As Dave Gibbons wraps up his two-year term as NAIOP New Jersey’s president, he says the organization has made strides with public policy goals such as a new performance bond law and liquor license reform, while growing to nearly 850 members to become the association’s sixth-largest chapter in the country. But he believes there is always more work to be done in both the legislative arena and when it comes to networking and recruitment.
Washington preps for divided government in 2019: New Jersey may benefit
A newly elected Congress returns in January with Republicans enjoying a slightly expanded majority in the Senate and Democrats taking charge of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2010. I believe that the shift of power in the House to a Democratic majority has opened some opportunities for those of us in New Jersey commercial real estate.
Policy watch
I’ll admit it: The prospect of writing about technical, complex environmental policy can be daunting and frustrating. Especially when it’s not your everyday beat. But there’s no getting around the importance of one policy in particular, at least when it comes to the future of New Jersey commercial real estate. If you polled a group of developers and service providers, many would tell you that the state’s Licensed Site Remediation Professional program has been critical, helping to unlock new opportunities at formerly contaminated sites and adding to the momentum of red-hot product types like industrial and multifamily. Some might find it hard to believe that next May will mark a decade since the program was born under the landmark Site Remediation Reform Act. But with that milestone fast approaching, the LSRP system is getting a fresh look from policymakers and stakeholders.
NAIOP panel: Building trends pointing toward employee health, ecofriendly design
Amenities, collaboration space and access to transportation will all remain important in the office sector, experts say, but those features must be increasingly focused on wellness, sustainability and energy savings. That’s not to mention diversity and the ability for employees to choose how they work.
Growing fiscal problems demand action
Business as usual is just not possible anymore. New Jersey’s underperforming economy, bloated public sector spending and rising cost of living, along with Congress’s decision to reduce the state and local tax deduction, are forcing our collective hands to do better. There is no better place to start than at home in our local municipalities and school districts, where consolidations and sharing of services can produce both real financial savings and better outcomes. Simultaneously, state and county governments need to do likewise. Taxpaying businesses and residents deserve accountability, and this may require audits of how and where every dollar of taxpayer money is being spent.
DEP plans new and improved online permitting system, commissioner tells NAIOP
The Department of Environmental Protection is taking a page out of the TurboTax playbook — at least when it comes to permitting for land use and other areas — with plans to roll out a new electronic submission system for more than 100 permit activities in its ongoing effort to streamline New Jersey’s regulatory structure.