commercial real estate · Malls · Retail leases · Shopping Center · Uncategorized

Why look at a municipality’s tax maps or GIS data?

Often in retail, tenants will be required to pay their share of taxes using the square footage of the tax parcel of which they are apart. In other cases, they will be required to pay based upon the leasable area of the shopping center excluding separately assessed premises. Sometimes, just looking at the tax map… Continue reading Why look at a municipality’s tax maps or GIS data?

commercial real estate · Malls · Office Properties · Retail leases · Shopping Center · Uncategorized

Two words that cannot exist in commercial real estate

This past week, I was in Minneapolis with about 175 other shopping center professionals for ICSC’s John T. Riordan School of Professional Development. If you have not been, it is a tremendous experience, with tracks for leasing, management, marketing, development and leadership, with electives for finance, at levels for both newer and more experienced professionals.… Continue reading Two words that cannot exist in commercial real estate

commercial real estate · Malls · Office Properties · Retail leases · Shopping Center · Uncategorized

A need for a holistic approach to leases

When coming up with a blog topic for the week, I typically reflect back on one issue that stood out for the week. My guess is that it almost appears as if each of the issues are stand alone. But, this is never the case. Within one lease, you can have hundreds of potential changes,… Continue reading A need for a holistic approach to leases

Malls · Retail leases · Shopping Center · Uncategorized

“Absolute” minimum denominators – Yeah! Right!

Last week, we covered minimum occupancies as a percentage of GLA for denominator purposes. But, sometimes we see another type of minimum – absolute minimum denominators. That is where you might see language to the effect of “The tenant will pay its share of common area maintenance expenses based upon the leased area of the… Continue reading “Absolute” minimum denominators – Yeah! Right!

commercial real estate · Malls · Retail leases · Shopping Center · Uncategorized

How do YOU determine the value of a negotiated exception to a lease?

Any change made to a lease has a value to one of the parties. Some have very straightforward calculable values – reducing minimum rent from $25/sf to $24/sf or changing the percentage rent rate from 6% to 5%. Others have an absolute calculable value, but take a little effort to determine that value – changing… Continue reading How do YOU determine the value of a negotiated exception to a lease?

Malls · Shopping Center · Uncategorized

The “new” reality

In 1995, there were approximately 1,800 regional malls in the US. At that time, ICSC (the International Council of Shopping Centers) published articles and held sessions at conferences addressing the then-current predictions that 25% of those regional malls would close, and there was a need to find alternative uses for regional malls. A few years… Continue reading The “new” reality

commercial real estate · Uncategorized

The physical embodiment of the last real estate recession is now gone … and it is kind of sad.

(A little non-lease administration but still real estate related blog for this week) Having been in retail real estate since 1987, I have seen my shares of ups and downs. However, in the early through mid 2000s, transaction volumes were through the roof, and I had forgotten the rule about what goes up also goes… Continue reading The physical embodiment of the last real estate recession is now gone … and it is kind of sad.