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News Tidbits 12/9/18
1. Let's start out in Lansing. Milton Meadows if officially underway. The 72-unit apartment complex, the first development to get off the ground at the Lansing Town Center site off Route 34B, will be targeted at the 50% – 80% area median income range (~31k-~48k for a single person household) and give priority to income-qualified veterans.
The plan is to roll out the $17.1 million project in stages as the buildings are completed next year. Nine of the structures will be apartment buildings ranging from 6,600-10,200 square feet (SF), with 8 apartment units apiece. The buildings are designed so that all the units in a structure are the same size range, so all one-bedroom buildings (4), all two-bedroom buildings (3), and all three-bedroom buildings (2). The last building would be a 3,100 SF community center. Also included are 139 parking spaces, a community garden, sidewalks, playground, and stormwater management facilities. The project will be built to LEED Silver energy standards.
Funding comes from a variety of state and local sources, the largest single grant being $5.1 million courtesy of New York State. The first units should be ready by late spring, and the last units will come online next fall.
2. In the next round of county/city/Cornell affordable Housing Development Fund recommendations, breakdown above. Habitat gets some funds towards one of its home builds and to buy two other sites, INHS gets additional funds towards their citywide renovation project, and Visum's 327 West Seneca Street gets $200,000 (this project was carried over from the last round, because they wanted to make sure Visum knew what it was doing). Perhaps the most interesting component here is the NRP Ithaca Townhomes project on West Hill near Cayuga Medical Center, which has received approval, but with a lack of high-value state funds, it has languished in post-approval funding hell. The original breakdown was 66 units in phase one and 39 in phase two, so the 69 here suggests something was modified a little bit.
Unit sizes will range from $850/month, 745 square-foot 1-bedroom units to $1500/month, 1,344 square-foot 3-bedroom units, with most units being two or three bedrooms. The infrastructure improvements (streets, lighting) will be privately built and maintained by the developer. Seven units (2 1-BR, 3 2-BR, 2 3-BR) will be set aside for the mobility impaired, three units for those with hearing or vision impairment (1 1-BR, 1 2-BR, 1 3-BR), and three units for those with special needs (1 1-BR, 1 2-BR, 1 3-BR), defined in this case as recovering victims of domestic violence situations.
The original plan was to start construction last spring, and frankly, the project probably still needs a sizable state grant before funding can go ahead. But with this funding, it's another piece of the puzzle. If it has some dedicated funds already, and the state doesn't have to fork over as much, then the state is more inclined to support the project because on its end, it gets more bang for the buck. So keep your fingers crossed.
3. The rumor mill says that Vecino is falling for Ithaca like a teenage girl for a boy band crush. The multi-state firm specializes in two types of housing – affordable housing (under names like Asteri, Mosaic, Libertad and Intrada) and student housing (Muse), which makes Ithaca a good fit. Rather conveniently, Vecino projects identify segments of their target market in the building name. Asteris, like the one proposed for the Green Street Garage in Ithaca, provide not just affordable housing, but several specialized units for those with developmental disabilities. Intradas, like the 157-unit Intrada going up in Saratoga Springs, provide affordable housing with a handful of units set aside for youth aging out of foster care. So, kinda just a neat little quirk there.
Arthaus, as one might guess, is the artist-focused affordable housing – the only other one I'm aware is in a converted warehouse in Troy (which all my Albany colleagues call 'hipster central' or 'Williamsburg North', the downtown far removed from its days as 'Troilet'). The sort of tough part to make clear is that this is not limited to artists. It just has amenities geared towards creative types, like a woodshop and storage space and gallery space run by an outside non-profit. Of course, the Voice commenters hated this with a passion because artists = leftists liberal dirty hippie types = evil incarnate. I've learned that the softer reactions tend to be with affordable senior and affordable veterans housing, which I cynically suspect is because the most vocal complainers tend to be more politically conservative in their views, and seniors and vets tend to be more politically conservative than the general population – so rather than engaging in circular fire, some, but definitely not all, will hold their tongue.
But, while the commenters didn't like it, the city planning board did. It's 120 units (40 studio, 60 1-bedroom, 20 2-bedroom) of affordable housing (50-80% are median income, just like Milton Meadows in item 1), which is a hefty amount and critically needed. A number of units will be set aside for specialized needs and administered by Tompkins Community Action, which will be offered office space in the building. The project is also seeking to get arts groups involved in the design. The city was looking to start off on the right foot with the upzoned waterfront, and this is exactly the kind of creative, affordable project they were hoping for.
4. My only regret is that because the working title of 116 Catherine was 114 Catherine, readers will be confused for years to come. Jagat Sharma designed a tasteful three-story infill building in Collegetown to the rear of 116 Catherine and the Mission Apartments – these would join the rest of the Lambrou properties that comprise Eddygate Park. Also like 116 Catherine, it's three units – two six-bedroom units, one five-bedroom unit, about as student-oriented as a project can be. Still, infill is much more preferable to a parking lot in Collegetown. Every bit of housing helps, and it's a couple million dollars of assessed property to help fill local coffers. If the Lambrous choose to pursue this one, which is smaller than what the CR-4 zoning allows and is tucked away from the street, the planning board is unlikely to give them much trouble.
As for the Sharma-designed building that would potentially built in the foreground of this project, 301B Eddy, the last I heard was that it was not an active pursuit, if not totally off the table.
5. Here we have a do and a don't. Do: hire a seasoned architect like Jagat Sharma, who knows his way around city staff and boards. Don't: design anything without checking to see if the rules and regulations changed. In this case, they did, quite a bit.
The problem here with 312 East Seneca Street isn't the development plan, which calls for ground-floor retail and studios and 2-bedroom apartments on the floors above. That's all fine and dandy. But the city has really been focused on increasing the quality of building designs submitted for review in Ithaca, and that was codified into the Downtown Ithaca Design Guidelines, which were enacted as law earlier this year. If this were 2013, Sharma and developer Stavros Stavropoulos would probably be okay. As of now, they are not. The only part of this design that's acceptable is the first three feet facing East Seneca Street. The exposed CMU walls on the sides? Not allowed. And according to the Times' Matt Butler, the planning director seemed a bit insulted by the design.
Potential design options that would be compatible include additional interior facade visual elements, facade articulation and alternative side materials (brick, stone, metal panel, fiber cement, and for the sides only, synthetic stucco/EIFS) and possibly a step down in height at the rear, since the site is on the edge of its zoning.
Consider for comparison, the new Tompkins Financial building. It's an interior block site, and while it builds very close to the boundary line and they have (and could have) bigger neighbors, the sides and rear have windows, facade variation and articulation, brick and metal panels, and design elements like sunshades and a small top floor setback. That's very much in the mindset of what the city is looking for in the design of a downtown project. In any case, if the Stavropoli want to do something here, the sketch plan design will need to be substantially modified before there's any hope of approval, and some meetings with city staff couldn't hurt.
6. There have been some potential issues that have sprung up with the Emmy's Organics project at the end of Cherry Street. The soils may be in such poor shape on the site that they're unable to reasonably support the concrete slab for a single-story industrial building. If that's the case, the project may not move forward, which may also result in Emmy's moving itself and its jobs out of the city. The IURA will vote on Thursday to authorize $5,000 to hire an engineering firm to do an analysis of the geotechnical reports to see what special requirements a foundation would need, and if those requirements make the project infeasible.
7. Quick little note here – Lansing Meadows was delayed this past summer because developer Eric Goetzmann "was not able to secure contractors – too much other construction going on", according to an email from TCAD's Heather McDaniel. With TCAD and the village blessing, the construction start has been pushed back to Spring 2019.
8. It's been a while since 46 South Street (formerly Hamilton Square) has updated their website, but to wrap up this post, here's some good news for affordable housing advocates – the 73-unit, mixed-income, mixed rental and for-sale proposal by Claudia Brenner and Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) has passed the Trumansburg planning board's SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review). That means that the environmental impacts are effectively mitigated by the project team. Site plan approval has yet to be issued, and is likely to be hotly debated with neighbors who have been opposed to the project since the proposal was introduced in May 2017. Review began about a year ago, and likely has a few months more yet ahead of it – certainly one of the longer review processes as of late.
On a happier note, color renderings! Nice variation in materials and style. For those so inclined, the 2 hour audio from the planning board can be found on the village website here.
Tags: 114 catherine street, 130 cherry street, 312 east secenca street, 46 south street, affordable housing, arthaus ithaca, counnity housing development fund, emmy's organics, hamilton square, ithaca townhouses, lansing meadows, milton meadows, NRP Group, student housing, trumansburg, vecino group, west hill
Categories : affordable housing, construction, general housing, ithaca, senior housing, student housing, Tompkins County
News Tidbits 6/10/2018
1. For those of you looking out for something interesting next week, here's your notice. In the village of Lansing Monday night, a sketch plan is set to be shown involving a cluster home development on the remaining phases of the Millcroft property, about 40 acres off of Millcroft Lane and Craft Road. According to the agenda, the proposal comes from Ithaca-based landlord/developer Beer Properties in partnership with Hunt Engineers.
The back story here is that the Millcroft subdivision was approved in the mid 2000s as a three-phase, 31-lot development for high-end ($500k+ homes). As it turns out, the market for that, absent lake views and on relatively small lots, isn't so great. The Great Recession didn't help either. The first phase of 14 lots is mostly built out, and the second phase was approved and shows up on town maps, but no construction has taken place. The village has been aware of a project in the works since at least February.
Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the property listing for the land, which was on Zillow for quite a while – I recall a figure around $850-$950k. The property falls in the village's medium density residential zone, Cluster zoning means the lots themselves are smaller to preserve natural space. However, the maximum number of units is the same as maximum allowed by regular zoning – 40 acres in sewered Lansing village MDR means up to 87 units, if I'm doing the math right. Not sure if single-family, townhome or otherwise, so keep an eye out for a follow-up.
2. For sale, 15.31 acres off of Wellsley Drive in the village of Dryden. Sewered, watered, and originally planned for 36 homes but never approved. Price of the land $149,900.
Here's maybe the more interesting part – this borders Maple Ridge. Maple Ridge's first phase is built out, and the developer, Paul Simonet, would like to build the roads and lay out phase two (and eventually phase three). However, the village's issue is that there's only one entry and exit into the development – something they've been hesitant to sign off on because of possible safety/access issues.
Now, this may have already been resolved – the village of Dryden has only updated their website twice since February, with legal paperwork for keeping fowl – but if not, there's the option of buying the Wellsley Drive property and routing a road through there. Maybe $150k plus the extra road work isn't in Simonet's price range, but it's at least an option.
3. The village of Trumansburg commissioned an independent study from Camoin Associates (the same folks who did the Airport Business Park study) looking at the financial impacts of 46 South (formerly Hamilton Square) on the village. I've been told this wasn't public yet, but it's on the village's planning board webpage, so I dunno about that.
Quick refresher: 73 units. 56 affordable, 17 market-rate. 6 affordable rental townhomes, 40 apartments, 10 affordable for-sale townhomes, and 17 market-rate units, single-family and townhome style. 140 residents at full buildout in 2023, assuming one per bedroom.
Here's the TL;DR on the finances. The net income to the village itself is -$23,757/year when fully built out. The unfortunate truth of residential development is that, frankly, people have needs. They use roads, they call police and fire, they use municipal power lines and water pipes and sewer mains. It is not offset by the village's share of property taxes, here in this mixed-income example, or in the vast majority of cases. This is a reason to advocate housing density, because the impacts on, say, building new roads or infrastructure is often less per unit.
On the flip side, the school district, which makes up a greater share of the property taxes, sees a net increase of $97,669/year when fully built. Tax revenue more than offsets the expenditure of approximately 33 new students. Not everyone living in has a child, but everyone pays school taxes. This money not only helps the district, the incoming students help ameliorate concerns that declining enrollment may soon lead to consolidation with a neighboring district.
Economic impacts can be broken down into three components – the construction jobs, long-term operation/maintenance, and growth induced by the new residents, who will not just live locally, they will also shop, dine and spend money in the village. There will be an estimated $18.17 million spent on construction, $1.45 million will be spent within the County, creating 20 construction job-years in total (note there are multiple guys on site once, the project is expected to be fully complete within five years), and nearly $695,000 in total earnings. Operation/maintenance in perpetuity creates the equivalent of two jobs, creating $60,732 in earnings and $229,782 in sales. The households will spend nearly $1.7 million yearly within the County, which will support 20 total jobs with over $676,500 in earnings per year. In other words, $2 million spent in the county, 22 jobs and $737,500 in net new earnings from having those 140 more residents in the village.
By the way, if one was inclined to read 289 pages of public comments about 46 South, that can be found here. The project will be discussed at the village board's meeting Monday evening.
4. Let me note this before I forget again – Park Grove's Bomax Drive Apartments have started construction. The first two strings of 10-unit, three-bedroom townhomes are expected to be completed by Spring 2019. I'll make a site visit soon for a longer write-up.
5. Meanwhile, the Triphammer Row townhomes are on pause until the road situation gets worked out. The village won't sign off on using M&T Bank's parking lot as an entry route, and the Sevanna Park condos don't want to allow access to the 15 units through their private road. As a result, the village is seeking to have the road turned over to them, in part to encourage this for-sale plan, and in part because will ownership of the entry road to Sevanna Park will allow them to install better curb cuts and traffic control.
6. Here's a for-sale property with some small-scale redevelopment potential, this one in the city of Ithaca. A dilapidated house is for sale at 815-17 North Aurora Street in Fall Creek. thanks to unsympathetic additions, the historic value is marginal. A buyer could restore it, or if interested, since it's a double-lot, they could split the lot in two and do a two-family home on each property. Given other recent projects in the area such as 202 and 204 Queen Street and 128 West Falls Street, it appears to be an opportunity to do some modest densification keeping with Fall Creek's fabric without upsetting the community too much in the process. The property is for sale for $269,000.
7 Let's tie this up with something intriguing. Next week, the city's Planning and Economic Development Committee is being asked to support a grant application by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance to the New York Main Street (NYMS) grant program. They are seeking $322,500 from the state to leverage work on four downtown projects – a commercial project in the Clinton House, a commercial project in the Boardman House, a "commercial and housing project" at 108 West State Street (the Ithaca Agency Building), and a 12-unit development by Visum Development in the West State Street Corridor. Any rehabbed housing units will be required to be 90% area median income for at least five years, but I dunno if either housing plan has existing units, I think the Ithaca Agency Building was all office space. STREAM Collaborative just moved into the second floor, so they would know best.
Quick postscript here – there's nothing but an outline according to the DIA's Gary Ferguson, so no Voice writeups for a while yet.
Tags: city of ithaca, downtown ithaca, dryden, hamilton square, lansing, new developments (planned), park grove apartments, real estate listings, triphammer row, trumansburg
Categories : construction (planned), general housing, ithaca, news, Tompkins County
News Tidbits 1/20/18: Here We Go Again
1. It looks like Cayuga Orchard will be moving forward this spring. At the moment, the 102-unit apartment project is going up for a few tweaks to the town of Lansing planning board, mainly just to get approvals for a pair of monument signs. Whitham Planning and Design is handling those last details. The project already went out for construction bids, and with a cost estimated at $25 million, which will surely help Lansing's bottom line. With no tax abatements, and about $26.50/$1,000 assessed, the back-of-the-envelope suggests about $660,000 in taxes (however, using the hard costs alone is likely low-balling the tax assessment). The project is able to move forward thanks to a plan to pay for a sewer line extension to meet the needs of residents; the plans had long been held up by issues and red tape regarding a modular on-site sewer treatment system.
On the site plan, from left to right, are three roads – to be named "Harvest Drive", "Blossom Road" and "Liberty Lane". Positive connotations as most are, except one case I know – here's a story of a downstate project where the Staten Island borough president used his right to rename roads to give a project names meaning deceit and greed. Liberty Lane is designed to be extended for whenever local developer Jack Young decides to go ahead with his 117-unit "English Village" single-family home and townhouse project on the 100-acre property to the west of Cayuga Orchards. Right now, Young's focus is on a few home lots he's subdividing on East Shore Circle.
The housing is intended to be rentals in the upper-middle (premium) market, and the 26 1-bedroom and 76 2-bedroom units are welcome in a community with a tight housing supply. As for the design…meh. It's not terrible, but the dispersed home strings and front-facing garages over-emphasize suburban aesthetics (nothing against Stampfl Associates, they actually have some neat projects). Look for the first units to come onto the market in Spring 2019.
2. For sale, another chunk of Ithaca's near-waterfront. 798 Cascadilla is a 18,271 SF one-story flexible office space building that was renovated in the 2000s, and is home to Palisade Corporation, a software firm specializing in decision making/risk analysis tools. Palisade is doing just fine, but this is a case where they might be sniffing out an opportunity.
Consider the location. It's next to Carpenter Business Park, which was just picked up by a team of businesses led by Cayuga Medical Center and Park Grove Realty, ultimately expected to be a large mixed-use development. That purchase was $10 million on a property that had sold for just $2.7 million less than two years earlier; a bidding war drove the purchase sky high. Next door, Guthrie Clinic picked up Palisade's neighbors, a storage facility and a former printing press/warehouse of Cornell University, for $2.85 million, $150,000 over asking price. Paying at full or above asking price is pretty rare for commercial real estate in Ithaca. Guthrie has recently been in talks with Greenstar Co-Op to convert the storage facility into a new grocery store and cafe. In the City Harbor plans, where Guthrie and Greenstar are involved, there have been some site plan concerns note around issues like parking, that a purchase here could help solve.
Zoning on the site is newly-minted "Market District". Hotels, restaurants, retail, housing, healthcare facilities, food production facilities, and housing. Up to five floors/63 feet, 100% lot coverage. But honestly, given the recent PUD-OD proposal, zoning regulations are not the end-all, be-all; if someone wants to try for an additional floor by throwing in a few affordable housing units, they could. Not saying that's a great idea, but they could.
If I had to take a guess, Palisade is feeling out the market and seeing what kind of deal they can get for their building. It was an unusual choice of locations when they bought it in 2004, but they might make a tidy sum for being in the right place at the right time. Maybe.
The asking price for 798 Cascadilla is $2.7 million. The tax assessment is for $2 million. Pyramid's David Huckle is the sales agent in charge.
3. A long time ago, back in 2009, a West Hill property was talked of as a potential development site. Now that property has exchanged hands. For the moment, its future is still fairly murky.
Kaderli Trade, a Panamanian business with Swiss ownership has owned a 68.5 parcel of land just west of Warren Place since 1977. The property is vacant, and assessed at $320,000. It just sold on Thursday to the Rancich Family for $360,000, a modest gain, and a pretty good price for vacant land.
The Ranciches are probably best known for being the original planners of the Enfield Wind Farm, and for Carrowmoor, a mixed-use project that would have had retail space, office space and up to 400 units in clustered housing on a 158-acre parcel just northwest of Kaderli's parcel. The motif was a traditional English village. Buildings would have aesthetic half-timbers and gable roofs. It would have used alternative energy (heat pumps were practically unheard of at the time) and been priced mid-market for for-sale units. However, this was 2008-09, the recession was biting hard, and Carrowmoor never moved beyond the drawing board. Most of the renders have disappeared, but I still have one from 2009, before I knew how to crop screenshots. Less known but still important, the Ranciches also played a role in the development of the Conifer Linderman Creek affordable housing.
If someone were to ask what the development likelihood were based on the above information, it would get a shrug from me. The Ranciches haven't had much success, but this purchase suggests they have some sort of interest, and the location is one the town has noted for potential development – existing zoning is Medium Density Residential, and the 2014 Comprehensive Plan plans traditional/new urban design medium density. That's T3-T5 for the New Urban transect buffs, averaging 5-8 units/acre by the town's count. It's close enough to the municipal water that new pump stations and tanks wouldn't necessarily be needed. In sum, the town would be open to something substantial. But who knows.
4. 46 South Street, this Claudia Brenner/INHS mixed-income mixed-use project in Trumansburg (Hamilton Square is no longer the official name) continues to go through the boards. My Voice colleague Kelsey O'Connor covered the Planning Board meeting on Thursday, where about ten people spoke for an against the proposal. It's probably better that she cover 46 South, because I would find it hard to maintain impartiality.
On the one hand, there is the opposition. The "Trumansburg Neighbors Alliance (TBNA)" turned in a Change.org petition with 492 signatures, along with paper petitions they say brings the number up to 669. They say 432 are in Trumansburg, Ulysses, or the Trumansburg school district, which includes large sections of Schuyler County and Seneca County. From their Facebook page, they don't have accurate numbers.
At this time, there are actively trying to re-impose a village-wide moratorium after the previous decade-long moratorium expired. The zoning was revised in 2012 and re-analyzed in 2016. The South Street housing fits its zoning.
There are plenty of others who have already spoken in favor of this proposal – the Lansing Star has had a harsh word for the opposition, and some residents in Trumansburg are speaking out in favor of the South Street housing.
Let's go through some of the fallacies with the opposition's issues:
Too many rental units, not home ownership, out of balance and character with the neighborhood .
46 of the 73 units are affordable (LMI) rentals – most (40 of 46) are in the two story building in the middle of the property. Here's the thing with lower-moderate income families; a lot of folks are getting by paycheck-to-paycheck. They don't have the money for a 15% or 20% down payment on a house, for which the median sales price in Trumansburg in 2017 was $255,000, up 38% from the $184,500 in 2012. Thankfully, groups like INHS will work to cover the down payment and sell homes to LMI buyers well below market-rate, like the townhouses on Hancock going in the $110-$145k range, about half of the market rate for a new townhouse in Ithaca.
However, funding for purchasable units is much more difficult to get. A bank isn't going to fund a plan that doesn't generate a good profit, so they have to turn to state and federal funds. The government is more likely to disburse a grant if it knows there are buyers waiting in the wings. And for low and moderate-income households, far more are capable of renting versus buying. In short, this argument boils down to 'these people are too poor to live in our village'.
Does not fit 'village character' and 2008 Village Comprehensive Plan priorities
Character is always a bad argument to give a planning board; it overly relies on demographic perceptions, which include details like age, income and race. The 2008 Comp Plan notes historic buildings, non cookie-cutter design, and tree-lined streets. Homes are 1-3 floors. Well-designed multi-family buildings that fit the village fabric, especially those with design features friendly to seniors, were encouraged. Affordable housing is strongly encouraged.
Below are some of the building elevations, pulled from the submission here. Let's gauge based off the Comp Plan statements – there are no historic buildings on site, it's vacant land surrounded by housing of varying ages. Designs incorporate porches, gables, bracketed eaves, dormers and other features of Trumansburg's older housing stock. They are generally two floors. There will be several townhouse and single-family home designs interspersed throughout the site.
At 40 units, the apartment building is not unlike the existing Juniper Manor; as with other INHS projects like Breckenridge Place and 210 Hancock, many of these units are expected to rent to seniors – about 60% of Breckenridge is seniors, and although I don't have stats for 210, I'd say it's a generous percentage. The project is 72 units, 140 residents, over a 19.12 acre parcel. That is 3.77 units/acre, 7.3 residents/acre. That is less dense than the older part of the village. Even the Tamarack/Larchmont housing, which is one of the areas of strongest opposition, has about 2.5 units and 7-9 residents per acre.
So density's in line, it has affordability within a mixed-income layout, the apartments are senior-friendly and designed to blend in; it meets the goals of the Comprehensive Plan.
The developers did not ask residents how best to fulfill Village needs…they just decided!
No, they didn't. Remember the community meetings to get ideas and feedback last July? The August listening sessions? The major plan revisions in response to community concerns? They've been listening.
Now that we have that covered, let's take a look at some of the comments from the folks who are opposed:
From the petition:
"…we do not have the police to keep track of this ridiculous project."
"Ithaca problems must remain in Ithaca and not be spread to us"
"These kind of "developments" only bring low income, low quality people."
From the TBNA facebook page:
"there is enough drug dealing on the other end of town probably not a good idea to add to it".
"Turning trumansburg in to [sic] ithaca have fun with that will have a lot of crime"
I've not hidden the fact that I grew up in affordable housing. So these comments that say its occupants are drug addicts, criminals, problems and burdens is very hurtful. I can appreciate TBNA's attempts on their page to celebrate when housing is announced in Ithaca, but honestly in this context it just reads as a selfish desire that those less well-off will go elsewhere and stay out of the village. For a community that prides itself on its social progressiveness, it's very disappointing.
Tags: affordable housing, hamilton square, lansing, trumansburg, waterfront, west hill
Categories : affordable housing, construction (planned), ithaca, news, Tompkins County
News Tidbits 8/24/17: Early Start
1. The Old Library redevelopment is creeping forward. The Old Library Committee of the Tompkins County Legislature voted to recommend the sale of the property for the previously stated amount of $925,000 to Travis-Hyde. With that vote, it goes forward to the full legislature for a vote on September 5th, where there are no major challenges expected. The Library Committee vote was 4-1, with legislator Dooley Kiefer (D-Cayuga Heights) opposed. Kiefer has always been opposed to any sale, and has long advocated for a lease of the land – and the only way the lease made any practical sense was by being 50 years in length, so that any investment could have the possibility of being recuperated. Given that she'll probably vote no again for consistency's sake, and perhaps a rejection from legislator Anna Kelles (D-Ithaca) because she was a long-time proponent of the condo plan, there aren't likely to be any other opposition votes from the 15-member legislature. Once the sale is okayed, site prep for the 58-unit mixed-use senior facility at 310-314 North Cayuga Street can begin by the end of the year, with a spring 2019 opening expected.
2. So when is an expansion truly an expansion? That's the question raised by the Times' recent coverage of a proposed renovation of the county jail, which faces issues with overcrowding, but whose expansion of holding cells is strongly opposed by a number of advocacy groups. The jail is shared with the Sheriff's Department offices at the moment, and the combined facility at 779 Warren Road is collectively referred to as the Public Safety Building.
The ideal concept as pitched by the Sheriff's Office would create an additional 13,000 square-foot administrative facility adjacent to the jail that would provide office space, conference space and locker rooms for officers. This would free up programmatic space in the PSB to be used for support functions like classrooms and counseling/meeting rooms, with the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism (the tendency of a convicted criminal to re-offend, and thus take up space in the jail). So,it's not a jail expansion per se, but a support services expansion, which would probably drive debate among advocacy groups. The proposal is strictly conceptual, but the county is prepared to move forward with a formal study from LaBella Associates if requested.
3. At the latest Planning Board meeting, Lakeview's 60-unit supportive and affordable housing plan was granted the green light to go forward to the next step, though not without reservation and concern from some local business owners and elected officials. Per the Times' Matt Butler, 1st Ward councilors Cynthia Brock and George McGonigal spoke in opposition to the current plan, feeling it was too large and unattractive, while nearby business owners were uncomfortable with the population who would live there. 30 units would be set aside for those who are mostly independent but may need some degree of mental health support, 22 units are general affordable housing, and eight are for formerly homeless individuals. All units are one bedrooms. Lakeview will provide office and support space for services on the first floor of the 62,700 SF building.
In other news, the debate over South Hill continued with the airing of grievances against student housing, Finger Lakes ReUse earned approval for its Elmira Road project, and someone must have left early, because the planning board failed to reach quorum (minimum attendance) to vote on recommendation of historic designation for the Chacona Block at 411-415 College Avenue.
4. Here's an interesting little proposal out of Danby – a 10-unit pocket neighborhood. The project would be located on 2.2 acres at the rural intersection of Brown Road and Short Road, northeast of the hamlet of West Danby. The houses would be modular and modestly-sized with two basic styles, a 1.5-story cape and 1-story ranch. Additionally, they would be designed for aging-in-place, Net Zero Energy (zero net energy consumption), and have a shared common space (courtyard, lawn or similar), parking lot and septic system. The project, which has access to municipal water service, would require a zoning variance. The project is similar to the Amabel and Aurora Street pocket neighborhoods in Ithaca, though it's a different developer – here, it's Mike McLaughlin, a business owner from Newfield, and Danby residents Esther and Brooke Greenhouse. Esther was a team member in the condo proposal for the Old Library site.
Although not explicit, these are likely for-sale units, possibly with a push towards seniors. With shared spaces, modular components and modest sizes, the cost for these is likely to be modest as well – they would likely be similar to the Lansing Community Cottages price range of $175k-$225k.
5. After much debate, the Sun8 Dryden solar projects have been approved by the town planning board. The sites include a nearly 11 MW facility at 2150 Dryden Road, and an 18 MW facility along Turkey Hill and Dodge Roads. The projects will produce approximately 28 MW of electricity, which is enough to power the approximately 7,500 households. The project will utilize a Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) of $8,000/MW, or about $224,000 in year one of operation, and with built-in inflation, about $8 million over 20 years.
Meanwhile, the town has begun review on a much smaller solar project at 2243 Dryden Road. Delaware River Solar is seeking approval to construct a 2.4 MW array on the interior portion of a farm property just west of the village near Ferguson Road. About 35 acres of the 115 acre parcel would be impacted during construction, with five acres used for the panels themselves.
6. In real estate listings, here's something unusual for those who dare to be different – a Groton church, already renovated with living space and studio space. Aptly-located 113 Church Street is listed at $174,900 and 9,490 square feet on Zillow, but a check of county records says 9,166 SF – a 1,000 SF apartment, a 1,344 SF office, 4,078 SF "non-contributing space", and 2,744 SF "cold storage". The property was built in either 1881 or 1883 (county record) for a Congregational denomination, and after some mergers in the 1960s it became the Groton Community Church. From records and county file photos, it looks like the church building was re-purposed in the late 1990s or early 2000s. Previous tenants include a head start program, massage therapy, and art gallery. The tax assessment is for $100k, which seems to account for the old and somewhat mothballed condition of the property, such as the boarded up windows on the steeple tower. Should one be interested, contact info can be found in the first link.
7. This week's news round-up is running a little early because I wanted to get the latest Trumansburg Hamilton Square materials out before the planning board meeting Thursday evening. Over the past few weeks, there haven't too many changes to the project site plan, but the daycare center was moved from inside the loop road to outside, exchanging locations with a string of for-sale market-rate townhomes. The resulting move also seems to have decreased the number of market-rate units (some townhome, some detached single-family) down by one, to 14. 11 affordable for-sale townhomes and 47 affordable rental units are still in the mix.
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A copy of the traffic study from SRF Associates has also been made available on the project website. The traffic study aims to be thorough, and will likely be expanded in response to neighbor concerns about slower traffic like garbage trucks and school busses, snow impacts, and a possible sampling and estimation of school-focused but non-peak hours and a couple other intersections further from the project site (Rabbit Run Road, and Whig/South Streets). The meeting tomorrow will be at 7 PM at the Trumansburg Fire Hall. The actual submission of the project for formal board review is not expected until late next month, after incorporating feedback from the upcoming meeting.
Tags: 709 West Court Street, affordable housing, danby, DeWitt House, dryden, groton, hamilton square, inhs, ithaca, lakeview health services, real estate, solar energy, tompkins county, trumansburg, west end
Categories : affordable housing, construction (planned), environmental issues, general housing, ithaca, news, Tompkins County, urban planning
News Tidbits 7/22/17: Throwing Darts
1. Let's start off the week with a little intrigue. A vacant 12.34 acre property on Wiedmeier Court in Ithaca town sold for $65,000 earlier this week – given that it was on the market for five years and marketed for development potential, the sale merited a closer look.
At first glance, it seemed to merit a shrug. The buyer was an LLC that could be traced back to a CPA in the San Francisco area, a woman of retirement age. The profile fits the deep-pocketed subset who might buy a sizable slice of land near Ithaca, and build a home for their retirement enjoyment. Not uncommon in Tompkins County.
Then on Wednesday, the same buyer purchased 114 and 122 Birdseye View Drive from the Cleveland family for $485,000. 122 is a 4-bedroom single-family, and 114 a 3-bedroom single-family. Both are next to IC, nearly new houses in a development otherwise filled with small-scale student housing. So, things just got more interesting. We'll see if anything comes of the Wiedmeier property.
2. Just briefly touching on Hamilton Square this week – one of the questions I previously held off on addressing was the possibility of the abatement. Although the county has said they're open to considering affordable housing tax abatements or PILOTs (Payments In Lieu Of Taxes) as part of their housing strategy, housing itself usually isn't enough to merit a visit to the IDA. But with the addition of the nursery/daycare, it bared similarities to 210 Hancock, which cited its planned daycare center and the new jobs at the center in its PILOT request.
So, I asked what the plan was. Here's the response from INHS's Real Estate Development Director, Joe Bowes:
"We are not seeking an abatement from the IDA for the project. If the day care is a non-profit then it would be tax exempt without the need for an IDA abatement. The housing does not need the abatement in this case so it will be assessed and will pay property taxes. 210 had other reasons for requesting an abatement."
Emphasis his. In the documentation on Hancock, the abatement was partially driven by the acquisition cost of the property and the need for a deep pile foundation. The buildings are much smaller at 46 South Street, so a slab/shallow foundation is suitable, and it helps that Trumansburg's soil is less water-logged and more stable than Northside's. This results in a lower development cost per square foot, so although they arguably could (and upset the neighbors even more), INHS isn't pursuing a PILOT or abatement. The only tax savings will be for the eleven affordable owner-occupied units, which will be assessed for what they can sell for within the Community Housing Trust, rather than a market-rate value. This has the county's support, because taxing a townhouse for double the value of what the lower-middle class homeowner could sell it for undermines its affordability.
3. Here's an interesting note from Lansing regarding the Cornerstone land purchase. The first phase on 13.5 acres would be 68-72 units. The second phase on the remaining 8.9 acres would potentially host another 72 units. All of these would be affordable. This might cause a backlash as too much, but if one of the phases was general affordable housing, and the other affordable senior housing, then that might negate most of the blowback. Anyway, something to watch for.
On another note, the modified PDA for the Village Solars has a stipulation that the community center/mixed-use building ("F", green dot) has to be completed by the end of 2020, and only 4 of the 9 other buildings will be approved before the community center is complete. Everything north of Circle North will not be allowed to start construction until the community center is open. This suggests a build-out of #116/#102, 2017-18, #2/#22, 2018-19, Community Center 2019-2020, #117/#36 2020-21, and K, L and M would be built in 2021-22.
4. Laurels and darts. Here's a dart. The town of Ithaca is seeking to, once again, extend its moratorium on two-family properties. When the law was enacted in early May 2016, it was supposed to be for 270 days, meaning an early February expiration. Then it was extended to the end of July. Now they want to extend it to the end of October, which given the seasonal nature of construction, effectively stops all new two-family properties through the winter of 2017/18.
I'll be frank. This is not a good look. There were a number of concerns from property owners when the law was proposed for a length of one year, was unfairly long, and the town has not only realized their concerns, it's exceeded them. The town is establishing a bad faith precedent through what property owners will complain as either being ill will, or incompetence. Part of me is concerned that anyone fighting the town on something, be it zoning, development, conservation or anything, will use this as an example of how the town "can't be trusted". I've never been a fan of moratoriums, because they end up seeking extensions. Not impressed to have another example to file away.
5. And on that note, the town of Groton just slapped a six-month moratorium on all solar arrays designed to power more than one house or one agricultural farm. No commercial solar, no community solar. Technically, the law also stops wind turbines and gas pipelines, but the Times' quotes make it clear this was all about solar.
6. The county legislature finally approved a name to the Heritage Center this week. The "Tompkins Center for History and Culture" was approved 10-2. The previous vote failed due to a number of absent legislators and pushback for not having enough to consider the name. Legislator Chock D-3rd) initially wanted it named for late legislator Stu Stein, but naming buildings after people has been against county policy since the early 2000s. Legislator McBean-Clairborne (D-1st) voted against it because she felt the word "county" should be in there. This has not been a month where local government engenders confidence.
7. Short but interesting city of Ithaca Planning Board meeting meeting up. The only thing up for final approval is the McDonald's rebuild at 372 Elmira Road, while INHS's Elm Street and Lakeview's West End project are set to begin formal environmental review. Here's the agenda:
1. Agenda Review 6:00
2. Privilege of the Floor 6:01
3.Site Plan Review
A. Project: Commercial Rebuild (McDonalds) 6:10
Location: 372 Elmira Road
Applicant:McDonalds USA LLC
Actions: Consideration of Preliminary & Final Site Plan Approval
Project Description: The applicant proposes to replace the existing 4,800 SF restaurant facility with a new 4,400 SF building, construct a side-by-side drive-thru, install new landscaping, a dining patio, lighting, signage and a masonry landscape wall, as well as reconfigure the parking layout. The project is in the SW-2 Zoning District and requires an area variance. This is an Unlisted Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance ("CEQRO"), and the State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQRA"), for which the Planning Board as Lead Agency made a Negative Declaration of Environmental Significance on June 27, 2017.
B.Project: Elm St Apartments (Rebuild) 6:25
Location: 203-209 Elm Street
Applicant: Lynn Truame for Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services Inc. (INHS)
Actions: Declaration of Lead Agency, Review of FEAF Parts 2 & 3
Project Description: The proposed project consist of the demolition of two single family homes and one
multiple dwelling and the construction of a single 12,585 SF apartment building with 13 dwelling units, parking for six vehicles, and other associated site improvements. Due to the slope of the site, the building will have 2 stories facing Elm Street and three stories in the rear. The project requires the consolidation of three tax parcels. The project is in the R-3a Zoning district and is seeking two area variances for relief from rear yard setback and parking requirements. This is a Type I Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance ("CEQRO")§176-4 (1)(h)[3], and the State Environmental Quality Review Act("SEQRA")§ 617.4 (11) and is subject to environmental review.
C. Project: 709 West Court Street (Housing) 6:50
Location: 326 & 328 N Meadow St. and 709–713 W Court Street
Applicant: Trowbridge Wolf Michaels LLP for Lakeview Health Services Inc.
Project Description: The applicant proposes to construct a five-story L-shaped building with footprintof 10,860 SF and GFA of 62,700 SF on the .81 acre project site comprising four tax parcels (to be consolidated). The building will containing sixty (60) one-bedroom apartments plus associated shared common space (community room, laundry facilities, lounges, and exterior courtyard), support staff offices, program spaces, conference room, utility rooms, and storage. The siting of the building allows for a small landscaped front yard, a south-facing exterior courtyard, and a 16 space surface parking lot in the rear of the site. Site development will require the removal of five structures and associated site elements. The project is in the WEDZ- 1 Zoning District. This is a Type I Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance ("CEQRO")§176-4 (1)(k) and (n), and the State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQRA") § 617.4 (11) and is subject to environmental review.
D. 105 Dearborn –Sketch Plan 7:10
This is Bridges Cornell Heights new 16-bedroom independent living building for seniors. If it's at the Planning Board, that means the ILPC has signed off on the building and site design.
E. 311 College Ave – Sketch Plan 7:30
This is…curious. 311 College Avenue is The Nines restaurant and bar, and was built in 1905 as fire station No. 9 before the new station opened next door in the late 1960s. The old station was sold off and became the Nines in the early 1970s, and has been under its current ownership since 1980. The top two floors are used for storage, according to county records.
At a glance, it's a valuable piece of land with a lot of posibilities – MU-2 zoning allows six floors and 100% lot coverage. On the other hand, this is a relative historic property in Collegetown, and development perceived as insensitive will likely see significant opposition. There had been talk by ILPC staff of giving the building historic designation back in February 2016 out of concerns over development pressure, but it seems no formal application was made. So there are options here, but the developer should proceed with caution.
4. Zoning Appeals 7:50
#3066, 214 Elmira Road, Area Variance
#3079, 413 Titus Ave, Area Variance
5. Old/New Business 8:00
A. Planning Board Recommendation to Council Regarding Proposed Waterfront Rezoning
B. Planning Board Report Regarding the Proposed Local Historic Landmark Designation of 403 College
C. Downtown Wayfinding
6.Reports 8:30
A. Planning Board Chair (verbal)
B. Director of Planning & Development (verbal)
C. Board of Public Works Liaison
Tags: collegetown, groton, hamilton square, Heritage Center, lansing, lansing town center, real estate sales, solar energy, suburbia, town of ithaca, trumansburg, village solars
Categories : affordable housing, collegetown, construction (planned), general housing, ithaca, news, Tompkins County
News Tidbits 7/15/17: Ess Ess, Dee Dee
1. Hamilton Square. There's a lot to say here.
First, the neutral segment. The website is up, www.southstreetproject.org. Plenty of renders (definitely not cookie-cutter), site plans, housing prices, everything one needs for a fair assessment. The units are no more than 2 floors, mostly townhouse format. 47 affordable rentals units, 11 affordable for-sale units, and 15 market-rate for-sale units for a total of 73 on a 19 acre site. That's less than 4 units per acre (0.26 acres/unit, comparable to the older 0.25-0.5 acre lots on Pennsylvania and South Streets), and fits zoning. The units are interspersed throughout the property. Parking ratio is 2 spaces per units, units are a mix of 1-3 bedrooms. There will be aging-in-place and energy efficient home options for sale, as well as in the rentals. The project will host a playground and nursery/daycare facility geared towards low and moderate-income households. Much of this comes from the result of constructive community feedback.
But what started off on a polite note is getting really ugly, really quickly. It is not a good sign when my editor calls me and tells me that, as a person of color, she felt uncomfortable at the latest meeting.
Given the transparency of this process, which still hasn't even been submitted for formal planning board review, I find comments about this being "hidden" or rushed through to be a stretch. The project hasn't submitted anything for formal review yet. Nothing but a sketch plan has been done, and multiple community meetings, and 30-minute small group listening sessions. It really does not get much more personal than that.
One of the questions that was raised was that people are unable there are many more affordable rentals than for-sale units. There are two reasons why that is. For one, funding for purchasable units is more difficult to get. The government is more likely to disburse a grant if it knows there are buyers waiting in the wings. That's why the buildout for the for-sale units is 2-8 years. For two, for low and moderate-income households often don't have much money saved for a big expense such as down-payment, and far more are capable of renting versus buying.
There are valid concerns that need to be addressed. For example, traffic. A study is being conducted with a third party. The typical thing I hear, affordable housing, or any project really, is that "they'll lie, they're in XYZ's pocket". If no one trusts you to do your job properly, no municipal board will sign off on accepting your study, and you're finished as a firm. Likewise with stormwater analysis and civil engineering. School system capacity is checked with the district, which basically just sends a letter saying "yes, we have room" or "no, we don't have room". The study is being conducted and will be made public long before any approvals are granted, people can weigh in after reading it to say whether it's comprehensive and adequate, and feel free to say something and explain why it may not be. That's the purpose of SEQR, to determine impacts and mitigate unavoidable impacts.
On a related note, a board's job is to review the objective components of a project. It is not appropriate, or legal, to decide on a subjective trait like whether the people who will live there fit the "Trumansburg way of life" or that the project is "too Ithacan". Who decides what those things are? Because too quickly, it degenerates into a look or an image, and a train of thought that should never be a part of any development conversation. Because it's subjective, those terms meant something quite different in 1997, and something quite different in 1977.
Also, there seems to be this idea that poor people in urban neighborhoods will be forced out here, and they will be a burden on Trumansburg. There are plenty of people who live and work in Trumansburg who need affordable options in a rapidly-appreciating real estate market. The one bedrooms will be rented to individuals making $22k-$48k. That could be a store manager, a barista, a school teacher or a retiree. Tenants are screened, visited at their current home and interviewed before being offered a unit. Qualified affordable home buyers will mostly be in the $42k-$64k range (80-120% AMI). Think nurses, office workers, tradespeople (following INHS's sales deeds, I actually see a lot of ICSD teachers). The market rate units will offer whatever the market allows price-wise; new townhouse-style housing in Trumansburg would likely fetch $250k+, so think upper-middle income.
It would be nonsensical to make people in Ithaca move into housing in Trumansburg that they don't want and would drive up their costs; however, those who want to live there, whether because they admire Trumansburg, work there, or both, will seek the opportunities it provides.
For a county that seems keenly aware of its housing issues, there tends to be an uncomfortable amount of pushback against affordable housing, whether it be Fall Creek, South Hill, Lansing or Trumansburg. Does that qualify as being "too Ithacan"?
2. Taking a look at the county's records this week, it looks like 210 Linden Avenue's construction loan has been filed. Elmira Savings Bank is lending Visum Development (Todd Fox and associates) $3.15 million, with $2,358,783 towards the hard costs (materials/labor) of replacing the existing 12-bedroom student apartment house with a 9-unit, 36-bedroom apartment building. Elmira Savings Bank is one of the biggest single-family construction loan lenders in Tompkins, but they have only been the lender for a few multi-family projects. The only other multi-million project in the past few years was the 18-unit Rabco Apartments at 312 Thurston Avenue in Cornell Heights – a project that, along with the cancelled 1 Ridgewood, so incensed deep-pocketed permanent residents nearby that they petitioned and succeeded in getting the city to downgrade the zoning.
Also filed this week was a $415,000 construction loan from Tompkins Trust to the owner of Hancock Plaza on the 300 Block of Third Street in Ithaca's Northside neighborhood. The 19,584 SF shopping plaza, built in 1985, is assessed at $1.485 million and has been under its current ownership since 2002. Most might know it for the DMV, but it also hosts Istanbul restaurant, a bookkeeping service, and a gas station and convenience store that opened in renovated space in 2015. There's no indication in the loan as to what kind of work will be performed, about $363,000 has been set aside for hard costs like materials and labor, and the work is required to be finished by March 2018.
3. Also filed in both sales and construction loans this week was paperwork for 306 North Cayuga Street, right next to DeWitt Park on the edge of Ithaca's downtown. Also known as the C. R. Williams House, the 8,798 SF, ca. 1898 property was assessed at $900,000 and on the market for $1.4 million last year. The sale price was $1.3 million.
I was privy to an email chain that engaged an out-of-state condo developer to look at the property, but that person was not the buyer. The LLC traces back to Travis Hyde Properties, just a few blocks away.
According to Frost Travis of THP, the plan is to renovate the live/work space to allow for more space for THP, which is outgrowing its North Tioga Street location, and four apartment units. Exterior changes will only be cosmetic, but any substantial changes will be subject to ILPC approval, as the property sits in the DeWitt Park Historic District. Elmira Savings Bank is lending $1.24 million for the renovation, of which $1,204,752 is going towards the actual construction (so apparently, this was a big week for ESB). The project is expected to be complete by next summer, according to the loan filing.
4. For the aspiring homebuilder or developer – new to the market this week, a run-down though salvageable 1830 home at 1975 Dryden Road just east of Dryden village, and 101 acres of developable vacant land currently rented out for agricultural use. The sale price is $795,000. The county GIS lists the property at 112.4 acres, but without a map in the listing, it's hard to tell if there's a typo or if there might be a subdivision somewhere. The assessment is for $531,900, $401,300 of which is the land. It appears the property has been in the ownership of the same family since 1968. The property is listed as a rural agricultural district, which is geared towards ag uses, but permits office, one-family and two-family homes as-of-right; multi-family and box retail require special use permits. Zoning is one unit per two acres, but in the case of a conservation subdivision that preserves open/natural space, it's one unit per acre – either way, only about 50 units allowed here. Technically, a PUD (aka DIY zoning) is also an option, but would need adequate justification. Kinda hoping it doesn't become conventional suburban sprawl, but will reserve judgement for when this sells.
5. Ithaca is once again competing for $10 million in state funds as part of the regional Downtown Redevelopment Initiative. The funds are intended to spark investment in urban cores and improve infrastructure for communities throughout the state, ten cities selected each year, one in each region. Readers may recall Elmira won last year. This year, Ithaca is competing against two of its Southern Tier peers – Watkins Glen, with which it competing with last year as well, and Endicott, a struggling satellite city over by Binghamton, that is entering the competition for the first time. Reports suggest the Ithaca submission is largely the same as last year's. Winners will be announced in the fall.
Tags: 210 linden avenue, affordable housing, collegetown, downtown, dryden, hamilton square, inhs, ithaca, new york state, northside, real estate sales, student housing, trumansburg, visum development
Categories : affordable housing, construction (planned), general housing, ithaca, news, student housing, Tompkins County


As you probably know, diamonds are the stone traditionally found in engagement rings. This clear, sparkly stone is still a top choice. But more and more brides are breaking with tradition. It makes sense that engagement rings are being reconsidered, too.
Brides cite all kinds of reasons for opting out of the diamond route. Some find diamonds too tacky or commonplace. Others like colored stones or custom creations better. Some can't justify paying the price tag that comes with diamonds. Still others have ethical concerns. Whatever your reasons, here are some alternatives you might prefer.
Some women adore color. They'll even opt for a brilliantly hued gemstone in their engagement ring. Never mind the risk of their ring clashing with their outfit or manicure. If they've always wanted a colorful ring, then that's what they'll get.
Does that sound like you? If so, a gemstone might be the ring approach for you. Almost anything goes in terms of stones you can choose. Popular options include emerald, topaz, ruby, sapphire, opal, amethyst, and even pearl. You may also be interested in going with your birthstone.
Intricate metalwork. Unique materials. Interesting textures. Unusual shapes. There are some stunning stone-free rings out there. And no stone means no sparkle. These rings make a great choice for people seeking a more subtle look.
Another benefit of stoneless rings? They may be more durable and have a lower profile than a ring with a stone. That can be good if you're hard on jewelry or have a job where a big ring might get in the way.
Nothing is more unique than a ring created just for you. Going the custom route also allows you to be more involved in the process. You may be able to choose everything, right down to the exact materials used in your ring. And since it will be made for your hand, you can be sure the fit will be perfect.
Non-diamond engagement rings aren't for everyone. For one thing, they're less traditional. For another, some stones and metals come with specific care instructions you may not want to deal with. What's important is that you get the right ring for you.
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The leading finance specialist's Equity Release Market Monitor shows retired Scottish homeowners have pocketed more than £55,000 tax-free by releasing wealth from their homes in the past year.
The detailed study found families are among the biggest beneficiaries with 21% of retired homeowners using some or all of the cash to help out relatives with everything from money for deposits to buy their own home to helping with living expenses.
Scottish pensioners were more likely to use their property wealth to help family than go on holiday – just 16% used some or all of the money to fund holidays of a lifetime.
However the main motivation for releasing property wealth was to pay for home and garden improvements – nearly half (49%) of pensioners invested some or all of the cash in revamping their property. Around 34% of pensioners used the money to clear debts on credit cards and loans including mortgages.
Key's data shows nearly 1,600 Scottish pensioners used their homes to help fund retirement last year and released on average £55,200 from their homes which were valued at an average of £190,800. The average equity release customer in Scotland was aged 71.


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I admit it: I like Cool Whip. Always have. When I was a kid I didn't even need an excuse to eat it, like on top of chocolate pudding or a bowl of fresh strawberries. I'd eat it straight out of the tub with a spoon. (I can see a few of you nodding in solidarity.) As an adult, I still like it, but my criteria have changed about how often I'll allow myself a big white blob of it. Does that mean I've decided it's a bad food? Let's just say with time and age come wisdom and I think there are some better choices out there.
I also think we like to categorize stuff. And we like it when the decision is easy and clear, like when things are black and white. We like to know if something is good or bad, cold or hot, paper or plastic, smooth jazz or crunk, so we can compartmentalize it in our mind. A little gray area really messes up our system of choosing, and food is no different.
But with nutrition very, very few things are black and white. In most cases, the answer depends on several considerations, like your personal goals, your health status, your allergies, your budget, your taste preferences, etc. In other words, the answer for you might be different than for someone else. I find that when people ask me if a particular food or beverage is a "bad" choice, the best way to answer is using the idea of a continuum. That way we can compare options and nudge ourselves in the direction of maybe not a perfect choice, but a better choice.
A good example is oatmeal. If my husband asked me if instant oatmeal was a "good" choice for him for breakfast, I'd say no. He currently either eats old fashioned oats or whole oat groats, so the more highly processed instant oatmeal is moving in the wrong direction. But for a friend who currently skips breakfast or has only coffee, instant oatmeal is a great step towards getting a whole grain in their bowl and their belly. So I'd tell them it was a good choice…to start anyway. Possibly, hopefully, after a series of small improvements over time, they might eventually end up at the other end of the whole grain oat spectrum.
Because it's December 23, which falls smack dab in the middle of pie and dessert season (and not oatmeal season), today's continuum topic is instead whipped cream. Is it "bad" for you? Well, it's primarily fat and sugar, and it's kind of an "extra" food that doesn't provide a lot of nutrition, just delicious calories. But you might be able move yourself along to a better choice. Let's look at the alternatives: whipped toppings in tubs, whipped toppings in spray cans, and homemade whipped cream.
Let's take a peek at the nutrition facts side by side.
These would be a step up from the tubs I think, just because they're predominantly made with actual cream, milk, or soymilk. They're not perfect, of course, but possibly a few steps towards the "better" part of the continuum.
There's not a huge difference here when we compare nutrition facts, though the slight variations would be magnified as the serving sizes got larger than 2 tablespoons. I think the difference in calories between the spray cans and the tubs has to do with density. If you look at the gram weights for 2 tablespoons, they vary, likely because the spray cans offer up more air. Even though it may feel like you're comparing apples to oranges for calories, etc., I think it makes sense to use the standard serving size on the label of 2 tablespoons for all the products since most of us decide on our portion visually, which is based on volume rather than weight.
For the spray products, I guess I might nudge someone towards the one made with organic dairy over the non-organic for a slightly better pick. Vegans and folks avoiding dairy will appreciate the soy version, and as you can see, the price difference is significant which is another consideration.
Interesting to note: only Twin Brook Creamery uses just cream. The other two companies have additives that probably make for a more stable end product.
Raspberry sorbet with coconut whipped cream.
Making homemade whipped cream takes a little more effort than pressing the spray button on a can or scooping a heap out of a tub. But if you don't want to get out the cold bowl, the cold beaters, and whip it good, there is a shortcut: whipped cream dispensers. Mine's from iSi and it uses little nitrous oxide cream chargers for each batch. I can have fresh, thick peaks of cream within about 2 minutes of pulling the stuff out of the refrigerator.
A chocolate coconut tart from my local food co-op, topped with real whipped cream made with my iSi dispenser.
Keep in mind too that there are also low fat, fat free, light, skinny, chocolate, etc. versions of all of these products which would fall somewhere in between the spots we've established on the continuum. At the very least, I think we've determined that there are plenty of possibilities to choose from.
So, what's the conclusion? Well, it depends. If we're striving for more whole foods and real foods, which I think is the goal for most of us, I'd probably go with the coconut milk or plain old fashioned whipping cream. But if I was really short on time, needed the stuff to hold up as we drove across the state to Grandma's house, wanted it to last the whole rest of the holiday season in the fridge, felt like experimenting with a new product, had a 2015 New Year's Resolution to prioritize organic foods, or was trying to accommodate someone with a food allergy or special diet, there are all kinds of other available options.
And of course, we can't forget about taste. All of the choices we looked at here have a slightly different flavor profile (and texture) so that may be your ultimate deciding factor. In reality, this is the reason any of us deign to cover our cobblers, ice creams, parfaits, and taste buds with the white stuff, in whatever form, in the first place.
What products did I miss? Do you have a favorite white creamy topping that makes an appearance around the holidays?
*I don't think they mean coconut extract like the liquid flavoring, since that's not how you make coconut milk, and the nutrition facts wouldn't match up if it was a can full of water. I think they mean flesh extracted from a coconut.


Clear your diary - the world might end tomorrow!
A number of conspiracy theorists - including Christian numerologist David Meade - claims that a mysterious planet called 'Nibiru' will collide with Earth, killing everyone and devastating the planet, sometime this Saturday.
And while we may be slightly sceptical about this theory (we promise to apologise if the world does get destroyed), this seems like a good opportunity to look back on previous predictions of the apocalypse.


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Namibia: guidelines on vehicle importation
Buy a car in Namibia
Post created28 Mar 2018
Namibia, a nation located in southern Africa is not an exception when it comes to importation of used vehicles. There are rules and regulations set to guide an importer and are updated continuously by clearing agents or authorities involved.
Customs authorities in Namibia prohibit the conveyance of left-hand drive vehicles into the country. An exception is made for diplomats only. They also do not allow the importation of vehicles that are more than five years old. A client or an applicant should be in possession of an import permit for vehicle shipment to take place.
The customs department requires that the client have all the fundamental documents for him to clear the vehicle and certify the CA304A. These documents are; import permit, a passport, an invoice, registration papers and an original bill of lading. The law of shipping should entail the brand, the chassis, model of the vehicle and its year. The vehicle engine number should match that declared in the bill of entry. The motor license department issues a license after the customs department approves the bill of entry.
A custom fee in between fifteen and thirty percent of the car value is charged on imported vehicles. This is not the case for imported vehicles where the shippers work permit was founded on a technical understanding with the government. The initial agreement is presented to the authorities to certify it
Taxes and other duties are imposed on vehicles brought into Namibia that were not owned by the shipper for one year or more. A client will only sell a vehicle he has imported two years later after importation and after he has done registration.
A residence permit is essential as there will be no more importation of vehicles into the country based on a worker permit. Motorcycles can only be conveyed into the country with a residence permit since a work permit will not be of much help.
A point-record driving licence becomes a necessity in Namibia
Decrease in road deaths for the first half of 2018 than in 2017
Namibians need to stop using the Zambezi river as a car wash

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The elective surgery waiting list grew at Dubbo Hospital in the April to June 2018 quarter despite surgeons performing more procedures. Theatre staff also boosted the percentage of patients receiving elective surgery on time. The Bureau of Health Information's latest Healthcare Quarterly reports of a total of 1018 elective surgery procedures in the 2018 quarter, compared with 879 in the April to June 2017 quarter. The extra 139 operations represent a 15.8 per cent increase in surgeries. But the number of "ready for surgery" patients on the waiting list at the end of the 2018 quarter was 1687, up 296 or 21.3 per cent on the 1391 names recorded at the end of the 2017 quarter. Patients on the list who were "not ready for surgery" at the end of the 2018 quarter numbered 335, up 39 or 13.2 per cent on the 2017 quarter. READ MORE: Dubbo Hospital ED patients wait to be admitted to wards Urgent cases on the waiting list climbed from 15 at the end of the 2017 quarter to 43 at the end of the 2018 quarter, semi-urgent 114 to 226 and non-urgent 1262 to 1418. The average 280-day wait for non-urgent elective surgery in the 2017 quarter fell to 252 in in the 2018 quarter. The average wait for urgent elective surgery increased from 16 days in the 2017 quarter to 18 days in the 2018 quarter, likewise 42 days to 56 days in the semi-urgent category. The new report reveals 100 per cent of 175 urgent cases were performed within the recommended 30 days in the 2018 quarter, a percentage also achieved in the 2017 quarter. READ ALSO: Dubbo Hospital wins Patient Safety First category at district health awards In the semi-urgent category, 99 per cent of 300 surgeries were performed within the recommended 90 days in the 2018 quarter, up from 96.4 per cent in the 2017 quarter. In the non-urgent category, 98 per cent of 461 surgeries were performed within the recommended 365 days in the 2018 quarter compared with 95.4 per in the 2017 quarter. In a statement released by the Western NSW Local Health District, Dubbo Hospital general manager Debbie Bickerton said 98.7 per cent of all elective surgeries were performed on time. "There were substantial reductions in the median waiting time for patients needing cataract surgery or total hip or total knee replacements, demonstrating the impact of the government's additional funding for surgery," she said. The Healthcare Quarterly shows 163 cataract extractions were performed in the April to June 2018 quarter, up 54 or 49.5 per cent on the same quarter in 2017. Total knee replacements increased by five or 13.5 per cent to 42 and total hip replacements by two or 14.3 per cent to 16. In February this year the state government gave the health district almost $1 million for the cataract, hip and knee procedures.
The elective surgery waiting list grew at Dubbo Hospital in the April to June 2018 quarter despite surgeons performing more procedures.
Theatre staff also boosted the percentage of patients receiving elective surgery on time.
The Bureau of Health Information's latest Healthcare Quarterly reports of a total of 1018 elective surgery procedures in the 2018 quarter, compared with 879 in the April to June 2017 quarter.
The extra 139 operations represent a 15.8 per cent increase in surgeries.
But the number of "ready for surgery" patients on the waiting list at the end of the 2018 quarter was 1687, up 296 or 21.3 per cent on the 1391 names recorded at the end of the 2017 quarter.
Patients on the list who were "not ready for surgery" at the end of the 2018 quarter numbered 335, up 39 or 13.2 per cent on the 2017 quarter.
Urgent cases on the waiting list climbed from 15 at the end of the 2017 quarter to 43 at the end of the 2018 quarter, semi-urgent 114 to 226 and non-urgent 1262 to 1418.
The average 280-day wait for non-urgent elective surgery in the 2017 quarter fell to 252 in in the 2018 quarter.
The average wait for urgent elective surgery increased from 16 days in the 2017 quarter to 18 days in the 2018 quarter, likewise 42 days to 56 days in the semi-urgent category.
The new report reveals 100 per cent of 175 urgent cases were performed within the recommended 30 days in the 2018 quarter, a percentage also achieved in the 2017 quarter.
In the semi-urgent category, 99 per cent of 300 surgeries were performed within the recommended 90 days in the 2018 quarter, up from 96.4 per cent in the 2017 quarter.
In the non-urgent category, 98 per cent of 461 surgeries were performed within the recommended 365 days in the 2018 quarter compared with 95.4 per in the 2017 quarter.
In a statement released by the Western NSW Local Health District, Dubbo Hospital general manager Debbie Bickerton said 98.7 per cent of all elective surgeries were performed on time.
"There were substantial reductions in the median waiting time for patients needing cataract surgery or total hip or total knee replacements, demonstrating the impact of the government's additional funding for surgery," she said.
The Healthcare Quarterly shows 163 cataract extractions were performed in the April to June 2018 quarter, up 54 or 49.5 per cent on the same quarter in 2017.
Total knee replacements increased by five or 13.5 per cent to 42 and total hip replacements by two or 14.3 per cent to 16.
In February this year the state government gave the health district almost $1 million for the cataract, hip and knee procedures.
Discuss "Elective surgery waiting list grows despite 139 more procedures"


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25 Fun Things to Do & See in St. Augustine, Florida
Though Florida is not generally known or revered for its historical roots, one of the oldest cities in the United States happens to sit on Florida's Northern Atlantic Coast. Founded by the Spanish in 1565 and settled by the British in 1763, the coastal town of St. Augustine is a true American treasure.
While St. Augustine's long stretches of pristine beaches are a draw for many of its visitors, the quaint shops, historic bed and breakfasts and independent dining establishments also make it a unique little hamlet. Whether you're chasing the ghosts of the past or partaking in the fineries of the present there is something for everyone in this saintly town.
Here are 25 things you can do and see while exploring beautiful St. Augustine:
1. Step into the Lightner Museum and get a glimpse of 19th century daily life, from costumes and furnishings, to musical instruments and the stained glass work of Louis Comfort Tiffany.
2. Get up close and personal with Florida's favorite reptile and other exotic animals at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. Founded in 1908, the park is one of Florida's oldest attractions.
3. Stroll through the picturesque campus at Flagler College, a four-year liberal arts college built in 1968, which has been the backdrop of several movies, including "Illegally Yours" starring Rob Lowe.
4. Explore the nation's oldest fort Castillo de San Marcos, which is nearly 400 years old and took a quarter of a century to construct.
5. Visit the oldest wooden school building in the United States, built in 1716 at 14 St. George Street.
6. Tour the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum, one of the most well preserved of the remaining colonial historic buildings, the museum includes a 1798 coquina stone house and detached coquina kitchen.
7. Observe and experience many of the oddities collected by Robert Ripley at the original Ripley's Believe it or Not "Odditorium," which opened in 1950.
8. Tour the San Sebastian Winery and enjoy wines from native muscadine grapes. Historians believe this area to be the birthplace of American wine, dating back to 1562.
9. Grab a bite to eat, listen to live music and enjoy the "Gone with the Wind" atmosphere at Scarlet O'Hara's. Have a drink in the upstairs Ghost Bar and you might see where it gets its name.
10. Sign up for one of the Ghost Tours and learn about some of the local hauntings.
11. Tour the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum on the north end of Anastasia Island, built in 1874.
12. Visit Fort Mose Historic State Park, a National Historic Landmark that was the first free black settlement legally sanctioned in the United States.
13. Observe the first Spanish settlement in the new world at the Fountain of Youth Historical Park, a 15-acre, waterfront historical attraction. Visit the Planetarium and the Native Timucua Village, and take a sip from the legendary Fountain of Youth.
14. See the world's largest collection of authentic pirate artifacts, interactive exhibits, rarely seen shipwreck treasures from the Florida Division of Historical Resources, and more at the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum.
15. Take a guided tour through the Ponce de León Hotel. Built in 1887 in the Spanish Renaissance style, the hotel was constructed entirely of poured concrete and originally wired for electricity by Thomas Edison.
16. Enjoy a view of the inter-coastal waterway while dining on fresh seafood, gator tail or your own favorite at Saltwater Cowboys. Serving up Florida-cracker ambiance for more than 35 years.
17. Play a few holes of golf, eat, drink and be Murray at Bill Murray's Caddy Shack Restaurant and visit the World Golf Hall of Fame museum, all located at World Golf Village.
18. Explore a bevy of antique stores including Antique Emporium, Way We Were and Time Zones Antiques.
19. Stay at one of the many historic B&Bs, such as the Victorian-style Bayfront Westcott House, built in 1880 overlooking the Matanzas Bay.
20. Gobble up some of O'Steen's Restaurant famous fried shrimp while gazing at beautiful Anastasia Island. Other menu favorites include Minorcan clam chowder and hush puppies.
21. Visit the Fort Matanzas National Monument, and explore the Spanish Fort Matanzas, built in 1740, and 100 acres of salt marsh and barrier islands along the Matanzas River.
22. Catch a scheduled concert or movie, or check out the Old City Farmer's Market every Saturday at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre.
23. Come face-to-face with your favorite celebrities and historical figures at Potter's Wax Museum.
24. Marvel at the Memorial Presbyterian Church, an historic church built in 1889 and inspired by the architecture of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.
25. Find some good buys at the St. Augustine Premium Outlet Malls featuring Ann Taylor Factory Store, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, Coach, J.Crew, Movado, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and more.
St. Augustine Travel Review: St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine Tourist Review: Saint Augustine Visitor Center
Top Five Things to Do in Horley, Surrey - This Small Town Near Gatwick Airport Has Lots of Fun Things to See
25 Fun Things to Do & See in Nashville, Tennessee
Rhythm and Ribs Festival 2011 in St. Augustine, Florida: A Weekend Planning Guide
Top 10 St. Augustine, Florida Attractions
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About a year ago, my wife Linda and I got a tandem bike. We love to go tooling around the neighborhood in the evenings and we typically get waves and cheers from the people we pass by. I think it's been a long time since they have seen people on a tandem bike, and they are probably impressed that we are not fighting.
Riding a tandem bike takes trust, teamwork, and patience. Communication is also high on the list because while I may see a bump coming up, Linda's view is blocked by back and head, so I learned quickly to call out the upcoming obstacles.
One area where there has been some confusion is around the kickstand. I think it's because we both had expectations about how this particular function should be handled, but neither of us thought WE were the ones handling it! It wasn't until we heard it scraping along the road that we knew someone had missed something.
Here's where the expectations come in, and I think they are both legit.
Linda's expectation was based responsibility. I take care of the bike. I do the "pre-flight checks" to make sure it's ready to go and bring it around front when it's time to ride. Naturally, putting up the kickstand would be part of that routine.
My expectation was based on location. Linda rides in the back, which is where the kickstand is. When I ride my non-tandem bike alone, I usually get on the bike and as I push off, I kick up the kickstand with my foot. Only natural to think that would happen here with whoever was closest to the kickstand.
Here's the trouble (and the link to leadership in case you were wondering) – we both had differing expectations that we didn't discuss prior to taking off for a ride. Only when something went wrong did we finally divulge that indeed we thought the other person should have done it. How many misunderstandings have happened in the world – in YOUR world – where you thought expectations were clear when they really weren't?
In my experience, many of the behavioral issues leaders experience stem from unclear or non-existent expectations. A common first step to getting a team or individual back on track to establish, or re-establish the expected behaviors and outcomes.
If you take the attitude that you can't over-communicate your expectations, you'll probably find that you sound like a broken record to yourself (because you are hearing it all the time), but also that your teams finally have a better understanding of truly what they are supposed to be doing.
In case you were wondering, we will both be checking the kickstand next time.
And Oh! how I know this to be true. Humans make mistakes. I am human.
On August 5, I posted a piece called "All the kids are doing it". I was quite proud of the content and was excited to see what you all might think of it. I am pleased to say I received a number of very positive responses.
If you can't change it, it just shows us you are human too!
The second (or first – depending on how you look at it) thing that struck me was how she prefaced the feedback. "I hope this doesn't offend you". I know exactly where that came from… so often we give feedback and immediately the other person gets defensive and offended. If we look more closely at the feedback itself, you will notice that she states facts, and gives me a reason why she is giving the feedback. To me, I took it in the spirit of her trying to make me a better writer.
This struck me as odd, and it made me think of my friend Scott Brown from Ohio. Not because he is odd, but because he is on a crusade to raise the bar on customer service.
Take a look at this sign that is posted on the front door of a popular office supply store. (I apologize for the bad quality, I'm still learning the new camera zoom app for the iPhone!).
Just in case you can't make it out, it says, "We conduct pre-employment testing to ensure quality customer service".
That's nice, but my first question is, "what kind of testing??" Drug testing? Agility testing? Psychological testing? It's a little vague.
I will tell you that it made me think about the customer service I was about to receive. It put me in the mindset that I would get good service here, and that the company is committed to it. I then thought about the expectation that at some places (based on experience or reputation) that you will receive bad service. Maybe we all just get the kind of service we THINK we're going to get.
How often have we been in a hurry, annoyed by something, and the service we then got was slow and useless? Contrast that with when you are feeling good, its a good hair day, and suddenly the service you get improves.
To me this sign is more about the sub-conscience thought of the customers than the service itself. It reminds me of people who put up security signs in their yard even though they don't have a security system. Makes you think a little differently before you go in, if you go in at all.
I'd love to hear what you think of this sign and its true message. Click here to share your thoughts or leave a comment.
This time the honor goes to Randy Hutchinson from Valleyfair in Shakopee, MN. He correctly identified the picture below as Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, CA.
Funny story… I picked this picture for a previous post because I really liked it. To me it epitomized 'summer fun'. I wasn't sure which park it was, but it appealed to my love of amusement parks as well as the beach.
A few weeks ago I got a call from Ken Whiting from Whiting's Foods. He wanted to bounce some ideas around about training and we got to talking about the blog. After our phone call, I got an email from Ken letting me know that the picture was from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk – where he works! Too cool!
Some of you know your bridges!
I am delighted to say that a number of people correctly identified the picture in the previous post as the 7 mile bridge connecting mainland Florida and the Florida Keys.
However, there can only be one winner of the 1000 Bonus Points. The person, who correctly identified this bridge at 8:03 am EST is…. drum roll, please… Cory Hutchinson from Funtown Splashtown USA in Saco, ME! Congratulations, Cory! Redeem those points wisely.
If you are upset about missing out on the 1000 BonusPoints, fear not! Here's another chance to increase your score: In this post from July 10, I included a picture of a beach-front amusement park. For 1000 points, what park is it?
Click here if you know the answer!
So I finally joined Facebook, but not because "all the kids are doing it". I joined for a legitimate business purpose (almost said that with a straight face). But seriously, I am embarking on a long distance training experiment, and Facebook will be a major player in our communication.
For the longest time, I have actually been staying away from Facebook, almost in the name of rebellion. Because everyone was doing it and wanting me to do it, I was choosing not to. I spend enough time in front of a computer, and I saw this as one more excuse to spend even more – and I wasn't having it!
Now that I am on it, I do see some benefits. Okay, so its cool to see what people are up to and I have been able to catch up with some old friends. I've also noticed some people have too much time on their hands – but that's another story.
The story I wanted to spin today was about peer pressure, which I think gets a bad rap. How many of us can hear our parents saying, "If little Johnny was going to jump off a bridge, would you do that, too?" Typically the pressure to be cool or to fit in causes people to do things they normally wouldn't do, sometimes against their better judgment. But what if its a good thing the team is doing? Doesn't peer pressure work both ways?
Imagine you have a team of 15 people. Out of those 15 people, you have 12 that are hard workers, they smile, have fun and treat your guests (and fellow team members) with respect. Unfortunately, many times our efforts and energies are spent giving negative attention to the 3 peeps who aren't pulling their weight.
What if that were reversed? What if we spent more time praising, coaching, and applauding the 12 who are doing well? Remember that most of what we do as humans is about getting (or deflecting) attention. Its a self-esteem thing. And, when people don't get enough positive attention, what do they do? You guessed it… create some drama or a situation to get negative attention. At least its attention.
So… when the positive attention is the norm, and people naturally want to fit in, they will do what it takes to get positive attention. It's like the school bully… he's trying to get you to react so he can retaliate and prove his toughness. Take away his negative attention, you take away his motivation for acting like a dufus.


Saks operates a chain of luxury department stores known as Saks Fifth Avenue. The company's flagship Saks Fifth Avenue store is in Manhattan at 611 Fifth Avenue.
There are a total of 39 Saks Fifth Avenue stores in 22 states, five international stores and 75 Saks Off 5th outlet stores.
Saks Off 5th offers value-priced designer clothing and accessories.
On November 4, 2013, Saks Incorporated was acquired by Hudson's Bay Company of Canada.
The combined financial input of these great merchant families led to the purchase of a site between 49th and 50th Streets on upper Fifth Avenue, then jointly occupied by the Democratic Club and the Buckingham Hotel. With the opening of its founders' "dream store" on September 15, 1924, Saks Fifth Avenue became the first large retail operation to locate in what was then primarily a residential district. By offering the finest quality men's and women's fashions, as well as an extraordinary program of customer services, Saks Fifth Avenue has become the byword for taste and elegance.
In 2005, Saks sold the Proffitt's/McRae's business to Belk, Inc.
The company sold its Northern Department Stores Group to BonTon in 2006 for $1.1 billion. This group included 31 Carson Pirie Scott stores, 14 Bergner's stores, 10 Boston Store stores, 40 Herberger's stores, and 47 Younkers stores.
The company moved its headquarters from Birmingham, AL to NYC in 2007.