Working plans are now underway for the construction of seven new cell towers in the east central Colorado municipality of Snowmass Village. The towers, measuring between 36 and 70 feet in height, will go up at various locations on the north and south side of the village, and should see construction between 2024 and 2025. Residents and public officials in the mountain village of just over 3,000 people have expressed concerns over uneven coverage, particularly when it comes to transmitting emergency calls. In all, nine cell tower proposals were made to the Snowmass Town Council, with two rejected due to the structures not being adequately camouflaged. Those final two proposals may be re-introduced before the council once the design for them shows they are more adequately hidden. In comments delivered before the council, Mak Keeling, vice president of mountain planning and development for the Aspen Skiing Company, which manages the Aspen/Snowmass resort complex, remarked that the ultimate purpose of the new towers is to "assist with emergency services, whether they're with patrol, whether they're with mountain rescue, whether they're with ambulances and the hospitals." It was earlier noted that the towers would prove particularly helpful in allowing injured or lost skiers a means for communicating with first responders. According to town documents, construction of the new towers is being viewed as not only vital to increasing and improving coverage, but also to "bolster Snowmass Village as a world class tourist destination." With an economy largely based on skiing, Snowmass Village in recent years has enjoyed a condominium and luxury home building boom. According to the site Realtor.com, the average Snowmass Village home price in October was around $3.2 million. By Garry Boulard
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Albuquerque Site with First McDonald's in New Mexico Soon to See Construction of New McDonald's11/16/2023 Work could begin soon on the building of a new McDonald’s on the northeast side of Albuquerque. The structure will keep in place a legacy that began in 1959 when the very first McDonald’s in New Mexico was built at the same 5900 Menaul Boulevard NE site. The work is seeing the demolition of an existing McDonald’s at that site was built in 1980 and designed to replace the original 1959 structure. According to news sources, the new structure will have expanded dining space, as well as a modern advanced kitchen and digital ordering points. The original 1959 structure cost around $125,000 to build and came during a time when the fast-foot restaurant, which was launched in 1940, was seeing its initial nationwide expansion. By the end of 1959 McDonald’s had 145 stores, on its way to the more than 7,000 it operates today. The footprint of the average McDonald’s, at the same time, has drastically changed from under 2,000 square feet in the 1950s to more than 4,000 square feet today. Five years ago, the company unveiled an extensive plan to renovate thousands of existing stores, including 840 in Texas, 550 in California; and 360 in New York. Renovations have more recently been announced for three outlets in northern Florida this year; with a Hartford, Connecticut restaurant seeing a complete renovation several months ago; and one of the company’s oldest locations in Odessa, Texas, opening its doors this fall after a months-long upgrading and renovation. The oldest operating McDonald’s is located in Downey, California. Opened in 1953, the outlet in 1994 was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list and has since seen been completely restored. By Garry Boulard New Federal Report Shows Sluggish Inflation Growth, Spawning Hopes for Reduced Interest Rates11/16/2023 Last month produced the smallest rise in inflation since late 2021, according to a new report compiled by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, the consumer price index was unchanged from September, although up by 3.2% over the same time last year. Simultaneously, notes the report, the BLS shelter index “continued to rise in October, offsetting a decline in the gasoline index, and resulting in the seasonally adjusted index being unchanged over the month.” The energy index saw a 2.5% decline compared to September, along with a significant 5% drop in the gasoline index, which, notes the BLS report, “more than offset increases in other energy component indexes.” On the issue of food, Americans saw an increase of 0.3% for food at home in October over the previous month, while food away from home was up a marginal 0.4%. In its narrative, the BLS report additionally notes that the “indexes which increased in October include rent, owners’ equivalent rent, motor vehicle insurance, medical care, recreation and personal care.” On the price downside: lodging, used vehicle prices, and airline fares. The lessening presence of inflation, notes the publication The Street, sparked the strongest rally on Wall Street since last spring as “investors bet that slowing inflation pressures will mark the end of Federal Reserve rate hikes." In an interview with US News & World Report, John Sedunov, finance professor at Villanova University, cautioned that rate increases by the Federal Reserve may still be in the offing despite the good news on inflation. “They may not hike rates again,” remarked Sedunova, “but they are reserving the right to do so.” By Garry Boulard The big and always-growing Church of the Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints has announced that it wants to build a new temple in Colorado Springs. During a general conference held in Salt Lake City, Russell Nelson, president of the church, revealed that Colorado Springs has been selected as one of a handful of cities for a new temple. While Nelson did not specifically mention exactly where in Colorado Springs the new temple would be built, news sources indicate that interest in constructing a new worship facility in what is popularly known as the Olympic City has been general for some time. The Colorado Springs announcement is part of a substantially more ambitious effort that will see a total of 20 new temples built in the next several years. "Spending more time in the temple builds faith," remarked Nelson as he announced a list that will see the construction of temples in a dozen countries. Sites for new temples in the U.S. include Fairbanks, Alaska; Vancouver, Washington; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Roanoke, Virginia. To date, LDS has three temples in Colorado: one built in Denver in the mid-1980s; a second in Fort Collins in 2016; and a third currently under construction in Grand Junction which is scheduled for completion sometime in 2025. The church, founded in 1830, currently has just under 340 temples both in the U.S. and across the globe. The temples are architecturally splendid affairs, varying in size between a 6,900 square-feet facility in Ciudad Juarez and a more than 235,000 square-foot house of worship in Salt Lake, City. By Garry Boulard Plans are underway to transform a currently vacant 120,000 square-foot retail space that was once a part of the Desert Sky Mall in Phoenix into an entertainment venue. The space was previously occupied by retail giant Sears, which as part of a nationwide closing of stores in 2018 moved out of the mall located near the intersection of Thomas Road and 75th Avenue. Now a repurposing of the space is being spearheaded by the brothers Melchor and Pedro Marques, owners of the Phoenix-based AM radio station KSUN. The brothers, who have established one of the most popular Spanish language radio stations in the country, want to repurpose the Sears space as a Latino-themed entertainment center. According to the Phoenix Business Journal, the former Sears store will be "replicate some of the features of the popular Latin-themed Aztec Theater in San Antonio." The Sears space is comprised of two levels, each measuring 60,000 square feet. Plans call for building a stage on the lower level, with the upper level used for any number of special events. The Desert Sky Mall was opened in the fall of 1981 and to date houses more than 130 individual stores. The Marques brothers, who purchased the Sears space for a reported $7.1 million, plan to begin work on creating the new entertainment venue no later than early 2024 with a rough completion date of either late next year or early 2025. By Garry Boulard In an overwhelming ballot, members of the House of Representatives have voted to pass a short-term spending bill that is specifically designed to forestall a government shutdown scheduled for November 17. By a 365 to 95 vote, House members approved a continuing resolution that will keep certain parts of the federal government up and running into mid-January. The agencies impacted, including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Food and Drug Administration, will thus be able to remain open no matter what happens with a larger overall federal budget vote expected to be taken up by lawmakers in the immediate days to come. The unusual short-term measure was proposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson who said he wanted to put an end to sweeping omnibus spending bills that are usually passed by Congress when government shutdowns are looming. In approving the measure, Colorado Democrat Representative Yadira Caraveo remarked: "By passing this spending bill, we can keep the government open and finally turn to the issues that matter most to our constituents--lowering costs for working people and putting our country on the right track for future generations." Arizona Republican Representative Paul Gosar, on the other hand, voted in opposition, arguing that the legislation fails to address a national debt that is close to $34 million "and crushing Americans with historically high inflation." The new short-term spending bill is now on its way to the Senate, where its chances for approval look promising. Democrat Majority Leader Charles Schumer struck a bi-partisan note after the House vote noting that both he and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell "want to avoid a shutdown." Speaking to reporters, Schumer added: "McConnell and I are going to work together." By Garry Boulard A unique property in Albuquerque that was initially a private residence and has been in recent decades the home to a popular barbeque restaurant is now on the market with an asking price of $1.1 million. Located at 5209 Fourth Street NW, the handsome one-story red brick structure was built in 1936 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally known as the Shalit House, in honor of cowboy, sheep herder, and haberdasher Samuel Shalit, the structure is treasured by preservationists for its English Cottage style design, which includes brick chimneys, copper roof shingles, and wrought iron balustrades. Measuring around 4,500 square feet, the structure is designated as a Class B building and sits on a less than 1-acre site. For more than 50 years, the building has housed Mr. Powdrell's Barbeque Restaurant, an eatery known for its beef brisket, pork ribs, catfish, and black eyed peas, among other delicacies. The owner of the restaurant, Pete Powdrell, is known as the King of Barbeque in Albuquerque. The structure is being listed with the Albuquerque offices of Re/Max Commercial. By Garry Boulard Work is expected to soon begin on improvements to a popular golf course in Albuquerque located on the west side of the city. Opened in 1980, the city-owned Ladera Golf Course at 3401 Ladera Drive NW is a 27-hole course with a driving range, practice putting greens, and four lakes. City officials have long talked about making upgrades to the site, which will include the expansion of its much-used roughly 25-year-old banquet hall and food and beverage area. In the last several years Ladera has also seen the expansion of its practice green, as well as the building of awnings above its patio space. The planned Ladera Golf Course improvement comprises one of just over a dozen Westside park upgrade projects, either undertaken by the City in the last two years or in the planning process for next year. Additional projects will see the construction of a spray pad at the Alamosa Park, located at 1100 Bataan Drive; and new restroom facilities for the West Mesa Little League in the Redlands Park at 5121 Sequoia Road NW. By Garry Boulard Construction wages are still overwhelmingly competitive, although the pace of pay increases appears to have slowed down, according to a new report. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has compiled numbers for the third quarter of this year ending in September showing that wages and salaries overall in construction were up by 1.1% as of September 30. That figure was down by 4.7% from the same quarter period in 2022. Those statistics, noted the BLS report, comport with overall national trends: “Wages and salaries increased 4.8% for the 12-month period ending in September 2023 and increased 4.4% from a year ago.” Combining all construction wages, salaries, and benefits saw the industry with a 0.8% increase in the third quarter of this year, compared with a substantially stronger 4.4% increase a year ago for the same three months. According to statistics compiled by the Associated Builders and Contractors, the average hourly earnings for construction workers as of last month came in at an even $37. In October of 2022, that figure stood at $35.25. Overall, construction industry wages have been on a clear upward ride for well over a decade now. During the depths of the Great Recession in 2010, the figure stood at $25.12. By Garry Boulard The next step is soon to be taken in Scottsdale in an effort to transform a massive 32- acre site that was once the home to a popular amusement park. In the summer of 2022, George Kurtz, chief executive officer of the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, announced plans to repurpose the site into an imaginative mixed-used development that would include housing, retail and restaurant space, and a hotel, among other features. Located at 16001 N. Scottsdale Road, the CrackerJax Family Fun & Sports Park was opened in late 1993 and for years entertained generations of visitors offering everything from golf and bumper boats to batting cages and sand volleyball. The amusement park, after enduring a decline in business partly due to the Covid 19 pandemic, closed for good in July of 2022. Kurtz’s plans for the site, after purchasing it for a reported $55 million, have proven big and varied. According to city documents, what is being called The Parque, will see a total of nearly 150 condominium units and 897 apartments units, along with almost 98 workforce housing units. Kurtz earlier told the Arizona Republic that his goal has been to build a development that “could sustain a transformational mixed-use campus.” Added Kurtz: “To me, this is a legacy project, one that will define the future of a community I love.” Besides the various housing options, The Parque will also include 100,000 square feet of office space: 25,000 square feet of retail, and just under 35,000 square feet of restaurant space. An additional feature of the project will see the capture of stormwater at the site to be used for the City's sanitary sewer system. The redevelopment project is expected to cost around $1 billion to complete. Two months ago, the Scottsdale Planning Commission gave the project its unanimous approval. Members of the Scottsdale City Council are now reviewing the development plans for the project. By Garry Boulard |
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