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A little more than two years ago, local architects Jeff Kidder and Chip Wachter took their shot at creating a redevelopment plan for the 12.5 acres along Erie's west bayfront that was once home to the GAF Materials Corp.

Their proposal, which promoted a dense, urban atmosphere and suggested a mix of recreational, retail and residential options for the site, generated significant buzz at public meetings and on social media.

No one asked Kidder and Wachter to create their plan; they said they did so because they care about Erie's future.

The property's owner, Erie Events, had spent time and money creating its own preliminary concept for the site, but it paid attention to what Kidder and Wachter created.

Now the two architects have a tangible stake in the waterfront parcel's future.

Their firm, Kidder Wachter Architecture & Design, has been hired by Erie Events -- until recently known as the Erie County Convention Center Authority -- to develop a new concept plan for the former GAF site, aimed at detailing the best use for the property.

The firm is being paid between $85 and $145 per hour for its work, and its fees are not to exceed $100,000, said Chuck Iverson, Erie Events' director of finance and administration.

Neither Kidder nor Wachter would disclose details of the concept plan, which will be unveiled in spring.

They did say, however, that their plan will include a mixed-use concept that includes housing, retail, offices and green space, as well as the layout for roads, sidewalks, streetlights and underground utilities at the site.

It will also suggest the best ways to complement the nearby Bayfront Convention Center and Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel, as well as the $54 million Courtyard by Marriott and parking garage project under construction in that area.

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Erie architects take 2nd swing at GAF plan

Washington, DC (PRWEB) February 10, 2015

The year 2014 was the 24th year of operation for OTJ Architects, headquartered in Washington, DC. It also marked a year of change, growth and continued success.

In October, Ania Leeson became Studio Director and was named an Associate at the end of the year. A registered architect and LEED Accredited Professional with a Masters in Architecture from Harvard University, her career has spanned 10 years with the past four years being at OTJ. Anias technical background and experience were integral in leading and designing two of OTJs showpiece projects: National Restaurant Association and National Trust for Historic Preservation, which were both recently featured in the Washington Business Journal.

Laura Kennington, who previously served as Director of Business Development & Marketing Strategy, was named Partner in December. Having joined OTJ nine years ago, she leads the marketing and business development teams and is involved in setting the strategic direction of the firm. She is an active member of the real estate community and currently serves on the Jubilee Support Alliance Auxiliary Board and is involved in organizations such as CoreNet Global, CADRE and Commercial Real Estate Marketers. Her local involvement also includes being a former Co-Director of the Real Estate Games for JDRF and member of Commercial Real Estate for Women.

Other OTJ staff named Associates in 2014 include: Annette Carter, Kaan Dilber, Brett Hartle, Travis Herret and Elizabeth Long.

In addition to these individual accomplishments, firm-wide success can be seen in projects successfully completed in 2014 several detailed below and also include national work for Strayer University, Level 3 and a leading banking and financial institution.

United Educators To allow for growth and open up the floor plate, our design placed workstations along the window line, with 80 percent of offices on the interior. The lunchroom, or bistro, was moved to the interior and provides a social, collaborative space for staff to gather. Because it is not on the window line, we included a floor-to-ceiling bamboo wall decal to provide an organic, outdoorsy element in the space.

Council on Competitiveness Council on Competitivenesss main focus was the design of its 50-person conference room, which is used for board meetings and may be rented for use by other organizations. The nonprofit also wanted to solely use American products because its mission is to increase the nations competitiveness in the global market; therefore, 99 percent of the products found in the space were made in the United States.

Global Integrity Global Integrity, a permanent tenant in a co-working office, has an open office design incorporating perimeter phone rooms, a variety of meeting rooms, charging stations, a large pantry and a 2,000 SF event space complete with a bar and foosball table. Touchdown desks are available to rent for visitors, as is the event space, which is used for educational and networking events.

SunEdison SunEdisons office features contemporary details and abstract materials to reinforce the brand including a sunburst graphic in the conference room and light fixtures that mimic the sun in reception. An elegant staircase also connects the floors functionally and spatially and promotes cohesion between the two floors, which will eventually house separate divisions.

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2014 Marks Individual and Firm-Wide Successes for OTJ Architects

ST. PETERSBURG Seven design teams are gearing up to make their pitches for a chance to fashion the city's next Pier, the seventh since 1889.

Each group of architects and assorted professionals two with strong hometown connections will make their presentations this week to a mayoral committee that will select the top three for the $46 million project.

In addition to determining what the city's latest incarnation of the Pier will look like, each group is being judged on how its vision will sustain the interest of residents and tourists alike, complement the city's waterfront plan, navigate a formidable permitting process and free taxpayers from subsidies.

As the teams have responded to concerns in a technical report and from the project's construction manager, they've brought their concepts in line with the $33 million construction budget, city architect Raul Quintana said.

Looking toward the next round, two concepts Prospect Pier and Destination St. Pete Pier both with local ties and plans to save the inverted pyramid, are sentimental favorites. But a Tampa firm planning to demolish the 1973 structure and erect a condolike tower could win support for its Alma concept from fans of the controversial avant-garde design once proposed to replace the pyramid.

Other teams, seemingly hedging their bets with a fractious public, vary in plans for the pyramid. One will strip it of its "cladding and additions" to accentuate its iconic form for a concept called rePier. Another would reuse only the massive caissons and elevator shafts for Pier Park. A New York team will save only the caissons for its Blue Pier concept, while an Orlando firm will top the iconic structure with a diamond-shaped sculpture for its Discover Bay Life concept.

The options

Here's what each team's chances look like:

W Architecture and Landscape Architecture's Blue Pier got the best rating concerning subsidies. The New York firm, though, will have to explain its idea for 3.5 acres of lagoons and address concerns about permitting. It plans to replace the inverted pyramid with a 30-foot-high sloped lawn and is one of the few concepts to offer transient docks within its budget, an amenity residents have said they want. But the team's proposals for dining, another must-have, were questioned by the city's report, which said the group included no shell spaces for them in its budget. The team has since added a building on the uplands for a burger shack and cafe, but says other facilities are proposed for future or concurrent development based on public-private investment. The concept is ranked lowest for revenue potential.

Discover Bay Life from VOA of Orlando ranked low for revenue. The team will keep the inverted pyramid, removing nonstructural stucco exterior walls. The technical report raised concerns about birds nesting in the structure. The firm says it will install "bird rejection apparatus." Responding to fear that the "multiple moving components" of the diamond could deteriorate because of exposure to salt spray, the firm noted that Milwaukee has operated a similar structure for nine years, "in a similar environment with higher temperature variances."

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It's showtime for firms hoping to design St.Petersburg's new pier

(See also: Service-Oriented Architecture Topic)

Managing WebLogic Server and Deployed Applications in DMZ and Other Complicated Network Setups [November 2014] by Martin Heinzl WebLogic Server comes out of the box with a general configuration that should satisfy most applications. But DMZ setups and other special environments require additional configuration, communication and security. This article by Martin Heinzl focuses on options for various DMZ setups.

Creating Domains with WLST [June 2014] by Martin Heinzl A sample chapter from Advanced WebLogic Server Automation: Administration and Monitoring with WLST and JMX.

Installing Oracle WebLogic Server 12c and Using the Management Tools [June 2014] by Sam R. Alapati A sample chapter from the Oracle WebLogic Server 12c Administration Handbook, from Oracle Press.

Using Oracle WebLogic 12c with NetBeans IDE [April 2014] by Markus Eisele Oracle ACE Director Markus Eisele walks you through installing and configuring all the necessary components, and helps you get started on a simple Hello World project.

SOA and Cloud Computing [April 2014] by Jrgen Kress, Berthold Maier, Hajo Normann, Danilo Schmeidel, Guido Schmutz, Bernd Trops, Clemens Utschig-Utschig, Torsten Winterberg The final article in the Industrial SOA article series takes a look at the relationship between SOA and Cloud Computing, and offers insight into how SOA principles can help to insure the long-term success and business value of the migration to the Cloud.

Speedy Perception versus Speedy Reception: Smart Asynchronous Interactions [March 2014] by Lucas Jellema When is a synchronous approach to application architecture like a bad restaurant? Oracle ACE Director Lucas Jellema explains -- and shows you a better way.

SOA's People Problem [March 2014] by Bob Rhubart Sometimes the biggest obstacle to successful SOA has little to do with technology. Community leaders share insight in this article from the latest issue of Oracle Magazine.

Starting and Stopping a Java EE Environment when using Oracle WebLogic [February 2014] by Ren van Wijk Oracle ACE Director and Fusion Middleware specialist Ren van Wijk explores ways to simplify the life-cycle management of a Java EE environment through the use of scripts developed with WebLogic Scripting Tool and Linux Bash.

SOA and Business Processes: You are the Process! [February 2014] by Jrgen Kress, Berthold Maier, Hajo Normann, Danilo Schmeidel, Guido Schmutz, Bernd Trops, Clemens Utschig-Utschig, Torsten Winterberg Part of the Industrial SOA series, this article looks at best practices for modeling and managing effective business processes.

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SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) Articles | Oracle ...

Published: Monday, February 9, 2015 at 4:03 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, February 9, 2015 at 4:43 p.m.

Several news organizations have joined a Sunshine lawsuit filed last week against Gov. Rick Scott, according to a Sarasota attorney leading the case.

Eight newspapers, two television stations, two media companies and a nonprofit investigative reporter organization have joined the suit, which claims that Scott violated the state's Sunshine Law in communicating with Cabinet members about a controversial change in leadership at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Last week, Scott apologized for how his office handled the December dismissal of FDLE chief Gerald Bailey, the state's former top law enforcement officer. The admission came as Scott tried to quell a growing controversy that has dominated the start to his second term.

The governor continued to deny allegations made by the ousted Bailey that he was forced out, in part, for refusing to target an Orange County official in a criminal investigation.

Among the newspapers joining the suit this week are the Miami Herald, the Palm Beach Post, the Orlando Sentinel, the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, the Pensacola News-Journal, Fort Myers News-Press, Florida Today in Brevard County, and the Tallahassee Democrat.

Television stations WTSP Channel 10 News in Tampa and WJXX First Coast News in Jacksonville also joined the suit, along withe media companies Gannett Co. and Scripps Media and the nonprofit Florida Center for Investigative Reporting.

The lawsuit was filed last week by Sarasota attorney Andrea Mogensen, representing Citizens for Sunshine, a nonprofit group that has advocated for open government across the state but especially around Sarasota and Manatee counties. Other original plaintiffs in the suit were the Associated Press, the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors and St. Petersburg attorney Matthew Weidner, who has called for an investigation of the replacement of Bailey.

The added interest in the lawsuit came after Cabinet members, given the chance to finally air their concerns face-to-face, seemed unwilling to push Scott too hard. Members of the Cabinet, which includes the governor, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Attorney General Pam Bondi, had been critical of the governor's office during the episode.

The complaint accuses Scott of using aides or conduits in polling the Cabinet on his unilateral decision to force the resignation of the FDLE Commissioner and appoint a replacement without any notice to the public.

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More news outlets join Sunshine suit against Scott

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