An acquisition and a height variance

Liberty Elevator Experts Acquires D.C. Company

Liberty Elevator Experts, based in Newark, Delaware, has acquired Technical Elevator Inspections of Washington, D.C. Technical Elevator Inspections performs compliance inspections throughout the District of Columbia and Maryland. Its consulting division handles design and engineering throughout the U.S. Liberty President Chris Dodds stated: “Technical Elevator Inspections’ proven consulting services have been used on landmark buildings across the country. We are proud to have their consulting and inspection team join us at Liberty.”

Height Variance to House Elevator Mechanicals OK’d

The builder of a low-rise hotel in Fenwick Island, Delaware, will be able to add approximately 4-1/2 ft. to the structure’s height to house an elevator safety overrun and other mechanical systems, Coastal Point reported. Despite objections from some residents, the town’s board of adjusters voted 3-1 in favor of the variance to the 32-ft.-tall (approximately three-story) height limit. An attorney representing the builder said the added height will allow for a shaft to house two elevators, which the hotel needs. Keith Fisher of Fisher Architecture said a shaft could have been built within the existing height restriction, but that would have necessitated an 18-ft. ramp, which could pose safety concerns.

Dallas Developer Seeks OK for Mixed-Use High Rise

A 2.5-acre site in Dallas once earmarked for an office skyscraper may yet see a high rise, if a developer can receive approval from city officials for a mixed-use tower, DallasNews.com reported in September. The site was a parcel within Cityplace, a development launched in the 1980s that, at 140 acres, was one of the largest urban renewal projects in the country. The plan envisioned numerous office towers, residential high rises, hotels and retail space. It included twin 42-story office towers, but only one of them was built before a market downturn hobbled further development. It’s at the site of the second tower that Cityplace Co. hopes to build a mixed-use tower that would include office and hotel space, but it must first secure a size variance. No details about the height of the proposed building were reported.

Norfolk International Airport Getting Elevator Upgrades

Approximately US$2 million of US$10.6 million in federal funding announced by Virginia’s U.S. Senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, will go toward elevator upgrades at Norfolk International Airport, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Elevators will be installed in the departures terminal, and an elevator in Concourse A, which houses American and Southwest airlines, will be moved to the end of the hall to improve accessibility. The Concourse A elevator will provide airfield access for crew and passengers in case a jet bridge is not available, and they must board at ground level.

IoT Solutions Provider Relayr Acquired by Munich Re

Relayr, an Internet of Things (IoT) solutions provider with global headquarters in Boston and offices throughout Europe, has been acquired by Munich Re through its subsidiary Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB), based in Hartford, Connecticut, in a US$300-million deal. Relayr partnered with HSB in 2016 to “craft customized insurance products.” Relayr will continue to operate independently. It said it will benefit from the financial strength of Munich Re, and the new business model will allow it to expand into risk management and data analysis. When Relayr announced its 2016 partnership with HSB, Relayr said it had the potential to help customers of clients such as Schindler, one of Relayr’s first IoT customers. At the time, Schindler Chief Digital Officer Michael Nilles said the partnership with HSB would “allow Relayr to further expand their business scope from technology towards comprehensive IoT-based business model offerings.”