AltWeeklies Wire
Public Input Study Proposes Skate Park, Carousel, and Aquarium for River Parknew
Nearly half the respondents of a new public survey about Memphis' Mud Island think there aren't enough events or interesting things to do at the Mud Island River Park. But the idea for Mud Island that drew the most support — from the public, at least — is a skate park.
The Memphis Flyer |
Mary Cashiola |
05-15-2009 |
Housing & Development
Calgary Deems Stalled Condo Sites 'a Developing Emergency'new

Abandoned and stalled construction sites throughout Calgary are putting people and property at risk — with one southwest condo site at risk of "catastrophic collapse," according to court documents.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Jeremy Klaszus |
05-07-2009 |
Housing & Development
First-Time Homebuyers Are Swooping in on the Monterey Peninsula Foreclosure Boomnew

This is the flip side of the national economic meltdown. For the first time in recent memory, real estate bargains are fairly easy to come by in the Monterey Peninsula.
Monterey County Weekly |
Kera Abraham |
05-07-2009 |
Housing & Development
Virginia Rep Requests $4M for Blue Ridge Tunnel Projectnew
Plans to convert the Blue Ridge Tunnel into a hiking trail through Afton Mountain may have gotten a boost when Representative Tom Perriello asked the House Appropriations Committee to earmark $4.36 million for the project in fiscal year 2010.
C-Ville Weekly |
Mark Meier |
05-06-2009 |
Housing & Development
Detroit Bait Shop Owner Holds His Ground Against Bridge-Expansion Projectnew
Dean Aytes and his bait shop are the only things standing in the way of a potential second bridge from Detroit to Canada.
Metro Times |
Detroitblogger John |
05-05-2009 |
Housing & Development
Dallas Convention Center Hotel Vote is Not Just About a Buildingnew
In his many public pitches for the convention center hotel, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert has argued that a vote against the hotel would be a vote against the future of the city.
Dallas Observer |
Sam Merten |
05-04-2009 |
Housing & Development
Gaviota, the Gone Land?new

With financial realities pushing historical agricultural operations to the side, long-running family ranches on California's Gaviota Coast are left with few options for survival.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Ethan Stewart |
04-20-2009 |
Housing & Development
Centennial Church Is Falling Downnew
Stories out of Helena-West Helena in Arkansas always seem to be about conflict, often conflict with a racial angle. Even stories about historic preservation tend in that direction.
Arkansas Times |
Doug Smith |
04-16-2009 |
Housing & Development
Nonprofits Working Hard as S.C. Legislator Weighs Tent-City Approachnew

South Carolina Rep. Wendell Gilliard has introduced legislation in the Statehouse that would study how the recession has increased the state's homeless population, and he's proposing state-funded tents for those who may be turned away when shelters reach capacity.
Charleston City Paper |
Cara Kelly |
04-15-2009 |
Housing & Development
A Proposed Cold-Storage Facility Has French Quarter Folks Calling Fowlnew
The Port of New Orleans and a local neighborhood group are at odds over the port's efforts to renovate the Gov. Nicholls/Esplanade wharves into a cold storage facility that uses anhydrous ammonia to blast-freeze packages of chicken, which will then be shipped up the Mississippi River.
Gambit |
David Winkler-Schmit |
04-08-2009 |
Housing & Development
Broken Marriage: A Timeline of the Landmark Hotel Tragedynew
Charlottesville's Landmark Hotel started as a $30 million project that even the Board of Architectural Review could love. Now, only Mother Nature is working on the skeletal tower that stands as a sardonic reminder of the times.
C-Ville Weekly |
Will Goldsmith |
04-08-2009 |
Housing & Development
Demolition Stirs Fresh Controversy Between Developers and Preservationistsnew
The demolition of the Little House, a 148-year-old Russian Hill cottage in San Francisco, struck a nerve and raised a slew of questions — many of which continue to go unanswered.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Rebecca Bowe |
04-01-2009 |
Housing & Development
Conference Brings Together People Working Toward Redefining the Urban Spacenew
For activists who long struggled to fight developers and speculators, the recent halt in economic activity has been an opportunity to rethink what the city means and can become, and this weekend's radical conference in Baltimore, The City From Below, addresses those concerns.
Baltimore City Paper |
Martin L. Johnson |
03-31-2009 |
Housing & Development
Real Estate's Wild Ride Is Far from Overnew

Should we be reassured because foreclosure rates actually dipped significantly between September and January? It's not necessarily a sign of renewed vigor and health in the housing market, some analysts say.
Pasadena Weekly |
Joanna Beresford |
03-30-2009 |
Housing & Development
Questions About Minority Participation in the Redevelopment of Downtown Kansas Citynew
A lawsuit makes a strong case that J.E. Dunn Construction Company rebuilt downtown Kansas City with little help from minority businesses.
The Pitch |
David Martin |
03-24-2009 |
Housing & Development