Even with the pandemic and the grim economic landscape of 2020, the greater Kansas City metro area continues to plow ahead with growth and building as we head into 2021. The Kansas City Business Journal recently outlined several top projects in our area and gave us an update on progress. You can read more on these 10 projects and how they are impacting the construction landscape.
This week, the MBA Newslink published the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C.,’s findings from a survey of real estate economists. Overall, the consensus is that the recession caused by the pandemic will be short-lived and we may see an above-average GDP growth in 2021-2022. Some good news! Overall, the ULI Semi-Annual Real Estate Economic […]
Nearly 52% of young adults, ages 18-29, are living at home with their parents. That’s the largest percentage since the Great Depression. The COVID-19 Pandemic is to blame, says a recent Pew Institute Research study. This information, has many investors and players in the multifamily sector hedging their bets to see this pandemic housing situation […]
We continue to operate our office and are actively performing site inspections and delivering reports to our clients. We are also accepting new jobs and will be here to serve you in the days and weeks ahead. We realize that this situation is ever-evolving and are implementing a number of strategies that will allow us to continue to deliver reports and perform inspections in our local Kansas City community and nationally for the foreseeable future.
We are taking the necessary steps while performing site inspections to keep our consultants and our clients’ on-site personnel safe and in compliance with social distancing guidelines. We realize that we may need to re-evaluate or adjust some of our practices as the situation evolves. If you have any standards in place we should be aware of, please let us know and we are happy to accommodate.
Communication is crucial during this time. We have always taken an approach to open communication lines with our clients during their inspection and report process. We continue to put this into practice as we move forward to conduct business and deliver our environmental and engineering services with as limited interruption as possible, while ensuring we’re keeping our staff, our clients’ staff and the public safe during this unprecedented time.
As our digital footprint expands, so does our innate desire to connect with and be apart of a community. Much community starts with our living environment and how we are able to connect with those in close proximity, along with the neighborhood for which we inhabit.
As mixed use multi-family continues is growth across all markets in the US, developers and planners are thinking less about privacy and isolation, and more about connecting those that will life, work and play in the space. Along with how they will interact with the retail, restaurants and other “neighbors” within their ecosphere.
The Science Behind Lifestyle Amenities and Community Building
A recent blog featured on multifamilybiz.com by author Kerry Kirby, highlights this burgeoning trend and how it looks to affect not only developers, but commercial brokers looking to lease space and place clients in these new mixed use multi-family complexes.
Kirby highlights a social psychology phenomenon called the “propinquity effect”. Social psychologists theorize and tested the concept that physical space is the key to friendship formation as opposed to original thinking that values, opinions and beliefs were the key factors in friendship formation. As the author dives further into this concept, it’s clear that trends in more communal living spaces within a multi-family complex such as digital meet-up areas, living rooms, shared workspaces and other community building spaces are changing the way we build relationships and build community.
Putting it to Work
A great example of this lifestyle forward amenity offering is going up right in our own backyard in Kansas City, MO. The Opus Group is developing a lifestyle amenity rich luxury apartment living experience to the vibrant historic Westport area. Along with that luxury living experience, comes the opportunity for mixed use retail space marketed by Colliers International. Restaurants, retail shops and other neighborhood oriented business are being attracted to the lower levels of this complex. A welcome addition to the urban landscape.
It is the American Disabilities Act which pertains to all Commercial Real Estate transactions. The ADA defines disability as – “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.” This Federal bill includes everything from how you can hire and fire to how you can enter a building.
Reading below is a good start to gain intel on some crucial accessibility problems to avoid.
The American Disabilities Act appoints retail businesses as “places of public accommodation” so developers must provide access for people with disabilities when constructing new facilities. Every space is unique and has its own set of problems but there are more common issues that will be discussed below.
Even with the pandemic and the grim economic landscape of 2020, the greater Kansas City metro area continues to plow ahead with growth and building as we head into 2021. The Kansas City Business Journal recently outlined several top projects in our area and gave us an update on progress. You can read more on […]
The UES team attended MBA CREF in San Diego this week. It’s always a great meeting, chocked full of quality education, networking with clients and making new connections. The MBA does a good job of delivering market trends, forecasts for the year ahead and information that we need to help guide our environmental consulting services. […]
Even with the pandemic and the grim economic landscape of 2020, the greater Kansas City metro area continues to plow ahead with growth and building as we head into 2021. The Kansas City Business Journal recently outlined several top projects in our area and gave us an update on progress. You can read more on […]
This week, the MBA Newslink published the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C.,’s findings from a survey of real estate economists. Overall, the consensus is that the recession caused by the pandemic will be short-lived and we may see an above-average GDP growth in 2021-2022. Some good news! Overall, the ULI Semi-Annual Real Estate Economic […]
Nearly 52% of young adults, ages 18-29, are living at home with their parents. That’s the largest percentage since the Great Depression. The COVID-19 Pandemic is to blame, says a recent Pew Institute Research study. This information, has many investors and players in the multifamily sector hedging their bets to see this pandemic housing situation […]
We continue to operate our office and are actively performing site inspections and delivering reports to our clients. We are also accepting new jobs and will be here to serve you in the days and weeks ahead. We realize that this situation is ever-evolving and are implementing a number of strategies that will allow us to continue to […]
As our digital footprint expands, so does our innate desire to connect with and be apart of a community. Much community starts with our living environment and how we are able to connect with those in close proximity, along with the neighborhood for which we inhabit. As mixed use multi-family continues is growth across all […]
First and foremost, what is the ADA? It is the American Disabilities Act which pertains to all Commercial Real Estate transactions. The ADA defines disability as – “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.” This Federal bill includes everything from how you can hire and fire to how you can […]
What is an Adaptive Reuse Project? Adaptive reuse projects is the process of taking old buildings or sites, and reusing them for a purpose other than it was designed. When considering Adaptive reuse projects it’s important to understand if these investments make sense? Competition is increasing for developable land within certain asset classes, not to […]
RISE ROOFTOP CRAWL What is it?! Kansas City’s fifth annual rooftop crawl is an exciting and exclusive night to explore private rooftops all with unique eccentric themed parties benefitting nonprofit Big Brothers Big Sisters. When is it?! Aug 24, 6:00 pm Come to the Crossroads to celebrate an evening full of networking, food, drinks, live […]
Join us at CREW Kansas City’s 16th Annual Golf Classic for an unforgettable day full of golf, networking, and supporting a wonderful organization! WHEN: AUGUST 15, 2019 WHERE: CREEKMOOR GOLF COURSE TIME: 8:00 AM REGISTRATION, 9:00 AM SHOTGUN START MORE DETAILS CREW KC and Creekmoor Golf Course have joined together for a great annual event. […]
Commercial and Multifamily Originations rose to new levels in 2018 with a record amount of loans resulting in $573.9 billion loans. Learn how this happened, what factors such as growing property values, low interest rates, solid fundamentals, and strong appetites from lenders and borrowers led to this record. We break down the numbers and find out Commercial Bank portfolios led the capital source then GSEs, Government Sponsored Enterprises, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae then Life Insurance Companies and pension funds, Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities issuers, investment funds, REITs and mortgage REITS. Multifamily properties had the highest mortgage bankers’ origination volume followed by retail properties, industrial, health care, office buildings, and hotel/motel
