Summer Celebrations for Mom and Dad at the Square

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day remind us to say “Thanks” for everything our parents have done for us over the years. Hammond Square wants to also take part in saying thanks to the moms and dads that take their kids to the Square for new school outfits, frozen treats at Menchie’s, sporting goods at Hibbets and …

President’s Message: What Happens in Vegas Doesn’t Stay in Vegas!

Last month’s International Council of Shopping Center’s (ICSC’s) RECon 2013 in Las Vegas was very encouraging.  Overall attendance for the retail real estate industry’s biggest annual global event was over 35,000, a 10 percent increase from 2012 and a post-Recession record.  Attendees and exhibitors, including retailers, developers, lenders and brokers, expressed optimism about the health …

Stirling Properties’ Marty Mayer to Serve as Divisional Vice President of ICSC

Marty Mayer, President & CEO of Stirling Properties, has been elected to serve as the Vice President of the International Council of Shopping Centers’ (ICSC) Southern Division. This was made official during ICSC’s Annual Meeting of Regular Members, held during ICSC RECon in Las Vegas, Nevada. As an ICSC Divisional Vice President, Mr. Mayer has …

Stirling Properties Collects Donations for Tornado Food Drive

In an effort to help with the disaster relief in Oklahoma, employees and agents of Stirling Properties collected donations of non-perishable food items for the St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1 in Slidell, Louisiana.  Firemen of the district are collecting and organizing donated items and will personally deliver them.  On Saturday, June 8, the donations will be transported to Norman, …

Forbes ranks New Orleans #3 for Information Technology Jobs

In a recent Forbes article, “The Cities Winning the Battle for Information Jobs,” author and researcher Joel Kotkin ranks Greater New Orleans as #3 in the USA, behind only technology heavyweights Silicon Valley and San Francisco. In the article, he states “Perhaps the most dramatic player is third-place New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, where information employment is up …

Mid-City Market – May Update

Below, please find a series of photos showing site progress conditions from the week of May 13, 2013. Since our last update, the construction activities at Mid-City Market have accelerated considerably and we are seeing the finish line ahead.  We have turned over all 11 spaces to tenants, including since the last update Ochsner Medical Center, Verizon Wireless, Five …

Marketplace Fairness Act Passes Senate

After many years of campaigning by ICSC and other trade organizations, the U.S. Senate voted 69 to 27 yesterday to approve S. 743, “The Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013,” moving the legislation one step closer to enactment.  As I mentioned in my recent President’s Message, the passage of this bill is critical to the Commercial Real …

Marty Mayer selected for Young Leadership Council’s 2013 Role Model Class

Marty Mayer, President & CEO of Stirling Properties, is among 25 New Orleanians recently selected by Young Leadership Council (YLC) for their 2013 Role Model class.  YLC, a non-profit civic organization that develops leadership skills through community projects, will honor each Role Model at their 27th Annual YLC Role Model Gala. Every year, a committee composed of …

President’s Message: Wouldn’t it be nice if all taxes were “voluntary”?

Typically, I steer clear of any politically-charged issue in my President’s Messages, but there is a bill currently pending in the Senate that falls into the “just plain common sense” category.  The Marketplace Fairness Act deals with the problem of uncollected sales taxes from the sales of internet retailers that do not have a physical presence in the state in which …

IBM – What a Win for Baton Rouge!

IBM‘s recent announcement that they will open an 800-job technology center in downtown Baton Rouge is a HUGE game changer for Baton Rouge, LSU and Louisiana.  Along with the new, well-paying, tech-sector jobs that IBM will bring, the state has committed to fund an expansion of LSU’s computer science program, which will help to provide a well-trained workforce.  Additionally, a mixed-use …