NAIOP New Jersey will honor one of the state’s key government officials in recent years alongside one of its best-known developers as part of its upcoming fall awards dinner, where the association will also recognize several influential industry professionals.
Logistics, workforce could help Jersey weather next downturn
With the incredible growth of this sector in recent years, could logistics help make New Jersey cliff-proof? I think so, but only if we take steps to address serious workforce challenges, especially those related to affordability and accessible transportation. With the increasing likelihood of a recession in 2020, we need to act now. The importance of the port region to New Jersey’s economy cannot be overstated, and continued investment is critical. We also need to solve the “last mile” conundrum that presents transportation and lifestyle challenges.
Living on borrowed time: Build Gateway now
No one infrastructure project has the potential to cripple our economy, disrupt our lives, lower real estate values and drive employers to seek alternative locations than the Gateway Project to expand and repair the Hudson River rail tunnels and replace the Portal North Bridge. Why, then, haven’t our local, state and national leaders yet secured the funding, approvals and entitlements needed to get this project done, despite the wakeup call back in 2012 when Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on a single tunnel in an area responsible for 20 percent of the U.S. GDP?
Office market conundrum: improving economic indicators amidst minimal absorption
Experts see a significant conundrum in the office market, as every economic indicator used to forecast absorption performed at or above the forecast level. Further, closely related macroeconomic variables — such as office-using employment — grew steadily, meaning that more office employees were added without much corresponding space leased over the previous six months. While the first quarter reading of just 1.3 million square feet absorbed may be a one-time anomaly, it cannot be ruled out that a structural shift in the office space market has occurred or is occurring.
