Vacant Storefronts Can be Repurposed into Retail Incubators

They can provide an immediate boost in shopping districts and grow future businesses into long-term tenants.

• Written by Ilana Preuss, Development Magazine

The COVID-19 pandemic has left America’s retail districts pockmarked with empty storefronts, but there is a creative solution. These vacant spaces, which often can be purchased or rented at reduced prices, are prime targets for conversion into retail incubators.

Retail incubators, like business incubators, nurture new or small-scale entrepreneurs during the startup phase. They mitigate some of the challenges of opening a business by providing financial and technical assistance, such as the basics of marketing and business plans. Tenants typically share space, ideas and operating expenses in locations that they could not otherwise afford. Many spaces have flexible or temporary lease terms. Some allow for small-scale manufacturing and hold community events, such as product demonstrations, fashion shows and art openings.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, new business applications in the United States set an all-time record of 5.1 million in 2021. At the same time, the pandemic has led to consolidation of space and locations by major retail brands, which reduced the prospect of attracting businesses. The challenge for small businesses is they can’t immediately fill the footprints of major store closings. However, they can make temporary use of retail space to establish their businesses, and occupying formerly abandoned stores can help energize struggling downtowns.

 Phase 3 Real Estate Partners’ Genesis Marina, a 550,000-square-foot life science development south of San Francisco, is the nation’s first precertified TRUE zero-waste project. Photo courtesy of Phase 3 Real Estate Partners

By NAIOP Development writer Alice Devine

Zero-waste efforts attract greater attention, including a new certification program. 

New buildings can create architecturally pleasing skylines and yet leave construction debris in their wakes. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that construction and demolition debris accounts for more than twice the amount of generated municipal solid waste in the U.S. 

originally published by Brian Lewandowski, Jacob Dubbert, Michael P. Kercheval, Ph.D., and Richard Wobbekind, Ph.D. with permission to repost.

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, 2022 U.S. Edition,” 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.

originally published by SHAWN MOURA, PH.D. for NAIOP National

Low cap rates and rapidly rising rents reflect industrial real estate’s status as the leading sector in commercial real estate development. Record levels of capital are flowing to industrial real estate while tenants are willing to pay higher rents to secure additional inventory and shorten delivery timelines.

originally published by COMMERCIALEDGE TEAM for NAIOP National

The Delta variant of COVID-19 has continued to delay the return-to-work plans of many companies. Still, rising vaccination rates and declining case numbers have provided hope for many companies. Anyone worried about the future of office work can look at the continual investment of big tech into the industry to feel confident that offices are far from a thing of the past.

Read the Full Article Here!

originally published by Jeff Shaw in Features for REBusniess Onlin and reposted by NAIOP National.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Flexibility, convenience, and ultimately commercial real estate’s resilience will drive the industry over the next decade as owners respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2022, an annual report jointly produced by PwC US and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). The report includes proprietary data and insights from nearly 1,700 leading real estate industry experts, gathered both through in-person interviews and a survey.

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originally published by Rochelle Broder-Singer for NAIOP National

To address its ongoing talent shortage, the commercial real estate industry must look outside of traditional recruiting avenues and consider people with nontraditional career paths.

Ten years ago, great employees seemed much easier to find – an organization might find three excellent candidates for anyone open position. Today, it can feel like there are no great candidates available.

originally published by Brielle Scott for NAIOP National

Attendees at CRE. Converge this week had the unique opportunity to hear from seven-time NBA All-Star and sports icon Grant Hill. Skip Kalb, principal, Skip Kalb Strategies, LLC, and incoming chair of the NAIOP Research Foundation, interviewed Hill about lessons learned through his time in the NBA, his recent appointment to lead the USA Basketball Men’s National Team in the 2024 Olympics, his transition to a powerhouse commercial real estate investor and owner in several markets across the country, and more. 

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originally published by K.J. Jacobs for NAIOP National

Businesses that are young and growing might lean toward spec; older, established firms could favor build-to-suits.

When it comes to choosing the right building, there are several questions an organization must ask itself. Is the company at a place where it can invest in a building that will attract prospective employees? Is the company looking for a more temporary or flexible workplace? Is the facility able to support the organization’s needs for production, research, collaboration or innovation? 

Since each company’s requirements, goals and operations are unique, as are each facility’s offerings and characteristics, the answers will vary depending on who’s asking. 

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originally published by Maria Sicola, Charles Warren, PhD, and Megan Weiner of CityStream Solutions, LLC and posted for NAIOP Global

In 2020, the NAIOP Research Foundation published A New Look at Market Tier and Ranking Systems, which identified the limitations of one-dimensional tier and ranking systems that are commonly used to evaluate metropolitan commercial real estate markets. When tailored to the needs of a specific type of investor, these models can help prioritize markets for consideration. However, tier and ranking reports designed for a more general audience tend to be of only limited use to most end-users since they do not account for differences in investment strategy, risk tolerance or specialization. Further, all tier and ranking models condense complex market characteristics into a single score, providing only limited information that investors can use to evaluate and compare different markets.

Read the Full Article Here!

Originally published  by Trey Barrineau for NAIOP Spring 2021 Issue

The rollout of immunizations to defeat COVID-19 has enormous implications for the commercial real estate industry.

In late 2020, the U.S. and other countries began distributing vaccines to control the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the single most important development in the year-long fight against the disease, which has killed and sickened millions around the world and crippled the global economy.

The stakes are high. The vaccines will not only save lives and boost the morale of hundreds of millions who have been forced to live constrained lives due to lockdowns and other public health measures; experts say they are also the most important factor in the overall economic recovery from the pandemic. The commercial real estate industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, particularly the retail, office, and lodging sectors.

“If we get 70% to 85% of the country vaccinated by the end of the summer, I believe by the time we get to the fall, we will be approaching a degree of normality,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor to President Biden, said in late January. “It’s not going to be perfectly normal, but one that I think will take a lot of pressure off the American public.”

Originally published by Lisa Pendergast in NAIOP's Fall 2020 Issue.

SOFR, the new U.S. dollar replacement rate, differs in crucial ways from its longstanding forerunner.

The London interbank offered rate, or LIBOR, is a critically important number in the world of finance. It is the basis for hundreds of trillions of dollars in contracts around the world. These include everything from complex derivatives to home mortgage loans.

According to calculations from the Federal Reserve, the estimated exposure for U.S. dollar LIBOR alone is approximately $200 trillion. Despite that large number, the underlying transactions that help determine LIBOR are a mere fraction of this amount. The rate is primarily based on submissions by certain banks based on what they estimate they would be charged to borrow from one another.

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Originally published on November 16, 2020, by Linda Strowbridge for NAIOP's Blog

In “Midyear Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on the U.S. Commercial Real Estate Development,” commissioned by the NAIOP Research Foundation, Stephen S. Fuller, Ph.D., professor emeritus at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, detailed changes in different commercial real estate sectors and described how CRE could drive the recovery of the U.S. economy.

We asked him for further insights on what the government could do to facilitate growth in commercial real estate and what factors could influence the pace and strength of the recovery of the U.S. economy. 

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2021 Sponsorship Opportunities Available!

The Cornerstone Sponsorship program was created to support and enrich our chapter, while offering professionals and organizations an opportunity to participate in, and get more out of, our chapter activities and services.

The program is an excellent way to gain visibility while supporting the commercial real estate development industry in Charlotte. Sponsors are allowed to customize benefits based on the exposure you desire. Learn more or commit today by clicking on the button below.

2021 Sponsorship Opportunities

Questions
If you have questions, please contact the NAIOP Charlotte office at [email protected].

CREW Network’s fourth benchmark study measures progress for women over the last 15 years and benchmarks diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry.

Executive Summary

The purpose of this study is to guide women, Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and other diverse groups of people striving to advance their careers in the industry, inform companies and managers about the values and priorities of their employees, and enhance the research and data for organizations that desire greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

This project, in partnership with the MIT Center for Real Estate, is made possible by Capital One Commercial Banking, CREW Network Industry Research Program Partner and leading underwriter of the 2020 study.

Read the Study