Originally published on March 13, 2024, by Jennifer Lefurgy, Ph.D., for NAIOP.
Understanding the ever-evolving regulations and reporting requirements around ESG can be challenging. A panel of industry experts spoke to I.CON West attendees on why these regulations are about more than compliance. They can lead to market differentiation, improved communication with tenants, and interest from global investors.
Originally published on March 12, 2024, by Kathryn Atkins for NAIOP.
When J.C. Renshaw, head of supply chain consulting North America for Savills, started his career 35 years ago, supply chains had not been invented. Okay, they were there, but it was when the COVID-19 pandemic hit that “supply chain” became a household phrase – especially for people who were late to their local retailer to purchase toilet tissue. For the layperson, and even those in the industry struggling to manage their unwieldy supply chain, the definition is the same: getting the right “stuff” to the right place at the right time. Simply said, not easily done.
Originally published on March 4, 2024, by Lucian Alixanderescu for NAIOP.
For the last few years, industrial real estate development has been on a tear, thanks to elevated demand for warehouse space. Specifically, increased demand for e-commerce – in conjunction with logistical difficulties – led companies to break ground on massive logistics and distribution centers. Now, with warehouse space vacancies normalizing and speculative projects slowing down, CommercialCafe highlighted the next trend taking hold in industrial space construction: manufacturing facilities, particularly for electric vehicles (EVs) and semiconductors.
Originally published on February 28, 2024, by Brian Kane for NAIOP.
As the retail landscape continues to evolve with some well-known retailers declaring bankruptcy or streamlining their real estate portfolios, it doesn’t have to signal a loss for the surrounding community. The opposite is true. People increasingly want their healthcare brought closer to home, and with these abandoned spaces comes opportunity.
Originally published on February 15, 2024, by Toby Burke for NAIOP.
The transportation sector accounts for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions – the highest percentage of any sector, reports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The result of this has been greater public and private sector demand and interest in a national network of charging stations to support the use of more electric vehicles (EVs), including trucks, also known as transportation electrification.
Please mark your calendars for our upcoming event on April 9th where we'll be hearing from several mayors from the area about their vision for mobility and connectivity within the Charlotte region. Come and learn how to support advocacy in transportation policy and public-private partnerships. Moderated by Tracy Montross with American Airlines, this is a can't miss event.
Please RSVP by March 31, 2024, to [email protected]
Location: Canopy Building, 2nd Floor, 1120 Pearl Park Way, Charlotte, NC
This proposal was introduced at Thursday's UDO Advisory Committee meeting where a more comprehensive presentation was provided. This elicited a rather spirited discussion among committee members both through regular conversation as well as virtual chat. While a new amendment was slated for introduction this week, it appears that has been pushed back to allow for additional input.
During the two meetings before last Thursday's session, the UDO Advisory Committee received presentations on potential changes related to parking and driveway standards for duplexes and triplexes on infill lots as well as the potential for changes in regulations for larger lot subdivisions. Those meetings occurred on February 15th and February 22nd but no formal proposals have yet been forthcoming.
This annual study published by the NAIOP Research Foundation — Economic Impacts of Commercial Real Estate — measures the contribution to GDP, salaries and wages generated, and jobs supported by the development and operations of commercial real estate in the U.S.
Last month the Charlotte City Council voted 7-3 to reimpose penalties for individuals conducting certain inappropriate acts in public. Opponents attempted to couch the changes as an attack on the homeless community while supporters saw them as necessary for public safety for residents and visitors to Uptown businesses. The final version that was adopted included six of the initial eight ordinances and eliminated those dealing with unauthorized people in parking lots and loitering to engage in drug-related activity due to constitutional concerns raised by the City Attorney.
Regulatory reform was at the top of the agenda during yesterday‘s visit from North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore. Also in attendance were Senator Dave Craven and Senator Brad Overcash. We also welcomed House Senior Appropriations Chair Jason Saine who is responsible for developing and gaining approval of the State Budget. What were the highlights? The General Assembly members agreed to continue to strategically streamline and simplify the regulatory process aimed at making housing more attainable. They also mentioned their efforts to provide continued regulatory relief, and the expansion of water and sewer capacity through additional funding to aid growing municipalities intelligently handle the influx of people choosing the Charlotte region as their new home.
Several industry leaders at the event brought up the subject of tax abatement strategies in other states, and how it is being successfully utilized to provide workforce and affordable housing, adding solid reasons why we need to explore its benefits more ardently here. Our guests expressed great interest in learning more about that solution and requested additional details. As such, we are enlisting assistance in putting together a presentation on how tax abatement works, specifically when scaled. We will note where it is being successfully utilized and include some examples of projects that have been built using this tool. The next step will be developing a detailed strategy that will include specific policy recommendations for future action at the General Assembly level.
Our Premier Members enjoyed and appreciated the direct access we received from these key members of the House and Senate who took their time to address matters of importance to the industry. We look forward to the next opportunity to check in with this group and we thank them for their continued support and leadership that has resulted, among other things, in North Carolina being the top place to do business in the country.
Dive into the latest trends, headwinds, and opportunities in the industrial sector with Hany Guirguis, Ph.D., Professor, Economics & Finance, Manhattan College, and Josh Harris Ph.D., CRE, CCIM, CAIA, Managing Partner, Lakemont Group, authors of the NAIOP Industrial Space Demand Forecast. They will provide insights and data from the latest Forecast, identify linkages between overall economic activity and the demand for industrial real estate, and answer attendee questions in a live Q&A.
Speakers:
Hany Guirguis, Ph.D., Professor, Economics & Finance, Manhattan College
Josh Harris Ph.D., CRE, CCIM, CAIA, Managing Partner, Lakemont Group
Talent has become the number one issue affecting companies today. Examine the biggest trends in commercial real estate employment so you can make more strategic hiring and business decisions. Join these experts for a discussion on how current market conditions and the pandemic have reshaped the talent management industry, recent findings on industry employment trends and compensation, recruitment and retention tactics, and the future of the commercial real estate workforce. We will start with a presentation on compensation, benefit, and talent recruitment trends and then move to a discussion on these and other employment trends.
Moderator:
Andrew Hunt, Vieth Director, Center for Real Estate, Marquette University
Charlotte City Council voted 7-3 in favor of reinstating local ordinances linked to disorderly conduct. Thank you to CRCBR members who sent emails to encourage Council Members to vote in favor – your voice was heard. The reinstatement of these ordinances is not only imperative for the safety and welfare of our families, employees, customers, and community members but also vital for sustaining the liveliness and prosperity of our city. As representatives of the business community, we stand together in support of measures that foster a secure and inclusive environment for all.
Originally published on February 7, 2024, by Dan Kennedy for NAIOP.
Commercial real estate developers and owners recognize the important role they must play in combating the effects of climate change. In my state, New Jersey, residential and commercial buildings account for the second-largest share (26%) of greenhouse gas emissions, while 87% of residential buildings and 82% of commercial buildings rely on natural gas for heating spaces and water.
Yesterday was "First Monday," the day when Charlotte City Council holds its four regular committee meetings. After all the discussions, they gather together in the evening to give the Council a full review and discuss any other pertinent matters. Here are some highlights:
Originally published on February 2, 2024, by Hayim Mizrachi, CCIM, for NAIOP.
As we start a new year, the office outlook is still mixed. Although more companies are requiring employees to be in the office some days per week, we are far from the high occupancy that many central business districts enjoyed before 2020. Companies are still figuring out their workplace strategies – how often to bring in employees and how to better use their space for the reality of work today.
Originally published on January 30, 2024, by the Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition.
Thinking outside the box doesn’t aptly describe the way Douglas Welton, Chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission, approaches the idea of change. For him, he doesn’t even see a box. He sees an open landscape of ideas, opinions, and solutions just waiting to be deconstructed and rebuilt into something new.
After a fun lighting round that opened some entertaining personal dialog, this episode went deep into the issues Charlotte faces today. With growth at the forefront, and policymakers searching for the best way to stay ahead of future problems, Douglas believes it will take more than just following old ideas to move us forward. It will take trust between policymakers and developers, and an atmosphere where everyone is free to ask, “why can't we do this a different way?”
