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  #2241  
Old Posted Dec 10, 2007, 8:48 PM
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I agree with Berry and Chad in that a high rise is not what the city needs right now. There is a glut of office space downtown right now. If there was a demand for Class A office space, there are several buildings that could be renovated to class a for a relative bargain, but there is no demand.

I'm all for the RSA's investment, but smart growth is preferred.... the RSA headquarters, and the proposed RSA building are sucking up growth for years, if not decades, in two relatively small footprint areas.

Imagine if the Judicial project was scaled back to 4 stories, or so, and the balance of the $$ and sq footage was invested in the "green space" between the RSA parking deck and Dexter?

Or if there was out of the box thinking.... instead of a massive vertical (RSA Tower) or horizontal (Gordon Person's) connected complex's.... imagine, modular, pedestrian friendly buildings that could be retasked from 1000 person state agencies down to 10 person law offices or even retail.


I have three questions.

Is there enough demand to make RSA reconsider?

Is the project too far along for RSA to reconsider?

Will RSA ever reconsider?


If the answers to these are yes, I'll be happy to get involved, and get a web page started, etc....
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  #2242  
Old Posted Dec 10, 2007, 9:03 PM
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Riverwalk path back on course

By Jill Nolin


The Riverwalk expansion project is back on track after running into an unexpected 40-foot-wide obstacle.

Workers were laying the foundation for a pedestrian bridge downtown along the Alabama River when they encountered underground rocks as big as 20 to 40 feet in diameter, causing work to be delayed and the original plan to be scrapped.

The contractor and a city official said they believe railroad workers placed the rocks there, possibly in the 19th century, to keep the Alabama River from eroding the shoreline.

"It's something that wasn't done in anyone's lifetime who is alive now," said Andy Carroll, project manager with Scott Bridge, the contractor for the project.

"It was more than what our 100-ton crane was comfortable picking up. We were very surprised to find that," he said.

The construction crew went to Plan B -- drilling through the enormous rocks.

The work is part of a multi-phase project to make the downtown riverfront area more pedestrian friendly.

The current phase, which cost about $3.6 million, includes a 625-foot walkway that will run parallel to the shoreline -- nearly half of which is a pedestrian bridge -- and the foundation for a tower for a pedestrian overpass that will go over the train tracks.

"The Alabama River is just a fabulous resource that any community would want to have," said Michael Briddell, assistant to the mayor. "For a long time we didn't really exploit it for all its value and beauty. Ultimately, we hope to make that a gathering place."

Originally, the first phase was supposed to be complete this month. The new deadline is early spring.

The next phase, which will cost an estimated $5 million, will be open for bidding once the first phase is completed, according to Patrick Dunson, assistant city engineer for Montgomery.

The pedestrian overpass, which will connect to the intermodal facility, and the tower will be built during the next phase.

The work crews also found what Dunston believes are timbers from an old boardwalk or dock.

Dunson said he has seen old photographs of a boardwalk that was once along the river.
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  #2243  
Old Posted Dec 10, 2007, 9:54 PM
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thor.....i don't know if the answer to all of those questions is yes but i do believe that as responsible citizens that care about our city we have to speak out. at our landmarks meeting today we discussed that the only option remaining is to get the ear of the Governor and convince him to stop the machine and go back with a plan that allows for public input as well as being sensitive to the streetscape and the newly adopted Smart Growth plan. it is going to be an uphill battle but one that is well worth it. we are trying to get a PR firm on board to promote a public meeting, possibly on the capitol steps. the more the better. bronner, at this point, has said he doesn't care if people don't want that building, he is going to build it anyway just to let you know what we are up against.
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  #2244  
Old Posted Dec 11, 2007, 3:44 PM
Chad Emerson Chad Emerson is offline
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Incidentally, in looking at some additional renderings of the project, one of the effects that I don't believe has garnered as much attention as it should has been how this building will visually overwhelm Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The height and mass of this structure gives Dexter Avenue Baptist Church an almost doll house feel to it because the sizes of the two are so disproportionate.

That would be very unfortunate to the important place that the church holds on the history of Dexter Avenue.
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  #2245  
Old Posted Dec 11, 2007, 5:02 PM
hiijakd hiijakd is offline
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exactly chad. more than the judicial building concerns, my true concerns are for the scale and integrity of Dexter Avenue as a whole.
There are some actual steps being taken to at least halt construction until we can talk as a community to come up with a compromise that makes RSA and the citizens of this city happy. I'll let you guys know details as I get them.
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  #2246  
Old Posted Dec 11, 2007, 10:18 PM
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From WSFA.com, with a render.



Quote:
Landmarks Foundation Comes Out Against RSA Building

The Montgomery Landmarks Foundation held a specially-called meeting Monday to officially oppose the latest building project by the Retirement Systems of Alabama. Board members approved a resolution, which encourages the RSA to come up with a redesign.

In an effort to save the old state supreme court building on Dexter Avenue, the RSA recently announced it would encapsulate the building inside a larger 12-story office complex. The RSA stands behind its $200-million project.

But Landmarks members say the building is too tall and too close to Dexter, violating new city building codes. They also worry the building will dwarf the historic capitol, "an iconic symbol of the state." It will also tower over Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. once preached.

Landmarks will send the resolution to Mayor Bobby Bright and Governor Bob Riley in hopes they will convince the RSA to alter its design. In previous WSFA 12 News reports, however, city officials have appeared reluctant to do so.

Landmarks is Montgomery's most prominent advocate of historic preservation. It crated and continues to operate Old Alabama Town, a living history museum of restored homes and buildings in downtown.

The Retirement Systems of Alabama is in charge of investing the pensions of thousands of retired state employees. It has built other well-received office complexes, hotels and golf courses around the state.
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  #2247  
Old Posted Dec 12, 2007, 4:57 AM
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That's all I was suggesting, a compromise that most can be happy with. You're not going to stop RSA from building it, but maybe how they build it. A compromise may provide a better streetscape for Dexter that would result in a taller 'skinnier' building for RSA...whether anyone liked the idea of a new office building or not...that wasn't the point.
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  #2248  
Old Posted Dec 12, 2007, 2:47 PM
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I tend to agree with bystander. I think our best chance at effecting a change is to compromise. Perhaps to modify the street level design and have the structure step back from Dexter with increasing height. This way the Dexter Avenue face will be shorter and the Monroe Street face can be 12 stories. Any change must occur quickly before RSA can make the claim they are too far along to modify.
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  #2249  
Old Posted Dec 12, 2007, 4:23 PM
Chad Emerson Chad Emerson is offline
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I agree that a pragmatic compromise would be much more likely to succeed than outright demands to stop it.

If that's the ultimate tact, then a couple of key things to consider:

1. Enhance the street level design of the building to interact with pedestrian activity. This should be done by having multiple retail bays on the Dexter Avenue street level floor. The entrances to these bays should be front doors directly onto the Dexter Avenue sidewalk. The front of these bays should consist of clear glass and individual street level signage for each bay. The bays should compose at least 75% of the street level frontage of the building. That will allow for the remaining portion to serve as the front door off of Dexter into the building.

2. Reduce the mass of the building's upper floors. The large mass works fine at street level and up several floors. It's when the large massing continues about the surrounding buildings that it begins to feel overwhelming.

These are just two reasonable starts.
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  #2250  
Old Posted Dec 13, 2007, 12:51 PM
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City to add parking decks downtown

By Andre Coe
acoe@gannett.com





City engineers will meet today with potential bidders for a parking deck project near Riverwalk Stadium.

Plans also are under way to build a new parking deck at the corner of Washington Avenue and South Perry Street.

Both multilevel decks will have more than 300 parking spaces, said city engineer Chris Conway.

Eighteen companies from Auburn, Montgomery, Birmingham and Ozark, as well as Georgia and Mississippi, have already shown interest in building the parking deck at the northernmost end of Coosa Street across from the baseball stadium.

The city will open bids for the project Dec. 20.

Other construction projects going on downtown have contributed to the high number of contractors interested in the parking deck job, said Patrick Dunson, assistant city engineer.

"Rather than having to travel all over the state, they can keep most of their guys here," he said.

The Coosa Street parking deck is estimated to cost about $6 million, while the deck at Washington Avenue and South Perry Street will push closer to $7 million, said mayoral aide Jeff Downes, who supervises downtown redevelopment.

In addition to the parking deck near the stadium, the city plans to create a cul-de-sac at the end of Coosa Street, which currently ends at the CSX railroad tracks, Conway said.

The Coosa Street project is expected to take about a year to complete, Dunson said.

Downes said the construction projects are part of a larger plan for downtown revitalization that has included the construction of Riverwalk Stadium, the Riverwalk along the Alabama River and the new intermodal bus facility, in addition to the Court Square renovations. Plans also include converting all but two of the one-way streets downtown to two-way streets.

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  #2251  
Old Posted Dec 13, 2007, 12:52 PM
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Guest columns
ALABAMA VOICES: Wrong building, wrong site

By David Braly

Dr. David Bronner, head of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, says he doesn't care what historic preservationists and little ladies think about his plans for the old Judicial Building on Dexter Avenue. I would like to change his thinking by suggesting that what he is proposing will affect a much wider audience, and will change the image of the state, for the worse.

All Alabamians, not just the fine citizens of Montgomery, need to be aware of his plans. More is at stake here than the partial preservation of an historic building.

RSA is planning to build a mammoth, high-rise office building in the foreground of our historic view of the Capitol, and across the street from the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. It will be higher than the Capitol dome and will dramatically alter the beauty and dignity of one of our nation's most significant historic sites.

Our Capitol, its grounds, the church and the avenue itself, are witnesses and physical memorials to the two greatest social movements in our country's history. The reverent and beckoning view of our Capitol, crowning the gentle slope of a gracious avenue that was courageously and faithfully traveled by those wanting change in their lives, will be upstaged by what is to be called The RSA Judicial Office Building.

Dr. Bronner says this project will give Montgomery much needed office space, provide jobs and restore some elements and rooms of the historic structure. This is an attractive combination to some people, especially when considered along with the projected cost: $200 million -- an impressive investment to dangle before any city, anywhere.

However, what he doesn't say is why such a project has to be built on this particular site, in the one remaining area of Montgomery where secondary buildings have always deferred to the Capitol's presence, and where the city's newly adopted zoning codes limit structures to six stories.

What he doesn't say is why RSA wants to concentrate so much tenant space in this location, particularly when there are so many available buildings and sites, in neighboring blocks. It is obvious that jobs would be created wherever a building this size is located.

From the general perspective of urban architecture, and the specific law and intent of the recently adopted Downtown Montgomery Plan, the RSA project is the wrong building on the wrong site. Not only does this 12-story, 200-foot-tall concrete and glass box contrast inelegantly with its surroundings, it makes no provision for street level amenities such as on-street parking, small commercial establishments and cafés, which are desired by the city. Such amenities are the lifeblood of making any street lively, attractive and comfortable to stroll.

The proposed building offers only lobby space and massive, solid walls screening parking decks. With the exception of a small pocket park on Dexter Avenue, it promises a lifeless and inhumane streetscape, devoid of character.

Furthermore, it recasts its boundaries over the public pedestrian right-of-way on Monroe Street, offering an exhilarating experience to anyone brave enough to walk between a 30-foot-high concrete wall and four lanes of traffic. The city's leadership seems unwilling to consider these violations of the requirements it demands of other downtown developers.

Dr. Bronner defends his project by blaming historic preservationists for not acting earlier to save the Judicial Building. This is a grossly misplaced accusation. As previous owners, the state of Alabama was responsible for the use and upkeep of the building.

The state allowed the building to decline and decay to its present condition. Preservation groups, on the other hand, have pressed the state for years to do something about its disuse and poor condition.

The Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery attempted to open a dialogue with Dr. Bronner, offering its expertise and assistance, by way of providing suggestions and concept drawings for a high-rise office building set back from the street, allowing both the Judicial Building and the streetscape to retain their dignified and historic appearances. There was no response to Landmarks' offer.

Now, rather than honoring the Judicial Building, the planned structure will literally deface it by removing its majestic front steps and grand entrance and entombing this architectural dissection in some sort of perverse museum case.

Dr. Bronner's project is very bad , not only from the viewpoints of historic preservationists and little ladies, but also from the viewpoints of those interested in good urban design, of those interested in the historic images of civil war and civil rights, and of those who revere our Capitol as the symbol and promise of self-government.

A new approach is needed for this project, one that is responsive to the regulations of the city, to the histories of the site and to the process of public input for public buildings.

David Braly is president of the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery.

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  #2252  
Old Posted Dec 13, 2007, 9:52 PM
hiijakd hiijakd is offline
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they tore off the steps today. we gotta stop this a.s.a.p.
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  #2253  
Old Posted Dec 15, 2007, 2:28 PM
Chad Emerson Chad Emerson is offline
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Watts Homes is again incorrectly calling its SomerHill project a "smart growth" development. Read more here.
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  #2254  
Old Posted Dec 17, 2007, 1:56 PM
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From today's Advertiser.

The article says there is demand, but I still see alot of 'for sale/rent' signs. Hijackd, what are your thoughts?

Quote:
Lofty aspirations
Hopes high for edgy real estate

By Kym Klass
kklass@gannett.com






Lofts are a growing commodity in Montgomery.

They are in converted buildings downtown and in new structures in Old Cloverdale. Local real estate developers and managers foresee a boom market in the next few years. More lofts will open up, and people will snap them up.

"For a long time, downtown was not a housing option," said Beau Daniel, director of operations at Foshee Management Co., which manages lofts downtown. "The lofts have been extremely successful for people living in Montgomery, or those coming from all over the country.

"One great thing about the lofts is that 100 people could walk by it and 96 would never guess there were apartments there," he said.

Daniel's company has 22 lofts. On North Court, The Alps Loft Apartments take up two buildings -- there are four lofts at the Ice House and seven at The Gun Shop. The company also manages 11 lofts at 246 Lofts, also located on North Court.

All are filled. And Daniel said demand is high.

"I get more calls than I have lofts," he said.

It's inevitable that residents will see more and more lofts, said real estate agent Sandra Nickel, who specializes in midtown Montgomery.

"Lofts have become very 'in,'" she said. "We are extremely excited. We see a very strong future for lofts in Montgomery. Montgomery has been a little slow to get on the train, but we're beginning to see, at the beginning of the inventory, a train."

Aside from the lofts owned by Foshee Management, others are:


GrandView at Cottage Hill -- at the intersection of Goldthwaite and Montgomery Streets;


The Rice Lofts on South Court;


The Perry Street project on South Perry Street;


The A&P Lofts on Cloverdale Road.

"I think there will be tremendous development of the product," Nickel said. "I do not think there will be a mass move of people from the suburbs to downtown, because that's not the way Montgomery is. It does everything a little more slowly than everyone else does."

Harvi Sahota and his wife Anna Lowder own City Loft Corp., which both sells and leases. He said initially, people who wanted to rent created the demand for lofts.

"There is a demand for that type of lifestyle," Sahota said. "I think there are people who have fond memories of downtown, and younger people want something more edgy."

With the new civic center and the Renaissance Hotel opening early 2008, developers are expecting a rush to downtown.

"That will put hundreds of people downtown at night," Nickel said. "That will encourage existing restaurants, which are only open lunch, to stay open for dinner and on the weekends. That's what attracts people to the loft lifestyles -- they want things to do and things to see. They like the convenience of everything being right outside their door.

"And as we have more people downtown, (grocery) markets will pop up."

Daniel said Foshee only rents lofts -- it gives people an option to live in a loft without having to undertake a mortgage.

"With the instability of the housing market, it boosts the renting market," he said.

Lofts in the Montgomery area rent for between $800 and $2,000, and sell for between $210,000 and $625,000. Square footage ranges from 800 square feet to about 2,500 square feet.

The big lofts at the Ice House impress the customers, he said.

"When you walk in to the place you are overwhelmed," he said. "When there is 2,500 square feet, that's the size of a lot of three- to four-bedroom homes. You really define the space with your furniture."

Exposed duct work goes along the ceiling at the century-old Ice House lofts, giving it a more industrial feel. The Ice House lofts boast original hardwood floors, and walls don't always reach the ceilings.

"When you walk in, you kind of expect to be wowed a little," Daniel said, "and it accomplished that. It was done right."

The lofts in Cloverdale are new.

"We made a special effort to have the design of the building stay with the neighborhood," Sahota said. "From day one, they aged the building."

In Cloverdale, there are 16 lofts that opened in September. There are five two-bedroom lofts and two one-bedroom lofts remaining.

There are a lot of mixed developments. The A&P development is the city's first mixed use development, comprised of seven mixed use buildings containing 16 residential lofts, 18 retail/office spaces and eight cottages.

Daniel said Montgomery is a little behind in the loft business.

"For true loft space, we don't have the space," he said. "It's very hard to catch up. You have to have the building to have the space."

Daniel is looking at 30 units to be developed across from City Hall within the next 18 months, and expects them to fill up fast.

"There are a lot of barriers to enter downtown, but that's a good thing," he said. "Part of the reason people live in these lofts is because of the character.

"You can't put a price tag on character."
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  #2255  
Old Posted Dec 17, 2007, 3:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chad Emerson View Post
Watts Homes is again incorrectly calling its SomerHill project a "smart growth" development. Read more here.
I hope you bring it to their attention and, if necessary, report it to the Homebuilders Association, Montgomery Advertiser, etc.
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  #2256  
Old Posted Dec 23, 2007, 3:54 PM
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WSFA 12 News

Montgomery Preservationists Urge RSA To Redesign Building Plans For Old Judicial Building

Historical Society Not Happy With Renovation Of Old Judicial Building In Montgomery

It's coming down to history fencing up against a staggering $200 million investment by the Retirement Systems of Alabama, an investment preservationists believe is misguided.

"It's unbelievable."

And one James Fuller, Executive Director of the Montgomery County Historical Society, says will destroy an old fixture on Dexter Avenue.

"I had no idea it was going to be that big," Fuller said.

This big and some believe at 12 stories, it'll be too high to fit in on Dexter Avenue and complement the view of the Alabama capitol. With RSA Chief Dr. David Bronner's plans to turn the old judicial building into a large office complex, it'll be a mixture of the past blended in with a modern office building.

"We have a resolution we have submitted to Dr. Bronner, Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright, Governor Bob Riley and the county commission," said Montgomery County Historical Society Treasurer Ray Rawlings.

That resolution which was passed this week urges Dr. Bronner and his architects to consider redesigning the building so the building's character won't be lost. Dr. Bronner told WSFA 12 News he had 'no comment on the resolution,' but has previously said he intends to keep the facade of the judicial building and keep the old supreme court room with the glass office complex on top and around the building. Rawlings is still not impressed.

"Now the steps have been removed, the lighting fixtures have been removed and all that's left are the front doors," Rawlings observed as construction workers begin to carry out the renovation plans.

The Chairman of the Montgomery County Commission for one has doubts whether the office building will really destroy the ambiance of Dexter Avenue and block the view of the capitol.

"While we have seen a rendering of the picture, it's my understanding that is more of a conceptual drawing than a actual picture of what it's going to look like. I have some doubts whether it will really obscure the view as we have seen in the photographs," said Todd Strange.

Critics, however, point to the city's New Smart Code Ordinance. That ordinance is designed to ensure that growth downtown spreads out, not up. For instance, the ordinance says buildings along Dexter Avenue can't be any higher than 6 stories tall. But city officials say since the Retirement Systems of Alabama is part of state government, it is not subject to city rules. City officials are also reluctant to criticize a $200 million investment.

For some 15 years the old supreme court sat vacant. Now it's about to get a new life, but a new life some argue is coming at the expense of letting go of the past. Still, no matter how you look at it, one part you can't argue about is the economic impact. The project will create 800 new construction jobs and it should be completed sometime in 2009.

The public will have a chance to view the drawings during public presentations in January. The dates for those public meetings haven't been set.

Reporter: Bryan Henry
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  #2257  
Old Posted Dec 26, 2007, 4:25 PM
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...the glass office complex on top and around the building. ...
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  #2258  
Old Posted Dec 26, 2007, 7:06 PM
hiijakd hiijakd is offline
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todd strange doesn't know what he's talking about. unless bronner's plans are going to be dramatically altered from what he has in the planning office. the renderings i saw were based on the plans. hard to just conceptualize building plans.
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  #2259  
Old Posted Dec 28, 2007, 1:48 PM
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From the Montgomery Advertiser:

Quote:
Taking shape



Construction continues on the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Spa at the Convention Center. On Thursday, workmen removed the fencing from around the construction site and continued working on the exterior. The center is scheduled to open in February of the upcoming year.
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  #2260  
Old Posted Dec 28, 2007, 2:00 PM
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The Renaissance is going to look great.... but why has the work seemed to have slowed at 60 commerce on the Old Tuskegee Bank buidling? I thought that was a key part to the "convention" corridor if you will.....
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