Latest news with #Bryk
Business Upturn
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
First-Time Home Buyers in Florida: Ben Bryk of Ben Bryk Real Estate Shares Insights on State Assistance Programs in HelloNation Magazine
By GlobeNewswire Published on May 26, 2025, 20:15 IST VERO BEACH, Fla., May 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — When navigating the complexities of homeownership for the first time, many Florida residents are discovering that the right guidance and programs can significantly ease the transition. This is especially true for those benefiting from the Hometown Heroes Housing Program, a state initiative aimed at helping frontline workers and eligible first-time homebuyers secure their futures. In HelloNation Magazine , Ben Bryk of Ben Bryk Real Estate in Vero Beach, Florida, shares practical insights on how this program can turn the dream of homeownership into a reality for many who serve the state's communities. The Hometown Heroes Housing Program stands out for its structured support. By offering up to five percent of a loan amount — capped at $35,000 — as a zero-interest, non-amortizing second mortgage, the program removes significant financial hurdles. These funds can be used for down payments and closing costs, and repayment is deferred until the property is sold, refinanced, or transferred. Bryk emphasizes the impact of this deferred model in giving first-time buyers breathing room during one of life's largest investments. The eligibility criteria are designed to prioritize both need and service. Applicants must be first-time buyers — defined as those who have not owned a home in the past three years — and must work full-time for a Florida-based employer. Veterans are notably exempt from both these requirements. The program also targets income thresholds by county, up to 150 percent of the area median income. It covers a wide range of essential service roles including law enforcement, education, healthcare, emergency response, and active military. Additional qualifications include a minimum credit score of 640 and completion of a HUD-approved homebuyer education course. Ben Bryk notes the flexibility of the program in accommodating various standard loan products such as FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional financing, making it a highly accessible path to homeownership. Florida's frontline workers and service professionals now have a clearer route toward stable housing thanks to initiatives like the Hometown Heroes Housing Program. Ben Bryk of Ben Bryk Real Estate provides a closer look at this opportunity in Florida's Hometown Heroes: Help for First-Time Homebuyers in HelloNation Magazine. About HelloNation HelloNation is a premier media platform that connects readers with trusted professionals and businesses across various industries. Through its innovative 'edvertising' approach that blends educational content and storytelling, HelloNation delivers expert-driven articles that inform, inspire, and empower. Covering topics from home improvement and health to business strategy and lifestyle, HelloNation highlights leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities. Staff Writer [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Parking balance: What's the right mix?
May 17—ROCHESTER — Dirk Erickson said the idea of building a 180-unit apartment complex with only 140 parking stalls never occurred to him before he began planning the Bryk at Broadway Apartments. "I was a little concerned about going 80% (parking) when we were doing this, because we had always rented townhomes before, so everyone had their own garage and driveways to park in," he said. Now planning a second downtown-adjacent project, Erickson, whose company is Stack Development, has no qualms about a ratio that provides fewer parking spaces than apartments. City-required parking minimums changed with the 2022 adoption of a new unified development code, but now Rochester City Council members are asking whether such minimums are needed at all. They plan to discuss it during a June 9 study session. With a proposed 109 parking spaces for 132 apartments near Silver Lake, Erickson said the reduced parking ratio has proven successful at Bryk, which lies roughly four blocks away, near the intersection of North Broadway and Civic Center Drive. "So far, almost basically fully occupied, we are doing just fine with that," he said of Bryk. While dipping below a one-to-one ratio for parking is becoming the norm near downtown, Rochester City Council members are asking whether a minimum for developers should be required at all, anywhere in the city. "Let's not make the city's rules prevent them from going down to zero and see where we end up," Ward 5 Councilmember Shaun Palmer said. "Do I think they will go down to zero? I doubt it, but I think they will have limited parking." The city's 2022 unified development code requires at least one off-street parking space for every two apartments in most areas of the city, but earlier standards were more complex. "The parking standards, as they relate to multi-family, were pretty intense," Rochester Planning Supervisor Ed Caples said of previous requirements. "In most zoning districts, the minimum parking requirement was one parking space for a studio or one bedroom, 1.5 parking spaces for a two-bedroom, two parking spaces for a three-bedroom, and I believe three parking spaces for a four-bedroom." The past standards allowed developers to ask to incorporate fewer spots into developments along transit lines and other amenities or businesses that could reduce the need for tenants to have personal vehicles. However, the process has been seen as time-consuming for developers and city staff, sometimes resulting in added costs or delays for a project. Christine Lindsey and her husband went through the public negotiation process with the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as the City Council, when they developed Cottage Grove at Saint Marys Townhomes with 15 rental units and no tenant parking. Located across 14th Avenue Southwest from Saint Marys Hospital, the complex required special permission to build without off-street tenant parking, reserving a few spaces for deliveries and visitors. It's a model that Lindsey, a Rochester native, said her family experienced in other countries. "My family's lived overseas for so long, we lived it every day, so I understood how it could work," she said. Within two years, the townhome rentals have included a mix of long- and short-term rentals, leasing to international professionals and patients, as well as younger professionals who wanted to avoid buying a car. "It's a choice," Lindsey said. "They could afford a car, but they decide they don't want one." As Rochester invests $175.5 million in federal and DMC funds for the Link rapid-transit system through downtown, Lindsey said she expects to see less reliance on cars by people living and working near the downtown core. Erickson says that's already happening, since people can go to work without needing a car, while a variety of delivery services and rideshare options exist to meet other needs. As the city continues to expand transit and provide safe biking and pedestrian options, he said tenants are less reliant on personal vehicles downtown. Among them is Nathan Hoover, one of the Bryk's first tenants. The 2017 Mayo High School graduate was introduced to the Bryk apartments while working on a marketing video for Realty Growth Inc., which was hired to lease commercial space in the building. "I've always wanted to live downtown," Hoover said. "It's been a goal of mine, instead of living in the suburbs." While his decision not to own a car or get a driver's license makes downtown living practical, he said market rents are beyond his reach. Bryk met his needs, allowing Hoover to have a lifestyle in which he gets coffee downtown before catching a bus to his northwest Rochester office. As RGI's marketing director, he said he finds himself moving throughout the city, but can make it work with public transit and relying on others for a ride when needed. When it comes to grocery shopping and some other personal tasks, it can be challenging, but relying on siblings and friends, as well as delivery options, means saving the costs of vehicle ownership is worth it. "It's a blessing and a curse, but I definitely have made it work for my lifestyle," he said. Going car-free is a choice for Hoover. But Kutzky Park Neighborhood resident Lindsey Rohe says that's not the case for everyone living without a car. "I used to wear my car like a glove," she said. "I loved having a vehicle." A 2013 disability left her paralyzed on half her body, ending her ability to drive. Having lived in two downtown apartment buildings, and now on the edge of downtown, she says her power wheelchair frequently gets her where she needs to go. Otherwise, she relies on public and private transit services. "It's not a choice, but it is a reality that I need to get a ride everywhere," she said, pointing out she's encouraged by some city efforts to increase accessibility, but also sees the need for more awareness for those who don't drive. "I can get to Walgreens, Hy-Vee, and other stores at Barlow Plaza on my own," she said of retail locations within blocks of her apartment building. "The intersection (at Civic Center Drive and 11th Avenue) is super problematic. I fear for my safety every time I cross it, but I go anyway." She said that as the city develops safer routes through and around the downtown area, she expects opportunities to open up for her and others without vehicles. Wyatt Ryan sees a similarly low reliance on cars at Nicholas Apartments, on West Center Street, where he lives. While he owns a car and rents a stall there, he rides his bike to work daily at Mayo Clinic, embracing the flexibility of living near downtown. "A lot of (medical) residents and med students do live here, and I know a lot of them don't have vehicles," he said. He said the current state of Rochester makes it difficult for him to consider giving up his car permanently, but he sees potential for the city to move in that direction. "I love the idea of not needing a vehicle, but I think depending on where those developments would be, it would be really hard," he said. Caples, from the Planning Department, says many cities are shifting expectations for apartment parking with such cases in mind. "It's an ever-evolving field and an ever-evolving understanding of what impacts are for requiring minimum or maximum parking requirements," he said. It means Rochester won't be alone if it drops parking minimums for future downtown apartment buildings. Strong Towns, a nonprofit advocacy organization addressing development patterns, reported that nearly 100 U.S. cities, including Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota, had removed parking requirements by 2021. More recently, Northfield dropped its required parking minimums with unanimous city council support. Northfield Community Development Director Jake Reilly said the effort was gradual, starting with dropping the required parking in the city's downtown historic district several years ago and taking it citywide last year. "We believe the private market knows its parking needs better than we do and therefore removing minimums means that the business owner can determine its need for constructing or including parking spaces in a project," he said. Caples said Community Development staff are still studying impacts of changes in other cities and potential consequences locally in preparation for the council discussion next month. There are some potential risks for the city, he said. "I would say, by and large, reducing to zero, off-street parking requirements and leaving it to the developer leaves open the possibility of spillover on the adjacent roadways and whatnot and the utilization of other parking areas," Caples said of potential negative consequences. Permit programs and seasonal parking requirements can reduce the amount of on-street parking in an area. However, developers and tenants acknowledge that some car owners spill into the streets when they don't want to pay for off-street parking or none is available. Palmer said the concern about added on-street parking is why he doesn't want to eliminate off-street parking requirements in neighborhoods outside the city core. However, he said, city efforts are reducing the potential conflict downtown by opening park-and-ride opportunities at the ends of the rapid-transit system and elsewhere. His fellow council member, Nick Miller, said he sees potential to eliminate parking minimums city-wide for multi-family complexes, but he is willing to start on more limited terms. He said flexibility in regulations, especially downtown, can advance the city's housing and affordability goals. Developers estimate that when costs are broken down, the construction of just one interior parking stall costs between $20,000 and $40,000. While outdoor parking lots are cheaper to build, land prices and availability downtown make them difficult to consider. Since 100 parking spaces can cost $2 million at the low end, the potential high-end rent of $200 per month per space means it would take more than eight years to recoup costs, without accounting for monthly expenses tied to heating the garages, providing security and routine maintenance. Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based developer Nate Stencil said such costs can jeopardize an apartment's affordability when too many spaces are required and left empty. For projects like the recently opened Silver Lake Crossing Apartments on Seventh Street Northwest, near Broadway Avenue, he said providing a parking space for 75% to 80% of the apartments meets tenants' needs without unnecessarily adding to development costs. "At the end of the day, we're the people putting a ton of money at risk to do those types of projects," he said. "If we're comfortable and feel as if the parking won't be an issue to the tenants or won't cause a big enough problem where the building isn't successful, I think it should be up to the developer owner to proceed with those projects within reason." Could a developer put forward a project with zero parking? That's unlikely, especially with the largest projects, said Chris Osmundson, a representative of Minnetonka-based Onward Investors, which is planning a 283-apartment complex on the south side of Civic Center Drive . "Most banking institutions, whether it's debt or equity — and this goes for the market-rate and the affordable housing world — they also need to know that the tenants will in fact rent here," Osmundson said. "They do need to have car parking, so a lot of times debt and equity won't let you build a project with no parking." Onward's project, which is seeking state support to keep rents low, is proposed with 185 spaces for those 283 apartments. That ratio, Osmundson said, hinges on the proximity to downtown and growing transit options. Council member Miller, who himself rarely drives, said it seems like a logical step with more people finding they don't need cars. "When we think about how much of our population is not driving, it gives us more flexibility," he said. Council member Andy Friederichs, who owns three apartment buildings within walking distance of downtown, said his tenants highlight that flexibility. "Very few of our tenants have cars," he said, pointing to buildings populated with medial researchers, students, nurses and physicians seeking to reduce costs. With that insight, he tends to support reducing or eliminating parking requirements for future apartment development. "I do believe it should be up to the discretion of the owner, how they would like to do that," he said. "They are the ones assuming the risk of having no parking." If at least four council members agree, potential changes to the parking requirements could be voted on later this year, with additional updates to the unified development code.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Prominent Falls plumber Henry 'Hank' Bryk passes away at 80
'Old school, not many like him around anymore.' That was how friends and former workers of H.W. Bryk & Sons Inc. were remembering the company's founder, Henry 'Hank' W. Bryk, on Friday night. Bryk, 80, of Youngstown, passed away earlier in the day surrounded by family at Niagara Hospice House. 'He was a good man, a very good man,' former Niagara Falls City Council Member Kenny Tompkins recalled. Born in the Falls, Bryk graduated from Niagara Falls High School before serving in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. He learned the plumbing trade during his years of service and when he returned home in 1965, he went to work at Edwards Plumbing. In 1988, Bryk founded his own business in the Falls, specializing in residential and commercial plumbing, heating, and cooling. For more than 37 years, he and his family have operated out of their Military Road headquarters. 'Mr. Bryk was the kind of guy you could do business with on a handshake,' said Tompkins, who worked for him for a decade. 'He was old school and cared for his workers and his customers. He never cut corners and was as honest as the day is long.' Tompkins recalled summer and Christmas parties that Bryk would hold for his employees at his Youngstown home. He also remembered monthly gifts of vitamins to workers, courtesy of the 50-year ownership of Bryk and his wife, Ingrid of Shaklee Distributors, a supplier of natural vitamins, supplements, and eco-friendly home products. Bryk was known to be fond of working outdoors, tending to his gardens, and listening to music. He was described as 'devoted' to his family, especially his grandchildren. He was also known for his philanthropy and support for countless local charities and not-for-profits.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billy Bryk on ‘Hell of a Summer,' Making Movies in His Early 20s and Proving Himself as a Filmmaker
'It's hard for me to believe that the film is coming out, really,' says Billy Bryk. The 25-year-old started writing 'Hell of a Summer' roughly six years ago with Finn Wolfhard, and premiered the film at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023. At long last, it arrived in theaters over the weekend. 'I think anybody would be going nuts during the wait just because you put so much into it and you're not sure when the film's going to come out,' Bryk says. 'But I truly feel like it's the perfect time for the movie to be coming out.' More from WWD Parker Posey on 'The White Lotus,' Viral Fame and Finding Joy in the Art of Escape Miles Aldridge Takes Over Sotheby's, Lyndsey Ingram Gallery Belden House Brings a Bathhouse, Butlers & More to Litchfield 'Hell of a Summer' is a summer camp-set comedy horror starring Fred Hechinger, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Abby Quinn, Wolfhard and Bryk as camp counselors who must outrun a masked murderer. The film is cowritten and codirected by Bryk and Wolfhard, who is 22, and was picked up by Neon almost a year after its TIFF premiere. Wolfhard, who is best known for 'Stranger Things,' and Bryk originally met on the street in Toronto; Bryk was a fan of his, and went up to introduce himself. 'I knew he was really into a lot of the same films and comedians as I was, so we just talked for a little bit,' Bryk says. About a year later Bryk, whose father is the actor Greg Bryk, decided to drop out of film school and start acting, and landed a small role in Jason Reitman's 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife,' also starring Wolfhard. 'We met again on set and really hit it off,' Bryk says. Both were interested in making a coming-of-age comedy, and decided to try writing one together. 'We really grew up loving these classic teen coming-of-age ensemble comedies, and we really wanted to make a film that felt like that because it felt like it had been a little while and there hadn't been many for this generation,' he says. Writing in their hotel surrounded by other young cast members gave them a camp-like feel, and from that idea they easily saw it as a slasher film. Bryk is a big fan of early Wes Anderson movies including 'Bottle Rocket' and 'Rushmore,' and cites 'Superbad' as 'the ultimate comedy film for so many people that are my age.' Horror-wise, he was inspired by 'Halloween' and 'Scream.' 'We didn't want our film to be too meta or to be this kind of postmodern slasher, but I think you kind of can't make a slasher comedy without looking at a film like 'Scream,'' he says. 'The 'Evil Dead' films, ours isn't too similar from those, but the ethos behind making that film was so inspiring to me,' he adds. 'They made it at such a young age and with a really young crew.' He and Wolfhard started writing the film as teenagers, and were in their young 20s as directors; their age naturally came up when working to get the movie off the ground. 'I wanted to make films at a young age. A lot of my favorite filmmakers started out very young,' Bryk says. 'We were making films at a very young age, and I'm so grateful that I was given that opportunity to do that because so few people get to make movies in their early 20s.' Bryk was fine with them having to prove themselves to those who were skeptical about working with such young filmmakers. 'I felt as though if I couldn't prove my worth and value as a filmmaker to people pretty quickly, then maybe I ought not to be doing it. I didn't really mind people being apprehensive at first when I was 19 writing the script or when I was 22 directing, and I just felt like 'I'm going to do this thing,'' Bryk says. 'Anybody who seemed like they were giving us a hard time based on our age, we just tried to avoid working with them.' Best of WWD Carmen Dell'Orefice, 93: The World's Oldest Supermodel Redefining Timeless Beauty and Ageless Elegance [PHOTOS] Donatella Versace's Daughter Allegra Versace Beck: Fashion Moments Through the Years [Photos] A Look Back at Vanity Fair Best Dressed Red Carpet Stars
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Finn Wolfhard praises mentor Jesse Eisenberg for helping him pivot from ‘Stranger Things' actor to writer-director
Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk knew they wanted to write a script together. They'd worked on the same projects in the past as actors, but they were craving something different, and that's how their new horror comedy Hell of a Summer was born. They co-wrote and co-directed the satirical slasher movie, which they also starred in. It's set at a gathering for camp counselors before their campers arrive for the summer. 'We met on a set surrounded by other young actors, and we're all staying in a hotel together, so it's kind of a summer camp experience,' Wolfhard said. 'So we just set [Hell of a Summer] at camp!' It's no surprise that Wolfhard has a soft spot for horror. He's starred in Stranger Things, It, a few Ghostbusters sequels and other slightly spooky projects. It was important to him to lean into the comedy of all of it, though. Both Wolfhard and Bryk had the same idea for a short film, which Bryk explained to Yahoo Entertainment: A guy finds a 'kill list' at a summer camp and slowly realizes that the people on the list are ranked in order from the hottest to the least hot. He's ranked low, which offends him, and he keeps trying to ask people amid chaos if they think the list is fair. That made it into Hell of a Summer. Wolfhard and Bryk both appeared in When You Finish Saving the World, Jesse Eisenberg's 2022 directorial debut. Wolfhard said he picked up 'tons' of advice from Eisenberg on their shared trajectory, from actor to writer-director to a combination of the three. 'It was so fascinating to watch him work. Something that really stuck with me was how light he was on set and how much of a fun environment he created,' Wolfhard said. 'If we ever wanted to joke around or do something funny, he really gave us the time and ability to do that. He just wanted it to be fun, even though the movie was often quite serious and there were very dramatic parts.' Bryk said he had an incredible experience with Eisenberg on set as well, and their one-time director also became supportive of Hell of a Summer. He visited the set while his family was on a road trip through Canada. 'There's footage of it somewhere on a handy cam,' Wolfhard said. 'But he was always so supportive of the movie, ever since the very beginning and the first few drafts. I remember he would read them and he really liked it.' Members of the ensemble cast praised the script for the way it so clearly develops the characters. Bryk plays a socially anxious counselor striving to look cool, while Wolfhard plays a young man exploring a budding romance. Fred Hechinger portrays a counselor who's on the verge of reaching the age where it's no longer socially acceptable to hang out at camp. '[The script] was so human. … I remember reading it the first time and immediately thinking that all the people who are in this movie are hilarious, but they're also big versions of real people,' Hechinger told Yahoo Entertainment. 'That was the drive of the movie.' D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Abby Quinn and Pardis Saremi, who also play counselors in the film, all agreed that the reason they signed on for the project was to get to work with Wolfhard and Bryk on their first big movie. 'It was the guys! It was their sense of humor and the ease that they brought to the whole thing," Quinn told Yahoo Entertainment. "It was a fun way to spend the summer.' is in theaters April 4.
