Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Courtesy: Pelli Clark Pelli Architects A rendering of Rockrose and Spitzer's Alexander Court redevelopment at 2001 K St. and 2101 L St. NW

Rockrose Development and Spitzer Enterprises have landed another major tenant for the JV's CBD redevelopment project,Alexander Court.

Akin Gump will occupy the top four floors at the north building, 2000 L St. NW. The 185k SF lease will beginin 2019, after the firm moves out of its 212kSF spreadat Boston Properties' 1333 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Avison Youngbrokered the deal for the landlord while CBRErepresented the law firm.

Rockrose bought the 2000 L St. building in 2013 and, together with former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, is combining it with 2001 K St. NW to createan 800k SF trophy office building. The buildings will be connected with a 12-story atrium and will have access to a rooftop terrace and 7,500 SF fitness center. The building is set to deliver by the end of the year, Rockrose director Ted Traum said.

The JV landed its first new tenantlast summer when Cornerstone Research signed for 43k SF in the L Street building. Paul, Weiss alsorenewed its lease in the K Street buildinglast summer and expanded from 51k SF to 62k SF. The K Street building is nearly fullly occupied while the L Street sidestill has roughly 175kSF left to lease after signing Akin Gump. Traum said the Akin Gump lease gives the project significant momentum, and he has received interest from other potential tenants.

"It validates the project and indicates how well it's being received in the market," Traum said. "Akin Gump is a large tenant that really had their pick of the litter in terms of all the available product. The fact that they selected us speaks to how well its being received in market and how people appreciate the quality of the architecture and amenities."

View original post here:
Akin Gump Relocating To 185k SF At Under-Construction Alexander ... - Bisnow

The Kettering Health Network plans to build a medical office building on the site of a former car wash in West Carrollton.

Mike Lucking, city ecomonic development director, said, "The city is thrilled to announce that a Kettering Health Network facility will be coming to our community."

In a prepared statement released tonight, Lucking and City Manager Brad Townsend said the health network is expected to take ownership of a 3.84 acre property at 744 E. Dixie Drive, the site of the former SOnny's Auto Spa, later this year.

"This will be a substantial investment, not only to our local tax base, but also toward the health and well-bring of our community," Townsend said in the statement.

The medical office building is to include physician practices and outpatient services.

The construction timetable and cost have not yet been determined.

We are looking forward to expanding our services into West Carrollton and being an active member of the community, said Fred Manchur, Kettering Health Network CEO.

Everything we do as a faith-based health system centers on how to best care for the patient. Part of that care includes connecting people to better and faster access to quality health care. The medical office building will do just that. We are happy to collaborate with the city and county to redevelop the land.

Demolition is expected to be complete by mid-summer on the underground storage tanks and building that has been empty since August 2012. The Montgomery County Land Bank acquired the property from Sonnys LLC in December 2016.

The city plans to use approximately $176,800 in Community Development Block Grant funding and National Stabilization Program funds. Both sources are from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and filtered through Montgomery County.

We appreciate the partnership by Montgomery County and the Land Bank to help clean up a property that has become an eyesore in our community, Townsend said. The city is committed to fostering new economic development in our city by doing everything we can to limit the high costs of demolishing outdated structures and preparing land for future redevelopment, he said

The citys planning and building department will coordinate the bids for demolition contractors which is expected to be a two phase process that starts in April.

A demolition kickoff event, involving all community partners, will be announced when the schedule has been finalized.

Stay with whio.com for breaking news and news updates.

See the rest here:
Kettering Health Network plans medical office building in W. Carrollton - WHIO

Attorney Spencer Calahan is planning to build a new office in downtown Baton Rouge. (Rendering by GraceHebert Architects)

Spencer Calahan has begun work to build a new five-story office building in downtown Baton Rouge near the Pastime Restaurant at 252 South Blvd. that will cost the attorney between $8.5 million and $9 million.

GraceHebert Architects is designing the building, which will be located at the corner of South Boulevard and St. Louis Street. There will be two levels of parking, three levels of offices and a helicopter pad on the roof.We want something classy, we want something tasteful, Calahan said at this mornings Downtown Development District meeting.

Work crews have already started demolishing a number of aging houses on the site, and construction of the building is set to begin this summer. Calahan expects the building to be completed about 14 months after ground is broken.

Daily Report has the full story.

See the original post here:
Baton Rouge attorney Spencer Calahan planning $8.5M downtown office building - Greater Baton Rouge Business Report

When it comes to building a home or remodeling, it doesn't take long to realize it's a big investment.

And one way to protect that investment is in the roofing materials.

Information and samples of various aspects of the home building industry were part of the annual Effingham Area Home Builders Association Home Show held over the weekend at the Keller Convention Center in Effingham.

Materials for roofing range as much as the number of contractors willing to roof your home.

Besides the contractor, things to consider are the life expectancy of materials, cost of materials, various of materials, color, and texture.

If you don't have a good roof, it doesn't matter what the rest of your house looks like, said Russell Sanderson, lead sales for Alpha and Omega Construction in Salem. The roof is the most important part of your home.

Roofing materials to select from could include asphalt shingles, but also wood, cement, tile, slate and metal. Metal could be as much as three times the cost as asphalt shingles.

If metal roofing if what the homeowner wants, the stone-coated shingles are the best way to go, said Justin Matthews, owner of Alpha and Omega.

These look like traditional asphalt shingles but are stone-embedded and are very durable, said Matthews. With traditional metal, the warranty is on the paint, but not on the metal.

When it comes to metal roofing, there's plenty to learn.

One roofing contractor said much of what is being used on residential roofs is actually an agriculture or pole barn material with exposed fasteners, because they tend to deteriorate in five to 10 years, said Sanderson.

He doesn't recommend exposed fasteners for homes, although it is OK for agriculture use. A better option is the standing seam metal roofs, or those with concealed fasteners for houses.

Sanderson also suggested if using a metal roof, it shouldn't be placed over an asphalt shingled roof.

That's because the screws or fasteners won't bite in as well; the asphalt shingles will scratch and scar the backside of the metal roofing material; and metal also creates a condensation issue on the home.

Metal roofs fade over time and the material doesn't always fade evenly, creating a roof line with shades of whatever the base color once was, said Matthews.

Cramer Siding & Windows in Champaign was represented at the Home Show. The company typically doesn't install metal roofing, according to its representative.

There's a pretty high overhead in that industry, said Jacob Wilson. We do grain shingle roofs and provide customers with different materials for varying life spans.

Wilson also said paint fades on the sheet metal material.

We suggest a clean cut look with original asphalt shingles, he said.

Shani Hasan, of NextGen Metal Roofing in Edwardsville, said sheet metal roofing has been around for ages, but stone coated steel or metal shingles is what his company promotes.

Sheet metal roofing may show signs of rusting, fading and oil canning, which is when the metal has raised up spots from the expansion and contraction of the materials.

Steel tile or shingles won't do that, Hasan said about the effects of hot and cold weather against metal.

Contractors said the gauge of metal makes a difference, as well, on how it withstands weather and elements it gets exposed to on a home.

I would use stone coated metal over sheet metal on a home anytime, said Hasan.

His company offers clay tile, standing seam metal and wood shake styles of roofing materials.

The Metal Roofing Alliance said there are myths about metal roofs in its safety and noise, for examples.

Although metal conducts electricity, lightning is not drawn to it. Metal roofing is often quieter than an asphalt shingle when installed with solid sheathing, and the metal roof can take decades of abuse from all kinds of weather.

The alliance, at http://www.metalroofing.com, stated that today's metal roofing systems are built to last. Steel metal roofing has a metallic coating that prevents rust from forming and is bonded to the steel at the factory. Paint is applied over the coating for long-lasting color, it reported.

Contact Dawn Schabbing at dawn.schabbing@effinghamdailynews.com or 217-347-7151, ext. 138

More:
Roofing lessons from the Home Show - Effingham Daily News

Its a safe bet that most nails driven on a construction site today werent put there by a hammer. Framing and Roofing nailers have made the job faster and easier so its no surprise they get put in the game while hammers ride the bench, at least for the bulk of the work. Whereas framing nailers are used to drive longer, smaller-headed nails from a collated stick to fasten lumber, roofing nailers are used to drive shorter, larger-headed nails from a collated coil to fasten shingles, house wraps, and siding. Theres not a huge amount of variability among nailers, but there are some features that might lead you to choose one over another. Heres what to look for in a Pro roofing nailer.

Talk to Pros and they will tell you that weight is the most important consideration when choosing a roofing nailer. Securing shingles and siding is anall day or multiple day job. If the tool is heavy, the work is brutal. Its not only the tool weight, but the user also needs to pick up and hold heavy materials in place for nailing, which adds to the fatigue of the job.

Coil roofing nailers have a large fastener capacity than other nailer types, but thats a double-edged sword: work doesnt have to stop to reload nearly as often as with a stick or framing nailer, but that means the nailer will be heavier, especially at the beginning of the coil. Therefore, the nailer itself needs to be as light as possible. As long as the nailer is acceptably light and drives nails with few (if any) jams, then the other features are secondary. Yet those featurescan make the job easier or a lack of them harder, so lets take a look.

Besides being light overall, a nailer should be well-balanced from head through handle.

Having a tool in hand all day necessitates a comfortable grip. There are many fine overmold grips but we are particular fans of Ridgids Hex Grip.

Is the fastener depth easy to read and change?

This feature prevents the nailer from firing when it doesnt have a nail to drive. Many manufacturers include this feature because it avoids unnecessary wear and callbacks if, for some reason, the user didnt realize he wasnt actually driving nails.

All nailers have a single action mode where one nail is driven for each trigger pull, but some also have a bump fire mode that allows a nail to be driven each time the nailers nose is depressed as long as the trigger remains pulled. Bump fire can make work much faster, but a slight danger lurks in the increased speed: if the nailer recoils and then fires, its possible to shoot a nail through the air instead of into material.

Roofing nailers accommodate a range of nail lengths, and the nail basket/magazine should move easily up and down.

A roofer willdrive hundreds of nails per day with a roofing nailer. The repetitive force of the trigger pull can add up to fatigue and pain over time. This is especially true in single action firing mode. Its important that the trigger pull force is light. For bump fire, youre holding the trigger down so a high spring tension will also work against you.

The nailer should seldom jam when it is properly maintained. When it does, the jam release latch should open easily to clear the jam and get back to work. Tool-free options are definitely the way to go.

Many nailers have an adjustable exhaust vent that deflects the burst of air that accompanies a drive. Otherwise, the repetitive burst might become annoying to the user.

A majority of roofing nailers are pneumatic but a few have lithium-ion batteries with gas canisters for cordless/hoseless operation. The trade-off for cordless operation often is a heavier nailer and a bit more expense. However,these are helpful for smaller jobs or punch list work where dragging out the compressor and hoses is inefficient.

A small convenience on pneumatic nailers is a swivel air connection which allows easier hose movement.

Roofing nailers feature a shingle guide that acts as a jig to ensure each shingle is in the right place for nailing.

Youre going to needto oil a coil nailer quite often at least once a day. Refer to the manufacturers instructions for proper maintenance.

Now that you know what to look for in a Pro roofing nailer, check out a couple of our most recent reviews and our tips on how to use one like a Pro!

We hope this guide has helped you know what to look for in a Pro roofing nailer. If youre a Pro and you have tips about choosing a roofing nailer, add themin the comments beloworhit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Read the original:
What to Look for in a Pro Roofing Nailer - Pro Tool Reviews (blog)

Part of a McGregor business that burned much of Tuesday afternoon was determined a total loss, officials said.

Smoke could be seen for miles as a GAP Roofing Inc. warehouse, 1158 Bunker Road, became fully engulfed in flames about 1:45 p.m. The office building sitting in front of the warehouse remained untouched, however.

Jeffrey Mincy, Coryell Memorial Healthcare System EMS chief, said he expected the fire to burn into Wednesday, with smoke and smoldering debris lasting for several days afterward. By 5:30 p.m. firefighters had already used at least 30,000 gallons of water to contain the fire, and Mincy said he expected the amount to rise to several hundred-thousand gallons by the time the fire is completely extinguished.

There was asphalt on location, which is an oil-based product, but predominately whats burning now is this whole warehouse, Mincy said late Tuesday afternoon.

Whats burning now is stacked pallets of rolled of paper, so its (basically) wood. At this point, theres not much hazard. We believe all of the petrochemcials have burned off at this point.

Employees were welding on a ladder when a spark hit the floor, igniting the fire, plant manager Wesley Wisehart said. By the time workers could reach the nearest working fire extinguisher, the blaze was already out of control, Wisehart said. The company has 32 employees and all workers on shift during the blaze were accounted for and none were injured, he said. The business operates 24 hours a day, he said.

I was up here in the office, and next thing I know, everybody was flying this way, Wisehart said.

Mincy, however, couldnt confirm the cause of the fire and said it may take days before its determined. He said the Texas State Fire Marshals Office will likely investigate.

GAP Roofing mixes felt and oil together in the warehouse to make a certain kind of tar paper and that material is highly flammable, Mincy said.

Wisehart said he expects damages to range in the millions of dollars.

Firefighters from the Waco, McGregor, Moody, Coryell City, Oglesby, Gatesville and Turnersville fire departments responded to the commercial fire and were expected to work through the night to keep the situation contained, Mincy said. Paramedics were also on scene as a precaution, he said.

Wisehart said the company had a similar fire in 2001.

See the rest here:
Fire destroys McGregor roofing company building - Waco Tribune-Herald

Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 4:39 PM

DEDHAM, Mass. - Three rounds of weekend snow are starting to pile up on people's roofs, raising concerns about ice dams and other problems.

We tagged along with a roofing company Monday who got a couple dozen calls after the latest storm.

The roofers cleared the snow off a roof, but not before ice dams caused some damage inside.

We don't even know what's happening underneath with maybe wood rot and stuff like that, homeowner Pat Ayoub explained.

John and Pat Ayoub thought after the infamous winter of 2015 their roof problems were over. That year, ice dams and roof collapses became regular occurrences all over the state.

The Ayoubs had leaking caused by ice dams, so they had some work done. But the problem's back again.

Water from their roof is leaking through their ceiling and down their kitchen cabinets.

Right here -- coming in -- we put a little cup here and we had some leaking coming in on this side too, Pat said. Roofer Parker Willard, of Willard Roofing in Dedham, says the problem lies in the design of the edge of the Ayoubs' roof.

Theres absolutely no overhang, he said.

Ice dams occur when heat leaking from inside a home melts the snow on the roof. The melted snow trickles down to the colder edge of the roof and refreezes, forming a "dam."

The dam traps the melting snow which leaks through the roof or trim into the home.

It keeps roofers very busy.

We've had a couple dozen calls. Nothing comparatively speaking to 2015, but we're seeing that people are being pro-active, Willard said.

He says you can clear off your own roof with the right tools, like a roof rake and calcium chloride.

You never want to go up with the snow rake. If you noticed, I put it up and then I brought it down. If you go up with it, you potentially snap a shingle, said Willard.

But he advises leaving really high roofs to the pros.

Rain is in the forecast for later in the week, which can be a dangerous situation -- especially for businesses with flat roofs as the snow absorbs all of the rain water and becomes very heavy.

2017 Cox Media Group.

See original here:
Roofs become a concern as snow piles up after storms - My Fox Boston

Skokie Park District commissioners approved a bid package at a special meeting Feb. 8 totaling nearly $3.7 million for a major renovation of the Weber Leisure Center.

The approval of the bids allows the Park District to move forward with the project, with construction scheduled to begin in March and be completed in October, said Supt. of Recreation and Facilities Michelle Tuft.

According to Park District officials, the project will include significant interior design changes along with a renovated entrance; an improved Fitness First health club, including a new group exercise studio addition and complete locker room rebuild; new first- and second-floor corridors with renovated office space; a new gym viewing area and track lobby; a new and expanded main staircase; and a new spin room and Pilates studio and more.

Officials estimated the project to cost some $3.5 million. Though the bids came in slightly more than that estimate, officials said the overage can be covered using some park district reserve funds.

The main bid package approved by commissioners covers a wide array of areas that are part of the renovation work. The bids cover work for demolition, concrete, structural steel, masonry, carpentry and drywall, millwork, roofing, sheet metal and wall panels, aluminum glass and glazing, acoustical ceilings, flooring, painting, toilet portions and accessories, lockers, fire protection sprinklers, plumbing, heating and cooling and electrical.

Only one bid regarding ceramic tiling was rejected because it came in higher than expected, Tuft said. That work will be rebid, but it will not drive up the total cost, she said.

Tuft said 17 other items, called alternates, were also put out for bidding as possible additions to the project, but staff recommended only three.

Those were a fire alarm system for the building at $55,974, replacement of the concrete in the entry plaza at $43,639 and new front entry letters for the facility at $13,185.

"All approved alternates will be funded from the recreation fund, separate from the projected budget," Tuft said.

Park District staff told the board that they likely would come back in the future and ask for approval for three more alternates: replacing light fixtures in the fitness center for energy efficiency, adding wood lockers and benches upstairs in the hallway and installing an audio-video system for the current meeting room that will be used for additional functions in the future.

Late last year, the Park District decided it needed to reconsider the initial Weber Leisure Center project bids because they came in higher than expected.

The rebidding shifted the timetable. The Park District's original plans called for the groundbreaking to occur last October and the project to wrap up in August.

misaacs@pioneerlocal.com

@SKReview_Mike

Read the original:
Bids approved for Weber Leisure Center renovation project - Chicago Tribune

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP >> In a 4-1 vote, the Newtown Township Zoning Hearing Board on Feb. 2 granted Pickering Manor the zoning relief it needs for a major building expansion project at its Lincoln Avenue campus.

In granting the relief, the zoning board members added a number of conditions based upon a visit they made to the site and comments and concerns raised by the community over parking lot screening, location and screening of the trash dumpster, exterior lighting and the visibility of rooftop mechanical systems.

When we made our site visit, our visual observation, more or less, confirmed and supported those issues, said zoning board member Sean Ward.

Ward motioned to grant relief subject to the following conditions: All parking - both existing and proposed - shall be screened from adjoining residential uses (screening must be a minimum of four feet and may be landscaping or possibly decorative screening and fencing where natural screening is impractical); all trash dumpsters shall be contained in enclosures and not visible from the street; all parking lot and exterior lighting shall be pointed downward so not to affect adjoining residential areas; all rooftop mechanical systems, existing and proposed, be screened from view; all stormwater systems comply with existing township codes and ordinances and be contained on site and not exceed any runoff that now exists; and that an internal sidewalk proposed along the northern side of the property on Frost Lane be connected to the existing sidewalk on Lincoln Avenue.

Member Brandon Wind voted against approval, raising concern about existing stormwater water runoff, an issue raised by residents on Frost Lane and Chancellor Street during the hearing in January.

The skilled and assisted living facility, nestled in a residential neighborhood between Chancellor Street, Frost Lane and Lincoln Avenue on the border of Newtown Borough, is seeking township zoning and land development approvals to expand the footprint of its facilities by 37,533 square feet, including a new two story building, a new front entrance with a porte-cochere, 12 new parking spaces and the future expansion of three of its five independent living, age-restricted cottages from one to two bedroom units.

Before the zoning board, Pickering asked for and received variance relief for parking (289 required; 120 proposed); a porte-cochere and a cottage within the permitted front yard and side yard setbacks; expansion of a nonconforming use (54.7 percent proposed where the maximum is 25 percent); and impervious surface coverage (35 percent permitted where 59.1 percent is proposed). A below ground stormwater storage facility is proposed to address stormwater runoff.

The next step for Pickering will be to seek land development approvals from the township. Plans will be reviewed by township planners before being sent to the township supervisors for action.

Michelle Knobloch, the executive director and nursing home administrator at Pickering, said the expansion is needed to keep the not-for-profit, community-run facility competitive in the constantly changing healthcare marketplace.

Our history is truly the reason why were here. That history is a legacy and a vision that we hope to take into the future, said Knobloch, referring to its beginnings more than a half century ago.

The facility opened in 1963 thanks to the generosity of Henry Russell Pickering who bequeathed his home on Lincoln Avenue and a sum of money for the creation of a retirement center to serve the older citizens of Newtown and vicinity.

Knobloch said the addition would be built on the north field where the towns egg hunt has been held for years and will house a new 15 room unit solely dedicated to rehabilitation services on its upper level and a new personal care/assisted living 15 room unit on the lower level.

The first floor personal care unit will be built around a central community area with kitchen, dining room, living and activity space that will open out to a hardscaped outdoor garden patio area with outdoor tables and barbecue grill.

The second floor will be the mirror image of the first floor, but will be built around short term rehabilitative services with a separate entrance, dining and activity space.

The new addition and the existing facility would be connected by a linking corridor that will house a common therapy area and a new main entrance/lobby area with an outside porte-cochere facing Lincoln Avenue.

Part of what were trying to do with this plan is to provide security and safety to our residents and our staff in a much more controlled way by having one main entrance, said Knobloch. That front lobby will feed all four areas of care.

Changes are also planned for the existing facility, said Knobloch.

The existing skilled unit, which now houses 47 residents in long term care, short term rehab and hospice, will be reduced to 32 rooms and be rededicated to long term care and hospice.

And the existing 22 room personal care unit will be reduced to 21 and be rededicated as a memory and dementia care unit, an area which Knobloch said is already in high demand in the marketplace.

With all the changes and new additions, Knobloch said, Were basically talking about only increasing our resident population by 14 people. More importantly, we are diversifying our services so were able to offer more of what the community and the marketplace competitively is now offering, she said.

According to Knobloch, the Community Welfare Council, which overseas the facility, began a thoughtful and comprehensive look at its facilities six to seven years ago.

Our board realized that as a single site building, we needed to start strategically looking at our future and thats exactly what we did, said Knobloch.

We did it thoughtfully. We hired consultants. We looked at what is in our competitive marketplace and what we needed to do to remain competitive, said Knobloch. The reallocation of space puts Pickering in the best possible position as a single provider site to compete in the marketplace.

Bucks County is rich in terms of these types of services. So in order to sustain ourselves and Mr. Pickerings mission, we need to be more competitive and offer these other services like long term memory care and short term rehab to the people we serve in our community.

Knobloch said in November that Pickering proactively reached out to the neighborhood to brief them on its plans. It also shared its plans with its residents and employees.

During public comment at the January zoning hearing board meeting, a handful of neighbors spoke against the expansion plan, requesting that the board not grant relief to the facility.

They raised concern with stormwater runoff, lighting, the lack of buffering around the perimeter of the property, delivery hours, snow removal and other operational concerns that they say will get worse if zoning relief is granted and the expansion is allowed to move forward.

Edith Gowan, of Chancellor Street, noting that her street takes a lot of stormwater runoff from Pickering, questioned the need for such a large expansion.

Nobody wants them to not progress, but it doesnt have to be huge. Why cant it be smaller? she asked. We need to look at the real needs of a facility that is in a residential neighborhood. We are right there on top of this facility and we get the traffic and we get the dirt.

Another Chancellor Street neighbor, Susan Wiggins, said while Frost Lane and Lincoln Avenue get the money shot views of Pickering, her street bears the brunt of the operation with the noise from trash collection and deliveries, in and out traffic, car headlights and stormwater flooding.

To give you some perspective, when I grew up on Chancellor Street the only place across the street was the main house, she said. Over the years they kept evolving and adding and adding. Now I feel were in the middle of a business district. It is not a residential neighborhood.

Myles Kelleher of Frost Lane in Newtown Borough said he has long been supportive of Pickering, but added that the expansion of a non- conforming use above 25 percent flies in the face of language, logic and the law.

Citing township ordinance, he said a non-conforming use cannot be expanded more than 25 percent. Pickering is seeking a 54.7 percent expansion.

Were obviously aware of that.Thats why were seeking relief, responded Pickerings land development attorney Ed Murphy.

Murphy said many of the concerns raised by residents would be addressed during the land development process.

This is our first step in the process. Fully engineered land development plans have not been prepared ... When we get to that point the issues of traffic, storm water, parking and those types of issues will be worked out, he said. We still have a long way to go yet.

##

Go here to see the original:
Newtown Township Zoning Hearing Board grants relief for Pickering Manor expansion project - Bucks Local News

Subscription beauty service Birchbox islaunching a new, pricier tier to its service, offering customers the ability to better customize their monthly box of products, along with other perks. The service, which is onlybeing offered to current subscribers for the time being, is $14 per month, compared with$10 per month for the original subscription.

The launch comes aftera time when Birchbox had been in the press due to itsstruggles withachieving profitability. As Recode reported in August when the startup received a $15 million lifeline from investors in the form of a convertible note, the company had faced numerous challenges over the past year or so. This included a rash of newer competitors like Michelle Phans Ipsyas well aslayoffs. The report also suggested there may have been struggles with customer churn as current subscribers tired of their boxes, and inefficient marketing spend. (Birchbox denies these claims.)

Birchbox hadalso shopped for a potential acquirer last year, The WSJ reported in June, but failed to achievea deal.

The idea with Birchbox is to allow customers to sample beauty products like makeup, hair and skin care items, among other things through amonthly goodie box. Customers arethen encouraged to buy the full-sized items online. But, as Recode noted, only35 percent of Birchboxs revenue camefrom the sale of full-priced products. (That 35 percent figure is still accurate, a Birchbox spokesperson confirmed.)

The company also has a retail store in New York, which contributes to sales.

In total, Birchbox has over1 million subscribers, and 4 million total customers.

As for thenew subscription itself, it appears to be aimed at sendingcustomers more of the products theyre interested in, which would hopefully translate to more online sales.

According to the Birchbox websites description of the new service, the upgraded subscription still includes just five samples, but now allows customers to select which category of products they want to try or they can choose to receive a fix-it box (one focused on an individual issue, like acne, e.g. ) in lieu of the monthly sample box.

Customers can also swap boxes for points to be used while shopping online, receive special discounts and will be fast-tracked to ACE status (Birchboxs VIP rewards program.)

These additions are meant to push Birchboxs best customers to spend more shopping its online store, in an effort to grow its e-commerce sales.

The new service tier is launching in March, the website noted. It will not replace the $10 per month subscription when it arrives, but will be available as the next step up.

A Birchbox spokesperson confirmed the launch via the following statement:

We are always innovating to stay as relevant as possible to our customers; we introduced features like Sample Choice and, more recently, Ship with Box, to allow subscribers to have more control over their monthly experience. With the majority of our traffic coming from mobile, we rearchitected our mobile web design this past fall to make it faster and more seamless for customers to check out on their phones resulting in our most successful holiday season to-date.

We are currently testing additional ways to allow subscribers to get the most out of their subscription. These new features have been in development for awhile and stem directly from customer research were thinking strategically about what our subscribers want more of and how to execute on that in a way that makes sense for our business.

More here:
Birchbox to launch a second, more personalized beauty subscription service - TechCrunch