The Architect Newswire is an aggregation of news from media outlets around the world, intended to keep you abreast of all of the industry’s important developments. The stories we feature are not reported, edited, or fact-checked by Architect’s staff.

LOS ANGELES TIMES
Case-Schiller index slips
The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Schiller price index dropped by 0.6 percent between August and September. “Any chance for a sustained recovery will probably need a stronger economy,” says S&P index committee index chairman David Blitzer. Alejandro Lazo reports that the closely watched index of home prices in 20 American cities has fallen by 3.6 percent since September 2010.

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CBS ST. LOUIS
Demolition denied
St. Louis’s Preservation Board unanimously upheld their staff’s recommendation to deny the proposed demolition of the downtown Cupples 7 building. “Owners of #Cupples7 confirm that the building was in bad shape when they purchased it and they have done nothing to stabilize it,” Alderman Antonio French announced via Twitter. Michael Calhoun reports that building owner Kevin Gowan is $300,000 behind on property taxes for the structure, the roof of which has been severely compromised. It’s estimated that the building could be demolished for $675,000—though repairs will cost between $8 million and $12 million. Rehabilitation would run to about $52 million, according to the St. Louis Business Journal.

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ST. PETERSBURG TIMES (FL)
Tampa hires for master plan
Tampa, Fla., has hired Los Angeles–based AECOM to develop a master plan for its downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Richard Danielson reports that project will cost $1.43 million, paid through a $1.18 million federal grant, $125,000 from the city of Tampa, and $125,000 of in-kind support. “What I hope comes out of it is the master plan, the blueprint for the next 20 years of downtown urban development,” Mayor Bob Buckhorn says. “It will be the plan that we've always talked about but never had.” The plan is expected to be completed between 18 and 24 months after its start early next year.

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CONCORD INDEPENDENT TRIBUNE (NC)
Kannapolis’s new planning director
Kannapolis, N.C., has hired Kris Krider, AIA—former planning director and economic development manager of Davidson, N.C.—as its new planning director. Karen Cimino Wilson reports that Krider is a proponent of smart growth principles and used public-private partnerships in his previous position. “We’ve never had a planner that had Kris’ design skills,” says Kannapolis city manager Mike Legg. “He’s got a background in architecture as well as planning. We have two huge opportunities in this city in the next decade or so and that’s Downtown Kannapolis and the Kannapolis Parkway. We felt strongly that Kris could really bring a lot of skills to making those two areas of the city flourish.”

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DEALBOOK (THE NEW YORK TIMES)
The Empire State Building Goes Public
New York’s iconic Empire State Building is slated to become part of an I.P.O. that will include several pieces of Manhattan real estate owned by the Malkin family. Peter Lattman and Charles V. Bagli report that more detailed information about the offering is expected in about three months. The family has invested more than $500 million in the 102-story-tall building since acquiring it five years ago. “The name of the new company is not known, but a person briefed on the matter said that its name would refer to the Empire State Building, a branding move that the owners hope will attract investors hoping to own a stake in one of the world’s most celebrated skyscrapers,” Lattman and Bagli write.

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THE SAGINAW NEWS (MI)
City “hard on itself”
Saginaw Township, Mich., developer Jim Hill participated in a “visioning” session with city officials, business leaders, and preservationists yesterday. Gus Burns reports that the group is looking for opportunities to develop the city’s downtown area—which Hill contends will become more conducive to investment when a 120-unit and a 30-unit apartment building lose their government subsidies at the start of the new year. “I’ve never seen a city so hard on itself as the city of Saginaw,” Hill says. “Other cities have lots of civic pride. We haven’t a vast amount of it.”

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NEW YORK POST
NYC in 50 years
Annie Karni reports that New York City in 2061 will be home to 9 million people—with more parks and a “beach town feel.” The New York Post has compiled a map showing many of the visionary projects that could result in such a changed city. “The Upper East Side is going to look like a geriatric ward,” says NYU urban policy professor Mitchell Moss. “It’ll be a giant retirement community. The city’s center of gravity will be at Madison Square Park.”

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UNBEIGE
Buy gifts from Philip’s place
Looking to buy your holiday gifts from someplace a little out of the ordinary? Steve Delahoyde reports that Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Conn., will be hosting a pop-up store this season. The Glass House Visitor Center + Design Store will be open many days between now and Dec. 17—and has many of the same items on sale at its website. “The Glass House Design Store offers a well-edited selection of products for men, women, children and the home, featuring items that are inspired by the Glass House site and highlight the latest in eco-friendly materials, production techniques, and design concepts from around the world,” according to a press release. Shop and be merry! Click here for the full story.

CURBED NATIONAL
Eco-friendly toilets
Rob Bear reports that there’s an increasingly large range of “eco-friendly” toilets that are available. He chooses five of note, including a design by Buratti + Battiston Architects that recycles grey water from the lavatory and a Troy Adams design that conceals the fixture beneath a sliding bench. Such green ideas—as well as others with innovative bells and whistles—come at a price. The bench goes for $11,000, while similarly functional fixtures from Kohler are $6,400 and Toto offers a budget option at $4,000. Click here for the full story.