By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorGlenwood Springs, Colo.— The Roaring Fork Lodge, a condo/hotel project offering 40 residences and 106 guest rooms, applied for its final city approval today. The development is a joint venture between Magnolia Hotels, a Denver-based hotel development and management company, and Glenwood Springs, Colo.-based Roaring Fork Lodge LLC.“Our locations have all been urban so I am looking forward to developing in the mountains,” says Leigh Hitz, president, Magnolia Hotels. “There is not a niche project like this in the Glenwood Springs area,” she tells MHN, explaining that the target demographic is an out-of-state second-home buyer who…

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorDallas—Lincoln Property Company, a Dallas-based diversified real estate services company, has entered into an expanded engagement with J Turner Research to measure customer satisfaction levels of current and prospective residents at 18 communities.“What we do is we send an anonymous survey of what the prospect says, so the manager and leasing staff are really getting constant feedback about the [prospects’] perceptions of the leasing agent, the physical marketability and the value perception,” Joseph Batdorf, president, J Turner Research, tells MHN.Previously, J Turner conducted only employee surveys for Lincoln Property. In addition, J Turner will now measure…

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorPhiladelphia—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) have signed an agreement that the PHA will certify 760 accessible housing units, or 5 percent of its housing stock, by 2013.In exchange, the PHA will continue to operate under HUD’s “Moving to Work” (MTW) program, which allows housing authorities to promote self-sufficiency among families receiving HUD assistance and increases housing choices among low-income households, for the next 10 years.“It’s a win-win for the people of Philadelphia,” says Jerry Brown, public affairs officer for HUD. “One of the concerns is that…

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorChicago—Standing at 1,362 ft. and 92 stories, the tallest North American residential high-rise, Trump International Hotel & Tower, Chicago, was topped off in late September. The project will offer 486 condominiums and—located on floors 17 through 27—339 hotel condominiums. Both tower residents and hotel guests have access to the development’s services and amenities. The residential condominiums have their own lobby and elevator, separate from hotel guests.Closings for the condo hotel portion of the project began this spring and closings on the condominiums began in August. Seventy-five percent of the property has been sold. Construction is expected…

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorDenver—The winners of the 2008 Design Excellence awards were announced in September at Multi-Housing World. Projects were chosen based on a number of criteria, including overall composition, functionality, aesthetics, special attributes and sustainable elements, if applicable.Click here to see all the 2008 finalists.The panel comprised of five industry professionals, including Darin Schoolmeester, AIA, LEED AP and principal at MVE & Partners in Irvine, Calif.; Susan Slotkis, Allied Member ASID, author of Foundations of Interior Design and adjunct assistant professor at F.I.T. in New York; and Bruce Englebaugh, AIA, partner at Minno & Wasko in Lambertville, N.J….

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorWashington, D.C.–The House of Representatives has passed a bill to extend the E-Verify system for five years. The program is a voluntary Internet-based system that compares information from I-9 forms against government records to determine an individual’s work status in the U.S.If the Senate does not pass the bill, currently called H.R. 6633, the system will expire on November 1. Currently, private employers may volunteer to use the system. However, two new bills that have been introduced would make it mandatory for all employers, federal or private, to screen potential employees for immigration status.With the enforcement…

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorChampionsGate, Fla.–The opening session at the Florida Apartment Association (FAA) Education Conference & Trade Show in ChampionsGate, Fla. addressed the theme of the show, “Celebrating Change.”The keynote speaker, Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE, discussed the importance of embracing change within the apartment industry. However, she asserted, to truly embrace such change, managers must look outside the industry itself. In the context of the housing downturn, for example, people are turning away from homeownership, creating a shift towards multifamily housing, she said. With that in mind, she encourages managers to avail themselves to think differently.McDargh noted three general…

is Lend LeaseArchitect/Interior Designer: WHA Architecture and Planning PCCategory: UnbuiltMirabella South WaterfrontPortland, OROwner/Investor: Pacific Retirement ServicesArchitect/Interior Designer: Ankrom Moisan Associated ArchitectsBuilder: Hoffman Construction CompanyFifteen Twenty-One Second AvenueSeattleDeveloper/Builder: Opus NWR LLCArchitect of Record: Opus Architects and EngineersDesign Architect: Weber ThompsonInterior Designer: Susan Marinello InteriorsBarn Lofts Los AngelesDeveloper: The Borman Group LLCArchitect/Interior Designer: Rockefeller Partners ArchitectsBuilder: Carr ConstructionCategory: Interior DesignMidtown Bethesda North Condominiums North Bethesda, MDDeveloper: KettlerInterior Designer: ForrestPerkinsArchitect (base building): Dorsky Hodgson Parish Yue ArchitectsBuilder: Bovis Lend LeaseChelsea Modern Sales + Design GalleryNew YorkDeveloper: Madison Equities LLCArchitect/Interior Designer: Audrey Matlock ArchitectBuilder: Diamond Construction

The Austonian is seeking a four-star rating from Austin’s Green Builder designation.