Authentic Leadership “Latte and Learn” Session II

The Office Called. It Wants Its Workers Back

Submitted by Kim Marks, ProgressiveAE

CREW Charlotte featured “The Office Called. It Wants Its Workers Back” for the May virtual lunch topic. The panel moderated by Scarlet Powell, Senior Account Manager at AVI-SPL, consisted of Molly Carroll, Partner, Marketing and Communications at Trinity Partners, Steve Hallmark, Director of Operations for North Carolina with Cousins Properties, and Virginia Luther, Managing Director Charlotte Commercial at The Spectrum Companies. Our esteemed panel of local industry experts discussed heading back into our workspaces from multiple perspectives, including operations, communications, and technology.

Steve spoke from a building owner perspective relaying the initiatives Cousins has taken on at One South (formerly Bank of America Plaza) including the FitWell designation. Covid was not the main driver for these initiatives, were they already a part of Cousins strategic approach for building operations and sustainability.

Technology is rising to the top of perhaps the most important change resulting out of this pandemic. From Building Owners and Tenants requesting building data and information to Employees wanting the flexibility to work from any location that best suits their needs for that task. Technology needs to be seamless, easy to use and fast.

A common question was whether building owners or organizations had expressed any plans or desire to require their occupants/employees to provide proof of vaccination in order to return to the office? Most panelists agreed that they have not experienced this yet but do know several companies incentivizing employees if they do show proof of vaccination.

There has been a lot of talk about what the office will look like or feel like once we return to the office. Most companies believe that they will adopt a hybrid solution which allows Employee’s flexibility in where they work while meeting the needs of the organization. “If this has taught us anything, it’s that creating a culture that people want to collaborate and engage in is what Trinity does well,” said Molly Carroll. “We’re trying to create an environment where people feel safe enough to engage in that way, so we can get back to the work we’re supposed to be doing.”

Industrial is Booming…and Why it Matters to Everyone

Submitted by Kim Marks, Progressive AE

During our CREW Charlotte April virtual lunch on April 20^th, we heard from representatives focused on our local Industrial market that Charlotte’s secret was out. With our proximity to multiple expressways, healthy population growth, and workforce training initiatives, we are prime for manufacturing companies looking to relocate or expand. Our local representatives included Sloan Kormelink, Edifice; Anne Johnson, CBRE; Massie Flippin, Trinity; and Dianne Jones, Maxis Advisors.

The type of industrial building is changing particularly for large e-commerce companies that are focusing on our area. The wish list continues to evolve, from super flat floors and thicker floor slabs, 40’ or more clearance height to extra power requirements.  One of the more aggressive changes is the amount of square footage Clients are looking for which is now 600,000 square feet or more. This is hard to find in an existing building footprint. E-commerce has put as much importance on the exterior of a facility requiring parking for cars and vans, charging stations, as well as access to the highway, and proximity to the population.

They spoke briefly about incentives and how NC stacks up against our neighbors, specifically South Carolina. When you are in the heat of the competition it seems like a valley between the two offers but when you boil it down, they come in very close to each other. One of the biggest differences is that SC can provide cash on the front side and NC has a larger talent pool to draw from.

So, what’s next on the industrial horizon, you might be asking. Our panelists had a lot to say on this front! It was suggested that we should be on the lookout for 3^rd party logistic companies, increased technology requirements, more employee amenities, higher rent rates, and new developments continuing to move up 1-85 North and 1-77 North.

Unlocking the Hidden Value of Art and Community Messaging in Commercial Real Estate

Submitted by Jaren Wells, Gensler

Our March luncheon took a deeper dive into Unlocking the Hidden Value of Art and Community Messaging in Commercial Real Estate. Kathleen Jordan, of Gensler, led a lively discussion with panelists Carla Hanzal (Arts & Science Council), Jenny Vallimont (Gokatta) and Carla Hickey (ArtPop Street Gallery). Our panelists discussed how Art not only is becoming increasingly valuable as an opportunity for community and corporate messaging, but can also provide unexpected Return on Investments in the process. Process and “how to” information was also shared, including what to include in your project budget.

Community Messaging & leadership: Not everyone can go to a Museum. Therefore, bringing art to the community, making it accessible to all, has been highly encouraged and supported by our City & County leadership. They are in support of the arts, innovation and risk taking. Corporations also see the advantage in expressing their values especially at a time when uplifting and encouraging messages are much needed.

ROI: Art can have an influence on property value. It is no longer an add but expected by tenants, therefore helping ROI by connecting with the community as an integral part of the developments. As sales increase, the value of the community that cherishes and supports the arts increase. What goes immeasurable is the PR publicity through social media.

Process: All of our consultants recommend early integration into the Design process, in Schematic Design phase. Integrating art into the design, such as an architectural screening mechanism, can save money. Timelines will vary depending upon development and art media used.

Future Trends:
Jenny Vallimont: During the Pandemic, people are looking to find effective means to Connect. Supporting local needs and activism through Art, utilizing a virtual means via technology, like AR (Augmented Reality).
Carla Hanzal: Activated art is a big trend, involving socially distanced interactive art, such as “Balancing Act”, located at First Ward Park across from Imaginon. The Social aspect of art is equally as important. Providing more resources integrated with art such as community gardens and recreation opportunities.
Wendy Hickey: How do we create great workplace environments? Art can have the power to heal. More people are aware of this. Expanding beyond murals, corporations are looking to integrate support of local artists in a unique way to represent their organization. Whether an event or gift.

Closing remarks were given by Board Liaison Molly Carroll: “Developers and owners need to think about art as part of the tenant experience, just like when they chose finishes and building features in order to attract tenants. Having gorgeous buzz worthy art, especially local, gives the impression to prospective tenants, that the Ownership thinks differently, appreciates and supports what art brings to the table. The impression that the prospective tenant sees is that the building has a cool, hip, creative vibe that they will be part of if they lease that building. It sets buildings and owners apart.”

Jenny Vallimont added: “How do we show Corporate values even in environments that haven’t spent money in public art? Tenants coming from other cities, and bigger markets, expect different things. We need to think about comparisons of what they are seeing.”

Contact Information:

ASC – https://www.artsandscience.org @asccharlotte

Jenny/Gokotta –  https://www.wearegokotta.com @wearegokotta

Wendy/ArtPop – https://www.artpopstreetgallery.com  @artpopstreetgallery

Gensler – Kathleen_Jordan@gensler.com

CREW February 2021 Luncheon: The Color of Change

Submitted by Amy Massey, PE, Kimley-Horn

2020 may be remembered partly as a record year of civil unrest across the US, prompting a more deliberate focus on racial inequities. As a result, many industry sectors have increased efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) – including the CRE field.

CREW Charlotte was fortunate to have a ‘conversation amongst friends’ at our February 9^th virtual luncheon with our very own past president and current CREW Network Board member, Adrienne Bain, who serves as an executive at Citizens Bank. And it seems appropriate that this particular luncheon has taken place during National Black History month. Adrienne gave us some clues as to her upbringing and background, sharing some of the issues she has seen and changes that have taken place over time.

Adrienne also took polls and shared results of the participants’ demographics and current company activities in the DEI realm; and gave us a look into gender and racial disparities via CREW Network Benchmark studies, CREDiversity.com, Bisnow research, and Deloitte data. A couple of CRE-specific deductions, amongst other serious disparities:

• Women are losing ground in both total compensation and C-suite positions.
• Being both female and a person of color is a further disadvantage.

So what are the contributing factors and how can the situation really change? Some of the conversation focused on a lack of awareness and unconscious bias. Further discussion suggested that there is a lack of access to meaningful sponsorship and mentorship- which based on data comes ultimately from leaders who happen to be mostly white males. It seems then that progress moving forward will in large part be dependent on the willingness of those in power positions to help achieve more diversity and parity, which is surely supported by the business case. It is good to see that many companies are stepping up their efforts in DEI. But the conversation is just beginning; it will take much more attention and energy to really move the needle toward equality.