American Dream

To be sure, after living for weeks or months in social isolation, being advised to wear face masks and ordered to stay at minimum 6 feet away from anyone else, it will likely take many consumers additional time to ease back into day-to-day life, as they remember it, before coronavirus.

Also, many people are being put out of work either temporarily furloughed or permanently laid off by closures related to the outbreak.

The wave of Americans looking for unemployment insurance skyrocketed at the end of March, as more than 6.6 million new claims were filed, bringing the total of Americans who have filed to roughly 10 million over the most recent two weeks, according to the Labor Department. And the unemployment rate in the U.S. has risen to 4.4% from 3.5% its highest level since August 2017.

But the situation will grow much worse before it gets better, according to analysts. Goldman Sachs has forecast that the unemployment rate will peak at around 15% later this year.

"I think it will take a while for people to get comfortable," Mizuho Securities analystHaendel St.Juste said about consumers going back to America's malls.

Until recently, it has been in commercial real estate landlords' best interests to bring "experiences" to malls, St. Juste said. "But now experiential equals human risk. Humans are not going to the mall."

"In theory, yes, it's still a good idea to build assets with things people cannot do online," he added. "Ultimately we will see fewer malls."

Skeptics also still abound that American Dream will ever be 100% completed. Mall of America owner Triple Five Group took over the project, when it was named Xanadu, in 2011. Construction has been stalled and restarted on and off for years. Opening dates have been pushed back. The coronavirus has drawn out, even further, an already extensive timeline.

Read the original here:
Stalled by coronavirus pandemic, American Dream rethinks its future and retail becomes an afterthought - CNBC

Monday, April 06, 2020 5:54 p.m. CDT by Michael Leischner

WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) -- Wausau Mayor Robert Mielke provided an update Monday on the progress of the city's Riverlife development near the Wisconsin River.

According to the developers, the apartment complex is now 50% complete and leasing for the units is underway, with a quarter of the 75 units spoken for.

The apartments will lease for $925 a month with each unit including cable TV and managed WiFi. Other amenities will include heated underground parking, secure access, and a fitness center.

An on-site manager for the apartment complex has also been hired by the management company. According to Monday's release, the units should be ready for occupancy by July 2020.

The Riverlife development began as a mixed-use office and retail space that was to be built by Mike Frantz and Quantum Ventures. The group racked up more than $2 million in debt to local contractors during initial construction and later abandoned the project. That led to legal proceedings that left the project delayed for more than a year.

RELATED: Frantz officially out as Riverlife developer

Later, the city chose Oregon, WI-based Gorman and Company was chosen to take over the project. That was later shifted to Wausau Riverlife LLC, a conglomerate of three local developers that shifted the project from mixed-use retail and residential to all apartments.

RELATED: Wausau group to take over Riverlife Development

Developers have since expressed interest in adding a complex of condominiums to the area, along with other retail and dining options. The city will also be extending Fulton Street to serve the new neighborhood, that project is currently out for bids.

Go here to see the original:
Riverlife Apartments on track for July opening - WSAU News

Sterling Construction Company, Inc. (NasdaqGS: STRL) ("Sterling" or "the Company") today announced that its subsidiary, Ralph L Wadsworth Construction, LLC ("RLW") was selected by the Woodbury Corporation for a Utah structural project totaling $26.4 million.

The $26.4 million project is part of a $500 million revitalization effort of University Place, a 120-acre multi-use development project located in Orem, Utah. RLW is contracted to provide the structural concrete for a nine-story structure with the bottom five levels consisting of 115,000 square feet of structured parking and a lobby and the top four levels with over 115,000 square feet of Class A office space, boasting unobstructed 360-degree views of Utah Valley. Construction is scheduled to begin this Spring and is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2021.

Joe Cutillo, Sterlings CEO, commented, "We are pleased to begin work with the Woodbury Corporation, one of the premier retail developers in the United States and the local community. Residents of Utah County have made their desire for growth, urban town centers and diverse housing choices known, and we are extremely glad that, we are able to aid in the redevelopment effort of University Place."

Sterling, a Delaware corporation, operates through three operating groups specializing in heavy civil, specialty services and residential projects in the United States, primarily across the southern U.S., the Rocky Mountain States, California and Hawaii, as well as other areas with strategic opportunities. Heavy civil includes infrastructure and rehabilitation projects for highways, roads, bridges, airfields, ports, light rail, water, wastewater and storm drainage systems. Specialty services projects include site excavation and improvement, foundations for multi-family homes, parking structures and other commercial concrete projects. Site excavation and improvement entails construction site preparation primarily in the Southeast region of the United States for blue-chip customers in the distribution center, warehousing, e-commerce, data center, big box retail and energy sectors, as well as other growing end markets. Residential projects include concrete foundations for single-family homes in Texas.

This press release includes certain statements that fall within the definition of "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including overall economic and market conditions, federal, state and local government funding, competitors and customers actions, and weather conditions, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including those risks identified in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, such statements should be considered in light of these risks. Any prediction by the Company is only a statement of managements belief at the time the prediction is made. There can be no assurance that any prediction once made will continue thereafter to reflect managements belief, and the Company does not undertake to update publicly its predictions or to make voluntary additional disclosures of nonpublic information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200406005713/en/

Contacts

Sterling Construction Company, Inc.Ron Ballschmiede, Chief Financial Officer281-214-0777

Investor Relations Counsel:The Equity Group Inc.Fred Buonocore, CFA 212-836-9607Mike Gaudreau 212-836-9620

More:
Sterling Awarded a $26.4 Million Project in Utah by the Woodbury Corporation - Yahoo Finance

THE BUZZ WERE NOT NEW YORK: In California, theyre still building. New Yorks Gov. Andrew Cuomo had issued an executive order that shuttered most construction sites, and so did Boston mayor Martin Walsh in response to the Covid-19 crisis. But California which has taken some of the toughest and earliest measures to control the coronavirus pandemic is not going there.

Were not New York, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday, arguing that there are "very different conditions in the state of California'' than in other states and cities that have severely restricted most construction. Newsom's statements came days after Robbie Hunter, who leads the powerhouse Building and Construction Trades Council of California with a membership of 460,000 workers and 60,000 apprentices personally appealed to him on the matter.

Advertisement

After seven Bay Area health officers issued updated stay-at-home orders that specifically prohibited most residential and commercial construction, Hunter spoke to Newsom about what he said are tough standards instituted since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak to protect workers including taking temperatures at work sites, sterilizing tools and equipment, banning food trucks, implementing strict measures to discourage gatherings and mandating strict social distancing.

On Thursday, Hunter spoke to POLITICO after giving a hard-hatted Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg a personal tour of the Sacramento Convention Center construction site to show him those measures. Newsom and Steinberg both said they were satisfied that the workers, and the public, were protected by the strict oversight.

HUNTER TELLS POLITICO: Weve trained our people to work in the Borax mines, in tunnels underneath the Bay and we build 80-story skyscrapers without losing a worker or even a serious injury. We are used to serious training for different scenarios and we have applied everything we've got on this. Heres the full story by Carla.

OTHER TAKEAWAYS:

NOT OUT OF THE WOODS, but hospital trends looking good: Newsom said it was the individual acts of tens of millions of Californians that allowed him to say that hospitalization numbers, while theyre growing, are not growing as significantly as youre seeing in other parts of the country. POLITICOs tracker shows California has fewer than one-tenth the number of coronavirus-related deaths as New York, which has half the population of the Golden State and where Cuomo says theyre just days away from running out of ventilators.

LOOKING AT OPTIONS ON PROPERTY TAXES: Newsom seems unlikely to delay property tax deadline, but may consider alternative relief, by POLITICOs Colby Bermel: April 10 is the biannual property tax deadline that's by far the biggest contributor to local government coffers. A coalition of groups representing cities, counties and school districts wrote Newsom last month urging him to keep the date in place.

"We're working with the counties ... and we're seeing if there's ways to soften this, Newsom said. He added, however, that governments have also made their revenue worries clear to him, and that we're going to see what our options are and see what we can do to help in this moment, but I don't want to overpromise in this space.

BUENOS DIAS, good Friday morning. Look for President Donald Trump to issue guidelines to Americans to start wearing masks outdoors, POLITICOs Dan Diamond reports following in the steps of Californias vanguard big cities and urban region, as POLITICOs Victoria Colliver reports.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It's not that kids don't respect their parents. It's just that they don't respect them when it comes to educating them the way they do their teachers." Newsom opines on home schooling during the Covid-19 outbreak.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Riverside County Sheriff's Dept @RSO: We are saddened to announce the passing of one of our own RSO family members, Deputy Terrell Young. Terrell Young served this department for 15 yrs & is the 1st member to succumb to the COVID-19 virus. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.

WHERES GAVIN? His daily #NewsomAtNoon briefing, to be livestreamed on @CAGovernor Twitter feed, will update COVID-19 news in California.

Sign up for POLITICO Nightly: Coronavirus Special Edition, your daily update on how the illness is affecting politics, markets, public health and more.

MUST READ Trump administration ended pandemic early-warning program to detect coronaviruses, by LATimes Emily Baumgaertner and James Rainey: Two months before the novel coronavirus is thought to have begun its deadly advance in Wuhan, China, the Trump administration ended a $200-million pandemic early-warning program aimed at training scientists in China and other countries to detect and respond to such a threat.

THE MAN WHO SAVED MAIN STREET Property owner waives rent for 65 retail tenants in Half Moon Bay, by the San Mateo Daily Journals Zachary Clark.

Navy captain of coronavirus-infected aircraft carrier relieved of command, by SF Chronicles Joe Garofoli, Tal Kopan and Matthias Gafni.

AFTER SF CHRONICLES SCOOP Navy fires aircraft carrier captain who raised alarm about virus outbreak, by POLITICOs Lara Seligman. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly has fired the captain who raised the alarm about a spike in coronavirus cases onboard his aircraft carrier, which was sidelined in Guam last week, the Navy announced on Thursday.

Modly's decision to relieve Capt. Brett Crozier of command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt comes days after an impassioned letter Crozier wrote to Navy leaders pleading for additional help to combat the outbreak was leaked to the press. It appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Crozier's hometown paper.

via the Washington Post: California man who died of coronavirus was among those who tested positive after attending party at Trumps L.A. golf club Bert Argo, 75, died on Friday, his daughter Melanie Young said. She said Argo and his wife had visited the presidents golf club in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on the evening of March 8 for a birthday party for Susan Brooks the towns former mayor.

BATTLE OF THE TITANS! RECODEs Kara Swisher taking on Sean Hannity and Fox News fake contagion. My brother, a doctor working on the front lines of the crisis in San Francisco, called the misinformation magical thinking and wishful ignorance that persists because none of us ever wants to believe the worst. He finds it happens a lot when it comes to dire health information. If Mom does not want coronavirus to be true, pablum from Fox News makes it easier, he told me.

NO HOLMES AT HOME? Judge, defense clash in Theranos case over shelter-in-place orders, by POLITICOs Josh Gerstein: With a trial for [Elizabeth] Holmes looming at the end of July, her defense team this week petitioned the judge overseeing her case for the right to defy shelter-in-place orders in the Washington, D.C., area, the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere by continuing to meet to pore over exhibits in the case, interview witnesses and serve subpoenas.

H2O STAYS ON Newsom orders moratorium on water shutoffs for residents, critical businesses, by POLITICOs Debra Kahn: Today's order explicitly prohibits water systems from suspending residential service due to nonpayment and orders them to restore any residential services that they have suspended since March 4, when Newsom first declared a state of emergency. (Pro link)

SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF Newsom announces sales tax relief for small businesses, by POLITICOs Jeremy B. White: Newsom likened the reprieve to a bridge loan worth up to $50,000 for businesses that have been devastated as the coronavirus pandemic chokes off customers and closes businesses. (Pro link)

Here is the latest list of L.A. County communities with coronavirus cases, by the LA Times Hannah Fry.

Santa Clara is Bay Areas first county with more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases, by the Mercs Kerry Crowley.

STAY HOME California could see 5,000 coronavirus deaths a week if social distancing eases too soon, by the LA Times Rong-Gong Lin: That would mean 600 deaths a week from the disease known as COVID-19 in the central San Francisco Bay Area, and 100 to 200 deaths a week in Contra Costa County, he said.

STAGGERING California unemployment claims top 878,000 as coronavirus pushes US jobless to new high, by McClatchys David Lightman: Nationally, more than 6.6 million people filed for the first time in the week that ended Saturday.

"California resumes disclosing how many health workers have coronavirus," by the SF Chronicle's Mallory Moench.

With the help of The COVID Tracking Project a volunteer-run accounting of every coronavirus test conducted in America POLITICO is monitoring how many Americans have been tested in all 50 states. Our live tracker will continue to update with the latest numbers across the country as they come in.

HER NEXT MOVE Pelosi forms new select committee to oversee $2 trillion coronavirus relief package, by POLITICOs Heather Caygle, Kyle Cheney and Melanie Zanona: The committee is Pelosis most aggressive effort yet to streamline the Houses efforts to hold President Donald Trump accountable for his implementation of the massive coronavirus response law, as well as to ensure that recipients of the historic taxpayer bailout use funds the way Congress intended.

California sues student loan servicer over records on federal aid program for teachers, by POLITICOs Michael Stratford.

FOCUS ON THE GOVERNORS Trump Is Politicizing the Pandemic. Governors Can Fight Back, by Eric Posner and Emily Bazelon in NYT: Unwilling to take the blame for shutting down the economy when he thought there was little public support for the move, [Trump] sparred with governors like [Andrew] Cuomo and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan while also hiding behind them.

Trump's federal coronavirus quarantine isn't happening (for now). But what can states do? by Jessica Levinson for NBC: In one corner, we have the states, armed with their power to protect the health, safety and welfare of their residents. In the other corner, we have the federal government, charged with regulating interstate commerce and protecting federal constitutional rights like the right to travel.

Ro Khanna: 'This is not some large bailout for the startups,' by Protocols Sofie Kodner.

EDITORIAL in his hometown paper, the Fresno Bee: Devin Nunes of Tulare CA has dangerous views on coronavirus: he should keep them to himself.

CALIFORNIA CANDIDATE? Biden says hell put a black woman on Supreme Court. This California justice is a leading candidate, by the LA Times David G. Savage.

SIDERS TAKE How the coronavirus is shaping the 2024 presidential race, by POLITICOs David Siders: People who do not follow politics are tuning into livestreams of their governors for the first time and learning the names of governors of other states.

INVITES ARE OUT to Joe Bidens virtual fireside chat hosted by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Jed Katz, via Recodes Teddy Schleifer. See the invite here.

SPLIT ROLL DUST-UP: OPPONENTS REACTION coming in to the announcement by Schools and Communities First the coalition of education and labor groups that theyve collected 1.7 million signatures to get the split roll measure to revise Prop. 13 on the November ballot, as reported by POLITICO this week:

From California Business Roundtable president Rob Lapsley: After spending more than $3 million to qualify their first flawed property tax hike, proponents have spent millions more to qualify a second, equally flawed measure. Its clear that the public employee unions behind the largest property tax increase in state history are willing to spend and do whatever it takes to raise the cost of living for working families.

FRONT AND CENTER Nancy Pelosi plays familiar role in 2020 elections: GOP talking point, by SFChronicles John Wildermuth: Republicans are once again trying to tie California Democratic congressional candidates to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, arguing that anyone supporting the party leader is just too liberal to represent the states purple swing districts.

AND THERES THIS...Caltrain, battered by the coronavirus, pushes ahead with November sales tax measure, by the SF Chronicles Rachel Swan: [O]fficials are taking steps to put a one-eighth cent sales tax on the November ballot in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

POLITICO MAGAZINE The nations best and worst governors in COVID-19 response, by Bill Scher. Hint: none of them are Andrew Cuomo, one of them is Gavin Newsom.

PG&E customers to receive climate credit in April, by KRONs Alexa Mae Asperin: The credit totals $62.91 for PG&E residential customers receiving both natural gas and electric service.

WHERE TO GO? You cant move and you cant stay: Top Democrats say COVID renter protections wont work, by the Sac Bees Sophia Bollag: Two top Democrats in the California Legislature say Gov. Gavin Newsoms executive order temporarily protecting tenants who cant afford rent because of COVID-19 doesnt stop landlords from initiating eviction proceedings and could allow a wave of evictions once the order ends on May 31.

UC and Cal State relax admissions criteria due to coronavirus: What you need to know, by the LA Times Nina Agrawal and Teresa Watanabe.

Once-disputed Costa Mesa site will house non-coronavirus patients as part of surge effort, by POLITICOs Victoria Colliver.

SHELTER FOR THE VULNERABLE Inside L.A.'s scramble to open shelters and find hotel rooms for coronavirus patients, by the LA Times Doug Smith.

PRIORITIZING PEOPLE San Francisco to prioritize placing some homeless street-dwellers in hotels after much coaxing, by Mission Locals Joe Eskenazi: Mayor London Breed on Wednesday declared that homeless street dwellers over age 60 and suffering from underlying health conditions would be prioritized for vacant hotel rooms during the COVID-19 outbreak.

FORE! Deemed essential, Sacramento golf courses remain open - and crowded - during coronavirus, by the Sac Bees Theresa Clift, Joe Davidson and Michael Finch.

Oakland gets 91 trailers to house homeless during coronavirus outbreak, by The Mercury News Marisa Kendall.

Google revises COVID-19 ad ban after backlash, by Protocols Emily Birnbaum: The tech giant in a memo to advertisers on Thursday said it will allow some advertisements this week from government entities, hospitals, medical providers and NGOs who want to advertise about COVID-19, with guidance expected in the next few days for political advertisers specifically.

National Governors Association Partners with SF-based Nextdoor, per a statement: During this unprecedented time, the number of public agency posts on Nextdoor has tripled since the beginning of March.

SF-based Zoom booms as coronavirus pushes connection into the virtual world, by The Hills Alexandra Kelley: The spike in usage comes as the FBIs Boston office warned of Zooms privacy being compromised.

DiCaprio, others launch $12M coronavirus relief food fund, by The APs Jonathan Landrum: [Leonardo] DiCaprio serves as a co-founder of Americas Food Fund with philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs. Apple and the Ford Foundation are also providing money to help launch the new initiative.

Oprah Winfrey announces she is donating $10 million to assist Americans during COVID-19 pandemic, by the Daily Mails Christine Rendon.

Disney To Furlough Employees Whose Jobs Arent Necessary At This Time Starting April 19, by Deadlines Jill Goldsmith.

Santa Clara County bans in-store, curbside sales of recreational marijuana, by POLITICOs Alexander Nieves: The decision, issued Tuesday as part of a revised shelter-in-place order, still allows cannabis shops to make in-person sales to individuals with medical marijuana cards or on a doctors recommendation.

SILVER LINING? You can thank the coronavirus for plunge in robocalls, by the LA Times David Lazarus.

SURFS NOT UP Coronavirus at beaches? Surfers, swimmers should stay away, scientist says, by the LA Times Rosanna Xia.

San Francisco homeowners are pulling listings off the market by the hundreds, by the SF Business Journals Ted Andersen.

Can you fix ventilators? A fuel cell engineer figures it out, by The APs Adam Beam.

OP-ED via the LA Daily News: UTLAs latest shameful attack on charter schools

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause youre promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: [emailprotected].

Continued here:
NEWSOM gives thumbs up to CA construction NAVY fires whistleblower carrier captain GRANDFATHER who attended TRUMP LA property party dies of Covid-19...