Coronavirus/COVID-19 Furthers Retail Contraction. Almost 55% of the US’ retail floor space — 4.8 billion square feet — has closed, according to GlobalData. The effect of the pandemic has been uneven, with apparel retailers and restaurants bearing the brunt of the financial impact and some needs-based retailers adding staff. “It’s a tale of two markets right now,”
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Architect Ralph Twitchell – The Making Of A Sarasota Legend By Norm Luppino Ralph Twitchell’s name is best associated as being the “Father of the Sarasota School of Architecture”. He is also noted for having practiced with two of the nation’s most renown 20th century architects. The first was with prominent New York’s society architect Dwight Baum, whose credits in Sarasota include John and Mabel Ringling’s Ca’ d’Zan and the Sarasota Courthouse. In the late 1940’s, Twitchell teamed with Paul Rudolph, who went on to become internationally famous as one of world’s most acclaimed modernist architects during the 1960’s and […]
Friday, August 17, 2018
The Emerging Trends In Retail And Commercial Real Estate By William Henry, PhD The keynote addresses delivered by retail and commercial real estate experts at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) annual RECON conference in Las Vegas last month can be boiled down into three major themes: 1) The oversupply of single purpose retail space is causing the repurposing of large underperforming retail properties to other uses The United States has the highest amount of single purpose retail space in the world. Per recent census numbers, for every man, woman, and child, the US has more than twice the […]
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
The Legendary Crosley Estate: An Upside To A Real Estate Bust By Norm Luppino Few properties were as affected by the dramatic swings in Florida’s volatile real-estate market as the historic Crosley estate on Sarasota Bay. But as evidence that there is often an upside within a market bust, it was during some of Florida’s biggest real estate slumps that the Crosley mansion was built, later saved, and finally restored to create one the premiere cultural facilities on Florida’s west coast. The first attempt to develop the property occurred during the famous land boom of the 1920s. In 1925 – […]
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Grand Opening of Clinique Of Plastic Surgery and Laser Institute Creates Unique Affiliation With ZO® Skin Health By William Henry, PhD RGA-DESIGN LLC, and Focus Development, each of Tampa FL, are pleased to announce the completion and Grand Opening of the Clinique of Plastic Surgery and Laser Institute located at 240 1st Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL (www.cliniqueps.com 888-247-9886). RGA Design and Focus Development designed and constructed the comprehensive renovations to the historic four-story building, which now is the home of the state of the art surgical center. William Henry, Ph.D., is the principal architect at RGA. He has over […]
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Less Is Better In The Housing World By William Henry, PhD Compare the 1959 Cadillac to the models of 2016. The name is the same but that’s about it. The new ones are much smaller and more sophisticated than the 1959 behemoth. Housing is following the same path. Smaller homes are becoming attractive to buyers and developers, and for some of the same reasons. There are over 70 million Baby Boomers in this country with their successors close on their heels. And then there are the young, first time home buyers – together these two demographic groups seem to be […]
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
The Architect’s Role In Construction By William Henry, PhD The public’s perception of an architect is often quite simple. Of course the real world can be quite different than traditional perceptions. The simplest perception of an architect is a person hired to design a structure by the future structure’s owner, who also hires a contractor to undertake its construction. There are situations in which this perception is totally accurate, but generally only in the simplest situations such as a party desiring to build a home or place of business. However, many projects are much more complex. Commercial projects can involve […]
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Required Procedures In Florida For Dealing With Design And Construction Defects By William Henry, PhD The Florida Legislature has created a mandatory method to resolve construction disputes with idea that it would reduce the need for litigation as well as protect the rights of property owners. It requires that a property owner file a notice of claim with the contractor, subcontractor, supplier, or design professional that he or she asserts is responsible for design or construction defects. It provides the contractor, subcontractor, supplier, or design professional, and their insurers an opportunity to resolve the claim through confidential settlement negotiations without […]
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Slip or Trip and Fall Cases Can Yield Multi Million Dollar Settlements By William Henry, PhD It may come as a surprise to many that a slight defect in a sidewalk could result in a multi million dollar settlement by your local government to the injured party. Yet a recent accident on a public sidewalk outside of a New York City Hospital yielded the victim a settlement of 2.25 million dollars. The City preferred to settle this claim rather than risk exposure to a larger award by a jury who could empathize with the victim’s plight. Since we at RGA […]
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Interview With Developer Tom Mannausa The Jewel Rising By Ed Bertha Tom, you opened The Jewel’s sales office in November, 2012. In December, 2013 you began converting deposits into binding purchase agreements. During the same timeframe you had to deal with permits and other legal hurdles. Construction began in April, 2014. The Jewel’s residents are slated to move in early August, 2015. What a ride, and the most satisfying part is only beginning. Let’s reflect.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Thinking Of Remodeling Your Condo? By Jay Anderson It is the time of year when our Florida weather spawns spring cleaning and remodeling projects. Large condominium projects typically occur when a resale purchase is made, while smaller projects, like a kitchen or bath, can occur any time. In a single-family home you are usually inconveniencing one person or a single family, but in a condo, you could be impacting hundreds. Sometimes, though, structural elements or utilities prevent a contractor from being able to redesign the interior as much as you would like. If you live in a condo here are […]
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Designer Liability From A Forensic Architects Point of View? By William Henry, PhD “Your Architect Cannot Deliver Perfection” As a forensic architect and court certified expert witness, I am often engaged by both plaintiff and defense counsel to opine on whether an architect has committed errors and omissions that would lead to liability exposure. What actions by architects constitute errors and omissions (E&O) that could lead to damages incurred by property owners, clients, and/or victims of construction site injuries? A Take On Errors And Omissions Prior to attempting to offer up yet another definition of E&O, we need to establish […]
Monday, January 6, 2014
What are DreamScapes? By William Henry, PhD Over the last 30 years or so I, like many Florida residents, enjoy taking my family to Disney World as well as other theme parks in Central Florida. I hope to take my grandchildren there someday. My favorite has always been the MGM theme park attraction at Disney World. I am also impressed with Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island. There seems to be an aura of “Magic” present as well as at the other Disney venues. Though my background entails practicing both as a designer and researcher, I had not bothered to tap […]
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Super Boat Grand Prix “THIS IS NOT JUST A BOAT RIDE” By Ed Bertha Photography by Rodrick Cox There is nothing typical about the Super Boat International Racing Series; the racetrack is mother-nature’s water, relentlessly changing and frequently includes volatile, unpredictable environments. The level of skill required by the racers is exceedingly intense: adrenaline, dexterity, talent and a hyper focus on surroundings and conditions are just a few. It is exciting for spectators as well. There is no stadium-style seating or chain link fence dividing the fans from the racers. Depending on what watercourse is attended, fans watch from the […]
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Furniture Follows Fashion By Ed Bertha I recently enjoyed a conversation with Jeff Bacon, who manages Bacon’s Furniture and Design of Sarasota. He said something that really provoked great interest and curiosity: “Furniture follows fashion”. Interesting indeed: all design students are taught “Form follows function”, and perhaps I didn’t give much thought to the significant impact the fashion industry has on the furniture industry. But it seemed logical. I am sure events such as Manhattan’s Fashion Week are those to which fashionistas pay great attention so they can be the first to sport the new, trendy and sometimes avant-garde whims […]
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Monday, April 13, 2020
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