Author Archives: Tamara Small

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About Tamara Small

Tamara Small is the CEO of NAIOP Massachusetts.

A Housing Plan That Works

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The business community is generally a bit skeptical when it comes to grand plans to cure critical deficiencies in the marketplace. One of the most pressing problems for Boston, and many other major cities around the country, is the lack of affordable housing and the inflationary pressures on existing housing stock. In 2014, Mayor Marty Walsh commissioned a new housing plan to confront the city’s problem of a population growth outpacing its production of housing.

The plan that resulted set a target of 53,000 new housing units to help rebalance the market and decrease the pressure on rents and housing prices in the city’s older (and more affordable) housing stock.

Through a cross department plan allowing for streamlined and expedited permitting, expanding the offerings of city-owned real estate, promoting innovation in housing production, and adding significant resources to housing production, the city has worked collaboratively with the development community to achieve real, measurable success.

Through December 2016, nearly 20,000 units were either completed or in construction. Over 21,000 units are currently in the permitting process. Housing unit completions have finally outpaced the city’s population growth.

Has the housing plan worked? For the first time in many years, rents in older units decreased or stabilized in the neighborhoods with the most new development in the past 5 years. The sharpest decreases were with studios and one bedrooms, with two bedroom units seeing modest decreases and three bedrooms rents stabilizing.

It is a serious challenge to develop a program to create new affordable, work-force housing without deep subsidies. However, we can now see that producing new market rate units can actually dampen the inflationary trends for the existing older housing stock. As long as the city can continue to work closely with the development community to keep the housing pipeline flowing, we may be able to keep Boston accessible to everyone.

MBTA On Track to a First Class System

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t logo

The MBTA has come a long way from the winter of 2015! With the formation of the Fiscal and Management Control Board and the waiver of the Pacheco law (regarding privatization), the T has reduced its operating expenses substantially, allowing more money to go to critical capital improvements. The growth in operating expenses averaged 5% annually over the last 15 years (against a 2% annual increase in revenue during the same period), but, for the first time, showed negative expense growth in 2016, with zero growth projected for 2017!

The reforms are working and consumer ratings are up. Here are some of the changes over the past 18 months that have been implemented to put the MBTA on a fiscally sustainable path:

  • Introduced monthly financial targets and manager accountability
  • Moved MBTA onto statewide contracts and payroll system
  • Streamlined corporate HQ/admin positions with 30% reduction
  • Strengthened and enforced overtime and attendance policies
  • Modernized cash-handling & warehouse through contracting
  • Restructured Carmen’s Union contract work-rules and wage rates
  • Launched Uber/Lyft and Taxi paratransit pilots
  • Restructured and refinanced debt portfolio; locked electricity rates
  • Rebid parking/advertising and raised system-wide fares
  • $100M winter resiliency investments / $140M in capital lock-box

In addition, the MBTA is in the process of privatizing the “cash room” operation and the manual route scheduling system. Both of these are projected to save the T over $12.2 million annually.

Another example of reforms is the pilot project for “The Ride”, providing access to the disabled community. An average ride has cost the T $46; however, the pilot using Lyft/Uber brought the cost down to $8.98. Along with that, consumer satisfaction shot to 79%. The transit industry standard is 12% and the MBTA, as a whole, has been a -1%.

The next proposal in front of the FMCB will be the privatization of Bus Maintenance.  A privatized machinists staffing is projected to be based on 200K miles per machinist versus 100k miles for the current MBTA staffing (requiring half of the current maintenance staff).

NAIOP has been a strong supporter of MBTA reforms and has been a part of a broad business and municipal “Fix Our T” coalition. We encourage the administration and the control board to continue bringing efficiency and cost savings to the T, while investing in its capital plan, providing the riders and the tax payers with a first class transit system.

With the Boston CPA Approved, How Should the Program be Administered?

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Boston residents voted to adopt the Community Preservation Act by an overwhelming majority in November. The CPA is designed to create affordable housing, and preserve open space and historic sites through the creation of a local Community Preservation Fund. A one percent real estate tax surcharge on commercial and residential properties will go into this fund and will be administered by a nine-member Community Preservation Committee appointed by the city. Of the money generated by the CPA, at least 10 percent must be allocated to housing, 10 percent to open spaces, and 10 percent to historic preservation. The remaining 70 percent can be allocated to any one of those three uses at a different rate.

The City Council is responsible for creating the ordinance that will establish the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). The ordinance would establish the CPC’s composition, length of member terms, the method of selecting its members, and outline the responsibilities of the CPC.

NAIOP suggests that the CPC could be tasked with establishing the annual percentage allocations among the three categories of investments. Those budgets could then be provided to the City agencies best positioned, staffed, and experienced to review the proposals submitted through a “Request For Proposals” (RFP) process. The agencies’ recommendations for grants could then be reviewed by the CPC prior to submission to the Mayor and the City Council for final approval. This system would utilize the established expertise within the City agencies, rather than creating a parallel “review process” that might be limited by staffing and funding.

With respect to housing, it would be unusual for a CPC grant to be sufficient to fund new housing, rather than being a gap participant in the more complex financing structure. In that case, the Department of Neighborhood Development would be better suited to determine where these funds could best leverage the most housing (a similar arrangement exists under Somerville’s CPA). Again, their recommendations would still need to be approved by the City Council and the Mayor.

As with any new program, the devil is in the details.  For this to succeed, it is essential for the City to develop a rational, transparent, and cost effective process. Only then will the CPA be of the greatest good to Boston.

Immigration is a major driver of our economy

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immigrationOn Friday, President Trump signed an executive order on immigration and refugees. It establishes federal travel restrictions stopping the issuance of visas to Syrian nationals, suspends all immigration from seven Muslim-majority Middle Eastern countries for 90 days, and extending the ban to citizens of those countries who hold U.S. visas or green cards.

There has been limited impact of this Executive Order on the real estate industry in Massachusetts. That said, besides the obvious humanitarian crisis that this only exacerbates, our region is dependent on, and benefits greatly from, the diverse immigration into our schools and industries. Our domestic population has never been able to fully meet the demands of our growing businesses, with almost every economic boom fueled by immigration.

Historically, refugees have contributed greatly to our Commonwealth. They are an integral part of our engine of innovation, working for our local companies and, in many cases, starting their own businesses, hiring many of our young, skilled resident talent.

We encourage the Trump administration to reconsider this abrupt change in policy.

My Top Ten Predictions for 2017

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2017

2016 has been another great year for the commercial real estate industry.

Can we keep it going through 2017?  Here are my predictions for the coming year:

  1. Cap rates will finally start to rise in the Boston/Cambridge markets.
  2. A new Fortune 500 corporate HQ will relocate to Boston.
  3. Apartment construction starts will drop in downtown Boston.
  4. The Dow Jones Industrials will finish the year down.
  5. Fed interest rates will be raised twice.
  6. Foreign investment will increase as a percentage of total CRE sales in Boston.
  7. There will be a noticeable business migration from 495 to 128, 128 to Boston, and Cambridge to Boston.
  8. Drones will pilot consumer product delivery.
  9. An infrastructure bill will pass Congress and be signed by the President.
  10. No viable candidate will step forward to run against Mayor Walsh.

Bonus prediction:  Patriots will win the Super Bowl (I’ll be right this time!)

Below were my predictions for 2016. Okay, I blew the Patriots, but 2017 is a new year!

  1. Neither casino (Springfield and Everett) will get their final clearances and will certainly not start construction.
  2. The Fed will make another move up in the interest rates.
  3. Foreign investment will dominate investments in commercial properties in the Greater Boston area, but local buyers will still be the major high-end condo buyer.
  4. The Green Line extension will be redesigned at a lower projected cost and will move forward.
  5. Some Boston or Cambridge office leases will hit $90 PSF gross.
  6. The Northern Avenue Bridge will be approved to accommodate vehicular access.
  7. A major office lease will be penned for either of the spec Seaport buildings (Pier 4 or 121 Seaport Boulevard).
  8. A developer will be selected for the Winthrop Square garage site.
  9. Patriots win the Super Bowl!
  10. The Republican presidential convention will not reach consensus on the first 5 ballots.

Boston Business Leaders React After Trump Election Victory

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This originally appeared as part of Boston Business Journal’s article, Boston business leaders react after Trump election victory, on November 9, 2016.

white-houseWe talked to a wide variety of Boston-area business leaders to understand what the surprising victory of billionaire businessman Donald J. Trump means to them and business in general.

From David Begelfer, CEO, NAIOP Massachusetts:

The election of Donald Trump as President was a surprise to most business leaders, whether they were Democrat or Republican. If there is one thing that business does not like, it is uncertainty.  With a Trump campaign based on sound bites, no one really knows what to expect with respect to his choice of advisors and cabinet members, policies, and international agreements.

That said, one can assume that there will be a fairly quick move to propose tax cuts (and possible tax reforms) and to attack the regulatory environment. For business, in general, and real estate, in particular, it is likely that the recent effort to increase capital gains and go after “carried interest” will be replaced by a plan to reduce corporate income tax rates, eliminate the corporate alternative minimum tax, and ensure the immediate deductibility of capital expenses.

It is not unreasonable to assume that the Trump administration will focus on the EPA and potentially curb some of its oversight and regulation. Areas that could see relaxation may include climate change and stormwater. Also, energy exploration, drilling (e.g. fracking), and pipeline expansion could be encouraged.

There is no question that any changes to trade or immigration policies would affect the New England economy. The region’s economic growth has fed off a very successful set of trade agreements. In addition, the growth of jobs in the region has relied upon a strong flow of immigrants into the area.  If, as promised, the current trade agreements are in question and if immigration is further restricted, we could see a serious impact on the region’s future growth.

Finally, given that the support of the Republican-controlled House & Senate will be needed to accomplish anything beyond Executive Orders, it will be interesting to see how he is able to work with a divided party.

NAIOP Mourns the Loss of Frank Wuest

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NAIOP, its leadership, and its members all Wuest_Frankmourn the loss of Frank Wuest, a long time friend, past President, and avid supporter of NAIOP. We will miss his friendship, enthusiasm for life, and his upbeat attitude. To his family and friends, we give our deepest sympathies.

Frank Wuest died on Saturday, August 13, while participating in a fundraising swim in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. An avid and skilled swimmer, Frank was 56 years old, a native of Greenwich, CT, graduate of the University of Connecticut and Harvard Business School, and was President of Marcus Partners, having established a successful career in real-estate investment and development.

Passionate about Boston, its people, and its landscape, Frank loved leading the development of vibrant, mixed-income, mixed-use communities. His work included well known developments such as University Park at MIT and Radian in the Leather District of Boston, which he completed while at Forest City Enterprises, where he was for many years president of the Boston office and Head of the Science + Technology Divisions. He served on both the executive committee and board of directors of A Better City as well as the international advisory board of Harvard Business School’s Real Estate Academic Initiative. Mr. Wuest was the Vice Chair of the Advisory Board of the Boston District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and was a past President and long time member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. His kindness, intelligence, generosity, and quick smile will be missed greatly.

Frank became a committed long-distance swimmer in 1998, and was a beloved member of the Cambridge Masters Swim Club at Harvard. He was the recipient of many awards including United States Masters Swimming (USMS) Long Distance All Star, USMS Individual All-American, and many USMS Top-10 swims. Earlier this summer, Frank completed a 10,000M swim for time and was the top male finisher in the annual Charles River Swim.

Frank inspired those around him to do their best. A champion of family and time together, he never let a summer go by without a family reunion. He is survived by his wife, Lyn Duncan; two children, Sam Wuest and Allie Wuest and their mother MJ Vigneau; two stepchildren, Micki Duncan and Elias Duncan; his parents Gail and Frank Wuest of Connecticut, two brothers, Kirk of California and Chris of Connecticut, and his sister Avery Horne of Connecticut.

Funeral Mass and Life Celebration

A funeral mass will be held Saturday, August 20 at 11:00 am at St. Paul Church, 29 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, MA. An event celebrating Frank’s life will be held immediately following the mass at the Harvard University Murr Center. Because there is no parking at St. Paul Church, parking will be provided at the Harvard Stadium lot next to the Murr Center at 65 North Harvard St, Boston, MA 02163. Shuttle buses will provide transportation between the Murr Center and St. Paul Church before and after the service.

Immediately following the funeral Mass a luncheon reception and celebration will be held at the Harvard University Murr Center Hall of History, adjacent to the parking noted above.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Frank C. Wuest Memorial Fund, established through Fidelity’s Charitable Gift Fund. Details can be found below.

——————————————————————————————————————————

Frank C. Wuest Memorial Fund
Make checks payable to:
The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Memo:  The Frank C. Wuest Memorial Fund, Giving Account #1098999

Checks need to be able to be drawn on a US Bank and should be in US Dollars.
We cannot accept cash like instruments (bank checks, cashier checks, money orders, postal orders, etc.)

Regular Mail Address:                                       Overnight Delivery Address:
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund                        Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Mail zone:  KC1D                                               Mail zone KC1D-FCS
P.O. Box 770001                                                100 Crosby Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45277-0053                           Covington, KY 41015-9325

Questions?
If you have any questions about the donation process, please call Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund at 1-800-952-4438 or visit www.FidelityCharitable.org. Please reference “The Frank C. Wuest Memorial Fund”, Giving Account #1098999.

The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund is a 501c-3 tax-exempt organization. Its federal Tax Identification Number is 110303001.

NAIOP Supports Privatization of MBTA Services

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Yesterday, NAIOP testified at the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board meeting to urge the Board to support the proposed privatization of MBTA services allowed under Chapter 46 of the Acts of 2015. As one of the organizers of the Coalition for a World-Class Public Transit System, NAIOP supported the passage of this important legislation in response to the MBTA’s complete shutdown last winter.

Many of the T’s operational impediments have originated from the inability to efficiently manage many of the non-core services. By looking at the privatized options for some of these services, the MBTA can focus on those operations of greatest value throughout the organization.  Utilizing all the tools that are available to the Board at this time is critical to balancing the operating budget and achieving necessary efficiencies.

At the hearing, NAIOP urged the Board to stay on course. There has been, and will continue to be, considerable pushback. However, getting the T back on sound financial footing and increasing the system’s reliability, should be the top priorities.

NAIOP thanks the members of the Board for all the good work they have done and their tireless commitment, focus, expertise and long-term vision to fix the T once and for all.

ViewPoint: A new stretch energy code is not justified

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This OpEd appeared in the Boston Business Journal on June 3, 2016.

In March 2015, Governor Charlie Baker signed Executive Order 562, initiating a comprehensive review process for all regulations. Only those regulations which are mandated by law or essential to the health, safety, environment, or welfare of the Commonwealth’s residents would be retained or modified, making Massachusetts a more efficient and competitive place to live and work.

Agencies must demonstrate, in their review, that there is a clearly identified need for governmental intervention; the costs do not exceed the benefits; a regulation does not exceed federal requirements; less restrictive and intrusive alternatives have been considered and found less desirable; and the regulation does not unduly and adversely affect the competitive environment in Massachusetts.

Based on these specific criteria, the business community is concerned that the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) is currently considering a new Stretch Energy Code as it develops the 9th edition of the statewide building code. Besides the fact that this Stretch Code undermines the statutory requirement that there be a uniform State Building/Energy Code, there is no good reason for it. This proposed energy code is unnecessary and fails the regulatory review standards, and the Baker Administration and the BBRS should not advance it.

The Stretch Energy Code was originally adopted in May 2009, despite strong opposition from the business community.  The code required commercial and residential construction in those communities that voted to adopt it to be approximately 20% more energy efficient than the statewide code. The new stretch energy code would require a 15% increase in energy efficiency over the current code. The Stretch Code has caused confusion among local building inspectors and developers.  Due to this and several other reasons, a new version of the Stretch Energy Code has never been adopted, even when the statewide code changed.  In fact, at the close of the Patrick Administration, the BBRS voted not to advance a new draft of the Stretch Energy Code.  However, in April 2015, this decision was reversed.

Massachusetts is already the most energy efficient state in the nation, with the most aggressive energy efficiency targets.  Furthermore, Massachusetts will be one of only a handful of states in the nation to adopt the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) statewide.  Since the Green Communities Act requires the adoption of the latest IECC (every three years), the Commonwealth’s position as a national leader in energy efficiency will be ensured even without a Stretch Code.  Anything beyond that is overly burdensome and creates a significant competitive disadvantage for Massachusetts.

It is important to note that there is no statutory requirement to adopt or update a Stretch Energy Code.  There is no mention of it in any statute, and it is only the Department of Energy Resources’ (DOER) policy that encourages the creation of this code.

According to DOER, the changes to the Stretch Code would take effect automatically in stretch code communities without any local vote.  Many municipalities had no idea they would be subject to an automatic upgrade.

The business community continues to support a uniform statewide building and energy code.  We believe a new Stretch Energy Code is unnecessary, will hinder economic development, and would impose an unfair and difficult burden on local building officials and the construction industry.  We urge the Baker Administration and the BBRS to eliminate the Stretch Energy Code, once and for all, and acknowledge the latest version of the IECC as the only energy code in Massachusetts.

David Begelfer is the CEO of NAIOP Massachusetts, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.

Federal “Tenant Star” Report Promotes Energy Efficiency in “Next Gen” Commercial Leased Spaces

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) just published its Energy Efficiency in Tenant Leased Spaces feasibility study that highlights both opportunities and barriers to implementing energy efficient technologies in multi-tenant commercial spaces.

The study was required by Congress as a part of the Energy Efficiency “Tenant Star” legislation that was passed into law last April. The hope is that this voluntary program will encourage higher energy performance in leased spaces in commercial buildings. Market driven branding incentives have worked well with building owners through the voluntary Energy Star program. Now, this program will attempt to motivate building tenants to increase their energy efficiencies and reduce their energy consumption.

The DOE study finds that “American businesses can occupy more energy-efficient spaces that help improve their bottom line, attract and retain the best workers, and increase their competitiveness.” About half of commercial real estate is occupied by tenants, who could directly benefit from greater energy efficiency. The study further finds that tenant space can be built to save 10-40% energy compared to a typical space.

The study also examined the persistent problem of a lack of energy data. It was determined that a significant increase in sub-metering of tenant spaces would help overcome this barrier. Another persistent problem is the “split-incentive” issue between owners and tenants, with owners paying for the improvements and the tenants benefitting. Accelerated 15-year depreciation of leasehold improvements, can potentially provide real estate owners with greater certainty to undertake property improvements over the typical lease term and economic life of those assets (7-10 years).

Furthermore, the DOE report also encouraged the creation of a federal tenant space recognition system, similar to Energy Star.

The real estate community is supportive of these voluntary, market driven programs that have already shown tremendous results across the country.