NAIOP Colorado

Call for Submissions: 2009 NAIOP Colorado Awards of Achievement

NAIOP Colorado will honor the members among us in the Commercial Estate Industry who have been selected as the "Best of the Best" at the 2009 Annual Awards of Achievement Luncheon scheduled for February 18, 2010 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Seawell Ballroom.  Be sure to nominate your project or broker by Wednesday, January 6, 2010!

 

Brokerage Categories include:

• Office Broker of the Year
• Industrial Broker of the Year
• Investment Broker of the Year
• Land Broker of the Year
• Retail Broker of the Year
• Broker Outstanding Achievement Award

 Development Categories include:

• Office Development of the Year
• Industrial Development of the Year
• Mixed Use Development of the Year
• Development of the Year
• Owner/Developer of the Year
• Special Development of the Year

All nomination forms and supporting information must be submitted to the NAIOP Colorado Chapter office on or before Wednesday, January 6, 2010.  Click Here for the award criteria and nomination forms.

 

Any materials received on or after January 7, 2010 will not be accepted.  Specific information about what must be submitted is listed in detail on the Broker and Developer Submission Check Lists.  In order to submit a nomination, you must be a member of the NAIOP Colorado Chapter.  Questions regarding the awards program may be addressed to Kathie Barstnar or Jayma File at the NAIOP chapter office at 303.782.0155. 

 

We look forward to receiving your nominations prior to January 6th, and to sharing the winners with you at our Awards Luncheon on February 18, 2010.  For ticket information, please contact the NAIOP office at 303.782.0155.

Announcing 2009 Virtual Property Tour of Downtown Denver & CBD Update

Join the NAIOP Colorado Chapter and major sponsor Security Title Guaranty Company on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 from 5:00 to 7:30 pm at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts (located at the University of Denver) for the 2009 Virtual Property Tour of Downtown Denver and Central Business Districut Update. 

This unique media experience will feature new and ongoing projects in downtown Denver.  Including a variety of commercial, mixed use, residential and hotels such as:
 
- 17th & Larimer Centennial Realty Advisors
- 1899 Wynkoop Centennial Realty Advisors
- Parkway Office Centre DPC Development
- 1800 Glenarm Fuller Real Estate
- Trinity Place The Broe Group
- SugarCube JE Dunn
- Granite Tower Granite Properties
- Denver Place LBA Realty
- Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Stonebridge Companies
- Hilton Garden Inn Cherry Creek Stonebridge Companies
- Tower Private Residences Four Seasons
- Glass House JE Dunn
- Republic Plaza Brookefield Properties
- Dominion Tower CB Richard Ellis
- US Bank Tower CB Richard Ellis
- Mile High Center The Broe Group
- The Spire JE Dunn

See what's going on with the Denver Zoning Commission.  Plus, hear a market update on the various real estate segments in downtown featuring Tom Clark of Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and Tami Door of Downtown Denver Partnership.  Mr. Clark and Ms. Door will also share commentary on key issues and enticements for owners, investors and developers considering a downtown project.
 
No live presentations!  All pre-recorded in just under 60 minutes!  Register by September 8 and pay reduced registration rates!
 
Click Here for more information or to register now! Or, Click Here for a printable registration form.

Additional marketing opportunities are still available!  Include your company’s full or half page ad in our onsite event program.  For more details, contact Jayma File of NAIOP at (303) 782–0155 or jfile@wmrdenver.com.

August Green Series Meeting: The Legalities

Submitted by Dan Cohen, Urban Investment Group

On Wednesday, August 19th, the NAIOP Green Series Education Committee held its fourth session of this year’s Sustainability Series, “Going Green to Find Gold in Your Existing Building.” This five-part breakfast series is designed for building owners, property managers, real estate professionals, developers and others who want to build on last year’s green series with additional, pertinent and to-the-point subject matter on the particulars of “greening up” an existing building. Session Four, “The Legalities," was organized by Dan Cohen, formerly a Vice President with Catellus Development, now with his own firm, Urban Investment Group.

The session included three speakers. Carolynne White, a land use attorney with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, gave a presentation entitled: "The Legalities: The Regulatory Environment." The presentation was an overview of the current regulatory environment at the federal, State, and local levels with regard to regulation and funding for energy efficiency plans and improvements. At the federal level, Ms. White discussed a variety of programs, including funding headed to Colorado cities from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. At the State level, Ms. White explained a number of bills considered or passed and indicated that most of the State's climate action efforts are actually implemented at the local level. At the local level, the trend in Colorado is for more green building regulations. Cities such as Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, and Wheat Ridge are all amending their codes. Ms. White closed with the prediction that the trend will be for more regulation in the future in Colorado.  Click here to see Ms. White’s presentation materials.

NAIOP Colorado, Xcel Energy and Denver Water Launch Precedent-Setting Partnership to Promote Commercial-Sector Conservation

 Three of Colorado’s leading organizations, NAIOP Colorado, Xcel Energy and Denver Water, have formed a groundbreaking partnership to promote energy and water conservation in office buildings, warehouses and other commercial real estate in the Denver metropolitan area.  Known as ResourceSmart Colorado, this program aims to make a significant difference in improving the energy and water efficiency of Colorado’s commercial real estate sector.

“By bringing together two of the region’s largest utilities with NAIOP Colorado, ResourceSmart Colorado has the potential to create unprecedented change in promoting greener, more environmentally friendly practices in Colorado’s commercial buildings,” said Kathie Barstnar, executive director of NAIOP Colorado. “The program will give the key decision-makers of the commercial real estate industry the tools they need to implement the best, most cost-effective conservation programs and cutting-edge green building practices. It’s a win-win for all involved.”

The United States commercial real estate sector uses a tremendous amount of energy and water. Commercial buildings consume 36 percent of all electricity produced in the country and use an estimated 10 billion gallons of water each day in the United States.  In the Denver Metro area alone, Denver Water’s commercial customers use more than 14.7 billion gallons of water annually — enough water to pour one foot of water onto 45,000 football fields. 

Both Xcel Energy and Denver Water have made commercial-sector conservation a priority and offer a variety of related programs and incentives, including audits and financial incentives for customers who switch to more efficient technologies. While these programs have been successful, the challenge has been making sure that the right people in the commercial real estate sector know about them.  That is where NAIOP Colorado, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, came in. 

NAIOP’s Colorado chapter is one of the largest and most active chapters in the country, with nearly 800 members representing the owners and key decision-makers in the region’s commercial real estate industry. After some initial discussions with Denver Water and Xcel Energy, it became readily apparent that by working together, these three entities could make significant strides in saving water and energy while also helping local businesses to lower their costs and improve their bottom line. 

Governor Bill Ritter, whose administration has been a champion of climate change issues, has already voiced his enthusiastic support of the partnership. He said: “In this time of increasingly scarce natural resources, it is more important than ever for commercial buildings to be as efficient as they can be.  This unprecedented partnership will not only help the environment, it will also help Colorado’s economy by enabling businesses to save money on utility costs.”

Through ResourceSmart Colorado, the Colorado chapter of NAIOP will work with both utilities to promote the need to conserve energy and water and to make its members aware of the programs and incentives that are available. This will be achieved through a variety of forums, events, programs and communication tools. As a part of the program’s launch, NAIOP Colorado plans to:

• Launch a new Web site devoted specifically to water and energy conservation, providing tips, conservation incentives and more;
• Host a breakfast meeting on Oct. 13 for NAIOP Colorado members to learn about the programs and incentives each utility offers;
• Act as a facilitator in bringing individual commercial real estate companies together with Xcel Energy and Denver Water for one-on-one consultations; and
• Identify additional opportunities to educate NAIOP Colorado members of the many conservation programs that Denver Water and Xcel Energy offer.

                                                                                               Additional initiatives in conjunction with ResourceSmart Colorado will be announced in the coming months. For more information about the program, or to schedule an interview with a representative from NAIOP Colorado, Denver Water or Xcel Energy, contact Megan Lane from GBSM at (303) 825-6100, Stacy Chesney from Denver Water at (720) 232-7214, Mark Stutz from Xcel Energy at (303) 294-2300 or Kathie Barstnar from NAIOP Colorado at (303) 782-0155.

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

NAIOP Colorado is a chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, and it comprises nearly 800 members serving the market.  NAIOP is the leading organization for developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial and mixed-use real estate, with 15,000 members in North America.  NAIOP advances responsible commercial real estate development and advocates for effective public policy. For more information, visit www.naiop-colorado.org.

Denver Water proudly serves high-quality water and promotes its efficient use to 1.3 million people in the city of Denver and many surrounding suburbs. Established in 1918, the utility is a public agency not funded by taxes, but by water rates and new tap fees. It is Colorado's oldest and largest water utility.

Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company with regulated operations in eight Western and Midwestern states. Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.4 million electricity customers and 1.9 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis. More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com.

NAIOP joins Xcel Energy, Denver Water to be ResourceSmart

Submitted by Kathie Barstnar, NAIOP Colorado Executive Director

NAIOP-Colorado’s ResourceSmart Colorado initiative is a precedent-setting program bringing together  three leading Colorado organizations in pursuit of a common goal: to make office buildings, warehouses and other commercial real estate in the Denver-metro area more energy and water-efficient.  By joining forces, these three organizations have a unique opportunity to reduce the amount of valuable resources consumed in Colorado’s commercial buildings:

• The Colorado chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, is one of the largest and most active chapters in the country with approximately 850 members representing the owners and key decision-makers of the region’s commercial real estate industry.

• Xcel Energy is Colorado’s largest electricity and natural gas utility, serving more than 1.6 million customers. Its business customers in Colorado consume more than 19 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and 414 million therms of natural gas each year.

• Denver Water serves more than 1.3 million customers in the Denver metro area. Its customers use more than 225,000 acre feet of water each year, 20 percent of which is used by the commercial sector.

By coming together, these three groups have the ability to make a real difference in improving the energy and water efficiency of Colorado’s commercial real estate.

Colorado becomes first Corporate PAC Gold Champions for 2009

Submitted by Bob Moody, VP of Government Affairs, NAIOP Colorado

NAIOP Colorado continues to play a significant role in ensuring that the voice of the commercial real estate development industry is heard on Capitol Hill not only in Colorado but in our Nation’s Capitol.  By becoming the first Chapter in 2009 to reach NAIOP-PAC Gold Champion status we maintain a strong presence in our nation’s capital which is more vital than ever before in light of the unprecedented economic challenges the industry is currently facing. Issues and pending legislation that would have significant impact on commercial real estate development include the availability of credit for commercial markets, legislative efforts to more than double taxes on compensation from partnership carried interest and establishment of strict federal mandates forcing states to increase energy efficiencies in building codes.  Thanks to our corporate PAC Trustees – Larry Lance, Jim Mulligan, Michelle Brokaw and Kathie Barstnar.  Thanks also to our other corporate PAC donors – your help and participation in this process, including your personal financial commitments ensure the protection of our industry and that our voice is heard!

Here is how NAIOP Colorado compares to the other large chapters in Corporate PAC investments:

Click Here, for more information or to become a corporate PAC Donor and follow the instructions.  Get involved – it feels good and protects your industry as we move through this downturn and look toward a future bright with possibilities.

Governor Ritter Helps NAIOP Colorado Kickoff Green Series

by Abe Laydon, Fairfield and Woods, P.C.

The first segment of NAIOP Colorado’s six-part monthly Green Series was held on May 21^st in downtown Denver.  Colorado Governor Bill Ritter provided an introduction for the educational series, which will examine the entire life cycle of sustainable development.

“The Green Wave…Are You Riding It?” was the topic for the first series meeting and included discussion on topics such as: Colorado’s political stance as it relates to sustainable development; impacts on the environment; an introduction to LEED; and an overview of the costs and benefits of green building.

Featured speakers were Rocky Scott of McWhinney Enterprises; Renny Fagan, the State Director for Senator Ken Salazar’s Office; Tom Plant from the Governor’s Energy Office; Tom Hootman, Director of Sustainability at RNL Design and President of the Colorado U.S. Green Building Council; and Melissa Knott, Director of Sustainability, Forest City Stapleton.  To view the speaker presentations, Click Here.

The next segment of the series “The Economics – Part I: Cost, Benefit & Value” is scheduled for Wednesday, June 18^th and will feature Alan Whitson of Corporate Realty Design Management.  Click Here for Green Series programming information or to register.

Colorado’s transforming economy -- a peek into the past and a vision for the future by Ann Sperling

On March 11^th, a panel featuring Tom Clark, VP of Denver Metro Economic Corporation and the Denver Chamber of Commerce, and Don Elliman, Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Foreign Trade, was moderated by Ann Sperling, Managing Director of Catellus Development Group, a Prologis Company.

 

Tom Clark gave an update on the state of the competitive position of Denver and the local region in the context of the broader national and global markets, as viewed by companies considering relocating or expanding in Colorado. Key features he highlighted included the character of our labor force, our education system, our business and political environment, infrastructure, transportation and quality of life. Tom discussed at length the disconnect between our high level of intellectual capital which attracts companies, but our lack of funding for higher education.  To view Tom’s presentation, click here.

 

The key focus of Don Elliman’s remarks was the status of the Governor’s campaign Promise for Colorado which outlined a focus on key industries and initiatives. Don stressed the Governor’s commitment to a positive business environment in the state. Much dialogue about our emerging leadership in BioScience, Aerospace and Energy ensued. Don remarked that the ConocoPhillips deal for the Storage Technology Campus affirms Colorado’s legitimacy as a locale for the energy industry, including renewable and wind energy concentration. A detailed discussion ensued regarding the challenges Colorado faces relative to the political process and specifically Labor issues.  To read a full copy of Don’s speech, click here.

 

If you attended this breakfast meeting and would like to provide your feedback, please click here to take the survey.  Your feedback helps NAIOP Colorado continue to provide valuable and relevant programming.

NAIOP Colorado hosts its 20th Annual Awards of Achievement Luncheon

On February 20th, NAIOP Colorado hosted its 20th annual Awards of Achievement Luncheon at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.  This signature event honors the leaders of the Colorado commercial real estate industry and NAIOP Colorado members.

The event attracted over 800 attendees to the Donald Seawell Ballroom to see the best of the best awarded for their efforts in their respective fields during 2007.  John Ellis, Vice President, Security Title Guaranty Company and President of NAIOP Colorado spoke of the Chapter’s accomplishments over the past year and set the course for the organization in 2008. 

Special recognition was given to Paul Luber, of Ascent Capital Partners, LLC as Member of the Year, as well as Monique Lowe of Herman Miller, who was named the inaugural Developing Leader of the Year.  Both honorees demonstrated significant contributions to the Chapter and we thank them for their dedication to our organization. 

Mr. Ellis named John F. O’Meara of Inverness Properties, LLC as recipient of the President’s Award for his career accomplishments and impact on Colorado’s real estate community.  NAIOP Colorado wishes the best of luck to John in his new, more relaxing, endeavors and appreciates his impact and contributions to the Colorado real estate community.

Mary Sullivan, Senior Broker with CB Richard Ellis was presented with the Broker Outstanding Achievement Award for her many career successes.  We congratulate Mary on her very successful career and wish her continued successes in the future!

Colorado State Representative Bernie Buescher of HD 55 and Representative David Balmer of HD 39, were both named recipients of the James T. Brubaker Legislative Award for their significant efforts on behalf of the commercial real estate industry at the state legislature.

NAIOP Colorado congratulates all of our 2007 award winners for their successes and wishes them the best of luck in 2008!  Please click here to see a list of all 2007 Awards of Achievement Finalists and Winners.

Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation Responds to Economic Impact Study

Tom Clark, Vice President of Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, congratulated NAIOP Colorado for the Economic Impact Study that was recently completed.  “While the industry’s impact is substantial, it should also be noted that this industry, unlike any other, provides the technology, buildings and oftentimes, the infrastructure necessary for jobs to be created.”  To read a complete copy of the letter from Tom Clark to NAIOP, click here.