Elevator World

SECOND OF THREE TOWERS SET TO BREAK GROUND IN CHICAGO

The second of the three-tower Wolf Point project is set to break ground in the first quarter of 2017 where the Chicago River's north and south branches meet, Curbed Chicago reports. The Kennedy family and Hines Investments of Houston are building the 750-ft.-tall residential skyscraper, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, on the eastern portion of the property in downtown Chicago. A 493-ft.-tall residential tower has already been built to the west, and a 950-ft.-tall mixed-use tower is planned to the south.

77-STORY MIXED-USE BUILDING PLANNED FOR LOWER EAST SIDE

JDS Development and SHoP Architects, partners on numerous towers in the New York City area, are planning to build a 77-story, 900-ft.-tall mixed-use tower on Cherry Street in the Two Bridges neighborhood of the Lower East Side, The Lo-Down reports. The building would contain 600 residential rental units, approximately 25% of which would be affordable, and ground-level retail within 9,000 sq. ft. JDS and SHoP are doing the project, which features a terracotta and glass façade, with nonprofits Two Bridges Neighborhood Council and Settlement Housing Fund. JDS and SHoP hope to win approval despite opposition from residents concerned about the amount of construction underway in their neighborhood.

TORONTO HARBOR CRUISE FOR EESFC REGISTRATION OPEN

The Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation of Canada (EESFC) is holding its eighth annual Toronto Harbor Cruise benefitting the nonprofit on August 11 aboard the Showboat in Toronto. Registration is now open for the limited-space event, and sponsorships are available. Early registrants receive a discount for paying before July 12. Boarding begins at 6:30 p.m. at Toronto Harbor, and the cruise takes place from 7:00-10:00 p.m. For more information and to register, visit http://files.ctctcdn.com/17e71d34401/232106ea-8184-4cbe-b8ee-b8732a66c328.pdf?utm_source=Toronto+Harbor+Cruise+2016&utm_campaign=TC2016&utm_medium=email

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-10-2016/

BOISVERT TO OVERSEE U.S. SALES, OPERATIONS FOR ITI HYDRAULIK

ITI Hydraulik has named Steve Boisvert sales and operations manager for the U.S. He brings more than 20 years of experience, including 11 years at Motion Control Engineering. Boisvert is a registered professional engineer in Canada. In his new role, he is tasked with setting up ITI Hydraulik's West Coast operation and continuing to grow U.S. sales. Boisvert states he is excited to become part of a team that considers itself among the best manufacturers of elevator cylinders.

NYC FLATIRON DISTRICT BUILDING HITS 777 FT.

The 65-story, 777-ft.-tall apartment tower at 45 East 22nd Street, in the Flatiron District of New York City (NYC), has reached its full height, New York YIMBY reports. With a shape evoking a champagne flute that is considerably wider at the top, the structure spans 372,000 sq. ft. and houses apartments that start at US$2.5 million. On track for completion in 2017, it is now the tallest building in the district. The developer is Bruce Eichner, and the architect is Kohn Pedersen Fox.

MADRID PROPOSAL INCLUDES TALLEST BUILDING IN EU

A major mixed-use "urban living" project by developer Distrito Castellana Norte in the Chamartin District of Madrid includes what would be the tallest skyscraper in the European Union (EU) at 70 stories, Euro Weekly News reports. It would be one of six skyscrapers and nearly 17,700 homes on 311 ha and surpass Madrid's current tallest building -- a 52-story, 250-m-tall glass tower in the Four Towers complex. The US$6.9-billion plan, Operation Chamartin includes infrastructure upgrades and boasts approximately 80% public space.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-09-2016/

93-STORY VISTA TO BECOME CHICAGO’S THIRD-TALLEST TOWER

Vista Tower, a 93-story, 1,186-ft.-tall skyscraper designed by Chicago's Jeanne Gang, will become Chicago's third-tallest building, Curbed Chicago reports. Groundbreaking is imminent, with construction expected to take approximately four years. A project of Magellan Development Group and Dalian Wanda Group of China, the building is set to contain a Wanda hotel on floors one through 12 with pricey condominiums above. There will be just over 400 residential units in all, and the development will include new connections to the Chicago Riverwalk, Wacker Drive and the Lakeshore East neighborhoods.

BIGGE ORDERS US$2 MILLION WORTH OF ALIMAK HOISTS

Bigge Crane and Rigging Co., headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area, has ordered an unspecified number of Scando 650 and 450 construction hoists, totaling US$2 million, from Alimak Group. The order marks an already-strong relationship between Sweden's Alimak and Bigge: the pair celebrated Bigge's centennial year and ownership of 100 Alimak hoists during the Bauma tradeshow in Munich in April.

INDIAN OFFICIAL: SKYWALKS MUST HAVE ELEVATORS/ESCALATORS

All future skywalks built in Bengaluru, India, must have elevators or escalators to encourage use, according to Minister for Development K.J. George, The Times of India reports. There have been frequent accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians in the city, which has a population of more than 8.4 million, and additional skywalks could prevent them, George said. There are at least 120 skywalks planned, but many have not begun construction due to "ground rent," a fee developers pay the government and typically recoup from advertising revenue on the structures. Ground rent is being waived to encourage construction of skywalks.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/05-06-2016/

SHANGHAI MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT INCLUDES FOUR TOWERS

A mixed-used development taking shape on 70,000 landscaped square meters in Shanghai adjacent to the Shanghai South Railway Station includes a pair of 120-m-tall office towers designed by Benoy and a pair of 150-m-tall office towers designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, global architecture firm Benoy reports. The entire development, the Xuhui Vanke Center, consists of 12 buildings situated along a mile-long "urban parkland." It includes a 100,000-m2 retail podium, museum and arts complex, and is scheduled for completion in 2019.

METROPOL TOWER ISTANBUL TO BE AMONG EUROPE’S TALLEST

At 250 m and 58 stories, Metropol Tower Istanbul, taking shape in the eastern edge of the city in the master-planned Ateşehir district, will be among Europe's tallest buildings upon completion in 2017, SkyRise Cities reports. Designed by British architecture firm RMJM, Metropol is part of a three-tower, 500,000-m2 complex that will have approximately 1,200 apartments. It has a curvy glass façade on one side, and will stand above a 30,000-m2 retail complex. The development signals Istanbul's arrival as a major city that is projected to be Europe's largest by 2020 with a population of 16.4 million.

MIXED-USE TOWER APPROVED IN DES MOINES

City leaders in Des Moines, Iowa, have approved plans for a 32-story mixed-use building downtown, marking the most significant change to the Iowa capital's skyline since the EMC Tower was built in 1997, weareiowa.com reports. Called The Fifth and located at Fifth and Walnut streets, the building is a project of local developer Mandelbaum Properties, and will include 200 condominiums, a movie theater, an indoor climbing wall, a jazz club, a daycare center and office space. Approximately US$107 million is being invested, and the project is projected to open in 2019.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-5-2016/

LIFTINSTITUUT PRESENTATION ON PESSRAL, PESSRAE

Liftinstituut will discuss the subject of Programmable Electronic Systems in Safety Related Applications for Lifts (PESSRAL) and Programmable Electronic Systems in Safety Related Applications for Escalators (PESSRAE) standards, which are increasingly being used in safety-related applications for lifts and escalators. Liftinstituut believes the current lift and escalator standards are insufficiently clear and require further elaboration. The standards do not yet include requirements for calculating failure rates, which Liftinstituut states are needed to check whether a design meets the required Safety Integrity Level class stipulated by the standard. The subject will be covered in detail by Liftinstituut PESSRAL specialist Ing. Tijmen Molema on May 10 during Elevcon in Madrid.

IN MEMORIAM: JOHN WALL

John Wall, senior consultant for HKA Elevator Consulting, Inc., unexpectedly passed away on April 11. Based out of the Laguna Hills, California, office, a veteran of both the vertical-transportation industry and the U.S. Navy, Wall joined HKA in 2006. In 1963, he began attending the U.S. Navy Sonar and Anti-Submarine Warfare schools but, by the end of the decade, he was an elevator man. His long career began with Otis, included U.S. Elevator and then, in the 1990s, Mitsubishi Electric. A memorial was held on May 1 in San Clemente, California. Wall’s family asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). If you would like WWF to send a notification, enter Kathy Wall’s information: Kathy Wall, 27952 Camino Las Ramblas, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675.

TORONTO’S SPIRE CONDOS COULD GET A NEIGHBOR

A proposal by Cityzen Development Group in downtown Toronto could bring a 49-story neighbor to the 45-story Spire Condos at Church and Adelaide streets, UrbanToronto.ca reports. architectsAlliance, which designed Spire, also designed the proposed building. It would house approximately 470 residential rental units and ground-level retail at 89 Church Street. Plans are expected to evolve, and no timeframe has been given.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-4-2016/

ALIMAK GROUP NAMES RINALDO COO

Stefan Rinaldo, chief financial officer (CFO) of Alimak Group AB, has been named chief operational officer (COO). He will continue to serve as CFO until a replacement is found. Rinaldo has been with the company since 2007, and has been CFO since 2012. Alimak said the appointment promises to strengthen the management capabilities of Alimak, with Rinaldo overseeing mergers and acquisitions integration, legal issues and contracts, information technology, compliance and risk management.

HITACHI ELEVATOR ASIA SHARES SAFETY MESSAGE IN SKIT

Hitachi Elevator Asia is spreading the word about vertical-transportation safety to primary school students in Singapore using a humorous skit with a serious message, The Straits Times reports. Since August 2015, Hitachi has brought the skit, featuring a pair of "technicians" who sing and dance while demonstrating proper (and improper) elevator/escalator behavior, to more than 30,000 students in more than 30 schools. The program, which Hitachi plans to expand to additional schools, features illustrated booklets that encourage the children to interact with the onstage actors by answering yes-and-no questions about lift and escalator safety.

62-STORY NYC RESIDENTIAL TOWER TOPS OUT

Three Manhattan West, a 62-story, 844-unit residential tower at 401 West 31st Street in Midtown West, New York City (NYC) topped out on April 8, Curbed New York reports. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill for architect of record SLCE Architects, the structure stands 701 ft. tall and includes ground-level retail and resident amenities within its 807,384 sq. ft. Brookfield Properties is the developer of the building, which is an “80/20” project, meaning 20% of the units will be “affordable.” Completion is anticipated in fall 2017.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-3-2016/

Check out the Editor's Overview for May 2016.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/magazine/construction-boom-versus-labor-bubble/

KONE WINS HUGE ORDER TO SUPPLY DOHA METRO

KONE has been selected to supply more than 500 pieces of equipment to the Doha Metro's Red Line South and Gold Line in Doha, Qatar, part of the Qatar Rail project. The planned rapid-transit system in Qatar's capital consists of four lines with 100 stations over 215 km. An integral part of the larger Qatar Rail Network, the Doha Metro project will link Qatar to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Lusail City's light-rail transit. Three of the Doha Metro's lines are scheduled for completion in 2020, with the fourth line expected to open in the fourth phase of the project. KONE is providing 189 Monospace® Special and TransysTM elevators, 253 TransitMasterTM escalators and 102 TransitMaster moving walks.

GLASS FAÇADES FOR LIFTS ORDERED BY MUMBAI PWD

The Public Works Department (PWD) in Mumbai, India, has ordered that a 30-year-old law making fire-resistant glass façades for lifts mandatory be put into effect, The Times of India reports. A local lawmaker stated there have been more than 50 lift-related fatalities in Mumbai and Pune over the past three years, and that enforcing the glass-façade law could lower this number. Although glass façades have been installed in the elevator systems of many malls and hotels, they are often not present in residential buildings, where lawmakers said they are needed the most.

NETHERLANDS YACHT ELEVATOR MAKER IN NEW LOCATION

Lift Emotion BV, a Netherlands-based manufacturer of custom elevators for yachts, high-end homes and businesses, has moved into its new building at Douwenmaat 3 7942 KD, Meppel. Lift Emotion tells ELEVATOR WORLD the facility consists of 820 m2 -- 700 m2 for assembly and 120 m2 for offices. Lift Emotion has approximately 25 employees and is currently working on several elevator systems for ships and private residences, including a four-stop, cylindrical enclosed glass lift that will be on display during its open house on May 13.

EESF “CHICAGO CRUISE ON LAND” DATE CLARIFICATION

The annual “Chicago Cruise on Land,” an evening for the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation (EESF), is planned on June 8, rather than the June 9 date previously given. The event will be held at the RIVA restaurant on Navy Pier from 7-10 p.m. The facility boasts views of the pier and Lake Michigan. The event includes dinner and a fireworks show. Tickets are US$125 before May 8 and US$150 after, and sponsorships are also available.

HINNERSKOV TO REPLACE VEEGER AS EVP AT KONE

Thomas Hinnerskov has been appointed by KONE to fill the role of executive vice president, Central and North Europe, filling the shoes of Noud Veeger, who left to pursue other interests on April 2. He will also become a member of the executive board, reporting to KONE CEO Henrich Ehrnrooth. Hinnerskov’s new roles become effective on October 1, with Klaus Cawén, executive vice president for Mergers and Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances, Legal Affairs, and Russia heading KONE's Central and North Europe area in the interim. Hinnerskov joins KONE from ISS A/S, a global facility services provider, where he held numerous leadership roles, most recently regional CEO of Western Europe.

THYSSENKRUPP ENTERS NIGERIA THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

thyssenkrupp has entered the Nigerian market through a partnership with JMG Group as its official elevator/escalator distributor, Naija247News reports. JMG General Manager Rabi Jammal observed large cities such as Lagos continue to see infrastructure and high-rise development, and the partnership will help fill the need for energy-efficient, safe transportation solutions for Africa's largest economy. Paulo Amaral, thyssenkrupp's head of Central African Countries, added that products such as the TWIN elevator system and ACCEL moving walk offer new opportunities for real-estate developers in Nigeria.

STRIKING PAIR OF TOWERS OVERLOOK EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

The American Copper Buildings, a pair of copper-clad, 48-story curved towers at 626 First Avenue in New York City, are expected to welcome their first residents by the end of the year, New York YIMBY reports. Members of the media got an up-close look at the project on April 20 when JDS Development and SHoP Architects gave a tour of the skybridge linking the buildings at 300 ft. (floors 27-29). Views that include the Empire State Building and Midtown are impressive from the skybridge. The project includes approximately 760 rental residences.

IN MEMORIAM: THOMAS J. “TOM” JACKSON

Thomas J. "Tom" Jackson, former president of the Chicago Elevator Association and a longtime leader in the industry, passed away on April 24 at the age of 66. He was a resident of Naperville, Illinois, and president of Jackson Elevator Consulting. Jackson served the industry in many positions in many locations throughout the Midwest and was QEI certified, a licensed elevator inspector with the state of Illinois and a regional officer for NAESA International. He was also a member of the City of Chicago Elevator Advisory Board. Jackson is survived by his wife, Maureen; children, Julie and John; two grandchildren; and a host of relatives, colleagues and friends. Services were held on April 26 in Naperville.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/april-29-2016/

THYSSENKRUPP TO ROLL OUT MAX IN GERMANY

thyssenkrupp announced during the Hannover Messe trade show in Hannover, Germany, taking place through April 29, that it will roll out its MAX predictive-maintenance technology in Germany by mid June. Germany, along with the U.S. and Spain, are among pilot countries for the technology, which remotely monitors and collects data into the Microsoft Azure cloud platform and utilizes intricate algorithms to determine problems and equipments’ expected lifespan and issue preemptive repair notifications. thyssenkrupp anticipates 180 units to be installed by 2017 in North America and Europe, with MAX to be available to approximately 80% of the world’s elevators by 2017.

IN MEMORIAM: ALFRED “AL” VERSCHELL

Alfred "Al" Verschell passed away on the afternoon of April 24. Verschell was a longtime code writer who gave many years of service to the ASME A17 Standards Committee. He also owned Incline Consultants International Inc./Dwan Elevator Co. He received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Dedicated Service Award in 2006 and was honored since that time at multiple ASME events. A family memorial service has taken place. Verschell's son, Mark, has provided his contact information for those who wish to share stories or send condolences regarding his father via phone: (240) 723-6656 or email.

CATION MARKS 50 YEARS AT PEELLE PLANT

Welder Don Cation marked 50 years at The Peelle Co.’s factory in Brampton, Canada, on April 4, only the second employee to do so in Peelle's 116-year history. He started working at the plant in 1966 at the age of 17, earning US$2 an hour. At the time, he observed, there was much less automation and much more manual labor. He worked under all four plant managers and has seen the facility grow from 25 to nearly 100 staff. Calling Peelle "a number-one place to work with great people," Cation said he has no plans to retire.

700 OPERATING UNITS WITHOUT LICENSES IN INDIAN CITY

Of the 1,700 properties with lifts or escalators in the Ernakulam District of Kochi, India, 700 (more than 40%) are operating units without licenses, NYOOOZ reports. Property owners have either failed to apply for licenses or failed to renew them, which costs approximately US$30 and US$15, respectively. Property owners are also required to carry insurance that covers those who use the units. The Department of Electrical Inspectorate has issued notices asking property owners to obtain licenses.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/april-28-2016/