Latest news with #LeaningTower
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Giro d'Italia Stage 10 preview: Second time trial sets stage for GC shakeup
As the dust settled (quite literally) on Sunday's monumental gravel stage in Tuscany, Primoz Roglic was his usual even-tempered self. There's still a long way to go until the finish in Rome, he reminded reporters - and the race favourite, now down to 10th on GC after a disastrous day on the sterrato, can kick-start his fight back to the top with today's time trial. After a day off on Monday to recover and lick their wounds, where applicable, the riders resume the battle for the maglia rosa on Tuesday with the second of two TTs. This one is 28.6km from Lucca to Pisa and although it's twice as long as stage two's contre-la-montre in Albania, the course profile is broadly similar, with a slight rise in the middle of the route before flattening off for a fast run-in to Pisa, and the exact same elevation gain of 150m. The riders will circle the city walls in Lucca before taking a few turns until the first time check, where the course straightens out for the uphill section. From there it follows fast, sweeping roads towards Pisa, with a finish by - where else - the Leaning Tower. There's a potential spanner in the works in the form of a late cobbled section with 500m to go, which continues until the final corner. The Albanian time trial featured a category four climb, whereas this rise is uncategorised, and as such it should be one for the specialists, with the better time-trialists of the GC contenders looking to make up time. Some riders went down hard in a crash on Sunday's gravel stage, Roglic among them, with Juan Ayuso - his biggest rival for the overall title - reportedly needing stitches in his knee after a crash of his own. But the Spaniard has an advantage of over a minute on the 2023 champion, who has serious ground to make up. He'll hope for a replica result of the Albanian TT, when he finished second and put some time into Ayuso, while the climbers Richard Carapaz, Egan Bernal and Giulio Ciccone - all above Roglic in the GC at the moment - were even further back. The weather could also play a part, with rain and thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon and the roads - particularly that final cobbled section - treacherous. Route map and profile Start time Stage 10 is set to start at around 1.15pm local time (12.15 BST), with the first rider setting off then, and the last set to come in at 5.15pm local time (4.15 BST). Prediction As the course is so similar to the previous time trial, it seems reasonable to expect plenty of the same standout names to perform again today. European TT champion Edoardo Affini produced a strong ride for fourth, while Mathias Vacek has been the relevation of this Giro so far - although he had a long day in the saddle on stage nine. Roglic needs to claw back every second he can get and Ayuso is a fine time-triallist, but both could be rather worse for wear after their crashes. Let's go with Josh Tarling: the Ineos man is flying and looks well-placed to secure the TT double.
Hamilton Spectator
11-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
These home builds made headlines in Hamilton. What went wrong?
A home build in Hamilton's north end coined the 'Leaning Tower on Ferrie.' Construction of a new house that caused the house next door to be demolished. A property owner hauled into court on the Mountain over an unsanctioned build. The Spectator has reported on these local problematic building projects over the last few years. While different, all three have required some level of intervention by the city, whether due to concerns around the structure, impacts on surrounding homes or allegedly bad building practices. One case resulted in more than a dozen provincial offences against the homeowner, while the other two situations saw people forced to flee their homes. In one of those instances, residents in the Lansdale neighbourhood lost their home because it was 'no longer habitable.' Here is a recap of those stories: While construction appears to now be going smoothly on a new home at 75 Ferrie St. E. in the North End, that wasn't always the case for the property that made headlines in early 2024. An off-duty city building inspector noticed that a home under construction on Ferrie Street East appeared unsafe and notified the city in early January 2024. The unsafe home build at 75 Ferrie St. E. in Hamilton in January 2024. A city building inspector quickly deemed the structure 'unsafe and at risk of failure,' leading to a nearly weeklong evacuation of neighbouring homes as the building was stabilized with steel columns — work that was completed by the city as the owner was unable to. The city then ordered the owner to fix the structure, but that didn't happen, leading the city to step in once again. The structure was then partially demolished by the city so it would no longer pose a threat to the safety of the neighbourhood. The site was later turned back over to the owner. Throughout the incident, the city spent roughly $294,000 stabilizing and partially demolishing the structure — costs that were billed back to the owner on the tax roll of the property. The unsafe home build at 75 Ferrie St. E. in Hamilton in February 2024. Later, the city alleged that the builder of the home strayed from the original plans approved by the city, leading the structure, once coined the 'Leaning Tower on Ferrie,' to become unstable. Those supposed variances included changes to the framing methods, which differed from the approved engineer plans provided to the city during the permit application — but the troubles didn't stop there. City officials also noted that the home may 'not have been adequately designed to resist the imposed loads,' as well as a lack of shoring during the construction process. It appears those issues have since been resolved, according to a recent update from the city to The Spectator. Last September, the city issued a revised building permit to the owner of the property and construction at the site is 'proceeding in the normal manner,' with ongoing inspections by city staff, according to a statement. The ongoing building saga around 279 Bonaventure Dr. on Hamilton Mountain began late one Friday night in April 2021, when the original home exploded due to a buildup of natural gas. Since then, the property owner has been the subject of lawsuits from neighbours and a legal challenge by the city after dozens of charges were laid in connection with a new home build that began on the site last year. As reported by The Spectator, the owner of the property has been fined roughly 16 times — to the tune of more than $10,000 — by the city regarding construction at the site, which initially began back in late 2023 and continued in 2024 before permits were issued. The home build at 279 Bonaventure Dr. in Hamilton in June 2024. The most recent news on the property comes after the owner was issued a building permit from the city. However, staff have since alleged that construction happening inside the home isn't matching up with approved building plans. The owner of the property was issued an order to comply by the city, but work appeared to be continuing on the site as of early May. A family lost their home in the process of the construction of a new house just off Barton Street East earlier this year. In early April, city staff responded to reports of a 'compromised foundation' of a home at 54 St. Matthews Ave., near Barton Street East and Wentworth Street North, as reported by The Spec. The remains of a home at 54 St. Matthews Ave. in Hamilton. The home was torn down in April. The foundation had been 'compromised to the point that the house was imminently unsafe' during construction of a new home at 56 St. Matthews Ave., a city spokesperson previously told The Spectator. Residents at 54 and 58 St. Matthews — brick houses on either side of the affected property — were forced to evacuate from their homes, as the city put safety fencing around 56 St. Matthews and called in a professional engineer to assess the situation. The professional engineer found 54 St. Matthews was 'no longer habitable,' forcing its demolition on April 13. Meanwhile, the residents of the other affected property returned home. A stop-work order was issued for 56 St. Matthews on April 4, however, it's unclear if that order was rescinded by the city. Costs for the safety fencing and the professional engineer's report have both been billed back to the owner of 56 St. Matthews. The remains of a home at 54 St. Matthews Ave. in Hamilton. The home was torn down in April. While neighbours of the project questioned the construction of the home, which was approved by the city, a spokesperson told The Spectator that they would not be laying charges. Instead, the situation was being examined by insurance companies of the affected property owners. A Ministry of Labour investigation was also launched at the site, but a spokesperson for the province would not provide any further details around the nature of that probe.
Chicago Tribune
06-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Leaning Tower YMCA site being razed, creation of a downtown Niles planned for the site: ‘We're in a renaissance'
Crews began last week to tear down the Leaning Tower YMCA building in Niles, clearing the way for development of a downtown area in the north suburb that may include an entertainment venue. 'We're looking at the possibility of the area being surrounded by storefronts, apartments or condominiums, and creating an indoor/outdoor theater,' mayor George Alpogianis told Pioneer Press. He said one interested party suggested building a theater with a retractable rear wall, similar to the roofs on many sports stadiums. Also planned is creation of a pedestrian-friendly plaza anchored by the Leaning Tower of Niles, the 90-year-old half-scale replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. On April 28, Alpogianis drove an excavator on the site of the former Niles Leaning Tower YMCA, at 6300 Touhy Ave., ceremoniously starting the work of tearing down the building – which was built in the 1960s adjacent to the village's landmark Leaning Tower of Niles, a half-scale replica of Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa. The landmark Leaning Tower remains standing, but the YMCA, which was shuttered by the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is costing the village $1.1 million to demolish, village spokesman Mitch Johnson told Pioneer Press in an email. The demolition by contractor Ground Crew Demolition and Excavation is expected to take three months. Last November, the Village Board authorized razing the building, eight months after purchasing the 6.6-acre YMCA property for $2.1 million, Johnson explained. This site is on the south end of the total 8 acres of land the village purchased in April 2019. 'We bought that with the mindset that Niles doesn't have a downtown, geographically it's impossible,' Alpogianis said. 'We decided Golf Mill will be our shopping district, and we looked at the south end of the village and we deemed that another district. That could be our downtown and Golf Mill could be uptown.' Golf Mill Shopping Center, at the busy corner of Golf Road and Milwaukee Avenue, is scheduled for a $443 million facelift, the mayor explained. Developers are planning to begin demolition in late September in preparation of a three-year project expected to transform the 64-year-old mall. Alpogianis said multiple entities had looked at the former Leaning Tower YMCA to repurpose it into some type of residential building or hotel. But the amount of money necessary to update the dated infrastructure was cost prohibitive. Village leaders decided it would be more financially feasible to start from new construction, and they began discussing what could be developed on that site – which is set in a tax increment financing district. The YMCA site included two buildings, one that had residential units and other that included an activity center. The parcel was considered by village officials to be blighted and a town eyesore. The mayor was candid in his assessment of the site when officials announced in April 2024 that the village purchased it. Alpogianis previously said the Leaning Tower YMCA site was '[expletive] disgusting. It is in shambles inside: It has been vandalized multiple times and there are multiple broken windows. People have been in there urinating, feces. I'm gonna assume there are rodents in there.' Now, the mayor said he is in talks with multiple music promoters and some in the entertainment industry about a live performance theater — which could be part of the redevelopment — that could seat 3,000 to 6,000 people. 'There's been an outcry from our citizens dying to get a theater in Niles,' he said, adding that it would not only be a concert venue, but a live theater for plays and a community theater for local school graduations. In addition to the theater and multi-use retail and residential that village leaders hope will be developed on the site, Alpogianis said they would like to create a grassy knoll, and in partnership with the Niles Park District, host public art and community events. However, nothing has been formally submitted or reviewed by the Village Board for the site. 'We're in a renaissance in Niles right now,' Alpogianis said. 'Nothing of significance has been done for 25 years. … We all got together and pow-wowed. It's happening and all coming to fruition.'
The Sun
06-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
World-famous landmark to have view of top-flight football as Champions League icon Inzaghi, 51, leads club to promotion
A WORLD-FAMOUS landmark will have front-row seats to top-flight European football next season. There are countless examples of football stadia having views of world landmarks, but this might just top the lot. 2 2 Newcastle United's St James' Park offers a view of the Tyne Bridge, while the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels gives spectators a glimpse of the Atomium. In Canada, Toronto FC's BMO Field has sighting of the CN Tower, and Seattle's CenturyLink Field is a stone's throw from the Space Needle. But the Leaning Tower of Pisa will have top-flight football on its doorstep next term. That is because local side Pisa have gained promotion from Serie B into the Italian top division, the Serie A. Pisa, managed by former Italy legend Filippo Inzaghi, cemented second place in the Italian second tier to return to the top table for the first time since 1991. That means that Pisa's home ground, the Arena Garibaldi, will host the biggest clubs in Italy once more. The stadium is just a seven-minute walk from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, meaning that tourists and fans alike will have no trouble getting access to top-quality Italian football when they visit the city. Pisa's promotion back to the promised land was confirmed last weekend despite their 1-0 defeat at Bari. Third-placed Spezia were beaten 2-1 at Reggiana, which meant that Luca D'Angelo's side could no longer catch Inzaghi's in the race for automatic promotion. As such, that means that Spezia will be forced into the play-offs, which extends down to eighth place. Pisa's promotion also throws up another fun scenario, where the Inzaghi brothers will go head-to-head in opposing dugouts. Filippo's younger brother Simone is the manager of reigning champions Inter Milan, who are three points off Antonio Conte 's league leaders Napoli. There are three games left to play in the Serie A season, with Inter set to travel to Torino while Napoli host Genoa in the next batch of fixtures.
Time Out Dubai
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time Out Dubai
flydubai restarts flights to one of Europe's must-see cities
flydubai has resumed flights to a top Italian destination ahead of summer 2025. The DXB-based airline has re-introduced three weekly flights to Pisa on Tuesday April 1, meaning you have a direct route to some of the best pizza and pasta in the world (apart from the dishes found in Dubai, of course). Taking off from Terminal 3, the flights will run between DXB and Pisa International Airport (PSA). If you like this: Direct flights from Dubai: 144 brilliant places to explore Located in Italy's Tuscany region, the city is best known for its iconic Leaning Tower, completed all the way back in 1372 (it's been leaning for a long time). Currently operating from DXB on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the outbound flight leaves Dubai at 7.25am local time, landing in Pisa at 12.10pm local time. The return journey from Pisa departs at 1.10pm local time and lands back into Dubai at 9.30pm local time. (Credit: flydubai) Speaking about the resumption of flights to Pisa, Jeyhun Efendi, divisional senior vice president, commercial operations and e-commerce at flydubai, said: 'Since 2009, we have remained committed to opening up underserved markets and enhancing connectivity for our passengers, and we are pleased to do just that with our three-times weekly service to Pisa. 'As we approach the busy summer travel period, we look forward to welcoming more passengers on board who can expect a comfortable travel experience whether they are in Business or Economy Class.' flydubai now operates flights to five Italian destinations, including Catania, Milan-Bergamo, Naples and Olbia. Recently, the airline also expanded its network to three destinations in Iran, Bushehr, Qeshm and Tabriz, as well as launching a selection of summer flights to Antalya in Turkey. In other Dubai news COVEBEACH is now officially complete — take a look inside the stunning beach club It's bigger and better than ever Katy Perry to headline this year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race-day concert Are you ready to roar? This is when Global Village will close in summer 2025 The park is set to shut for the season
