News

Anne Arundel and Howard counties have approved significant revisions to their forest conservation requirements that will increase the amount of development sites dedicated to forest retention and planting; increase mitigation ratios for forest clearing; escalate in lieu fees; and require a finding of “unreasonable hardship” before approval of regulatory waivers.

State officials, tasked with lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vehicles, are drafting a plan to impose a new fee on the sale of some transportation fuels. For several years, states from Maine to Virginia have been collaborating on a joint solution to reduce GHG emissions from automobiles, light trucks…

Nine East 33rd Street project rendering An infrequently used development tool is helping Johns Hopkins University and Medicine partner with private developers on projects that serve both Johns Hopkins’ mission and the surrounding community’s needs. On multiple properties throughout the Baltimore-Washington Corridor, Johns Hopkins has entered into ground lease agreements…

The Southern Streams Health and Wellness Center rendering “Placemaking has exploded over the past ten years, and the use of innovative principles that encourage people to linger and interact more intimately with real estate creates long-term value,” explained David Wilk, Managing Director with Colliers International. The executive recently served as…

Community engagement is changing the shape, success and impact of developments Winner of a NAIOP-MD Award of Excellence for Best Community Impact, Eager Park is also a best- in-class example of how close collaboration among developers, neighborhoods and nonprofits can dramatically increase a project’s quality, success and benefits. By some…

More clients seek properties that meet high environmental goals L’Oreal’s carbon-neutral logistics facility in Germany. Photo courtesy of Prologis. On a tight site in downtown Silver Spring, an elliptical, 130,000-square-foot office building made history last year. United Therapeutics’ Unisphere, constructed by The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, became the largest net zero…

Forest mitigation banking benefits environment and development Amid ongoing debates about forest conservation, some ecology and policy experts insist that expanded forest mitigation banking would produce the biggest environmental benefits and the smartest development patterns. But local governments will need to take action to create forest banking markets. Facilitated through…

John Hutch, Partner, JP2 Architects, LLC; Don Kemp, Healthcare Studio Leader, JMT Architecture and Christopher Pfaeffle, Director of Architecture, Morris & Ritchie Associates recently gathered to discuss emerging trends and local projects that place reduced stress on the environment, contribute to the economic development condition and improve the lifestyle of…

Spencer Levy, Chairman of Americas Research and Senior Economic Advisor for CBRE, presenting at the recent NAIOP Capital Stack breakfast event. In a wide-ranging discussion before attendees of NAIOP Maryland’s annual Capital Stack breakfast meeting, Spencer Levy, Chairman of Americas Research and Senior Economic Advisor for CBRE, predicted the arrival of the…

The Anne Arundel County Council accepted rebuttal arguments from County Executive Pittman and rolled back moderating amendments previously reported in NAIOP 360. Work on the forest conservation rewrite is nearing its conclusion in Anne Arundel as the Howard County Council prepares to hear public comments on its bill Nov.