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How construction can contribute to a recovering economy
Patrick Hogan Construction & Building MaterialsThe construction industry could be a means for the economy to recover after the outbreak of COVID-19, as history has shown that construction has been relied upon in the past to help improve the economy. The federal government has usually driven the upswing by increasing investments in building and infrastructure. Construction will also indirectly benefit local businesses when they supply food, shelter, raw materials, transport and other services to workers for the duration of the projects. To kick-start the economy and employment, sound principles and pledges are required.
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Key safety tips for real estate pros returning to the office during COVID-19
Sam Radbil Facilities & GroundsThe health of staff and clients is paramount for the real estate industry. Here are some key safety tips for real estate professionals who may be returning to the office. For example, though many real estate professionals, from attorneys to salespeople, determine their own schedules, it will be important to provide specific times that staff members can be in office to maintain social distancing and sanitizing schedules. Consider dividing the workforce into A and B groups.
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Untethered affluents fueling booming home sales
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsBack in the spring when the housing market plummeted practically overnight, no one expected that homes would be flying off the shelf in September. Although the boom in home sales that began last May has slowed in recent months, demand still far exceeds supply, with the majority of homes last month selling in less than 30 days. For the most part, those homes are being bought by affluent homeowners who, no longer bound to their office commutes and urban lifestyles, are snapping up single-family suburban homes, vacation homes and luxury homes.
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Groundbreaking takes place on Tucson International Airport’s biggest…
Matt Falcus Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementTucson International Airport is about to enter a new phase as it begins development of a major infrastructure upgrade that will improve facilities for operators, bringing the airfield in line with the latest FAA safety standards. Ground was broken on the new project — the largest in the airport’s 72-year history — on October 15 by representatives from across Southern Arizona and the Tucson Airport Authority (TAA). The present airport layout dates from the 1960s and is in need of modernization. The new works will center around a new runway parallel to the current main strip.
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Tax this: California’s Proposition 15
Seth Sandronsky Civil & GovernmentThere is a fiscal-political story heating up in the world's fifth biggest economy this election season. Proposition 15 on the California state ballot Nov. 3 would tax commercial and industrial properties, except commercial agriculture, at their market value. Property taxes on residential properties would continue to be calculated on the purchase price, also known as the split roll valuation. "Upon full implementation," according to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, "the measure’s shift of most commercial and industrial properties to market value assessment would increase annual property taxes paid for these properties by $8 billion to $12.5 billion in most years."
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Go low (tech) to make your building more COVID-safe
Andrew Witkin Facilities & GroundsFor the last five years, it seems that every conversation that I’ve had has included the word "disruptive." At one point, the term may have actually had some meaning, but today it’s so overused that it has pretty much faded into background noise. The thinking behind it is sound: old ways of dealing with problems need to evolve into new approaches. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, operators of commercial properties are faced with unprecedented challenges — and in many cases, the bright, shiny, new solution is not the best way to solve problems.
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Improving senior care by mimicking natural light cycles with LED technology
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesNumerous studies have identified the need for better lighting conditions in senior care facilities. Residents often have too little exposure to natural light during the day and are subjected to leaks from artificial lighting during the night. This can lead to a range of health problems, from erratic sleep patterns to impaired cognition to listlessness and depression. Recent developments in LED technology may provide a solution by creating interior lighting conditions that change throughout the day and night, mimicking the natural light cycle to which the body is attuned.
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Better days ahead for remodelers
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsThe homebound nature of American life since March has produced a boom in the home improvement industry, especially in product sales. For remodelers and designers, however, it has been a mixed blessing. While demand for professional services has rebounded in recent months from the historic lows in early spring, it has been dampened by the large number of homeowners choosing to undertake home improvement projects themselves. That trend is expected to change in the months ahead as homeowners shift their attention from smaller, simpler repairs to more substantial renovations requiring more expertise.
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A ‘satisfaction guaranteed’ promise holds you hostage to another’s…
Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWe recently discussed the real hazards of stamping "lifetime warranty" on your products. A close corollary to that is promising "satisfaction guaranteed" on your professional services. You might make that offer because you are proud of the quality of your services — so confident that your work will be above reproach that you are implicitly claiming that you’ll redo the work or refund to make the customer happy. Think about that outrageous promise. How can you possibly guarantee another’s happiness? Why hold yourself hostage to that?
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The ultimate WFH guide: Everything you need to create the perfect home…
Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWorking from home is the new normal for millions of Americans. In the past, you may have occasionally worked from home — which typically involved balancing a laptop on your knee or creating some space on your kitchen countertop. But now that you’re working from home on a regular basis, neither is a viable option. However, creating an effective (and comfortable) work-from-home office space includes various components. We rounded up a variety of interior designers, organizers and other experts, along with some of the coolest WFH items, to create the ultimate home office guide.
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