Posted on March 23, 2018

By Marie Ruff

Every click of an e-commerce order kicks off a series of actions that lead to the delivery of your package from a warehouse to your house – and the final stretch of that process is the most expensive part. “People expect to order anything, anytime, and have it delivered anywhere they want it. It’s a challenge for our infrastructure,” said Gregory Healy, Colliers International executive managing director, supply chain and logistics, during his keynote address at NAIOP’s CRE.insights: The Last Mile conference this week.

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Posted on March 22, 2018

By Robert T. Dunphy

Some of these innovations may change how freight is moved in the future.

While public interest in transportation focuses largely on commuting and personal travel, much of the future growth in transportation demand will involve moving freight rather than people. Some extraordinary technological developments in this area are already underway. Innovations currently under development include the following.

1) Truck Platooning. Fuel and safety are one of the biggest concerns in the trucking industry. Being able to connect two or three trucks together in a “platoon” reduces the distance between them to as little as 20 feet, allowing a following truck to take advantage of fuel-saving aerodynamics as it coasts in the wake of the lead truck. Peloton, an automated vehicle technology company that has developed a platooning system, estimates that cost savings could be approximately 10 percent for the second truck and 4.5 percent for the lead truck in a platoon. The company may have paired trucks on the road as early as 2018, according to an October 22, 2017 Washington Post article.

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Posted on March 21, 2018

By Ioana Neamt

With all the talk of the modern workforce expecting autonomy and companies offering flextime and work-from-home arrangements, most U.S. companies still try to get employees to show up at the office. So naturally, there is ongoing interest in the discussion about the most efficient and pleasant work environment and what that might look like. Over the decades, we’ve seen several attempts by designers to rethink the office space, from Herman Miller cubicles, to the rather controversial open-plan layout and the currently highly-sought-after co-working trend. Companies have several motivations for trying out new layouts: cost-effectiveness, the need to expand quickly following a growth in the number of employees, the desire to have an office design that reflects the company culture, and so on. However, there is still one question left unanswered: what do employees have to say about their workspaces?

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Posted on March 20, 2018

Recruiting and retaining top performers has become essential in today's highly competitive marketplace. It's not too late to find out if your salary and bonus package is competitive with the 2017 NAIOP/CEL Commercial Real Estate Compensation and Benefits Report.  

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Posted on March 15, 2018

According to a VTS blog post, The Rise of the “Urban-Suburban” Office Market, many companies want their offices to be in dynamic locations that appeal to young professionals, but that no longer means only downtown markets. Suburban office construction was strong throughout 2017, but the markets that will fare the best will have “urban-type” amenities such as walkability, public transit, a variety of housing options, retail and restaurants. The article warns, “Owners and developers of suburban office buildings that don’t embrace this urban-suburban ‘vibe’ might find it tougher to justify new developments or sign new tenants. Simply offering big office buildings and huge surface parking lots are not often enough to draw companies today. It’s more about creating a mixed-use destination.”

Posted on March 15, 2018

NAIOP Charlotte is pleased to announce our 2018 Board of Directors.

President - Cheryl Steele, Horack Talley
President Elect - Tracy Dodson, Lincoln Harris
Secretary - Scott Harris, Choate Construction
Treasurer - Alyson Craig, UNC Charlotte | Childress Klein Center for Real Estate
Immediate Past President - Brendan Pierce, The Keith Corporation
Past President - Jim Gamble, Bohler Engineering

Click here for a full list of the 2018 NAIOP Board of Directors

Posted on March 14, 2018

By: Dr. Stephen S. Fuller

Development and construction of new commercial real estate in the United States – office, industrial, warehouse and retail – generates significant economic growth at the state and national levels. This annual study, “The Economic Impacts of Commercial Real Estate,” published by the NAIOP Research Foundation, measures the contribution to GDP, salaries and wages generated and jobs supported from the development and operations of commercial real estate.

Commercial real estate development and operation of existing buildings generated the following economic benefits:

• Supported 7.6 million American jobs in 2017 (a measure of both new and existing jobs).
• Contributed $935.1 billion to U.S. GDP.
• Generated $286.4 billion in salaries and wages.

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Posted on March 14, 2018

This is the last week to register for the NAIOP NC Conference. Hope to see you in Pinehurst next week! 

NAIOP Members: $330
NAIOP DL Members: $300
Industry Guests: $400

Click here to register.

Posted on March 13, 2018

We are proud to introduce our new association members! The following is a list of individuals who have joined NAIOP Charlotte since October 5, 2017:

• Timothy Bahr, Healthcare Realty
• Justin Bishop, JLL Bank of America
• John Brock, Edwards Construction Services
• Andreane Champagne, DCE Solar
• Lee Deal, Trademark Visual
• Michael Duganich, TD Bank N.A.
• Sabrena Fernandez, Spangler Restoration
• Mohammed Idlibi, UNCC - MSRE
• George Jenison, Jenison Construction Incorporated
• John Alexander Kincaid, Southside Constructors Inc.
• Jim Langlois, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture
• Bradley Loman, GreerWalker LLP
• Stephen McClure, The Spectrum Companies
• Derek Meachum, Momentum Construction
• Scott Muller, Trademark Visual
• Brian Richards, Beacon Partners
• Brian Simpson, M+A Architects
• Michael Tuck, Samet Corporation
• Cary Watts, Burton Engineering Associates

Posted on March 13, 2018

A recent Advantage Series webinar helped members understand the implications of the new 2018 Tax Reform law, thanks to Crystal Christenson of the accounting firm Wipfli, LLC.

Catch a recap on the Market Share blog and listen to the archived webinar.

Posted on March 12, 2018

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says details about the Trump administration’s infrastructure plan should be coming out soon. The goal of the plan is to spend roughly $200 billion in federal funds and generate $1.5 trillion in spending by state and local governments and private investors for transportation, energy, water and other infrastructure projects.

Government investment in infrastructure is a priority issue for NAIOP in 2018. Last month, NAIOP President and CEO Tom Bisacquino wrote an op-ed for Fox News, reminding readers: “In the real estate industry, infrastructure encourages development. People are more likely to develop property, start businesses and choose to live where the roads, bridges, ports and power grid are dependable.”

Last week, Chao told the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials that the plan’s guiding principles are:

Posted on March 9, 2018

By: Dr. Joshua Harris

Industrial Demand to Remain Strong as Market Becomes Undersupplied

Demand for U.S. industrial space is expected to remain robust and steady throughout 2018, with quarterly net absorption forecast to average 55.6 million square feet. This is higher than the 44.1 million square feet of actual net absorption, on average per quarter, recorded in 2017, but lower than the 60 million square feet of quarterly net absorption forecast six months ago. According to Dr. Hany Guirguis, Manhattan College, and Dr. Joshua Harris, New York University, the predicted increase over 2017 figures is due to the faster and broader macroeconomic growth and increased consumer spending expected in 2018.

The model, run on a quarterly basis, forecasts slightly lower industrial space demand in 2019, when inflation and interest rates are expected to rise, moderating growth. U.S. gross domestic product grew by 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to the advance estimate released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, and by 2.3 percent for all of 2017. (For comparison, U.S. GDP grew by just 1.5 percent in 2016.) Sustained growth, especially with low unemployment at 4.1 percent as of January 2018, will translate into increasing demand for industrial properties as industrial users see more justification for investment and expansion of facilities.

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Posted on March 8, 2018

An analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute summarized in the Harvard Business Review concluded increasing consumer demand for goods and services is key to restarting growth across advanced economies. U.S. economic growth has averaged only 2 percent per year since 2010, while productivity growth, a key to increasing living standards, has been “languishing near historic lows since the financial crisis.” The report cites slowing population growth, flat wages and weak corporate investment as contributing to lower demand. This trend can be potentially reversed by “focusing on productive investment as a fiscal priority, growing the purchasing power of low-income consumers with the highest propensity to consume, unlocking private business and residential investment, and supporting worker training and transition programs to ensure that periods of transition do not disrupt incomes.”

Posted on March 7, 2018

With capacity challenges mounting in numerous basins across the City, Charlotte Water is taking steps to assure developers they’ll have the sewer taps for their projects when the need arises.

Charlotte Water announced this week that it will now be extending its capacity reservations from 12 to 24 months, effective for all connection applications approved on or after January 1st, 2017.  As a result, there will be no expiring capacity reservations for 2018.

The Capacity Assurance Program (CAP) started in 2017, as a way for developers to reserve sanitary sewer capacity after a capacity review is completed and a connection is approved. The program reviews the capacity of the system from the point of connection through the local gravity system, through trunk lines and eventually to the wastewater treatment plants. It ensures that new connections to wastewater treatment system won’t overwhelming existing pipes and plants. 

Posted on March 7, 2018

Architect and Work Design magazine publisher Bob Fox has identified seven major trends that he predicts will make an impact on the workplace in 2018. To attract and retain top talent, he believes businesses will create health-oriented workplaces that offer a sense of community through wellness programs and collaborative projects with other building tenants. Fox also sees the rise of “resimercial” office designs that bring the comforts of home into work and can accommodate a broader range of functions. Other trends Fox predicts include office designs that reflect the companies’ missions, the prioritization of overall value rather than cost reduction when redesigning space, the use of virtual assistants, and women leading change to create healthier, higher-performing workplaces.

Posted on March 6, 2018

By: Paul N. Dubrasich

Anyone considering developing a mixed-use project should be aware of these key legal, design and management considerations.

Mixed-use development projects of all types – including urban infill projects, transit-oriented developments and walkable lifestyle communities – have taken hold in urban centers and suburban areas across North America. Millennial consumers, as well as downsizing retirees, increasingly favor living within walking distance of stores, their favorite cycling and barre classes, restaurants and cultural venues, rather than having to drive to homes at the distant reaches of urban sprawl.

Local governments love mixed-use development for a variety of reasons. They put less pressure on infrastructure cost than more sprawling development, create accessible job opportunities, reduce traffic and help stimulate local commerce. Developers are responding to the evolving demographics and environmental forces driving these types of developments, not just in the urban core, but also in outlying areas, especially on sites close to public transportation.

Posted on March 6, 2018

The City of Charlotte is a little more than a year into a multi-year effort to draft a comprehensive Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), which will update the policies and regulations that guide land use and development in Charlotte. When finished, the UDO will combine zoning districts and development ordinances in a single document that should allow for more a streamlined regulatory process.

The two major components of the UDO will include:

Posted on March 5, 2018

The City of Charlotte has released a draft of its Transit-Oriented Development A (TOD-A) ordinance, which would allow higher-density, mixed-used development within a quarter-mile of transit stations like the CATS Blue Line.

TOD-A is the first of at least 4 transit-oriented zoning districts that the Planning Department plans to unveil in the next few months, and is intended to accommodate the highest-intensity development along the transit corridor, with allowable building heights as tall as 250′.

After setting base densities and building standards, the ordinance uses a voluntary points system to incentivize developers to meet aesthetic design, open space and affordable housing objectives through allowances for greater building heights.

Posted on March 5, 2018

Interest groups in California are collecting signatures in order to place an initiative on the November ballot that could change the way property taxes are calculated.

If passed, the move (known as “split roll”) would place a heavier property tax burden on commercial real estate and hinder economic growth. Any NAIOP member doing business in commercial real estate in California would be impacted by the ballot initiative.

Since the passage 40 years ago of Proposition 13, the tax rate on residential and commercial property has been treated the same way. Prop 13 controlled the growth of property tax rates by limiting annual increases of property assessments to no greater than 2 percent each year. NAIOP members participated in discussions during the California Business Properties Association winter board meeting last week on ways to preserve Proposition 13 and its economic benefits.

Posted on March 2, 2018

An Energy Code exemption championed by REBIC and NAIOP will finally take effect this week, after the Rules Review Commission set an effective date of March 1, 2018, for N.C. Session Law 2017-10, formerly known as SB131.

Language in the bill, which was signed into law during the 2017 session of the General Assembly,  excludes from state Energy Efficiency Code requirements any buildings with the following use classifications:

• Factory Group F
• Storage Group S
  
• Utility & Miscellaneous Group U
  

Furthermore, language in the legislation introduced by Representative Bill Brawley ensures that the energy code exclusion ‘shall apply to the entire floor area of any structure’ included in the provision. This language was intended to prevent the office or showroom portion of a warehouse, industrial or manufacturing building from having to meet energy efficiency code requirements, when the majority of the structure does not.