Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

A familiar Dallas property is getting a reboot with a new name.

Developer Stream Realty Partners bought Uptowns landmark Quadrangle retail and office center last year and announced plans for a redo.

Now Stream Realty is disclosing more details, including a new identity for the 4-acre development.

The real estate firm is calling its project The Quad.

Redevelopment plans include construction of a 12-story office tower plus new retail space on the two-block property at Howell and Routh streets near McKinney Avenue.

Over the last year, we have cast a vision for The Quad that will reestablish the gravitational pull it had in Uptown for several decades, Ramsey March, Stream Realty managing director, said in a statement. We believe the location, design and amenity offering appeals in particular to creative-class tenants looking for something different in Uptown.

Designed by Dallas architect Omniplan, the 335,000-square-foot office building will include The Quad Club on the top floor, an amenity center with tenant lounge, conference center and terrace overlooking downtown Dallas and Uptown.

At the corner of the existing shopping center, Stream Realty is building five retail bungalows with 15,000 square feet of space for food service and restaurant tenants.

With the propertys unique combination of office space and retail experiences, The Quad will attract tenants of all kinds, bringing a new level of vitality to the Uptown area, Stream Realtys J.J. Leonard said.

Construction on the project is set to start this summer, and completion is set for late 2022.

Built in 1966 as a Southwestern-style compound of one-of-a-kind shops and small office spaces, the Quadrangle has gone through several renovations. A redevelopment in the 1980s added an office building and changed the original exteriors of most of the buildings.

Stream Realtys new office building at The Quad is one of several new high-rise office and residential buildings on the way in that area of Uptown.

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Landmark Uptown retail and office project is now called The Quad - The Dallas Morning News

Joe Malinconico, Paterson Press Published 1:14 p.m. ET Feb. 20, 2020 | Updated 9:29 p.m. ET Feb. 20, 2020

Some NJ towns are looking to redevelop to revive business districts, meet affordable housing requirements and cater to changing consumer tastes. NorthJersey.com

Developer Charles Florio gained city approval Wednesday night to build 154 apartments in a six-story complex at the site of the former Greenbaum furniture store in the middle of Patersons downtown business district.

Florio said construction on the $45 million project on Washington Street which officials said would become the largest housing development in the downtown area will begin within six months.

It represents the second housing complex being done in the area by Florio, whose initial investments in Paterson focused on building and renovating several thousand apartments in impoverished and crime-plagued neighborhoods.

Florio is finishing work on a 30-unit project on Ellison Street, which is across from City Hall and a block away from the Greenbaum location.

I believe this project will help revitalize the downtown district by bringing in life, Florio said. Our vision for downtown is to transform the local economy and create a vibrant downtown.

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Florios Washington Street project would include retail space at street level, according to the application approved Wednesday by the Paterson Planning Board. Residents of the apartments including 51 studios, 86 one-bedrooms and 17 two-bedrooms would park at a garage owned by the Paterson Parking Authority on Broadway, under an agreement between Florio and the authority.

Mayor Andre Sayegh and Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce Director Jamie Dykes were enthusiastic about Florios plans.

We are doubling down on developing our downtown district, Sayegh said. This project will bring vibrance and vitality back to our commercial core. Paterson is in growth mode.

Dykes said the citys downtown businesses were in dire need of the pedestrian traffic that new housing in the area would create. Dykes said many of the commercial buildings in the downtown have vacant second floors. He said converting that space into apartments would greatly benefit the businesses.

Dykes also noted the boost to the citys tax base that projects like the one being done by Florio would bring. Patersons tax base has increased by more than $500 million over the past two years, hitting $6.2 billion in 2020, according to the citys application for state transitional aid. But the tax base remains more than $2 billion behind where it was a decade ago, according to public records.

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Paterson approves apartment complex, to be the largest housing development downtown - NorthJersey.com

A vacant 33,000 square foot lot located at 800 South 5th Avenue, once owned by the Village of Maywood, is the site for the new development.The adjacent 5th Avenue corridor is a pedestrian-oriented commercial corridor in the Village, allowing future tenants easy access to transit, education, and retail.The building will be comprised of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom residential units along with interior and exterior shared community spaces for resident use. It also includes approximately 5,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, currently slated for development into a grocery store, addressing the lack of this amenity in the area. Residential parking will be provided off the alley behind the new building, with commercial parking provided along 5th Avenue. New diagonal parking will also be added on surrounding streets to help accommodate additional residential guests and commercial users as well.

"This historically-underserved part of metro Chicago has proven a strong need for quality affordable housing, and we are thrilled to have this project ploughing ahead to meet that need," said Perry Vietti, the President of Interfaith Housing. "This development has been specifically designed to serve working families and individuals and some special needs populations. Slated for opening in early 2021, we could not be more thrilled to now have this important community resource coming out of the ground."

Maintaining its affordability status for a minimum of forty years, the five-story development will provide affordable housing for households at or below 60 percent of area median income (AMI). Sixteen of the units are designated for households at or below 30% AMI; twenty-eight units are for households at or below 50% AMI; and twenty-eight units will support households at or below 60% AMI.Nineteen of these units will be targeted to special needs populations, including 8 units set aside for homeless veterans and 11 units for tenants selected from the Illinois State Referral Network.

According to Toni Preckwinkle, the President of the Cook County Board,"Investment in affordable housing is critical to communities throughout Cook County. Half of the residents of Cook County are rent burdened, which means they pay more than 30 percent of their income in rent. With rental prices rising and gentrification moving in Chicago, it's more important than ever to recognize that housing is a human right."

The development has been designed by national integrated architecture and engineering firm, HED, and is being constructed by Chicago-based McShane Construction Company. The IHDC development team established early in the project a desire to achieve high levels of environmental sustainability, in an effort to best serve its resident population health as well as that of the surrounding neighborhood.

In 2018, Fifth Avenue Apartments was one of only a dozen projects nationwide, and the only one in Illinois, to be selected to participate in the International Living Future Institute's (ILFI) third round of the Living Building Challenge Affordable Housing Pilot Project program.

"As a project selected for the Living Building Challenge's affordable housing pilot program, we have enjoyed developing this design alongside this important sustainability advocacy platform, identifying the current challenges of pursuing this extreme green approach to design in the State of Illinois," said Susan King, Principal in Charge with HED. "While the project could not feasibly achieve the current certification expectations, IHDC's participation in this pilot effort will ultimately benefit countless affordable housing projects around the country in the future as the research continues to develop."

Additional project team members supporting the design and development of the Fifth Avenue Apartments project include SITE Designfor landscape architecture, and Ericksson Engineeringfor civil engineering. Property management will be provided by Interfaith Management Services, an affiliate of Interfaith Housing Development Corporation, that currently manages the 12 affordable developments that Interfaith owns.

ABOUT INTERFAITH HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONIHDC's mission is to develop long term affordable housing for low-income, underserved populations in collaboration with local communities. As a nonprofit 501(c)3, IHDC develops high-quality, financially and environmentally sustainable, affordable housing for low-income individuals and families with supportive services as a foundational strategy. In its 25-year history, IHDC has created 17 affordable housing developments that ranged in size from 15 to 135 units, in total, generating 768 permanent supportive housing units and 75 transitional units to-date. To learn more please visit http://www.ihdc.org.

ABOUT HED HED seeks creative solutions that have a positive impact for its clients, the community, and the world. HED has earned a reputation for excellence in all facets of the designed and built environment, including architecture, consulting, engineering, and planning services. The firm of over 470 staff serves clients in a broad range of markets from eight U.S. offices (Boston,Chicago,Dallas,Detroit,Los Angeles,San Diego,San Francisco, andSacramento). See how HED advances your world atwww.hed.design.

ABOUT MCSHANE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY McShane Construction Company was established in 1984 and is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois with regional offices in Auburn, Alabama, Irvine, California, Madison, Wisconsin and Phoenix, Arizona. The firm offers integrated design/build and build-to-suit construction services for the multi-family, retail, office, recreational, hospitality, educational, healthcare, distribution, manufacturing and food processing markets. For more information, visit the firm's website atwww.mcshane-construction.com.

Media contact: Emily Havelka, ehavelka@hed.design

SOURCE Interfaith Housing Development Corporation

http://www.ihdc.org

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Interfaith Housing Development Corporation Celebrates the Groundbreaking of Fifth Avenue Apartments - PRNewswire

February 20, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Renovation of the Swallow Mansion nears completion on the 1000-block of N. 6th Street in Harrisburg. The project has received a Dauphin County gaming grant.

More than 80 projects in Dauphin County will receive gaming grants this year, as the Dauphin County commissioners have approved $6.3 million in awards.

Harrisburg-based companies and organizations will receive a number of grants, the awards originating each year from the countys share of gaming revenue generated from Hollywood Casino at Penn National.

In Harrisburg, many of the projects are geared towards either removing blight or offsetting redevelopment or construction costs. These include:

Harrisburg city will receive two grants:

The majority of these projects create jobs and further investment and make our county more attractive to companies looking to either expand or relocate to our area, said Commissioner Mike Pries, in a statement.

Each year, Dauphin County makes these awards based upon a portion of casino gaming revenue and upon the recommendation of the countys five-member Gaming Advisory Board. Last year, the county awarded $6.4 million in grants to about 60 projects.

The following is a complete list of the projects that will receive gaming funds this year, according to Dauphin County:

Host & Contiguous

Other Awards

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Numerous Harrisburg projects receive funds as Dauphin County awards gaming grants - The Burg News

The proposed redevelopment project is set to revitalize downtown and draw in Fortune 500 companies to over 350,000 sq ft of office and retail space. Morristown Daily Record

MORRISTOWN With a number ofnew projects on the horizon, the townwill welcomeThe Cambria Hotel and Suites its first new hotel in the last 40 years.

Constructionis set to beginwithin six months at the location between Market and Bank streets following the last of the approvals granted to property owner, Sunstone Hotels Morristown, LLC, just last week.The seven-story "boutique hotel"will be within walking distance of The Green and feature 114 guest rooms, ground-level retail space, valet parking and a 2,500-square-footupscale restaurant and lounge.

"This is an economic driver for the community. We're hoping to cater to weekend guests, families that want to enjoy the historic sites in Morristown, it's going to be really exciting and unique," said project attorney Frank Vitolo.

The new seven-story Cambria Hotel and Suites is slated for a groundbreaking this year in Morristown.(Photo: Sunstone Hotels LLC)

Inside, the hotelwill include1,500 square feet of conference room, penthouse suites with balconies overlooking Market Street and a fitness center for hotel guests. An art component is slated for the interior of the hotel with plans to integrate unique artifacts of Morristown and photos.

At ground level, the building will house retail space and coffee shops for the public. With no space for on-site parking, 65-valet only parking spaces will be available on the roof of the Dalton Garage on Cattano Avenue.

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The Cambriais set on 20 Market and 14 and 30 Bank Streets.Although a six-story zoned area, Vitolosaid the planning board granted zoning variances for the hotel.

Due to a grade change,the hotel will stand six stories on Market Street and seven stories on Bank Street, according to project plans. On the site, demolition of the previous building is underway but is expected to finalize in the next two weeks.

The new hotel joins two other bedding optionsin town including the Hyatt Regency on Speedwell Avenue and the Best Western Plus on South Street. According to Vitolo, The Cambriawill have a "lower price point than the Hyatt." The Cambria will also compete with new bed and breakfast options that could open following the town's new Bed and Breakfast ordinance approved last November.

The new Cambria Hotel and Suites will sit a block away from the Morristown Green and feature 114 guest rooms.(Photo: Sunstone Hotels Morristown LLC)

Last month, Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty described the town as "a desirable location in Morris County" with new opportunities slated for this year.

Last year, the townsaw a commercial boom and welcomed30 new businesses, five new restaurants and 13 professional and service businesses. This spring, a newrevolutionary war-themed brewery is set to openalong with the additionof Millburn Deli.

In addition,severalprojects are in the works including the rehabilitation of Pioneer Plaza starting this spring and the construction of a new 506-space parking structure behind the Post Office on Morris Street. The town's new office and retail project calledM Station is also underway.

A Market Street building compromised during renovation was demolished overnight February 27, 2019, in Morristown. Morristown Daily Record

Jessie Gomez is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com and NorthJersey.com.For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email:jgomez@gannettnj.comTwitter:@jessiereport

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Morristown to get its first new hotel in 40 years - Daily Record

An architectural rendering of the renovated building (the former Warwick Hotel), located at 1315 Gravier St., which will include 154 apartments for graduate students, researchers, physicians, faculty and other affiliates of Tulane's expanding downtown campus. The project will also add ground floor retail space and dining options.

Tulane University has signed a long-term lease with the owners of the former Warwick Hotel, a 12-storybuilding located at 1315 Gravier St., adjacent to Tulane University School of Medicine. The university plans to fill 154 apartments of the renovated building with graduate students, researchers, physicians, faculty and other affiliates of its expanding downtown campus.

The project will also add ground floor retail space, including a fullservice restaurant, coffee shop, grab-and-go food options, patio space and lounge seating.Renovation of the long-dormant building is slated to begin this month and completed no later than August 2021.

Redevelopment of the Warwick, which was built in 1952but has been vacant since shortly after Hurricane Katrina, is part of Tulanes overall strategy to expand its campus downtown, where it already occupies 17 buildings. The university also plans to be the anchor tenant in the redevelopment of the Charity Hospital building, filling more than 350,000 square feet of the one-million-square-foot structure with laboratories, classrooms, offices and more.

The Warwick and Charity projects are prime opportunities to exponentially expand the universitys size and research mission, while also bolstering the creation of a robust research and commercialization ecosystem in the heart of the city, Tulane President Mike Fitts said.

Cities everywhere have been renewed and transformed by local universities, especially those located near their downtowns. This is Tulane and New Orleans shared future.

As a model for such success, Fitts points to Nashville, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Ohio, and other cities that have been revitalized through the power of their local universities.

Both the Warwick and Charity redevelopments will place a sizable portion of Tulanes research enterprise in close proximity to the citys burgeoning Innovation District, increasing the likelihood that university discoveries and breakthroughs will find their way to the market. With the Warwick site, Tulanes downtown campus will also be physically connected to vital civic assets such as Duncan Plaza and nearby City Hall, as well as the main branch of the New Orleans Public Library.

Having more Tulane students, scientists, faculty and over half of its staff downtown also promises to growa neighborhood of retail shops, entertainment venues and ancillary businesses throughout the area.

This is the first of many improvements we expect to occur in theSpirit of Charity Innovation District.This particular project will not only work to aggregate more talented Tulane researchers, students, and professionals in the Charity District, but we expect this project toenliven a property that has been vacant for well over a decade.We also expect this property to trigger an improvement in the surrounding street experience, as well as provide a catalyst for area business growth, said Tulane Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer Patrick Norton.

Local economic development leaders share Tulanes enthusiasm for the project.

Tulanes expansion into downtown New Orleans is one of the most exciting and potentially impactful developments of our generation for both Tulane and New Orleans, said Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc.With the addition of the Warwick, Tulane is taking a significant step towards integrating with the fabric of downtown New Orleans. The result will be a revitalized urban core that becomes a nexus for research, teaching, and overall economic development. This will elevate both Tulane and New Orleans on the national and global stage.

Andy Kopplin, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation and chairman of the BioDistrict New Orleans, highlighted the role a redeveloped Warwick Hotel will play within the Spirit of Charity Innovation District, the neighborhood surrounding Charity Hospital. The Foundation, the city and other partners are working to revitalize the district as an economic engine that will produce jobs in health care, biomedical research and other high-tech industries while also creating a walkable, residential and retail neighborhood.

Tulanes decision to dramatically increase its research presence downtown is exactly the kind of investment the Greater New Orleans Foundation hoped to inspire when we undertook our strategic planning process to create the Spirit of Charity Innovation District two years ago, Kopplin said We have the ability to create a place that can attract thousands of good jobs and be known for equitable and inclusive development, and Tulanes investments and commitment to those goals is a huge catalyst that will help bring that vision to life.

New Orleans Redevelopment Fund (NORF) is the developer of the project, which is part of NORFs new Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund, NORF 3. Tulane alumni Alex Hernandez and Mike Niemtzow founded NORF and know 1315 Gravier to be a perfect fit for Tulane and the city.

Were thrilled to partner with Tulane as it executes on its bold vision for downtown. Further, as a fellow New Orleanian, I am incredibly excited for the positive impact this development brings to the neighborhood and Duncan Plaza. Despite the challenges and complexity of this project, we were able to utilize our unique expertise in Qualified Opportunity Zones and Historic Tax Credits to make this an attractive project., said NORFs Development Director Cullan Maumus.

Hernandez Consulting & Construction is the general contractor on the project. Albert Architecure & SCNZ are the architects of record.

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Tulane to lease former Warwick Hotel, greatly expanding its downtown campus - News from Tulane

1100 Eastern Avenue Apartments

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) completes its third transaction of February by financing the construction of 1100 Eastern Avenue Apartments, 63 affordable apartments in Ward 7. DCHFA issued $13.9 million in tax exempt bonds and underwrote $9.8 million in low income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity. The Deanwood neighborhood is seeing a great deal of development and has become a sought after place to live, especially since being designated an Opportunity Zone. It is the Agencys goal to ensure that affordable housing remains a top priority amidst all of this development, stated Christopher E. Donald, Interim Executive Director, DCHFA.

The apartments at 1100 Eastern Avenue will consist of 11 efficiencies, 30 one-bedrooms, 2 two-bedrooms, 16 three-bedrooms and 4 four-bedrooms. Thirteen of those apartments will be reserved for residents earning 30 percent or less area median income (AMI), and the remaining 50 apartments will be reserved for those earning up to 50 percent AMI. Twenty percent of the units will be Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) accepting Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP) vouchers. Residents in the PSH apartments will have access to support services through Community Connections DC (CCDC), to include educational and vocational, psychiatric and behavioral, legal concerns, substance abuse and physical health and more.

The five-story $29.6 million building will feature 4,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, open-air courtyards, and a green roof. Additional amenities include an advanced security system with an intercom, video surveillance, key FOB access and on-site management. There will be a 16-space parking garage and 21 indoor bicycle storage units. All of the apartments will have new washers and dryers, refrigerators, garbage disposals, dishwashers and central air conditioning.

Additional funding for this project came in the form of an $11.4 million Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF) loan from the DC Department of Housing and Community Development. This is the Agencys third recent project in the Deanwood neighborhood, having financed the construction of the Strand Residences and Providence Place Apartments in August 2019.

Through its Multifamily Lending and Neighborhood Investment and Capital Markets divisions, DCHFA issues tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds to lower the developers costs of acquiring, constructing and rehabilitating rental housing. The Agency offers private for-profit and non-profit developers low cost predevelopment, construction and permanent financing that supports the new construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing in the District.

The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency is an S&P A + rated issuer in its 40th year of serving Washington, D.C.s residents. The Agencys mission is to advance the District of Columbias housing priorities; the Agency invests in affordable housing and neighborhood development, which provides pathways for D.C. residents to transform their lives. We accomplish our mission by delivering the most efficient and effective sources of capital available in the market to finance rental housing and to create homeownership opportunities.

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DCHFA Finances Third Affordable Apartment Community of the Month in Ward 7's Deanwood - GlobeNewswire

Back before social media and smartphones,a porch served as a place for socialization. People would stroll through the neighborhood after dinner and visit with neighbors taking in the evening from their front porch, trading stories about their days while enjoying a mild summers eve or a crisp fall night.

While nightly porch talk may be a thing of the past, a porch still exhibits a certain neighborliness, a welcoming facade that gives passersby a glimpse into the home and the lives of its inhabitants. Its a link between two domains public and private and softens the passage from interior comforts to the world outside.

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A porch is friendly, says architect and interior designer Leslie Saul. It reaches out to nature. Its a transition space between your home and the wild outdoors.

And while a porch doesnt have to be fancy to serve its purpose, there are plenty of ways to make it a true extension of your home while allowing the natural world to blend in.

A porch like the one above exhibits a certain neighborliness, a welcoming facade that gives passersby a glimpse into the home and the lives of its inhabitants.

Incorporate elements of nature

A porch must hold up to rain, sleet, snow, and ice especially in Connecticut so using moisture-resistant materials is a must.

Saul, who as president and founder of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Leslie Saul & Associates, is familiar with the regions unforgiving weather patterns, recommends using flooring materials like slate and ipe, a durable Brazilian wood similar in appearance to mahogany.

Not only will these sturdy materials withstand snowstorms, torrential downpours and hazy, humid summers, they build on that concept of bringing the outside in, Saul says.

Using stone accents is another way to pay homage to Connecticuts landscape. Joshua Smith, an interior designer who splits his time between Litchfield County and New York City, points out that the state is famous for its gorgeous stone walls. If you have access to natural stone deposits, he suggests leaving the bricks behind and using foraged stones for architectural elements like fireplaces.

This special touch will tie in the tones and textures of the natural surroundings and create a cohesively blended setting, Smith says.

Make it a three-season affair

If you want to enjoy your porch for at least three seasons of the year, a fireplace will certainly help. East Coast mornings and evenings can get cool, and a fireplace is perfect for warming the soul and creating magical moments, Smith says.

A screened-in porch makes humid summer nights more bearable no bugs and affords the opportunity to swap the screens for storm doors and windows during colder months. Dont forget to include a ceiling fan to encourage airflow on hot and hazy summer days.

And youll want no, need to create zones in a screened-in porch to savor each moment of fall, spring and summer, according to Smith. He recently worked on a porch that featured a zone for outdoor dining and entertaining, a homey living area made for lounging around post-swim, and a spot for rocking chairs, ideal for gazing at the sunset and taking in the vistas of the changing seasons.

A porch is also an extension of your home, reaching out to nature, like a transition space between your house and its surroundings.

Maximize your view

Speaking of vistas, Smith suggests leaving breezeways unobstructed and raising the ceilings to let in natural light and fresh air.

Skylights amplify the view while letting in soft, filtered light, Saul adds. Between skylights, screens and storm windows, the porch becomes a functional space where you can tackle your to-do list while appreciating your surroundings. Adding outlets has been a popular request for porches lately, Saul says. People love to be out even when theyre working. Its a space people want to hang out in, and we need to accommodate that.

Shes even installed a TV in a porch. Its the best of both worlds: You can enjoy your shows and your sports without forsaking the view.

Amplify the spacewith light and sound

Another modern ask in porch design is lighting. During the old days, we didnt really think about [lighting], Saul says. Now its not uncommon to incorporate pendant lights, sconces and uplighting.

Smith agrees lighting can be especially stunning if the porch features a fireplace.

To create a beautiful ambiance once the sun has set, be sure to add lighting at all levels by combining lamps, sconces, lanterns and spots to illuminate the fireplace, he says.

He adds that ambient music can serve as the perfect accompaniment to Mother Natures own symphony. If your porch is equipped with outlets, install Bluetooth-enabled speakers to fill the space with your favorite melodies or amp up an evening of entertaining.

Dont forget the decor

A porch may technically be an outdoor space, but that doesnt mean you should forego your sense of interior style.

Choose furniture with patina, so that a little extra weathering from the elements will only add to the charm, Smith says. He also suggests painting or staining the floors to exude warmth; bringing in potted plants, trays, books and candles; and baskets with extra blankets and pillows to turn the space into an irresistible retreat.

Rugs can be tricky as they are prone to fading, and you will need to consider how they hold up to mildew and moisture.

Shades or curtains can serve two purposes: create privacy when you want it, and cut down on sun glare when you need it. Billowing curtains let the outdoors in while maintaining solitude, as do woven wood shades, Saul says.

If all this porch talk has you longing for one of your own or youve decided its time for an upgrade Saul has a few pointers to consider.

Pick out the location: Will it be right out front? Off to the side? And think about how youll use your porch.Will you serve dinner out there, perhaps make it an extension of your living room or home office? These two decisions will help you settle on the scope of your project and the right budget that will result in a porch that suits your needs and maybe a few wants.

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The perfect porch makes an irresistible retreat and go-to gathering spot - Connecticut Magazine

It's been seven years since Air Force veteranLarry Murphree put an American flag in a flower pot on his porch he's still appearing in court over the issue today.

"I took a small 4-inch by 6-inch flag and put it in my flower pot on the front porch. I was in a condo complex, but we could do that no problem," Murphree said. At least he thought he could.

"I got a violation letter from the HOA that the American flag was an unauthorized object. And I lost it."

The homeowner's association (HOA) fined him $100 each day the flag was in the pot, which eventually ran up $1,000 in fees. So, Murphree enlisted the help oflawyer Gust Sarris, who filed a lawsuit in federal court.Sarris says the HOA settled in 2012 and the two sides agreed that the flag could fly. But the fight didn't end there.

A veteran put an American flag on his porch. Now hes headed to court.

"Two weeks later they implemented new rules about where you could put a flag and what you could put in a flower pot. Obviously, my flag didn't make the cut," Murphree said.

They decided they werent going to regulate flags, but flowerpots, Sarris said. Some people call this the Larry Law.

For years, the violation notices have continued and the HOA has expanded the fight beyond just the flag.

Once the HOA sent a violationbecause the lights wrapped around his outside tree were solar-powered when the HOA requires them to be battery-operated. Another time, they complained that the lights on his bushes were too bright, and cited Murphree once again because his car was not parked directly in front of his garage door.

"It's been seven years. It's gone on and on. We've been to county court, state court, circuit court, federal court. It's a cash cow for the law firm. But there's no end to it," Murphree said.

After almost eight years, however, Murphree says he has no intention of backing down.

"I've always thought if you firmly, 100 percent believe in something, and you have the opportunity to stand up for it and you don't? You'll always regret it," Murphree said. "They're waiting for me to die or go away. Only one of those is going to happen I'm not going anywhere."

Next Monday, Murphree will appear in court to continue his trial. He's asking for support.

"We want to fill up the court with as many Veterans, friends, family, armed forces and anyone who supports the Flag, or has bravely defended our country for our freedom!" a notice from the Murphree's read.

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Veteran Fighting HOA Over His Porch Flag Still In Court - Connecting Vets

UPDATE: Family tells WLKY the porch swing along with the memorial was returned and placed on their front porch Friday evening. ============A theft was caught on camera. A neighbor's security system shows two thieves stealing a swing with a memorial on it.They say memories last a lifetime. For loved ones of Pearlie Arnold, some were made on her swing in the Portland neighborhood"It's where we always went and sat, and the kids loved playing in it," said Pearlie's daughter, Patricia Cundiff.For close to 40 years, different generations sat and played on it. So after the 85-year-old died in early February, her neighbor of 30-plus years, Sharon Pittman, wanted to build a memorial for her. But the sweet enjoyment of seeing it there didn't last long."I just stood there. I couldn't believe it, it was 5 in the morning and I could not believe I wasn't seeing the swing," said Pittman.Surveillance footage from Pittman's home earlier this week shows two people stealing the swing and walking away."It doesn't even look right, looking up on the porch, it just doesn't even look the same," said Pearlie's granddaughter, Melissa Mills.Pittman and Arnold's family tells WLKY they don't know why someone would take it, especially since it had a memorial of roses of someone these two people didn't even know."It's been there for so long, I just cannot imagine why they would have done that," said Pittman."You are pathetic, a lowlife. Just bring it back and put it on the porch and nobody will have to know who you are," Cundiff told WLKY.They hope speaking out sends a message to the criminals. They made their grieving process that much more difficult. "Just bring it back. It means something to us; it doesn't mean anything to you," said Mills.

UPDATE: Family tells WLKY the porch swing along with the memorial was returned and placed on their front porch Friday evening.

============

A theft was caught on camera. A neighbor's security system shows two thieves stealing a swing with a memorial on it.

They say memories last a lifetime. For loved ones of Pearlie Arnold, some were made on her swing in the Portland neighborhood

"It's where we always went and sat, and the kids loved playing in it," said Pearlie's daughter, Patricia Cundiff.

For close to 40 years, different generations sat and played on it. So after the 85-year-old died in early February, her neighbor of 30-plus years, Sharon Pittman, wanted to build a memorial for her. But the sweet enjoyment of seeing it there didn't last long.

"I just stood there. I couldn't believe it, it was 5 in the morning and I could not believe I wasn't seeing the swing," said Pittman.

Surveillance footage from Pittman's home earlier this week shows two people stealing the swing and walking away.

"It doesn't even look right, looking up on the porch, it just doesn't even look the same," said Pearlie's granddaughter, Melissa Mills.

Pittman and Arnold's family tells WLKY they don't know why someone would take it, especially since it had a memorial of roses of someone these two people didn't even know.

"It's been there for so long, I just cannot imagine why they would have done that," said Pittman.

"You are pathetic, a lowlife. Just bring it back and put it on the porch and nobody will have to know who you are," Cundiff told WLKY.

They hope speaking out sends a message to the criminals. They made their grieving process that much more difficult.

"Just bring it back. It means something to us; it doesn't mean anything to you," said Mills.

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Stolen porch swing and memorial for grandmother returned to family - WLKY Louisville