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TDM Consulting is pleased to share final construction photos of Pope John XXIII Villas.  The 68-unit  housing development plans to open its doors on December 14^th, 2012.  The 3-story apartment building will provide non-denominational housing for low-income senior citizens.  The development is located at 13251 Apaloosa Lane, just off Daniels Parkway, adjacent to Blessed Pope John XXIII Catholic Church.  Grants from the US Dept. of Housing & Urban Development and Lee County, along with support from the Diocese of Venice and Blessed Pope John XXII Parish, helped turn this vision into reality.

TDM Consulting, Inc.

             239-433-4231            

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

TDM Consulting, Inc.

             239-433-4231            

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

The Harlem Heights Cultural Arts and Community Center is in the final stages of construction.  The 14,000 sf development is located at 15570 Hagie Drive, just off Gladiolus.  The facility will provide space for art programs, adult education, family development, after school programs for children, occupational training, and access to health and wellness support.  In addition to expressive Arts and Education, the Center includes a 250-seat auditorium, indoor and outdoor stages, an art room and gallery, classrooms, computer learning center, and a culinary arts training kitchen.  The Center will also be the home of the Senior Friendship Centers lunch program which offers a daily hot lunch to local senior citizens.

The Heights Foundation is a grassroots organization that works to break the cycle of poverty in the Harlem Heights neighborhood by building strong, self-sufficient families.  Approximately 1,200 children live within the boundaries of the Harlem Heights community.  The Foundation’s mission is to promote family and community development, support education and wellness, and provide the benefits of the cultural and expressive arts.

Please visit www.heightsfoundation.org for more information.

TDM Consulting, Inc.

             239-433-4231            

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

             239-433-4231            

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

Everyone in the real estate industry agrees on one thing right now— we are on the upside of recovery in the SWFL real estate market. Notable changes in forward-looking indicators, and overall outlook from prudent real estate investors, are pointing to very positive signs of improvement.

In Florida, and especially in SWFL, the industrial sector of the commercial real estate market is in the lead with just released data showing a top-three placement for lowest industrial vacancy rates in the nation. According to a recent Cushman and Wakefield market statistical report, the Naples metro area ranked No. 2 in the nation for the lowest industrial vacancy rates with 4.2 percent overall vacancy. Moreover, Florida claimed three of the top 10 metro areas with the lowest industrial vacancy rates (Lakeland at No. 1, Naples at No. 2, and St. Petersburg/Clearwater at No. 7). Lee County ranked 38th on the list with a 9.3 percent vacancy rate — slightly higher than the national average of 8.7 percent vacancy.

Improvements in the housing market are considered a huge factor to positive developments in the industrial sector of commercial real estate. Existing home sales jumped 7.8 percent in August to the highest level in more than two years — the highest level since May of 2010 when sales were fueled by a federal home-buying tax credit.

Southwest Florida’s recovery is thankfully coming back in full force with continued strength and improvement in key fundamental areas that will aid greatly to its overall health and sustainability. New construction heads improvements in the industrial market and lead to significant progress in employment and shifts in primary population that help the realization of full market recovery.

Read full article at: http://www.news-press.com/article/20121014/RE/310130038/1076/HOMESCAPE99

TDM Consulting, Inc.

             239-433-4231            

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

             239-433-4231            

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

Multi-Family Housing on the Rise in Fort Myers/Naples Area

TDM Consulting has secured permits for several future multi-family developments in Lee County, which have yet to be constructed.  Interest in moving forward with construction of these projects has increased in the past couple months. 

Apartment complexes in SWFL increased their occupancy rate faster than any other area in Florida.  Occupancy rose by 4 percent from July 2011 to July 2012.  Occupancy is at almost 93 percent which is so close to complete occupancy that we’re seeing renewed interest by developers who are looking at land that’s properly zoned and especially student housing.

Naples suffered during the rental market crash that started in 2006 but much less so than Fort Myers and the report showing the rise in apartment living does not show the divide between Fort Myers and Naples.  The complexes that took the hardest hit of all were on Winkler Avenue in Fort Myers where many complexes had been emptied out in preparation for condo conversions.  When those plans failed and the complexes went back to rentals, occupancy went down quick.

People are starting to get comfortable raising prices after a steady two year rise in occupancy rates.  The good news is Southwest Florida’s apartment market is returning to normal.

Read more at: http://www.news-press.com/article/20120919/BUSINESS/309190013/Apartment-market-coming-back?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|s

TDM Consulting, Inc.

 239-433-4231            

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

 239-433-4231      

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is redefining the way we think about the places where we live, work and learn. It  provides a framework for identifying and implementing green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. 

LEED certification provides verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

LEED promotes sustainability by recognizing performance in areas such as sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, locations and linkage, awareness and education, innovation in design, and regional priority. The sustainable sites category dissuades developing on undeveloped land, tries to minimize the building’s influence on ecosystems and waterways, and rewards smart transportation choices. The water efficiency categories goal is to urge smarter water use. With the energy and atmosphere category, a variety of energy-smart strategies are encouraged such as efficient design and construction and use of renewable and clean energy sources. The materials and resources category inspires sustainably grown products and materials and water reduction, reuse, and recycling, with emphasis on the reduction of waste at a product’s source. Indoor environment quality promotes improving indoor air and strategies that give access to natural light. In the locations and linkages category, encouragement is given to build on previously developed land and locations promoting access to walking space and outdoor time. With the awareness and education category, the aim is to pass on the understanding of having a green home and how to get the most out of it to the home owner, real estate agents, tenants, and property managers. The innovation in design category gives bonus points for going above and beyond what is required by LEED to try to make their project sustainable. And finally, regional priority addresses the most important local environmental concerns and awards points based on trying to create sustainability in a project to assist with those particular issues.

Read more at: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1988

TDM Consulting, Inc.

 239-433-4231      

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

 239-433-4231      

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A National Association of Home Builders analysis shows that the percentage of 55+ households will increase each year until 2019. This is when the 55+ category will comprise nearly 45 percent of all U.S. households.

“As more baby boomers approach retirement and the average age of the U.S. population increases, many businesses -including home builders -are showing increased interest in designing products that appeal to customers 55 and older,” said Paul Emrath, NAHB’s vice president of survey and housing policy research. “This research shows that 55+ developments should be possible in every state where population density is sufficient to support new communities of a size that can provide a variety of attractive amenities.”

Right now 38 percent of U.S. households, which totals 43.9 million, are headed by someone over 54 years of age. Out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the share of households fluctuates between 31 to 45 percent. West Virginia has 45 percent of its households headed by someone 55 or older which is the highest of any other state. In second place is Florida at 44 percent.

Refer to http://www.floridagreenbuilding.org/home for more information.

TDM Consulting, Inc.

 239-433-4231      

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

 239-433-4231      

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

The construction of Pope John Villas is moving along as planned.  Located in South Fort Myers, the 68-unit multi-family residence will be available for low-income senior citizens when completed.  Father Bob Tabbert and Blessed Pope John XXIII Parish have been invaluable to the project – from the initial concept through permitting and construction.

Architectural services are provided by Woodroffe Corporation Architects and McIntyre, Elwell, and Strammer are the General Contractors.  TDM Consulting provided the zoning and engineering services for the development and we’re proud to be part of the team.

 239-433-4231      

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

LEED for Homes surpasses 20,000 certified homes! The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that over 20,000 homes in the U.S. have earned certification through the LEED for Homes program. LEED for Homes is a national voluntary certification system that provides guidance and verification that homes are designed and built to be energy and resource efficient and healthy for occupants.

The collection of LEED certified homes varies from multi- to single-family, from market rate to affordable housing. The USGBC launched LEED for Homes in 2008 and more than 20,000 residential units have certified with nearly 79,000 additional units in the pipeline. Over half of all LEED certified homes are in the affordable housing category.

Coconut Cove, an affordable housing development in Cape Coral, Florida, was one of eight to recently receive LEED Platinum certification (as read in one of our previous blogs).  Coconut Cove was developed by the Southwest Florida Affordable Housing Choice Foundation, Inc. and built by Owen-Ames-Kimball Company.

Green homes are expected to grow to between 29% to 38% of the residential construction market by 2016, equating to $87-$114 billion, according to a 2012 McGraw Hill Construction study. To learn more about LEED for Homes, visit www.usgbc.org/LEED/Homes.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building certification program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo,

and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. By using less energy, LEED-certified spaces save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce carbon emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. Learn more at www.usgbc.org.

Information found through press release at:

http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/News/LEED%20for%20Homes%2020k.pdf

TDM Consulting, Inc.

            239-433-4231      

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

239-433-4231

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

Dean Martin, P.E., LEED GA, was one of the five guest speakers at the Sanibel Alliance for Renewable Resources (S.A.R.R.) meeting on June 7th at the Community House. The topic was ” the utilization and management of water on a barrier island”. The meeting was attended by the members of the City Council, Planning Commission, representatives of the JN “Ding” Darling Nation Wildlife Refuge and Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, along with numerous residents. The S.A.R.R. is a non-profit organization created to help the business community, as well as the residents, find ways to conserve energy, help the environment, and have as little impact on the ecosystem as possible.

TDM Consulting, Inc.

239-433-4231

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

239-433-4231

http://www.tdmcivilengineering.com/

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded Coconut Cove in Cape Coral LEED Platinum Certification. The multi-family housing is one of eight affordable housing projects to receive the honor. The LEED for homes program is moving the residential market towards providing homes that are high-performing, healthy, and energy and cost efficient for the residents. Over half the LEED certified homes are in the affordable housing category. Coconut Cove was developed by The Southwest Florida Affordable Housing Choice Foundation, designed by Moore & Spence Architects, engineered by TDM Consulting, and constructed by Owens-Ames-Kimball.

If you have any questions, please call us at TDM Consulting today.

239-433-4231