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.

Posted on February 28, 2018

A recent Memoori report, Occupancy Analytics & In-Building Location Based Services 2017 to 2022, finds “value-added services such as space utilization, indoor positioning, connected lighting and asset tracking are helping to drive the adoption of As-a-Service business models.”

Smart Building As-a-Service refers to third-party companies working with building owners to deploy technology to maximize efficiency and use data-driven analytics to understand better how people operate within the building. For example, if building owners and managers subscribed to a sensing-as-a-service firm, the firm would be responsible for not only installing the equipment but also managing, analyzing and reporting the data the sensors collect.

Posted on February 27, 2018

According to a REIS, Inc. analysis, the industrial sector experienced robust growth at the end of last year and will continue to expand during 2018. Warehouse and distribution space vacancy is at a historic low and flex/R&D space vacancy rates fell in the fourth quarter. Both subcategories had strong rent growth due to “improved trade and robust e-commerce sales.” Additionally, market indicators such as increasing e-commerce sales, manufacturing sector expansion, growing aggregate trade and added industrial-related jobs all indicate the sector is poised for further growth in 2018.

Posted on February 26, 2018

Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 620, a bill to improve the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by reducing opportunities for people to file nuisance lawsuits under the law. The legislation, which allows property owners to fix any alleged violations while keeping penalties in place for businesses that remain in noncompliance, passed 225-192 and will now move to the Senate.

The measure is aimed at eliminating so-called “drive-by lawsuits,” a tactic used by some “unscrupulous trial lawyers,” as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) called them, whose lawsuits, he said, “[divert] money from accessibility where it belongs.” As documented in a 60 Minutes report last year, some lawyers cruise around local communities in an attempt to spot minor ADA infractions at offices, gas stations, malls and other locations. In some cases, these lawyers don’t even bother to leave their homes, and instead use aerial images from Google Maps to target alleged violators.

H.R. 620 requires that anyone making a complaint against a business must file a written complaint. It gives the business owner 60 days to fix any violation, and up to an additional 60 days if the owner is acting in good faith and can demonstrate substantial progress toward making the changes. Owners who refuse to address violations could be sued.

Posted on February 26, 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 February 23, 2018

By: Brian L. Reetz, and Emilie C. Carter, PLA, ASLA

THE METROPOLITAN Downtown Columbia, one element in the master plan for Downtown Columbia, Maryland, is the first new mixed-use, multifamily project to be developed in the area, which eventually will incorporate a vibrant, walkable downtown that will complement what was formerly an inward-focused mall. Developed by Kettler, the six-story, 375-unit apartment building features ground-floor retail space that faces a 0.82-acre promenade.

While the primary goal for the landscape architects designing this promenade was to create an appealing open space, they faced several additional requirements and challenges, including the need to integrate a public art component, fulfill county requirements for a playground area and comply with state stormwater regulations. The design for the promenade, which was completed in summer 2015, incorporated an integrated micro-bioretention system, educational and interpretive signage, and abstract play sculptures. The result is an iconic open space lined by shops and restaurants that connects Downtown Columbia, the mall and the surrounding community. The roughly $1 million promenade also offers some valuable lessons for landscape architects and developers.

Click here to read more.

Posted on February 23, 2018

As you know, the Charlotte Planning Department has been working hard on the Charlotte Place Types and Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), a citywide effort aimed at updating the policies and regulation that guide growth and development in our community.

As part of this project, they are hosting a Coffee Talk on Friday, March 23^rd, from 8am – 9:30am at the Charlotte Powerhouse Studio.  The Coffee Talk will feature Taiwo Jaiyeoba, Director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department and Mitchell Silver, FAICP.  Mitch Silver served as Chief Planning and Development Officer and Planning Director for Raleigh, NC and is the immediate past president of the American Planning Association (APA). He currently serves as the New York City Parks Commissioner and is internationally recognized for his leadership in the planning profession and his contributions to contemporary planning issues.

Posted on February 22, 2018

By: Clay Edwards

Open ceilings, with their exposed ductwork and industrial vibe have become popular – but trendy rarely equals inexpensive. For many years, omitting the traditional drop ceiling was assumed to be not just cooler but also to cost less. Common sense seemed to be that by choosing open ceilings, the cost of the drop ceiling was simply avoided, saving on labor, materials and time.

A 2008 study of retail and office interior construction in five cities seemed to back up that assumption. Sponsored by the Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA), the study found that initial construction costs for suspended ceilings were 15-22 percent higher than for open plenums in offices, and 4-11 percent higher in retail spaces.

Posted on February 22, 2018

Join CREW Charlotte for a fun-filled night of networking with the most influential real estate professionals in the Charlotte area! Come play your favorite games at CREW's 12th Annual Casino and Gaming Night.  We will still have casino games but have added interactive games such as skee ball, pop-a-shot, air hockey, giant Jenga and more!  Interested in sponsoring a game for $350?  Please contact Patty Drummond.

Raffle tickets are available for a Pigeon Forge Mountain Cabin ($10 per ticket, 5 for $40). For more information on the cabin, please click here. 

Posted on February 22, 2018

Deadline for Nominations Extended to Friday
You asked and we delivered! New Deadline is Friday, February 23, 2018

Awards are given to acknowledge achievements in NAIOP participation, development, and other special categories to include:

• Developer of the Year
• Project of the Year
• Developing Leader of the Year

Award Submissions are accepted online or by email to [email protected].
Click here for more information.
Submission deadline is Friday, February 23, 2018.

Apply Online

Posted on February 21, 2018

By: Richard B. Peiser, Ph.D. and Raymond G. Torto, Ph.D.

Office building owners have found that to remain competitive in today’s marketplace, they must enliven their buildings by offering more amenities and adding vibrancy to the common areas. Some have introduced a range of new amenities, including outdoor workspaces and food trucks, and they have also programmed areas with happy hours, featured speakers and other activities. The common element in these amenities is that they all “activate” the common space by creating opportunities for socialization among tenants and the opportunity to work in areas beyond the tenant’s suite.

The study examines the following:

• New and different types of amenities that owners are including in buildings, their locations within the building, what they cost and how they are funded.
• Programming or social gatherings in building common areas, the types of activities offered, their frequency, what they cost and how they are funded.
• Whether coworking space is becoming an amenity that owners must offer in their buildings so that tenants can have access to space for occasional overflow situations.

Click here to download.

Posted on February 21, 2018

Thursday's Rules Review Commission meeting in Raleigh yielded an effective date of March 1, 2018, for N.C. Session Law 2017-10, formerly known as SB131. There’s a portion of this law that exempts buildings with primary occupancies of F (factory), S (storage) or U (utility/misc.) from certain energy efficiency standards. 

So, customers who plan to apply for permits to be issued on or after March 1 have the option of utilizing N.C. Session Law 2017-10. Again, this applies only to buildings with a primary occupancy of F, S or U.

Posted on February 20, 2018

The federal budget deal signed by President Trump contains a number of wins for real estate, including a temporary extension of federal flood insurance and extension of tax provisions that include relief from debt forgiveness, the deductibility of mortgage insurance premiums, and several energy-efficiency related provisions.

Flood Insurance

Extends the National Flood Insurance Program until March 23, giving lawmakers time to work on longer term reauthorization and reform legislation. It also adds $27 billion in mitigation and resiliency funds to address issues arising from last year's hurricanes. The extension makes $12 billion available under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to fund U.S. Army Corp of Engineers flood mitigation projects.

Click here to read more.

Posted on February 9, 2018

Check out some of the new educational courses offered for 2018.

Posted on February 7, 2018

Call for Nominations
Annual NAIOP NC Awards - Deadline is Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Annual NAIOP NC Awards 

Join NAIOP NC as we celebrate the "Best of the Best" in North Carolina's Commercial Real Estate Industry on Thursday, March 22, 2018 during the NAIOP NC Conference at Pinehurst Resort.

Now Accepting Nominations

Awards are given to acknowledge achievements in NAIOP participation, development, and other special categories to include:

• Developer of the Year
• Project of the Year
• Developing Leader of the Year

Award Submissions are accepted online or by email to [email protected].
Click here for more information.
Submission deadline is Tuesday, February 20, 2018.

Posted on January 30, 2018

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department has been diligently working on Charlotte Place Types and Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), a city-wide effort aimed at updating the policies and regulations that guide growth and development in our community. The project is scheduled to meet some major milestones in 2018 with a draft Place Types Policy Document ready for public review in August and adoption of new Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zoning districts expected in December. The success of this project is dependent upon receiving input all our community stakeholders and we believe your organization can help us reach an important audience. Therefore, would you please take a minute to:

• Sign up for updates at charlotteudo.org for blog posts, upcoming events, and quarterly newsletters;
• Like @CLTPlanning on Facebook for fun facts, relevant articles, and short surveys. 

Posted on January 24, 2018

Annual NAIOP NC Awards scheduled for March 22

Join NAIOP NC as we celebrate the "Best of the Best" in North Carolina's Commercial Real Estate Industry on Thursday, March 22, 2018 during the NAIOP NC Conference at Pinehurst Resort.

Now Accepting Nominations

Awards are given to acknowledge achievements in NAIOP participation, development, and other special categories to include:

• Developer of the Year
• Project of the Year
• Developing Leader of the Year

Award Submissions are accepted online or by email to [email protected].
Click here for more information.

Posted on January 16, 2018

NAIOP asked some of the Research Foundation’s Distinguished Fellows, the nation’s foremost commercial real estate, economic and public policy experts in academia: How do you cultivate leadership skills in your organization? 

Click here to see what they said.

Posted on January 17, 2018

Analysis by Reis, Inc. shows the U.S. office market in 2017 experienced a slowdown in tenant expansions while supply growth stayed at about the same level as in 2016. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, the survey of 79 metropolitan areas revealed that net absorption at the end of 2017 was at its lowest since 2012. In 2017, developers added 37.6 million square feet, only 1 million square feet more than in 2016, which may mitigate slower absorption rates. Vacancy increased during the fourth quarter of 2017 in 33 of the 79 markets, with New York having the lowest (8.7 percent) and Dayton, Ohio, the highest (27 percent). According to the report, growth in absorption has been falling in part because tenants have become more efficient in how they use their space, eliminating private offices and encouraging employees to work closer together. The report stated, “office-based industries are healthy, but tenants have persisted in curbing overall leasing patterns.”

View the current NAIOP Office Space Demand Forecast.