News

  • New Prince George’s council overturns key zoning decisions

    New Prince George’s council overturns key zoning decisions

    In its first voting session, the newly elected Prince George’s County Council introduced measures to repeal five zoning decisions critical to major development projects that had been enacted by the previous council. As reported by Maryland Matters: The actions, which critics said bypassed traditional procedures, occurred during a…

  • Will Maryland industrial properties go to pot?

    Will Maryland industrial properties go to pot?

    With the legalization of recreational marijuana set to become law next July, could the Maryland warehouse/industrial asset class soon have another high-demand use in its future? The answer could be “yes,” based on the history of leasing activity in nearly 20 other states where cannabis is legal, the industry’s success…

  • Montgomery County passes bill requiring all-electric building code

    Montgomery County passes bill requiring all-electric building code

    The Montgomery County Council unanimously passed legislation requiring the county executive to issue all-electric building standards for new construction by December 31, 2026. The council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee recommended approval with amendments directed at several points important to NAIOP members. The amended version of the bill includes…

  • Energy benchmarking in buildings key to complying with new climate bill

    Energy benchmarking in buildings key to complying with new climate bill

    Tracking energy usage, establishing benchmark Energy Star scores and using that data to identify necessary energy equipment changes and retrofits will become an increasingly important activity for real estate owners as Maryland implements the Climate Solutions Now Act. Passed by the General Assembly in 2022, the act requires the state…

  • Stakeholder meetings to focus on building energy performance standard

    Stakeholder meetings to focus on building energy performance standard

    The Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) has scheduled a series of stakeholder meetings related to the development of regulations to implement a state-wide building energy performance standard. At this point, MDE interprets the directive in Senate Bill 528 to require that regulations apply to both energy use and direct emissions.

  • Developers turn to Proptech to optimize management and operations

    Developers turn to Proptech to optimize management and operations

    Property technology, generally known as Proptech, has emerged as an often-used tool among commercial real estate developers and property management companies to harness data and intelligence to simplify transactions, assist with marketing and leasing, and optimize asset management functions and operations. Its use ranges from gathering real-time feedback from tenants…

  • Howard County adopts heightened climate goals

    Howard County adopts heightened climate goals

    America’s greenest county is raising the bar on its own sustainability goals. On the heels of earning the first LEED Platinum certification in the country under the U.S. Green Building Council’s version 4.1 States and Communities Program, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball launched new initiatives in October to dramatically lower…

  • DC commuter survey shows spike in telework, drop in transit use

    DC commuter survey shows spike in telework, drop in transit use

    The first post-pandemic survey of D.C. area commuters documents the explosion in telework and sharp drop in transit usage since the onset of COVID-19. According to the survey conducted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, three-quarters of commuters now telework three or more days a week – up from…

  • Transforming workplaces into ecosystems can help lure employees back

    Transforming workplaces into ecosystems can help lure employees back

    Now that employees and employers alike have proven that remote or hybrid work environments can be productive and sustainable, it has become incumbent on companies to “earn their workers commute.”  Employers need to offer amenities, opportunities and other intangibles that differentiate the workplace from the home. In many cases, organizations…

  • Experts urge retailers, landlords to increase experiential shopping

    Experts urge retailers, landlords to increase experiential shopping

    Retailers and landlords need to provide increased emphasis on experiential shopping and curated content to overcome lower sales volumes, retail experts say. Panelists in a Placer.ai webinar analyzed recent sales levels and consumer trends. Sales dipped during the summer and early fall, partly due to families taking vacations after…