Apple's HomePod (left) displayed next to the Google Home and Amazon Echo devices. Apple's entry into the smart home device market was "late to the game and mispriced," says Wedbush Securities managing director Dan Ives.

The Washington Post | Getty Images

Amazon, Google, Apple and the Zigbee Alliance on Wednesday announced a rare partnership that's focused on making smart homes easier for everyone.

Amazon, Google and Apple are all competing for people to buy products that work with their in home-systems and are still trying to build a solution that's simple for everyone to use. But the competition itself has created a really confusing landscape for consumers and manufacturers of smart home products.

According to September figures from IDC, the "worldwide market for smart home devices is expected to grow 23.5% year over year in 2019 to nearly 815 million device shipments." That figure is expected to grow to 1.39 billion devices in 2023. For that to happen, and for consumers to keep their sanity, consumers are going to need some sort of standard that gets everything talking to one another.

That's why companies that typically compete against one another are teaming up.

Today, you might walk into a store and buy a smart lock for your home. But you'd have to figure out if you need to buy a lock that works with Amazon Echo (which uses various standards including Zigbee), Google Home or Apple HomeKit.

This same headache extends to the companies that build smart devices. They need to decide from the outset if they want to support various connectivity methods used by Amazon, Apple or Google and, if they do, they need to continue updating the device throughout its life so it's secure across all platforms.

The new standard aims to fix those problems.

It's called "Project Connected Home over IP" and it will work to create a new standard for the smart home so that people can buy products knowing that they'll work with the systems they have at home, and that they're secure. A logo on gadget boxes will let customers know if it's built and supported by Project Connected Home over IP or not.

"The project is built around a shared belief that smart home devices should be secure, reliable, and seamless to use," the companies said in a press release. "By building upon Internet Protocol (IP), the project aims to enable communication across smart home devices, mobile apps and cloud services and to define a specific set of IP-based networking technologies for device certification."

Zigbee Alliance companies that are already creating products will also contribute. They include, among others, Samsung SmartThings, Schneider Electric, Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), IKEA, NXP Semiconductors and Resideo.

The group will focus first on physical safety smart home devices, such as smoke alarms and CO sensors, smart doors and locks, security systems, electrical plugs, window shades and HVAC controls before expanding into other types of devices and commercial solutions.

The group is working to release a draft specification and preliminary open source materials late next year. It's unclear when the first products will be on the market.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect Project Connected Home over IP will support CO sensors.

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Apple, Google and Amazon are cooperating to make your home gadgets talk to each other - CNBC

An empty lot stands where a mobile home resident moved away once residents were notified that their lot rent would increase at the Golfview Mobile Home Park in North Liberty Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

Proposed protections for residents of Iowa manufactured housing parks are back on the table in Des Moines.

And those protections couldnt be passed into law soon enough, several park residents shared Saturday. They shared struggles about making ends meet after out-of-state companies bought their communities and hiked lot rents up to 69 percent.

At least 85 residents, affordable housing advocates and local elected officials packed a public hearing Saturday afternoon at the state Capitol. Aides dragged folding chairs into the chamber to accommodate the crowd.

Spearheaded by state Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, the hearing allowed attendees to weigh in on the need for reform. More than 18 people spoke.

Jean Parker, a 33-year resident of Golfview Mobile Home Park in North Liberty, said her lot rent increased 58 percent this spring, after Orem, Utah-based Havenpark Capital bought the community.

Under new management and their lease, theres a tone suggesting any infractions can lead to eviction, said Parker, who is retired. She now must seek permission to grow tomatoes on her property, she said.

These people do not consider eviction as a nuisance, they consider it as an opportunity, because if I cant move my trailer and if I cant live in my trailer, it is abandoned and they can take possession of it, Parker said. Havenpark has said that what they do is legal. I hope you (lawmakers) take that as a challenge, because otherwise, youre going to be allowing them to take us to the cleaners.

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Numerous other attendees hailed from Dubuque, where Cedaredge, Colo.-based Impact Communities, also known as RV Horizons, bought the Table Mound Mobile Home Park about two years ago and raised rent and utility fees.

Brett Shaw, a Dubuque City Council member, said Iowas inadequate and exploitable laws governing manufactured housing create a situation ripe for predators.

Of the so-called mobile homes, Shaw said, Not only is it often impossible to move them, but these homeowners have a vested financial interest in doing everything possible, including paying unreasonable rents and fees, in order to keep their possessions.

The hearing Saturday also highlighted blind spots in Iowas landlord-tenant laws governing the manufactured housing communities.

Unlike with Iowa apartment renters, the states manufactured housing owners are not automatically refunded security deposits or prepaid rent after leases are terminated, said Ben Bellus, assistant state attorney general.

Owners of manufactured houses also cant seek damages from landlords who knowingly include illegal provisions in leases, Bellus said.

Some attendees representing the manufactured housing industry asked state lawmakers to exercise caution.

Rather than pushing legislation that paints the entire industry with a gigantic brush, said Troy Hames, of Cedar Rapids-based Hames Homes, lawmakers should look at the whole picture.

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Ninety-nine percent of us in the state are good owner-operators, Hames said. If I could, Id buy Table Mound mobile home community and the rest of your communities. I feel your pain. Youre being mistreated.

Lawmakers also ought to take into consideration the fiscal realities of owning a manufactured housing community, said Jodie McDougal, an attorney representing the Iowa Manufactured Housing Association, of which she said both Havenpark and Impact Communities are active members.

I think its really important that we have all the information on all of the realities so that we can do what I think everyone wants, which is to maintain a good source of affordable housing thats needed in Iowa, McDougal said. In particular, we dont want these homes, these communities to go to developers who are going to take it away and close it down and turn it into apartment complexes or commercial.

Not all residents were persuaded. The crowd applauded one woman who questioned the rent-raising companies, How do you sleep at night?

The Iowa Senate this spring unanimously advanced a bill to require owners of manufactured housing parks to give residents a 180-day notice of rent increases, rather than the current 60 days. The measure failed to make it through the state House, however, before the session closed.

Across 80 of Iowas 99 counties, there are at least 550 manufactured housing communities, encompassing 35,443 units, according to the Iowa State Association of Counties.

Of those communities, 414 were owned by in-state entities. The remaining 136 were owned out of state, including what Wahls said were 38 acquired since 2018.

It is my deep hope that the mom-and-pop operators in this state who have for a long time done the right thing ... will continue to make affordable housing an option for Iowa residents and that they will join us in fighting back against rent gouging from greedy out-of-state companies that dont see Iowans, they see dollar signs, said Wahls.

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The state senator later added, We deserve better than what is happening right now. Period.

Comments: (319) 398-8366; thomas.friestad@thegazette.com

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Iowa Legislature called to reform 'inadequate and exploitable' manufactured housing laws - The Gazette

As an electrician, conduit is going to be a constant companion in your career. But what exactly is electrical conduit and what are the main types of electrical conduit? Well help you answer those questions in this edition of Training the Apprentice.

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In general, conduit is a channel or pathway that can apply to many different areas. Roadways can be traffic conduits, ditches can be conduits for water, websites are a conduit for information.

When were talking about electrical conduit, were talking about the physical pathways you create in order to run wiring in a building. They serve to guide and protect wiring.

There are several different types of conduit you may use over the course of your career, and youll find specific details of how and when to use it in the National Electrical Code and other state and local building codes.

The basic idea is that youll create a logical pathway from the box to every point in the building that requires electricity in a way that is almost completely hidden once the walls and ceilings are in place. There may be some conduit that remains visible on the exterior of buildings, in open ceiling structures, electrical rooms, and others.

Once you install the electrical conduit paths, you pull wire through them to your termination points.

Price: $41.98

Was: $42.98

Youll hear several acronyms tossed around when youre talking about types of electrical conduit along with terms like rigid and flexible. Heres a breakdown of the most common types of electrical conduit.

RMC stands for rigid metal conduit. Its one of the most heavy-duty types of electrical conduit and uses galvanized steel for its construction. As an outdoor-friendly conduit, it provides outstanding protection from environmental and physical damage. Its also capable of providing structural support for boxes, cables, and other electrical equipment.

Intermediate metal conduit (IMC) is a toned-down version of RMC thats thinner and lighter. Even though its not as thick, its typically approved for all of the same applications as RMC. Given the choice between the two, our electricians prefer IMC simply because its lighter weight makes it much easier to deal with.

Around our Pro team, EMT is the most common term thrown around when were talking about types of electrical conduit. Some of the new guys and gals use it as a catch-all term for all metal conduit, but thats not actually correct.

EMT stands for electrical metallic tubing and is a type of rigid metal conduit. You normally see it made from galvanized steel and it also shows up as aluminum in some cases.

As a thinner metal tube, its easy to bend and kink. When youre installing EMT, you use a conduit bender to make your bends without kinking and a compact or 12V reciprocating saw with a high TPI blade is all you need to cut it.

Way back before most of us were born (the early 1900s), Harry Greenfield invented a flexible metal conduit (FMC). Using steel or aluminum for construction, it has a distinct spiral look to it that allows it to flex over short distances much easier than EMT. It has a big advantage when you need to add conduit in tight spaces or around existing equipment.

LFMC, or liquid-tight flexible metal conduit, is similar to FMC but covered in a waterproofing coating. Its useful for outdoor applications and wet interior areas and requires fittings that are also watertight.

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Electrical non-metal tubing (ENT conduit) is different from the other types of electrical conduit weve discussing so far in several ways. Its a flexible PVC tubing that looks a lot like a pool hose.

You can encase it in concrete, run it behind walls and under floors, and use it as a replacement for EMT. The major manufacturer for ENT uses 2-hour fire resistant rated materials. ENT is not UV-resistant, though, so using it where it will be exposed to UV rays is out.

Rigid PVC is a very familiar material to many folks thanks to its similarities to the PVC we use in plumbing and irrigation. Unlike EMT, you cant use a conduit bender to manipulate it. PVC needs to be heated before in order to bend it. Typically that happens using a heater box but you can use a heat gun as an alternative in the field.

As a conduit, rigid PVC shares the same characteristics as water pipe: you glue it together and its water-tight when you install it correctly. That makes it useful for direct burial underground and its allowable in corrosive environments. You can also encase it in concrete, conceal it in walls, or leave it exposed.

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What is Electrical Conduit? | Training the Apprentice - Pro Tool Reviews

The aluminum along the edge of this roof extends up 5 inches under the shingles. A self-regulating heating cable snaps into the edge of the aluminum, delivering heat that extends upwards by conduction. Robert Maxwell photo

Q: What product have you recommended in the past to stop ice from developing on roofs? Several years ago you wrote about an option that doesnt use rooftop cables but I cant find the article now.

A: The product youre remembering is called Edge Cutter and its designed and made by a Canadian company called Heat-Line. The system is based on a 5-inch wide aluminum heating strip that slips underneath the shingles along the edge of the roof. An electric heating cable snaps into this aluminum strip and is completely hidden and protected. Plug in the system when rooftop ice begins to form and it will soon melt as heat from the aluminum warms the shingles above it. Ive installed this system personally and watched it work since 2017. Visit baileylineroad.com/ice-dam-solution/ for a video tour of an ice dam system I installed.

Drying Out a Damp House

Q: How can we reduce the moisture levels inside our rural vacation home? We use the place mostly during winter for skiing trips, but we also rent the house out a lot of the time, too. Is there some sort of small ventilation system that would make our place less moist during winter?

A: Yes, there are several solutions for you. While you could simply open windows a little and use exhaust fans more often, you cant count on diligent management of these things when people are renting your place. This is why a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) is a good idea. It will definitely solve your wintertime moisture problems. By exchanging outdoor air for indoor air, youll lower indoor humidity levels a lot. Aim for a 30 per cent to 4 per cent relative humidity during the coldest months, or whatever humidity level is necessary to reduce window condensation to almost nothing. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) professionals are the typical trade workers that install HRVs. Cost is usually about $2,000 to $2,500. If you leave the unit running all the time on a low fan speed it will make the air fresher and drier without complicated operating procedures.

Roof eaves successfully cleared of ice by aluminum heating plates underneath the shingles. Steve Maxwell photojpg, SU

Tankless or Tank-Style Water Heater?

Q: Should I replace my tank-style water heater with a tankless model? Our current heater was new in 2006 and our insurance company demands we change it or theyll suspend coverage.

A: Changing your heater for a new one isnt a bad idea given its age, but youre wise to weigh the pros and cons of the two main options. I recommend tankless water heaters for some situations, but not all. On the plus side, tankless units do use somewhat less energy overall. Thats because they eliminate what is called standby losses as hot water is held in the internal tank, slowly losing heat while it sits there hot. Perhaps the best thing about tankless heaters is that theyre small and mount on a wall. On the downside, tankless heaters are not cheap. They cost $2,500 to $3,000 installed, and theyre more technically complicated than tank-style heaters.

Replacing your old tank-style heater with a new tank-style model would cost only about $1,000. Theres a lot less to go wrong with a tank-style heater than tankless. Also, tankless heaters usually require semi-annual or annual internal flushing of the heat exchanger with vinegar to remove mineral build-up.

Either way, if you dont have access to natural gas, you might be tempted to use propane to run your water heater. Few people realize that propane is sometimes more expensive than electricity considering how much heat you get per dollar. If youre paying 16 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity, then any propane price over about 89 cents per litre makes it more expensive than electric power.

Steve Maxwell is always looking for ways to make life more efficient. Visit Steve online at BaileyLineRoad.com for articles, videos and 30,000 people who get his famous Saturday morning email newsletter.

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Maxwell: Heres a good way to stop ice developing on roofs - The Sudbury Star

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The winter season is upon us, and the snowy and rainy conditions can make for challenging travel as family, friends, food and festive occasions pull Californians all over the state.

As winter settles in, Californians will start to see a whole new set of extreme conditions, said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. Please take care out there on the roads, dont crowd the plows, have patience, give yourself more travel time, and know that were hard at work to clear whatever may be standing in your way.

Below are some recommended actions you can take to reduce the risks to you and your loved ones on the highways. Drivers must use their best judgment in all types of weather.

Know Before You Go:

Before traveling, Caltrans recommends checking weather and road conditions. Caltrans QuickMap is an online resource with real-time traffic flow information, chain control alerts, and closure information. It is available at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or you can download it as an app for your phone from Google and Apple. Motorists can also call 511 or the Caltrans Highway Information Network at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623) for travel information.

Winter Driving Tips:

Chain Control Information:

All vehicles, including those with four-wheel drive or snow tires, should carry chains when traveling in snowy weather. Highway signs and QuickMap will indicate when chains are required, and drivers must stop and install chains. Motorists should pull off the roadway completely to install them. If you need help, chain installers may be available to assist for a fee. Please note, chain installers are not Caltrans employees. They are independent business people who are licensed to install chains. Once chains are installed, obey the speed limit of 25 or 30 miles per hour, posted at various locations.

Chain Control Levels:

R-1: Chains, traction devices or snow tires with proper tread depth of 6/32 are required on the drive axle of all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles.R-2: Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels. NOTE: Four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles must carry traction devices in chain control areas.R-3: Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions. NOTE: R-1 and R-2 are the most common chain controls. The highway will usually be closed before an R-3 control is imposed)

For more information on winter driving, chain controls, and additional resources, visit Caltrans Winter Driving Tips page. Please be safe out there California.

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Don't Crowd the Plow and More Winter Travel Tips from Caltrans - A News Cafe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SACRAMENTO The winter season is upon us, and the snowy and rainy conditions can make for challenging travel as family, friends, food and festive occasions pull Californians all over the state.

As winter settles in, Californians will start to see a whole new set of extreme conditions, said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. Please take care out there on the roads, dont crowd the plows, have patience, give yourself more travel time, and know that were hard at work to clear whatever may be standing in your way.

Below are some recommended actions you can take to reduce the risks to you and your loved ones on the highways. Drivers must use their best judgment in all types of weather.

Know Before You Go:

Before traveling, Caltrans recommends checking weather and road conditions. Caltrans QuickMap is an online resource with real-time traffic flow information, chain control alerts, and closure information. It is available athttp://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/or you can download it as an app for your phone from Google and Apple. Motorists can also call 511 or the Caltrans Highway Information Network at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623) for travel information.

Winter Driving Tips:

Chain Control Information:

All vehicles, including those with four-wheel drive or snow tires, should carry chains when traveling in snowy weather. Highway signs andQuickMapwill indicate when chains are required, and drivers must stop and install chains. Motorists should pull off the roadway completely to install them. If you need help, chain installers may be available to assist for a fee. Please note, chain installers are not Caltrans employees. They are independent business people who are licensed to install chains. Once chains are installed, obey the speed limit of 25 or 30 miles per hour, posted at various locations.

Chain Control Levels:

R-1: Chains, traction devices or snow tires with proper tread depth of 6/32 are required on the drive axle of all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles.

For more information on winter driving, chain controls, and additional resources, visitCaltrans Winter Driving Tips page. Please be safe out there California.

The rest is here:
Don't Crowd The Plow and More Weather Travel Trips From Caltrans - Sierra Wave

The developer of the Metcalf 108 project says it has had a hard time finding tenants for the proposed office space.

Developers hoping to put up an office building next to the new Staybridge Suites hotel at Interstate 435 and Metcalf Avenue have asked for a two-year extension on their deadlines because of difficulty finding tenants.

The Overland Park City Councils Finance, Administration and Economic Development committee gave its blessing to an extension twice as long as the developer requested after being told that one year would not likely be enough.

The Metcalf 108 project was green-lighted in 2017 as a replacement for the aging 435 Overland Park Place Hotel, which had been closed the year before. Developers proposed to raze it and put in a new hotel, office building and parking structure.

A redevelopment agreement provides for tax increment financing, a community improvement district and a break on sales tax for construction materials but that only applies to the office building and parking garage. No public money is available until the office and garage get underway.

But lawyer Curtis Petersen and James Clark, managing member of Oxford Realty LLC, told the committee that the developers have had trouble finding tenants for a variety of reasons.

Prospective office tenants usually want to move in less than the two years, Petersen said. But the developer needs that much time to build. And buildings usually need to be half pre-leased before its feasible to start construction, he said.

Meanwhile, Clark said construction costs have gone nuts and lower rents from property on the Sprint campus and elsewhere have affected efforts to find tenants.

Our perception was that the significant location and visibility would drive that tenant and someone who wanted that kind of exposure. To date weve been disappointed, to say the least, Clark said.

However in a letter to the committee, Petersen said the developer has changed brokers and is encouraged that the new broker will have better success because of the attractiveness of the Staybridge building.

This is the second deadline delay for the project. The first was about a year ago.

The deadline extension gives the developer more time to put together a public financing package, which would be considered later by the city council.

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Developer asks Overland Park for extension on tax incentives after difficulty finding tenants for office project - Shawnee Mission Post

The Class A office sector in Northwest Arkansas is set to get a much-needed jolt in 2020.

According to a new report by CBRE, the construction of five Class A buildings totaling approximately 370,000 square feet of office space will be completed and ready for tenants next year.

There is no definitive formula to characterize building class among A, B and C. Class A buildings generally represent the newest and highest quality buildings in a particular market. They are buildings with the best construction and have high-quality building infrastructure. Class A buildings are also well located, have suitable access and are professionally managed. As a result, they typically attract the highest quality tenants and also command the highest rents.

Those rents are rising even higher.

David Erstine, a real estate broker with CBRE in Fayetteville and the author of the new report, said construction costs at an all-time high are driving up lease rates. Because of additional major construction projects that are coming down the development pipeline, the labor market is likely to remain strained for the foreseeable future. As a result, landlords will pay at a premium for new construction, which will keep pushing lease rates higher for new office space.

Historically, Class A office space was in the range of leasing from $20 to $24 per square foot, Erstine said. In todays world, new Class A space is from $27 to approaching $30.

MARKET BREAKDOWNThe most significant addition to the Class A inventory will be in Rogers, where more than half of the regions premium office space already resides. That includes Benton Countys largest office building, the 10-story, 226,000-square-foot Hunt Tower.

Three new buildings from separate development groups will increase that percentage next year.

Northgate Plaza, a six-story, 118,000-

square-foot building and adjacent parking structure on J.B. Hunt Drive, should be ready for tenants by early February. Northgate Holdings, the building/parking and landowner, is a partnership between the Blass family of Little Rock and Johnelle Hunt, chairman of Hunt Ventures in Rogers.

Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners in Rogers is the developer consultant.

In The District at Pinnacle Hills, a 54-acre mixed-use project along Pauline Whitaker Parkway, a 40,000-square-foot office building is in development. It will be the third office building in the development, led by Whisinvest Realty of Little Rock.

Also on Whitaker Parkway, Hachem Investments Inc., led by Laurice Hachem, is building One Uptown. The three-story, 60,000-square-foot building will have retail, restaurants and roughly 20,000 square feet of office space.

Erstine said those three projects would help alleviate a tight market in the Pinnacle Hills area. He mentioned a variety of factors that are driving demand there. They include merger and acquisition activity among retail suppliers.

The growth we see in that area is not necessarily a net growth, he explained. Lets say two [supplier] teams come together, each in 10,000 square feet of space that now need 15,000 square feet. Its a net loss of 5,000 square feet, but because contiguous space footprints are limited, when new [buildings] are built, thats who they are attracting.

Erstine, who has worked in Northwest Arkansas commercial real estate industry for nearly 20 years, said traffic congestion and proximity to Interstate 49 are also driving interest in Pinnacle Hills.

If you have a sizable team of 20-plus [employees] and searching for office space, its common for us to hear from the occupier that they collectively live throughout the greater Northwest Arkansas region, Erstine said. Working in Pinnacle Hills is far less impactful on team members drive times than it would be to locate in certain areas of Bentonville further away from the interstate. I think we would all agree that in Northwest Arkansas, its a lot more efficient to travel north and south than it is east and west in most any community.

The first two buildings in the 33-acre Rice Office Complex (ROC) will give Bentonville new Class A properties near the interstate when they are finished next year. The office park is situated along northbound I-49, north of the Arkansas Highway 72 exit.

Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners is the developer. The two buildings total 112,000 square feet. Erstine said its believed that the larger of the two buildings (72,000 square feet) has already been fully leased. The activity is thought to be related to relocation efforts surrounding Walmarts new corporate campus construction. ROC will ultimately help ease the vacancy rate in Bentonville. Its the highest in the region at 11.71% among Class A properties, but thats a drop of nearly 6% in the past year.

Erstine termed the Bentonville market as being in a lull period following Walmarts 2017 announcement that the company would build a new corporate campus in Bentonville. The new corporate campus will be built to the east side of Southeast J Street, between Central Avenue (Highway 72) and 14th Street (Highway 102), with Eighth Street running through it. In the 350-acre footprint where the campus will be built, there are several Walmart-owned buildings and operations. Walmart is in the process of moving employees to new locations so it can raze the buildings, build new structures then move employees back in.

Many reviewing office occupiers are still determining whether it is best to relocate themselves closer to the new headquarters site or remain in their current space, Erstine wrote in the report. Some have taken the wait and see method [since] the headquarters may not be fully complete for another seven years. Average lease terms for these office occupiers range from five to seven years.

The Fayetteville submarket, according to CBRE, has the lowest vacancy rate in the region among Class A properties at 3.76%. Thats down from nearly 5% in the second half of 2018. Erstine said thats forcing occupiers who require more than 10,000 square feet of contiguous space to look elsewhere.

There is one Class A development scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2020. Its a two-story, 39,000-square-foot building in the Vantage Drive Office Park, a new 13-acre office park situated north of the U.S. Postal Service at 1590 E. Joyce Blvd.

Kyle Naples, owner of NAPA Construction in Fayetteville, is partnering with CBRE to develop the property. Erstine said the new building would be the first new Class A multitenant building in Fayetteville in over a decade.

Overall there are 45 Class A office buildings in Bentonville, Fayetteville and Rogers totaling 2.57 million square feet. The overall vacancy rate is 7.35%.

Erstine said Springdale is not included in the report because historically there has been little to no sizable [Class A] office demand or supply for the Springdale market. He said that could change over the next decade, specifically in the area around the Don Tyson Parkway interchange, as companies look to be more centrally located in Northwest Arkansas.

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Inventory of Class A office space expected to swell in 2020 - talkbusiness.net

SOUTH BEND On a cold and blustery Thursday, officials gathered on the edge of an open field in Ignition Park to witness the citys latest groundbreaking for office space.

Press Ganey, a business that was started here by a couple of Notre Dame professors, had finally had enough of the space it has been cobbling together in the city for more than 30 years. Efficiency, convenience and camaraderie could be improved if the companys estimated 380 employees were under one roof.

So officials broke ground for a new 83,000-square-foot building along Ignition Drive that should be ready in the first half of 2021 for the company that aims to improve health care performance by measuring patient satisfaction.

The new office, which will include training and fitness centers, as well as a rooftop deck with cafe, is being built to house an estimated 500 employees with the possibility of an additional building expansion in the future.

Meanwhile, a new five-story office building is progressing at the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Main Street that will eventually house the law firm Barnes & Thornburg and Lewis Hansells River Park Leasing Corp., on the top four floors with space for a coffee shop and retailer on the ground level.

All good news since its better to have a combined $25 million in new investment than to risk one or more of the businesses moving out of the city.

But those two moves also will add a considerable amount of square footage to the downtown office market that could be further boosted with the possible sale of the 63,000-square-foot building occupied by South Bend Community School Corp., at 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

In its latest market report for the second half of the year, Bradley Co. said the office market in St. Joseph County is experiencing a significant level of turnover which is driving up vacancy rates.

The firm said the office vacancy rate was 9.4% in the third quarter compared to 8.5% in the same period last year and that the office market within St. Joseph County is experiencing a significant level of turnover, which is driving up vacancy rates.

The commercial real estate firm said space that has been vacated has remained empty for extended periods, especially larger spaces beyond 5,000 square feet, and that there already is about 20,000 square feet of vacant space in Leighton Plaza, more than 10,000 square feet in the Holladay building, more than 60,000 square feet in Jefferson Centre and about 8,000 square feet available in the Key Bank Building.

And thats without the additional space that could added by the Barnes & Thornburg and Press Ganey moves, the possible sale of the school districts administrative building and the potential redevelopment of the former South Bend Tribune building.

John Jessen, a vice president at Bradley, said the Pete Buttigieg presidential campaign also is occupying a good amount of downtown office space that eventually wont be needed no matter the outcome of the race for the White House.

We need a new user that can gobble up a floor or even a building, he said.

Until that happens, there will likely be price pressure on downtown office space, especially larger offices and those that need to be upgraded. The market will favor those who are potentially interested in moving downtown or relocating to a different space, Jessen said.

Any building that has obsolescence and an owner that doesnt see the need for upgrades is going to have challenges, said Jessen, adding that owners also should do their homework before planning investments.

Despite the potential challenges, Jessen and others pointed out the investment in new office space is the first in about 20 years in the downtown area and that the market is vibrant with more people and businesses deciding to locate near the heart of the city.

Its hard to argue that there havent been positive improvements that have made downtown a desirable place to be, said Ed Bradley, senior vice president at Cressy Commercial Real Estate. And that impacts whether we see the additional office space as an opportunity or a threat.

Some of the space might have to be divided or redeveloped but eventually it will find its best use, said Bradley, pointing out there also is likely a year or more before the space now occupied by Barnes & Thornburg and Press Ganey even becomes available.

The next thing is still to be determined, Bradley said. Though there are vacancies being created by these decisions, there will opportunities created.

That might not have been the case 10 years ago, but today there is a sizable amount of investment going on throughout the downtown, said Bradley, adding that the Buttigieg campaign has put a positive spotlight on the city.

Developer David Matthews, who is building a 10-story building in the East Bank area adjacent to the Commerce Center, said he believes a key to the ongoing revitalization effort is getting more people to move downtown.

Some of those people might be decision makers who want their offices closer to where they live, said Matthews. Though there could be a short-term problem with too much office space, he too believes the issue will eventually work itself out.

Id have a different opinion if businesses were leaving, Matthews said. But more people and businesses are choosing to be here.

Dan Buckenmeyer, director of business development in the citys Department of Community Investment, said the potential for excess space is the result of the first significant investments in office buildings in decades.

The city will continue to work with local businesses to help them expand and grow here, Buckenmeyer said.

And similar to how Press Ganey was born here, perhaps the next tenant in downtown will be another venture that is being developed at innovation centers at Notre Dame and other places, he said.

Besides getting its staff under one roof, the relocation to Ignition Park gives Press Ganey the technology infrastructure needed to support a data-driven company.

This is an absolute long-term commitment to South Bend, said Joe Greskoviak, CEO of the company. This gives us the space we need to grow into the future.

See the article here:
Office buildings under construction in South Bend, but what about turnover and vacancies? - South Bend Tribune

A series of small commercial buildings on a 36-acre site in Westborough have sold for $2.75 million to the owner of Triboro Crane & Rigging Services, which has moved to the property.

The site at 29 Research Drive is home to 14,000- and 11,000-square-foot buildings, and two much smaller structures, on a sprawling property behind the headquarters building for BJ's Wholesale Club.

Ferris Development of Marlborough sold the site to Triboro Real Estate, an entity registered to Lawrence Cedrone Jr. of Upton. The sale closed Nov. 20.

Cedrone is the owner of Triboro Crane & Rigging Services, which was founded in 2008 and provides various construction services. The company was based in Shrewsbury, but the address on its website has been changed to 29 Research Drive.

The property last sold in 2015 for $750,000. It was last assessed at $1 million.

Ferris Development is the owner of multiple office properties in Westborough, Southborough, Northborough and Marlborough, including the former offices of biotech giant Sanofi/Genzyme at 1 Research Drive in Westborough.

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Construction firm buys Westborough office property for $2.8M - Worcester Business Journal