Urbanexus Update - Issue #114
H. Pike Oliver assembles this weekly selection of real estate and community development news. Some items are behind a paywall.
The economy
A recovery that started out like a "V" is changing shape After recovering rapidly from mid-April through mid-June the economy has shown signs of sputtering in the past two weeks, just as the coronavirus has resurged in parts of the U.S.
These indicators are mostly for travel and entertainment - some of the sectors that will probably recover very slowly.
Office
How COVID-19 is altering office design
As office-using companies and employees slowly return to their workplaces, they will see major changes in the layouts and functionalities of their buildings and workspaces as a result of COVID-19 — features and practices that could potentially rewrite the playbook for how architects and engineers approach office projects in the future.
Centene to develop $1B east coast HQ in Charlotte
Healthcare firm Centene Corp. has announced plans for its $1 billion East Coast headquarters in Charlotte. At full build-out, scheduled for 2032, the six-building campus will comprise 1 million square feet of office space, a fitness center, auditorium, multiple dining options, childcare center and Centene Tech University, a standalone building that will be used for corporate learning and development.
The St. Louis-based company plans to break ground on the project in August. The campus will be built in phases, with Phase I scheduled for completion in the second half of 2022. Phase I will house 3,000 employees who will fill roles in information technology, finance, compliance, health economics, business analytics, human resources and clinical positions, with salaries averaging about $100k annually.
Retail
With department stores disappearing, are malls next? Brick-and-mortar retail was in the midst of seismic changes even before the pandemic. Analysts say as much as a quarter of America’s malls may close in the next five years.
Nordstrom makes sharp staff cuts
Nordstrom is laying off thousands of workers, including a large number from its corporate operations in Seattle, according to a former employee. A report in Sourcing Journal, reported that unnamed sources said Nordstrom was laying off 20% to 25% its staff nationally “over the near term.” That would translate into job losses of between 13,600 and 17,000, based on the company’s 2019 workforce. A company spokesperson declined repeatedly to comment on the figures.
The true cost of dollar stores — www.newyorker.com Discount chains are thriving, Alec MacGillis writes. But what do they do to poor communities?
Residential
Racial gap in homeownership persists The gap in racial equity that persists in many facets of American life impacts home home ownership as well, new report from Redfin finds.
Changes in what homebuyers want The pandemic has changed what home buyers want. Look for his and her Zoom rooms for videoconference meetings.
Pending home sales increase 44.3% in May
Pending home sales mounted a record comeback in May, seeing encouraging contract activity after two previous months of declines brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Every major region recorded an increase in month-over-month pending home sales transactions, while the South also experienced a year-over-year increase in pending transactions.
The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI),* www.nar.realtor/pending-home-sales, a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings, rose 44.3% to 99.6 in May, chronicling the highest month-over-month gain in the index since NAR started this series in January 2001. Year-over-year, contract signings fell 5.1%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001.
Top 10 U.S. cities experiencing rental rate decreases
COVID-19 has undoubtedly affected rent prices across the nation as 2 in 3 renters were financially impacted by the pandemic and in-person touring came to a halt in March and April. With so much uncertainty and need of affordability. Here is a snapshot of what rent prices looked like the week of March 15th (when Shelter-in-Place and Stay-at-Home orders began to be enacted) compared that to the week of June 15th to see the top cities with prices on a downward trajectory.
Rents increased in other markets
Among the 100 largest rental markets are 9 cities where rents skyrocketed by over 15%.
Sales for Koa Ridge community in Hawaii
Castle & Cooke Hawaii has announced that it will soon begin sales of its Koa Ridge community in Mililani. The housing is part of a mixed-use, master-planned community will include 3,500 new residential housing units for Hawaii families, including single family, multi-family, and senior homes. Koa Ridge is situated on 576 acres off Ka Uka Boulevard between Waipio and Mililani and includes more than 1,000 affordable homes located near retail, services, health care and community amenities.
Community development
A look at the 10 best U.S. cities for parks
Minneapolis and Washington top this year’s ParkScore index by the Trust for Public Land and Irvine, CA ranks at #7.