Cold storage is a niche asset class with relatively few players compared to traditional industrial space. To share their perspectives on how investment, development and operational decisions are made for this specialized asset class, five experts took the stage at NAIOP’s I.CON Cold Storage this week in Atlanta.
The sluggish return to the office, financing and liquidity, and new ways of approaching the office sector were the predominant themes of an elite gathering of C-suite office owners, investors and developers. The conversation, spearheaded by NAIOP and hosted last week in New York City, explored the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
Every day, developers drive past prime industrial real estate sites that could be warehouse-perfect, were it not for the sloped grade that would cost too much to excavate to make the facility level. Enter a new solution: a split-level building that doubles the space by creating efficiencies in construction costs and land use.
This week at NAIOP’s I.CON East: The Industrial Conference, four experts in the space shared their thoughts on how corporate real estate of the future will integrate the evolving trends of sustainability and automation so that owners can meet carbon reduction and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals, exceed tenant specs, future-proof their properties and increase NOI.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and decarbonization initiatives can yield significant advances across the industry, from the important climate benefits to improved investor and community relations. While these are not new concepts – the first solar panels date back to 1954 – they are fresher to commercial real estate as owners and developers as they evaluate how to retrofit existing properties and incorporate elements of sustainability into their projects.
Heidi Learner, head of innovation with Altus Labs, spoke to 800+ NAIOP National Forums members during their annual meeting in Boston about the outlook for the economy.
Members of NAIOP’s National Forums toured two components of the Boston seaport during their annual Symposium, hearing from the developers, investors and advisors shaping the site today.
“There’s a really exciting trend emerging in hiring and compensation that’s going to accelerate throughout 2023,” opened Chris Lee, CEO of CEL & Associates, during a recent NAIOP webinar. “It’s the blending together of the quantitative – the numbers, compensation and bonuses – and the qualitative – workplace environment and benefits.”
As industrial spaces move deeper into urban areas, the need to build up instead of out will increase. Vertical industrial – whether used for fulfillment, maker spaces, labs or light manufacturing – requires a new approach, different requirements and a whole lot of explaining.
“Technology is going to be among the most important things that impacts the industrial sector,” began Rebecca Rockey, economist and global head of economic analysis and forecasting at Cushman & Wakefield, at I.CON West’s keynote session this week in Long Beach, California. “The industrial sector stands to be the first industry to experience that adaptation as the nature of our economy and demographics change.”
