The term “Environmental, Social, and Governance,” or ESG, has been around for two decades, first being coined by the United Nations Global Compact in 2004. However, the rise of the framework has led to increasing political backlash, with some states outright banning ESG in investment decisions.
Some commercial real estate owners face rising costs due to climate risk
Developers and hyperscalers apply myriad solutions to meet climate goals
Best Practices
When the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law a little more than two years ago, it was celebrated by many who work in the real estate industry as a crucial tool for encouraging and offsetting the cost of green buildings. The tax incentives offer a lot of opportunities for owners and developers to cut expenditures, sometimes significantly, in a time when interest rates and the cost of construction remain high. Navigating the various incentives and programs has broadly proved challenging, however, and experts hope to spark more awareness around the benefits of the IRA and how to move past common obstacles.
How seven cities are tackling the future of downtowns
Texas Southern University professor and environmental justice advocate to receive ULI Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development.
Industry Voices
Aberdeen, South Dakota’s rich history as a bustling hub with a vibrant downtown provides a strong foundation for revitalization. Historic photos of Main Street from the early 1900s could easily be mistaken for scenes from Brooklyn, New York, of the same era. Understanding why the town moved away from this dynamic core, and lost its historical vibrancy, is essential.
Sponsored
The U.S. multifamily market was on fire in 2021 and 2022, a time when rent growth hit record highs due to soaring demand. But the market has since come back down to Earth as fundamentals stabilized. Now, amid ongoing high interest rates, heightened deliveries of supply, and deceleration of job growth, many multifamily investors are exploring different strategies to diversify their portfolios, add revenue, take advantage of opportunities, and maintain a competitive edge.
As Baby Boomers continue to retire, having a concrete plan ensures businesses will continue to thrive
Amblebrook, an innovative retirement community in the historic setting of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was specifically designed to remedy this social disease. It shatters the mold of the conventional 55-plus community.
Spanning 80 acres (32.4 ha) and 1 million square feet (93,000 sq m) of industrial space, The Works is located off Chattahoochee Avenue, a once-quiet industrial corridor on the west side of Atlanta. This pocket of the city—now known as the Upper Westside with a new CID to prove it—has seen explosive growth since plans for The Works were announced in 2017.
Retaining a spiritual identity while serving up a mix of uses to the greater neighborhood
Capital Markets and Finance
Industry CPPI data suggests that property prices may be at—or near—bottom. The three major indexes from MSCI Real Assets, CoStar, and Green Street all showed an increase in CPPI in August. After rising 1.6 percent in August, Green Street’s recently released Commercial Property Price Index remained unchanged in September. Green Street’s all-property index—a measure of pricing for institutional-quality properties—is up 3.3 percent year-to-date through September.
A one-two punch is hitting condo owners and associations in Florida, forcing some to sell to cash buyers at massive discounts or risk foreclosure. The setback could have national implications.
Commercial real estate loans totaling almost $1.8 trillion are set to mature before the end of 2026, according to Trepp. One sign of the accompanying stress is the commercial mortgage–backed security (CMBS) special servicing rate, with its latest numbers inching up to 8.2 percent, the highest since June 2021.
In early April 2024, Small Change, an investment crowdfunding platform for real estate development with social impact, and Boston Real Estate Inclusion Fund (BREIF) jointly announced an investment opportunity in a $430 million life sciences building under development by Related Beal. The property—at 22 Drydock Avenue, in Boston’s Seaport District—is slated to be the city’s first life sciences building to achieve LEED Platinum and net-zero carbon emissions.
In May, Barry Sternlicht capped investors’ ability to exit his $10 billion real estate fund—a strategic move to avoid a fire sale of properties at a less-than-ideal time. Sternlicht lowered the limit on monthly withdrawals from Starwood Real Estate Income Trust (SREIT). That limit, previously 2 percent, went to 0.33 percent of net asset value (NAV), the value of SREIT’s assets minus its debt.
On Thursday, CREW DC, AAREP DC, and ULI Washington delivered the third and final program in a series intended to demystify valuations and provide practical insights on negotiating equity and debt.
Philanthropy
Institute trustee and Foundation governor was a force in Denver real estate
Thomas W. Toomey, chairman and chief executive officer of UDR Inc., will become the new chair of the ULI Foundation on July 1, 2024. A longtime ULI member and chair of the ULI Global Board of Directors from 2017 to 2019, Toomey brings extensive leadership experience and a deep commitment to philanthropic support for ULI’s mission.
Gift extends Stacks’ long history of leadership in ULI, philanthropic support for community transformation, education, and health care