Since mid-March, our national GDP has plunged and New Jersey’s unemployment rate is startling, as budgeted state and local revenues are hemorrhaging. COVID-19 has made matters far worse and the budgetary pains and economic slowdown will be significant and sustained under any scenario. Our state and local elected officials must now make difficult decisions that do not jeopardize our future.
Workforce wellness, resiliency and ironclad industrial sector: Keys to recovery
Despite the ongoing adverse impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, some experts report that the macroeconomic trends are looking favorable nationally, and especially for New Jersey, but it’s going to be pretty slow going. Marked differences exist among the various sectors, not all of which have bottomed out yet.
Industrial market’s strength on display as NAIOP kicks off virtual conference
More than 1,000 industry professionals have registered for this week’s I.CON event, NAIOP’s flagship conference for the industrial sector, despite its move this year to a virtual format. And with an industry that appears to be as bullish as ever, organizers believe they can still deliver the kind of experience and value that attendees have to come to expect from the annual gathering.
Re-entry to the new workplace in a post COVID-19 reality
With eyes on recovery, Gov. Phil Murphy has formed a “cabinet-level” advisory commission to focus on the macro issues, including resilience, infrastructure and messaging, and a Restart and Recovery Advisory Council with subcommittees to work out the details of how and when various sectors of the workforce will resume operations. Landlords and tenants will confront myriad issues as the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted and businesses reopen under a new set of protocols.
The virus that is radically reshaping our world
My original plan for this Earth Day was to report on New Jersey’s sustainability challenge and how commercial real estate is adapting to natural, governmental and market forces. Given the magnitude and velocity of the COVID-19 disruption that is hourly reshaping our economy, industry and very existence, that plan quickly evaporated. Instead, this piece discusses the general impact of COVID-19 on our economy, and how CRE developers, owners, asset managers and affiliated professionals are meeting these challenges, assisting in relief efforts and informing government at all levels on how best to navigate their strategic response.