Elevator World

Today's podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com.

ATIS AMONG FASTEST-GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES IN U.S.

St. Louis-based ATIS Elevator Inspections, a subsidiary of American Testing and Inspection Services, LLC (ATIS), has been named among the fastest-growing private companies in the country, according to the 2018 Inc. 5000 list. ATIS ranked 2,390th on the latest list, which was determined by the editors of Inc. Magazine. Over the past three years, ATIS has grown at a nearly 200% compound annual growth rate, driven by both the organic expansion of its customer base and ongoing strategic acquisitions. ATIS has more than 100 certified inspectors and performs inspections in more than 40 states. The team services over 20,000 customers and more than 50,000 unique devices. ATIS CEO Chip Smith said, "We are very excited to be recognized as not only one of the fastest-growing companies in the world of elevators, but across all industries."

BEACHFRONT “JEWEL” TOPS OUT ON AUSTRALIA’S GOLD COAST

Yuhu Group recently celebrated the topping out at 47 stories of the tallest of three towers making up its Jewel development on Australia's Gold Coast, The Urban Developer reports. Housing residences, Jewel is the "first absolute beachfront resort on the Gold Coast in more than 30 years," the source observed, and will join high rises including Forise Holdings' Spirit, which will become Queensland's tallest residential skyscraper at 89 stories. Architects Chad Oppenheim and Barry Lee of DBI drew inspiration from smoky quartz crystals discovered in the region for their glass-curtain-wall design for Jewel, scheduled for completion in mid 2019.

CECA ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT COMING UP IN GATINEAU

The Canadian Elevator Contractor Association’s (CECA) seventh-annual golf tournament is planned for September 14 at Le Sorcier Golf Club in Gatineau, Canada. Sponsors are Regional Elevator and Adams Elevator Service Co. A luncheon will follow the tournament. Accommodations are available at the Hilton Lac-Leamy. CECA Executive Director Catharine Bothwell reminds anyone interested they do not have to be a golfer to attend. To register and book a room, visit the website.

TORONTO CITY COUNCIL OKs PLAN FOR 38-STORY CONDO TOWER

The Toronto City Council has approved a Marlin Spring and Broccolini plan to build a 38-story condominium tower designed by Graziani + Corazza at 5 Defries Street in the Queen and River streets area, Urban Toronto reports. Featuring a four-story base and an 11-story midrise section, the plan has evolved since a pair of towers was originally proposed in 2016. Within the structure will be 560 residences (some two story), and indoor and outdoor amenity space on the ground and 12th levels. The council plans to pursue rezoning for the project, one of several in various stages of development east of the Regent Park revitalization project, in September.

Image: ATIS

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Today's podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com.

ATIS AMONG FASTEST-GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES IN U.S.

St. Louis-based ATIS Elevator Inspections, a subsidiary of American Testing and Inspection Services, LLC (ATIS), has been named among the fastest-growing private companies in the country, according to the 2018 Inc. 5000 list. ATIS ranked 2,390th on the latest list, which was determined by the editors of Inc. Magazine. Over the past three years, ATIS has grown at a nearly 200% compound annual growth rate, driven by both the organic expansion of its customer base and ongoing strategic acquisitions. ATIS has more than 100 certified inspectors and performs inspections in more than 40 states. The team services over 20,000 customers and more than 50,000 unique devices. ATIS CEO Chip Smith said, "We are very excited to be recognized as not only one of the fastest-growing companies in the world of elevators, but across all industries."

BEACHFRONT “JEWEL” TOPS OUT ON AUSTRALIA’S GOLD COAST

Yuhu Group recently celebrated the topping out at 47 stories of the tallest of three towers making up its Jewel development on Australia's Gold Coast, The Urban Developer reports. Housing residences, Jewel is the "first absolute beachfront resort on the Gold Coast in more than 30 years," the source observed, and will join high rises including Forise Holdings' Spirit, which will become Queensland's tallest residential skyscraper at 89 stories. Architects Chad Oppenheim and Barry Lee of DBI drew inspiration from smoky quartz crystals discovered in the region for their glass-curtain-wall design for Jewel, scheduled for completion in mid 2019.

CECA ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT COMING UP IN GATINEAU

The Canadian Elevator Contractor Association’s (CECA) seventh-annual golf tournament is planned for September 14 at Le Sorcier Golf Club in Gatineau, Canada. Sponsors are Regional Elevator and Adams Elevator Service Co. A luncheon will follow the tournament. Accommodations are available at the Hilton Lac-Leamy. CECA Executive Director Catharine Bothwell reminds anyone interested they do not have to be a golfer to attend. To register and book a room, visit the website.

TORONTO CITY COUNCIL OKs PLAN FOR 38-STORY CONDO TOWER

The Toronto City Council has approved a Marlin Spring and Broccolini plan to build a 38-story condominium tower designed by Graziani + Corazza at 5 Defries Street in the Queen and River streets area, Urban Toronto reports. Featuring a four-story base and an 11-story midrise section, the plan has evolved since a pair of towers was originally proposed in 2016. Within the structure will be 560 residences (some two story), and indoor and outdoor amenity space on the ground and 12th levels. The council plans to pursue rezoning for the project, one of several in various stages of development east of the Regent Park revitalization project, in September.

Image: ATIS

Subscribe: iTunes | GooglePlay

Today's podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com.

ATIS AMONG FASTEST-GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES IN U.S.

St. Louis-based ATIS Elevator Inspections, a subsidiary of American Testing and Inspection Services, LLC (ATIS), has been named among the fastest-growing private companies in the country, according to the 2018 Inc. 5000 list. ATIS ranked 2,390th on the latest list, which was determined by the editors of Inc. Magazine. Over the past three years, ATIS has grown at a nearly 200% compound annual growth rate, driven by both the organic expansion of its customer base and ongoing strategic acquisitions. ATIS has more than 100 certified inspectors and performs inspections in more than 40 states. The team services over 20,000 customers and more than 50,000 unique devices. ATIS CEO Chip Smith said, "We are very excited to be recognized as not only one of the fastest-growing companies in the world of elevators, but across all industries."

BEACHFRONT “JEWEL” TOPS OUT ON AUSTRALIA’S GOLD COAST

Yuhu Group recently celebrated the topping out at 47 stories of the tallest of three towers making up its Jewel development on Australia's Gold Coast, The Urban Developer reports. Housing residences, Jewel is the "first absolute beachfront resort on the Gold Coast in more than 30 years," the source observed, and will join high rises including Forise Holdings' Spirit, which will become Queensland's tallest residential skyscraper at 89 stories. Architects Chad Oppenheim and Barry Lee of DBI drew inspiration from smoky quartz crystals discovered in the region for their glass-curtain-wall design for Jewel, scheduled for completion in mid 2019.

CECA ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT COMING UP IN GATINEAU

The Canadian Elevator Contractor Association’s (CECA) seventh-annual golf tournament is planned for September 14 at Le Sorcier Golf Club in Gatineau, Canada. Sponsors are Regional Elevator and Adams Elevator Service Co. A luncheon will follow the tournament. Accommodations are available at the Hilton Lac-Leamy. CECA Executive Director Catharine Bothwell reminds anyone interested they do not have to be a golfer to attend. To register and book a room, visit the website.

TORONTO CITY COUNCIL OKs PLAN FOR 38-STORY CONDO TOWER

The Toronto City Council has approved a Marlin Spring and Broccolini plan to build a 38-story condominium tower designed by Graziani + Corazza at 5 Defries Street in the Queen and River streets area, Urban Toronto reports. Featuring a four-story base and an 11-story midrise section, the plan has evolved since a pair of towers was originally proposed in 2016. Within the structure will be 560 residences (some two story), and indoor and outdoor amenity space on the ground and 12th levels. The council plans to pursue rezoning for the project, one of several in various stages of development east of the Regent Park revitalization project, in September.

Image: ATIS

Subscribe: iTunes | GooglePlay

thyssenkrupp’s predictive-maintenance technology MAX has been installed in 69 elevators at Microsoft’s 8-million-sq.-ft. corporate headquarters campus in Redmond, Washington, thyssenkrupp announced. The technology was implemented to meet what thyssenkrupp describes as the escalating transportation demands on the 337-elevator system, which moves more than 50,000 people daily and is overseen by three full-time technicians. thyssenkrupp stated: “Powered by Microsoft’s Azure machine-learning platform, MAX’s connectivity enables Microsoft’s real-estate group, CBRE, to monitor all elevator functions, including operating speed and capacity, as well as individual components. . . supporting smarter management of the building-transportation system.”

Ed Voll, founder and chief operating officer of Vertical Systems Analysis (VSA), a New York City (NYC)-headquartered elevator and escalator engineering and consulting firm with offices in Philadelphia, Miami and Chicago, announced the appointment of project managers Brian Meridth and Chuck Wickner. Meridth has been in the industry for 18 years and specializes in elevator modernization. He began his career as an apprentice with the International Union of Elevator Constructors in Los Angeles, moving on to a supervisor position with Schindler. After that, Meridth became a modernization superintendent with KONE, working on large projects with The Irvine Co., one of California's largest developers.

In the industry nearly three decades, Wickner specializes in elevator modernization in NYC. Prior to joining VSA, he supervised and managed many high-profile NYC projects, notably a US$17-million undertaking with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to modernize 17 elevators in lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn.

Sidewalk Labs LLC, a unit of Google parent Alphabet Inc., is considering wood construction for tall buildings in Quayside, a 4.9-ha "city of the future" on Toronto's waterfront, Bloomberg reports. If the plan comes to fruition, it would be the largest development yet built with tall-timber technology, a high-rise construction method that uses laminated wood in the place of steel and concrete. Proponents say it is just as strong and fire-resistant as traditional building materials and is more environmentally friendly, cheaper and faster to erect. Quayside would include about 3,000 residential units in buildings as tall as 50 stories, but Sidewalk Labs must first persuade officials to change the building codes — Toronto regulations limit wood-construction buildings to six floors, though that is expected to double to 12 by 2021.

A petition campaign is underway in the Norwood neighborhood of Bronx, New York, aimed at getting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to install an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant elevator at the Mosholu Parkway 4 train station, Norwood News reports. The effort is being led by Eric Dinowitz, a special-education teacher who has an eye on the Norwood City Council seat. The MTA board plans to meet on September 26 to discuss which five stations will receive elevators as part of a US$200-million addition to its 2015-2019 capital budget that aims to address the system’s often-criticized inaccessibility. Abutting a business improvement district, Mosuolu Parkway station is close to two hospitals, several housing developments and a high school.

Architecture firm Aedas drew inspiration from the idea of a loop for its four-tower plan for China Railway Construction Corp. (CRCC) featuring a vegetated, winding skybridge connecting all four buildings in Zhuhai, China, in the Pearl River Delta near Hong Kong, various news outlets, including designboom, report. Scheduled for completion by 2022, Hengqin CRCC Plaza is set to have more than 200,000 m2 of space, with one tower serving as a headquarters, and the other three housing leasable office space. Heights were not given but appear from renderings to be considerable.

Image: Wikipedia (public domain)

thyssenkrupp’s predictive-maintenance technology MAX has been installed in 69 elevators at Microsoft’s 8-million-sq.-ft. corporate headquarters campus in Redmond, Washington, thyssenkrupp announced. The technology was implemented to meet what thyssenkrupp describes as the escalating transportation demands on the 337-elevator system, which moves more than 50,000 people daily and is overseen by three full-time technicians. thyssenkrupp stated: “Powered by Microsoft’s Azure machine-learning platform, MAX’s connectivity enables Microsoft’s real-estate group, CBRE, to monitor all elevator functions, including operating speed and capacity, as well as individual components. . . supporting smarter management of the building-transportation system.”

Ed Voll, founder and chief operating officer of Vertical Systems Analysis (VSA), a New York City (NYC)-headquartered elevator and escalator engineering and consulting firm with offices in Philadelphia, Miami and Chicago, announced the appointment of project managers Brian Meridth and Chuck Wickner. Meridth has been in the industry for 18 years and specializes in elevator modernization. He began his career as an apprentice with the International Union of Elevator Constructors in Los Angeles, moving on to a supervisor position with Schindler. After that, Meridth became a modernization superintendent with KONE, working on large projects with The Irvine Co., one of California's largest developers.

In the industry nearly three decades, Wickner specializes in elevator modernization in NYC. Prior to joining VSA, he supervised and managed many high-profile NYC projects, notably a US$17-million undertaking with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to modernize 17 elevators in lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn.

Sidewalk Labs LLC, a unit of Google parent Alphabet Inc., is considering wood construction for tall buildings in Quayside, a 4.9-ha "city of the future" on Toronto's waterfront, Bloomberg reports. If the plan comes to fruition, it would be the largest development yet built with tall-timber technology, a high-rise construction method that uses laminated wood in the place of steel and concrete. Proponents say it is just as strong and fire-resistant as traditional building materials and is more environmentally friendly, cheaper and faster to erect. Quayside would include about 3,000 residential units in buildings as tall as 50 stories, but Sidewalk Labs must first persuade officials to change the building codes — Toronto regulations limit wood-construction buildings to six floors, though that is expected to double to 12 by 2021.

A petition campaign is underway in the Norwood neighborhood of Bronx, New York, aimed at getting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to install an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant elevator at the Mosholu Parkway 4 train station, Norwood News reports. The effort is being led by Eric Dinowitz, a special-education teacher who has an eye on the Norwood City Council seat. The MTA board plans to meet on September 26 to discuss which five stations will receive elevators as part of a US$200-million addition to its 2015-2019 capital budget that aims to address the system’s often-criticized inaccessibility. Abutting a business improvement district, Mosuolu Parkway station is close to two hospitals, several housing developments and a high school.

Architecture firm Aedas drew inspiration from the idea of a loop for its four-tower plan for China Railway Construction Corp. (CRCC) featuring a vegetated, winding skybridge connecting all four buildings in Zhuhai, China, in the Pearl River Delta near Hong Kong, various news outlets, including designboom, report. Scheduled for completion by 2022, Hengqin CRCC Plaza is set to have more than 200,000 m2 of space, with one tower serving as a headquarters, and the other three housing leasable office space. Heights were not given but appear from renderings to be considerable.

Image: Wikipedia (public domain)

thyssenkrupp’s predictive-maintenance technology MAX has been installed in 69 elevators at Microsoft’s 8-million-sq.-ft. corporate headquarters campus in Redmond, Washington, thyssenkrupp announced. The technology was implemented to meet what thyssenkrupp describes as the escalating transportation demands on the 337-elevator system, which moves more than 50,000 people daily and is overseen by three full-time technicians. thyssenkrupp stated: “Powered by Microsoft’s Azure machine-learning platform, MAX’s connectivity enables Microsoft’s real-estate group, CBRE, to monitor all elevator functions, including operating speed and capacity, as well as individual components. . . supporting smarter management of the building-transportation system.”

Ed Voll, founder and chief operating officer of Vertical Systems Analysis (VSA), a New York City (NYC)-headquartered elevator and escalator engineering and consulting firm with offices in Philadelphia, Miami and Chicago, announced the appointment of project managers Brian Meridth and Chuck Wickner. Meridth has been in the industry for 18 years and specializes in elevator modernization. He began his career as an apprentice with the International Union of Elevator Constructors in Los Angeles, moving on to a supervisor position with Schindler. After that, Meridth became a modernization superintendent with KONE, working on large projects with The Irvine Co., one of California's largest developers.

In the industry nearly three decades, Wickner specializes in elevator modernization in NYC. Prior to joining VSA, he supervised and managed many high-profile NYC projects, notably a US$17-million undertaking with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to modernize 17 elevators in lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn.

Sidewalk Labs LLC, a unit of Google parent Alphabet Inc., is considering wood construction for tall buildings in Quayside, a 4.9-ha "city of the future" on Toronto's waterfront, Bloomberg reports. If the plan comes to fruition, it would be the largest development yet built with tall-timber technology, a high-rise construction method that uses laminated wood in the place of steel and concrete. Proponents say it is just as strong and fire-resistant as traditional building materials and is more environmentally friendly, cheaper and faster to erect. Quayside would include about 3,000 residential units in buildings as tall as 50 stories, but Sidewalk Labs must first persuade officials to change the building codes — Toronto regulations limit wood-construction buildings to six floors, though that is expected to double to 12 by 2021.

A petition campaign is underway in the Norwood neighborhood of Bronx, New York, aimed at getting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to install an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant elevator at the Mosholu Parkway 4 train station, Norwood News reports. The effort is being led by Eric Dinowitz, a special-education teacher who has an eye on the Norwood City Council seat. The MTA board plans to meet on September 26 to discuss which five stations will receive elevators as part of a US$200-million addition to its 2015-2019 capital budget that aims to address the system’s often-criticized inaccessibility. Abutting a business improvement district, Mosuolu Parkway station is close to two hospitals, several housing developments and a high school.

Architecture firm Aedas drew inspiration from the idea of a loop for its four-tower plan for China Railway Construction Corp. (CRCC) featuring a vegetated, winding skybridge connecting all four buildings in Zhuhai, China, in the Pearl River Delta near Hong Kong, various news outlets, including designboom, report. Scheduled for completion by 2022, Hengqin CRCC Plaza is set to have more than 200,000 m2 of space, with one tower serving as a headquarters, and the other three housing leasable office space. Heights were not given but appear from renderings to be considerable.

Image: Wikipedia (public domain)

ROSEMOR ADDS DISTRIBUTORS

Rosemor International Ltd., a U.K.-based escalator cleaning-machine supplier, announced in August that it gained new dealers in the U.S., Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Belgium and China. It has also set up an arrangement with a local U.S. nationwide service and maintenance provider for aftersales support. In the U.S. and Canada, USA-CLEAN, Inc. is the exclusive distributor for Rosemor's machines. Established in 1986, Decatur, Illinois-based USA-CLEAN has grown into one of the largest independent providers of repair service and parts for floor-cleaning equipment in North America. It reported it will also be rolling out a new dealer program for direct sales throughout both countries, adding it "has had breakthrough selling to new markets, such as Iran, Hong Kong, India, China and Romania."

FIRST GREENPOINT LANDING BUILDING OPENS IN BROOKLYN

The 30-story One Blue Slip at 37 Blue Slip overlooking Midtown and Lower Manhattan in Brooklyn, New York, is now leasing its 359 units, and developers are confident about the future of the four-tower Handel Architects-designed Greenpoint Landing, New York YIMBY reports. A joint venture of Brookfield Properties and master planner Park Tower Group is behind the development, which will eventually have 5,500 apartments (including 1,400 that are "affordable"), an elementary school and a 1.5-acre waterfront park on 22 acres. One Blue Slip's amenities include indoor and outdoor lounges, a fitness center, a bar with an outdoor terrace, a children's playroom and co-working space. The 39-story, 421-unit Two Blue Slip is under construction and slated for completion in 2019.

ELEVATOR SHAFT FALL FATAL FOR SECURITY GUARD IN BUSAN

A 29-year-old apartment-building security guard fell down an elevator shaft to his death in Busan, South Korea, on August 18, The Korea Times reports. The incident happened in the building in which he was working in the Haeundae Beach area, and is believed to be the result of a technical glitch causing the elevator doors to open before the car arrived. Authorities are investigating.

NEXT CEA MEETING, OTHER EVENTS ANNOUNCED

The Chicago Elevator Association (CEA) has scheduled its next meeting for September 6 at The Clubhouse at 298 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, Illinois, with dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Joe Donnelly will be the guest speaker, providing a Chicago code update. Those wishing to attend should RSVP to email or (708) 371-2477. CEA has also announced future meeting dates of October 4 and November 1, and its Annual Christmas Party for December 5.

IN MEMORIAM: RODNEY L. “ROD” JAMES

Rodney L. "Rod" James, a 35-year Otis employee who served his last 16 years in vice-president roles, passed away on August 2 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at age 92. A native of Detroit, James was a U.S. military veteran whose career included being awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for service in Korea. With a degree from Yale University Sheffield School of Engineering, James joined Otis, retiring as senior vice president of U.S. Field Operations. When he and his late wife of 65 years, Ruth, retired to Kiawah Island, South Carolina, he acted as the Otis salesman of residential elevators there. Survivors include daughter, Karen; grandson, Dixon; and brother, Bob. A private memorial is planned at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to University Presbyterian Church, 209 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514; UNC Hospice; and The Cedars of Chapel Hill, 100 Cedar Club Circle, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517. Condolences may be expressed at Cremation Society of the Carolinas.

Image courtesy newyorkyimby.com via Qualls Benson:

https://newyorkyimby.com/2018/08/one-blue-slip-opens-for-leasing-in-brooklyns-greenpoint-landing.html

ROSEMOR ADDS DISTRIBUTORS

Rosemor International Ltd., a U.K.-based escalator cleaning-machine supplier, announced in August that it gained new dealers in the U.S., Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Belgium and China. It has also set up an arrangement with a local U.S. nationwide service and maintenance provider for aftersales support. In the U.S. and Canada, USA-CLEAN, Inc. is the exclusive distributor for Rosemor's machines. Established in 1986, Decatur, Illinois-based USA-CLEAN has grown into one of the largest independent providers of repair service and parts for floor-cleaning equipment in North America. It reported it will also be rolling out a new dealer program for direct sales throughout both countries, adding it "has had breakthrough selling to new markets, such as Iran, Hong Kong, India, China and Romania."

FIRST GREENPOINT LANDING BUILDING OPENS IN BROOKLYN

The 30-story One Blue Slip at 37 Blue Slip overlooking Midtown and Lower Manhattan in Brooklyn, New York, is now leasing its 359 units, and developers are confident about the future of the four-tower Handel Architects-designed Greenpoint Landing, New York YIMBY reports. A joint venture of Brookfield Properties and master planner Park Tower Group is behind the development, which will eventually have 5,500 apartments (including 1,400 that are "affordable"), an elementary school and a 1.5-acre waterfront park on 22 acres. One Blue Slip's amenities include indoor and outdoor lounges, a fitness center, a bar with an outdoor terrace, a children's playroom and co-working space. The 39-story, 421-unit Two Blue Slip is under construction and slated for completion in 2019.

ELEVATOR SHAFT FALL FATAL FOR SECURITY GUARD IN BUSAN

A 29-year-old apartment-building security guard fell down an elevator shaft to his death in Busan, South Korea, on August 18, The Korea Times reports. The incident happened in the building in which he was working in the Haeundae Beach area, and is believed to be the result of a technical glitch causing the elevator doors to open before the car arrived. Authorities are investigating.

NEXT CEA MEETING, OTHER EVENTS ANNOUNCED

The Chicago Elevator Association (CEA) has scheduled its next meeting for September 6 at The Clubhouse at 298 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, Illinois, with dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Joe Donnelly will be the guest speaker, providing a Chicago code update. Those wishing to attend should RSVP to email or (708) 371-2477. CEA has also announced future meeting dates of October 4 and November 1, and its Annual Christmas Party for December 5.

IN MEMORIAM: RODNEY L. “ROD” JAMES

Rodney L. "Rod" James, a 35-year Otis employee who served his last 16 years in vice-president roles, passed away on August 2 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at age 92. A native of Detroit, James was a U.S. military veteran whose career included being awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for service in Korea. With a degree from Yale University Sheffield School of Engineering, James joined Otis, retiring as senior vice president of U.S. Field Operations. When he and his late wife of 65 years, Ruth, retired to Kiawah Island, South Carolina, he acted as the Otis salesman of residential elevators there. Survivors include daughter, Karen; grandson, Dixon; and brother, Bob. A private memorial is planned at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to University Presbyterian Church, 209 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514; UNC Hospice; and The Cedars of Chapel Hill, 100 Cedar Club Circle, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517. Condolences may be expressed at Cremation Society of the Carolinas.

Image courtesy newyorkyimby.com via Qualls Benson:

https://newyorkyimby.com/2018/08/one-blue-slip-opens-for-leasing-in-brooklyns-greenpoint-landing.html

ROSEMOR ADDS DISTRIBUTORS

Rosemor International Ltd., a U.K.-based escalator cleaning-machine supplier, announced in August that it gained new dealers in the U.S., Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Belgium and China. It has also set up an arrangement with a local U.S. nationwide service and maintenance provider for aftersales support. In the U.S. and Canada, USA-CLEAN, Inc. is the exclusive distributor for Rosemor's machines. Established in 1986, Decatur, Illinois-based USA-CLEAN has grown into one of the largest independent providers of repair service and parts for floor-cleaning equipment in North America. It reported it will also be rolling out a new dealer program for direct sales throughout both countries, adding it "has had breakthrough selling to new markets, such as Iran, Hong Kong, India, China and Romania."

FIRST GREENPOINT LANDING BUILDING OPENS IN BROOKLYN

The 30-story One Blue Slip at 37 Blue Slip overlooking Midtown and Lower Manhattan in Brooklyn, New York, is now leasing its 359 units, and developers are confident about the future of the four-tower Handel Architects-designed Greenpoint Landing, New York YIMBY reports. A joint venture of Brookfield Properties and master planner Park Tower Group is behind the development, which will eventually have 5,500 apartments (including 1,400 that are "affordable"), an elementary school and a 1.5-acre waterfront park on 22 acres. One Blue Slip's amenities include indoor and outdoor lounges, a fitness center, a bar with an outdoor terrace, a children's playroom and co-working space. The 39-story, 421-unit Two Blue Slip is under construction and slated for completion in 2019.

ELEVATOR SHAFT FALL FATAL FOR SECURITY GUARD IN BUSAN

A 29-year-old apartment-building security guard fell down an elevator shaft to his death in Busan, South Korea, on August 18, The Korea Times reports. The incident happened in the building in which he was working in the Haeundae Beach area, and is believed to be the result of a technical glitch causing the elevator doors to open before the car arrived. Authorities are investigating.

NEXT CEA MEETING, OTHER EVENTS ANNOUNCED

The Chicago Elevator Association (CEA) has scheduled its next meeting for September 6 at The Clubhouse at 298 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, Illinois, with dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Joe Donnelly will be the guest speaker, providing a Chicago code update. Those wishing to attend should RSVP to email or (708) 371-2477. CEA has also announced future meeting dates of October 4 and November 1, and its Annual Christmas Party for December 5.

IN MEMORIAM: RODNEY L. “ROD” JAMES

Rodney L. "Rod" James, a 35-year Otis employee who served his last 16 years in vice-president roles, passed away on August 2 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at age 92. A native of Detroit, James was a U.S. military veteran whose career included being awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for service in Korea. With a degree from Yale University Sheffield School of Engineering, James joined Otis, retiring as senior vice president of U.S. Field Operations. When he and his late wife of 65 years, Ruth, retired to Kiawah Island, South Carolina, he acted as the Otis salesman of residential elevators there. Survivors include daughter, Karen; grandson, Dixon; and brother, Bob. A private memorial is planned at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to University Presbyterian Church, 209 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514; UNC Hospice; and The Cedars of Chapel Hill, 100 Cedar Club Circle, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517. Condolences may be expressed at Cremation Society of the Carolinas.

Image courtesy newyorkyimby.com via Qualls Benson:

https://newyorkyimby.com/2018/08/one-blue-slip-opens-for-leasing-in-brooklyns-greenpoint-landing.html

This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com

“TWISTING GARDEN” INCLUDES AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE TALLEST

Developer Beulah International selected Green Spine, a "twisting garden" by UNStudio and Cox Architecture, as the winner of an international design competition that will include Australia's tallest building at 356 m, or approximately 107 stories, various news outlets, including CNN, report. The two-tower, mixed-use development is set to break ground in 2020 in Melbourne's Southbank area. Cox Principal Director Philip Rowe said the "spine" of landscaped balconies and terraces was inspired by Melbourne's gardens and boulevards and will itself be a "vertical boulevard." Green Spine will surpass Australia’s current tallest building, Q1 on the Gold Coast.

SUNSPHERE ELEVATOR UPGRADE GREENLIT IN KNOXVILLE

The City Council in Knoxville, Tennessee, unanimously approved US$2.5 million in funding to upgrade the 266-ft.-tall Sunsphere, with most of the funds going toward repair of the structure's elevators, Knox News reports. The Sunsphere, a steel-trussed structure topped with a gold-colored glass sphere, was built for the 1982 World's Fair, and today houses offices and a public observation deck. Knoxville Chief Policy Officer Bill Lyons said the improvements, which also involve the adjacent amphitheater, are part of the city being a good landlord. "The whole space has been highly challenged by the condition of the elevators for years," he said, adding that access to the observation deck has been difficult.

HYUNDAI MOVES MALAYSIAN OFFICE

Hyundai Elevator Malaysia Sdn Bhd (HEM) has relocated its office to KL Gateway, a key Hyundai Elevator construction site in Kuala Lumpur, it reported in in its summer newsletter. The new office boasts conference and lecture rooms, and is easily accessible to a subway station. KL Gateway, in the heart of the city, is a multipurpose complex in which Hyundai has installed and operated 51 elevators, 56 escalators, five moving walks and 1,238 automatic-parking-system pallets. As It houses the largest number of Hyundai Elevator’s products in Malaysia, the company expects it to serve as a showroom for visitors and customers.

67-STORY MIDTOWN NYC TOWER “MUSHROOMS” OVER SKYLINE

A construction style New York YIMBY describes as “visually bizarre” that resembles a giant mushroom made of Legos has lifted steel construction of One Manhattan West, part of the six-building Manhattan West development in New York City (NYC) near Hudson Yards, to the top, 67th floor. The technique, which involves building the concrete core first, has resulted in steel rising 14 stories in two months. Brookfield is the developer and Skidmore Owings & Merrill is responsible for the design, which will have a curtain wall façade with rounded edges. Completion is anticipated in 2019. Leasing has been brisk for Manhattan West, with tenants such as the National Hockey League, Amazon and Whole Foods signing on.

STRIKING DESIGN FOR 31-STORY VANCOUVER OFFICE BUILDING

Renderings of a 380-ft.-tall, 31-story office building designed by a team of architects from Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver for Reliance Properties show a carved, white structure that promises to cut a striking figure on the downtown Vancouver skyline, the Daily Hive reports. Pending rezoning approval in spring 2019, the tower will replace the midrise, 1970s former Revenue Canada building and sit directly next to a "stacked-box" office tower of similar height that has been approved. On the drawing boards are 359,000 sq. ft. of office space, 4,000 sq. ft. of retail and 254 underground parking spots.

Image courtesy cnn.com via UNStudio and Cox Architecture:

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