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Vacant since the 2015 closure of The Secret Garden, the building at 255 E. High St. in Moorpark has a new restaurant tenant on the way.(Photo: LISA MCKINNON/THE STAR)

Once the scene of romantic anniversary dinners and a particularlycontentiousepisode of "Kitchen Nightmares" starring Gordon Ramsay, the former Secret Garden Restaurant space in Moorpark has been claimed by a new tenant.

Danny Margolis, presidentof Moorpark-based Command Performance Catering, plans to turn the remodeled buildingat 255 E. High St. into M on High Street, a full-service restaurant that will serve California-contemporary cuisine.

And he hopes to have the work done in time for a summer2020 debut.

"I've always wanted to branch out and do a restaurant. What better location than historic High Street?"said Margolis, who grew up in the city and remembers dining at The Secret Garden before the "Kitchen Nightmares" crew came calling.

"It's a nostalgic address that people would like to see in use again," he said.

Helping plan the project is executive chef Maya Chrestensen, who joined Command Performance in 2003after more than a decade in restaurants.

MORE: Battling cancer, Ventura County winemaker toasts life with local 'Chambang'

Slated to open in summer 2020, M on High Street in Moorpark will include a back patio furnished with a fireplace, cabana-style seating and a shipping container converted into an outdoor bar. The site was home to The Secret Garden Restaurant from 1997 through 2015.(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

"I want to offerfood that is similar to what we're doing in our catering, without being too chef-y. It's a chance to say, 'Look what we can do when we're cooking for two people instead of 2,000,'" Chrestensen said with a laugh.

Depending on the season, dishes could includecrispy-skinned Arctic char with smoky tomato veloutsauce andjuniper-brined Porterhouse pork chops with fig marmalade and a Brussels sprouts succotash.

Then again, "we've changed the menus a hundred times in our heads," she added, laughing again.

The addresshas been vacant since the property changed hands fouryears ago. The restaurant'sinterior was later gutted. Pathways and plantings for the once-secret garden at the back of the building were also removed.

Architectural renderings for M on High Street depict several new outdoor areas, including one furnished with a fireplace and picnic-style seating and another with cabana-style sofas arranged under a trellis. Plans also call for converting a shipping container into a bar and ice-cream station.

The patio area may have its own menu, Chrestensen said.

An architectural rendering shows proposed seating areas at M on High Street, slated to open in summer 2020 at the former Secret Garden space in Moorpark.(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The restaurant's interior will feature tables arranged near the arched windows, with additional seating at large, U-shaped booths and a bar at the back of the room. The main entrance will be moved to a door that opens onto the Magnolia Street side of the building.

Margolis and company hope the new construction will clear away any bad juju still lingering from as far back as the late 1990s. That's whena jury convicted the then-wife of singer Frankie Valliof misdemeanor battery for slapping Secret Garden co-founderSandra Sofskyduring adining-room dispute over the cost of a meal.

A native ofLyon, France, chefMichel Bardavidunveiledhis version of The Secret Garden in 2000. Nearly eight years later, it became the first Ventura County restaurant featured on the Fox reality series "Kitchen Nightmares." The episode made the most of centuries of bad blood between the French, represented by Bardavid, and the Brits, represented by Ramsay.

Bardavid told The Star in 2009 that he regretted appearing on the show, which included scenes of the mock boarding-up of his restaurant with signs saying it had closed due to bankruptcy something Ramsay said "might" happen if Bardavid didn't follow his advice. (The 2007 episode lives on in re-runs and on YouTube at https://bit.ly/2ZkvVzu.)

After bringing back much of the restaurant's fine-dining French fare, Bardavid sold the business in 2015 as the result of a divorce.

In late November, a peek through the windows revealed concrete floors, framework for new walls and "furnishings" ranging from a wheelbarrow to a portable backyard grill.

Margolis was scheduled to submit plans this week to Moorpark's building and safety department and toVentura County's environmental health division.

The new restaurant will welcome rehearsal dinners, birthday parties and other special events with the exception of weddings. Command Performance already is an exclusive and/or preferred caterer at more than a dozenvenues specializing in weddings in and around Ventura County.

"We see this as an addition to the great restaurants we already have in Moorpark, and a way to give people even more reason to come to High Street," Margolis said. "The more businesses that can be successful there, the better it is for Moorpark."

For more information, click onhttps://www.cpcatering.com.

Also coming to the neighborhood specifically, to 165 Poindexter Ave., Suite D is a new tasting room and working-winery space forCavaletti Vineyards, which previously made its wines at another, not-open-to-the-public location.

Owner, grower andvintner Patrick Kelley also served as wine pourer during sneak-peek tasting sessions Dec. 21-22, when selections included a Los Angeles County-grown ros and a Ventura County-sourced syrah.

After some cosmetic remodeling of the site's bathroomover the holidays, Kelley plans to return in early January with the launch of regular weekend tastings. Join the winery's mailing list and/or check the Cavaletti Vineyards website and social-media feeds for updates (https://www.cavalettivineyards.com).

Already open on High Street isVegiterranean Kitchen, a vegan-meets-Mediterranean-fare spot that debutedlast month at what was home to Le Bon Garon before the gourmet salted-caramels shop moved to Los Angeles.

Open only for take-out and catering orders, Vegiterranean Kitchen is owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Sevag Harmandarian and Nora Harmandarian. They're also parents to two daughters ages 10 months and 2 1/2years.

The take-out menu offers soups (gluten-free lentil, $4 and $6; Swiss chard, $5.50 and $7.25), salads (including gluten-free fattoush, $9.50)and appetizers (spinach borag, four for $6, and gluten-free stuffed grape leaves, five for $4.75).

Entrees range from cracked wheat pilaf, or moudardara ($9.50) to gluten-free stuffed eggplant with tahini ($14). Lentil and chickpea wraps ($9each) can be turned into a $12.50 combowith the additionof a drink and a side.

Vegiterranean Kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Call ahead for changes due to the New Year Eve and New Year's Day holidays (481 E. High St., 805-523-2209,https://vegiterraneankitchen.com).

In OAK VIEW in the OJAI VALLEY,the Wendy's Restaurant at 11560 N. Ventura Ave. is closed after nearly 35 years of business.

A patron reports being told that Dec. 21 was its final day to serve square-patty burgers.As of Dec. 24, the restaurant was still listed as open and accepting orders on Wendy's corporate website. The business'phone rangwithout answer.

Attempts to contact a Wendy's spokesperson via phone and email were notsuccessful.

A LoopNet listing for the property describes it as availablein "Jan 2020." The location offers 2,375 square feet of retail space and a drive-thru, described as "unique for the area as newly constructed buildings are not easily being given drive-thru entitlements."

In OJAIproper, the family behindSanders & Sons Gelato announced in a Dec. 23 Instagram post that they plan to open a retail location at 334 E. Ojai Ave., a multi-tenant structure located between Bonnie Lu'sat 328 E. Ojai Ave.and Revelkombucha bar at 307 E. Matilija St., Suite C.

The under-construction space will feature "patio seating with 12 hand-made flavors rotating daily," according to the post. A late-April opening is anticipated.

Founded by Sanders Marvin, Sanders & Sons is also building a production facility on Bryant Circle about a mile away.The company's from-scratch flavors made with Ojai-grown ingredients are available forshipping via orders placed on itswebsite (https://www.sandersandsonsgelato.com).

In THOUSAND OAKS, do-it-yourself Japanese-stylehot-pot dining is the focus atTabu Shabu, in soft-opening mode since Dec. 6.The Orange County-based chain's name is a play on shabu-shabu, or "swish-swish," the action by which patrons cookseafood, vegetables and thin cuts of meat by swirling them in boiling-hot broth at table-top grills.

Prices range from $14 to $65, depending on size and protein selection (the most spendy optionis Wagyu Zabuton short rib).Beer, wine and sake are available.

Operated by Yina Zarowitz, the Thousand Oaks location serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, followed by dinner from 5-9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 5-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (2920 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Unit A, 805-371-8228,https://tabushabu.com).

In VENTURA, the franchisee-ownedBurgerIMrestaurant at 440 E. Main St. has closed after less than two years of business. It is onthe market for $149,000, according to Dec. 23 posts to the business' Instagram and Facebook pagesand old-school flyers available from a box near the front door. Both forms of communication describe a "motivated seller due to family relocation," with the name and phone number of an Encino-based broker as the contact.

Two other, separately owned BurgerIMs in Ventura County opened and closed this year alone. They were inThousand Oaks (1610 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite C), gone after a mere four months, andOxnard (191 E. Gonzales Road), which lastedfive months.

Shuttered locations named in this column are still listed as "open" on the BurgerIM corporate website (https://www.burgerim.com.Attemp)ts to contact a spokesperson for the chain werenot successful.

According toa Dec. 19 storypublished by the trade publication Restaurant Business, BurgerIM recently informed franchisees that it plans to restructure itself a move that couldinvolve filing for bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, the family-owned Evita's Mexican Cafe is scheduled to close on Dec. 31 the self-declared retirement date of owner Aurelio Jaureguiafter 31 years of serving chile relleno burritos and posole verde de pollo.

The restaurant was known as Taco de Mexico when Jauregui bought it and named it after his daughter with wife Martha Hernandez.Evitadiedof leukemia five years later, at age 7.

Hernandez retired in 2017 from the Fillmore Unified School District, where she served asassistant superintendent for educational services. She has encouraged Jauregui to follow suit, although he pledges to stay on past New Year's Eve to help with the transition if an in-the-works sale to a new owner comes to pass.

"I'd like to thank everyone for all the support through the years," Jauregui said. "I've loved being here and talking with customers. That's the part I'm going to miss the most."

Evita's is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays (3868 E. Main St., 805-656-4571).

Lisa McKinnon is a staff writer for The Star. To contact her, send email to lisa.mckinnon@vcstar.com.

Read or Share this story: https://www.vcstar.com/story/money/business/2019/12/27/moorpark-secret-garden-restaurant-kitchen-nightmares-mobving/2679726001/

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Open and shut: Secret is out on new restaurant coming to Moorpark's High Street - VC Star

After decades of rent control, New York City is a perfect case study on the unintended consequences of artificial rent ceilings. The citys system has contributed to soaring rents by removing stabilized apartments from the supply-side of the market, becoming a major driver of the affordable housing crisis. Meanwhile, the condition of stabilized dwellings which make up almost half of our housing stock has fallen woefully behind market-rate standards as expenses rise faster than rents.

Ironically, while any microeconomics text will demonstrate how rent ceilings cause housing shortages, it seems that the longer New Yorks rent controls are in effect and the more the gap between the price and quality of stabilized dwellings and their free-market counterparts grows, the stronger the political will becomes to add fuel to the fire by imposing even more rent control. Todays political agenda increasingly favors strengthening the existing system, as evidenced by the passing of Junes Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act. In its aftermath, New Yorks tenant coalition and members of the city council want to take things even further and broaden rent control laws to regulate free market apartments and commercial spaces by means of the Good Cause Eviction Bill and the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.

Good Cause Eviction amounts to universal rent control. It would limit rent increases on free market units to 1.5 times that years growth in the consumer price index and take away an owners ability to evict a tenant for anything other than what the law deems good cause, for example extended arrears or criminal activity. The Small Business Jobs Survival Act is commercial rent control and would apply to retail spaces of 10,000 square feet or less and to industrial and office spaces of 25,000 square feet or less and introduce a rent guidelines board to oversee allowable rent increases. It would also give tenants in these spaces an automatic 10-year lease renewal option and force both parties into arbitration if they cannot agree on the rent increase. Both bills would drastically shift the balance of power away from landlords and toward tenants. Similar to rent stabilization, these far reaching changes would remove landlords financial incentives to invest in improvements and renovations and more than likely send most of New Yorks building stock on a gradual descent into the same disrepair and neglect as stabilized housing has experienced.

Imposing universal rent control would close the city off to most newcomers and much of the talent pool which makes NYC so attractive to new business. In the same way rent stabilization has driven up prices for free-market apartments, curbing rent growth on all units would act like rocket fuel to the price of vacant units. Over time, tenants with below market rents would face a growing incentive to stay put, keeping more units out of the markets supply side. In addition, most owners fortunate enough to have a vacancy would have an incentive to hold out for the highest rent possible and to think long and hard before committing to a new lease since doing so would mean signing a contract with no end date. The process of finding an affordable place to live under those circumstances would be excruciating.

The effects of commercial rent control would mirror those of universal rent control, making it exceedingly difficult and expensive to rent commercial space while hurting the types of businesses the bill purports to help. Giving tenants a legal right to indefinite renewal terms would make landlords reluctant to rent to small business owners who lack a demonstrated track record of success or a deep reserve of capital. It would also amplify the risk of renting space at below market rent, giving owners little choice but to keep space vacant for extended periods of time while they search for a perfect match.

The natural evolution of the citys commercial landscape would grind to a halt depriving our communities from having the shops, amenities and entertainment that they desire. In a free-market economy, people vote with their wallets. Market rents are a function of what businesses which successfully serve consumers are willing to pay for space. If the community isnt willing to pay enough for a businesss services to cover the rent, then that business is no longer the locations highest and best use. Instead of allowing a better suited enterprise to take its place, commercial rent control would force a suboptimal and outdated use on the community and force the buildings owner to subsidize its existence with rent concessions.

At the heart of New Yorks real estate affordability crisis is a supply and demand disparity between those who need space and the available space to go around. Instead of addressing the issue by adding to the supply by encouraging more housing density and development, broadening rent control to free market and commercial spaces has the potential to stop most new development altogether. The vast majority of new construction within the city limits is in fact redevelopment involving sites already occupied by obsolete or underdeveloped structures. Giving practically all tenants an indefinite right of possession beyond their original lease term would render most of these sites unbuildable as vacating them becomes cost prohibitive. Imagine the cost of negotiating a commercial tenant buy-out where that tenant is legally entitled to a 10-year renewal.

While the intent of both bills is to protect renters, their passage would harm the citys real estate stock, its future development potential and compound its affordable housing crisis. What makes New York a leading world city is its ability to attract new talent, business and investment from all over the globe. The city relies on this ability to fuel its economy, jobs and tax revenues. Signing these bills into law would signal to the world that New York City is closed for business and to newcomers.

Jakub Nowak is a Senior Vice President Investments, Team Leader and Associate Real Estate Broker at The Nowak Group of Marcus & Millichap.

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The Threat to NYC's Growth, Affordability and Quality of Life - Commercial Observer

In the universe of the film "National Treasure," Trinity Church's imposing dark brick and skyward spire hide secrets and treasure.

In Disney's 2004 movie, Nicholas Cage plays a historian and treasure hunter who uses a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence to track down an assortment of gold, jewels, and artifacts buried in the catacombs of Trinity Church. The treasure was, according to the film's plot, hidden there by the Free Masons a real secret society whose membership boasted revolutionaries like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton.

The true story of Trinity Church, which is located in the heart of Manhattan's financial district, involves a lot less gold and lot more history, according to church archivist Joseph Lapinski.

Fifteen years after "National Treasure" hit theaters the movie came out in November 2014 queries about the church's connection to the Free Masons' treasure have finally died down, Lapinski told Business Insider. (Nearly everything depicted in the movie pertaining to Trinity Church is untrue, he said.)

"Oddly enough, I don't get too many questions about 'National Treasure' to have a queued up list anymore," Lapinski said. He has worked at Trinity since 2013.

These days, visitors are more interested in the church's role in the American Revolution, since Alexander Hamilton and his wife Eliza (made newly famous by the musical "Hamilton") owned a pew, worshipped there, and were buried in the adjacent cemetery.

Here's what "National Treasure" got wrong about Trinity Church and the real secrets the building holds, according to Lapinski.

Go here to see the original:
What Trinity Church in New York is like, not as in 'National Treasure' - Business Insider

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RIHousing and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) announced on December 23rd the award of funds to develop highly energy efficient housing for low-and moderate-income Rhode Islanders.

The pilot program, Zero Energy for the Ocean State (ZEOS), is the result of a public-private partnership between RIHousing, OER and National Grid to explore innovative, replicable solutions to utilize cost saving, clean energy technologies in homes.

Locally, Church Community Housing Corporation (CCHC) has received a grant to construct eight, single-family homes in Jamestown and Aquidneck Island. Seven of the homes will be new construction and one includes the rehabilitation of an existing building. CCHC will also develop a building manual that will be easily replicable by small homebuilders, according to a press release from RI Housing.

RIHousing is committed to developing housing that Rhode Islanders can afford, said Carol Ventura, Executive Director at RIHousing in a press release. Energy efficient features in these homes will result in reduced occupancy costs for residents, thereby increasing their disposable income to meet other needs in their lives.

RIHousing and OER have committed a total of $675,000 in funding to three developers who will produce a range of building types in rural, suburban and urban parts of the state.

All three recipients of ZEOS Demonstration funds will develop stock plans to ensure replicability of their zero energy designs. The projects are:

Expanding access to cost-effective energy efficiency measures is vital to Rhode Islands clean energy future, said State Energy Commissioner Carol Grant in the press release. The state has made great strides to expand our energy efficiency programs to more people. The ZEOS program is one more way we are working to support renewable and green energy efforts.

Developers will design and construct affordable, Zero Energy Buildings (ZEBs). ZEBs are defined as any energy-efficient building with zero net energy consumption, meaning the total amount of energy used by a building on an annual basis is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site.

In addition to meeting ZEB standards, developers must also participate in National Grids Residential New Construction Program (www.ngrid.com/save) and will work closely with program partners throughout the design, construction, and data collection phases.

Were excited with the level of innovation and commitment to energy efficient projects in the funding applications received, said Chris Porter, Director of Customer Energy Management at National Grid in the press release. Applicants will deploy a range of methods, including new and emerging technologies, thoughtful design, and sustainable building materials to meet program goals while creating a pathway for scaling ZEBs in low- and moderate-income residential sectors as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Funding awards were announced at the December meeting of the RIHousing Board of Commissioners. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was released in July 2019 with initial funding of $250,000 available. In response to the strength of applications, the RIHousing Board of Commissioners approved an additional $375,000 to fully support the three projects.

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Church Community Housing Corp receives grant to develop Zero Net Energy housing for low-and moderate-income residents in Newport County - What'sUpNewp

A construction worker was killed Saturday morning while setting up for First Night Boston in Copley Square, according to Boston Police and a First Night Boston spokesman.

Police responded to reports of a traumatic injury on Saturday morning at 9:47 in the area of 560 Boylston St.

Something had fallen and hit the worker. The identity of the man, who was in his late 20s, has not been released.

Boston EMS transported the patient to the hospital but he was pronounced dead on the way, according to police.

The man was an employee of a company, United Staging & Rigging, assisting First Night with setup for the annual event, according to a First Night Boston spokesman.

Jon Sharpe of United Staging & Rigging issued a statement on the incident.

We are devastated by todays tragic accident that occurred while constructing a lighting tower for the First Night stage in Copley Square. One of our employees was killed this morning when a 3,500-pound ballast dislodged from a forklift and landed on his chest.

Although emergency responders arrived quickly, he was pronounced dead onsite.

The health and safety of our employees is our number one priority and we are working with the Boston Police and OSHA to determine how this could have happened. We will respond to the findings when the investigations are complete. Tonight, our focus and prayers are with our employee, his family and co-workers.

Boston Police, the Occupational Safety and Health Association and the office of Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins are investigating the death. OSHA did not immediately respond to request for comment.

This morning there was a fatal accident in Copley Square at setup for First Night Boston involving a construction worker, read a statement from First Night Boston. We are deeply saddened by the occurrence and are sending our prayers to the family of the worker.

First Night Boston is a New Years Eve arts festival that begins in Copley Square at 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday and continues all day and night until the last musical performance ends at 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2020.

The event features ice sculptures, musical performances, fireworks and childrens activities. The public celebration is free and open to all, and has been running since 1975.

The event has several local sponsors including Boston Properties, Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 12 Boston and The Boston Foundation.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of the victim in Copley Square this afternoon, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said in a statement issued by his office.

See original here:
Construction worker dies during First Night setup in Copley Square - Boston Herald

captionThe stained glass wall inside Trinity Church in New York City.sourceCourtesy of Tiani Jones/Trinity Church

In the universe of the film National Treasure, Trinity Churchs imposing dark brick and skyward spire hide secrets and treasure.

In Disneys 2004 movie, Nicholas Cage plays a historian and treasure hunter who uses a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence to track down an assortment of gold, jewels, and artifacts buried in the catacombs of Trinity Church. The treasure was, according to the films plot, hidden there by the Free Masons a real secret society whose membership boasted revolutionaries like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton.

The true story of Trinity Church, which is located in the heart of Manhattans financial district, involves a lot less gold and lot more history, according to church archivist Joseph Lapinski.

Fifteen years after National Treasure hit theaters the movie came out in November 2014 queries about the churchs connection to the Free Masons treasure have finally died down, Lapinski told Business Insider. (Nearly everything depicted in the movie pertaining to Trinity Church is untrue, he said.)

Oddly enough, I dont get too many questions about National Treasure to have a queued up list anymore, Lapinski said. He has worked at Trinity since 2013.

These days, visitors are more interested in the churchs role in the American Revolution, since Alexander Hamilton and his wife Eliza (made newly famous by the musical Hamilton) owned a pew, worshipped there, and were buried in the adjacent cemetery.

Heres what National Treasure got wrong about Trinity Church and the real secrets the building holds, according to Lapinski.

The main thing I usually stress is that theres no crypts underneath Trinity Church, Lapinski said. There are some burials under the altar, but theyre not formal crypts in the way the movie portrays.

The cemetery on the north side was created before the churchs construction in 1697. It started as a Dutch burial ground.

The Ludlows, the Bleeckers, the Livingstons all the people whose names are on New York street signs were people who attended Trinity Church, he added.

Many of the people buried there were Free Masons.

The organization eventually took on a more clandestine air as its members assumed influential roles in business and society. Of the 39 people who signed the US Constitution, 13 were Free Masons. However, while the group played a key role in forming the United States, its members did not actually transport any secret treasure.

Today, the all-male order is the worlds largest secret society, with at least 2 million members.

One such headstone marks the grave of a man named James Leeson, and it has a cryptogram that, when deciphered, reads Remember Death a common warning used on 18th-century headstones, Lapinski said.

Beneath the cryptogram are engraved Masonic symbols, including an hourglass, a compass, and a flame rising from an open vessel.

Beyond this indication that Leeson was a Mason, no further record of him can be found, according to Lapinski.

Rather, many powerful male professionals in New York during the 1700s were also part of the Free Masons, and when they were buried at Trinity Church, their headstones included Masonic symbols.

Prominent New Yorkers like Robert Fulton, who invented the steamboat, and Albert Gallatin, who founded New York University, are also buried there.

During the Revolutionary War, the churchs rector even wrote a loyalist response to patriot Thomas Paines pamphlet, Common Sense, which advocated for the colonies freedom.

But according to Lapinski, not all parishioners were loyalists.

Hamilton and fellow patriot John Jay both owned pews at Trinity Church.

There was an interesting dynamic of tension, Lapinski said.

After the American Revolution ended, the churchs new rector, Samuel Provoost, deleted the line in Trinity Churchs charter that stipulated clergy members had to be loyal to the British crown.

On the night of September 20, 1776, a devastating fire destroyed an estimated 10% to 25% of the buildings in Manhattan. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

The third version of the church was built in 1846 and remains standing to this day.

Captain William Kidd, a Scottish sailor executed for piracy in 1701, lent parts of his ship for use during Trinity Churchs construction.

According to Lapinski, there are two references to Kidd in the church archives. Hes mentioned in a short line: Captain Kidd helped with construction of first church by loaning buildings his runner and tackle to pull up stones.

The pirates name is also written on the list of church pews. Kidd shared ownership of the first-row pew with Trinity Churchs rector.

To me, the treasures arent gold and silver and jewels its the documents that get to share the story of where Trinity came from, Lapinski said.

It was signed by King William III in 1697.

These are great resources that tell us who was here and when, Lapinski said.

Archives reflect how we administered services to a growing and changing city, he added.

In the late 1800s, the part of Manhattan near Trinity Church was known as printers row or newspaper row, since it was home to the big-name publications of the day (including The New York Times).

According to Lapinksi, the church accommodated the schedules of people working in these printing presses by hosting 2 a.m. services.

Trinity Churchs central location and immutability has attracted many historians particularly those researching Alexander Hamilton, Lapinski said.

But the interior of Trinity Church is currently closed for construction work.

Trinitys nave, with its 66-foot vaulted ceilings, has been closed to the public for 19 months. According to Tiani Jones, the churchs media relations manager, the nave should reopen in February or March.

The Trinity Church Cemetery therefore includes three separate burial grounds at St. Pauls, 155th street, and the original church. Between those sites, the church owns the last active cemeteries left in Manhattan.

John James Audubon, one of the most prominent ornithologists in history, is buried at the Trinity Church Mausoleum and Cemetery on 155th Street.

St. Pauls Chapel, meanwhile, is famous in part because George Washington went there for services on the day of his inauguration in 1789.

Its assets are estimated at around $2 billion. So the church does, in a sense, hold ample treasure.

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15 years after National Treasure came out, heres the real story of the Manhattan church that the movie suggests hides buried loot - Business Insider

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authoritys (MARTA) development partners for the King Memorial Station transit-oriented development (TOD), Place Properties and H.J. Russell Company, have closed on financing to begin construction.

With $6 million in grant funding from Invest Atlanta, the $62.5 million project is a collaboration that will create 100 affordable housing units of 300 total units and complement development efforts occurring along Memorial Drive and the surrounding historic community.

The King Memorial Station development will offer affordable housing alongside the public transit-focused lifestyle TOD seeks to facilitate, said Jeffrey Parker, MARTA general manager and CEO. We are excited about the partnership with Place-Russell and Invest Atlanta. With one-third of the units being affordable, we have been deliberate about supporting the mayors affordable housing goals.

Located on approximately 4.4 acres of underutilized parking space on the south side of the station, the King Memorial TOD, which seeks to increase riders at a station with the second lowest ridership system-wide, is a part of MARTAs broader TOD initiative. The development plan also includes ground floor retail and an arts project for the Grant Street Tunnel.

Were going into the new year with the prospect of bringing 100 affordable housing units and 10,000-square feet of retail space to the King Memorial Station. Thats exciting, said H. Jerome Russell, president of H.J. Russell & Company.

Cecil Phillips, Place Properties CEO, added, This is a transformational development for MARTA and this part of the city. It is indeed a project that we can all be excited about.

The site is conveniently located between the neighborhoods of Old Fourth Ward, Grant Park, downtown and Cabbagetown. The station, just two stops from downtown Atlanta, is in the historic Grant Park neighborhood and due west of Oakland Cemetery. The station serves the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Ebenezer Baptist Church. It is approximately three blocks south of the Atlanta Streetcar.

Adding affordable housing along Atlantas transit lines is a key part of economic mobility by providing easier access to employment centers and reducing transportation costs for more city residents, said Eloisa Klementich, Ph.D., president and CEO of Invest Atlanta. On average, 63 percent of a familys income is spent on housing and transportation. Making an impact on this through transit-oriented development like at King Memorial station helps to drive investment while decreasing a familys spending, allowing them to focus on other family needs.

This marks the second multifamily development project financed this year on MARTA land with set aside for affordable housing. The Link development at Edgewood-Candler Park station was the first.

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MARTA and partners move forward on King Memorial Station TOD construction - MassTransitMag.com

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The past year saw development again a key talking point in Granville. The year also saw construction or openings of new structures including a new medical center at the east end of the Village, and the launch of the Michael D. Eisner arts center at Denison University.

Following, are some of the most significant events making Granville news in 2019.

January

The Village of Granville, Granville Township Trustees and officials from Denison University discussed partnering to help fund enhancements to the new, wider Ohio 37 bridge, construction of which is slated to begin in 2020.

Also in January, Granville Township officials were expressing doubt that an existing service contract to provide fire and EMS services to Union Township had much future left as Union and Hebron discussed forming a new fire district.

During one of its first meetings of the year, Granville Council also heard the first pitch for a new cidery to be located in a downtown barn, a proposal that would eventually find approval later in 2019.

February

Granville Council approved a tax subsidy or TIF for a new medical complex currently nearing completion at the east end of the village, close to the Newark border. The medical center being constructed by Hplex Solutions was described as a $5.3 million state of the art orthopedic center, expected to result in a $2.5 million payroll.

Council also approved an 18-acre annexation to establish the Glenshire residential development on Newark-Granville Road.

March

Granville Township Trustees, working with Kendal, announced a new traffic light at Ohio 16 and Kendal Drive. That signal went live the week of Thanksgiving.

Granville Schools announced a plan to partner with a community group to begin work on field improvements at Granville High School. The district also hired a new district treasurer, Brittany Treolo.

Granville police began enforcement of the villages new Nathans Law, prohibiting use of mobile communication devices while driving in the Village.

April

April brought announcement of plans by Welsh Hills Schools to construct a new high school, and the first home in Granvilles solar community, Village Roots, was completed and showcased with an open house. The community is located on Old Sycamore Lane in Granville.

Village Manager Steve Pyles resigned his position in April, and Kim Keethler Ball became the new owner of Readers Garden Book Store.

May

Granville Township Trustees announced plans to break ground for a new fire station at 1833 Lancaster Road, estimated to cost approximately $6 million.

Actress and Denison University grad Jennifer Garner delivered the 2019 commencement address at her alma mater, telling students, You are responsible for your own happiness, so attack it!

Lt. Suzie Dawson announced she was retiring from the Granville Police force to accept a position as an Ohio Senate Sergeant at Arms.

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June

Granville Council approved emergency funds for dental repair of a K-9 officers teeth, as well as allocating money to contribute to the repair and partial replacement of a bulging Old Colony Burying Ground Cemetery wall in danger of collapse. That work was completed in July.

The Granville Kiwanis announced that the years annual July 4 festival would be built around a moon landing theme.

July

Denison unveiled its nearly completed Michael D. Eisner Center for the performing arts. The 108,000, structure is the first Denison building to front the villages main thoroughfare, as pointed out by DU President Adam Weinberg.

Longtime Granville Village Clerk of Council Mollie Prasher announced she was leaving Granville for a similar post in Reynoldsburg.

The Granville Library announced that in answer to public requests, it would begin to offer Sunday hours.

August

The Village of Granville held an open house for its newly completed service department headquarters at 1552 Columbus Road. The old service complex on Lancaster Road was to be razed shortly after to clear the way for a new Granville Township Fire Department.

Granville Boosters held a special community event to reveal the intended name of its new stadium The Walter J. Hodges Stadium in honor of a 1951 GHS graduate, as well as to announce its funding goals.

After a number of Licking County-area candidates petitions were rejected by the Licking County Board of Elections, including those of incumbent Granville Township Trustee Dan Van Ness and his intended challenger, it was announced the seat would be decided by write-in vote.

September

Dan Finkelman resigned his post as Granville Council member during the Sept. 4 meeting. He had earlier made clear his intent not to seek re-election in the looming November races.

Ann Lowder also announced she would be retiring from her position as executive director of The Robbins Hunter Museum.

Granville Schools scored nearly straight-As on the annual state report card, the only district in Licking County to receive an overall A-grade.

October

The Village of Granville seated a new council member by appointment, selecting Laura Mickelson to fill the seat earlier vacated by Dan Finkelman. The Village also hired Herb Koehler to become the communitys new village manager.

The United Church of Granville marked its 200th year.

Bryn Du Mansion welcomed its first artist in residence, Poet Jennifer Hambrick, who was provided living space in the newly restored former laundry house located at the rear of the mansion.

Union Township and Hebron official voted to form a fire district, despite opposition from Union residents served under contract by the Granville Township Fire Department. Those opposing the new fire districts formation soon announced an effort to try and move a portion of Union into Granville Township.

November

Granville Schools began demolition of its high school stadium to prep the site for construction of a new complex expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2020-21 school year.

Granville Council saluted longtime member Jackie OKeefe, who began serving in 2003 and chose not to seek office again in the fall 2019 elections.

December

Granville Council approved a tax incentive or TIF agreement aimed at simulating development in the area of Weaver Drive and River Road on Dec. 4.

On Dec. 7, The Granville Area Chamber of Commerces annual Christmas Candlelight Walking Tourblessed with warmer weather and sunny skies once more filled the downtown with shoppers and sightseers.

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New Granville construction, tax incentive agreements among top stories of 2019 - The Newark Advocate

Walking into the green campus of the All Saints Church on 1, Hosur Road, Richmond town, Bangalore, which lies at one of the busiest intersections in town, is like stepping into a time machine. Traffic noises fade away, muffled by the leaves and trailing branches of the over 100 trees some over 150 years old that fill the space. A lawn glows green under the sun-dappled shade. The quaint, steeply-gabled, tiled church with rubble stone masonry walls rising just seven feet to meet the roof, the typical arched windows transport you into an earlier century. As you step into the carpeted interiors, the roof, resting on artistically-wrought iron trusses, attracts the eye upwards, the carved teak pews, woodwork, the pipe organ all take us to a time when the world was a calmer, more serene place. The air is filled with birdcalls of dozens of the species, some rare, which live in the precincts. Church records say that the land was gifted by the Maharaja of Mysore, Chamaraja Wodeyar, and later expanded to include space for an orphanage.

It was completed in 1870 by Rev. Samuel Pettigrew who was an important institution builder in Bangalore those days. He was the chaplain at St. Marks Cathedral at the time, and also warden of the Bishop Cotton Boys School. Estimated to cost Rs 10,000, its original design was rejected by the Church Building Society of Madras, as being unsuitable for a church and too small. The present building was then designed by well-known government architect Robert Chisholm, who is famous for pioneering the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, which incorporates Indo-Islamic decorative and design elements with western styles. But All Saints Church has none of those elements in its design. Two earlier ones submitted by Chisholm were rejected and only the third was accepted. Rev. Pettigrew for his part struggled to collect the funds for its construction. The foundation stone was finally laid down in 1869.

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End of road for 150-yr-old Bangalore Church? - National Herald

LESS WHITE, LESS MODERN ON LISPENARDCityLand reports that the new building proposed for the corner of Church and Lispenard has been approved by the Landmarks Commission originally for being too white and too modern: At the November 12 public hearing, David Gross of GF55 Architects presented the modified design for the building. In the modified design, the front faades color was toned down and changed from white to limestone. The horizontal bands were replaced with horizontal reveals carved into the building. Gross stated that the framing of the building was changed to have more symmetry and the height of the buildings base was increased to make the building appear wider at the base.

VINOLY BUILDING ON GREENWICH NEARLY COMPLETEWork is almost entirely complete on the reflective curtain wall of 125 Greenwich Street, number 14 in [New York Yimbys] countdown of the tallest projects under construction in New York City. The only sections awaiting faade work are the podium and the portion where the exterior hoist is still mounted. Designed by Rafael Violy and developed by Bizzi & Partners and Vector Group, the slender 88-story residential skyscraper stands 912 feet tall over the Financial District.

MOTHER CABRINI COMING TO BPCBecause I cant resist quoting The Tablet, the Brooklyn and Queens Roman Catholic Dioceses newspaper that has been around since 1908: St. Frances Xavier Cabrinis statue will be built in Battery Park City on a spot facing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a fitting place for the Italian-American saint, known as the patroness of immigrants. The Dec. 13 announcement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo came months after campaigning by local Catholics for a public monument for Mother Cabrini. The funding and construction of the $750,000 project is being overseen by the Mother Cabrini Memorial Commission, a 19-member committee that includes Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, John Heyer of the Diocese of Brooklyns Italian apostolate and Joseph Sciame, president of the Sons of Italy Foundation.

INSIDE THE TREE BUSINESSInside Edition interviews the Scott Lechner, who founded the Christmas tree vendor SoHo Trees in 1982 and now has eight locations in the city.

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In the News: Landmarks approves building on Lispenard - Tribeca Citizen