LOS ANGELES — With roughly 24 million square feet of space under construction at the end of the first quarter of 2020, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) leads the nation’s major markets in terms of volume of new industrial development, according to a new report from Los Angeles-based CBRE. About 19 percent of that space has been preleased. The metroplex also led the nation in this category at the end of 2019 with 23 million square feet of space under construction, and with Texas deeming such projects as essential services, that title has remained intact amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Of the top 20 markets listed in the report, only four — Philadelphia, Oakland, Central New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s I-78/81 Corridor — have shut down industrial construction sites. The report projected that completions of speculative projects across the country would have only a “marginal” impact on the overall industrial vacancy rate in 2020, with many of these projects having been put on hold as debt markets have faced tightening capital reserves and uncertainty on how to accurately price risk. CBRE’s report also noted that while prices for construction materials are declining, developers are also encountering delays in getting materials to sites. Lastly, the …
With summer break fast approaching, many universities are beginning to turn their attention to the upcoming academic year. The question lingering on the minds of many is: What will fall semester look like during a pandemic? Will international students return? Will enrollment numbers fall? And will campuses even host in-person classes? The answer to each of these questions begets an impact on student housing, both on and off campus. On Friday, April 17, Student Housing Business (SHB) released a complimentary webinar sponsored by Pavlov Media, during which four CEOs from some of the top companies in the student housing sector provided their perspective on the impact of COVID-19 on the industry. Rich Kelley, publisher of SHB, led the discussion with speakers including Wes Rogers, president and CEO of Landmark Properties; Rob Bronstein, president and founder of The Scion Group; Peter Stelian, CEO of Blue Vista Companies; and Christopher Merrill, co-founder and CEO of Harrison Street. Click here to listen to the full webinar: The CEO Perspective: COVID-19 and the Impact on Student Housing What will fall semester look like? Over the past week, a number of universities announced their plans for the fall semester. These announcements are expected to grow steadily in …
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. — Charles Wayne Properties Inc. will donate vacant space at its properties to individuals, businesses and organizations that need the space to help combat the COVID-19 outbreak. The Daytona Beach-based company plans to offer this program at its office, retail, flex industrial and warehouse properties in Altamonte Springs, Daytona Beach, Lake Mary, Orlando, Ormond Beach, Port Orange and Sanford, Fla. Charles Wayne Properties can accommodate manufacturers (including people making masks), testing sites and labs, storage and distribution of medicine and supplies, according to Ted Lightman, principal at Charles Wayne Properties. Lightman added the initiative is new and the company is “still learning about who is out there helping and what they might need.” Groups qualifying for space under this program will be provided short-term leases during which they only pay their share of utilities, insurance, taxes and costs of maintaining the space.
MCLEAN, VA. — As COVID-19 continues to sweep across the United States, Hilton Hotels has teamed up with Lysol and Mayo Clinic to implement its new Hilton CleanStay with Lysol Protection program this summer. The new initiative aims to “provide guests with assurance and peace of mind” when they visit a Hilton property. RB, Lysol’s parent company, will work with the McLean-based hotel chain to launch a cleaning system in an effort to keep guests safe and healthy. Experts from Mayo Clinic’s Infection Prevention and Control team will advise and assist in enhancing Hilton’s cleaning and disinfection protocols. Some features of the program include a Hilton CleanStay Room Seal, a seal on doors notifying guests the room has not been entered since it was thoroughly cleaned; extra disinfectant on what Hilton deems high-touch areas, including light switches, doors handles, TV remotes and thermostats; removing items such as pens, paper and guest directories, which will be available digitally or upon request; and the Clean and Clean Again program, which increases the frequency of cleaning in public areas. Hilton’s portfolio includes 18 brands and 6,100 properties worldwide. Others in the hospitality sector taking extra measures include Marriott International and Airbnb. Marriott created …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, North America’s Building Trade Union (NABTU) and the Center for Construction Research and Training have released a new standard for infectious disease exposure control practices for U.S. construction sites. “The new national framework outlines planning and implementation elements with strong minimum standards, screening policies and the requirement of a comprehensive employer exposure control plan. [The employer plan comprises] control measures, symptom checking, social distancing, training, hygiene and decontamination procedures,” according to a press release from the partnership. Some guidelines that the partnership suggests employers implement include: Designating a site-specific COVID-19 officer at every job site; Planning for office staff to have the ability to work from home; Training workers with the most recent information on the hazard and control measures, including social distancing, handwashing facilities on site and how high-touch surfaces are disinfected; Screening, such as asking workers to self-identify symptoms of fever, coughing, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell each day, before the shift, mid-shift and at home. “The COVID-19 pandemic clearly underscores the need for and value of a strong, adaptable and multi-purpose exposure control standard to prevent …
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released details on Monday of his Phase I plans to reopen the state’s economy, providing specific guidelines and protocols for an array or retail and civic services. Beginning Friday, May 1, all retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls may reopen, but with their capacities limited to 25 percent of their listed maximum occupancies. Texas counties that had five or fewer COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, April 30 may reopen these establishments at 50 percent of their original capacities. Food courts, play areas and interactive displays will remain closed in malls. Museums and libraries may reopen under the same guidelines, but public venues such as pools, bars, gyms, amusement parks, bowling alleys and video arcades will remain closed throughout Phase I. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and similar senior living establishments must remain closed to visitors. In his announcement, the governor also said that Texas is launching a statewide testing and contact tracing program developed by the Texas Department of State Health Services and put forth new public health protocols for all Texans seeking to venture into these public arenas during Phase I. The initial phase of the reopening plan will expire no …
CINCINNATI — Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., has expanded free COVID-19 testing sites to Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, joining existing sites in Kentucky and Tennessee. Kroger pharmacists will be able to initiate the lab order and observe self-administered testing where allowable by law. For the testing, patients remain in their cars and use self-administered nasal swabs. Testing services are provided at no cost to all priority groups, including healthcare workers, first responders and symptomatic individuals. Kroger Health testing sites are generally located off-site at closed schools, businesses or public grounds. Additionally, the company will begin piloting site-specific testing for Kroger associates in Michigan and Colorado.
MICHIGAN — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has extended the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order through May 15. The new order will also require citizens to wear face coverings when they enter enclosed public spaces. Some restrictions on outdoor activities will be lifted. Landscapers, lawn-service companies and nurseries can return to work. Retailers that do not sell necessary supplies may reopen for curbside pickup or delivery. As of Sunday, April 26, there were 37,778 cases of COVID-19 and 3,315 deaths in Michigan, according to the state’s website.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has continued to clobber the hotel sector as industry experts say 70 percent of workers have been furloughed and eight in 10 rooms are vacant, according to a survey conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). The data from the survey also leads the AHLA to project that vacancy rates in 2020 will be the lowest (38 percent) since the Great Depression. The vacancy rate was 66 percent from 2017 to 2019. “Hotels were one of the first industries affected by the pandemic and will be one of the last to recover,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. The survey also reports that the full-service hotels that are remaining open are operating on average with a 14-person staff, a fraction of the average 50-person staff pre-crisis. Resort hotels, which often operate seasonally based on peak tourism months and averaged about 90 employees per location as recently as March 13, are down to an average of five employees per resort today. As of this writing, there were 49,963 deaths and 869,172 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
ORLANDO, FLA. — In an effort to limit contact and feed frontline healthcare workers, Park Pizza & Brewing Co. has partnered with Beep, a company operating self-driving shuttles, to deliver food to the Orlando VA Medical Center in the city’s Lake Nona neighborhood. To limit contact with the delivery, each pizza box is sealed, put onto a cart, loaded into the shuttle by Park Pizza & Brewing restaurant employees and the onboard shuttle attendant, and personnel at the medical center are then able to roll the cart into the hospital. The shuttles typically operate on a fixed route, but that has been paused due to the COVID-19 crisis. Park Pizza & Brewing opened within Lake Nona in November 2018. The VA hospital opened in 2015 and provides acute care, complex specialty care, advanced diagnostic services, a large multispecialty outpatient clinic, and administrative and support services to more than 100,000 veterans in the area. Beep and Lake Nona developer Tavistock Development Co. are exploring other opportunities to utilize the autonomous shuttles to serve the community during COVID-19.