Stirling Properties’ 3rd Quarter Portfolio Report Shows Positive Outlook
As the commercial real estate industry endures unrelenting disruption—specifically in the retail and office market segments—we have seen glimpses of a silver lining.
Despite all the headwinds and negativity swirling, Stirling Properties’ outlook is optimistic moving into the 3rd quarter of 2019 compared to this time a year ago. A recent comparison of our overall commercial portfolio revealed positive key performance indicators in total rental income, rental and occupancy rates.
Mind you, these numbers may not reflect significant increases, but they do illustrate an upward trend. In fact, almost every key metric indicated a positive gain. A further breakdown shows both our office and retail properties are performing well with occupancy rates holding steady and rental rates up slightly, contrary to the ‘apocalyptic environment’ predicted in years past.
For Stirling Properties, our portfolio achievements are not the result of a magic wand or some sort of geographical shield. We attribute our continued success to proper management of our commercial properties.
Asset and Property Management is vital for the health of an asset and can significantly affect its worth. Yes, location is important, but a property can also increase in value just from being well maintained and, of course, the opposite is true as well. Management affects tenant and customer relationships, vendor relations, public perceptions, all the things that determine a properties’ success or failure.
With our properties, we focus on keeping rents at market level and our rental stream within reasonable expectations. We don’t overleverage. We concentrate on tenancy—the right tenancy—and we use our market knowledge to tailor each asset plan. Effective managers see headwinds coming and react accordingly to proactively overcome obstacles.
Knowledge and diversity of various property types and needs, as well as industry trends, are also critical. In today’s retail landscape, we’re seeing smaller footprints, the emergence of different tenant types and shifts in consumer demands. There is steady growth in the healthcare and industrial industries, and in some cases, they are merging with retail. In the office sector, users are looking for less square footage, more collaboration with open floor plans, and innovative trophy projects.
These trends in the commercial industry increase the need for more curated properties. Stirling Properties’ in-house operating, leasing and development resources allow us to be more strategic and forward-thinking with our managed properties. If a property is in a great location but is struggling with tenancy, perhaps a redevelopment would be effective. Does the building lack visual appeal, have a maintenance problem or even a marketing problem? Whatever the case, Stirling Properties’ comprehensive spectrum of services can tackle it.
Look at our current redevelopment of Cornerview Plaza in Gonzales, Louisiana. This retail center is in a great location but was struggling to backfill a nearly 90,000-square-foot vacancy left by its former anchor, Kmart. Stirling Properties’ team consisting of Asset Management, Development, Leasing and Financing worked with the Property Owner to redevelop the space into a multi-tenant, upscale Retail Center. We secured favorable financing for the ownership. This gave us the ability to move forward with an aggressive redevelopment plan, bringing on Marshalls, ULTA Beauty, Ross Dress for Less, Five Below and Aspen Dental to fill one-time anchor space, joining the existing grocery-anchor, Rouses Market, and AT&T.
Another notable example is DANA Incorporated. Our Leasing Team was enlisted to help the corporation locate an industrial space in the market for the relocation and expansion of their service and assembly center. After realizing their specific space needs, our Development Team was brought in to present build-to-suit options. We were able to help them locate land and manage the development of their new facility designed with ample flex space to meet their needs and accommodate future expansion.
Our all-inclusive approach showcases our diverse range of services we offer to our clients, allowing us to maximize the full potential of every property. And that commitment and dedication to our portfolio are reflected through consistent positive gains in leases, occupancy rates, rental rates and income.
Stirling Properties’ experienced management team serves more than 20 million square feet of property across the Gulf South, including some of the largest commercial properties in the Region. We fully understand geographic markets, diverse property types, a property’s unique requirements and marketability, specific financial situations, ownership goals and tenants’ needs. We consistently focus on cost-efficient operations and explore innovative concepts to improve the value of each asset. We pride ourselves on delivering results through diligence, professionalism, accountability, and good old-fashioned work ethic!
Now, all of this is not to say that more disruption and headwinds aren’t looming around the corner, but I am confident that we are prepared to handle it.
If you have any questions about your property or would like to discuss Asset Management options, please feel free to reach out.
Stirling Properties Awarded Management Contract of Schillinger Place
Renovations & exterior updates planned for the retail center.
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company has been awarded the management contract for Schillinger Place shopping center located at 2502 South Schillinger Road in Mobile, Alabama.
Stirling Properties previously handled the leasing for the center and will now assume daily operations and management responsibilities of the property. Angie McArthur, Broker Associate with Stirling Properties, is the leasing agent assigned to the project.
Schillinger Place is a roughly 69,000-square-foot neighborhood retail center located at the southwest corner of Schillinger Road and Cottage Hill Road. It is 70% leased. Tenants include Club 4 Fitness (coming soon), Pizza Hut, Mediterranean Sandwich Co., Port City MMA, New China One, Mediacom, Down South Native, Zeal Boutique, Vape-It, West Mobile Liquors, Brian Casey State Farm and Nail Express.
Planned landlord updates to the shopping center include renovated exterior façade offering a distinct and eye-catching entry, upgraded lighting, and parking lot sealing and striping. The former Winn-Dixie space is being sub-divided into two retail areas. Club 4 Fitness will occupy 30,000 square feet and plans to open in the spring; the remaining 22,181 square feet is available for lease.
Stirling Properties is located at One St. Louis Centre, 1 St. Louis Street, Suite 4100 in Mobile, Alabama, and 220 West Garden St., Suite 802 in Pensacola, Florida. The company manages more than 20 million square feet of commercial property across the Gulf South region, including office, retail, industrial, medical, multifamily and mixed-use real estate assets.
For leasing information, contact Angie McArthur at amcarthur@stirlingprop.com or (251) 375-2481.
For asset & property management information, please contact Robin Hayles at rhayles@stirlingprop.com or (251) 342-7229.
Stirling Properties Expands Management Portfolio
Stirling Properties’ Asset & Property Management Team has recently been awarded management contracts for several new retail and office properties, further expanding the company’s commercial portfolio and regional footprint.
In the Mississippi and Florida panhandle areas of the Gulf South region:
Lakeview Village II & III are adjacent neighborhood retail inline centers located at 3586/3516 Sangani Boulevard in D’Iberville, MS. Combined they are comprised of 65,860 square feet of retail and restaurant options. Shadow-anchored by Academy Sports + Outdoors, the property is currently 62% occupied by a mix of national and local tenants including Outback Steakhouse, H&R Block, The UPS Store, and Sherwin Williams.
Lakeview Village II & III are located in a 150-acre master planned, mixed-use retail development that spans the entire northern side of the Interstate 10/Interstate 110 interchange. Prominent national retailers near the development include Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Lowe’s, PetSmart, Marshalls, Michaels, and Kohl’s. Stirling Properties will also handle leasing of both centers. For leasing information, contact Angie McArthur.
5041 Bayou Boulevard is a three-story, class-A office building located in the Cordova Corridor of Pensacola, FL. Its primary tenant is Bank of America. The multi-tenant office building consists of 24,796 total leasable square footage and is strategically positioned near Cordova Mall, Sacred Heart Health System, and Pensacola International Airport. Stirling Properties will handle full-service management and accounting for the property.
401 E. Chase Street is a single-story, multi-tenant office building located in Pensacola, FL. This 11,744-square-foot office building is located on the eastern edge of downtown Pensacola, within walking distance of Pensacola Bay, numerous restaurants, hotels, and the Pensacola Civic Center. The property was recently renovated. Tenants include Baptist Home Health Care and Medical Records Express LLC. Stirling Properties will assume management and accounting services for the property.
Stirling Properties has also been awarded management duties of the 3,033-square-foot former Arby’s restaurant space located at 800 North Navy Boulevard in Pensacola, FL. The building was recently acquired by a local investor that has contracted with Stirling Properties for property management services, including assistance in getting the property ready for future leasing opportunities. For leasing information, contact Angie McArthur.
As part of Stirling Properties’ ongoing partnership with PMAT Companies, we have secured two additional management contracts:
Downers Park Plaza is a 265,000-square-foot, class-A shopping center located in a regional retail corridor of the Downers Grove area of IL, part of the Chicago MSA. The center is anchored by Best Buy, T.J.Maxx, HomeGoods, Shop & Save Market, Old Navy, and Party City. It is currently 89% occupied.
Megan Crossings is a 114,000-square-foot, class-A shopping center located in a regional corridor in the West St. Louis, MO, MSA. Anchored by Hobby Lobby, Tuesday Morning, La-Z-Boy Furniture, and Dollar Tree, the asset is 87% occupied.
“We are pleased to welcome these properties to our growing portfolio. Stirling Properties continues to seek opportunities to provide value to our clients and property owners from back-office support to full-service asset and property management amenities—and everything in between,” said Donna Taylor, Sr. Vice President of Asset Management & New Business with Stirling Properties. “We remain committed to our strategic growth plan across the Gulf South region, and to providing top-notch service and guidance in the commercial real estate arena.”
Stirling Properties manages more than 19.5 million square feet of commercial real estate, including office, retail, industrial, medical, residential, and mixed-uses.
For asset management information, contact Donna Taylor at (985) 246-3758 or dtaylor@stirlingprop.com.
Hurricane Preparation and Emergency Planning Part I
Along the Gulf South, we are nearly three months into Hurricane Season, and approaching the more active time of the year. Unfortunately, it’s not a matter of “if,” but “when” a disaster will strike—so it’s critical that businesses prepare for emergencies before they occur. Every company should have a process in place to make sure that you, your employees, and clients are prepared in case of an emergency. However, research shows that more than 57% of real estate companies lack business continuity and an effective disaster plan. We tapped our Stirling Properties’ expert, Patrick Malik, Vice President of Property & Risk Management for his guidance on Hurricane Preparation and Emergency Planning. Below are a few tips for advance emergency planning concepts.
Part I: Advance Emergency Planning
Businesses in hurricane prone environments have the opportunity to “get ready” each year. This is a tremendous responsibility considering the advancement of technology, evolving business functions, and the need for planners to anticipate hurricane impact scenarios and its effect on their business.
Before starting the emergency planning process, serious thought should be applied to the following concepts as advance preparation:
- Income Stream
- Chief Job Functions
- Coordination with IT to plan data and connectivity preservation
- Insurance
- Critical Company Responsibilities
Your income stream, how it is derived and how it is processed, is essential to preparing cash reserves and insuring against the loss of revenue. Real estate service companies have difficulty insuring their transactional income but can rely on recurring monthly property management income to help bridge times when transactional income pauses due to a disaster.
The principal job functions necessary for assuring your income stream, getting employees back to work safely, and establishing your business continuity need to be identified ahead of time. Also, attention to supporting your employees with their personal emergency plans and specific needs after a hurricane is instrumental to your company’s recovery. Likewise, getting individuals back to work with temporary offices, if necessary, is important to consider in establishing job function and returning to normality.
Continuing advances in IT infrastructure and your company’s dependence on its availability are ever increasing. Bandwidth has become irreplaceable, and security defense of your network sometimes limits your outside access. Data storage, redundancy, and consistent access to email are critical matters to preserve job performance. The technology and IT infrastructure that supports these vital job functions must be resilient and available for employees to resume work.
Insurance is not a popular subject, but it is necessary when unfortunate and traumatic events occur. Many people are ill-equipped or simply don’t want to deal with these situations. Understanding your insurance and knowing that your coverage is adequate to assure your business continuity is very important. Small- and mid-size companies can seldom afford a risk manager on staff and depend greatly on their insurance agent for advice and guidance. The resulting coverage is based on how well your insurance agent knows your company—its income stream, critical job functions, IT infrastructure, and risks. This is a lot of information that someone outside of your company needs to understand and accurately quantify, and it is your responsibility to provide the necessary details.
Have you ever practiced the application of your insurance? As something potentially vital to the survival of your company, why not? Desktop exercises and what-if scenarios with key personnel can help to identify potential issues and questions to discuss with your insurance agent and proactively address with your emergency plan. These training exercises can significantly enhance company resilience and assure accurate insurance coverage, thus building confidence in your business continuity efforts.
Identifying your most critical company responsibilities advances the first four concepts above to a coordinated plan that combines efforts to mitigate exposure, minimize impact, reduce damages, and insure for losses. We all know how expensive insurance is, and the impact of losses intensifies that expense over time. Having the knowledge and taking the appropriate steps in advance will assure that your emergency plan is in sync with your insurance coverage and your responsibilities to make sure your business doesn’t miss a beat.
These advanced planning concepts extend beyond hurricane planning and support the need to evolve your hurricane emergency planning to become a comprehensive emergency plan that tackles all threats to your business and employees.
For a more in-depth look at Hurricane Preparation and Emergency Planning, read Part II: The Hurricane Emergency Plan.
Hurricane Preparation and Emergency Planning Part II
Part II: The Hurricane Emergency Plan
Living and working on the Gulf Coast, we are faced with the inevitability of hurricanes. Fortunately, it is a somewhat forecastable event with a defined season. We cannot always accurately predict the worst and must have flexible and responsive plans that can adapt to an ever-changing hurricane impact.
There are five parts to hurricane emergency planning:
- Personal Planning
- Before the Storm
- Timing of Events
- During the Hurricane
- The Aftermath
Personal Planning
During a disaster, the most critical part of a company’s emergency plan is the underlying personal emergency procedures that support you, your employees, and the ability to fulfill work roles. For those responsible for executing this plan, the same attention must be applied to your personal life—including your family and home. If your personal affairs are not in order, it is difficult to perform emergency plans in support of your business. All key company personnel should have a detailed personal emergency plan in place to ensure smooth business continuity following a hurricane or disaster.
Planning procedures improve with experience. Here on the Gulf Coast, (unfortunately) we have had many chances to test our emergency plans in a variety of real-life scenarios, including what many label as the worst case, Hurricane Katrina—which heavily impacted a major portion of our regions’ residents and businesses. The shock and trauma of a disaster such as this can have a lasting impact on employees, and requires patience, sensitivity, and support from an employer. From Hurricane Katrina, Stirling Properties learned that as part of our company emergency plan, we must anticipate the need to assist our employees with basic supplies, temporary living arrangements, home repairs, and insurance claims.
Before the Storm
A company’s lifeblood is its ability to effectively communicate. With a disaster, you should plan for complete disruption of communications. A rally point or a place to connect in the event of a hurricane should be considered. A toll-free phone number is a good option for employees and customers/clients who may become scattered by evacuation. A shared phone line can help to provide a common source for information, assistance, and flexible response. However, this line must be protected and placed on a network that won’t be impacted by the storm or flooding. Preferably it should direct to an inland office that won’t be affected and can be manned by live personnel.
Encouraging employees to be prepared and up to date on the emergency plan for hurricanes should be a priority in the spring of each year. Simple reminders on generator maintenance for their homes, as well as instructions from both your company and municipal authorities on preparation and evacuation procedures that can be shared on an easily accessible company intranet site are invaluable. Also, employees should inform their supervisor of where they will be during the storm and alternate means of contact should local communications fail.
Aligning your resources in advance of a hurricane landfall is a critical step to being responsive, minimizing insurance claims, and reducing damage. Focus on the first wave of assistance: debris and tree removal, roofers, glass contractors, water mitigation services, janitorial crews, and general maintenance providers. (Stirling Properties identifies a few providers from inland cities that will not be impacted by the storm.) The second wave of assistance includes additional debris removal, rebuilding contractors, HVAC services, and electrical and plumbing services. For this, we focus almost exclusively on local companies for resources so that we are putting local people back to work, and dealing with businesses we know and already have established relationships. Post-storm environments attract vendors and contractors from all over the country and are usually not the best place to find resources. It’s important to have providers identified ahead of time.
Insurance is instrumental in planning for a hurricane. Putting your agent and insurance underwriter on notice before the storm is important to assure lines of communication afterward. Some agents go as far as making a claim prior to landfall on heavily exposed properties, putting you near the front of the service line after the hurricane. It is important that your insurance coverage is aligned with your emergency plan to assure that your needs are met and that you are able to take advantage of the benefits of your coverage, particularly as it relates to business continuity.
Timing of Events
The approach, path, and timing of a hurricane are never 100% predictable—you should always have a contingency plan. Municipal authorities have predetermined plans for announcing recommended and mandatory evacuations that must be understood and considered to plan properly. Activating your emergency communication plan needs to be completed prior to closing your business and employees evacuating.
When you will activate portions of your emergency plan and consider evacuation should be well thought out. Consider the timing of events relative to weekends as well. On the Friday before Hurricane Katrina was forecast to make landfall east of Mobile (three days before landfall), we activated our emergency communication plan, only to learn Saturday morning (two days before landfall) that the direction changed towards New Orleans. Our employees were off for the weekend, possibly not monitoring email, and rushing to evacuate for a storm that would effectively stop all communication. Activating our emergency communication plan on Friday (even though we were not in the projected path of the storm) was instrumental in our post-hurricane recovery.
During the Hurricane
Your emergency plan should also consider communications during the hurricane. Opportunities to react to property damage early, whether during or just after the storm, are critical for minimizing damage and accelerating recovery. This involves utilizing prepositioned resources such as janitorial and maintenance crews at properties to respond during the storm (we do not condone traveling during a hurricane) or evaluating post-hurricane response to address priorities.
Communicating with employees—whether they evacuate, stay at home, or are prepositioned at properties—to confirm their location and safety is a critical step and reduces unnecessary stress.
The Aftermath
Nothing can prepare you for what you may face. Every hurricane is different in its impact. Flexibility, relentless drive, and unending patience are necessary. If your plan is strong (it is typically imperfect) and you have the information and resources (there is never enough), then fortunately, you only have to execute. Recovery has several immediate steps:
- Communication
- Helping employees return to work
- Debris removal & damage assessments
- Initiating insurance claims
- Re-establishing business
- Helping others
As always, communication is the most critical component. It is important for morale to assure employees and customers that your company is resilient and will persevere. Both internal and external communication through digital platforms, social media, or shared phones lines should be planned to ease implementation and assure a concise, positive message.
The second most critical step is helping employees return to work by providing necessary assistance. Sometimes it involves monetary or work schedule adjustments to deal with personal impacts of the hurricane. At Stirling Properties, we have found that in the first couple of weeks after a disaster, a gesture as simple as having breakfast and lunch available in the office has a tremendous positive impact on company morale. It adds a sense of “we,” lessoning personal stress.
Helping others following a devastation is the pinnacle of your emergency plan. Aid comes in many forms and is typically dependent on you, your employees, execution of your plan, and available resources. If there is such a thing as “thriving” in an emergency, helping others truly defines what that is.
This blog is part of a series, read Part I: Advance Emergency Planning.
Stirling Properties Awarded Management of Pinnacle Nord du Lac in Covington
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company was recently awarded the facility management contract of Pinnacle Nord du Lac retail center, formerly known as Colonial Pinnacle Nord du Lac in Covington, Louisiana.
Pinnacle Nord du Lac, a regional shopping center owned by Dallas-based Cypress Equities, is located on the northeast corner of Interstate 12 and LA Highway 21. Currently, Pinnacle Nord du Lac is comprised of 327,000 square feet of existing retail space, with an additional 162,000 square feet of future retail expansion planned. The retail center is 97% leased, and anchor tenants include Kohl’s, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Hobby Lobby, and Petco, as well as multiple restaurant options. Corporate Realty handles leasing for the property.
Cypress Equities recently acquired Pinnacle Nord du Lac and is beginning construction of its Phase II to complete parking, drive-aisles, and buildings for 94,500 square feet of new lifestyle shop space that will be available in the summer of 2017. This lifestyle component will include local, regional and national fashion and restaurant selections.
“Stirling Properties is excited to take on the management duties of Pinnacle Nord du Lac and to see the property evolve. The new ownership group at Cypress Equities is very motivated, and we look forward to working with them to enhance this asset,” said Donna Taylor, SVP of Asset Management & New Business for Stirling Properties. “There is much potential here with plenty of room for future expansion. A new residential component on the neighboring property and future parish developments will also be positive contributors to the success of this center.”
Stirling Properties developed and manages the adjacent River Chase mixed-use center on the southeast corner of Interstate 12 and LA Highway 21, which houses national anchor tenants such as Target, Sam’s Club, Best Buy, Belk, JCPenney, Cost Plus World Market, Michaels, ULTA Beauty, and Regal Cinema.
Stirling Properties manages more than 17 million square feet of property, with more than 98 million square feet of property and land for sale or lease. Other notable Stirling Properties projects in the area include Premier Centre (Mandeville), Fremaux Town Center (Slidell), Hammond Square (Hammond), and Northpark Corporate Center (Covington).
For more information on Property Management/Asset Management, please contact Donna Taylor at dtaylor@stirlingprop.com or (985) 898-2022.