Originally published on June 14, 2023, by Kathryn Hamilton, CAE for NAIOP.

The sluggish return to the office, financing and liquidity, and new ways of approaching the office sector were the predominant themes of an elite gathering of c-suite office owners, investors and developers. The conversation, spearheaded by NAIOP and hosted last week in New York City, explored the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. 

Originally published on June 14, 2023, by Kathryn Hamilton, CAE for NAIOP.

The sluggish return to the office, financing and liquidity, and new ways of approaching the office sector were the predominant themes of an elite gathering of c-suite office owners, investors and developers. The conversation, spearheaded by NAIOP and hosted last week in New York City, explored the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. 

Originally published on June 9, 2023, by Natalie Fidlow, CFA for NAIOP.

“[Artificial Intelligence] won’t replace real estate people. AI will replace real estate people who don’t have AI,” said Itay Ron, senior president of Northeast markets at Faropoint at the I.CON East conference this week in Jersey City, New Jersey. “Right now, we are reaching an inflection point where you can easily use data for commercial real estate,” Ron continued, discussing the state of artificial intelligence technology and how commercial real estate professionals can utilize AI in their investments. 

Originally published on June 9, 2023 by Kathryn Hamilton, CAE for NAIOP.

Every day, developers drive past prime industrial real estate sites that could be warehouse-perfect, were it not for the sloped grade that would cost too much to excavate to make the facility level. Enter a new solution: a split-level building that doubles the space by creating efficiencies in construction costs and land use.

Originally published on June 8, 2023 by Natalie Fidlow, CFA for NAIOP.

“Volatility and uncertainty” describe the current state of the markets, according to Tom Griggs, managing director and head of industrial & logistics for the East at Hines, with the past 12-18 months presenting a difficult environment. Griggs led an expert panel discussion on the outlook for the industrial real estate capital markets at NAIOP’s I.CON East.

You want to build WHAT in my neighborhood? - Council Member James Mitchell, Jr. will host a town hall to discuss various planning and development topics including UDO implementation on June 1, Community Area Planning, understanding the blue "Z" rezoning sign, and community benefits. 

RSVP to Jocella Palmer

Originally published on June 8, 2023, by Brielle Scott for NAIOP.

A panel of experts dove into all things supply chain at I.CON East: The Industrial Conference, led by Beth Rooney, port director for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. She kicked off the discussion by asking what strategies the speakers are seeing their clients pursue to reduce operating costs, increase productivity and improve operational resilience.

Originally published on June 8, 2023, by Kathryn Hamilton, CAE for NAIOP.

This week at NAIOP’s I.CON East: The Industrial Conference, four experts in the space shared their thoughts on how the corporate real estate of the future will integrate the evolving trends of sustainability and automation so that owners can meet carbon reduction and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals, exceed tenant specs, future-proof their properties and increase NOI.

Originally published on June 8, 2023, by Brielle Scott for NAIOP.

“Please raise your hand if your tenants have encountered any difficulties obtaining or retaining the workforce they need,” Anne Strauss-Wieder, Director, Freight Planning​, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority​, asked the audience at NAIOP’s I.CON East: The Industrial Conference.

Originally published on June 8, 2023 by Brielle Scott for NAIOP.

At NAIOP’s I.CON East: The Industrial Conference today, attendees explored the logistics building of the future, as designed and imagined by Matt Brady, LEED AP, architect and executive vice president, and the team at Ware Malcomb.

Originally published on June 8, 2023, by Kathryn Hamilton, CAE for NAIOP.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and decarbonization initiatives can yield significant advances across the industry, from the important climate benefits to improved investor and community relations. While these are not new concepts – the first solar panels date back to 1954 – they are fresher to commercial real estate as owners and developers evaluate how to retrofit existing properties and incorporate elements of sustainability into their projects.

• June 13 - History of Planning in Charlotte
• June 27 - Comprehensive Plan & Unified Development Ordinance
• July 11 - Mobility & Transportation
• July 25 - Urban Design & Preservation

Click here for more information
& to register for sessions

CLT Council Committees Meet Next Monday - On June 5th, Charlotte City Council Committees will meet as they always do on the first Monday of each month.  Next week's meetings will be of particular interest as the next wave of UDO text amendments will likely be discussed in the Transportation, Planning, & Development Committee.  A final resolution on the Eastland Project may also be in the offing in the Economic Development Committee.  

Check this link later in the week to view the agendas.

We're back with our popular "Two for Tuesday PLUS" edition providing education for you about relevant issues.  Here's our list of things YOU should know about:

• CLT Land Development Streamlining Submittal Process - In conjunction with the implementation of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), the department is enhancing the application submittal process.  Some highlights include:
• Accela Citizen Access (ACA) will be reduced to 9 record types from 70.
• ACA will now be accepting UDO Administration Applications for Pre-submittal meetings, Appeals, Variances, and Interpretations.
• Fees will be invoiced after all records are assessed in a gateway.  For fee estimation, a link on the application will go to the User Fee Section on the CLT Development Center website.
• Charging to the Mecklenburg County account option will be eliminated due to payment options now offered by the CLT Development Center - conventional check, credit card payment, and e-checks.
• NCDOT will be reviewing Plats and Traffic Impact Study records in Accela.  Staff is working with NCDOT to streamline the Commercial review process.

PLEASE NOTE:  The City’ s submittal portal Accela Citizen Access (ACA) will be “under construction” on Thursday, June 1st thru Sunday, June 4th.  ACA will re-open on Monday, June 5^th.  CLT Development Center

Originally published on May 30, 2023, by Jennifer Lefurgy, Ph.D. for NAIOP.

The NAIOP Research Foundation, as part of its Industry Trends meeting, recently hosted a panel discussion on what’s next for the office sector. Analysts from leading service firms joined NAIOP Research Foundation Governors and office developers Greg Fuller, president and COO, Granite Properties and Paul Ciminelli, president and CEO, Ciminelli Development, to discuss problems and potential opportunities. The panelists agreed that the sector will undergo a shakeout that will include transformation, streamlining, new approaches to work and holistic solutions.

Originally published on May 25, 2023, by Jim Fraser for NAIOP.

A recent report from the American Institute of Architects shows that nonresidential construction spending is expected to slow to a growth rate of 5.8% in 2023 (down from 10% in 2022) and then fall to a mere 1% growth rate in 2024. Recent years brought new stresses on the industry – COVID-19 shutdowns, supply chain woes, labor shortages and bank failures have slowed projects or put them entirely on hold.

Originally published on May 19, 2023, by Kathryn Hamilton, CAE for NAIOP.

The Boston seaport has been continually reshaped since the 1800s, devolving from what was once a thriving area of commerce to acres of muddy parking lots and a few restaurants. Today, it is being reimagined again in a rapid and remarkable transformation that includes soaring office and lab towers, high-end residential, and all the retail services you could imagine.

Originally published on May 23, 2023, by Shawn Moura Ph.D., for NAIOP.

NAIOP National Forums members attending last week’s annual Symposium had the opportunity to tour several projects in the office and life science markets in East Cambridge, Somerville and the greater Boston market. The tour, led by Rob Dickey, Executive Vice President at Leggat McCall Properties (LMP), included site visits to two mixed-use projects that are currently under development.