Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Michael Barrett Gazette staff GazetteMike

A Charlotte-based financial institution has cleared another hurdle in its bid to establish a new hub in Gastonia.

Park Sterling Bank recently applied for a conditional use permit through the city of Gastonia to build a substantial new office building that will encompass 26,917 square feet. The 6.74-acre site near CaroMont Regional Medical Center is zoned to accommodate offices, but the city requires such a permit there for any proposed building that will be in excess of 25,000 square feet.

The Gastonia Planning Commission approved the request this month.

Park Sterling announced last summer it would begin searching for property for an expansion in Gastonia. Then in the fall, the company pulled the trigger, paying Gaston County $938,000 for a plot of publicly-owned land at the corner of Plastics Drive and Summit Crossing.

The bank initially stated its new one-story structure would only include 24,500 square feet, though its plan has only grown since then. Overall, the project will represent a total investment of roughly $3.7 million here.

Park Sterlings push is part of its broader plan to consolidate many of its back-office operations, which will involve bringing jobs from South Carolina to Gastonia. The lands position within the city limits means Gastonia will also see a boost to its tax base, just like the county.

Park Sterling CEO Jim Cherry said recently that Gastonia is a logical place to consolidate since they already have such a heavy presence here, and the banks leadership has been impressed with the local labor force.

The consolidation will move at least 15 new jobs into Gaston from other Park Sterling locations. The groups operating deposits, retail, bank cards, electronic banking, trusts and loans operations will move into one location in or near Gastonia.

The original plan last year was to finish constructing the new office building and move into it by late 2017, though that timetable may be pushed back.

The space will be mostly open space with cubicles, as well as some offices.

The companys headquarters will remain in Charlotte, where it was founded 11 years ago. Since then, mergers have helped the company grow to include some 60 offices and 529 employees.

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or on Twitter @GazetteMike.

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Park Sterling Bank moves closer to construction of new facility - Gaston Gazette

An office renovation at 30 Broad Street. Yvonne Albinowski/For Commercial Observer

Over the last three years, alterations have generated an average of $9.3 billion in construction work annually, nearly half of which came from commercial renovations, according to a new report from the New York Building Congress.

Commercial buildingsincluding offices, hotels and retailaccounted for 46 percent of all alteration permits by value in 2016, and office construction made up 70 percent of those commercial permits. Overall, the New York City Department of Buildings issued 5,641 permits for renovations last year.

Interior construction is the unsung hero of the construction industry, said Carlo Scissura, NYBCs president and chief executive officer. And office renovation is on the rise as owners of half-century-old Midtown office buildings try to draw tenants who might otherwise move to new developments Downtown or on the Far West Side.

With Hudson Yards, the Brookfield Properties at Manhattan West and the World Trade Center, theres a lot of new office space being built, Scissura explained. A lot of commercial buildings are trying to compete, so theyre spending millions of dollars to upgrade their buildings. If you drive up Sixth Avenue, every single building is under renovation.

Work on large institutional buildings was the second-biggest driver of renovations last year, making up just over a third of all alteration permits. Institutional buildings is a broad category that includes public schools, higher education, hospitals, entertainment and cultural facilities, as well as government buildings. Among institutional buildings, schools tend to have the priciest renovations, averaging more than $3 million per permit. But across all building types, upgrades of miscellaneous nonresidential structures like subway stations, park facilities and libraries tend to be the priciest.

Multifamily buildings came in third, accounting for 16 percent of all alteration permits issued last year.

Not surprisingly, 70 percent of all alteration permits were issued for work in Manhattan, which is home to 93 percent of the citys office renovations. Brooklyn had 13 percent of renovation permits, followed by Queens with 9 percent, the Bronx with 7 percent and Staten Island with just 1 percent.

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Renovations Drove $9 Billion in NYC Construction Last Year: Building Congress - Commercial Observer

TYLER, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

KP Engineering, LP (KPE), an energy industry leader in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) solutions, has released detailed plans and the architectural renderings for its new building in Tyler, Texas. The new building will be adjacent to the current Tyler office and will include more than 25,000 square feet of additional offices, design workstations, and state-of-the-art conference rooms incorporating the latest conferencing technology. Design and engineering of the building are nearing completion, and construction is expected to begin in April.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170412005327/en/

As one of the fastest growing EPC companies in the nation, the new building is in response to KPEs growing headcount which has increased markedly since KPE opened its then-new headquarters building in 2015. The new building will relieve overcrowding and replace the temporary offices currently located adjacent to the Tyler location.

KPEs newest building will be a tangible representation of our stellar growth and promising future, said President and Chief Operating Officer, William Preston. Its a direct reflection of the dedication of our employees and our engineering, design and execution prowess that leads to efficient, on-time projects. KPE takes great pride in assisting our partner-clients with executing successful projects.

A testament to KPEs breadth of EPC expertise, the company has recently added several major EPC projects including a cryogenic gas processing plant, a syngas processing unit, a new gasoline hydrotreater, a refinery debottlenecking project, a condensate splitter and associated tank farm, an NGL fractionator, and numerous process studies. KPE plans to complete construction of the new office facility by year end in order to accommodate the growing demand for KPEs expertise and services.

In addition to its growing presence in Tyler, KPE has an additional office in the Energy Corridor in Houston, Texas.

About KPE

KP Engineering, LP provides value-based EPC solutions to clients in the refining, midstream, chemical, and syngas industries. KPE offers a full range of EPC services and specializes in fixed-price contracting. KPE combines technical expertise and in-depth experience with an integrated engineering and project management approach to deliver cost-effective projects to markets such as domestic refiners, natural gas processors, chemical manufacturers, and storage terminal operators.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170412005327/en/

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170412005327/en/

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KP Engineering Announces Plan for New Office Building in Tyler - Yahoo Finance

April 2017Josh Green

Rendering by Kevin Gotsch

Whats the big idea?Atlanta-based Cousins Properties has teamed with apartment developer AMLI to transform an entire city block just south of the Decatur Square. The mixed-use venture will include the first new office building in downtown Decatur since 1991. (The citys development patterns have leaned more toward retail, condominiums, and apartments in recent decades.)

BackgroundFor 40 years, the West Trinity Place site was home to parking lots and the four-story Callaway Building, used by DeKalb County for a variety of government departments. The city of Decatur bought the property for $5 million in 2013 and sold it last August to Cousins for the same priceplus expenses the city had incurred.

Come togetherIn February the Callaway Building was razed, and construction launched quickly thereafter. Expect midrise buildings offering 330 apartments, 20,000 square feet of retail, and 30,000 square feet of offices. Plans are tentative, but developers hope the projects varied usesand an on-site public gathering spacewill promote collaborations among tenants.

Name TBDDevelopers expect the project to be open in early 2019. They have yet to decide on a name, and no retailers have been confirmed.

Tags: AMLI, Cousins Properties, Decatur, Decatur Square, development

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A new development will boast downtown Decatur's first new office building since 1991 - Atlanta Magazine

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April 12, 2017Kevin Benefield

The Cardinal Hotel

When it opened its doors in April 1929, the Reynolds Building was the tallest skyscraper in the South, and Winston-Salem the largest city between Washington D.C. and Atlanta. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company constructed the twenty-two-story Art Deco stunner as its headquarters, heralding the success of the company, which had introduced the incredibly popular Prince Albert pipe tobacco and Camel cigarettes earlier in the century. The building became a beloved local landmark, as well as the inspiration for New Yorks Empire State Building.

But gradual changes in attitudes toward smoking and the subsequent downsizing of the company led R.J. Reynolds to put the iconic building on the block in 2009. Without a buyer willing to gamble on such a behemoth during the recession, it stood vacant for years. In 2015, a year after the tower was named to the National Register of Historic Places, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants announced it would repurpose it as a boutique hotel. In April 2016, on the eighty-seventh anniversary of the Reynoldss opening, the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel (thecardinalhotel.com) welcomed its first guests.

This evolution is only the most recent example of Winston-Salems tobacco-to-tourism trend. A number of local attractions, from Reynolda to Graylyn, trace their beginnings to the makers of some of Americas top tobacco products. But none illustrate this on quite so grand a scale as the Cardinal.

Jay Sinclair

Named after North Carolinas state bird, the hotel occupies the buildings first six floors. Interior spacesfrom the sleek, modern guest rooms to the rec room outfitted with a bowling alley, basketball court, and adult-sized spiral slidewould be unrecognizable to the Reynolds execs who once worked there, but the grand elevator lobby maintains its original splendor. Marble floors and walls, gleaming brass and nickel elevator doors, and a ceiling studded with gilded tobacco leaves evoke the buildings glorious past.

Kimpton contributes its own nods to yesteryear in notable design elements and artwork. The living room, where guests gather for complimentary coffee and tea in the mornings and local wines in the afternoon, features a framed likeness of a longleaf pine (the state tree) rendered in matchsticks. Portraits of city namesake Colonel Joseph Winston and R.J. Reynolds are woven into the mezzanine carpets.

Off the lobby, Reynoldss wife, Katharine, is remembered in an eponymous French brasserie, which includes a polished dining room, lively bar, and large terrace. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant offers a mix of traditional brasserie items and Southern standardscroissants and biscuits, baked escargot and fried chicken.

Reynolda House Museum of American Art

Learn more about Katharine and the Reynolds family on a visit to Reynolda (reynoldahouse.org), the thousand-acre family estate and working farm a few miles northwest of downtown Winston-Salem. Completed in 1917, the sprawling bungalow, along with the carefully designed grounds and agricultural village, was Katharines passion. In addition to working with an architect to create the residence and dozens of support buildingsbarns, silos, schools, a post officeshe introduced new agricultural methods and livestock breeds, such as Jersey cattle, to local farmers.

Jay Sinclair

The estate remained in the family until 1964, when the furnished house and nineteen acres became part of a nonprofit institution dedicated to the arts and education. In 1967, that institution opened the home as the Reynolda House Museum of American Art. Celebrating the estates centennial anniversary this year (as well as the museums fiftieth), Reynolda showcases a large collection of American art from 1755 to the present, plus the homes original furniture and the familys vintage clothing. The surrounding farm and support buildings now serve as boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants.

Across the street from Reynolda stands another grand estate, Graylyn (graylyn.com), the former home of Bowman Gray Sr. Once president and chairman of the board of R.J. Reynolds, Gray was responsible for the construction of the Reynolds Building. He and his wife, Nathalie, followed the Reynolds family to the countryside on the outskirts of town, purchasing eighty-seven acres of land on which to build a great manor house in the Norman Revival style. Completed in 1932, the home remained in the family for only fourteen years before a widowed Mrs. Gray and her sons donated it to Wake Forest Universitys medical school, which ran a psychiatric hospital on the grounds.

Art-o-Mat

Today, the university operates a hotel and conference center on the site and welcomes both daytime and overnight guests. Not to be missed is a butler-led tour of the property, which showcases an impressive range of European design styles and architectural elements, from the Georgian living room to the Italian Renaissance sunroom to the library featuring circa 1680 Louis XIV paneling from Paris. (Call ahead to reserve a time.) Another great way to experience Graylyn is the monthly Tour Pour Du Jour, which pairs a Sunday afternoon tour with a reception featuring the estates select house wines and cheeses.

Just up the road from Graylyn looms yet another former home of an industrial titan, the English manorstyle residence of James G. Hanes, president and chairmanof the board of Hanes Hosiery Mills Company. Though Hanes doesnt have ties to the citys tobacco heyday, his old estate currently does: Now the SoutheasternCenter for Contemporary Art (SECCA) (secca.org), it is hosting an exhibition this spring that explores cigarette machines turned art dispensers. Art-o-mats weredeveloped twenty years ago by Winston-Salem artist Clark Whittington, who stocked the first such machine with small black-and-white photos mounted on blocks and installed it at local restaurant Penny University Cafe. So popular was this un-usual piece of conceptual art, the restaurants owner asked if she could keep it. Whittington agreed and began working with other artists to create pieces for the vending machine. Today, the original Art-o-mat resides at Marys Gourmet Diner(the successor to Penny University), and more than 130 others have been installed at galleries, shops, and restaurants across the United States and Europe.

SECCAs retrospective will showcase a host of the machines and the miniature works of art they dispense. Its a wholly fitting end to your exploration of Winston-Salem, a city whose smoky past continues to burn bright.

Winston-Salems willingness to embrace new challenges is nothing new. It dates back to 1766, when Moravians founded Salem, North Carolina. The Moravians, a Protestant denomination whose members fled to America to escape persecution in what is today the Czech Republic, were known fortheir hard work, love of music, and devotion to church and community.

Today, 109 of the historical settlements buildings have been restored or reconstructed. Fifteen of the structures are operated by Old Salem Museums and Gardens, where dozens of craftspeople and re-enactors bring the village to life. Watch shoemakers, tailors, potters, and gunsmiths ply their tradesas they would have two centuries ago. Stroll the numerous gardens showcasing heirloom plants and traditional horticultural practices (such as removing weeds by hand rather than using herbicides). Plan on lunch at the Tavern in Old Salem, which serves traditional favorites such as chicken pie and syllabub, a whipped dessert featuring white wine or sherry and fresh fruit.

A number of shops offer Moravian products made on-site. Pick up handmade baskets and paper ornaments at the book and gift shop. And stock up on sugar cake and cookies at the bakery.

Before leaving Old Salem, pay a visit to the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA). The institution displays one the nations finestcollections of Southern furniture, ceramics, textiles, and other objects from the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries. oldsalem.org

Tags: Kevin Benefield, North Carolina, Southbound, travel, Winston-Salem

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Weekend Getaway: Winston-Salem, North Carolina - Atlanta Magazine

Hopper seeks window replacement Yale Daily News (blog) The Hopper common room currently includes a set of temporary amber-tinted glass windows that were installed to replace a set of windows that included two images of John C. Calhoun, class of 1804, the college's former namesake. Another window with ...

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Hopper seeks window replacement - Yale Daily News (blog)

Posted: Apr. 10, 2017 9:50 pm Updated: Apr. 10, 2017 9:56 pm

QUINCY -- Aldermen adjusted a contract Monday night to allow a local contractor to complete installation of new windows at City Hall.

A. Fischer Builders Inc. was awarded the $184,100 contract to replace windows last fall. When the first window was removed early this year, it had some asbestos in the caulk that was sandwiched between window frames and glass panes. A $14,645 addition to the project will cover the hiring of an abatement contractor and higher tipping fees for disposal of the old windows.

Jeffrey Conte, director of the city's Engineering Department, said the old single-pane windows were inefficient and many of the windows leaked when it rained. The new windows will be double-paned and have a coating to reduce the amount of heat radiating into the building during the summer, Conte said.

Rees Construction was low bidder on two street and utility upgrades totaling nearly $1.2 million that won approval Monday. Replacement of a water main and street replacement on Spruce from 12th to 15th will cost $577,789. The replacement of a sanitary sewer and water main as well as street repairs on Aldo Boulevard from 21st to 23rd will cost $620,729.

Aldermen also approved an ordinance that will allow Pollock, Ennis & Heck to install a 17-square-foot sign at 608 Vermont. City ordinances would have limited the sign to 15 square feet. An early request was for a 32-square-foot sign, but the compromise reached in late March cut that size down considerably.

In other action, the council approved an ordinance granting a variation of zoning regulations on the Adams County Detention and Law Enforcement Center at 535-537 Vermont. The amount of glazed area on the first-floor facades will be reduced from 30 percent to 26.4 percent on the south side, 17.6 percent on the west side, and 4.6 percent on the east side.

R.L. Brink won the contract for $156,979 for concrete and Diamond Construction Co. got the $52,500 contract for patching material to be used in the city's annual street and sidewalk maintenance program to be paid out of motor fuel tax dollars. The contracts will have to be approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Emergency repairs on utilities totaling $17,593 under pavement at the Quincy Mall also was approved. The work was done by Rees Construction.

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Quincy City Hall window contract tweaked to cover asbestos disposal - Herald-Whig

(Red Oak) -- After months of meetings and discussion, a bond issue vote is set in the Red Oak School District.

At its regular meeting Monday evening, the Red Oak School Board approved the language for a June 27th vote on a $19.9 million referendum for renovation, remodeling and new construction at Red Oak High School and Inman Primary School. Red Oak School Superintendent Tom Messinger tells KMA News the board made some minor changes in the proposed language.

"Rather than saying it's the high school building, it's the high school campus," said Messinger. "They did also include the language stating it was the intention of the board to abate part of the payments with revenue that comes in through the penny sales tax and the SAVE dollars."

Under the district's facilities plan, the number of school campuses would be reduced to three. Red Oak Middle School would close, and the high school would house 7th through 12th graders. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students would attend classes at Washington Elementary School, with Inman accommodating 1st through 6th graders.

"We do have a higher cost of operation than many of our peers do," he said. "It's from more buildings. We've had projections going out in the future that showed that we had to reduce our spending in the general fund by changing the structure of our buildings, and closing down campuses. It's paid for through SAVE dollars or through general obligation bonds, but then it also becomes a savings in the general fund, and helps solve the problems with our current spending trend."

School officials were forced to close the middle school in the first half of the 2014-2015 school year after a water leak caused major flooding in the building. While saying the century-old building's exterior is sound, Messinger says the interior has several issues.

"There's some window replacement, air conditioning replacement, heating and cooling work inside the building," the superintendent said. "But, the biggest part of it is, it's an additional campus we have to operate. When we looked at the scheduling of the buildings, and what it would mean if we would consolidate the buildings together, or close down a building, we did see the most savings in closing the middle school down into the general fund."

A committee consisting of district patrons is expected to campaign for passing the bond issue, which requires a 60% supermajority. In other business Monday night, the board approved the resignations of Dan Black as high school instrumental music teacher and sponsor, high school jazz band instructor and TLC grant program lead teacher, as well as Molly Cox as 3rd grade instructor and high school assistant softball coach.

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Red Oak board sets bond issue vote - KMAland

MEDFORD During a special meeting Friday, the Medford school board reached a decision regarding replacement of HVAC units on the schools roof.

The district awarded the contract to the lowest of four bidders, Owatonna Heating & Cooling, to install 36 Aaon units at a total cost of $2,243,070. The districts account from bond sales currently has $1.6 million remaining, so theyll cover the rest of the HVAC costs with money from the general fund.

Both decisions to install all 36 units, and to pay for it through a combination of bond sale money and fund balance were unanimous. Bids for the HVAC project were received March 30, and the project was split into four groups for bid purposes for both Aaon and Carrier units for a total of eight groups (one base bid and seven alternates.)

Bids were for 20 units, 25, 29 or the 36 the board ultimately opted for, and work is scheduled to be completed by the time the 2017-2018 school year begins this fall. The bids included labor, materials, electrical and structural work, but not assorted fees and an 8 percent contingency built in for unexpected costs.

The initial structural analysis was completed for the weights of the Aaon units. Since the Carrier units are heavier, they wouldve required additional structural work according to Rich Dahman, Medfords superintendent. While the Carrier units are less expensive, they wouldve led to roughly $50,000 in added structural adjustment costs.

The Aaon units also provide better control in AC mode, have a longer warranty on heat exchangers and boast better filters, according to the HVAC project summary provided by the district. In addition, Aaon units will provide consistency with current units and eliminate the need for additional structural work.

Dahman recommended accepting the bid from Owatonna Heating & Cooling to install 36 Aaon units, advice the board followed. Other options the board could have selected included awarding the project to a different bidder, utilizing Carrier units, and/or reducing the number of units replaced in 2017.

He also recommended paying any additional costs for the project, above the funds available in the bond sale account, out of the districts fund balance, which the board also accepted. Other options included paying for additional costs through a capital facilities bond and/or delaying the replacement of some units.

Delaying a portion of the project would have allowed the district to remain within budget, according to the project summary. In addition, the units over the locker rooms have been the most trouble-free to date, so delaying that group couldve potentially allowed Medford to replace them and the roof which is on the 14th year of a 20-year warranty at the same time, placing the district on a timeline where Medford is not replacing all units at the same time.

The total cost would have increased, however, if a portion was delayed, due to inflation, buying less in bulk and labor costs, and completing the entire project this summer will create consistency with one contractor installing all the units, according to the summary. This ensures that all units and controls are working together effectively.

Paying additional costs from a bond sale wouldve spread the costs out over time and increased flexibility with a larger fund balance while also increasing the total cost interest and fees and leaving less for future projects, according to the summary. Paying additional costs from the fund balance avoids fees and interest, and that method still leaves Medford above the districts policy of 25 percent of expenditures.

Reach reporter Ryan Anderson at 507-444-2376 or follow him onTwitter.com@randerson_ryan

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Medford school board approves bid for HVAC work this summer - Southernminn.com

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Window Film Association (IWFA), a nonprofit trade association representing leading manufacturers, distributors and dealers, is proud to recognize April 30, 2017, as the fourth annual National Window Film Day (NWFD). In alignment with proclamations issued by governors and mayors across the United States, NWFD is a day dedicated to furthering public education of the many benefits of professionally installed window film including: energy efficiency, indoor temperature comfort, blocking 99% of the sun's UVA rays, the reduction of fading of furnishings and possible harmful exposure to skin and eyes.

TWEET THIS: For National Window Film Day on 4/30, @IWFAinfo shares new "Go Green & Save Green" infographic: http://bit.ly/GoGreenInfographic#WindowFilmDay

"From increased energy efficiency to protection from 99% of UV rays, professionally installed window film offers home and business owners an affordable improvement to help save money and the environment," said Jack Mundy, President, IWFA. "As a part of the IWFA's celebration of National Window Film Day, we are pleased to share a new 'Go Green' infographic."

The free "Go Green and Save Green" infographic (download here) highlights the many benefits of window film and emphasizes how professionally installed window film is a good choice for the environment over replacing older windows entirely. A professional installation of window film helps consumers save on heating and cooling costs and may also be eligible for "Go Green" energy rebates.

"Window film offers a significant economic benefit at many levels - from employment to energy savings to improved health, to the reduction of our carbon footprint," said Darrell Smith, Executive Director, IWFA. "We are very happy to see the growing support of National Window Film Day and the window film industry from our nation's officials."

To find professionally accredited window film installers near you, visit the IWFA's Find An Installer; for more information on NWFD, visit IWFA website.

About the International Window Film Association The International Window Film Association (IWFA) (www.iwfa.com) is a unified industry body of window film dealers, distributors, and manufacturers that facilitates the growth of the window film industry though the use of education, research, advocacy and consumer awareness. The organization builds alliances with trade associations, utilities and government agencies to advance dealers' and distributors' businesses and provide value to their customers.

Contact: Erin Vadala; Warner Communications Erin@warnerpr.com; 978-468-3076

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New "Go Green" Infographic Celebrates Professionally Installed Window Film Ahead of National Window Film Day - Yahoo Finance