How can the construction industry become more sustainable? We assembled a panel of industry experts to tackle this month’s question.
Current Issue
Go inside the latest monthly issue of Real Estate NJ, the only New Jersey-based magazine dedicated to commercial real estate in the Garden State.
Decarbonization, electrification journey driving investment and business decisions
As we celebrate Earth Day, it’s impressive to see how many more investment, siting, purchase and business decisions are being driven by growing public demand to reduce our carbon footprint. Government agencies, investors, consumers and businesses are quickly becoming aware of the need and benefits of embracing this paradigm shift. Owners and developers of commercial and industrial real estate property are increasingly accommodating their tenants’ demands for charging stations, solar panels and other brokered services. The popularity of electric vehicles (EV) continues to gain momentum across the globe as green investing is influencing automakers’ plans and the economics of owning an EV are becoming more favorable. Sustainability has become mainstream as society realizes its benefits, including lower costs, cleaner air, less traffic congestion, higher rate of return on investments, less dependence on foreign oil, better quality of life and less extreme weather.
In real time
I try to walk a fine line when reporting on legislation and public policy proposals that may or may not come to fruition. Among them is the push to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey, which always seemed somewhat imminent under Gov. Phil Murphy, but still took several years and a voter referendum to become reality.
No worse for wear
Complex, labor-intensive projects have been central to the growth of Prism Capital Partners’ multifamily housing platform. The firm since 2013 has developed nearly 1,000 units, with hundreds more under construction, thanks to its work at Edison Lofts and other industrial-to-residential conversions in northern New Jersey. Notably, it has balanced those projects with a growing pipeline of ground-up, midrise buildings in towns such as Woodbridge and Dunellen, which boast strong demographics and transit-served downtowns despite being lesser-known locations.
