- Development Déjà Vu
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An oil producing formation called the Cline Shale was recently discovered in West Texas. Soon workers descended upon the tertiary cities of Midland and Odessa, drawn by the new oil field jobs. Brian J. O’Boyle, CCIM, managing broker with Apartment
- Overcoming Zoning Opposition
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Many commercial real estate professionals feel challenged when facing local administrators, politicians, and citizens groups to obtain rezoning approval for new development. Even though the rezoning process can be as simple as presenting the proper information to the planning commission
- Project Camouflage
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Making commercial projects compatible with adjacent residential areas during times of urban growth and infill development is a complex challenge. This task is particularly complicated when historic designations and active neighborhood associations are involved. Success
- Digging Deep
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Developers should address stormwater management issues at projects' commencements, as storage and treatment facilities' sizes can alter the amount of available buildable land. Flood zone regulations and stormwater treatment requirements affect the amount of land needed. If the land's opportunity
- Design/Build Decisions
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Asking 20 people to define the term design build likely will solicit 20 different answers. Some will suggest architecture and construction. Others will describe consulting and brokered services. Each individual definition struggles to describe an industry that has grown far
- Drawn to Downtown
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Located at the bull’s eye of four intersections, Court Square in Shelby, N.C., is the perfect location for an attraction that will draw local residents as well as tourists to the downtown area. “There is a huge population explosion in
- Growing Up, not Out
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The downtown revitalization phenomenon sweeping the country is a boon to infill development, especially in secondary and tertiary markets. However, locating and preparing infill sites for new development is no easy task. Despite cities initiating new urbanism strategies, commercial real
- Making Mixed-Use Work
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Mixed use developments often are attractive to developers, leasing agents, owners, and tenants precisely because they combine a number of uses. Access to amenities such as a gas station, bank, restaurants, health club, or child care center is an important
- Is Smart Growth Smart?
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As metropolitan areas sprawl farther out and rural cornfields sprout housing subdivisions almost overnight, a debate is waging at federal and local levels over how best to accommodate this growth. Government officials, commercial real estate professionals, and community activists are
- Joining Forces
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Editor's note As co branded retail developments increasingly become widespread, more commercial real estate professionals are considering them in their own communities. This case study examines one broker's 10 year odyssey to help develop a co branded project in downtown
- Cost-Conscious Construction
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Nationwide many office tenants are focused on either sprucing up and staying in their current space for the next two to three years until the economy turns or pursuing short term lease deals that may improve their cash flow and
- Protect Your Interests
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Due to recent regulatory reforms and advanced remediation techniques, more investors are purchasing environmentally contaminated properties. To protect such buyers from unknown liabilities, providers are offering more insurance products that adequately address environmental concerns. The use of environmental insurance is
- Mixed-use Developments Bring the City to the Suburbs
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Suburban mixed use projects are on the rise across the United States. “Every suburban city now wants pedestrian friendly, transit oriented, vertically integrated mixed use projects,” says John Breitinger, CCIM, vice president and general manager of real estate investments with
- Traveling Among the Stars
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Transit oriented developments are complex, multifaceted projects that involve many stakeholders ranging from investors to community groups to local and state governments. Like a Hollywood movie producer, a commercial real estate developer must be able to manage many different interests,
- Beyond the Façade
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Across all property sectors, users and developers are eyeing urban locations. And given the lack of available land in central business districts, today’s urban infill projects often are adaptive reuse or conversion projects. In the past, good, affordable space for
- Choosing a Civil Engineer
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Experienced developers know that unforeseen problems can turn a profitable project into a money funnel. Unknown circumstances lurking below the topsoil quickly can cause costs to double or even triple. But it is possible for commercial real estate professionals to
- Designing a Masterpiece
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On sunny days in Philadelphia, people gather along Ben Franklin Parkway, which stretches from City Hall, down through Museum Mile, to the city’s western edge at the Schuylkill River and Fairmount Park. It is the city’s pinnacle of art and
- Construction Chaos
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For commercial real estate professionals, the past few years have been lucrative indeed. Low inflation, historically low interest rates, and the ready availability of financing have made these the best of times for brokers, developers, consultants, investors, and lenders. But
- Teams Work
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The first lesson of economic development is that it pays to be in the right place at the right time. And in today&rsquo s economic climate, the right place is just off Highway 12 14 in Middleton, Wis., where Rob
- Determining Site Potential
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Can a desired development project be built on the land chosen? Commercial real estate investors and developers must ask this fundamental question early in the site selection process. By taking into account a site's environmental characteristics, stormwater management and treatment
- What Drives TOD?
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Americans may have a love affair with their cars, but their relationship isn't as sweet as it once was. Rising fuel prices, frustrating traffic congestion, and exhausting commutes make the idea of walking to work sound pretty good. Add to
- On the Waterfront
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For most of history, people have been living, working, and playing alongside rivers and lakes. Among the first areas to be settled, early American waterfront developments were mostly industrial factories and warehouses, situated on shores for convenient access to transportation