I just returned from a nice trip to Las Vegas. It was nice to visit with my father who lives out there. Once you get off the strip, there are some things that clearly stand out. Las Vegas has an amazing number of parks. In the middle of the desert, there is an unbelievable number of green parks for families. Also, the roads are incredibly well-maintained. What stands out about both of these is the fact that most of their roads are over capacity and they are still able to work with the city and county governments to grow. They also have a severe water shortage, but are able to make it work. While the city of Las Vegas is far different than Gainesville, they have situations just as dire as ours, if not more so and are able to accomplish what is necessary to grow their community. This year's elections are crucial so that we can get the individuals in office who want to help us grow. While the casino's contribute a huge sum to their overall budget to help finance the schools, roads and parks, it was a combination of the building industry, the Chamber of Commerce and the local government all working together to make sure the city grows the way they want.
Congratulations go out to Barry Rutenberg and the FHBA for being recognized nationally. Barry, a past president of FHBA, a National Association of Home Builders State Chair and NAHB Area V National Vice President, was awarded the BUILD-PAC Champion of the Year Award for raising the most funds for BUILD-PAC - NAHB's Political Action Committee. He was part of the first group of BUILD-PAC Champions who encouraged other industry colleagues to join together for effective political action through BUILD-PAC. More than $10,000 was raised in a six-week period thanks to Barry. To read more about this award, go to http://www.fhba.com/index.cfm?referer=content.contentItem&ID=1742.
There is also great news with Marty McFall, whose recovery and progress we have been reporting about here for the last few months. He hopes to be back to work full speed in about three weeks. He'll have to take it easy at first, but he's looking forward to coming home and getting back into his routine. To check on Marty's progress, go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/4martymcfall.
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www.BuildingEdgeMagazine.com
Our May issue, featuring The Enclave Apartments developed by Collier Enterprises, and constructed by Davis and Sons Construction is now online, and should have arrived by mail last week. The National Feature is on Outdoor Living: decking, landscaping, fencing, outdoor lighting, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces.
Our June issue of Building Edge is now closed. Our feature is on Claeys Construction. I am very excited to share this story with you. Jim and Sarah are exceptional at what they do. Their parade house this year had quite a bit of the "Wow Factor." I look forward to sharing it with you. The National Feature will be on Doors: entry, interior, patio and overhead. This will be the issue that we recap the Spring Parade of Homes™.
Our July issue, featuring Barry Rutenberg & Associates is now open. You may remember that we featured Barry back in March of 2004. We are thrilled to be able to feature Barry and his team with you, and look forward to updating everyone as to what is going on with one of North Central Florida's finest builders. Our National Feature is on Baths: fixtures, faucets, home spas, appliances, tile, countertops and appliances.
Coming up in August is Schaefer Construction of Gainesville. The National Feature will be on Curb Appeal.
In September, we return to Ocala, and we catch up with Bennett Construction Services. The National Feature is on Interior Design.
October finds us back in Lake City with Isaac Construction. The National Feature will be on weathering the Elements. This issue will also mark the return of our highly successful, semi-annual Buyer's Guide.
The Spring 2008 issue of Commercial Building Edge is online here. 2007 Marion County Small Business of the Year Stentiford Construction Services, led by Paul Stentiford is our cover story. We are also in the process of developing a website for Paul and his team. Bookmark this site at www.stentifordconstruction.net.
The Summer issue of Commercial Building Edge, featuring Brian Crawford, owner of Concept Construction of North Florida is now open for sales. Brian is also the president of the Columbia County Builders Association. We look forward to our first Columbia County Commercial issue. To participate, please give us a call.
HOME™: Living in the Heart of Florida:
Our Spring issue of HOME: Living in the Heart of Florida, featuring TV20's Paige Beck on the cover is out and in circulation. Judging by the response, it is a hit. We are constantly on the go - restocking our distribution points. We have been very busy. This issue should take us over 500 distribution points. Those include the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, Ocala Marion County Chamber of Commerce, Newberry/Jonesville Chamber of Commerce, Williston Chamber of Commerce and the Gainesville Regional Airport. It can also be seen online at www.LivingintheHeartofFlorida.com. In addition to our cover story on Paige Beck, this issue is filled with articles about the home and community. If you would like to have HOME displayed in your place of employment, please let us know. Everyone who knows Paige knows how truly genuine her heart is. I think that is part of the reason we can't keep the magazines stocked. If you would like to get a copy, please call us today. At the rate we are going, we may be out of stock very soon. (352) 372-5854 in Gainesville, (352) 368-1707 in Ocala.
The Summer issue of HOME is open for sales. Our cover story will be on Judy and Davis Rembert. Look for more information in the coming weeks on some of the special features we plan on doing in this issue.
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Playground Comes Together in a Day
The laughter and music coming from Woodland Park on Thursday made it sound as though the playground, ball field and Boys & Girls Club in east Gainesville were all in full use. The sights told a different story. More than 200 adults and older teens were all over the place, hammering, painting, pouring concrete, spreading mulch. The sounds and the sights were evidence of a playground being built in one day. The playground adjacent to the Boys & Girls Club in the Sugar Hill neighborhood used to offer children a few swings and a seldom-used ball field while the club building provided indoor activities like foosball. By the end of the day Thursday, bright new playground equipment had been installed, dugouts built for the ball field, the inside of the clubhouse repainted, gardens established and many other jobs completed to create an inviting play space that is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.
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Eastside Wal-Mart Praised
Area officials hailed the new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Monday as the culmination of a long struggle to bring business and jobs to Gainesville's east side, but also the catalyst that is expected to bring even more. Elected officials, east Gainesville activists, company officials, employees and their families celebrated with congratulatory speeches, cheers, tours and a presentation of grants to community organizations at the store Monday evening.
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Belleview Balks at Development Deal
Although the May 1 deadline to sign an agreement regarding school concurrency has passed, the Belleview City Commission is in no hurry to ink a deal with the Marion County School Board. Tuesday was the first time the full commission had a chance to discuss its discontent with the proposed agreement, and commissioners opted instead to support an agreement drafted in part by the county and other municipalities. Concurrency is a requirement by the state that local governments coordinate on the permitting of new developments that will add students to the school system, and work together on the planning of future school construction.
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Alachua County Discusses Fire Service Deal
High costs and slower services are two of the primary concerns Alachua County commissioners have with a proposed agreement with the Municipality Fire Authority that was formed recently by several small cities. Commissioners informally discussed the proposal Tuesday and agreed to have Alachua County Fire Rescue continue to discuss the matter with the authority. "They say that anytime an apparatus leaves the city, they are compensated. That is a huge shift from the way we are doing business now," Alachua County Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Ed Bailey said. "While the (authority) wants us to increase their funding for a slight degradation in responses, they don't want us to have any say in it." The authority is composed of Alachua, High Springs, Hawthorne, Lacrosse, Newberry, Micanopy and Waldo.
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Will Lake City Assume All Fire Services?
The City of Lake City has decided it wants a shot at providing fire service for the entire county. After requesting that the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners consider taking over fire service for Lake City, City Council decided at Monday's meeting to send a formal letter to the County Commission to see how it would feel about the City of Lake City taking over the service. A crowd of mostly firefighters filled council chambers to hear the Council's take on the situation. City Councilman Michael Lee said that while the city asked the county if it would be willing to take over the fire service that is not the only option the City Council has.
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One Community Hopes to Strike Out on Own as City
As cities and counties throughout the country consider consolidation as a cost-saving and efficiency-making measure, other communities are bucking the trend by taking services into their own hands. In Alachua County, at least one community is looking to incorporate - essentially the opposite of consolidation, since it results in a brand-new city government with its own services and budget. Residents in unincorporated west Gainesville are studying whether it would be beneficial to carve a whole new city out of the Tower Road corridor - roughly the area between Tower and Parker roads and Archer and Newberry roads. The residents first explored self-governance in 2005 as one of several potential options for getting improved services.
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Water Recycling Facilities Quietly Make Ocala Cleaner
When you flush the toilet, the contents may leave your house, but they don't just disappear. Making that happen takes work. Every day, an average 6 million gallons of raw sewage is pumped into the city's three wastewater treatment plants. That's enough to fill 10 Olympic-size swimming pools. What happens to this wastewater is something residents of Ocala should be proud of, said Jeff Halcomb, deputy director of water and sewer operations for the city. One hundred percent of what arrives at these facilities - murky brown and contaminated - is transformed into a reusable resource.
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Smaller Economic Contract Approved
Lake County commissioners on Tuesday approved a long-delayed and slightly modified contract renewal with the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. Representatives for the agency had requested $300,000 from the county as part of its role to bring new jobs and businesses to Lake. But county officials held out for months until the two sides could agree on the kinds of businesses best suited for this area. On Tuesday, however, commissioners argued that Lake was paying the group more money per capita than other counties. So they voted to approve the contract at $276,000 and to include a memorandum of understanding about the type of businesses the agency would try to bring here.
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Lake City Begins Planning of 150th Anniversary
Lake City will celebrate a momentous milestone in 2009, as the city marks its 150th anniversary. In an effort to figure out how best to celebrate the upcoming sesquicentennial, a city-appointed committee gathered at City Hall on Wednesday to begin planning the yearlong event. Planning is in the beginning stages, but the group, chaired by Mayor Stephen Witt, designated two committees. The group briefly discussed a budget but a specific monetary amount will not be designated until it is known what the money is needed for, downtown redevelopment manager Jackie Kite said.
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Upcoming Events
USGBC Heart of Florida & AIA Gainesville Chapter May Social Gathering
MCBIA Golf Classic
GRU BEST Blueprints for a Sustainable Future
Continuing Education onsite at MCBIA -- Earn 14 Hours OF C.E. Credits While Attending a Business Planning and Construction Business Management Workshop
Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase
Newberry Chamber Events:
Rocky is having his 10-Year Anniversary Party at Newberry's Backyard BBQ on Monday, May 12th from 5-8pm. There will be free burgers and dogs, rides for the kids, prizes as well as a radio station live broadcast.
May After-Hours Mixer is on Thursday, May 22, at Nature Coast Rehabilitation. They are located at 25050 W. Newberry Road in Newberry. The mixer runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and there will be hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and fellowship. It is a great opportunity for you to market your business.
Don't forget about the Newberry Watermelon Festival, on Saturday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Canterbury Equestrian Showplace.
MCBIA Calendar of Events
BANCF Calendar of Events
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USGBC Heart of Florida Chapter
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Home Builders Garner OK 08 Legislative Success
The 2008 Legislative Session ended last Friday with the ceremonial dropping of the handkerchief, but not before lawmakers had passed a bevy of bills that position Florida's home builders for success. Despite the tough economic woes that forced lawmakers to cut more than $3 billion from the state's budget, the Florida Home Builders Association successfully advocated for the passage of its 2008 member-identified priority issues. Affordable housing, building code/mitigation, impact fees, onsite and springshed protection, and property insurance -- all member-identified priority issues were victorious during the 2008 Legislative Session.
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Business Did Well During Session
Despite agonizing budget cuts that dominated debate during this year's legislative session, the business community said it fared relatively well, defeating a corporate-tax hike proposal, several insurance mandates and an arbitration bill that would have opened the door to lawsuits. Overall, consumers did pretty well, too, according to Brad Ashwell, consumer advocate for the Florida Public Interest Research Group.
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This Year's Big Winner: Hometown Democracy
During the legislative session, the Florida Land Council did what the group does best: Kill any proposal to manage growth. That shortsighted action, however, likely will bring on an alternative that the council and every developer in Florida dislikes even more: the Florida Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment that would require voter approval for every change to local growth plans. Tom Pelham is secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs, which regulates development. Mr. Pelham, like The Post, thinks that Hometown Democracy would be an overreaction to legitimate gripes about development. He proposed to the Legislature a broad, mostly non-threatening list of reforms under the heading "Citizens Planning Bill of Rights." He billed the reforms as a first step toward deflecting Hometown Democracy.
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Thinking Green Comes in Steps Big and Small
At first glance, the shiny new Staples on Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 21st Street in Miami doesn't look unusual. But it's the office-supply chain's very first store to be built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. The store has registered for certification, which can take many months, said Bill Bionde, who developed the building for Staples with Michael Katz as part of 2121 Biscayne Boulevard LLC. This was the first LEED project for Bionde and the entire development team and won't be the last. He said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz's support of the project was key.
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Fla. Supreme Court Hears Arguments over Planning Amendment
The state's revised statement on how much a proposed growth management amendment would cost taxpayers is still vague and misleading, a lawyer for the plan's supporters told the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday. Florida Hometown Democracy is leading a petition drive on the proposal that would require voter approval of changes in plans that determine how and where cities and counties grow. The group wants it on the ballot in 2010 if not this year. Citizens initiatives must have a financial statement that gives voters an idea how much proposals could cost. The Supreme Court last year ruled an initial statement from state economists was misleading and ordered them to try again.
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Tavares Might Forgo Impact Fees to Attract New Business
Aspiring entrepreneurs soon might find it easier to open a new business in downtown Tavares. A new proposal would discount city of Tavares impact fees for new businesses in the city's downtown community redevelopment area. Discounts would equal the money a developer spends preparing a future business site. It's a way to attract businesses to downtown Tavares - and start diversifying the city's tax base - in the midst of a slow economy, city officials say.
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Paulson Says Credit Crisis Fading
The worst of the credit crisis may have passed, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Wednesday, while acknowledging that rising gas prices will blunt the effect of 130 million economic stimulus checks. He ruled out a second stimulus package for now. In an interview with The Associated Press, Paulson said that the turmoil that has gripped Wall Street and took a turn for the worse again in March has eased somewhat. "There's progress," he said. "I think we're closer to the end of this than the beginning." A prolonged housing slump, a severe credit crisis and soaring energy costs have pushed the economy to the edge of a recession. To help cushion the blow, the Bush administration and Congress speedily enacted a $168 billion stimulus package of tax rebates for people and tax breaks for businesses.
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House OKs Controversial Housing Plan
The House on Thursday passed a contentious foreclosure-prevention package, which still faces a veto threat from the White House and an uncertain fate in the Senate. In a 266-154 vote - with 39 Republicans voting in favor - lawmakers approved a proposal, sponsored by House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., to let the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insure up to $300 billion in new loans over four years if lenders agree to reduce the mortgage principal. To qualify, the lender would have to cut the debt to no more than 85% of a home's current appraised value. If the FHA-refinanced loans went into default, the FHA would pay the lender the remaining principal owed.
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Builders Laud House Passage of Housing Bill, Urge Congress to Move Quickly
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today applauded House passage of H.R. 3221, the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act. The bill would help struggling borrowers and boost the ailing housing market and faltering economy. "Last week, more than 1,200 home builders delivered an urgent message to Congress to enact legislation to jump-start housing, save jobs and restore confidence. H.R. 3221 would help achieve these aims. With the economy on the edge of a deep recession, we urge House and Senate negotiators to move swiftly to reconcile their differences and craft a final bill that the President can sign into law in order to bring much-needed relief to the American people," said NAHB President Sandy Dunn, a home builder from Point Pleasant, W.Va.
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NAHB Applauds Fannie Mae Housing Recovery Initiatives
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today expressed support for steps recently announced by Fannie Mae to address severe problems in the nation's housing finance system.
"Fannie Mae is demonstrating the leadership expected of a government-sponsored enterprise with the rollout of its Keys to Recovery Initiatives and commitment to raise additional capital to support those and other responses to mortgage market challenges," said NAHB President Sandy Dunn, a home builder from Point Pleasant, W.Va. The Keys to Recovery Initiatives are a series of new programs designed to increase liquidity and stability in the mortgage and housing markets.
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FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery Honored By Housing Groups
Assistant Secretary for Housing at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Federal Housing Commissioner Brian Montgomery was named the 2008 recipient of the Robert J. Corletta Award for Achievement in Affordable Housing last week. The Corletta Award, presented annually by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Neighborhood Development Collaborative (NDC), pays tribute to individuals who have shown extraordinary creativity and dedication to the cause of affordable housing. In bestowing the award to the Commissioner, the housing groups cited in particular his efforts to keep FHA programs viable for the production and rehabilitation of rental apartments that low and moderate income households can afford.
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Homebuilders Getting Greener, But Lacking Sustainability Leader
Although all of the largest U.S homebuilders have made some efforts to green their work, none has fully embraced sustainable building as a core business strategy, a recent report found. "Greener Pastures for America's Homebuilders?" looks at the environmental performance, policies and programs of the 13 largest publicly traded homebuilders in the U.S. Even though the report ranks the companies and identifies which ones are doing better than others, said Stu Dalheim, director of shareholder advocacy for diversified investment management firm Calvert, they all could be doing more. "No company is far enough ahead to claim ultimate leadership (on sustainability)," he said. "This is a recent phenomenon and the companies are just beginning to disclose their policies"
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Solar Water Heat Required in New Hawaii Homes
All new homes in Hawaii will be required to have solar water heaters installed starting in 2010 under a law approved by the Legislature. Hawaii becomes the first state requiring the energy-saving systems in homes. Solar water heaters typically cost home buyers about $5,000 extra on their mortgage, but island residents will save thousands of dollars over the years on their electricity bills, supporters said.
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Slim Down Utility Bills with Green Remodeling
It doesn't cost much to put your house on an energy diet. In fact, remodeling to improve energy efficiency may pay for itself with immediate savings on energy and water bills. May is Home Remodeling Month, and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers is shining a spotlight on the financial incentives of remodeling and offering suggestions for home renovation projects that provide the best return on investment. "Home owners save big on green remodels," said NAHB Remodelers Chairman Lonny Rutherford, CGR, CAPS, a professional remodeler from Farmington, N. M. "Not only is green remodeling good for the environment, it is great for the check book." Remodelers are more knowledgeable than ever about green options, and with energy-efficiency tax credits and new technology, home owners can maximize the efficiency of their home while minimizing their utility bills. As energy costs rise, consumers can save money by making sure their homes use less energy through increased efficiency.
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AGC's Simonson and Husband to Speak in Gainesville
AGC of Greater Florida has scheduled a Gainesville meeting for today at 11:30 a.m. Ken Simonson, Chief Economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, will discuss the current economic turmoil on the industry, and where he sees it going in the next eight to 12 months. Simonson will be joined by Warren Husband, Governmental Affairs Director for the Associated General Contractors in Florida, who will brief the group on the 2008 Legislative session, and what new laws and changes will affect the building industry. The meeting will take place at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center.
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Breaking Ground for the Future
Columbia County school officials turned spades of dirt in an official groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning at the site of the new $15 million elementary school on the west side of the district, as work crews continued site-preparation work for the school's opening in August 2009. The six building, 92,000-square-feet elementary school, located on Birley Road, is expected to be completed in April 2009 and open to students beginning in the 2009-2010 school year. School, city, county and business officials attended to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new school.
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Nonresidential Construction Spending Continues to Rise
Nonresidential construction spending rose nearly 12 percent over the past year and was up 1.3 percent in March 2008 on a monthly seasonally-adjusted basis, according to a U.S. Department of Commerce construction spending report released May 1. Total construction spending in March declined 1.1 percent from February 2008 on a seasonally-adjusted annualized basis to $1.124 trillion. This is a 3.4 percent drop between March 2007 and March 2008 that ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu said is best explained by the faltering residential sector which saw a 19.7 percent decline in construction spending in the past year.
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House Passes Bill Requiring OSHA to Issue Combustible Dust Rule
The U.S. House of Representatives, April 30 voted 247-165 in favor of H.R. 5522, a bill that would force the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a rule regulating worker exposure to combustible dust. ABC sent a letter to House members before the vote stating its opposition to the bill that would require an interim rule regarding combustible dust be issued within 90 days and a final rule within 18 months. Employers would be required to be in compliance with the interim rule within 30 days.
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AGCGF is now offering STP & Construction Estimating Classes online!
Click herefor the 2008 class schedule.
AGC of Greater Florida Calendar of Events
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Commercial Winter 2008
HOME: Living in the Heart of Florida
AGC: Constructor Spring 2008
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