Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

An entrance to the Capitol - State Office Building tunnel as seen on March 4, 2024. This entrance is where the steep slope descending into the tunnel begins. Photo by Michelle Griffith/Minnesota Reformer.

The Minnesota Legislature is considering borrowing $8.5 million to renovate the pedestrian tunnel that connects the Capitol and the State Office Building which houses the offices of the 134 members of the House and some widely used committee rooms to make it compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

The current slope has a grade of over 10.5%, which exceeds the ADAs permitted grade of 8.3%.

The Department of Administrations bonding request cites the tunnels steep slope, which makes traversing the Capitol campus virtually impossible for people with disabilities without a powered wheelchair, especially during the winter months.

The Capitol-State Office Building tunnel slope. It has a grade of over 10.5%, which exceeds The Americans with Disabilities Acts permitted grade of 8.3%. Photo courtesy of the Department of Administration.

This cost is on top of the $454 million Minnesota borrowed last year before interest to fund the State Office Buildings renovation, which is underway and scheduled to be completed in time for the start of the 2027 legislative session.

The tunnel renovation includes construction of a new 15-by-85 foot section adjacent to the existing tunnel. This new section will include an ADA-compliant slope and a new elevator that will assist pedestrians between the new ADA-compliant tunnel and the basement of the Capitol building.

In 2021, lawmakers created an account to fund the renovation of the State Office Building, but the statutory language did not include renovation of the tunnel. Therefore, the tunnel renovation needs to be approved separately.

House Majority Leader Jamie Long, DFL-Minneapolis, said it was probably an oversight for lawmakers to omit the tunnel from the State Office Building renovation.

Long said that his colleagues many times over the years had to push former Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, up the tunnels steep slope in his wheelchair so he could make it to the House chamber for votes.

Long also said hes invited family members to tour the State Office Building and the Capitol, but some had difficulty making it up the tunnels steep slope. They had to stop and catch their breath multiple times, he said.

It was a real barrier for them to be able to participate fully in what the Capitol complex has to offer, so I think it is a really key accessibility point to get into the Capitol building, Long said.

Wayne Waslaski, assistant commissioner with the Department of Administration, said renovating the tunnel now construction would begin in August aligns with completion of the State Office Building renovation.

The tunnel is currently closed, as its being rerouted to connect with the State Office Buildings new addition. Minnesota House members and the public must walk outside and cross the street to access the Capitol and vice versa.

In December 2022, former Rep. Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, during the committee hearing that gave final legislative approval to the State Office Building renovation, said he had helped push even motorized wheelchairs up the slope near the Capitol.

Then House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler during the hearing said that lawmakers tried to include the tunnel renovation in with the State Office Building project, but they were told it wasnt within the projects scope of authority.

I think it was an oversight of ours, probably, not to include (the tunnel) when we did the Capitol building, Daudt said during the hearing. The Capitol renovation was completed in 2017.

House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, recently referenced the $8.5 million renovation to the tunnel as another example of Democrats wasteful spending, arguing it should have been included in the State Office Building renovation.

The post MN lawmakers consider $8.5 million renovation to tunnel connecting State Office Building, Capitol appeared first on Minnesota Reformer.

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MN lawmakers consider $8.5 million renovation to tunnel connecting State Office Building, Capitol - Voice Of Alexandria

The riddle wrapped in a mystery could well describe a billboard under construction in West Hollywood with an enigmatic office building tucked inside.

United El Segundo, a holding company led by Ronald Appel based in Cheviot Hills, is behind the 29,000-square-foot office building and billboard at 8497 West Sunset Boulevard, Urbanize Los Angeles reported. It replaces a 31-unit apartment building.

The three-story office building, dubbed The Now, would be wrapped in digital signage at Sunset and La Cienega boulevards. The project is in conjunction with Rick Moses Development, based in Downtown.

Designed by Seattle-based Mithun, it features white offices with floor-to-ceiling windows, with second-floor columns and beams that open up like a mouth facing Sunset Boulevard, according to a rendering. The design was initiated by Hodgetts + Fung.

The digital sign, designed by artist Refik Anadol, juts from the right side of the building.

The building will include restaurants, shops, an outdoor dining terrace, a public plaza and a 3,000 square-foot extensive green roof, according to Mithun.

A four-level, 54,000-square-foot underground parking garage for 138 cars, will go under the billboard-office-restaurant extravaganza.

Poised at the intersection of two famous boulevards, this commercial development extends along an east-west axis, withdrawing on the street-level at an angle to define a public plaza beneath a creative billboard integrated into the building faade, reads a project description by Mithun.

On the upper levels, elevated terraces provide full-service dining and green space with commanding hillside views of greater Los Angeles.

The architect claims its design brings a much-needed gravity to the disarray of the Sunset Strip, while meeting a city mandate to add digital media at select locations.

United El Segundo is a holding company that owns prominent development sites in West L.A. and Santa Monica, according to Urbanize.

Dana Bartholomew

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Digital Signage to Wrap Around Sunset Strip Office Building - The Real Deal

Design #architecture #glass #SAKO Architects

All images courtesy of SAKO Architects

If you, like us, were envious of the kiddos attending this kaleidoscopic kindergarten a few years back, we have good news. The architecture firm behind the school has another project with a similarly bold outlook.

Keiichiro Sako, of the eponymous SAKO Architects, tucked a vibrant building in the middle of a bustling Tokyo street, this time designed for professionals. Titled Vertical Rainbow Office Building, the narrow construction was completed in 2019 and is cloaked with a vivid facade of tempered laminated glass.

Sakos team developed a special paint that they applied in a gradient so that the view of the city from the office through the terrace is like a landscape photograph with added layers of color, he says. Horizontal frames hold the material in place and add a sleek, minimalist detail. When sunlight hits the building, bright rays illuminate the offices, while evening darkness transforms the building into a beacon of glowing prisms, or what the architect playfully refers to as a night rainbow.

Find more from the firm on Instagram.

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A Rainbow Office Building Brightens Up the Tokyo Streets with Prismatic Color Colossal - Colossal

Published Feb. 28|Updated Feb. 28

The site of the former St. Petersburg Police Department in the Edge District will be transformed into a mixed-use development with offices, income-restricted apartments, retail, a four-star hotel and public parking.

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and other community leaders joined the development team at the groundbreaking of The Central at 1301 Central Ave. on Wednesday.

If you draw a bullseye around the neighborhood, we are the dead center, said Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Development which is heading up the project. Well be the center of the neighborhood, hopefully. Youll come here to eat, work out, shop.

There will be five buildings across the 2.1-acre site: a 15-story hotel, a 12-story office building, a parking garage with 548 public spaces, a seven-story apartment building and a smaller retail building. There will be 14,000 square feet of retail space spread across the ground level of the entire project.

The 170-room hotel will be part of Marriotts Autograph Collection. It is the first four-star hotel to be built downtown since the Vinoy. Amenities will include a theater, a restaurant, a listening lounge and a fitness center that is open to the public.

The office building will have 125,000 square feet of space and tenants will have access to all the amenities of the hotel. Every office suite will have outdoor space as well.

There will be 42 apartment units designated as workforce housing, meaning theyll be reserved for people who make at or below 120% of the area median income. Right now, thats about $73,080 for a single person, or $104,280 for a family of four.

A monument on the site will pay homage to the Courageous 12, a group of Black police officers who sued the city in 1965 to end segregation in the police department. The group was honored at the groundbreaking ceremony.

It symbolizes progress, it symbolizes innovation and a commitment to building a future that honors our past and our history while embracing the opportunities of tomorrow. said Welch.

The development was first announced in 2019 and came in response to a request for proposal from the city. The project went through several iterations before the final plans were approved by City Council last year.

Construction will start with the parking garage, and the public will have access to those spaces as soon as the building is completed. Construction on the entire project is expected to wrap by spring 2026.

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Construction begins on The Central development in St. Petersburg - Tampa Bay Times

American Real Estate Partners (AREP) has announced the official start of construction onCityHouse Old Town, the company's latest luxury rental development for the firm's residential platform: CityHouse. Joining them is AREP's strategic investment partner Silverpeak Real Estate Partners.

The new apartment building will be located at 1101 King St. AREP is converting the building's office space into apartments. The building, which dates to 1983, was a former home to the American Society of Travel Agents and other offices although the building has been 80 percent vacant in recent years.

Located in the heart of King Street in Old Town, AREP is converting theformer 200,000 SF office building and transforming it into an apartment building. Pre-leasing on CityHouse Old Town will begin in the Summer of 2025, with construction to be completed later that fall.

CityHouse Old Town is the convergence of location, floor plate, and basis, which offers a unique opportunity for our partners, said Brian Katz, co-founder and president ofAREP. Developing amenity-rich properties with ample space in walkable edge cities is a key tenet of our residential strategy. CityHouse Old Town highlights our vision for distinctive, sought-after destinations and were thrilled to get construction underway.

The CityHouse community will include approximately 200 homes ranging in size from 525 square-foot studios to deluxe three-bedroom apartments with a den to accommodate hybrid work. Additionally, the building's tiered design allows for private wraparound terraces for the majority of homes.

Punctuating its unique features and ideal location nearthe King Street Metro, the seven-story

property with its six-story interior atriumrises above the surrounding buildings. The rooftop terrace will provideviews of Old Town, the riverfrontand DC monuments. CityHouse Old Town will also feature aconcierge, private club suiteand state-of-the-art fitness facility.The location is near a wide array of nearby bars and restaurants.

"Where you are says a lot about who you are, and CityHouse Old Town epitomizes AREP's strategy of creating extraordinary places where people want to be. CityHouse Old Town is not just a residence it's a sensibility," saidMark Taylor, managing director of Residential for AREP.

To ensure that the investment team'sdevelopment visionfor CityHouse Old Town was met, AREP selected an award-winning design and construction team: Cooper Carry led the redevelopment design, residential hospitality design studio RD Jones designed the interior spacesand Hoar Construction is the general contractor. Bozzuto Management continues its partnership with AREP and will serve as property manager once CityHouse Old Town delivers in Fall 2025.

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Construction Begins on Apartment Building in Old Town Alexandria - Alexandria Living Magazine

The Stamp Office building

Refurbishment work to a well-known Edinburgh city centre building has been completed, making available new space to lease in the capital city as options for high-quality and well-located offices remain in short supply.

The interior of the Stamp Office at 10 Waterloo Place adjacent to Waverley Station and St James Quarter has been comprehensively refurbished within the Grade A listed Georgian faade, with three floors now available for new occupiers.

In addition to new-look receptions and common areas, substantial end-of-journey facilities for active commuting have been added to the buildings basement level. These include ample cycle storage, a drying room, a reFit wellness room incorporating Peloton bikes and top-grade changing and shower facilities.

Following the investment, the building is anticipated to achieve ActiveScore Platinum accreditation.

The upgrades have also improved the buildings energy performance, with a new EPC A rating as a result of new heating and lighting systems on the fully refurbished 7th floor. The interiors have a defurbished design, bringing the historic building in line with modern occupier requirements, including exposed ceilings with visible pipework and vents, matched with attractive interior design offering a bright look and feel.

Stamp Office is owned by CityBee, the UK office joint venture between Europi Property Group and Trinova Real Estate, with Knight Frank and EYCO acting as joint leasing agents. Current tenants include health technology business Current Health and digital design consultancy xDesign.

Toby Withall, office agency partner at Knight Frank Edinburgh, said: Stamp Office is steeped in history and, combined with the prime location beside Waverley Station and St James Quarter, it is an attractive place for businesses to call home.

This package of upgrades means the buildings accommodation is now perfectly matched to the style and amenities modern occupiers demand, focusing on employee wellness and sustainability in equal measure.

The imbalance between the supply of office space in Edinburgh and demand continues, making refurbishment projects critical to ensuring new, top-quality space is available for businesses who want to set up a base here or relocate within the city.

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Edinburgh's Stamp Office building unveils modern face-lift - Scottish Construction Now

Buildings have their own life cycles, and were bringing you two stories of Detroit buildings in transition. We have a personal story of a very ordinary looking building on the far eastside that is past its heyday. Still, it managed to launch the American Dream of one extended family for three generations. Then theres the story of the retro office tower, a structure watching its day in the sun fade away, even as some of us (Im talking about you, Detroit) cling to it.

A few stories in the news are worth mentioning before we get into it. Detroit City Council voted yesterday to move the Future of Health development forward. Council voted 6-3 to approve both a slightly enhanced community benefits agreement and the Transformational Brownfield Plan and subsidies.

A new report finds that title issues could mean more than 5,500 Detroit properties handed down through families dont have a clear legal owner. Thats a problem, and consider this your reminder to look into title insurance if you didnt buy your home with a mortgage that required it. Also: Write a will.

Lastly, if you havent seen it yet, Kate Abbey-Lambertz on our team recommends this essay on why the design of buildings can, and should, matter.

As always, thanks for reading.

Not really a new problem: The oversupply of office buildings is talked about as a post-pandemic problem, but Wall Street Journal reporter Konrad Putzier helps us see how the glut goes back several decades. The 2022 piece is still timely and worth a read. Putzier anchors the start of the problem in 1981 when a tax change ushered in by Ronald Reagan gave companies a big write-off for office space. Loans for offices became cheap and helped usher in the savings and loan crisis. The dot-com boom in the 1990s helped boost the office market again, but its bust did the opposite. Even so, office development continued to be subsidized, loans stayed cheap, and developers kept going for it. Yet in the last couple decades, developers completed fewer conversions of older office buildings for uses like apartments or warehouses, and supply has just kept going up. (Wall Street Journal)

Pivoting is hard: Planning to build new office towers might seem like a bad idea off the bat in an era of hybrid work, but changing direction on construction projects is difficult once theyve begun. Almost every change in a construction project costs money. The bigger the development, the more complicated its financing, and the more stakeholders that need to be brought along. This is one reason pivoting away from office space doesnt happen more often. Dan Gilbert hasnt changed the vision for his project on the Hudsons site, which will include a lot of office space. He did scale back offices in the Monroe Blocks mixed-use development downtown, but most recent plans still call for 400,000 square feet of office space. Now called the Development at Cadillac Square, the site has been put to use for entertainment and rollerskating amid long construction delays. A developer in New York City is following suit, considering tennis courts instead of a skyscraper. (American Bar Association, BridgeDetroit, Detroit Free Press, Fortune)

To convert or destroy: Developer Mike Shehadi is demolishing an old Ford Motor Co. office building not far from the Southfield Freeway rather than incorporate it into a mixed-use development planned for the Dearborn site. The reason? Expense. The University of Detroit Mercy decided to demolish the Fisher Administration Center last year for the same reason. In Midtown, a historic office building from the 60s is being turned into a hotel. The Plaza (also known as the Hammer and Nail building) was used as apartments for several years and was vacant for several years before that. Its not an old office building, but the conversion of an old Wyndham Garden Hotel in Sterling Heights into affordable apartments feels like something to celebrate. Developers eyeing dusty office buildings are focused on their wallets, but policy also plays a role: Lawmakers around the country, as well as the federal government, have started programs to make it easier to convert offices into housing. (Freep, Outlier, Detroit News, Crains Detroit Business, Marketplace, Associated Press)

A trip back in time to the Vogue Market

It started with a yellowing newspaper clipping shared on social media of three men standing behind the counter of a newly opened grocery store in 1946.

The grocery was called Vogue Super Market and was built by the Misuraca family. Its now a liquor store, but its history and present help us embrace even Detroits most nondescript buildings as full of memories and meaning.

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The Dig: We bet you're not reading this at the office - Outlier Media

Franklin Real Estate Development announced Feb. 29 its 3,517-square-foot redevelopment project, The Franklin, has opened in downtown Greenville.

Built as a private residence in 1917, the two-story building at 107 E. Park Ave. features 12 offices ranging from 90 to 225 square feet as well as a shared break area and conference room.

The Franklin is a great example of what can be done with old buildings, said Kurt Wallenborn, a Greenville developer and broker who worked on the project. These structures are built better than any new construction. The wood is so solid, so tight. This is like a custom house from one hundred years ago. It cant be replicated today.

While The Franklin was redeveloped into office space, Wallenborn preserved the structures pine floors and its original double-hung casement windows were removed, restored and reinstalled.

For more information, visit thefranklingvl.com.

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The Franklin, a 1917 home redeveloped into offices, opens in downtown Greenville - UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL - Upstate Business Journal

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) This weekend's winds reached record speeds, with some gusts hitting nearly 70 mph. In their wake, tens of thousands were left without power, planes were grounded, and for some homeowners, the wind's destructive force stole memories.

Mike Luce, a long-time resident of the valley, expressed sadness over the loss of his trees, saying, "They are a part of our home." Luce, who has lived in his home for 30 years, emphasized the significance of his yard and trees, which were full-grown when he arrived.

Despite his efforts to care for and maintain his older trees, the wind storm on Saturday toppled years of dedicated work. Luce described the impact of the storm as severe, noting, "this one yesterday was really bad, and it eventually just wore 'em down."

The highest wind gust recorded was in Spring Mountain at a speed of 88 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. As a result of the strong gusts, people like Luce are having to call tree removal services.

Raudel Deharo, owner of Falcon Tree Services, reported receiving ten calls for tree removals on Saturday alone. He remarked, "It's good for business, not good for the owners."

While it's sad for Luce to see his tree go, he is thankful to have it taken care of properly.

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Winds of destruction: Las Vegas residents grapple with record speeds and losses - KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas

SRP

An example of a tree encroaching on a power line which is removed as part of the SRP Right Tree Right Place program.

Ahead of monsoon season, Salt River Project and the city of Phoenix will begin cutting down trees too close to power lines this week.

On Monday, from 8:30-10 a.m., crews removed trees in south Phoenix, at Seventh Street and East Greenway Road, between Baseline Road and Southern Avenue.

That will be followed by tree removal at 23rd and Hidalgo avenues between 10-11 a.m. on Thursday.

In total, about 70 trees will be cut down, but 201 new ones will be planted around Phoenix.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to correct the location SRP crews removed trees from on Monday, March 4.

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SRP will cut down trees near power lines, but will plant more around Phoenix - Fronteras: The Changing America Desk