Danny Rice already is thinking ahead on what Central Florida's commercial real estate world looks like after COVID-19.

And the managing director of Colliers International Central Florida forecasts changes in the office, restaurant and industrial asset classes. In general, property owners likely will think about reconfiguring spaces to make people feel more comfortable, he said.

"Every business is being impacted. We all will make changes on how we operate."

For example, Colliers employees have been working from home as COVID-19 alters the working environments for virtually all companies in the region and beyond. And that's been an adjustment for the real estate firm's brokers and employees — normally accustomed to numerous social outings, from coffee meetings to dining out for business.

Here, Rice talks with Orlando Business Journal about his company and what he sees as three big changes on deck for the commercial real estate world:

What's it like for Colliers to work from home? Brokers usually are out and about, so it's been an adjustment on that side. But they're all very driven and motivated, and they like to solve problems with clients. We're learning technology very quickly like how Zoom conferencing works. You have to do it in fun ways, too, like virtual happy hours and coffees. People are getting more comfortable with these technologies. We're learning that socialization of colleagues is important through things like virtual happy hours. Four weeks ago, that didn't even exist.

What's the future of office real estate? First, we're all working from home. For many businesses, they will find success in their working-from-home strategy and they can reduce their office footprint. Others, it's a real challenge and it's not efficient. Everything is industry driven. If you're a tech company, you're used to a flex environment. But it's a big change for an attorney who's not paperless. Here's an asterisk: We're only a few weeks into it. Where we land isn't perfectly clear. There also could be changes to office layouts. Is sitting in close proximity to a co-worker desired? Are we going to build offices where people don't face each other? There likely will be more of a shift to contactless entering of buildings. Our clients are asking about it. Office space will be one of the more fascinating asset classes to pay attention to.

What about restaurants? Every restaurant has been forced to not allow in-person dining. Everything is take-out and to-go. You're going to see a lot of change in structure and how eateries interact with clients. They have to get creative. Some restaurants have paired to-go orders with Netflix watch parties. They want to engage with clients at home since they can't do it in their dining areas. There's been a pause in restaurant real estate deals, but people will want to get out there and eat, because everyone's been cooped up.

Finally, how does industrial real estate change? It will stay very active, especially for companies needing storage. And it will continue to grow as we change how we interact with retail through e-commerce. Perhaps, our supply chain will change entirely as the the global economy shifts in how we get our goods.

Source:  OBJ

With Congress and the White House agreeing on a $2.2 trillion stimulus package to help the economy through the coronavirus crisis, Florida’s senators are focused on the $377 billion included in it for small businesses.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the chairman of the U.S. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, offered an update over the weekend on the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program, which started on Friday.

Rubio pointed to numbers released by SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza which showed more than 17,500 loans, which totaled more than $5.4 billion, were approved by end of business on Friday.

“Just last week, Congress passed and President Trump signed the Paycheck Program into law,” Rubio said on Saturday. “Yesterday, just days after becoming law, small businesses across the country received billions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program loans. Nearly all of the lending completed yesterday came from existing 7(a) small business lenders like community banks. As I argued when I first proposed to use the SBA’s guarantee programs to get assistance to small businesses quickly, these community banks were ready to go on day one. Their actions yesterday saved hundreds of thousands of jobs.

“The speed with which the administration stood up this program is an incredible feat, but it's also important for a little patience and a little honesty,” Rubio continued. “When you launch something this unprecedented and far-reaching just seven days after it becomes law there will inevitably be problems. The good news is that every problem we saw yesterday can be fixed. I am on the phone constantly with Treasury, the SBA, and bankers across the country and all across Florida to make sure it gets better each day we move forward.”

Still, Rubio showcased some findings from his office and U.S. Treasury Department about concerns and remedies in the program so far. Those concerns with remedies can be found after the article.

Rubio also teamed up with U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-NY, the chairwoman of the U.S. House Small Business Committee, and U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, the top Republican on the committee, in sending a letter to Carranza to clarify congressional intent on the loans.

“The law intended to allow farms and agricultural businesses, which do not have access to typical disaster assistance resources offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture during physical disasters, to be eligible for EIDL during this current pandemic crisis,” Rubio’s office noted.

“We write to clarify congressional intent of Section 1110 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136), which expands eligibility for access to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Given the circumstances of this worldwide pandemic and absence of other typical disaster resources, Congress intended for farms and agricultural businesses suffering economic injury due to COVID-19 to be eligible for EIDL during the covered period,” Rubio, Velazquez and Chabot wrote.

“The unprecedented nature of the novel coronavirus pandemic calls for flexibility to assist businesses across multiple sectors of our economy.  In addition to small business concerns, private nonprofits organizations, and small agricultural cooperatives, Section 1110 of the CARES Act expands eligibility for EIDL to include businesses (including tribal businesses), cooperatives, and ESOPs with not more than 500 employees, or any individual operating a sole proprietor or and independent contractor during the covered period (January 31, 2020 to December 31, 2020),” they added.

“Agricultural enterprises have historically been excluded from EIDL to prevent duplication and overlap with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) disaster assistance programs.  These businesses are, however, eligible for assistance under other SBA programs, including 7(a).  Given the nature of this pandemic without a physical disaster footprint, USDA disaster assistance was not triggered and thus not available.  As such, the law prescribes for agricultural entities encompassed under the expanded eligibility portion of the act to be able to apply for assistance under EIDL temporarily during the covered period,” they continued.

“In line with this congressional intent, we ask that the SBA offer clear guidance for farms and agricultural businesses to access the EIDL in response to COVID-19.  This would include updating the COVID-19 EIDL application eligible entity verification on the agency’s website to prevent confusion and allow all intended entities access to EIDL,” they wrote in conclusion. “Thank you for your prompt attention and action in response to this matter.”

On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., reached out to U.S. Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin and Carranza urging them to quickly address problems with the Paycheck Protection Program and offer guidance.

“Thank you for your ongoing efforts to rapidly implement new U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Coronavirus relief programs to help small businesses who are hurting around our country,” Scott wrote. “Congress recently passed, and the president signed into law, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which includes new assistance for small businesses. Last week, I fielded numerous concerns from Florida’s small business owners regarding the rollout of one of these new efforts, the Paycheck Protection Program, which began on April 3, 2020.

“I am receiving reports of small businesses who are simply unable to begin applying for Paycheck Protection Program loans from their financial institutions. Some financial institutions appear to be requiring unrelated products to apply for a loan, and other small business owners reported getting conflicting information as to when and how they could start their applications. I have also spoken with lenders, who expressed significant concerns with the lack of guidance, including the documentation necessary to substantiate each loan,” Scott continued.

“I am writing to ask for clarity and understanding on how the Treasury and SBA will be handling these outstanding issues,” Scott added. “When will all the necessary forms and guidance be issued and made public for the Paycheck Protection Program so that all eligible small businesses and lenders can effectively and efficiently apply for and process these loans? Lenders report that they are still lacking guidance and forms to get these companies the loans they need.

“I have heard from Floridians, who are customers at both large and small banks, and are being told that they cannot access Paycheck Protection Program loans because they don’t have existing business with the bank. Please confirm that there currently is not and will not be any requirements that small business applicants must have existing business, loans, or accounts with a lending institution in order to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan with that institution," Scott wrote.

“There are no requirements written into current law, and small businesses need assurances that the SBA or Treasury will not create new hurdles. Please confirm that religious non-profits and churches are eligible to apply for Paycheck Protection Program loans. The CARES Act is clear in its intent that churches and religious non-profits be included in this program. Regarding the E-TRAN system, what plans are currently in place to ensure this system can handle and adapt to the new requirements and influx of applicants so that loans can be processed and approved efficiently and effectively?” Scott asked. “Regarding the ‘affiliate rule,’ when will the Treasury and SBA issue guidance on how this will be applied under the Paycheck Protection Program?

“Many non-profits and other types of small businesses have been put in a unique situation disallowing them from applying, and they need guidance now so they can access the Paycheck Protection Program (e.g., food bank non-profits with several chapters around the state can be affiliated together to total more than 500 employees),” Scott wrote. “On April 10, 2020, both independent contractors and self-employed individuals will be able to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program. Will Treasury and the SBA have the necessary guidance available to allow for a smooth rollout this week?

“The answers to these questions are critical to the success of the Paycheck Protection Program and to the survival of many small businesses across our country. Thank you for your efforts to help those that are struggling, and I look forward to your reply. The timeliness of your response is critical - our businesses are hurting and need relief now,” Scott concluded.

Day One Concerns with Remedies:

Large Bank Existing Customer Policy: On Friday, there were reports of large banks declining applications unless the business owner had previously taken out a loan or a credit card from the lender. Business owners that have had 20-year relationships had their loan applications denied. Some larger banks are only accepting PPP applications from individuals with prior relationships at the bank.

Good News: Banks are already starting to change their policy on this and will start accepting new customers. More large banks will be up and running early next week. FinTechs, including PayPal and other online lenders, are ready to process PPP loans and can help with the demand for businesses that do not have existing bank relationships. The nonbank lender application will be out soon.

Holding Loans: Bank and nonbank lenders are concerned about the interim final rule requiring lenders to hold loans for seven weeks before they can be purchased by the government. Community banks and FinTech lenders need a liquidity or purchase market to continue to make loans to small businesses, especially considering the demand that occurred today and is expected to continue.

Solution: Chairman Rubio called for the new Federal Reserve lending facility to ensure community banks and FinTechs have the liquidity they need to continue to make PPP Loans.

Affiliation Rules for Businesses and Nonprofits: Lenders are requesting clear guidance on the application of SBA affiliation rules to businesses, including the now eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit entities, which have not previously been eligible for 7(a) loans.

Good News: SBA and Treasury released an interim final rule and guidance on several affiliation issues, and Chairman Rubio will continue to engage with the agencies on further guidance.

Additional Outstanding Issues:

Independent Contractor Eligibility: The interim final rule has contradicting guidance determining whether business owners should include independent contractors’ 1099s in their payroll cost calculation. Chairman Rubio’s staff has communicated this contradictory information to the SBA.

Technology Issues: Some lenders have reported the SBA’s internal system for loan application processing, called E-Tran, has been slow. This is to be expected with the volume of loan applications to be processed. The SBA has contracted with a third-party provider to ensure the E-Tran system issues are worked out and addressed as they come up. Additionally, some community banks have reported issues with accessing the online portal, by which SBA will provide access to non-SBA lenders. The SBA is working through the issues to get everyone online.

Money: Based on demand, it is clear that Congress will need to appropriate additional money for this program. Based on initial calculations, and as more lenders begin to participate in PPP, funding for the program could run out before the end of the covered period, which is June 30, 2020. Chairman Rubio has committed to working with his colleagues to provide additional funding for PPP.

Source:  Florida Daily

The U.S. Treasury Department has released the application for the Small Business Administration's 7(a) Paycheck Protection Program loans. It has also released a summary guide of the program for borrowers.

Small businesses and sole proprietors can apply beginning this Friday, April 3; independent contractors and the self-employed can apply beginning next Friday, April 10. Applications go directly to SBA lenders, which you can find through the SBA site.

About PPP Loans

The Paycheck Protection Program was created by the CARES Act to provide small businesses (500 employees or fewer), sole proprietors, and the self-employed/independent contracts who are impacted by COVID-19 with loans of 2.5x their average monthly payroll expenses (up to $10 million) to cover payroll, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities for an 8-week period during the crisis. Employers who maintain payroll levels of at least 75% of their average and the same number of employees are eligible for loan forgiveness. You can learn more about the loan program in the National Association of REALTORS' CARES Act FAQ and CARES Act Summary.

There are still some questions as to if a small business should include independent contractors in its employee numbers and payroll costs; according to NAR, independent contractors can apply for their own 7(a) PPP loans. NAR is seeking clarity on that question from the Treasury and the SBA.

NAR anticipates posting a SBA-program specific FAQ focusing on the 7(a) PPP loans and the Economic Injury Disaster loans. (Businesses can apply for both, but the funds cannot be used for the same purposes, and the $10,000 advance grant is not forgiven if you also receive a forgivable PPP loan.)

Resources

• Paycheck Protection Program Lender Information Sheet
• Paycheck Protection Program Overview
• Paycheck Protection Program Borrowers Information Sheet
• Paycheck Protection Program Application

Property sales climbed in Central Florida's biggest county while the region's largest city saw its number of building permit applications remained flat last week, when compared with the prior week, during a time of coronavirus shutdowns.

That's the latest as Orlando Business Journal continues to monitor weekly sales and building-permit fluctuations in Orange County and the city of Orlando to get a better understanding of how coronavirus may be affecting the region's real estate development. The numbers are highly variable — even without a global pandemic — and it may be difficult to tell if the numbers are related to the current market uncertainty or other factors.

Still, the virus outbreak has wreaked havoc on Central Florida's once-booming economy as businesses shutter, resulting in thousands of job losses.

Orange County Property Sales

Apartment deals remained strong in Orange County last week, as two sizable properties were sold.

On March 23, Indigo West at 6101 Raleigh St. near MetroWest in west Orlando sold for $90.5 million, or roughly $198,464 per unit, county records showed. And Princeton at College Park at 646 W. Smith St. in Orlando on March 26 sold for $56.7 million, or roughly $275,127 per unit.

The deals show investors remain confident, at least for now, that Orlando's apartment properties have long-term appeal. That said, Class A rents have started to slide in Central Florida in recent weeks. But it's not known how much of an impact the coronavirus has had on the apartment rental market.

"It’s too early to tell at this point," said local apartment expert Ryan Moody, senior managing director at Newmark Knight Frank, who was involved in the Indigo West deal.

Orlando Building Permits

The number of building permit applications filed to the city of Orlando remained flat last week. But overall the number of building permit applications have cooled off when compared with five weeks ago.

It remains to be seen if coronavirus will shut down the construction industry in Central Florida, as cities across the U.S. place restrictions on building during the pandemic. So far, construction has been spared in Central Florida, where stay-at-home orders have deemed the industry "essential."

Source:  OBJ

One of Central Florida’s hottest office destinations may see more office space construction.

Lake Nona developer Tavistock Development Co. wants to increase the amount of office space it can build in the Lake Nona Town Center by 145,211 square feet to 525,389 square feet, according to city of Orlando documents.

Orlando-based HuntonBrady Architects is the project architect. The increase in office construction shows the demand office users have for the southeast Orlando neighborhood.

“We attribute much of the demand to the fact that in Lake Nona, companies can provide their employees with a rich environment that goes beyond just the workplace, thanks to our thoughtfully designed, innovative buildings in mixed-use settings,” Ralph Ireland, vice president of development operations, said in an email.

In recent years, Lake Nona has attracted major office users including the new KPMG Lakehouse training facility, Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute and the corporate headquarters of both BBA/Signature Flight Support and ClosetMaid Corp.

“They’ve been able to capture in-bound office space demand probably better than anybody else,” said office expert Jeff Sweeney, managing director with Cushman & Wakefield, who is not involved in the project.

Office Center Stats

Southeast Orlando is a growing office submarket. The airport/Lake Nona office submarket had an 8.9% vacancy rate, compared with the Orlando-area overall average of 9.5%, according to Cushman & Wakefield plc’s (NYSE: CWK) most recent market report. In addition, the submarket’s Class A average rents are $31.69 per square foot, well above Orlando’s overall $26.27 per square foot, which shows demand for office space in Lake Nona.

Lake Nona Town Center

The new office space will join the the $780 million, 3.8 million-square-foot, mixed-use town center that Tavistock is developing in partnership with Columbus, Ohio-based Steiner + Associates. The town center also will feature the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, which is designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica with Dallas-based Balfour Beatty Construction as the general contractor. The property will bring 239 hotel rooms to the region and may open in 2021.

 

Source:  OBJ

The Florida League of Cities expects to move from its current space at 125 E. Colonial Drive where it occupies more than 30,000 square feet, according to Orange County records.

The lobbying firm expects to move to 68 S. Ivanhoe Blvd. E. following its purchase of 1.6 vacant acres for $7.5 million on March 16, according to Orange County records.

Orlando-based developer Upshot Capital Advisors LLC's Upshot 68 South Ivanhoe LLC was the seller. Orlando-based Jamison Commercial marketed the property. Orlando-based Foundry Commercial's Gabe De Jesus represented the buyer in the deal. 

Upshot Capital Advisors will develop the property into new office space, said Juan Carlos B. Gomez, vice president of legal affairs. No permits have been filed for the property this year, city of Orlando records showed.

"It is still very early in the development process."

Source:  OBJ

An active Orlando developer has secured acreage near International Drive and Interstate 4, setting up potential new development.

Orlando-based Intram Investments Inc.'s Martini Grand National LLC bought 18 acres for $22.8 million, or roughly $1.3 million an acre, northeast of International Drive and South Kirkman Road on March 6, Kelly Froelich, project manager with Intram Investments, told Orlando Business Journal.

Group Kirkman LLC was the seller. The developer initially plans to make improvements to the property, which features a mix of vacant parcels and roughly 130,000 square feet of retail currently called International Festival.

Source:  OBJ

The United States Census Bureau has designated the National Association of REALTORS® as a National Partner for the upcoming 2020 Census. With the Bureau seeking to enlist the support of various national organizations, NAR is asking the 1.4 million REALTORS® nationwide to help drive Census participation in their respective communities.

Click here to learn how you can help!

“NAR is able to provide tremendous value to our members because of the research we produce examining trends in communities across this country. But the usefulness of that information relies on current, accurate data from the federal government,” said NAR President Vince Malta, broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in San Francisco. “Full participation in the Census is in many ways the only way to ensure that data is correct.”

In addition to determining appropriate Congressional representation, roughly $1.5 trillion is allocated to states and localities annually based off of Census results – delivering funds for roads, hospitals, schools and countless other public services. More specifically, this year’s results will influence the allocation of $93.5 billion to Federal Direct Student Loans, $19.3 billion to Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and $12 billion to the National School Lunch Program.

With this partnership, the Bureau will provide REALTORS® with promotional materials that emphasize the importance of responding to the 2020 Census, which NAR members and partners are being asked to share with clients and neighbors. Last week, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee reviewed some of the challenges associated with accurately securing this information at its hearing, Reaching Hard-to-Count Communities in the 2020 Census.

Notices about the 2020 Census will be mailed in mid-March, and the Census Bureau will offer a guide in roughly 60 different languages. This year will mark the first time the questionnaire can be completed online, while options to respond over the phone and through the mail will still be available. In addition, NAR is reminding its members and U.S. residents that the Bureau will never ask for bank account or social security numbers, donations or anything on behalf of a political party, and strict federal law protects the confidentiality of Census responses.

Thank you to all who attended our 2020 Hallmark Awards and shared an opportunity to honor our top commercial real estate producers for 2019! These awards both recognize outstanding performances from the past year and inspire a new generation of commercial REALTORS® to see themselves achieving outstanding transactional accomplishments in the future.

Alliance Member of the Year

Alliance Member of the Year recognizes in good standing for service, support, and commitment to the Central Florida Commercial Association of REALTORS®. The award honors financial support, time contributions, and general assistance with the growth of CFCAR in the past year.

Bryan Scheff, Axiom Bank

Deal of the Year

Deal of the Year recognizes a transaction within the 10- county area that demonstrates the greatest degree of experience, dedication, complexity and/or perseverance.

Bill Dehlinger, RMA Real Estate Services, Amazon Regional Distribution Center

Wilbur Strickland Lifetime Achievement Award

The Wilbur Strickland Lifetime Achievement Award is presented in the name of Wilber Strickland, who has provided a truly monumental influence on commercial real estate in the 10-county area. The award recipient is recognized for outstanding dedication and unending support of the Central Florida Commercial Association of REALTORS®.

John Crossman, Crossman & Company

Circle of Achievement

The following CFCAR members have been awarded a Circle of Achievement award. Each has met or exceeded $3,000,000 of Hallmark volume in 2019.

Andrew McCaw, NAI Realvest

Jeff Bloom, NAI Realvest

Danny Smith, Smith & Smith Realty

Steve Costa, Charles Wayne/NAI Realvest

Mark Allen, Commercial Real Estate Professionals

Sandy Chace, CBRE

Michael Phipps, CBRE

Tommy Kelley, NAI Realvest

Duane Anderson, Marcus & Millichap

Joe Russo, Marcus & Millichap

Scott Harter, CBC Benchmark

Douglas Kinson, Marcus & Millichap

Casey Barker, Marcus & Millichap

Brian Lightle, Lightle Beckner Robison

Wood Belcher, CBRE

Gary Gagnon, Gagnon Real Estate Investments

G. G. Galloway, CBC Benchmark

Chris Adams, NAI Realvest

Mary Frances West, NAI Realvest

Amy Calandrino, Beyond Commercial

Mark Drazek, CBRE

Ray Romano, CBRE

Edward “Chip” Wooten, CBRE

Amanda McClure, CBRE

Scott Gould, Marcus & Millichap

Rory Shelby, Marcus & Millichap

Chris Travis, Marcus & Millichap

Ralph Turchi, Marcus & Millichap

David Vaughn, Marcus & Millichap

Andrew Jaworski, Marcus & Millichap

Bradford Lineberry, Marcus & Millichap

Paul P. Partyka, NAI Realvest

Tom Rich, CBRE

Bobby Palta, CBRE

Dan Baker, CBRE

Kristen Knowlton, CBRE

Alex Gordon, CBRE

CFCAR Top Producers by County

Flagler County
Margaret Sheehan-Jones, Parkside Realty Group

Volusia County
Robert Rand, CBC Benchmark

Osceola County (Tie!)
Shelton Granade, M&M;
Luke Wickham, M&M; and
Justin Basquile, M&M

Lake County (Tie!)
Matt Cichocki, NAI Realvest;
Kevin O’Connor, NAI Realvest

Sumter County
Billie Faye Smith, Smith & Smith Realty

Seminole County
Nicholas Hanson, Marcus & Millichap

Orange County (Tie!)
Shelton Granade, M&M;
Luke Wickham, M&M; and
Justin Basquile, M&M

Brevard County
Jeff Robison, Lightle Beckner Robison

Commercial Category Winners

Retail

James Mitchell, CBRE

Office

Ron Rogg, CBRE

Industrial

David Murphy, CBRE

Land

Dean Saunders, SVN Saunders Ralston Dantzler

Investment

Shelton Granade, Marcus & Millichap

Overall Top Producers (Tie!)

Shelton Granade, M&M

Luke Wickham, M&M

Longtime broker and hospitality expert Robin Webb has established a new Maitland-based commercial brokerage and advisory firm. The firm will handle commercial real estate investments brokerage and consulting.

Well known as an expert in the hospitality industry, Webb has worked in the hotel consulting and brokerage field for over three decades throughout Florida. He has consulted to hotel owners and sold hotels across the entire spectrum of brands from Days Inns to Hiltons. 

Webb has sold in excess of one hundred lodging properties over his career as well as having served as an expert in state and federal courts. He has been appointed as a receiver on a number hotels in Florida.

Joining Webb in the operation is Soozi Jones Walker, a dual designated expert in office leasing and investments. A principal in Las Vegas-based Commercial Executives Real Estate Services, she was the 2016 Woman of the Year in Nevada and a former commissioner on the state’s real estate division. Soozi will continue to serve as president of the Vegas firm. 

“We are excited about the ability to serve clients in both markets with enthusiasm and extensive local market knowledge,” Webb said.

Both principals are extensively involved in serving the industry. Soozi is a former president of both the Nevada SIOR and CCIM Chapters and is a member of the Florida CCIM Chapter. Robin was the 2017 international president of the CCIM Institute and a past Florida CCIM Chapter president. Both have served as directors on their respective local real estate boards of directors and are currently members of the board of directors of the CCIM Institute. Soozi is a CCIM and SIOR while Robin is a CCIM and CPM in addition to holding several hotel designations.