An existing 36,000 square-foot office structure in Loveland that is designated as a Class A Building will soon be the home to a prominent floor and tile company. Located at 6987 Rickenbacker Road, the structure, which was built earlier this year, is located in the growing Loveland Airpark North on the generally undeveloped north end of the city. The Colorado Floor Company has now announced its purchase of that building, which includes 30,000 square feet of warehouse space along with a 6,000 square-foot mezzanine, for $8.5 million. The company plans to use the entirety of the building for its operations. With its offices currently located in Golden, the Colorado Floor Company, which was launched in 1988, has made a name for itself with its line of flooring, carpeting, and tile, not to mention granite and quartz countertops. According to sources, the company's annual revenue ranges between $10 million and $15 million, figures underlining a historically upward trend. The larger Loveland Airpark North was developed by the company BH Developers, also of Loveland, a business/industrial park comprised of around 40 acres. In a statement, Curt Burgener, the head of BH Developers, expressed his pleasure in the Colorado Floor Company's purchase of the Rickenbacker Road building, and added: "We built and positioned Airpark North to be a leading industrial development in northern Colorado." By Garry Boulard
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In a move to build what will be the state's first long-term mental health facility, members of the New Mexico State Legislature may be soon looking at committing up to $1 billion to get the project going. Public health and law enforcement officials in the state have long argued for the need to build a combined behavioral treatment and substance abuse center, contending that such a facility would be able to help repeat offenders who may have mental or addiction issues. Advocates have also suggested that five separate centers placed in strategic locations around the state might prove particularly effective. In testimony before the legislature's Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee, reference was made to what is called the "Miami Model," a program that has diverted offenders challenged by serious mental illnesses into community-based treatment and support services. Established in the year 2000, the Miami and Dade County's Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project has not only provided needed treatment care but, according to the publication CNS Spectrums, has led to a decrease in daily incarcerations, prompting the closing of one jail facility "at a cost savings to taxpayers of $12 million per year." Bernalillo County Commissioner Eric Olivas told the legislative committee more than half of those currently booked into Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque are suffering from some sort of substance abuse. "We can start treatment in that facility and do our best to do that, but they have to go somewhere," Olivas was quoted as remarking in the NM Political Report. Olivas added: "We can't incarcerate our way out of this problem." Although lawmakers most recently in spring 2023 appropriated some $10 million for the construction of such a facility, it is expected that a proposal for considerably more funding will be introduced once the second session of the 56th Legislature is gaveled to order on January 16. By Garry Boulard Around $30.6 million in new federal funding has been approved for a project that will make operations at the Denver International Airport much brighter. The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that it is committing those funds to the reconstruction of both a runway and taxiway lighting system. The Denver work is one of many airport lighting system projects across the country that have recently secured funding out of Washington, with that funding originally coming out of the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act of 2021. "We're acting to improve lighting systems at 82 airports, an important part of keeping aircraft moving safely, no matter the time of day or weather," remarked Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. Altogether, some 82 airports are getting new federal funding for lighting projects which include the installation of in-pavement runway lights designed to let pilots know when entering a runway is unsafe. Additional projects will see the use of surface detection equipment, which makes it possible for air traffic controllers to track surface movement of aircraft and vehicles. A final initiative centers on arrival technology that can predict when a pilot is nearing a runway, thus alerting controllers both visually and audibly. A second Colorado airport project will see taxiway lighting rehabilitation at the Eagle County Regional Airport in Gypsum, which is getting just over $3.8 million in funding; and a runway reconstruction lighting project at the Pueblo Memorial Airport, slated for $571,000 in funding. A final Colorado project is targeting $304,000 for the reconstruction of lighting and installation of a runway vertical/visual guidance system at the Spanish Peaks Airport in Walsenburg. In Arizona, the Safford Regional Airport is receiving $304,000 for a taxiway rehabilitation project, while in New Mexico, the Lea County Regional Airport in Hobbs is slated to receive just over $1 million to rehabilitate runway lighting. A second New Mexico project is seeing the Raton Municipal Airline receiving just under $74,000 to build and expand an airport lighting vault. By Garry Boulard A national developer of upscale rental housing has announced plans to build just over 420 new homes at a one-time agricultural site in Glendale, Arizona. Based in Westlake Village, California, the company, Sunstone Two Three, is making a name for itself in the build-to-rent market, spearheading the development of up to 1,500 residential units. The company's plans for Glendale will see the building of both single-family and town homes on a site at the southeast corner of Northern Parkway and N. Sarival Avenue. The currently vacant site is roughly 20 miles to the west of downtown Glendale. According to plans, Sunstone Two Three wants to build 218 townhomes, averaging around 1,300 square feet in size. Work will also see the building of 102 detached single-family homes. The project will also include a swimming pool, spa, fitness center, and parks, among other amenities. "The numbers of this new type of housing are growing dramatically," U.S. News & World Report recently observed of the build-to-rent movement, adding that this sector last year saw the construction of around 68,000 units nationally, with growth particularly noted in the South and West. In a statement, Sunstone Two Three president Scott Maddux said that the new work in Glendale combines the benefits of single family living with the "advantages of renting." "The combination of these two qualities," added Maddux, "really serves to meet the evolving demands of today's residents." The project is being done in conjunction with Capital Square, a vertically integrated national real estate firm based in Glen Allen, Virginia. By Garry Boulard A final 193 acres has been purchased in north Phoenix by a Scottsdale-based developer for a project that is expected to see the construction of some 1,225 homes. The Taylor Morrison Home Corporation paid nearly $21 million for the land, which will be part of an overall 472-acre master planned community. Surrounded by the Sonoran Preserve, the site is bordered by the Sonoran Desert Drive on the north, state trust land to the east and west, and located some 30 miles to the northeast of downtown Phoenix. What is being called Verdin will feature roughly two single-family homes per acre, along with seven miles of trails and community paths. The project, whose motto is “Life in the Desert,” will also see the creation of more than 100 acres of open space. The project has long been in the talking and planning stage, with public input meetings being conducted in 2018 and 2019, before preliminary work was put on hold in early 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Verdin was substantially relaunched in late 2021 and approved by the Phoenix City Council last summer. In developing the project, Taylor Morrison has uniquely worked with the National Wildlife Federation to preserve the native habitats of the master planned community area. One of the largest home building firms of its kind in the country, Taylor Morrison has taken on dozens of home projects in the middle to upscale range primarily in the southwest. By Garry Boulard A proposal that would allow third parties to accompany an Occupational Safety and Health Administration official on workplace inspections is sparking opposition from a variety of industry groups. In late August, the Labor Department said it was airing what it called a “Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process,” a proposal making it possible for third party participation during such inspections. “This proposal aims to make inspections more effective and ultimately make workplaces safer by increasing the opportunities for employees to be represented in the inspection process,” said Doug Parker, OSHA assistant secretary, in a statement. Such third-party representatives, said an OSHA press release, “may be reasonably necessary because they have skills, knowledge, or experience that may help inform the compliance officer’s inspection.” The release added that information gathered by third-party representatives “may include experience with particular hazards, workplace conditions, or language skills that can improve communications between OSHA representatives and workers.” Industry response has been mostly negative, with Ben Brubeck, vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs with the American Builders and Contractors, saying the proposal “does nothing to promote workplace safety and will have a substantial negative impact on the rights of employers and their employees.” The biggest complaint regarding the proposal is that it may be used as a wedge for labor representatives, serving as third-party participants, to organize at workplaces that are currently not unionized. Now in a letter sent to a subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee, some forty trade associations, including the Associated General Contractors, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have attacked the OSHA proposal as “promoting unions and collective bargaining at all costs.” The letter additionally contends that the OSHA proposal has “no limiting principles as to how many employees could request a third-party representative, leaving the door open to employees requesting representatives from competing unions.” In an article for the publication SHRM, which is published by the Society for Human Resource Management, it is noted that “employers should carefully consider whether they would consent to a third-party representative on its worksite,” or opt to deny access, "which could trigger OSHA seeking a search warrant.” Comments regarding the OSHA proposed rule are being accepted by the agency until November 13. By Garry Boulard A former Albertson's big box grocery store in northern Fort Collins that has been closed for the better part of a decade may soon be upgraded by the city for a new use. The city's Urban Renewal Authority has signed a letter of intent to buy the 51,000 square-foot building, which is located at the intersection of Wilcox Lane and North College Avenue. According to sources the building - if finally, officially purchased - may be used as a community center or for affordable housing. Earlier proposals have suggested that it might serve as a workforce development center or a branch of the Fort Collins public library system. A survey released by the URA in 2020 suggested that respondents additionally wanted to see the building used for a combination of entertainment and recreational purposes. City officials have for years been trying to find a new use for the structure after the Albertson's chain, which originally opened the store in 1996, ceased operations some nine years ago. The structure is currently owned by the San Diego-based Realty Income Corporation. Earlier this summer, the Coloradoan newspaper suggested that if the URA and Realty Income Corporation are unable to agree on a price for the building, the city could hold in reserve taking the property through eminent domain, a tool that local governments often use to "take private property for public use in exchange for fair market value." By Garry Boulard In a move to better protect houses and buildings in Tempe that were built before the early 1970s, a local government commission is proposing to increase the wait times before any such structure can be demolished. As approved by members of the Tempe Historic Preservation Commission, the proposal would increase from the current 30 days to 60 days the length of time for a demolition permit. The proposal would also waive application fees in designating a given property as historic, while expanding the definition of what is an archaeologically sensitive area. According to city documents, historical preservation in Tempe is focused on sites which "represent important aspects of Tempe's heritage," with the additional goal of enhancing the character of a community by "taking such properties and sites into account during development." Supporters of the proposal say that hundreds of architecturally significant homes and buildings were built between the end of World War II and the 1970s during a time when Tempe's population jumped from around 3,000 to nearly 64,000 residents. Some of the homes from that era, according to sources, represent unique examples of the Modern Movement Ranch, Spanish Colonial, and Pueblo-styles of architecture. But opponents of the proposal contend that it will only make new home construction in the city more problematic. Noah Williams, co-founder of the group Tempe Yes in My Backyard, told the State Press newspaper that it will simply be harder to "build things in or near areas that have older buildings." Pointing to the proposed 60-day wait time, Williams added: "For the developer, that means extra legal fees. It's an extra month after which they've borrowed money that they have to pay interest on, that they're not making money back." The proposal is expected to be vetted one more time by the Historic Preservation Commission in November, before being sent to the Tempe City Council for final approval. By Garry Boulard In just-released numbers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that more than 336,000 new jobs were created nationally in September, the largest jump in employment since last January. Looking at the trend lines from the opposite direction, the nation’s unemployment rate came in at 3.8%. That under 4% rate has been in evidence since the fall of 2021, marking a sustained low jobless period not seen since the first months of the Nixon Administration in 1969. The nation’s construction industry posted a gain of 11,000 new jobs, with increases seen in a variety of areas, including the residential building, heavy and civil engineering, and residential specialty trade sectors. Noted Anirban Basu, chief economist with the Associated Builders and Contractors: “While a meaningful share of that hiring relates to infrastructure and large-scale manufacturing projects, several other subsegments, such as data centers and health care, enter the fourth quarter with momentum.” In a statement, Julie Su, acting secretary of the Labor Department, noted the job market “continues to bring workers off the sidelines,” with particularly pronounced gains in the restaurant and bar industry accounting for 61,000 new jobs. By far the largest gains were posted in the leisure and hospitality sector, with 96,000 new jobs, followed by new government hiring at 73,000, and 70,000 new jobs in the education and health sectors. The new figures, notes the New York Times, were “almost double what economists had forecast.” Said the Wall Street Journal: “Surging U.S. job growth shattered investors’ expectations." In a statement, Jason Furman, former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, said he was shocked by the new numbers, noting that participation in the job market “remains high.” Furman added: “We could be in the middle of a sustainable increase in labor supply.” Analysts had forecast new September job numbers in the neighborhood of 170,000, following gains of just over 200,000 in July and August. By Garry Boulard A ranch property in upper Colorado just miles from the small rural village of Yampa is now on the market and can be had for just over $2.5 million. Sitting on some 113 wooded acres, the Stage Stop Ranch features a main two-story cabin structure with a large and airy living room space dominated by a stone fireplace, two bedrooms, and a bath featuring a garden-style jacuzzi tub. A second even more spacious structure on the property, which is located off Colorado State Highway 131, is a barn with a workshop area and second story living quarters. The wood-crafted structures on the property were built in 2000 and are made up of reclaimed timbers from the town of Toponas, just under 10 miles to the southeast. As remote and rustic as most properties can get, the listing by the Colorado Springs-based Mason & Morse Ranch Company also makes note of the bears, elk, deer, and moose known to roam in the area. Because the property is located within the state’s official Game Management Unit 26, hunting is allowed. Ranch properties in the larger Routt County have become a big business, with recent listed prices, depending on the size of the property and structures on it, varying between just under $1 million to more than $19 million. The median sale price, meanwhile, for a single-family home in the country has increased from around $800,000 in the summer of 2020 to just over $1.5 million today. By Garry Boulard |
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