On Monday, March 23, Governor Larry Hogan ordered all “non-essential” businesses closed until further notice. According to the guidance accompanying the order, commercial and residential construction companies and material suppliers may remain open. Supplemental guidance makes clear that supporting professional services such as architecture, engineering and title companies may also remain open.
Since the City of Boston ordered a halt to all construction on
March 16, NAIOP and other industry groups had been tracking the actions of
other jurisdictions and communicating with the Governor Hogan’s office about
how to treat construction sites and other real estate activities as the state
takes further steps to stem the spread of COVID-19.
In a March 20 letter to the governor and emergency management agencies, NAIOP explained the steps member companies are taking to integrate COVID-19 safety protocols established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into the existing framework used to communicate and implement job site safety. The letter emphasized the importance of maintaining safe construction services through this public health and economic crisis for both customers and project teams. NAIOP also signed onto a real estate industry letter urging government to continue functions relating to real estate, mortgage, document recordation and title searches as well as property management permitting.
While the order does not close Maryland construction sites,
NAIOP member companies report difficulties due to supply chain disruptions and impacts
on contractors resulting from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s construction
moratorium.