NAIOPWA's state lobbyist, Greg Hanon, brings years of experience to his role supporting commercial real estate and the business environment in our region. While his work goes well beyond legislative session coverage and seasonal advocacy efforts, January through March (and sometimes longer) is a fast-moving period where experience and energy make a big impact. Each week, Greg sends reports for NAIOPWA members through our Government Affairs committee, which are posted in our app and online in this members-only blog space. The reports include a brief overview of session activity and highlights of the most pertinent issues for our industry. Additionally, Greg includes a complete list of bills and hearings that inform how we do business in Washington State. You'll see a link to download that list at the end of each short weekly update.

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What's ahead for commercial real estate in 2021? Seattle will have another wide-open mayoral election, Olympia will battle huge shifts in revenues related to COVID-19, NAIOPWA's seeing movement on initiatives on the Eastside, and much more is on the table. Click here to continue reading this post (login required). 

Ann Bishop has been with Wallace Properties for nearly 25 years and a NAIOP member for just as long. Her impressive tenure in commercial real estate makes her an expert voice on industry topics and trends, and her passion for NAIOP is clear from her continued involvement at all levels of our organization. Bishop serves on our chapter’s Board of Directors as Secretary, works with the Government Affairs committee on numerous legislative and policy efforts, and regularly volunteers with the Developing Leaders’ Mentorship Program each year.

When she joined over 20 years ago, she felt that NAIOP was an inclusive space for her, but with few contacts in the organization it was important to lean in early to carve out a place for herself. “If I [had] sat back and waited to be invited… I wouldn’t [have been] there. So you just pick up and go… You join in.”

NAIOPWA’s Real Estate Challenge Committee is proud to announce the 2021 Site Sponsor, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc! The Real Estate Challenge is a development case competition in which students at three regional universities take on the role of developer. Each year, students focus on a different site and craft creative, innovative development proposals. Teams present their proposals to a panel of notable developers and investors, who adjudicate the winner of the Challenge and recipient of the coveted Bob Filley Cup.

 

Yesterday’s press conference with Governor Jay Inslee, medical professionals, and other leaders from our region brought a message none of us wanted to hear, and that we can’t afford to ignore: COVID cases are on an exponential increase curve. November 15 was the most dangerous public health day in over 100 years in our state, according to the governor, with no signs of today being any better. In Seattle, 20% of all COVID cases have occurred in the past 2 weeks, said Mayor Jenny Durkan. And the numbers aren’t better elsewhere in the state or across the country.

Honoring Excellence: NAIOPWA’s Night of the Stars 2020 

Honorees showcase the best regional commercial real estate development in 2020 with an emphasis on creative multifamily mixed-use, sustainability and last-mile delivery 

SEATTLE – At today’s first-ever virtual NAIOPWA Night of the Stars, the commercial real estate community honored the year’s most innovative, creative and inspiring CRE projects in Washington state. Completed between July 1, 2019, and August 1, 2020, these projects particularly demonstrate the flexibility and strength of the local CRE industry in the face of a global pandemic. 

The 2020 winners and finalists reflect major shifts in our region toward affordable, multifamily housing that creatively supports communities, as well as the rapid increase in industrial real estate supporting last-mile delivery. This year, as always, judges used a rubric to evaluate and score projects according to defined criteria and made category adjustments reflecting the unique nature of projects, such as dividing industrial projects into those built on spec and those built to suit. This year, too, the full immersion of sustainable practices in the region’s development projects lead to multiple honorees in different market categories. 

NAIOPWA's Night of the Stars identifies outstanding real estate developments and activities in a variety of market types and the individuals who made the projects happen. The awards aim to honor the teams who build our landscape in this annual celebration of the industry. Each finalist project was evaluated for impact on the community, market adaptability, ingenuity and local contributions. 

What does it mean to go first? In celebration of NAIOPWA’s Night of the Stars inaugural “Sustainable Development of the Year” category, here is a closer look at the two nominees, each of whom elected to be on the front edge of sustainable real estate development. Read below to learn more about these two industry-leading endeavors.

What is the first thing many developers or investors think when they hear the words “sustainable” or “green” as their architects describe their building design? For decades the common perception has been that it is difficult (if not impossible) to make a deeply green building pencil financially. However, by definition “sustainability” is the nexus of environmental, social and economic progress. We interviewed key participants representing both Watershed and Inspire at the Russell W. Young Building to learn how they overcame perception to create these very special properties.

NAIOP Washington State is proud to continue our partnership with Farmer Frog, one of this year’s Community Enhancement food drive beneficiaries.

Facing a new crisis, agricultural producers are receiving order and contract cancellations, as well as significantly lower demand for their crops. This has significantly halted the food supply chain. Farmer Frog purchases food from farmers at cost, collects donated items, gleans foods to share and distribute – even USDA provided boxes – all in large volumes, six days a week to over 410 community organizations.

Mary's Place believes that no one's child should sleep outside. They provide safe, inclusive shelter and services that support women, children and families on their journey out of homelessness. They keep families together and inside and, together with our community, provide housing and employment resources, safety, stability, and hope. Mary's Place is the leading provider of shelter and services for families in King County; they operate six emergency family shelters with over 500 beds for moms, dads, and kids; and a drop-in women's day center in downtown Seattle that welcomes in more than 100 women each day.

COVID has changed us all, and Mary's Place has had to adjust their programs and services to ensure that all of their guests and staff stay healthy. Supplies have dwindled, and their volunteer and in-kind donation programs are being re-imagined to become virtual. They are so grateful to their community who have come alongside them during this pandemic to provide protective equipment like masks and facial coverings, cleaning and medical supplies, food, and love!

2020 Community Enhancement Food Drive Supporting Byrd Barr, Farmer Frog and Mary's Place

 

2020 NAIOPWA Night of the Stars Finalists & First Winners Announced

Fourth Annual People’s Choice Award with Daily Voting 9/16 – 10/6

SEATTLE – Announced today, category finalists for NAIOP Washington State’s 2020 Night of the Stars Awards showcase the best commercial real estate development projects in Washington State completed between July 1, 2019, and August 1, 2020—a period in which we have faced a global pandemic, as well as the effects of new legislation and rapidly evolving municipal planning in our region. The 2020 finalists on the whole reflect major shifts in our region toward affordable, mixed-use housing developments that embody and honor community heritage, as well as the rapid increase in industrial real estate supporting last-mile delivery. 

As always, Night of the Stars finalists and winners show how a world-class commercial real estate industry supports the evolution of our region’s businesses, homes and organizations. The first two winners for 2020 are Kirkland Urban, Mixed-Use Development of the Year, and NEXUS, High-Rise Residential Development of the Year. While these two winners stand alone in their respective categories, we again saw a significant number of multi-family nominees, meriting separate categories based on size. 

Notable 2020 finalists include, among dozens more: 

• The Starlite Distribution Center, entirely conceived and developed on a former drive-in movie theater site in the midst of quarantine;
• Seattle Children's Research Institute: Building Cure, the first high-rise building to provide office space, lab space and outreach facilities for patients in a single location;
• and Solis, a first for NAIOPWA's Night of the Stars: a passive house multi-family project that achieves significant environmental gains without a big price tag.

Winners will be announced on Friday, November 6, at our first-ever virtual Night of the Stars. Thanks to new online event software, pre-registered guests will enjoy conversation and camaraderie at their virtual tables online before winners are announced. Learn more about Night of the Stars 2020 online. 

The 2020 finalists' gallery is now live in the NAIOPWA app where the commercial real estate community may cast their first votes for this year's People's Choice honor; voting will continue in the app and online through October 7. NAIOPWA supporters, project team members, and the industry community can vote for one project per day that they feel represents best-in-class in CRE for our region. Visit NAIOPWA.org/app for download links and information on setting up an account or resetting passwords. 

Night of the Stars 2020 Winners & Finalists
WINNER: High-Rise Residential Development of the Year: NEXUS
WINNER: Mixed-Use Development of the Year: Kirkland Urban

Affordable Housing Development of the Year
An Lạc 
Mercy Magnuson Place

Community Impact Development of the Year
Seattle Children's Research Institute: Building Cure
Gardner House and Allen Family Center

Developer of the Year
Panattoni Development Company
Vulcan Real Estate 

Hospitality Development of the Year
7 Cedars Hotel
citizenM South Lake Union hotel
Hotel Indigo Everett Waterfront
Capitol Hill Food Hall

Industrial Build-to-Suit Development of the Year 
Ballinger Heated Storage
Best Buy Fulfillment Center
UNFI Pacific Northwest Distribution Center

Industrial Speculative Development of the Year
Frederickson ONE
Glacier Peak at Riverside Business Park
Starlite Distribution Center
Sumner Ridge

Multi-Family Residential Development of the Year: Fewer than 100 Units
Flyway
Robin’s Nest
Solis
The Village at Westgate

Multi-Family Residential Suburban Development of the Year: More than 100 Units
Bell Marymoor Park Apartments
The Main Apartments + Lofts
Modera Redmond
The Pop

Multi-Family Residential Urban Development of the Year: More than 100 Units
Jackson Apartments
Koz at the Dome 

Office Development of the Year
2+U
333 Dexter
Cedar Speedster

Office Interior of the Year
F5 Headquarters
Digital Streaming Firm
EY Seattle
Highspot Seattle Headquarters
Hudson Pacific Regional Corporate Office

Redevelopment/Renovation of the Year
BMW of Bellevue
Columbia Center Sky Lobby
DeLille Cellars Wine Production Facility & Corporate Headquarters
Lam's Seafood Asian Market - Tukwila
Pacific Place Repositioning
T-Mobile Headquarters - Building 2

Retail Development of the Year
Pioneer Crossing
Wilburton Village

Sustainable Development of the Year
Inspire at the Russell W. Young Building 
Watershed

NAIOP Washington State thanks its 2020 Night of the Stars Judges:
Jessica Clawson, Partner, McCullough Hill Leary, PS
Mark Dibble, Partner, DSC Capital
Travis Hale, Partner, Panattoni Development Company
Cleita Harvey, Managing Director, JLL
Kristin Jensen, Managing Director, Gensler
Warren Johnson, Director of Business Development, The Walsh Group 
Chris Rossman, Senior VP, Development Sourcing, The Wolff Company
John Savo, Partner, NBBJ
Derek Speck, Economic Development Director, City of Tukwila

Night of the Stars 2020 is sponsored by O’Keefe Development (Platinum Sponsor) and Puget Sound Business Journal (Media Sponsor). For a complete list of sponsors, visit our website.

About NAIOPWA Night of the Stars
NAIOPWA's Night of the Stars identifies outstanding real estate developments and activities in a variety of market types and the individuals who made the projects happen. The awards aim to honor the teams who build our landscape in this annual celebration of the industry. Each finalist project was evaluated for impact on the community, market adaptability, ingenuity and local contributions.

Our much anticipated 2020 Summer Social gave the NAIOP community the much-needed chance to connect in person. With a wide range of COVID-specific guidelines, a socially-distanced version of the tournament allowed golfers to enjoy split tee times and a more relaxed pace of play in the breezy August heat. 

John Pietromonaco of Pietromonaco Jackson Properties has been a NAIOP Washington member for a very long time – 32 years, to be exact – and has enjoyed a distinguished career as a developer in the Puget Sound area. After serving as president in 1999 and spending 20+ years involved heavily in NAIOPWA’s annual Community Enhancement (CE) projects, Pietromonaco is a wellspring of NAIOP memories and institutional knowledge.  

A lot has changed since he joined in 1988, between technological advancement and market fluctuations. John says that “real estate is more complicated [now] than it was in the 70s-80s,” but that ultimately, the industry is very reliant on community and connection. “The only way to get the info you need is through contacts… I even talk to people who are competitors (friendly competitors). It makes the job easier than being a lone wolf and doing it from scratch.” 

Washington State University Energy Program (WSU) is requesting your input on a short online survey about the upcoming Washington State Clean Building Energy Performance Standard. The intention of the survey is to help WSU create an effective support program for those involved with complying with the law, such as building owners, facility and energy managers, energy service providers, and utilities. 

The standard is undergoing rule-making by the Washington State Department of Commerce (Commerce) and will be established November 1, 2020, per the Clean Buildings bill (HB 1257). In short, the performance standard requires all commercial buildings (both public and private) over 50,000 square feet to lower their energy consumption by complying with a specific energy use target. Please refer to Commerce’s Clean Buildings website for more information. 

UPDATE [06/29/20]: After an emergency meeting of the State Building Code Council, the state code implementation effective date has now been pushed back to February 1, 2021.

“This isn’t just about programming for us. This is about a group of people called to action on something we are very passionate about, and we felt we had no choice but to do something.” – Serena Sayani, Diversity and Inclusion Co-Chair

In the moments, days and weeks since the death of George Floyd, many of our members have felt a similar call to action. Leading this charge for our organization is the Diversity and Inclusion committee. They have put together two events: A Candid Discussion about Racial Barriers in Commercial Real Estate, on June 30, and, in partnership with the Programs Committee, our July breakfast on Race and Real Estate, on July 15. Both panels are intended to shed light on the intersections between race and real estate through discussion of the history of real estate laws across the country, and to spark thoughtful dialogue with industry leaders on how to make positive changes to alleviate racial inequities in our communities and the built environment.

Update & Summary for August 3, 2020: 
The WA Dept. of Ecology's new Expedited VCP, launched on July 1, 2020, is a self-sustaining process with dedicated staff to respond quickly to the needs of developers working under compressed schedules. The time to get through the expedited VCP could be as short as 4 months compared to 18 months (or more) under the regular VCP. The new program also allows moving sites in the regular VCP to the Expedited VCP as long as certain requirements are met.

NAIOPWA acknowledges the impacts of racism on the built environment and within the commercial real estate industry. We stand with our community in solidarity against systemic racism, unconscious bias and all forms of inequality and injustice, including police brutality, which disproportionately affect people of color and specifically, Black people.

We’ve now reached 2+ months of working from home and have settled—as best as possible—into a new routine that revolves around juggling family, colleagues, and clients, while maintaining our personal health and well-being 24/7. That’s a lot. Some of us may be embracing this new work style while others are still overwhelmed by the daily challenges. But what’s top of mind for us all is what’s looming ahead. What will our new normal look like when our stay-at-home restrictions are lifted and more importantly, what changes can we expect to stick?

There has been much speculation and publication around what we could see when we return to the office. There will undoubtedly be the anticipated ongoing requirements of continuing to practice frequent hand washing and safe distancing. Health screenings for body temperature and the need to wear face masks in public places will become part of our routine. Physical changes to the work environment such as greater space between workstations, one-way traffic flow and limited occupancy of meeting rooms and elevators will also be necessary to maintain a safe space. We are all becoming more familiar with general changes that will certainly be in force on day one. The real question is, which of these changes and other modifications will be part of the workplace going forward, even after the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 has subsided?

McKenzie Darr (The Wolff Company) is one of the current co-chairs of NAIOPWA's Real Estate Challenge Committee. In her capacity as a co-chair, she helped spearhead the 2020 Challenge, even as COVID-19 altered in-person presentation and competition judging. She has been recognized by her peers for her excellent leadership and dedication to the committee's educational efforts. We asked McKenzie about her work with Wolff, the REC Committee, and her love of live music.  

How would you describe your company’s primary work and scope?
The Wolff Company is a fully integrated real estate investment firm focused on multifamily investment and development. Since 2000, Wolff has invested in, acquired, or developed more than 150 multifamily assets and more than 35,000 multifamily units.
The Northwest Division based in Seattle is responsible for the investment and development of multifamily and senior housing communities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.