AUSTIN, TEXAS — Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said on Tuesday that she is working to extend the Central Texas county’s stay-at-home order that expires on May 8, according to The Austin American-Statesman. Austin Mayor Steve Adler also said earlier this week that he supports an extended stay-at-home order throughout the state capital and its metro area. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lifted the statewide stay-at-home order on Friday, May 1.
ANN ARBOR, MICH. — Michigan Medicine has unveiled an economic recovery plan in response to COVID-19. The health system says it is faced with projected financial losses of up to $230 million in the fiscal year ending June 30 and expects losses to continue into fiscal year 2021. The organization will delay capital projects that are not needed for safety or regulatory compliance. This includes construction of a new inpatient facility. The planned $920 million, 264-bed facility in Ann Arbor has been delayed for at least a year, not opening before fall 2025, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. The recovery plan also includes organizational restructuring and a combination of furloughs and layoffs totaling approximately 1,400 full-time employees. In addition, a hiring freeze will leave 300 current vacancies unfilled. Leaders across Michigan Medicine will also take a salary reduction. Marschall Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine and dean of the U-M Medical School, will reduce his compensation by 20 percent. He has asked his direct reports, department chairs and other leaders to voluntarily reduce their compensation on a scale between 5 and 15 percent. Other expense savings include suspension of merit increases, employer retirement match, tuition reimbursement and reductions to supplies, consulting and …
SEATTLE — This week, Seattle-based Starbucks started reopening its company-operated stores across the United States. Operating under modified operations and hours, including heightened safety protocols, the company plans to have more than 85 percent of stores opened by May 9 and expects to have more than 90 percent of stores open by early June. The company is using its experience in China, where more than 98 percent of its store are open and operating under revised protocols, as the foundation for its reopening in the United States amid the continued concerns of the global COVID-19 pandemic. “We have adapted these protocols for the U.S., and our goal is to exceed the standards outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a safe experience, including heightened emphasis on cleaning and sanitizing protocols in our stores,” says Kevin Johnson, CEO and president of Starbucks. The coffee company has expanded its service beyond drive-up to include mobile order for contactless pick-up, delivery and, in some locations, curbside parking and grab-and-go through the café. To that end, Starbucks is focusing on the safest and more convenient ways for customers to order through its Starbucks App, with expanded features including optimization for curbside …
WAKEFIELD, MASS. — Franklin Street Properties Corp. (NYSE AMERICAN: FSP), a Wakefield, Massachusetts-based REIT, reports that it collected 98 percent of rent payments due for April at its office properties despite revenue concerns amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Office users across the country have been forced to lay off employees while others are restricted to work from home, leading many companies to reconsider lease signings and expansions. Franklin owns and operates 35 office properties totaling approximately 9.5 million square feet, primarily located in infill and central business districts in 10 states concentrated in the Southeast and Midwest. The REIT reported a $1.1 million net loss in the first quarter, however, and expressed that it cannot predict rental income in future months. Tenants have requested rent relief requests in the form of deferrals for varying lengths of time, which Franklin may grant in some instances while seeking extended lease terms. The REIT’s stock price closed at $5.05 on May 4, compared with $7.97 at the same time last year.
PARAMUS, N.J. — Holt Construction, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have constructed a 100-bed temporary hospital in Paramus, a northwestern suburb of New York City. The facility was built in a large parking lot adjacent to Bergen New Bridge Medical Center and is intended for acute, non-COVID-related patients due to the influx of COVID-positive patients to the main building. The temporary hospital consists of two tent structures, each equipped with 50 beds, an admissions bay, nurse stations and six bathrooms with showers, as well as storage and other auxiliary space. The construction team completed the facility in less than two weeks. As of May 4, the New Jersey Department of Health reported 128,269 positive cases of the virus and 7,910 deaths.
MICHIGAN — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order to enable the resumption of construction and real estate activities starting Thursday, May 7. Construction sites must adopt a set of best practices to protect workers from infection. These practices include designating a site supervisor to enforce COVID-19 control strategies, conducting daily health screenings for workers, creating dedicated entry points, identifying high-risk areas and controlling them for social distancing practices, and ensuring sufficient hand washing or hand-sanitizing stations at the worksite. The governor’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order remains in effect until Friday, May 15. Under this order, Michiganders must not leave their homes except to run critical errands, engage in safe outdoor activities or go to specified jobs in effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Citizens are also required to wear face coverings while in enclosed, public spaces.
HOUSTON — A report issued last week by The University of Houston and the Texas Restaurant Association found that among a survey of 340 Texas bar and restaurant owners, 19 percent had been forced to permanently close one or more of their venues in response to COVID-19. The survey, which was conducted between April 8 and April 22 prior to the state’s easing of social distancing guidelines, queried 189 owners of a single restaurant and 151 owners of multiple restaurants accounting for more than 1,300 establishments between them. In addition, 80 percent of respondents indicated that they had been forced to lay off employees between March 19 and April 6, with roughly half of those respondents laying off the majorities of their staffs. Texas restaurants are currently at liberty to resume dine-in services at fractions of their original capacities. The Texas Restaurant Association is an industry advocacy organization for the state’s $52 billion foodservice industry, which spans more than 43,000 restaurants and employs more than 1.2 million people.
ATLANTA — Atlanta-based Jamestown has launched a $50 million fund to aid small businesses at its properties that are in the process of reopening as states relax retail closures. Funding allocations will be distributed as each qualifying tenant develops a reopening plan with its local Jamestown property management team. Funds received through the relief effort can be used to cover operating expenses, as well as mandatory measures implemented to remain in compliance with local, state and federal guidelines related to COVID-19. Jamestown did not release its definition for a small business but the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) defines a small business retail as companies earning less than $7.5 million in annual receipts. In March, Jamestown launched an online resource guide to help its small business tenants find materials about maintaining business operations, financing, health and safety resources, as well as best practices for operating and reopening in a COVID-19 environment. Jamestown owns properties in New York, California, Washington, D.C., Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Massachusetts. Some of its notable assets include Ponce City Market and The Shops at Buckhead Atlanta in Georgia, One Times Square in New York City, Constitution Wharf in Massachusetts, and Raleigh Iron Works in North Carolina.
NASHVILLE, TENN. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will allow personal service businesses in 89 of the state’s 95 counties to reopen under strict guidelines Wednesday as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the country’s economy. The governor’s office estimates 38,000 people will be able to return to work. The remaining six counties — Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox and Sullivan — will create individual plans in consultation with their locally run health departments. The state’s guidance applies to personal services including barber shops, hair salons, waxing salons, nail spas, massage therapy services and substantially similar businesses that require prolonged close contact with customers. Some of the guidelines include: Limit the number of customers to 50 percent of fire code capacity; Services will be offered by appointment only, meaning no walk-ins; Workstations should be at least six feet apart, with additional measures taken as necessary to ensure that all people stay six feet apart at all times except for the staff providing a service to their client. Physical barriers can be used where necessary; Prohibit use of waiting areas; Ensure thorough workstation and equipment disinfection after each customer; Do not allow non-customer companions to accompany customer during a service; and Do …
TEMECULA, CALIF. — San Diego-based Stos Partners has purchased an industrial asset located at 42301 Zevo Drive in Temecula. A private investor sold the facility for $28.9 million in an off-market transaction. Currently, a global, publicly traded healthcare company occupies the entire 228,912-square-foot property. The tenant plans to utilize the facility as part of its distribution network for COVID-19 tests. Scott Stewart of Lee & Associates represented Stos Partners, while Alisa Lovas of Lee & Associates represented the seller in the deal.