Special Pothole Killer Is Raking It In

Pothole (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Where Joseph Borucki sees destruction and expense, Scott Kleiger sees liquid gold.

Borucki, a Mount Laurel lawyer, just spent $500 to fix a wheel bearing damaged by a pothole. For him, every drive has become a slalom run around road craters.

Kleiger, a Harleysville entrepreneur, operates a fleet of specially equipped trucks that fill potholes in seconds, and this is his high season.

“It’s like our birthday!” Kleiger exulted last week, watching one of his Pothole Killer trucks back up traffic for a half-mile on U.S. 1 in Bucks County as it squirted a warm mix of asphalt and cement into hole after hole. “It’s a very good time!”

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20140223_Special_Pothole_Killer_is_raking_it_in.html#idegZ5jgBOORAEZs.99

Reading Worries About Crumbling Retaining Wall, Stability Of Pagoda

Mayor Vaughn D. Spencer said he doesn’t want to be remembered as the man who was mayor when the Pagoda tumbled down Mount Penn into City Park.

But among the myriad financial problems the city faces is the fact that a section of the retaining wall supporting the foundation of the city landmark has collapsed, and more of the wall is in danger of crumbling.

If the wall goes, the Pagoda could be next.

“It’s a serious problem because that is the foundation wall and a large piece of it is gone,” Spencer said. “Once you get that kind of erosion going it’s hard to stop.”

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=519038

With Financing Woes Resolved, Construction Begins At Allentown’s Schoen’s Building

English: City of Allentown from east side (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With its financing woes behind it, construction began today on the $9.8 million renovation of the former Schoen’s Furniture Store in Allentown.

The 612 W. Hamilton St. structure has now been dubbed the Trifecta Building after its primary tenant, Trifecta Technologies, the software firm that will occupy the top three of the building’s six floors.

During an open house and construction launch party today, Trifecta founder and CEO Doug Pelletier expressed excitement about being part of the City Center neighborhood’s ongoing revitalization.

“We’re coming downtown, and we’re not just coming here to work,” Pelletier said. “We’re going to drink in your bars, we’re going to eat in your restaurants, we’re going to cheer at the arena. That’s what we love about coming here.”

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2013/11/with_financing_woes_resolved_c.html

Allentown Arena Starts To Get Its Roof Overhead

English: City of Allentown from east side (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A milestone of sorts for Allentown’s new arena has begun.

Three massive cranes this morning began lifting the seven 236-foot-long roof supports, called trusses, into place above the 8,500-seat PPL Center. Workers hoisted 85 feet in the air in high-reach cherry-pickers will use pneumatic wrenches to fasten the trusses into place with massive bolts.

Each truss, a curved structural support laced with a series of steel triangles, weighs between 125,000 and 212,000 pounds.

The first truss is expected to take 14 to 16 hours to install. The trusses were constructed on the arena floor last week.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-arena-truss-installation-20131003,0,5253395.story#ixzz2glgUA0Eu
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Latest Phase Of Downtown Streetscape Project More Than Halfway Done

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WILKES-BARRE — The sun beat down on the newly poured concrete sidewalks outside Mimmo’s Pizza, and inside Mark Bronsburg thought about the winter.

Construction workers have been toiling in the heat and humidity to dig up the old walkways as part of the latest phase of the downtown Streetscape project and replace them to smooth the way for people going around Public Square.

Bronsburg looked forward to an easier job shoveling snow without jamming a shovel against an upraised sidewalk paver.

He’s among the business owners around the Square who’ve been waiting for improvements to be made to match those on the opposite side.  He’s also willing to put up with short-term inconveniences.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/669883/Latest-phase-of-downtown-Streetscape-project-more-than-halfway-done

Architect Plans $5 Million, 7-Story Condominium Project In Downtown Lancaster

Three decades after building Steeplehouse Square, architect John de Vitry again is building condominiums in downtown Lancaster.

Magnolia Place, a seven-story building he wants to build at North Duke and East Chestnut streets, would be the first entirely new downtown residential project since Steeplehouse opened in 1982.

The 13-unit building would replace the building on the northeast corner of the intersection, which was built as a gas station and later served as a law office.

De Vitry and his partners hope to begin construction of the $5 million-plus project in October, with occupancy of the units by September 2014.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/860653_Architect-plans–5-million–7-story-condominium-project-in-downtown-Lancaster-.html#ixzz2W7xdrWlt

Sinking Spring Focuses On Revitalizing Downtown

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When a group set out to revitalize Sinking Spring’s downtown in 2008, it planned to start with the west side of town.

Then a developer shifted the focus to what’s now known as the Spring Market shopping center in the eastern section.

Now the group is trying to advance a plan for the central district, calling for a new mix of residential and commercial space south of Penn Avenue.

The revitalization group, known as BOSS 2020, for Borough of Sinking Spring 2020, met with an architectural firm and came up with the downtown plan.

Alcon of Sinking Spring contributed $8,000 to the effort.

Read more:   http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=431266

This Year, Home Design Is All About You

Wondering what the hot home design trends will be for 2012?  The answer, at least in some instances, is whatever you want it to be.
   
“2012 is going to be an eclectic mix.  It’s not going to be something that’s very definable,” said interior designer Valerie Betz of Studio VB, located at 218 Verbeke Street in Harrisburg. “It’s not going to be this style or this country.  It’s more about taking a deviation and being more eclectic.” 

 

 

 

 

Read more: http://blog.pennlive.com/life/2012/01/this_year_home_design_is_all_a.html