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As workers trickle back into their traditional office space — perhaps starting at a once-per-week schedule to establish a new comfort level and routine — many may not recognize the environment they left behind more than seven months ago. Testing equipment in building lobbies and the front desk, touchless doors,…

Hit by a “significant and rapid disruption” in the economy, the commercial real estate development sector posted declines in almost every building category in the first half of 2020. The sector, however, is an increasingly large portion of U.S. GDP and is positioned to play a leading role in the…

Describe the sense of optimism that you detect in the general business community. Rob BavarVice PresidentBavar Properties Group “We are all navigating the uncertainty and impact of COVID-19 but we are seeing a renewed sense of optimism in the business community particularly in certain real estate sectors, including industrial and…

A state commission is recommending that Maryland ban the installation of building systems powered by natural gas and other fossil fuels beginning in 2025. Outlined in a draft report by an ad hoc subcommittee of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, the recommendation would prohibit such…

“A maze for developers to navigate.” That’s how Tamara Small, CEO of NAIOP Massachusetts, described efforts by legislators in her state to set increasingly higher mandates for decarbonizing buildings. The scenario is an increasingly common one. In Maryland, state and local governments are also debating measures to increase the energy…

From left to right: Paul Giulio, Vice President of Development, Hill Management Services; Brooke Harlander, Partner in Training, St. John Properties and Bobby Lanigan, Acquisitions and Leasing, Merritt Properties Paul Giulio, Vice President of Development, Hill Management Services; Brooke Harlander, Partner in Training, St. John Properties and Bobby Lanigan, Acquisitions…

Tenants and landlords wrestle with new trends and tough forecasts As retail tenants scrambled, pivoted, reimagined and retooled their operations in the early months of the pandemic, Michael Gioioso dug into the mystery of what initiatives could save shops, restaurants and retailcenters. The Vice President of Brokerage at MacKenzie Commercial…

Amid all the talent management challenges of 2020 — the break-neck switch to telework, the cancelled conferences and professional development events, the derailed internships, stalled recruitingprograms and uncertain future staffing needs — some CRE firms are seizing upon a few significant opportunities. Once staff at CBRE settled into mid-pandemic work…

Investors, landlords weigh opportunities, uncertainties, necessary pain in COVID-19 economy When a once-in-a-century pandemic derails the economy, upends traditional work arrangements and fuels uncertainty about the future, where does the smart money go in commercial real estate to buffer companies against losses, seize market opportunities and maybe secure a competitive…

This article appeared in the September/October 2020 issue of NAIOP-MD InSites Newsletter. The August 31 release of draft recommendations from a state legislative work group brought sharp focus to an imminent challenge facing the commercial real estate sector. The report by the Buildings Subgroup of the Mitigation Work Group of…