Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By BECKY GILLETTE

The current mood of home builders in Mississippi and across the country is better now than it has been since the Great Recession, said David Saulters, immediate past president of the Home Builders Association of Mississippi (HBAM) and owner of Sigma Companies and RE-MAX Real Estate Partners in Hattiesburg.

It took a long time for the construction business to make it through the Great Recession, Saulters said.

According to the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), builder confidence is at an all-time high. However, in both Mississippi and the rest of the country, there is a lack of inventory, particularly when it comes to affordable housing.

I see that from the real estate side of my business, Saulters said. The question is, Can builders deliver homes that are affordable for the buyer and still profitable for the builders to be able to make a living? The cost of materials and labor has moved up and home prices have moved up, too, but not enough to have an adequate margin for builders.

Risks builders take include constructing spec houses that either dont sell or sell slowly. Another factor can be homes failing to appraise for the sales price needed to allow builders an adequate profit margin.

Custom homes have done pretty well, but I dont think consumers understand the risks builders take with spec houses, he said. Not only does the builder take risks from the selling standpoint, but the warranties require builders stand behind the homes structural items for six years.

Saulters said Hattiesburg is a super market for homes. Petal in Forrest County, as well as Oak Grove in Lamar County, have traditionally done well, but now so are Sumrall and Purvis.

Finding an adequate skilled labor force continues to be a challenge for homebuilders, said HBAM Executive Vice President Jimmie B. Reynolds.

There is definitely a shortage of construction workers, Reynolds said. There are more jobs than people to fill those jobs. From comments Gov. Tate Reeves has made, he is focused on that. One of governors big things is workforce development and we want to be a big part of that. The leadership in the legislature also knows there is a shortage.

One strategy for filling the need now and in the future is to introduce young people to careers in the building trades such as electrical, plumbing, masonry and carpentry. Reynolds said it is important to get past the mindset that everyone needs to attend a four-year college.

There are incredible opportunities for lifetime careers for young people to go into the construction trades, and we want to make sure that public schools are providing educational opportunities to show students what good-paying jobs are out there for them, Reynolds said. There is great money to made without graduating from a four-year college or university with a large amount of student loan debt.

Home builders want to protect the public by preventing unscrupulous people from taking advantages of consumers. Reynolds said one way to do this is to make sure home builders are licensed and meet minimum requirements set by the state.

The Mississippi State Board of Contractors requirements set minimum standards, he said. We encourage the public to use licensed and insured contractors and builders.

But it is important to prevent onerous legislation that raises costs for builders and buyers. Reynolds is at the Mississippi Legislature on a regular basis monitoring legislation that would impact the home building industry.

Right now, the strong economy has created a good environment for home builders, Reynolds said. But it is important to keep track of regulatory changes.

Our association has a lot to offer builders. There are many benefits to being a member of the association. A lot of times folks dont realize HBAM and NAHB are all about advocacy, working really hard every day to make sure to look out for the home building industry and the consumer.

Nationally, there is an affordability issue which is partly related to government regulations, said Kenneth Estes, owner, Estes Building & Remodeling, Tupelo, president of the Homebuilders and Remodeling Association of Northeast Mississippi, a HBAM state representative, and immediate past chairman of the Area 8 region of NAHB.

The president has tried to ease some of the regulatory burden, Estes said. He has gone back and reversed some of the laws President Obama put in effect. NAHB has estimated that out of the average cost of a new home, 25 to 30 percent is some form of local, state or national regulations.

One example he gave is the standards dictating toilets use less water. Estes said there is a proposal to lower it once again from the current standard, which would drive up construction costs even more. Another proposal would require attic insulation in some climate zones go up from R-30 to R-49. While more energy efficient, it might take 15 years to recover the costs in energy saving. Estes said this would be a cost difficult to pass on to buyers.

Other proposals he thinks would unnecessarily drive up costs are requiring mandatory electric car charging stations in all residential construction, and mandatory air testing for tightness in all duct work.

There is no appraisal value for that, Estes said. It is just an expense the builders would have to incur and try to pass on to the consumer. NAHB is working to combat those changes.

Estes agrees home building is healthy overall. The economy continues to grow in Mississippi and the nation, and people are still building new homes across the nation.

There are some pockets doing better than others, Estes said. You always have that even in a down economy. The market in Tupelo is pretty good, although still not back to pre-Recession levels. Right now, in Tupelo there is still a lot of residential construction and commercial construction is very hot.

Estes agrees with others in HBAM that there are major issues with workforce availability.

In recent years locally, Ive probably averaged a phone call a month from someone wanting a job in construction, Estes said. I havent had a call in ten months from anyone asking for a job. The phone is ringing off the hook with people wanting jobs bid, but there is not enough labor force to get the jobs done. It takes longer to get onto jobs once you get them bid because of the lack of labor.

BEFORE YOU GO

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Home builder confidence high, but cost and availability of homes are issues | - Mississippi Business Journal

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Global Manufactured Housing Market : Full In-depth Analysis by Top Key Players, Regional Outlook, Latest Trend and Forecast to 2024 - Nyse Nasdaq Live

LAND O LAKES The empty land, fronting U.S. 41 and stretching westward toward Lake Thomas, is shared by small herd of cattle and a handful of egrets.

But its the potential for new occupants that has residents in the neighboring rural enclave objecting.

Youre about to kill a golden goose, said Joe Seidle who lives on Lake Thomas Road.

The golden goose, he says, is the natural beauty of Land O Lakes shorelines and old Florida neighborhoods that differentiate it from the cookie-cutter subdivisions that sit atop former ranch land elsewhere in fast-growing central Pasco.

The vacant land, nearly 42 acres, is positioned to become the site of more than 200 town homes vying for a view of Lake Thomas, the 164-acre centerpiece of serenity in the residential area that shares its name.

Current residents said they understand that development will happen. The countys long-range land-use plan designates much of the vacant property as suitable for three single-family homes per acre., known in government vernacular as Res-3. The front parcel, along U.S. 41, can be used for a combination of offices and higher-density housing of 24 units per acre.

What residents dont understand is why the future density for some of that land should double, as developer Tony Tanico of Eastern Meridian Property Group requested. If approved, the new zoning will allow up to six homes per acre and accommodate Tanicos plan to put 218 town homes there.

The new development would sit amid a mix of modest mid-century, cinder-block houses, manufactured homes and custom-built executive estates the owners of which use narrow roads minus shoulders and space for two cars to pass side-by-side to get to U.S. 41.

Neighbors wrote emails to Pasco County, used social media, appeared before the advisory Pasco Planning Commission and last week made their concerns known to elected county commissioners.

The proposed development, they said, could cause safety hazards on U.S. 41 because town home residents will need to drive south to Ehren Cutoff and then make a u-turn to head north to reach the nearest grocery, and the elementary and high school that will serve the community. They also fear more flooding in an area susceptible to high water.

"Theres no way. I mean, were going to flood again,'' said Linda Amason, 63, standing outside her home at 6005 Thomas Circle.

She and her husband, Mike, 69, have lived there 33 years. Their property has flooded four times in 10 years, requiring them to gut the house, install new flooring and sheet rock and put in a new septic system.

"If we flood again, were pulling back and moving on,'' she said.

Tanicos attorney, Barbara Wilhite, said the development team revised the initial plans to accommodate neighbors concerns. Access to the town homes will be from multi-lane U.S. 41, not narrow Little Lake Thomas Road. There will be a right-hand turn lane built on U.S. 41 to enter the project. There will be a pedestrian boardwalk, but no dock for motorized boat launches on Lake Thomas.

The state will review the drainage plans to ensure the project does not increase storm water discharge, cause flooding or damage water quality, said Joe Cimino of the civil engineering firm WRA. The plan is to retain water on the property rather than allow it to drain toward Little Lake Thomas Road and Thomas Circle, as it does now.

"It doesnt make any sense to continue discharging where there are flooding problems along those roads,'' Cimino told county commissioners.

Those accommodations, however, didnt answer the question of why 218 town homes should be built on land designated for 100 single-family homes. Seidle called it a dangerous precedent that will open similar vacant land to double its housing capacity.

"Whats the use of having a land plan if they wont follow it?'' Seidle asked in an interview.

The county called the proposed designation a "transitional land use and will be a means to gradually step-down in density and in lot size'' from a maximum of 24 units per acre that is available elsewhere in the vicinity.

Wilhite pointed out that higher-density housing in that location was encouraged in the 2008 Urban Land Institute report that Pasco County followed to establish higher-density urban service areas in the western and south-central portions of the county.

"This project is exactly what you said you wanted when you adopted that plan,'' she said.

"Its not ideal for best planning,'' Commissioner Jack Mariano acknowledged about the proposed in-fill development.

But both he and Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said they were satisfied with the developers attempts to try to accommodate neighbors concerns.

The commission voted 4-0, with Commissioner Mike Moore absent, to send the proposed land-use change to the state Department of Economic Opportunity for review. Final consideration by the commission is scheduled for April 7.

More here:
Residents fear Lake Thomas townhouses will drown their quality of life - Tampa Bay Times

Last year they were touted as property rights bills. This year, theyre being promoted as affordable housing bills. In fact, they are neither.

They are House Bill 302 (HB302) and its counterpart, Senate Bill 172 (SB172); if enacted by the legislature, they will, prohibit local governments from adopting or enforcing ordinances or regulations relating to or regulating building design elements as applied to one or two-family dwellings;

HB302/SB172 were introduced at last years legislative session but did not come up for a vote. Consequently, bill sponsors have raised their ugly heads for the 2020 legislative session. And since last years property rights ploy didnt play well, proponents are now singing the affordable housing melody.

The simple fact that sponsors have changed the reason this legislation is needed is ample evidence that they are using bait and switch tactics to benefit homebuilders, not homeowners. Further, the fact that a house is built with cheap materials is no guarantee that it will any more affordable than a house built with quality materials that meet a communitys design standards.

Specifically, HB302 prevents cities and counties from regulating:

Exterior building color

Type or style of exterior cladding material

Style or materials of roof structures or porches

Exterior nonstructural architectural ornamentation

Location or architectural styling of windows and doors, including garage doors

The number and types of rooms

The interior layout of rooms

Types of foundation structures approved under state minimum standard codes.

Exceptions are granted for historic structures, manufactured homes, overlay districts, or if an ordinance is adopted as a condition of participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.

HB302 requires home construction to meet state standard code minimums, thereby recognizing the importance of design standards. However, it specifically prohibits local governments from regulating or enforcing those standards, unless local regulation is a requirement (of a state minimum standard). But for the most part, enforcement, if there is any, will have to be done by state agencies. Yet the relevant state agencies have neither the budget, the personnel nor the desire to be the enforcement arm of 159 counties and 538 incorporated cities. With no enforcement strategy, there is no mechanism to assure that one-family and two-family buildings are safe, durable and inhabitable.

Admittedly, the design standards imposed by some cities and counties are an overreach and an assault on individual property rights. However, the proper way to address overreach is to restrict it. Instead, HB302 attempts to control overreach in one direction by overreaching in another. That overreach could well result in the construction of houses that look like small warehouses; with no design standards for roofs, type or style of exterior cladding or location and styling of windows, residences with flat roofs, concrete walls and no windows could be built- to the detriment of the home values of adjacent property owners.

As for the affordable housing ploy, affordable is a target thats blowing in the wind. Definitions range from Section 8 housing that is subsidized by the federal government, to housing that is priced such that payments are affordable by families earning less than the Area Median Income. It comes as no surprise that proponents of HB302 are at best vague about their definition of affordable.

Thats most likely because their true concern is not affordability. Its profitability.

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Legislative Bait and Switch - HB302 - Gwinnett Citizen

Its Severe Weather Awareness Week and an important part of severe weather preparedness is knowing your safe place during severe weather. If you live in a mobile home, you are more vulnerable. According to the National Weather Service Birmingham office, because of the more dispersed nature of manufactured housing across the state, mobile homes are four times more likely to be struck by a tornado in Alabama than in Kansas.

In 2019, there were 25 tornado fatalities in Alabama, 23 of these fatalities were during the Lee County EF4 tornado on March 3, 2019. Out of the 23 fatalities, 19 of them were in manufactured housing. According to the Auburn-led Structural Extreme Event Reconnaissance Network, all of the mobile homes lacked ground anchors, had degraded anchors, or had anchor systems not up to state code.

According to NWS Birmingham, a mobile home is completely destroyed with winds around 45 percent of winds expected to destroy a permanent home. This is why we stress the importance of NOT STAYING in manufactured housing during the threat of severe weather.

Where do you go? Go to a neighbor or familys permanent home. Or, go to a local storm shelter. Contact your countys EMA office if you are not sure where the nearest storm shelter is located.

While leaving is your best option, to protect your mobile home, making sure you have adequate anchorage is imperative. Here are some important tips to consider:

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Severe Weather Awareness Week: What to do if you live in manufactured housing - WIAT - CBS42.com

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Louisiana Severe Weather Awareness Week kicked off on Sunday.

The National Weather Service calls attention to the high impact weather conditions throughout the state. Tornadoes, flash flooding, and dangerous winds are all conditions that affect people living in the Arklamiss region. Spring and fall are both considered to be severe weather seasons.

The National Weather Service advises people to come up with a plan now, prior to when severe weather conditions arrive. The first step is to find a safety shelter.

In a single-family home, its gonna be the lowest floor, interior room, with as many walls between the outside and you as possible, said National Weather Service meteorologist Charlie Woodrum.

If you live in a mobile or manufactured home, be prepared to evacuate if necessary.

Know where you want to evacuate to. Identify where that concrete reinforced structure is that you can go as a safe place. It might be a church, it might be a big community building. It might be a friends home, said Woodrum.

They say mobile homes are especially prone to storm damage.

Woodrum said, In this area of the country, particularly mobile and manufactured homes are really at risk when storms threaten. It only takes an EF1 tornado which is winds of up to about 110 miles per hour to completely pick up a single wide mobile home, throw it 100 yards, drop it, and destroy it completely.

There are many ways to keep yourself in the know. One of the most simple ways is right at your fingertips.

On your cellphones, we have a program called wireless emergency alerts that go right to your cellphone, and for all tornado warnings, youre gonna get that on your cellphone, also for most flash flood warnings well do that as well, said Woodrum.

The National Weather Service advises people to keep the severe weather notifications turned on in their mobile settings. Stay tuned to KNOE-TV, and knoe.com for the latest weather updates. Also, download the KNOE weather app.

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Louisiana Severe Weather Awareness Week brings attention to the need for an emergency plan - Knoe.com

Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI), a Basic Materials Lumber & Wood Production corporation, saw its stock trade 56.99 shares, a spike against to its 10-day trading volume of 451.71k.Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) stock is trading at $56.99, up 6.88 cents or +13.73% on the day. Based on this we can see some traders are either waiting on the sidelines to get involved or perhaps some are taking profits.Total Revenue for Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) is $4.41B. Gross Profit is $592.89M and the EBITDA is $305.81M.

The average 10-day trading volume of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) is 451.71k compared to 352.78k over the last 3 months which indicates a spike in trading activity. Right now, Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) has a 50-day moving average of $49.04 and a 200-day moving average of $45.40. These moving averages are popular technical indicators that investors use to analyze price trends of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI).Approximately 1.65% of the shares of the company are sold short from traders betting the shares might trade lower. The beta value of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) stock is 1.86, indicating its 7.04% to 3.32% more volatile than the overall marketplace.Technically, UFPIs short term support levels are around $51.75, $51.75 and $51.75 on the downside. Based on technical analysis, UFPI has short term rating of Bullish (0.26), Intermediate rating of Neutral (0.21) and the long-term rating of Bullish (0.42) giving it an overall rating of Bullish (0.29).UFPI is trading 96.52% off its 52 week low at $29.00 and -1.08% off its 52 week high of $57.61. Performance wise, UFPI stock has recently shown investors 13.93% a spike in a week, 18.68% a spike in a month and 14.25% a spike in the past quarter. Furthermore, Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) has shown a return of 19.48% since the 1st of this year.

Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) is a mid cap company with a market cap value of $3.481B. UFPI insiders hold roughly 2.78% of the shares.On Aug-03-18 Seaport Global Securities Initiated UFPI as Buy at $47. On Feb-13-20 Wedbush Initiated UFPI as Neutral and on Feb-14-20 Wedbush Initiated UFPI as Neutral. There are currently 59.68M shares in the float and 63.39M shares outstanding. There are 1.65% shares short in UFPIs float.The industry rank for Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) is 149 out of 255 ranking it at the Bottom 42% .

UFPI last 2 years revenues have decreased from $4,489,180 to $4,406,150 showing a downtrend. Wall Street expects Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) to report an EPS next Qtr profit of 0.59 and a profit of 8.97% next year.The growth rate on UFPI this year is 10.31 compared to an industry 13.00. UFPIs next years growth rate is -3.43 compared to an industry 6.50. The book value per share (mrq) is 20.20 and cash per share (mrq) is 1.29. Giving them a price/book (mrq) of 2.78 compared to an industry of 2.52 and UFPIs price/cash flow (mrfy) is 14.19 compared to an industry of 17.13. UFPI fundamental ratios shows an EPS growth vs. previous year 3.21 and EPS growth vs. previous quarter 0.54.

Headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, UFP Industries, Inc. is a holding company with its subsidiaries throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company supplies wood, wood composite and other products in retail, industrial, and construction market.The company classifies its top-line results based on its end markets. A brief snapshot of the end market sales has been provided below:UFP Retail (accounting for 36.9% of third-quarter 2019 gross sales) includes Do-It-Yourself retailers, and distributors, pro-dealers and other retail customers.UFP Industrial (28.1%) consists of packaging, crating and other products for manufacturers.UFP Construction (35%) comprises Residential Construction, Commercial Construction and Concrete Forming and Manufactured Housing sales.Residential Construction includes builders of single and multifamily homes.Commercial Construction and Concrete Forming includes non-residential construction and concrete forming.Manufactured Housing includes manufactured housing and recreational vehicles business.

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Will Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) Beat Its Last Earnings Report? - Stock Watch 247

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Chessie looks over renovations at Cheswick Pools and Patios, awaits makeover - TribLIVE

Esther and Don Amick have a patio on the east side of their Grand Island home, which means that even on the longest summer day they have shade by 5 p.m.

We just enjoy life and living, and our sunroom, patio and garden allow us to feel like we are on vacation all the time, Esther said in an email. The sunroom is what started it all. It was the impetus for the garden and the fact that we enjoy the garden so much was the impetus for the patio.

The Amicks dont have a California kitchen or anything like that, she said. I got Don a Traeger grill for Fathers Day last year and he loves that.

Their patio was in the planning stage for about a year, and it was built in the summer of 2016. We celebrated our 50th anniversary that summer and had a backyard party to celebrate, she said.

The Amicks patio is concrete and stamped concrete, and they enjoy the design with the stamped concrete being in a different color from the poured concrete.

We have solar lights and patio string lights, Esther said, adding that we love the ambience of the patio string lights.

They do not have an outdoor sound system, but have speakers that they use outside, and the patio is large enough that they have had bands play for their backyard parties.

Their patio furnishings include a round patio table that sits on the large, round, stamped concrete area, a glass-top fire pit, a high-top table and a patio heater for chilly evenings.

The patio is flanked to the north by a 24x20 sunroom, which includes a hot tub. The manicured garden area, east of the patio and sunroom, features numerous perennial flowers and hanging baskets.

The colorful garden vista can be enjoyed from the patio or sunroom, and many of the Amicks days start and end in one of those spaces.

If their patio area was not shaded by their house, they might have chosen a pergola such as those sold by Fireplace Stone and Patio in Grand Island.

Travis Meier, assistant manager of the store, shared some details about the StruXure Outdoor products they offer.

The extruded aluminum and stainless-steel structures are custom-built and offer a louvered roof that can be set at angle to provide shade or can close completely for protection from rain. Large installations can even include a roof that slides open.

The pergolas are customizable and can include lights and ceiling fans. Sensors can be installed to detect wind, rain, snow or ice and adjust the louvers to cope with the changing conditions. In normal use, the louvers are push-button or remote-controlled. Rain gutters are built in to drain the structure when closed.

The pergolas are built to Florida hurricane standards, which could be a plus with Nebraskas sometimes raging winds. Meier said the structures can be attached to a roof line or installed as a standalone structure. Pricing is based on the specific job with a base of $100 per square foot.

The company can install screens on the pergolas or on existing patios or other structures. The sun-blocking screens reduce heat and UV rays and can be operated with a remote control.

Meiers firm also sells many patio accessories, including a large range of smokers and barbecue grills. A patio foodie can even find a wood-burning pizza oven for outdoor use.

Fireplace Stone & Patio works with landscape companies to integrate their products into outdoor living spaces, including a kitchen, built-in seating and numerous other amenities.

Jeremy Vlcek of Vlcek Gardens in Chapman is one of those landscapers.

The size based on your yard is always a big part. Ive never installed a patio and had someone say they wish it was a little bit smaller. Usually its like maybe we could have made that a little bit bigger. We always make sure we know how many people theyre going to be entertaining, and what theyre going to be using it for, so we can size it correctly.

Youre always looking for a timeless paver that will just never have to be updated. Then you can make an outdoor kitchen, just like your kitchen inside. You can have a grilling island with a state-of-the-art grill and refrigerator. You can put fire in there TVs. You can have an outdoor fireplace or fire pits. Then, you can throw in water to get that ambience as well.

A pergola, Vlcek said, can make you feel like youre sitting under a tree or make the space feel like its an actual room.

You can add plants, too, to make a patio not just look like this gigantic hardscape feature. Plants soften some of those spaces. You have the water, you have fire, you have stuff to eat, you have stuff to drink. You have patio furniture in there, he said.

You can even throw music in there. We do outdoor speaker systems and that really enhances the moment. At nighttime, you can really make it usable by adding light, Vlcek said. Youre not looking for a light to just brighten up the whole spot. Youre just lighting up architectural features. You can have color changing LED lights to enhance the views if you wanted Valentines Day, you can have them all Valentines Day red, or when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, you could change it to the Chiefs colors.

Its just amazing what you can do outdoors, and make it into your own personal resort outdoors.

Vlceks company, in business for 12 years, offers a planning questionnaire on its website, vlcekgardens.com, that lets a person select various patio features according to their budget without a face-to-face meeting.

When we meet with people, we cant do our job effectively unless we know what they want to spend, he said. I can make a drawing up of a Maserati, and maybe you want a really nice Mustang.

Blaine Budke, owner of Hot Tub Brokers in Grand Island and McCook, has a covered patio at his home.

It makes it nice cause youve got your ceiling fan; you can have a TV outside. You have the Magnolia lights it just makes for a really nice environment, Budke said. We have a gas-powered fire pit that we sell, and you can set six to eight people around that fire pit. It just brings the whole family together and makes for a nice spring and summer and even fall environment in your backyard.

For those not familiar with the term, Magnolia lights are a chain of lights, often LEDs, which use less energy, can provide color and dont attract as many insects as some other light sources.

Budke says hot tub sizes range from a two- to three-person size that can be enclosed up to an 8-foot square model that seats seven to eight people.

Hot tub features can include an ozonator to help keep the tub clear and control bacteria, stereos with Bluetooth, and LED lights to set a mood with various colors.

You can put four adults in a 7-foot hot tub, and theyre very comfortable without playing footsie or touching each other, Budke said.

Hot Tub Brokers also sells above-ground pools.

We install those as a complete package. You put them up one time and you never take them down, he said. You just let them freeze up over the winter, and then in the spring, you clean the water, hook her all back up and away you go again.

For Grand Island High School fans, Budkes company even sells palm trees to mount on a patio or alongside a hot tub or swimming pool.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

Vlcek Gardens, based in Chapman, offers a variety of custom patios featuring custom stonework, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, landscaping, sound and lighting options.

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The perfect patio is designed to fit both your yard and lifestyle - Grand Island Independent

ST. CHARLES The owners of Eden on the River restaurant want to take advantage of the restaurant's proximity to the Fox River by adding a covered patio.

At its meeting Tuesday, the St. Charles City Council voted to approve $45,000 in grants to help pay for the project. The City Council approved a $20,000 facade improvement grant along with a $25,000 commercial corridor and downtown business economic incentive grant.

Eden on the River restaurant is located at 1 Illinois St. in Fox Island Square in downtown St. Charles. The facade improvement grant is specifically for improvements to the current deck along the Fox River.

The improvements include removing a portion of the current deck along the Fox River and replacing it with a screened-in structure to promote more seasonal uses. The project will also include the installation of three garage style doors that will open into the new screened- in area.

The majority of members of the city's historic preservation commission had previously recommended approval of the face improvement grant, saying the project "is going to enhance the public visibility and is complimentary to the existing utilitarian industrial architecture."

The 1,800-square-foot covered patio addition is estimated to cost $301,200. As proposed, the existing wooden deck will be removed and disposed of, including the concrete piers. In addition, the existing awning attached to the east side of the building will be removed.

The rest is here:
Eden on the River restaurant to add covered patio - Kane County Chronicle