by Katie Ross, Sustainability Project Coordinator

Adaptive reuse is a growing trend in development, with new construction spending in the U.S. falling and many municipalities modifying their codes and zoning regulations to promote this strategy. Adaptive reuse is the process in which vintage sites or buildings are repurposed for a use other than which they were originally built or designed. In the past, adaptive reuse projects have been focused on transforming warehouses or manufacturing plants to loft apartments, hotels or markets. These projects have seen tremendous success in urban areas due to increased demand from cities, residents and tenants for renewed urban cores.

By Gayle Meredith, Chief Marketing Officer

As a challenger brand, we constantly work to challenge the status quo in the commercial real estate industry. Taking a customized approach to every aspect of our business, including the social sphere, sets Cassidy Turley apart, and American City Business Journals’ annual Social Madness competition is the perfect digital space to share that philosophy. Kicking off at the local level this week, Social Madness challenges corporate engagement. It’s a competition spanning both local and national levels hosted in 43 cities nationwide.

By Garrick H. Brown, Director of Research

The past couple of weeks have seen a flurry of activity in the retail arena. With another successful ICSC RECon wrapping up in Las Vegas, the internet is abuzz with a positive outlook on growth for retail in 2013. Just in time for the conference, I had the chance to share my thoughts in The E-Commerce Imperative, a white paper that takes a deep dive into the impact of e-commerce on industrial and retail real estate. Following is a sneak peek at this significant research, and, for the full scope, click here.

By Dennis Panzer, Managing Principal

A recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune featuring the Minneapolis-St. Paul Cassidy Turley office highlighted how companies are rethinking office space design to move to more collaborative floor plans.  Our office recently rethought and ultimately relocated to a new location in the iconic IDS Center in the heart of downtown Minneapolis.

By Kevin Thorpe, Chief Economist 

For the U.S. office market, the past two years have a few recurring themes. Start the year slowly. End the year in a frenzy of activity, and hope for the best for the next year.  After a healthy end to 2012 – almost in spite of an economic holding pattern brought on by elections and potential sequestration – we started 2013 slowly but expect a frenetic third and fourth quarter and marked improvement in 2014.

By Thomas Traugott, Senior Vice President

Many articles in corporate real estate and economic development-related publications regarding data center locations often subscribe to the notion that locating a data center “anywhere” is sufficient. While there is some truth to the idea that data centers can live anywhere, when one looks at data centers as a business investment, understanding how a data center fits into a competitive landscape matters. In an article recently featured in Area Development Online, I had the chance to reflect on why data centers haven’t consolidated in “perfect” data center locations.

By Chris White, Senior Managing Director, Principal

How can your company leverage its real estate portfolio to reduce operating expenses and boost employee efficiency?

To achieve this important objective, it’s essential that you choose a real estate provider with the resources to analyze and understand your company’s operational requirements and business objectives. Too often, tenant representatives view a company’s real estate needs from the “bricks and mortar” standpoint – that is, they focus strictly on a company’s space requirements.

By Garrick H. Brown, Director of Research

Part Three of a Three-Part Series

In Part I and Part II of this series, I discussed impacts on retailer growth including expansion plans and e-commerce. There is one final trend that has created a sea change in retailer growth patterns over the past few years, and I am addressing it last because it is the most obvious. It is also the trend that I expect to remain with us for the least amount of time.

By Tim Michel, Senior Managing Director

With smart phones, tablets and social media, we’re connected 24/7, and there have never been more ways to communicate. Innumerable digital communications tools enable commercial real estate professionals to be more efficient and accomplish more – and from just about anywhere on Earth. But are we breaking through the static and using technology to enhance performance and not as a crutch that replaces personal interaction? As property managers, we must remember the shoe-leather and face-to-face fundamentals that are so vital to our business.

By Garrick H. Brown, Director of Research

Part Two of a Three-Part Series

In Part I of this series, we discussed the rise of expansion plans
for over 3,000 major national retail and restaurant chains and contemplated why this increased demand isn’t making greater dents in the retail vacancy rate. Now let’s take a look at two of the major trends currently impacting retail space use in the U.S.: shrinking big boxes and the impact of e-commerce.