Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Cassville Attorney Blake Fields, who previously practiced next to the late State Senator and Attorney Emory Melton, moved to his new location at 605 Main St. and was bestowed the honor of caring for Meltons law books, many of which date back to the early 1800s. He also has the late Attorney Tom Cardins law books and is the custodian of both of the attorneys records. Fields has memorabilia from both attorneys offices at his reception area dedicated to their memory. Julia Kilmer/reporter@cassville-democrat.com

Project takes on historical focus

When Cassville Attorney Blake Fields moved from his office next to the late Senator and Attorney Emory Melton to his new location at 605 Main St., he planned to do a little remodeling, but had no idea the scope, nor the significance, the project would take.

Emory told me I could stay and use that building, but the Advertiser needed more space so it made more sense to move, he said.

As part of a remodeling project of his new building, Cassville Attorney Blake Fields set aside space to honor two previous attorneys, the late State Senator and Attorney Emory Melton and Tom Cardin, featuring memorabilia from their offices. One of the items is a plaque belonging to Cardin of a quote from Abraham Lincoln. Fields said Melton had the same quote displayed in his office. Fields will be hosting an Open House event on Aug. 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m for the community to see his new office and the amazing transformation of the building. Julia Kilmer/reporter@cassville-democrat.com

Fields new building was the late Attorney Tom Cardins office and part of Chiropractor Kristy Montzs office space.

Tom had opened a wall between the two offices and made a passage through the two, said Fields, who was just planning to fix a broken truss, then remodel and move into Cardins

office, hiring Johnnie Hilery and T.J. Daniels to do the construction. We had to rebuild a truss, then found out others were rotten. It became an insane amount of work. We had to lift the ceiling, then rebuild the trusses, so it would sit at the correct height.

Local contractor Johnnie Hilery, left, works on the framework in what will be the reception area of Attorney Blake Fields new office, while his father, Gary Fields, helps out. Julia Kilmer/reporter@cassville-democrat.com

When the ceiling came down, the plaster and woodwork came with it, impacting the entire building.

So Fields and his father, Gary, who helped with the construction, signed up for more than they planned for. But, as the project unfolded, it took on more meaning than anyone could have ever expected.

Fields consulted with his mother, Gayle, for the decor.

In the photo is the before picture of the hallway of Attorney Blake Fields new office at 605 Main St. What started out as just a ceiling repair turned into a nearly two-year remodeling project, but one in which Fields and his family, who helped with the remodel, say they are thrilled with. Fields is hosting an Open House event on Aug. 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m for the community to see his new office and the amazing transformation of the building. Julia Kilmer/reporter@cassville-democrat.com

One of the ideas behind the decor was to give a sense of the towns history to look like you could have walked back into that time when the building was built, Gayle Fields said.

Another piece of the dcor was the feeling.

The first thing I asked Blake was, How do you want people to feel when they come in your office? Fields said. When you think about how people are feeling when they walk into an attorneys office, theyre stressed, worried, or intimidated. He didnt want people to feel like that. He said, I want them to feel comfortable, secure and at home.

The top picture shows buildings at 605 Main St. as they stood before Attorney Blake Fields completed a major renovation, while the bottom picture shows an architect sketch of what the building could look like remodeled, in conjunction with the Cassville Main Street Associations DREAM Initiative, which calls for downtown businesses to modernize and update the storefronts of their buildings to draw more visitors to the downtown area. Fields consulted with the association and drew from their design in his remodel project, making the exterior of his building nearly identical to their sketch, but made modifications that enhanced the exterior even further. Fields is hosting an Open House event for the community to see his office on Aug. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Julia Kilmer/reporter@cassville-democrat.com

So, the office is designed so that you can walk in, grab a cup of coffee, sit in front of the fireplace, pick up the town paper and feel relaxed.

Blake Fields also wanted the space to look timeless.

His great-grandparents were Ma and Pa Fields, who started Fields Photos and took thousands of pictures in the area, and his grandfather was Max Fields.

Cassville Attorney Blake Fields recently completed renovations of his new building at 605 Main St. The building previously belonged to the late Attorney Tom Cardin and Chiropractor Kristy Montz. Fields is hosting an Open House event for the community to see his office on Aug. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Julia Kilmer/reporter@cassville-democrat.com

I suggested putting up old pictures of Cassville, Gayle Fields said. The building gives a nod to the past and shows the pride people have in their town.

My dad, mom and I flipped through tons of photo archives looking for pictures that had historical significance and that people would recognize, Blake Fields said.

Part of the homey and timeless decor is the use of muted grays, soft whites, walnut-stained floors, a living-room-like setting, cathedral ceilings and the historic photos.

After a nearly two-year remodel project for Cassville Attorney Blake Fields and his family the lobby area of his new office has a new look. It was designed to look and feel more like the living room of a home, so that clients would feel comfortable and relaxed, said Gayle Fields, Blakes designer and mother. An Open House event is scheduled Aug. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., for the community to see his new office and the amazing transformation of the building. Julia Kilmer/reporter@cassville-democrat.com

The colors are soothing and neutral, and the idea was to keep that sense of calm and not take away from the pictures and memorials we want people to focus on, said Gayle, who credits Hilery and Daniels for helping her materialize her vision. They brought exactly what I saw in my head and that vision to life.

The interior also pays homage to Melton and Cardin, with memorabilia from their practices on display at the reception counter.

Emorys service bell is one of Fields favorites. Also displayed are tables made of walnut trees from Meltons parents farm, and original law books from both attorneys dating back to the early 1800s.

I want to honor both men, and it was a great honor to work with Emory, he said. Emory is exemplary of the best of Cassville. If there was an avatar of Cassville, or even of small town Missouri, he would be it. He was a guy who had common sense solutions to problems, and was a man who tried to fix things instead of making them worse. If I were to achieve even a sliver of what he accomplished in his life, I would consider myself immensely successful.

Fields is now custodian of Meltons and Cardins records.

Emory was so wonderful to Blake, Gayle Fields said. And, the history of the building is Toms office. Thats why he wants to pay homage to these men to give back and to say, remember these great men.

Fields also has a wifi-equipped conference room available to the community to rent for presentations, designed to promote a sense of calm.

Fields is married to Kelsey Fields, who will be teaching fifth grade at Purdy, and has two boys, Max, 3, and Mick, 1. His areas of practice include D.U.I., family law, criminal law, personal injury, estate planning and probate.

With the Cassville Main Street Association urging downtown businesses to update their storefronts, in conjunction with their DREAM initiative, association representatives say he has set the bar high.

He made some modifications, but followed the DREAM outline in the remodeling of his building, said Carolyn Bishop, association president.

We drew on that design, Fields said. We were trying to create a building that would match the downtown feel.

To celebrate the completion of his building, Fields will host an Open House event on Aug. 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., which is open to the community.

A lot have been very curious to see what weve done, he said. People were appreciative and supportive [following our progress on social media] that someone was wanting to improve the downtown area.

Now, he is ready to blend the past with the present and get to work.

It was long and stressful at times, but now that Im looking at it, it was entirely worth it, he said. The reason I wanted to do this was because this is an amazing home base for me to set up my career and raise my family. I intend to be here for a long time.

We rescued the building, Gary Fields said. It was in worse shape than I thought, and we fixed it.

Gayle Fields said she was very appreciative o the masonry work accomplished by Dane Crownhart and his crew. She said Crownhart was able to figure out her design ideas for the historical, old-time brick work, which was tricky with all of the intricate detail in the design,. She aid the family was pleased with the way it all worked out.

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Fields completes remodel of downtown building - Cassville Democrat

Over the Mountain Journal

Space Makers: AllSouth Kitchen Renovation Breaks Down Walls and Brings Family Together Over the Mountain Journal The renovation began just days after the New Year's holiday as gener- al contractor Reliable Remodeling began knocking down the wall that separated the kitchen from the front of the house and dining room. The laundry room was moved to a room between ...

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Space Makers: AllSouth Kitchen Renovation Breaks Down Walls and Brings Family Together - Over the Mountain Journal

Last Updated Aug 7, 2017 5:03 PM EDT

It's time for White House staffers in the West wing to pack up and move -- temporarily -- to make way for necessary structural and cosmetic renovations.

Pods of furniture being moved out of the West Wing, Aug. 4, 2017.

CBS News / Jillian Hughes

Much of the White House face lift began Friday, as President Trump departed for what a White House official called a "working vacation." Mr. Trump denies it's a vacation, however.

It should be noted that the renovations have nothing to do with Mr. Trump's reported opinion that the White House is a "dump"(the president tweeted that the report was "TOTALLY UNTRUE").

The president will spend 17 days at his residence at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, while renovations are underway.

"All of us in lower press will miss seeing you guys every day but we're definitely looking forward to the much-needed renovations in the HVAC system, as well as throughout the rest of the West Wing," White House Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters told members of the media during a gaggle on Air Force One.

The 27-year-old White House heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are showing their age, so they're being replaced, leaving the West Wing without air conditioning temporarily. The West Wing lower lobby and in the Navy Mess kitchen, a small dining facility located in the West Wing basement are also being renovated.

The Navy Mess kitchen is run by the Navy and is available only to senior White House officials, Cabinet secretaries and their guests.

FILE photo of the White House Mess, a dining facility in the basement of the West Wing, next to the Situation Room

Whitehouse.gov

In back of the White House, the South Portico steps will get a much-needed update. The steps were rebuilt during President Harry Truman's major renovation of the White House in 1952 and have not been repaired since.

(Original Caption) Washington, D. C....Col. Douglas H. Gillette, left, of the Army Engineers Corps, and W. M. Russell, Chief Structural Designer on the White House repair project, hold a pine arc window which was installed in the White House in 1814, and removed during the remodeling project today. The men are seated on what remains of the south portico steps.

Getty Images

President Barack Obama poses with coach Roy Williams and members of the 2009 NCAA basketball champions University of North Carolina Tar Heels, Monday, May 11, 2009, in front of the South Portico of White House in Washington.

Charles Dharapak / AP

The renovation project was approved by the Obama administration following a previous update to White House utilities, but was never initiated. The work will be carried out by the General Services Administration, an independent government agency that helps maintain federal office space and oversees historic preservations.

Staff will be relocated to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door for at least two weeks. They were required to move many of their belongings out of their West Wing offices and "Pods," full of furniture and personal items, currently line West Executive Avenue next to the White House.

The staff relocation includes a move for the White House Press Office team out of their offices near the White House Briefing Room.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump's trip to New Jersey will be the fifth visit to his New Jersey golf club as president. He last visited the golf club three weeks ago, when the U.S. Women's Open was held on the premises.

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West Wing to be renovated while Trump is in New Jersey - CBS News

A rendering of the hotels front, facing Cesar Chavez Street. Photo courtesy of Sydell Group.

Ive been waiting patiently for word on the Line Hotel project remodeling the downtown Radisson at Congress Avenue and Cesar Chavez Street for the better part of a year. Im so patient, in fact, that I mocked up some terrible renderings of what the hotel project might look like post-remodel.

With these new promotional renderings from the Line Hotels parent company Sydell Group, Im pleased to announce that I was right about the one thing that mattered: Fixing that weird little curved roof piece with the Radisson logo on it.

A rendering of the buildings remodel, looking north from the Congress Avenue Bridge. That part of the roof is square now, see? Photo courtesy of Sydell Group.

Heres my mock-up of what I imagined the remodeling might look like. Many people are telling me I did a tremendous job on this prediction. More and more people are asking how I knew the logo would go there, and its a huge win for me. Photo courtesy of Sydell Group / Photo illustration by James Rambin.

Predictions aside, its great to see whats in store for the space. The 428-key midcentury Radisson building, originally constructed as the Crest Inn in 1965, always deserved a project like this rather than the wrecking ball. When the buildings remodel removes some of the clutter, the subtle elegance of design cues like the arched windows of each room really shine through.

The interior design, a collaboration between designer Sean Knibb and local architect Michael Hsu,certainly looks like an upgrade as well.

A lounge at the Line Hotel. Photo courtesy of Sydell Group.

Another view of the Lines bar area. Photo courtesy of Sydell Group.

The remodeled pool deck of the Line. Photo courtesy of Sydell Group.

What appears to be a typical look for a room at the Line. Photo courtesy of Sydell Group.

A map of two floors of the Lines lobby and ballroom areas. Photo courtesy of Sydell Group.

According to promotional materials, the Line will include three restaurants and is set for opening in 2018 hopefully then this prime piece of real estate downtown can live up to its full potential.

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A First Look at the Line Hotel, Reinventing Austin's Midcentury Downtown Radisson - TOWERS Austin (blog)

Katy family gets their dream kitchen Update turns dark, dated space into a family oasis

By Diane Cowen

The kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

The kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

AFTER: Candie and Steven Tramonte created an open kitchen concept when they remodel their Katy home.

AFTER: Candie and Steven Tramonte created an open kitchen concept when they remodel their Katy home.

The kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

The kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

A Thermador gas range is at the heart of the kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

A Thermador gas range is at the heart of the kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

The kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

The kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

The kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

The kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

The kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

The kitchen remodel at the Katy home of Candie and Steven Tramonte.

BEFORE: Columns and a wall separated the living room from the kitchen of the Tramonte home.

BEFORE: Columns and a wall separated the living room from the kitchen of the Tramonte home.

"Before" photos of the home of Candie and Steven Tramonte, who remodeled the kitchen in their Katy home.

"Before" photos of the home of Candie and Steven Tramonte, who remodeled the kitchen in their Katy home.

Katy family gets their dream kitchen

Steven Tramonte stands at his Thermador range and grins like a kid in a candy store.

This is where he makes heavy pans of lasagna, nurtures tender meatballs and occasionally fries up a batch of doughnuts, just like his mother did when he was young.

It's right here - at the island in the middle of his kitchen- where the husband and father of two holds court. The Thermador's six burners and long griddle are filled with pots and pans when Tramonte is in full-chef mode.

"Spending a whole day cooking, as long as I've got wine or beer and some music going, I'm perfectly fine. I would be on my feet all day doing that," he said.

Tramonte and his wife, Candie, built their home in Katy's Cinco Ranch in 2008 thinking that the floor plan they chose was just what they wanted.

After a decade of living in it, they knew exactly what they needed to change.

Powder bathrooms: This tiny room is getting more attention in home remodeling projects.

The kitchen was separated from their living room by a wall with arched openings and columns, which made it a little difficult to move between the two spaces. The small in-kitchen pantry didn't quite serve their needs, and the breakfast nook in the back was so isolated that it felt like meals were being eaten in a place you'd be sent for a time-out.

Dining room and living room decorating projects and a backyard upgrade that added a summer kitchen and pool were already behind them.

They were saving this project because they knew it would be bigger, more costly and more disruptive.

Candie Tramonte spent hours on Houzz.com searching for designers and homes, looking at kitchen after kitchen. She found Cindy Aplanalp-Yates of Chairma Design Group, who ultimately had them renovate their kitchen and breakfast nook and use more than 100 square feet of garage space for a jaw-dropping pantry big enough to also provide office space for Candie.

Before, slate flooring, black granite counters and dark-stained cabinets combined for a heavy look. It's not that their kitchen wasn't nice - it was just dated and dark.

Cindy Aplanalp-Yates of Chairman Design Group offers this advice for people considering a home remodeling project.

* Get comfortable with your investment. The home upgrade and its cost need to fit your neighborhood.

* Consider your lifestyle.

* Do it now. Don't delay a remodeling job just to sell your home. Do it now and enjoy it yourself.

* Move vs. remodel: If you're considering buying a new house instead of remodeling, make sure the space fits your family. Bigger isn't necessarily better.

* Look at your lighting: If you home is filled with simple builder-grade fixtures take them down right now and replace them with something fabulous.

* Don't ignore window treatments. Whether you use draperies, shades or anything else, nice window treatments will elevate any room.

* Color choices. Not only is gray still popular, but also there are so many shades that it can be hard to choose the right ones. If you like the look in the Tramontes' home, the cabinets are Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray and their walls are Repose Gray.

Getting to their now-gleaming bright and light new space began with a complete gut job to their kitchen, breakfast nook and a 9-foot-by-12-foot portion of the three-car garage.

"I love working in kitchens. So many great things happen in the kitchen - everyone congregates there," Aplanalp-Yates said of the project.

For the three months of renovation, a big tarp hung where their kitchen once began. Candie Tramonte set up an ingenious temporary kitchen in the laundry room, creating a makeshift pantry using hanging closet shelving to store food and learning to cook exclusively using a slow cooker and a microwave.

They moved their kitchen table and refrigerator to the foyer and washed dishes in the outdoor kitchen.

"It would probably be a problem for other people, but we did it. I don't think the kids even remember that we didn't have a kitchen for three months," the laid-back mom said of 10-year-old daughter, Mia, and 7-year-old son, Tanner.

Part of the construction required adding an 18-foot support beam to handle the load previously held up by the columns. Three small vertical windows over the kitchen sink turned into one much larger window that looks into the backyard and the neighborhood green space beyond.

Creamy white porcelain tile replaced the dark slate on the floor, and in place of the black granite counters is now a durable gray-white quartz. Cantilevered light fixtures and beautiful window treatments polish it all off.

"Marble is beautiful, but I knew it would not work for them," Alplanalp-Yates said. "It needed to support their lifestyle instead of getting in their way. I didn't want them to worry about red wine spills."

When the pantry became a whole room of its own, the Tramontes found themselves with space for so much more than food and shelving. That's where they moved their original appliances to make room for the high-end appliance package - the range with a Thermador dishwasher, vent hood and refrigerator - to be installed in the new kitchen.

Shifting things around was part of Aplanalp-Yates' strategy to get the most out of every inch in the house.

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"I'm always looking for space that can be better utilized. What's in your garage? Bikes you don't use, camping equipment you don't use," she said.

Candie Tramonte chimed in: "It made us smarter about how we store our junk."

That out-of-the-way breakfast nook now is a hot spot for gathering. Instead of an ordinary round table and chairs, a smart banquette wraps around three sides of a table, finished with two upholstered chairs. All of it is covered in family-friendly, stain-proof Sunbrella fabric.

Drawers at each end of its base hold the kids' things; Mia has a drawer full of slime jars.

"Everything we did was keeping in mind we have elementary-school-aged kids," she said. "We just don't have time to baby countertops or to make sure that your kid's not spilling juice or making their slime over there. I've got tons of slime. My daughter is obsessed with it."

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Katy family gets their dream kitchen - Houston Chronicle

Bullet holes are prominent in the farm office at Carter House as a reminder of the Nov. 30, 1864 Civil War battle at Franklin.

By CLIFF HIGHTOWER

The Carter House farm office is undergoing a major restoration and should be open to the public to see within just a few months.

Eric Jacobson, CEO of the Battle of Franklin Trust, said he anticipates the farmhouse will be available for public view by Nov. 30, the 153rd anniversary of the Battle of Franklin.

Theyve been working on it for two or three weeks now, he said.

The farm office has been empty and unused for years. But, Jacobson said the Battle of Franklin Trust was able to raise private donations to help restore it back close to its historic role in the Civil War.

When work first began months ago, the interior boards were carefully removed. The results were breathtaking to those who were priviliged to see the interior of the office. Sunlight poured through the hundreds of bullet holes left from the battle.

Jacobson said it is one of the most battle damaged properties the Trust has. He said the cost of restoration will be around $150,000 to $175,0000.

Thousands of men died on either side of this farm office on Nov. 30, 1864 and it is home to a pivotal battlefield of the Civil War.

On the anniversary of the battle in 2016, Jacobson and a core of volunteers remembered the soldiers that fought and died the day of the battle by calling out each of their names one by one in this hallowed ground.

Its all private donations, he said, that will save this place in history.

But visitors can see it wasnt just the soldiers that survived that day. The residents of Franklin had to pick up the pieces and go on. This farm office was part of the before and after of the Battle of Franklin.

The Carter family had to continue on despite the memories. It was the very basic human instinct to survive. This was a small group of people dealing with something completely out of their control and they tried to do their best with their situation.

This farm office was a part of the recovery, part of the normalcy of the life the Carters lived. The small building represents the battle because of the bullet holes you see but it also represents how the Carters continued on after the battle. They banded together as a family and as part of the community to go forward.

Jacobson said workers are busy putting in new timber and will make sure the base is structurally sound so that future visitors will be able to see the farm office during their visits.

He said plans are to make the farm office as original as possible. He said it is believed to have played a dual role during the era of the Civil War as a house and an office. But, he said that wont be the selling point.

I think the most important thing is opening up that door and seeing the sunlight come through those bullet holes, he said. Theres hundreds and hundreds of them.

Cliff Hightower can be reached at cliff.hightower@franklinhomepage.com or follow him on Twitter @FranklinHomePage.

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Carter House farm office going through restoration - Nolensville ... - Nolensville Home Page

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Balant construction workers Charlie Howell (left) and Shawn Joyce jackhammer away at the base of the Joe Palooka monument during a renovation process Tuesday morning on Route 309 in Hanover Township.Mark Morancv09palookap2

The Joe Palooka MonumentMark Morancv09palookap3

Members of the Home Builders Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania began work Tuesday to restore the historic Joe Palooka monument on state Route 309 in Hanover Twp.

The monument was created by a group of Wyoming Valley residents to honor Wilkes-Barre native and cartoonist Ham Fisher and Joe Palooka, a comic strip character.

Fisher created the comic strip about a heavyweight boxing champion in 1921 and it debuted in 1930. At its peak, 900 newspapers carried the comic strip.

Balent Construction provided machinery and labor to remove the deteriorating foundation at the monument and will form a new base with new concrete provided by Oley Industries in West Wyoming.

When the work is complete, the Home Builders Association and the original organizers will rededicate the monument.

A bronze plaque honoring Fisher was in another location on the highway, but it was pried from its base and stolen.

David DeCosmo, Sam Greenberg, Fred Ney and the late John Cicero, with the aid of the Sunday Independent a Wilkes-Barre newspaper that ceased publication in 1993 and its publisher, Tom Heffernan, initiated a community-wide fundraiser to replace the monument on Joe Palooka Mountain in 1976.

More than 150 contributions were received for a total of $1,750 and the bronze plaque was replaced with the solid granite monument that now stands on the site.

Any group or business interested in beautifying the surrounding landscape or providing assistance to this project can call the Home Builders Association at 570-287-3331.

DENISE ALLABAUGH

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Joe Palooka restoration begins - Standard Speaker

Ronald Rule outside the restored Brandon Engine House. He was born and grew up on Brandon Park estate and remebers learning how to use tools in the engine house. He is holding a framed piston ring which was used by his father. Picture: Rebecca Murphy

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Ronald Rule, 90, said returning to Brandon Engine House at Brandon Country Park brought back vivid memories of when it provided water and power to Brandon Park House and the estate buildings.

During the 1920s Mr Rues family moved onto the estate, where his father was the chauffeur for the estate owners and looked after the vehicles and engine house machinery, and lived there until he was nine.

He first revisited the building, which is believed to have been built between 1883 and 1900, 11 years ago and it was falling into a state of disrepair.

Highlighted as one of the Breaking New Ground Landscape Partnerships (BNG) flagship projects, restoration works, funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of 200,000, began in January this year.

The engine house and an adjacent building known as the Bothy will now be used as a multi-functional community facility.

Mr Rule, who lives in Cringleford, said: Being here brings back so many memories for me. This building was the beating heart of the estate.

They have done an incredible job. Restoration is a very difficult thing but they have managed to have a good facility for modern use but still retaining the old feel.

The engine room will be used as dirty space for practical workshops and a new extension links it to the Bothy which can be used as a conference room. The building will be available to community groups, organisations and businesses.

Some of the original features, including old machinery and the 150ft deep well, are still in place.

Interpretation boards celebrating the history of the park and buildings have also been installed.

Nick Dickson, BNG project manager, said: It was about saving the building and the unusual thing about this is the machines were still in place. That is what was most exciting as a lot of these buildings have been restored as holiday lets.

The heritage of the building has been saved and brought back to life and can be for modern use. It is a community space for the community.

History of the Brandon Engine House

The Engine House, also known as the Pump room, has quite a history.

It was built some decades after Brandon Park House, which was constructed in 1826.

The building generated electricity to power the house and water was pumped to feed the grounds - and the estate was the first part of Brandon to have electricity.

The park was sold to the Forestry Commission in 1936 who then began to re-plant much of the estate as part of Thetford Forest.

It was requisitioned during the Second World War and part of the park was used as a training ground for the Home Guard.

The Bothy probably housed ammunition and similar supplies.

More recently the building was used for storage, as a kennels and workshop, while slowly deteriorating through lack of maintenance.

In 2012 BNG was established and funding secured.

BNG is hosted by Suffolk County Council. The facility, owned BNG partners the Forestry Commission, will be leased and managed by the team at Brandon Country Park.

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Historic engine house at Brandon Country Park officially opened after restoration works by 90-year-old whose family ... - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press

The Roanoke City Council has agreed to sell its historic Compton-Bateman House and surrounding 3.4 acres to a small nonprofit that wants to lease the building to a program that serves youth.

Isabel Thorntons Restoration Housing will buy the house for $1 but will be required to spend $868,000 on renovations. Thornton said the money will come from $234,000 in insurance proceeds the city received after a 2011 fire at the house, tax credits from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and various grants for which she has yet to apply.

The circa-1827 house, off Lafayette Boulevard in northwest Roanoke, for decades served as the Villa Heights recreation center but was seriously damaged in the 2011 fire and has been on the market for several years. The council is partial to Thorntons idea to lease the house to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia, benefiting the community while preserving the houses history.

This is a true win, win, win for everybody, council member John Garland said. Its a win for the old house, its a win for the users of the house and its a win for the community.

While Thornton is still in preliminary discussions with the Boys and Girls Clubs, she said theyve discussed working together with the architect so the house meets the groups needs.

Were both optimistic and hopeful that the partnership will work, Thornton said. Theyre an ideal tenant for the use of the building. They want to serve the community around Villa Heights.

Roanoke Councilwoman Michelle Dykstra is the Boys and Girls Clubs executive director, so she recused herself from participating in the citys vote.

Under the contract, Thornton must begin construction within 12 months of closing, but she said she wont know until March whether she will receive the tax credits.

Construction ideally would begin next summer, according to Thornton, who said she is thankful for how supportive the council has been through the process.

Historic property in northwest Roanoke is just as deserving of preservation and restoration as historic property in any other part of Roanoke, council member Bill Bestpitch said.

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Roanoke City Council agrees to sell historic home to nonprofit - Roanoke Times

By CLIFF HIGHTOWER

The Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen are still mulling over three proposals for a 54-acre plot of land along Mack Hatcher Parkway near Spencer Creek Road.

Weve got a difficult choice, said Alderman Clyde Barnhill.

The city accepted letters of interest from potential developers on the property located along the Harpeth River and three developers responded.

Cheekwood Golf Course wants to expand its golf course across Mack Hatcher Parkway, the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro wants to build a childrens museum and the Franklin Housing Commission wants to build affordable or workforce housing on the site.

A month ago, all three parties presented plans to the board; over the weekend, they met with the board on site to hear once again about proposals.

City staff put together a chart listing all the different selling points of the proposals.

We recognize the board has three very well-thought-out, good proposals, said City Administrator Eric Stuckey.

One key point was the staff presented potential costs and revenues about each property, as well as if the city sold the property or if the city kept it.

Creekwood Golf Course had agreed to pay $72,900 a month for the lease, the Discovery Center proposed a $1 a year lease and the Franklin Housing Commission proposed not paying. But, the housing commission has proposed that property taxes would be assessed on the houses, not the land because it is city owned.

According to the city, the golf course would bring in $2.6 million in revenue, while the city is projected to lose about $2 million if the childrens museum were developed and it could lose anywhere from $1.7 million to $3.6 million with housing.

Bob Ries, a Franklin resident, pointed that out.

When you go to the bottom line, you only have one paying you any money, he said.

But, Stuckey, and other city staff warned not to only look at city revenue. It did not take into consideration any other potential economic development that could happen because of those other properties.

Lets be careful about painting it as a picture of anything, he said.

The board is expected to vote on the proposals within the upcoming months.

Barnhill said it may end up being two of the three get to share the property, or as he called it one-and-half.

It wont be everyone satisfied with our decision, he said.

HIRAM LODGE UPDATES

Representatives of Hiram Masonic Lodge #7, located at115 2nd Ave South,appeared before the board Tuesday during its work session to talk about upcoming restoration on the property.

Jim Patterson, chairman of the lodges board, told the Franklin board they are in the midst of diversifying their board and getting more community involvement.

We are a part of this community, Patterson said.

He said right now there has been a protective barrier put on the building and they hope to start doing a restoration within months.

The building was constructed in 1823 and is the oldest public building in Franklin. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson met with leaders of the Chickasaw nation to negotiate the Treaty of Franklin at the site.

Its been underused and underexposed as a historic place in our city, said Alderman Pearl Bransford.

Alderman Mike Skinner asked about specifics.

Do you know how far out before you do the restoration? he asked.

The next three weeks well have a better understanding, Guil Ezell, president of the lodges board, replied.

Patterson told the Franklin board the building is still in pretty good condition.

Theres no deterioration, he said.

Cliff Hightower can be reached at cliff.hightower@franklinhomepage or follow him on Twitter @FranklinHomePage.

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Franklin board hears more on Mack Hatcher proposals - Franklin Home Page