Pieces of The Miramar Resort in Montecito Are Getting a Second Life & Helping Families In Need

    LAGUNA BEACH, CA, October 08, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Miramar Hotel in Montecito has been a beloved landmark since the early 1900's, known to visitors and residents for its signature blue roof tiles. Today, those famous blue shingles are getting a second life. The packaged and unused shingles were purchased to replace old shingles and were never used. To assure the surplus shingles did not end up in local landfills, Rick Caruso, Founder and CEO of Caruso Affiliated and the Miramar's owner, generously donated over 12 tractor truckloads (or over 200,000 square feet) to Deconstruction & ReUse Network for reuse with partners Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County and Corazon, an affordable housing ministry in Baja. Caruso's donation will brighten up the "colonias" in Tijuana & Tecate that Corazon serves, as well as provide funding for Habitat for Humanity homes and the advancement of deconstruction & reuse practices in Santa Barbara and Southern California.

"Representatives from Habitat for Humanity heard about the Miramar and the surplus of blue shingles and suggested I reach out to Caruso staff to discuss reuse as an option," says Lorenz Schilling, president of Deconstruction & ReUse Network. "They were very receptive to the idea of re-using the surplus materials to help other families, and it's fun that we were able to continue the tradition of the famous blue roofs."

"We were really pleased to be approached by the Deconstruction and Re-Use Network about reusing the roof tiles and to partner with a great local organization. These are perfectly good shingles whose fate was a landfill. This donation is a real winner for everyone -- it keeps the roofing material out of the landfill, it puts the shingles to good use helping to provide or improve housing for those who need a helping hand, and it begins to clear the site so we can move forward on bringing back the heritage of the Miramar," said Rick Caruso, CEO of Caruso Affiliated.

Beginning this week, tractor trailers will be loaded at the site of the Miramar and shipped to Baja where Corazon will reuse many to build affordable homes and community centers, while the remainder will be sold with proceeds benefitting Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County and Deconstruction & ReUse Network's programs. The donated shingles, which have been stacked on the property for years, equate to 153 pallets / 42 packages per pallet / 204,000 square feet total.

Deconstruction & ReUse Network is an environmental and humanitarian non-profit that works with deconstruction contractors, architects and municipalities to develop simple solutions for property owners to deconstruct as an alternative to traditional demolition. The organization partners with non-profits that help complete its circle of reuse, and help families build or improve their homes. It also provides all necessary documentation for property owner tax-deductions stemming from the donation of a building's reusable parts. For more information about how deconstruction works please visit www.Decon-Network.org

About Deconstruction & ReUse Network
Deconstruction & ReUse Network is an environmental public benefit corporation 501(c)(3), whose mission is to promote and empower deconstruction practices and to grow a greater reuse network for quality building materials through partnerships with complementary operations and organizations. Deconstruction & ReUse Network currently serves Northern and Southern California with partnerships that benefit Habitat for Humanity and Corazon. www.Decon-Network.org

About Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County
Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County is an independent, locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat for Humanity and its affiliates build homes for sale to partner families with no profit, zero-interest mortgages. Habitat for Humanity is not a relief agency, but an established non-profit home building organization with a worldwide network of volunteers and over three decades of experience in home building. The local affiliate was established in 2000 and completed its first major home building project in 2007, three homes on Via Lucero. The next home building project, four homes on San Pascual Street, will be constructed in 2010. Volunteers and other support are welcome. Visit www.sbhabitat.org for more information.

About Caruso Affiliated
Caruso Affiliated is best known for developing and operating high quality outdoor retail properties that are destinations including The Lakes at Thousand Oaks, The Commons at Calabasas, The Promenade in Westlake, The Grove in West Los Angeles and The Americana at Brand in Glendale.

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