National Real Estate Conference:
Ronnie Bryant and I attended the IAMC spring conference in Colorado Springs April 25 - 28 and were provided with great updates on national real estate trends. This event brought together heads of corporate real estate, national service providers, and local and state economic developers to establish new relationships and reaffirm existing ties. Speakers were somewhat optimistic about the future of industrial and commercial real estate in the US. Although it was emphasized that very few new buildings will be built speculatively in the next couple years since there will be good absorption of the vast volumes of existing space, especially good class A space. More corporations will also be analyzing their sustainability plans but will have to work hard to make "greening" of their assets work. Currently it was stated that solar does not pencil out for real estate developments but maybe someday. One last trend to watch is how many corporations begin to decentralize operations. By doing so workers will be working from home offices and thus reducing the demand for office locations. All items to watch and many more.
NC Rail Meeting:
NC Railways had their annual conference in Raleigh this week. In conjunction with CSX, Norfolk Southern, and numerous other short line rail firms there was a great turnout and update on how rail plays a critical role in transportation, economic development, energy savings, and safety. Over all I can say that NC is a leader in rail planning and investing. All railways are making significant investments that keep us safer, more economically viable, and environmentally focused. Federal monies are secured to the tune of over $520 million to improve track between Raleigh and Charlotte for improved passenger rail service. New train station developments and upgrades are also planned across NC including Charlotte. Estimates are that by 2017 the travel time should be 2 hours and 15 minutes. This is significantly down from over 3 hours now in 2010.
During the Raleigh event McCallum Sweeney Consultants awarded top rail sites in NC to a number of counties. In our 12 North Carolina counties we are proud to say that Alexander, Catawba, Iredell - Statesville and Iredell - Mooresville received top site certifications. This means that these are recognized sites for quality, ready-to-go rail projects. We will leverage these sites along with all of our other rail served assets.
Our 16 county region has a strong market. Our location is accessible, the business climate is competitive, and the quality of life is attractive. Combine all of that with quality real estate options and efficient rail service it has the makings for many new development opportunities that will add jobs and investment to our region. We need to support our rail company leadership and real estate practitioners as they do their part to make Charlotte USA the place for business.
Upcoming Events:
- May 18 and 19 CRP Planning Retreat
- May 25th CRP annual luncheon
- May 26 - 27 Trip to Houston and Austin Texas
