MCALLEN, TEXAS — The administration of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has converted the McAllen Convention Center, located in the Rio Grande Valley near Mexico, into a temporary healthcare facility for COVID-19 patients. Texas, one of the first states to reopen, has seen a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, recording as many as 8,000 new cases per day during some stretches. The 174,000-square-foot facility has the capacity to house as many as 250 patients, but it opened on Tuesday with the stated goal of taking up to 50 patients to start and increasing intake and capacity as needed. The property sits on 18.5 acres and features a 60,000-square-foot free exhibit hall, a grand ballroom, two boardrooms and 16 breakout rooms for meetings and smaller events. According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the state has recorded about 460,000 positive cases and 7,500 deaths since the pandemic began.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLD) has reported its revenue per available room (RevPAR) declined 77 percent to $33 on a year-over-year basis in the second quarter due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The West Palm Beach-based hotelier also reported that its net income for the quarter dropped by $36.7 million to a net loss of $27.2 million. The company experienced month-over-month increases to occupancy and RevPAR within the second quarter. Portfolio-wide occupancy was 23.7 percent in April, 33.8 percent in May and stood at 43.8 percent in June. Additionally, RevPAR in April was $23.80, $30.90 in May and $44.80 in June. Chatham Lodging owns interest in 134 and wholly owns 40 hotels in 15 states and Washington, D.C. Chatham Lodging has the highest concentration of extended-stay rooms of any public lodging REIT.
LAKELAND, FLA. — Publix’s sales have increased 21.8 percent year-over-year, the company announced during its second-quarter earnings report. As an essential retailer, the Lakeland-based grocer has remained open through the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared a national emergency March 13. For its second quarter, which spanned the three months ending June 27, Publix’s sales reached $11.4 billion, an increase from $9.3 billion the same time a year ago. The company estimates its sales in the second quarter increased approximately $1.5 billion, or 16.1 percent, due to the pandemic.
MICHIGAN — With a new executive order, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has enabled Detroit casinos to reopen on Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 15 percent capacity. Casinos must also conduct a daily entry screening protocol for customers and employees. Patrons must wear a face covering except while eating and drinking. The governor has also limited statewide indoor gatherings to 10 people, citing a “resurgence in cases connected to social gatherings across the state.” Bars across the state are closed for indoor service beginning Friday, July 31. There were 89,026 confirmed coronavirus cases and 6,426 deaths in the state of Michigan as of Wednesday, July 29.
PLAYA VISTA, CALIF. — California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is the latest fast casual restaurant chain to file for bankruptcy protection due to strain brought on by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas on Thursday in order to “close unprofitable locations, reduce its long-term debt load and quickly emerge from bankruptcy as a much stronger company,” according to the filing. The Playa Vista-based company did not release a list detailing which of its 200 restaurants it plans to close. CPK is set to receive $46.8 million in debtor-in-possession financing, enabling the ongoing operation of its locations, continued payments to vendors and employees, and the provision of ongoing commitments to stakeholders while the company is in the Chapter 11 process. The company currently has $13 million of cash on hand and has not paid rent for the past several months at a majority of its locations, according to reports by CNN. CPK plans to exit the Chapter 11 process in under three months. “The unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on our operations certainly created additional challenges, but this agreement from our lenders demonstrates their commitment to …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — First-time unemployment claims again increased on a week-over-week basis. During the week ending July 25, 1.4 million Americans filed for assistance, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week but less than the 1.5 million claims estimate from economists surveyed by Dow Jones. Prior to the week ending July 18, there were 15 straight weeks of decreasing claims. For the week ending July 18, continuing claims stood at just over 17 million, an 867,000 increase from the previous week. (Data on continuing claims is delayed by one week.) Some states and municipalities have begun to roll back reopenings of schools and businesses, causing the unemployment numbers to tick back up. Additionally, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Thursday morning that the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter shrunk at an annual rate of 32.9 percent. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones were expecting a decrease of 34.7 percent.
CHICAGO — McDonald’s Corp. has reported a 30 percent decrease in its consolidated revenue for the second quarter that ended June 30 due to coronavirus lockdowns. The global fast-food chain reported second-quarter net income of $483.8 million, compared with $1.5 billion for the same period a year ago. Chicago-based McDonald’s says it spent more than $200 million on marketing efforts to accelerate recovery from coronavirus losses, which contributed to the drop in net income. In the United States, 99 percent of McDonald’s restaurants were open as of June 30. About 2,000 dining rooms reopened with reduced seating capacity following temporary closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chris Kempczinski, president and CEO, says that a strong drive-thru presence and investments in delivery and digital platforms have served the company well through this time.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the first time since March, the number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims increased on a week-over-week basis. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday morning that more than 1.4 million people filed for assistance during the week ending July 18, an increase of 109,000 from the previous week. It is the first weekly increase in 15 weeks. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected an increase of 1.3 million claims. The four-week moving average stood at 1.4 million, a decrease of 16,500 from the previous four-week average.
DALLAS — The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) office market recorded approximately 640,000 square feet of negative net absorption during the second quarter, according to a new report from CBRE. This first and second quarters of this year mark the first times the market has recorded such as statistic since the first quarter of 2018. The combination of companies laying off workers, vacating subleased space and delaying move-ins amid COVID-19 brought the market’s vacancy rate to 21.8 percent. The report noted that the metroplex lost about 227,000 jobs during the 12-month period ending May 31, 2020, after previously posting one of the healthiest unemployment rates in the country. In addition, there is nearly 5 million square feet of office product under construction in DFW, suggesting that vacancy may continue to trickle upward during ensuing quarters as the state battles new surges of COVID-19 cases.
ORLANDO, FLA. — The Orlando office market’s vacancy rate has exceeded 10 percent for the first time since year-end 2016, according to CBRE. The vacancy rate stood at 11.2 percent at the end of the second quarter, up from 9.1 percent the previous quarter. With the novel coronavirus causing the economy to halt in mid-March, many office players in the country hit the pause button on sales and leases. Orlando, like several other markets nationwide, was not able to escape the downturn as large swaths of space were given back quicker than they were absorbed. Alight Solutions vacated its 147,000-square-foot space in the University/Research submarket, and Hartford Insurance downsized by 27,000 square feet in Lake Mary. Orlando ended the second quarter of 2020 with 352,000 square feet of negative absorption, the biggest dip the market has taken since first-quarter 2018 when the absorption was minus-22,857 square feet, according to CBRE. CBRE also notes that development has not slowed in the market, with deliveries reaching an 11-year quarterly high. Five office buildings totaling 339,000 square feet came on line in the second quarter. There are another seven projects underway totaling 279,700 square feet, the largest of which is a 120,000-square-foot building …