Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC)’s Post

*Attention Virginia Builders* *Virginia Senate Bill 195* The Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development is in the midst of forming a stakeholder advisory group which will include fire code officials, licensed building professionals and other building safety experts to evaluate and recommend revisions to the Uniform Statewide Building Code to permit Group R-2 occupancies to be served by a single exit, provided that the building has not more than six stories above grade plane. The bill requires the stakeholder advisory group to submit its findings and recommendations to the Board and to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology no later than December 1, 2024. "I strongly encourage the Hampton Road building construction community to get involved and speak up on behalf of the building safety professionals that have worked tirelessly for many years to provide us with the most comprehensive building and fire safety codes and regulations. The importance of having a second means of egress in R-2 occupancies is so important to have in the event of a fire to give occupants an alternative means of egress. The group lobbying for this change stated that the second means of egress will be when the fire department shows up with a ladder truck. For those individuals with limited mobility that could prove fatal. The group lobbying for this change has also failed to think through the importance of having a second means of egress in the unfortunate event of an active shooter situation to give building occupants a second means of exit. Again, I strongly encourage the Hampton Road Building Construction industry to get involved, look at the facts and speak up to keep Virginia Multi-Family housing as safe as possible. If you're interested in participating in the stakeholder's advisory group, I'd encourage you to reach out to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.” -Eric S. Cavallo Founder/Director of Operations #VASB195 #BuildingSafety #BuildingSafety365 https://lnkd.in/et5gak4M

This week the Department of Levelling up, Housing and Communities published a consultation on changes to various permitted development rights (PDRs).   This consultation introduces proposed changes to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (SI 2015/596) (GPDO 2015). It looks to make:   • Changes to certain PDRs which allows householders to improve and enlarge their home, such as building extensions, converting lofts, roof alterations and adding outbuildings. • Changes to the building upward PDRs which enable the upward extension of a range of existing buildings. The consultation is seeking to expand the type of buildings eligible to benefit from this right. • Changes to the PDRs which allows for the demolition of certain buildings and rebuild as homes by simplifying the process. • Changes to the PDRs which enable the installation of electrical outlets and upstands for recharging electric vehicles. The consultation seeks to amend the rights to allow the installation of wall-mounted and upstand electrical outlets within two metres of a highway and the installation of larger upstands. • Changes to the PDRs for the installation of air source heat pumps by simplifying their installation. The consultation closes on 9 April 2024 so watch this space!

QUINTON LUCAS OFFICE -RESPONSE TO THE PROTEST RE: KCMO CONSTRUCTION BOARD OVER 16 COMPLAINTS OF POLICY VIOLATIONS ON CITY PROJECTS: Hello, On Friday, July 12, you reported on a small protest outside City Hall about a months-old letter sent to City leadership concerning equity within City contracts. Your article did not reference specific projects of concern. City leadership asked what projects were of concern following receipt of the letter, but those questions went unanswered for more than a month. In the past week, leadership has pushed to understand the exact instances of concern fueling these public statements and got an answer yesterday evening. Both issues were resolved prior to your story through CREO’s regular course of business and operation standards. The Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity (CREO) Department works to increase business inclusion and economic equity. An issue with a contractor being non-union. This was resolved weeks ago to all stakeholders’ satisfaction. The Meta project was the second project of concern. However, this was also resolved months ago as they submitted a Contract Utilization Plan (CUP) in February with $75 million going to MWBEs, which is 15% above the goal. This leaves me curious about your story. It is easy to be outspoken and make claims, but it takes journalism to get to the root of the complaint and its validity. Did your organization ask for specifics when reporting on this issue? When specifics could not be given, what was the basis of the story? The claims made below are serious and untrue. It is up to journalists to investigate them and understand if the story is valid for air. This may be why FOX4 was the only station to cover it, with the Business Journal only covering it because it “made it on the news.” This section of your article is flatly false: “CREO assigns goals for minority and women owned business participation on city projects above a certain dollar amount. Miller says Black owned companies aren’t getting jobs based on their capabilities. “Meaning that if they can bond for $2 million, why are they constantly getting $200,000 worth of work?” he asked.” From July 2023 to July 2024, the City’s CREO Department: · Secured $650M+ in contracts for MWBE businesses · Certified nearly 800 MWBE businesses · 21 active Civil rights investigations · Recovered $80K in unpaid or underpaid wages via new Contract Compliance Unit The City of Kansas City is proud of the equitable opportunities being created for minority and women-owned businesses. As our Mayor stated to you on Friday, “Kansas City leads the region and the country in creating opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses. I have great confidence in the leadership of our Civil Rights Department and the exceptional women and men at City Hall to continue to ensure welcoming opportunities for all.” Sherae Honeycutt Press Secretary & City Spokeswoman

🚀 Ready to elevate your business sky-high? Attend the “Prime Contractor Matchmaking Event” for the #jfkterminal6 redevelopment! 🏗️ AECOM Hunt in collaboration with The New Terminal One will host this is a not-to-miss opportunity for local and #MWBE #construction firms. Looking to collaborate with prime contractors? This event is your runway to success. 🛫 🔍 Explore current open bids, and don't miss your chance to register! [https://lnkd.in/ep6eXcRk] Even if you're not ready to bid or don't meet the qualifications yet, this event is an invaluable resource. Gather information, understand the next steps, and build your network. 🤝 It's more than just an event, it's a chance to lay the foundation for future opportunities. #ConstructionNetworking #InfrastructureDevelopment #AECOMHunt #TheNewTerminalOne #ContractorOpportunities

The article points to a “triple whammy” that’s hitting affordable housing providers: Tenants behind on rent, rising operating costs, and high interest rates. Many of our members who provide affordable housing are saying the same thing. Oregon needs more accountability when it comes to delivering rent assistance and more support for providers on the frontlines of our housing crisis. Thanks to Jonathan Bach at The Oregonian / OregonLive.com for diving into this issue. https://lnkd.in/eQJgYV_N #pnwhousing #orhousing

Great news for #WoodallHomes and #Freeths on my return from holiday! Really enjoyed working with the whole Inquiry team on this one and my first case with one of my wonderful new colleagues Mark Bassett giving planning evidence (he was, of course, a great witness!). Not only will this scheme deliver much needed affordable and market housing #getbritainbuilding but it will also provide substantial biodiversity benefits and safeguard existing green infrastructure with over 3000 new trees being provided as part of the development - this is precisely the sort of scheme which should be being supported, without delay, at the local and national level. Development can deliver #sustainability and it would be great to see this being recognised fully by leaders at all levels of decision making in the planning system. #planning #environment #sustainabledevelopment #housingneed #getbritainbuilding

In the recent legislative session, Utah passed a statewide modular building code, SB 168, that unlocks modular construction in every municipality and paves the way for more affordable housing. Supported by the Utah League of Cities and Towns, it is believed that this code will “allow the [housing] industry to scale in the state as cities are able to more easily accommodate the new home type in their zoning laws and city plans,” says the Deseret News. This statewide code is based upon Salt Lake City’s implementation of ICC/MBI Standards 1200 and 1205. In 2021, Salt Lake City was the first jurisdiction in the entire nation to adopt these ICC standards. Following the city’s enactment, the Commonwealth of Virginia passed these standards in January (ACHR SNIPS News), now followed by Utah (Deseret News). 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dvsYW5-5

Our latest blog on the judgment in this local Harrogate case AJP Homes Ltd v Tate Estates (Lambert House) Ltd & Another [2024] highlights the difficulties in trying to hold a neighbour liable in trespass for the actions of the independent contractor they have engaged. #commercialpropertylitigation #rightsofwaydisputes

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has won a landmark legal challenge against a freeholder that will force it to fix serious building safety issues in a Stevenage tower block. Read More >>> https://lnkd.in/ehDrrket #LevellingUp #BuildingSafety #ConstructionLaw #Remediation #LegalAction

Breaking news from my colleague Laura. For some this is welcome news but for others this will now mean lengthier court proceedings or arbitration rather than the quick 28 day resolution Adjudication offers. If you’re impacted by the decision reach out to the Ashfords Construction team and we can discuss the whole raft of alternative dispute resolution methods that may now need to be considered #construction #adjudication #collateralwarranties