Developments in...

Arizona
Westcor, a subsidiary of Macerich, is developing the two million s.f. Market at Estrella Falls in Goodyear, AZ. Garrett Newland is Westcor's vice president for development. Source: shoppingcenters.com and azcentral.com

Indiana
Construction Manager, Paric Corp. of St. Louis completed a $42 million, 172-unit senior living project, Startford at Clay West, in Carmel for the Stratford Cos. The Lawrence Group provided architecture and interior design services. From Midwest RE Journal

Michigan
Colin Kraay, investment advisor for Grubb and Ellis Paramount Commercial in Grand Rapids; Susan Jackson, interim VP of business development for The Right Place, Inc., an economic development firm for Grand Rapids; and Kevin Hegg, VP of Ashley Capital in Detroit discuss the diverse development opportunities in Grand Rapids. See the Midwest RE Journal article

New York
Plans to expand the Salmon Run Mall have been approved by Watertown. The mall is owned by a subsidiary of The Pyramid Companies Source: shoppingcenters.com

People on the Move

Tere Blanca, senior managing director of Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, recently became chair of the Beacon Council economic development partnership in Miami. During this slow economy, she urges real estate brokers to communicate at all levels – even to the extent of over-communicating – and to approach project consistently. See the article on Globest.com

Trisha Haddon became director of business development at Dobbins Group in Chicago; Craig Czerkies became a broker associate at Caton Commercial Real Estate Group in Plainfield; Eric L. Enloe moved into a managing director position at Integra Realty Resources, Inc. in Chicago; Matt Nix moved to VP of development – residential and mixed-use development and Mike Yungerman moved to VP of development – industrial development at Opus North Corp. in Chicago; and James R. Vender became an associate at Stone Real Estate Corp. also in Chicago. (From Crain's Chicago Business)

Professionals Discuss Mandated Green Building

Business Facilities magazine reports that cities are “racing to mandate sustainable building practices.” Discussing the private sector green building are: Brooks Rainwater, director of local relations for the American Institute of Architects (AIA), author of the study, “Local Leaders in Sustainability”; Kenny McDonald, executive vice president of the Charlotte Regional Partnership; Steve Brown, Jr., VP of Denver, CO-based John Madden Co., a real estate development firm; Brian Parno, VP of Stirling Capital Investments, a joint venture between Foothill Ranch, CA-based Stirling Enterprises and Denver, CO-based DCT Industrial Trust Inc.; Stephen T. Del Percio of gbNYC.com, a green building website; Kenneth R. Lewis, president of AC Martin Partners Inc. and board member of the Los Angeles Business Council; Eric Stavriotis, VP at Jones Lang Lasalle in Chicago, IL; and Ashley Katz, communications coordinator for the U.S.Green Building Council. See the article

Congratulations to the Custom Builder Design Challenge Winners

The challenge was to design a home for a (fictional) empty-nester couple in their 60s anticipating retirement. The home is to be built on a wooded piece of property on a lake, and will eventually become the owner's primary residence. Winners were:

1st place: Taco Schmid, Project Manager at Carlson Homes in Scottsdale, AZ

2nd place: Rhett M. Osko, Architectural Design Supervisor at Classic Homes in Colorado Springs, CO

3rd place: Steve Perry, Owner of Steve Perry's Design Solutions in Springville, UT

Best Student Design: John Tomaz and David Pereira, students at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, MA

Susan Bady, Senior Editor for Design at HousingZone.com gives additional design criteria and the winning designs at Custom Builder Design Challenge Winners Offer Imaginative Plans for Lake House


Competition judges were John J. Kern, partner and director of Balsamo, Olson & Lewis in Oakbrook Terrace, IL and David A. Gravel, president of Enon Hill Design & Development in Wheaton, IL.

Can a 260-year-old facility be viable today?

Charity Hospital in New Orleans is a 260-year old facility that was ahead of its time when built. Watch the video by the architecture firm, RMJM Hillier, retained by The Foundation for Historical Louisiana (FHL) to see how preservationists believe it can be a model for contemporary healthcare facilities.