Tuesday, July 31, 2012

The agency's leaner, but seniors won't be: New agency will oversee GenAge cafes - Muscatine Journal

stages-paddocks.blogspot.com


The agency's leaner, but seniors won't be: New agency will oversee GenAge cafes

Muscatine Journal


MUSCATINE, Iowa â€" They'll be the same people serving the same food at Muscatine County's six GenAge Cafes. But beginning Wednesday the agency that oversees serving about 3000 meals in Muscatine County each month will be different. Generations ...



Sunday, July 29, 2012

Heritage Valley Health System reaches deal to enhance electronic medical records system - The Business Review (Albany):

hegenefipa.blogspot.com
The gear allows Heritage’s 150 employedf doctors to electronically transmit prescriptionw and access patient medica l records from laptops and handheld computers, reducing errors and streamlining care. The industry averagre for buying electronic medical record systemssis $10,000 per doctor, although the exact amounrt of the Heritage Valley contract was not available. Previously, Heritage Valley received a $661,500 granrt through health insurance gianty to help pay forthe upgrade.
In additiomn to two hospitals, Heritage Valley has two surgergy centers, two cancer treatment centers and a number of community-based diagnostic and treatment facilities to treat patients from Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties, and parts of West Virginiw and Ohio. Allscripts began helping Heritage develop its electronic recordkeeping systemin 2006. “As an integrated delivergy network, we’re relying on the Allscripts solutionn to help us create a singlse electronic patient record that will drive greater integratiohn and improvement incare delivery,” Heritage Presideny and CEO Norm Mitry said in a preparesd statement.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Gates Foundation, MDC give $1M grant - Business First of Buffalo:

tatyanagepoji.blogspot.com
Valencia will get $743,000 over threew years to create a centralizedcremedial program, used across four It plans to align high school, remedial and college-levelo standards, expand its remedial learning communities, and embeds reading skills into remedial math courses. The grants, announceed June 22, will support remedial programs developed by Valenciza through Achievingthe Dream: Community Collegew Count, a multiyear national initiativr aimed at increasing college graduatiomn rates among disadvantaged The state will get also get $300,000 over thred years to collaborate with K-12 to reducw the need for remedial Connecticut, Ohio, Texas and Virginias also got the funding, which will be used to developo new policies accelerating the remedial education programs.
The Florida grants are part ofa $16.54 million effort to improvee remedial education at community colleges in five reaching about 45,000 students nationwide. Four stateds and 14 other collegess received similar Gates grants for thei r Achieving the Dream Each community college willreceive $743,000 over three year s to expand its programs. Lumina Foundatiojn for Education has alsocommitted $1.5 millionm to this initiative for evaluation and communications. About 375,000p Florida degree-seeking students annually attend a localcmmunity college, with nearly 40 percent of them takintg remedial classes to build basif academic skills.
National studies have shown nearly two-thirdss of those taking remedial classes never but successful programs at severaol colleges demonstrate these numbers canbe

Friday, July 27, 2012

Interior focus - Kansas City Business Journal:

tenamup.wordpress.com
At , Inc., that scenario won’t become a realityg because company president Frank Bryan and the work sitesupervisors won’y allow it. One challenge for B&B Specialth Contractors is maintaining a professional imaged among itsconstruction staff, something which is especially important due to its focus on the finish-ouy of commercial interiors. This means its employeew find themselvesin office, industrial, hospitality, retail, medicakl and education work spacews every day, a situation which requiree a special touch. “I f you go into the office of a companylike , they want you to hang that wall covering in their conference room, clean up and get out of Bryan says.
“They don’yt want to know you were even B&B Specialty Contractors doesn’t allow its construction workersz to have earrings orother piercings. It also requireas them to wear shirts with the company logo and a shirt Shirts must also be tucke in while employees are on the job The company also takes job site conduct very not allowing cursing or any otheddisruptive behavior. This has a been a significany set of rules forthe company’sz employees since Bryan founded it in 1977.
“Wwe work around occupied space and we understanfa company’s need to conductg its business and be around construction at the same time,” Bryan “We pride ourselves on staying out of a customer’sw way as much as we Another of B&B Specialty Contractors’ main as with any construction is to prevent cost overrunes on projects. B&B Specialty Contractors prevents cost overrunes inmany ways, but especially by carefullg choosing which companies it partners with on The company might do millions of dollars of work with a particulard subcontractor annually, which helps ensure qualituy because it becomes a long-ter business relationship.
To maintain that work flow over the long companies will go out of their way to makesure B&hB Specialty Contractors, and their clients, are “By partnering with select subcontractors and doing a volume of businesz with those firms virtually eliminates nickel-and-diming the client,” Bryahn says. “Also, prompt payment to subcontractors and vendorxs enables us to achieve the very best for theinvestmenyt dollar, passing these savings along to the B&B Specialty Contractors also continuall monitors every job to make sure it stays on time and undefr budget, making sure it keepsa the property owners and developers in the loop of Kevin Clarkson, senior vice presidenf of asset services with Memphis, got to know B&h Specialty Contractors when the company was working as a subcontractorr for a different general contractor yearx ago.
“Through that experience and aftefr we realized that they did more thansubcontractofr work, we started working with them as a generap contractor,” Clarkson says. B&B Specialty Contractors’ focuas on tenant improvement andinfill work, especiallyt in office buildings, has set the company apart when it comes to dealingt with clients such as CB Richard “They don’t build thingsw out of the ground and therefore they’re geared up to do very specificd jobs which make up a chunk of our Clarkson says. “The relationship really works well.
” B&B Specialtyh Contractors has been diligent about getting good pricing and has alwaysa beenon deadline, according to Clarkson. “Thoss qualities matched up one-for-one with what makeas CB Richard Ellis stand he says. “We’re always deadline drivem and we’re always cost It meshes very well.”

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Swiss Freeze $700 Million in Mubarak Funds, 20 Minuten Reports - Bloomberg

jiqatili.wordpress.com


Al-Arabiya


Swiss Freeze $700 Million in Mubarak Funds, 20 Minuten Reports

Bloomberg


Swiss Freeze $700 Million in Mubarak Funds, 20 Minuten Reports. By James Kraus - 2012-07-25T18:38:02Z. Switzerland so far has frozen almost $700 million belonging to former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his family after discovering additional ...


Swiss fre eze more Mubarak assets

Reuters



 »

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Metro councilors postpone MERC decision - Denver Business Journal:

avaohev.blogspot.com
Specifically, the council delayeds deciding whether to assume control over the hirinh ofthe commission’s general manager. The seven-membedr MERC board of directors currently has that The council could decide on the measured atits Aug. 13 meeting. A last-minute resolution introduced by Metro Councilor Rod Parkat Thursday’ds Metro meeting calls for Michae l Jordan, Metro’s chief executive officer, to devisd operational strategies for MERC once a new leadee takes the helm. Jordan will determine how MERC can beoperater “with the highest level of efficiency, accountability, transparencu and minimal duplication of overhead expenses.
” The move comes a week after MERC general manager David Woolson resigned his Jordan will meet with businesws leaders and residents interested in the facilitiesx that MERC oversees. MERC operates the Oregom Convention Center, the Portlaned Center for Performing Arts and theExpo Center. The move givesa Metro more time to determine if MERC operates under the best Volunteer board members from the businesas world comprisethe commission’s boardd of directors. “I thino the collaborative natureof (Jordan’s) decisione will yield exactly what’s needed,” said Jeff CEO and president of , MERC’s key tourismm partner.
“He’s pledged that the industru will workwith him, and as we represen t the visitors industry, we’ll make sure we’lp be there for him and bouncre ideas off him.” Mille wants businesses to retain a big voice within the commission. with the economic benefitsa thesebuildings deliver, the business community is very intereste d in how MERC runs,” he “It’s a very entrepreneurial business that relies on their enterprise revenue.” Jordan will make recommendationds on MERC’s operating future at the Aug. 13 meeting.
The counciol voted 5-0 to approve Park’s “I look forward to the challengew of making this regiobn more competitive andmore distinct,” Park “We need to incorporate more of that into our

Saturday, July 21, 2012

WNBA's Sparks ink jersey sponsorship with Farmers - Pittsburgh Business Times:

ogarawo.wordpress.com
Terms of the deal were not The branded jersey will be worn when the team opensz its season Saturday with a game againsty the defending WNBA championDetroitr Shock. In addition to the jersegy sponsorship, Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance will receivr "considerable visibility" in during the home games. "We are very excitedd to be on the cuttinbg edge of this type of sponsorship with a majot sports franchise in amajor market. What made it even more attractive is that the Sparks reach a primary demographivc in our marketingstrategy – the women's market not only in L.A.
, but throughout our operating Farmers Insurance Executive Vice President and Chief Marketinvg Officer Kevin Kelso said in a The move comes on the heelws of another WNBA team, the , inkingg the league's first jersey sponsorthip deal earlier in the week with Jersey sponsorship is prevalent in overseas sports, most notabl y soccer, but has not caughft on amongst the major sports in the Unites States. has gone the way of the overseax counterparts withjersey sponsorship. The Los Angeles Galaxy's jersey is sponsored by and is sponsoredby . The is now allowinb teams to have sponsor patches onpracticre jerseys.
The and have both been reportedly examining suchsponsorshil deals, according to media

Friday, July 20, 2012

Exxon ordered to pay $507.5M in spill case - Portland Business Journal:

vuwodu.wordpress.com
million in punitive damages plus interest to plaintiffz affected by the Exxoh Valdez oil spill that impacted residents and businesses living alonfg the coast of Alaskain 1989. The made their ruling Monday after the case was sent back fromthe . At the Nintu Circuit level, justices were charged with determinintg interest andappellate costs. The Nintg Circuit confirmed the punitives damage amount afterthe U.S. Supreme Court determinerd compensatory damages and punitive damages shoule be assessed usinga 1-to-1 ratio.
In its latestg decision, the Ninth Circuit confirmed that Irving-based Exxojn (NYSE: XOM) is responsible for $507 million in punitive damages and must pay interestf on the judgment at the rateof 5.9 percent datin g back to 1996, when the initial judgment agains the company was first issued by a jury. The federa l case against Exxon Mobil has been languishin g for more thana decade. The Ninthy Circuit said both sidesd will cover theirown attorney’sd fees.
The original jury verdicyt against Exxon Mobilwas $5 billion, an amouny that has been reduced by 90 percent during the more than 10 years of according to court An Exxon Mobil spokesman said Monday, "Wes are aware that the opinion has been issuefd and will review the opinion before commentingg further."

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

BlueCross cuts jobs at Hoover HQ - Business First of Columbus:

qalymeled.wordpress.com
The number of impacted employeezs was notimmediately known, but sources said dozenss of positions were cut among BlueCross’ customer relations, marketinvg and data processing departments. The Birminghaj Business Journal reported on June 12the state’s largest healthy insurance provider had already cut human resourcew positions and were eyeing more BlueCross’ claims department personnel attended a June 4 meeting in which employees were told only eighrt jobs were available to bid on in a 200-personb department, sources said. BlueCross managers told employeews many businesses are turning to electronic decreasing the need for paped recordsadministered in-house.
BlueCross did not immediatelgy respond to phoneor e-mail messages seekin comment on Thursday’s job cuts. Two weeks ago, BlueCrosws said it is “reviewing the scale of our administrativw capacities” to be properly aligned with its customefr base and its corporate Without providing specific numbers on anticipatedfjob cuts, it said its personnel adjustmentsa are in response to declining customer It blamed the recession and the state’s escalating unemployment rate for the job In a June 10 e-mailed statement, BlueCross said it is “not immune to these challenging and difficult “We too are being affected by the current economix downturn and the doubling of the unemployment rate in Alabama over the last 12 BlueCross’ statement read.
“Many of our customers have had to reduce theif work force and this has resulted in some havinv to drop their healthcare coverage.” Alabama’s unemploymenty rate was 9.8 percent in May. It was 4.7 percent in May 2008. BlueCrosse of Alabama said it has 3,400 employeew in Alabama. In 2008, BlueCrosw had 3,000 local employees, according to Birminghajm BusinessJournal research. It held 96 percent of the small business health insurance market in the state in the most recent data available In 2008, BlueCross reported $4 billion in premiumk revenue, up from $3.5 billion in 2007. Its $28.
6 milliohn 2008 net income was 60 percent lower than in 2007 and resultedf in a profit margin of less than one half of1

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Fore! - St. Louis Business Journal:

yvejodo.wordpress.com
But what I know about Mark Vittert, the founderd of this newspaper and my verygood friend, could fill volumezs — and, in fact, has. Mark has been writing his Reflectionsa column since the newspaper beganin 1980. Most of you who read this probabluy think of Mark as a writeerbecause that’s how you know him. He really is the ultimates entrepreneur, devoted husband, great dad and best friend. Writinfg is an avocation that’s become a (mostly) easy And, did I mention, he’s a very good Or so I’m told. I think Mark’s capacity for friendship enhancesdhis golf. Or so they say.
“They” in this case is none othet than Golf Digest this month where Newsweek Chairman Rick Smith is one of six writers whodiscussw “favorite golf getaways.” Mr. Smith’s selection is wherwe he plays with hisbuddy Mark. While I don’ty know much about golf, I do know about Mark’w columns because in the old days, I used to be the only one who coulsd read his legal pad so Ityped “Reflections.” I’ve been readinbg them every week for 30 years (yes, even the So it’s a little odd for me to read a columnn about the columnist.
I didn’tg understand a lot of it: “friendly Nassayu for a sleeve (‘ons ball press anytime’)”— what is that? But I got the part aboug barbecue ribswith Carol’sa cherry sauce. And I appreciate the traditions of even an untraditionap golf club and certainlyg understand the allure of theLeelanau Peninsula. I especially graspedd the sartorial splendorof Mr. Smith’sa “juice-stained, Marathon Man aka Mark. Still, reading about someons you know as seen through the eyes of someonryou don’t is disconcerting. I realize that’sw what we ask of you evert week.
We’re writing about your your colleagues andyour competitors, and you don’t know us at all. You can tell by the way Rick Smitj writes that he care deeply about golf andgolf courses. And he carews about Mark and Carol. I hope that you can tell we care deeplygabout business, especially in St. and we care about you, your sons and daughterds and all your dreamsand aspirations. This is a crazyg time. For many, it’s more than challenging. For it’s debilitating. Honestly, it’s not as much fun to writ e these stories as the ones about the entrepreneurs or eventhe golfers. We try to be as fair and accurate, nevert mean-spirited.
Whether it’s on the fairways or in the rough (I think I have the right we follow your game. As Rick Smit wrote: “Sometimes it’s just a high tee with a hundred-milw view — the essence of summer —and a picturse in your head that lasts thewhole winter.” Have a great week.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Clear lanes to shut down at Hartsfield-Jackson - San Antonio Business Journal:

ycoguqi.wordpress.com
New York-based , the operator of registeree travelservice CLEAR, said the paid securityh lanes at its member airports would cease operationw because the company “has been unable to negotiatre an agreement with its senior creditor to continue according to a statement posted on the company’s Web www.flyclear.com. Last March, the company said it had 20,00p0 registered travelers in metro Atlanta. As of last year, the company had more than 200,00o CLEAR members, who paid up to $199 for an annualp membership for access to designated security laneds at participatingairports nationwide.
Members provided biometrifc data, which was encoded on a card, for the promiswe of a speedier and convenienty trip throughairport security. The service targeted business travelers who routinelyg travelby air. The company was founded by foundedSteve Brill. CLEAR lanes opened at the airport aboutt the same time as an expansion of the main securitgy lanesat Hartsfield-Jackson. The new additions included lanes designed specifically forexperiencedd travelers.
Airport officials have said the added lanes have kept securith wait times below 10 minuteaon average, which might have made CLEA R lanes less advantageous to

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Offshore tax rule hits soon - Portland Business Journal:

retention-jackjacks.blogspot.com
That is when the U.S. government expectds you to tell themif you’ve been evading taxews by not reporting the According to local attorneys and CPAs, the new reporting requirements for offshore accounts could result in the loss of millionxs for some taxpayers. The new rules are also spurring a huge movemenf of offshore money backinto U.S. accounts, said attorney Martin Presws oflaw firm. The U.S. has been gearing up for a crackdownn on offshore tax evasion for Two South Florida yacht brokers have alreadyg been hit with tax evasionn charges in connection with Swiss bank accountswat . Technically, people have unti l Sept. 23 to seek a so-called IRS amnestgy from prosecution.
But an earlier deadline of June 30 is for reportin of theTreasury Department’zs FBAR form – Foreign Bank and Financiak Accounts – for 2008. “I am urging people to make a decisionn about whether to seek the program before Press said. “There have been lots of Americans who have had offshoree accountsand haven’t checke the box on their tax return.” The minimukm penalty for “non-willful failure” to file an FBAR is set at with a penalty of $100,000 for deliberatelyg avoiding to file. In South Florida’sx international population, the offshors tax problem is widespread. But not everyones intentionally evaded paying taxeson funds.
“We’ve seen this in a numbetr of people who had accounts offshore before theymoved here, and believe they had no need to disclose said Scott Berger, CPA with “Rightfully or they haven’t disclosed According to Berger, if you became a U.S. citizebn at some point, you have to disclose offshores money fortax purposes, even if that money was made beford you moved to the U.S. Pressd sits on the ’s tax section, with the Committer on Civil and CriminalTax Penalty. He said he has asked officialx if they will treaty intentional tax evasion differently than cases where people moved tothe U.S. and simplyh didn’t realize they have to pay taxes onoffshore accounts.
He said he doesn’t know the answer yet. Berger said he’sa heard from some peopled who are defiant and will refuse to report offshore money. “Basically the attitude is that they got away with it for yearsand don’t believe they’ll be discovered,” Berger Even under the exemptionw now being offered, the penalties are A taxpayer must report the highest level of offshoree accounts for the last six yearx and pay 20 perceng of that. That means an account that hit a highof $10 milliom in 2005 but fell to $2 million because of the global recession wouldr be wiped out – the penalty for reportinbg it now would be 20 percenr of the $10 million.
Presas said the government also expectsx taxpayers to pay 20 percent of earnings for thatentirs six-year period. Press said many people in South Florida are facing the dilemma now about whether to reportor not, and few are talkin g about it openly. “We understand the government is being inundater andthey don’t have enough people to handlr it,” Press said. In the accounting firms like Kaufman are busywith “It’s certainly creating a lot of need for advisoryt services, and it does generate fees and revenue for us and for the law Berger said.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Man held on $50g bail after taking son, allegedly hitting child's mother with car - Foster's Daily Democrat

andreychukuze.blogspot.com


Man held on $50g bail after taking son, allegedly hitting child's mother with car

Foster's Daily Democrat


ROCHESTER â€" Dennis Meeks, accused of having struck a woman with his car Tuesday before fleeing with their 10-month-old baby, remains held on $50000 cash bail after his arraignment Thursday morning. Meeks, 34, of 71B Congress St., was arrested on ...



and more »

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Resolute Games launching new iPhone app - Phoenix Business Journal:

ernstiryastrov.blogspot.com
Seven Deaths is a fightinyg game that follows the livesw of eight characters through one nigh in Nagamachi through a battle for controlk inthe city. The game includes full stories of the charactersx anddetailed backgrounds. The game will also eventuallyu include updatesfor Wi-Fi multiplayer and social Resolute Games has also created other iPhoner applications, including “ThumStruck,” “Segment” and “Elvis Mobile.” And Resolute gamerw will now have new, faster devices to play on.
At its Worldwidde Developers Conference inSan Francisco, announcerd the next generation of which will download content three times fasteer than the current brand and will include a 3-megapixel autofocu s camera. It also has voice-control feature s and a built-in compass. The 3GS also has improvedf battery life with up to nine hours on 10 hours whilewatching video, 30 hours using 12 hours using 2G talk and five hours usingv 3G talk. The new iPhon e will be available in black and white onJune 19. It will sell for $199 for a 16GB mode and $299 for 32GB.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Chamber relocates Small Business Center - Jacksonville Business Journal:

ivyhofy.wordpress.com
The move from the SBC’zs former location at the 5000-3 Norwoodx Avenue to the chamber’s headquarters at 3 Independent Dr. was part of the chamber’s strategic plan to increase member access to business developmentt programsand services. Although the 3,000-square-foot space in the chamber’s headquarterds is much smaller thanthe 9,009 square feet in the former facility, Sandy a vice president at the chamber, said the numberzs are misleading because the SBC didn’t use all the spacee it had at the former and at the the SBC has access to the rest of the The new space includes uses that weren’t availablee at the former location, like a 24-seayt training area, a staff offices and a gathering area, as well as spaces that were replicate d from the former location like a library and computer lab.
The chambe is hosting a free open housee and tour of the new space June 24 from11 a.m. to 3 p.m. duringh which visitors will receive a business training vouche valued at upto $45 aftefr completing a complimentary business assessment. Founded in the chamber’s SBC focuses on helpiny local aspiring, emerging and accomplishe d businesses grow inthe seven-countyt region. The chamber arm offerzs a host of including The BusinessInformation Center, a total business resource library housed at the SBC with computedr software, Internet access, resources to createe collateral, business and industry publications, and how-to books and catalogs; counseling and mentoring and workshops for existing and start-upl businesses.
Bartow said that while the SBC has been off site itsentiree existence, the last nine of which were spent at the forme r Norwood Avenue site, there were a lot of complaints that the facilityy wasn’t more centrally located. The SBC serves abougt 4,000 clients each year, and Bartow expects that numberr to increase as more people who are laid off decidw to be theirown boss. “In this economgy there are people who’ve always wantedx to start their own businessbut didn’t have the nervess to do so,” Bartow said.
“Now they’re taking the step into

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Wider Pacific Beach boycott weighed - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

azajir.wordpress.com
The union and its supporters, the and the , for montha have advocated a boycott ofthe hotel'zs rooms and restaurants. The ILWU has been involved in contentioux contract negotiations with hotel owner since it organizexdthe hotel's 450 workers in 2004. The ILWU said more than half of thosse workersare Filipino-American. The battle has gottenb increasingly contentious since August when HTH announced it would take back managemen t of the hotelon Dec. 1 withoug promising to rehire all who have had to reapply for their OutriggerEnterprises Group-affiliate PBH Management LLC had been managing the 837-room hote l since Jan. 1.
Robert "Mick" regional vice president of operations forHTH Corp., was not immediately available for comment. HTH also owns the Pagoda Hotellin Honolulu.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Sun topple Shock 86-75 - Boston.com

uraa-quartely.blogspot.com


Tulsa World


Sun topple Shock 86-75

Boston.com


Tina Charles had a team-high 24 points and added 10 rebounds to lead Connecticut to an 86-75 victory against Tulsa on Friday.


Sun 86, Shock 75

FOXSports.com


Early energy lacking in Tulsa Shock loss to Connecticut Sun

Tulsa World


Sun eclipse Shock

Fox News


News On 6 -Norwich Bulletin


 »

Friday, July 6, 2012

Rep. Jackson treated for 'more serious' ailments - The Associated Press

ivyhofy.wordpress.com


The Associated Press


Rep. Jackson treated for 'more serious' ailments

The Associated Press


"Congressman Jackson's medical condition is more serious than we thought and initi »

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Florida law firms among those cutting back - Orlando Business Journal:

iqukikofor.wordpress.com
National Law Journal reportexd six firms cut 700jobs – attorneys and staffersz – giving rise to the term Black Thursday for the legap industry. Holland & Knight said it slashefd 70 lawyers and 173 suppor staff positions inthe firm'z 21 offices. The firm ranked fourth in the ’x top law firms in 2008, with 70 staff in Centraol Florida and 393attorneys statewide. But, a spokesperson for the firm declinerd to say how many of the cuts werein “We began restructuring our operationsx to better meet the needs of our clients, and to take stepsa to respond to the adverse effects of the currenrt economic downturn,” managing partner Steve Sonberg Other firms announcing cutbacks Feb.
12 were , Goodwib Procter, and Dechert. Sonberg said the cuts were made in practice areas that are shrinking and not expected to recovetr quicklyin 2009. He said those let go would be offered “generouws separation packages,” including severance pay, continuation of healthy care coverage, and outplacement and counseling

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Extra trips for Ivvavik - Northern News Services (subscription)

dyakonostrlin.blogspot.com


Extra trips for Ivvavik

Northern News Services (subscription)


Inuvik Drum covers Inuvik and the Beaufort Delta region of the NWT. it is one of six Northern News Services newspapers serving 33 NWT and 28 Nunaut communities.



Sunday, July 1, 2012

Former Pittsburgh school could become hotel - Seattle Business Travel Guide

ramsburgsyuheo1544.blogspot.com
After establishing an option a few monthd ago with PittsburghPublic Schools, Thakkar is negotiatinf to buy the 91,852-square-foot property and convert it into an 85-roomn hotel. The plan is still in its early but Young said the full hotel conversion is expecte tocost $6 million to $8 million. The property has an assesseds value of morethan $2.65 “As always, there’s limited uses for propertiess like these,” Young said. “It’es such a big one.
We think this givews the building the opportunity to be used Young said the1908 building, despit sitting vacant for three offers an appealing mix of operating large windows and wide hallways that lend itselc to the kind of conversion undertaken Its location also would be appealinh to guests for the nearbyy Children’s Hospital and for visitorzs of Downtown and the North Side. Washington Polytechnic is one of a numberr of former schools attracting redevelopment interest asthe city’s schoop district right-sizes itself, closing schoolsd and then selling the buildings.
Pittsburgnh Public Schools began its public proceses of divesting unused buildingslast year, and the Urbam Redevelopment Authority has been actively involved for the past six The URA is marketing 22 former schoolsd on its Web site, and Directord of Real Estate Kyra Straussman said seveh schools so far have either been are proposed for redevelopment or have requests for proposalsz seeking developers. One of the schools with a new redevelopmenty plan is the former Morningside Elementary where a development team of Barry Lhormer and Erniw Sota are researching the building for aresidentiapl conversion.
Sota said they’re studying the feasibility of convertingthe 36,000-square-foot buildinf into market-rate apartments. A veteran of other school redevelopments and the principalof Ross-based Sota Sota said it takes a carefupl review of a building’s layout and design to determinwe whether a school can easilh become something else. “Some schools want to be an adaptiv e reuse andsome don’t,” he It would be easy to think that the former South Hills High a 220,000-square-foot structure on Mount Washington, woul long ago have been abandoned as a possibler redevelopment, considering its last class graduated in 1985. But developedr a.m. Rodriguez Associates Inc.
has linex up $30 million in financing to beginb construction on a conversion of the property into a mix of 85 affordabl senior residential units and25 market-rate loft apartments with a YMCA brand and an early learninyg center included. At a time when all developers find financinyg difficult tocome by, Chicago insurance giant John Hancock has signes on. Sota’s company will servse as the builder. “For them to choose this project shows the strengthof a.m. Rodriguez and Pittsburgy as well,” Sota said.
Developer Gregory Coyle said he has linec up theneeded $14 million in financing to transform the forme South Side Vo-Tech, an historicallu registered school at 10th and Carsoj streets, not to be confusedc with South Hills High, into 71 market-rate apartments. Working with funding backed by the federakl Department of Housing and Urban Coyle hopes to close on the sale with the schookl district soon and begin working on itthis “It’s been fairly straightforward, considering the large affairs in the state of the Coyle said of obtaining fundiny for the project. “I was pleasantlgy surprised.