It’s no mystery why luxury apartment homes are more rentable than old, timeworn, un-amenitied units. Renters today want all the perks inside their apartment and amenities are nearby, like resort style saltwater pools and community spaces such as lounging areas with fireplaces and outdoor terraces, courtyards, grilling areas, dog runs and washing stations.
The home buying market remains well below pre-2008 levels and it is predicted that we will never see those levels of home ownership again. Rental properties will become more commonplace and owners and developers need to be clear about the wants of their client so they can achieve the best possible rental capacity.
Eastside Bond is a revitalized mixed-use transit oriented development located at the renovated East Liberty transit stop in Pittsburgh. The third phase of development includes 50,000sf of retail space, 350 apartments, and 12,000sf of amenity space. It features a public boulevard through the site, rooftop gardens, and apartments with energy-efficient appliances.
Directly adjacent to two heavy freight lines, and Pittsburgh’s rapid transit busway, three bridge-linked podium buildings reconnect the street grid and sight lines, enabling many tenants to live car-free. Careful planning and design across several disciplines ensured a seamless approach to pedestrian connectivity with the unique product line-up of Unilock Il Campo® and Umbriano® at entrances, walkways, and roadways, maximizing retail value and frontage through a series of interconnected landscape spaces.
Unilock offers a wide range of paving options for a variety of landscaping solutions. Produced by a specialized manufacturing process, the Il Campo paving stone features brushed irregular lines etched across each paver. Available in a variety of dimensionally compatible units, this paving stone system gives you the ability to create an almost unlimited variety of geometric and random pattern designs. Unilock’s Umbriano is the ideal product for virtually any landscaping project. With its non-slip surface and stain resistant properties, it is ideal for walkways, patios or pool decks. Umbriano may be used in driveways or in high traffic areas if the correct sizes and laying patterns are installed.
The way we choose to live has changed. The way we plan and develop neighborhoods and communities has also changed and will continue to change as urban centers become more populated and municipalities seek to manage urban sprawl.
For more information, visit unilock.com
Related Stories
| Jan 7, 2011
Mixed-Use on Steroids
Mixed-use development has been one of the few bright spots in real estate in the last few years. Successful mixed-use projects are almost always located in dense urban or suburban areas, usually close to public transportation. It’s a sign of the times that the residential component tends to be rental rather than for-sale.
| Jan 4, 2011
An official bargain, White House loses $79 million in property value
One of the most famous office buildings in the world—and the official the residence of the President of the United States—is now worth only $251.6 million. At the top of the housing boom, the 132-room complex was valued at $331.5 million (still sounds like a bargain), according to Zillow, the online real estate marketplace. That reflects a decline in property value of about 24%.
| Jan 4, 2011
Grubb & Ellis predicts commercial real estate recovery
Grubb & Ellis Company, a leading real estate services and investment firm, released its 2011 Real Estate Forecast, which foresees the start of a slow recovery in the leasing market for all property types in the coming year.
| Dec 17, 2010
Condominium and retail building offers luxury and elegance
The 58-story Austonian in Austin, Texas, is the tallest residential building in the western U.S. Benchmark Development, along with Ziegler Cooper Architects and Balfour Beatty (GC), created the 850,000-sf tower with 178 residences, retail space, a 6,000-sf fitness center, and a 10th-floor outdoor area with a 75-foot saltwater lap pool and spa, private cabanas, outdoor kitchens, and pet exercise and grooming areas.
| Dec 17, 2010
Luxury condos built for privacy
A new luxury condominium tower in Los Angeles, The Carlyle has 24 floors with 78 units. Each of the four units on each floor has a private elevator foyer. The top three floors house six 5,000-sf penthouses that offer residents both indoor and outdoor living space. KMD Architects designed the 310,000-sf structure, and Elad Properties was project developer.
| Dec 17, 2010
Vietnam business center will combine office and residential space
The 300,000-sm VietinBank Business Center in Hanoi, Vietnam, designed by Foster + Partners, will have two commercial towers: the first, a 68-story, 362-meter office tower for the international headquarters of VietinBank; the second, a five-star hotel, spa, and serviced apartments. A seven-story podium with conference facilities, retail space, restaurants, and rooftop garden will connect the two towers. Eco-friendly features include using recycled heat from the center’s power plant to provide hot water, and installing water features and plants to improve indoor air quality. Turner Construction Co. is the general contractor.
| Dec 17, 2010
Toronto church converted for condos and shopping
Reserve Properties is transforming a 20th-century church into Bellefair Kew Beach Residences, a residential/retail complex in The Beach neighborhood of Toronto. Local architecture firm RAWdesign adapted the late Gothic-style church into a five-story condominium with 23 one- and two-bedroom units, including two-story penthouse suites. Six three-story townhouses also will be incorporated. The project will afford residents views of nearby Kew Gardens and Lake Ontario. One façade of the church was updated for retail shops.
| Dec 7, 2010
Prospects for multifamily sector improve greatly
The multifamily sector is showing signs of a real recovery, with nearly 22,000 new apartment units delivered to the market. Net absorption in the third quarter surged by 94,000 units, dropping the national vacancy rate from 7.8% to 7.1%, one of the largest quarterly drops on record, and rents increased for the second quarter in a row.
| Nov 3, 2010
Senior housing will be affordable, sustainable
Horizons at Morgan Hill, a 49-unit affordable senior housing community in Morgan Hill, Calif., was designed by KTGY Group and developed by Urban Housing Communities. The $21.2 million, three-story building will offer 36 one-bed/bath units (773 sf) and 13 two-bed/bath units (1,025 sf) on a 2.6-acre site.
| Nov 3, 2010
Rotating atriums give Riyadh’s first Hilton an unusual twist
Goettsch Partners, in collaboration with Omrania & Associates (architect of record) and David Wrenn Interiors (interior designer), is serving as design architect for the five-star, 900-key Hilton Riyadh.
