Now is the perfect time for real estate shuffles

One of the major issues facing corporate users today is decentralizing operations while still ensuring efficiency, productivity and creativity amongst its employees. This is a monumental undertaking for any corporation and is especially daunting given the series of events that led to its consideration. However, given current market conditions, this move can offer key advantages not only for a company's continuity, but also its bottom line.

Although most prevalent throughout the financial services and information technology industries, decentralization is an option that should be considered by any company that has 100% of its operations or 100% of any given business unit in a single location.

With corporate profits on the rise and growth prospects improving, now is an advantageous time to review local and state tax incentives and perform a "stacking analysis" of office space within a building or office park in order to consider relocation opportunities.

A restacking analysis will reveal two basic options: either a creative use of existing space or the need to take additional and/or new space. With hiring on the rise, the need to lease additional space has started to increase. Market conditions have just started to trend upward, so the near future will be an opportune time to revisit decentralization issues. This can be done by simply transferring portions of business units into a new facility or by reshuffling groups throughout existing facilitiesthis process does have repercussions for human resources by either disrupting existing teams within a unit by rendering them less deployable or affecting the lifestyle choices many professionals make by working in a particular location. Someone working and living in an urban location might seek out a competitor when faced with the prospect of moving to the suburbs, and vice versa.

In addition, the outbound personnel may feel that they are being moved away from the power base. However, these factors are negligible when looking to enter a market already boasting a large and well-educated labor pool. On the other hand, companies have the opportunity to create a leaner, more cost effective organizational structure.

The decentralization of any company is an onerous process. Some of the larger full service commercial real estate brokers have consulting departments well equipped to assist clients in the analysis.

Robert Marc takes 500 SF on West Broadway - real estate contract information - Brief Article

Robert Marc, a fashion eyewear retailer, has signed a 10-year lease for 500 square feet of ground floor plus basement space at 436 West Broadway for its first ever SoHo store, which it is slated to move into this August.

Yair H. Staav, along with his team of retail and fashion specialists, Bill Melville, Christine Emery and Douglas Zinn, of The Lansco Corporation represented the landlord and Joel Isaacs of Isaacs & Co. represented the tenant in the negotiations. The space was formerly occupied by Antique Addiction.

It is really difficult to find a small storefront in SoHo, so naturally the tenant was happy to be able to find space in this location," commented Staav, who also sold the building to the landlord two years ago, creating the opportunity to begin the transformation from old tenants to more high fashion ones, such as Villebrequin, Cecile Jean Jewelers, Perlier Kelemata and Swatch.

Willingboro Town Center going "green" - commercial real estate property information - Brief Article

The Willingboro Town Center development plan employs sustainable building practices in creating a mix of retail and commercial establishments, adult housing and community-oriented institutions. The Route 130 Corridor of Burlington County, in which the Willingboro Town Center project is located, consists of 12 municipalities, covering 59 square miles. The area lacks a central commercial node, presenting an opportunity for the project to fulfill that role. Much of the land area within the corridor is developed, presenting options for additional development that include in-fill housing and the redevelopment of abandoned or deteriorated properties. Willingboro Town Center is recognized as being a significant factor in revitalizing the Route 130 Corridor.

Willingboro Town Center will feature a new state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable town library, residential housing, village greens, office space, daycare center, and over 175,000 SF of retail space. Renovations and an expansion began in September 2000 on the 160,000 SF former Boscov's department store by Sweetwater Construction Company on behalf of ReNEWal Realty and the purchaser, Merck-Medco.
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Set to open later this year, the 260,000-SF Merck-Medco facility will feature an automated mail-service pharmacy at this location, introducing over 700 jobs to the community. In addition, ground has already been broken for the 19,000 SF facility for Burlington County College, which is scheduled to be completed during the first quarter of 2002. The college will utilize the facility as a branch of its main campus. The site will also feature a new, 42,000-SF, $6 million dollar Willingboro library. The library will include an exhibition area and state-of-the-art auditorium. In addition, it will house a children's area, adult reading area, multimedia facility, computer room and abundant storage area. Situated next to the development's village green, a dedicated open space area with heavy landscaping, the library will be the first building to greet visitors at Willingboro Town Center as they enter the complex from Route 130. The new Willingboro library will be connected to the Burlington County College facility by a walkway. Approximately 13,000 SF of retail space will be part of the new library facility.

Acustaff, a Cherry Hill-based temporary staffing company, Chapala Cafe, a Mexican restaurant, and Java on High, a coffee shop, are all on track to become new tenants occupying part of the total 175,000 SF of retail space available at Willingboro Town Center.

Avalon Pavilions sold for $81.5M - real estate acquisition information - Brief Article

The immediate area has over 1.5 million square feet of additional retail developments primarily located in four power and community centers, as well as several large freestanding stores. This is the largest concentration of shopping, restaurants and theaters in the state of Connecticut.

The confluence of highways supporting this retail base provides excellent access to major destinations throughout the region. As a result, this residential location provides a unique blend of suburban living with many of the features usually found in cosmopolitan urban settings.

"Northland has purchased a unique residential investment property that cannot be reproduced anywhere in the region.

Avalon Pavilions offers high quality apartments with an extensive amenity package on an extraordinary site in a very tight rental market." stated Dunne.
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The seven-person Tri-State Investment Team, which in addition to Jeff Dunne and Chris McManus includes partner Jim Tully, specializes in the marketing of investment properties on behalf of owners in the suburban New York area and in secondary cities along the East Coast.