Policy Page
Reduce, reuse, recycle: Vintage Jersey properties are ripe for repurposing
As one of America’s original 13 colonies, New Jersey has a rich and historic past. This includes former industrial properties or commerce centers in urban areas, more recently developed office parks in the suburbs and older office buildings — many of which largely stand empty — in central business districts. These vacant relics — together and individually — can be transformed into new, vibrant centers for live, work and play.
Finite resources demand a new approach to investment decisions
Ten years ago, Superstorm Sandy slammed into New Jersey, killing 38 people, devastating coastal areas, inflicting billions of dollars in damage and causing power outages for millions of residents and businesses for weeks. For many, it was a turning point that changed the way they invested and did business. Given today’s accelerating pace of life-altering disruptions — the pandemic, inflation, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, extreme weather events — I believe New Jerseyans are ready to modify their behavior to reduce their risk and financial exposure to the adverse impacts from climate change.
Environmental justice: Restoring livability or Pandora’s box?
Enactment of the groundbreaking New Jersey Environmental Justice Law and the recently proposed rules to implement it are commendable efforts to improve conditions in communities burdened by decades of industrial pollution from Title V-covered facilities, notably solid waste facilities and power generation facilities. Although the proposed regulations appear not to currently impact the small-scale commercial and warehouse industry sectors, there is growing concern there will be a proliferation of municipalities adopting ordinances under the guise of environmental justice that are actually aimed at thwarting smart development and critical redevelopment and that broaden the types of regulated facilities.
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.
Untethered work: What’s driving office change
Both employers and employees affirm that remote workers can be successful, but it’s still debatable about what the changes mean for commercial real estate, and the office sector in particular.
