NAIOP Colorado

DL Project Tour – Garrison Station

Submitted by Matt Lyons, Weston Solutions, Inc.

On Tuesday July 26th, Weston Solutions, Inc. (WESTON®) hosted the NAIOP Developing  Leaders 2011 Project Tour at Garrison Station. The transit oriented development (TOD) is located along the RTD FasTracks West Rail Line at 1435 Garrison Street in Lakewood.  Phase I of the Garrison Station project includes a 30,000 square-foot LEED® Gold pre-certified office building and a Chase bank branch. The planned Phase-II of the mixed-use development will encompass approximately 100,000 square feet of office and retail space.

The focus of the tour was the 30,000 square-foot office building that will be the home of WESTON’s Rocky Mountain regional headquarters.  Al Colussy, Klipp Architecture, highlighted sustainable features including a roof-top deck and GreenGrid® green roof, superior lighting through creative design, and energy efficient features all of which contributed to the LEED® pre-certification.  Due to these aspects of the development, WESTONs building received Lakewood’s 2011 Sustainability Award.

Following the tour speakers from WESTON and Lakewood Economic Development spoke to the attendees. Steve Blarr, WESTON Vice President, shared insight into the challenges of the project including environmental remediation, site selection, and project financing.  Michelle Hadwiger, Lakewood Economic Development, explained  how Lakewood’s master planning of the Colfax corridor has helped spur developments such as Garrison Station and how Garrison Station is expected to be a catalyst for future redevelopment along the corridor.

Weston Solutions, Inc. (WESTON®) is a global leader in environmental solutions, sustainable development, design/build construction, green buildings and clean energy. Dedicated to making a difference in the world, the company’s 1,800 people reach out from 60 offices around the globe to build strong stakeholder relationships and provide solutions that work. WESTON has been responding to its clients’ toughest problems for more than 50 years. WESTON has full-service offices in Lakewood and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

For more about WESTON, visit www.westonsolutions.com.

Shedding Light on the Boys & Girls Club

NAIOP Colorado worked with the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver to help them implement sustainability initiatives in their metro area facilities. The focus of the effort was to implement energy conservation strategies, improving the indoor health environment, and educating the children on the importance and relevance of sustainable buildings.  The committee leading this directive is proud to announce the completion of a successful project with special thanks to Catamount Constructors and Sturgeon Electric Company for their contributions to make it a reality.
 
This project facility is the Boys and Girls’ Shopneck Club at 1800 Longspeak Street in Brighton. The project will save the club energy by providing more control over their lighting resources. The project has a meaningful impact on the facility and provides a great opportunity to teach the children through example about the importance of lighting energy efficiency.
 
The energy conservation measure included rewiring sixteen fixtures and replacing existing lamps with low-energy consuming LED fixtures. Five photocells, which respond to daylight, were also installed to control these fixtures.

With the help of Catamount Constructors and Sturgeon Electric Company, the club improved their energy efficiency by a significant margin. Catamount Constructors provided the materials and Sturgeon Electric donated their time and labor to make the professional installations possible.

The NAIOP Colorado committee that came together to make this possible comprised of a wide range of expertise. The team believed in the importance of helping the Boys and Girls Club, with an emphasis on sustainable practices. Members of this committee include Stephen Sanders of First American Title Insurance Company, Ben Woolf of The Conscience Bay Company, Jason Newcomer of Diversified Consulting Solutions, Lisa Kissler of Catamount Constructors, JD Praeger of Gensler, Sumaya Vanderhorst of Snell & Wilmer, Jeff Kroll of Frontier Renewal, and Karen Van Heukelem of Colorado Hardscapes.

NAIOP Colorado would like to thank Catamount and Sturgeon for providing the knowledge, materials, and labor to complete this project. NAIOP gives back to the community by helping to educate and shed light on a sustainable future.

To learn more about The Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver, visit: http://www.bgcmd.org/

The Sponsors:
Catamount Constructors: www.catamountconstructors.com
Sturgeon Electric Company: http://www.myrgroup.com/

Don’t miss the Premiere Commercial Real Estate Event of the Year!

Submitted by Leanne Toler, 2011 RMREC Chair

The 9th Annual NAIOP Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge takes place on May 3rd at the Denver Marriott City Center.  The Challenge is a dinner and competition event with over 600 commercial real estate professionals in attendance.  It is a great place to network and meet established real estate professionals from Denver and Colorado.

The Challenge brings together the best and the brightest real estate students from the University of Denver and the University of Colorado’s master’s programs, to compete to be named the best developers for Nine Mile Station, an urban in-fill TOD site at I-225 and Parker Road.  Come see the re-development plans to turn this blighted shopping center into a thriving live-eat-work-shop urban hub.

The Challenge is a complex 4-month real estate project undertaken by real estate and MBA programs at University of Colorado and University of Denver.  It is sponsored by John Buckley, owner of Nine Mile Station, and includes involvement from City of Aurora, RTD, hundreds of real estate professions all across Denver and Aurora and the support of Colorado NAIOP Chapter.

Come, network and watch the exciting presentations.

NAIOP Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge, Tuesday May 3rd, networking starts at 5pm.

2 hours of Real Estate Continuing Education credits are awarded for attending.
Tickets and tables are now on sale, click here for more information or call 303-782-0155.

You can also join the group on LinkedIn at “NAIOP Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge” for event and competition updates.

SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS COUNCIL OF COLORADO: A GROUNDBREAKING MODEL FOR COLLABORATION IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Chapter organizes the state’s largest alliance of building industry associations

CONTACT:    Jessica Pascoe
                        U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Chapter
                        (303) 292-6182
                        jessica@usgbccolorado.org

DENVER, Colorado –  The Sustainable Buildings Council of Colorado (SBCC) is an alliance of building industry associations that meets regularly in order to maintain productive communication between organizations working to improve Colorado's new and existing built environments. A former U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Chapter board member championed the SBCC initiative in order to help better serve a growing community of professionals in search of educational opportunities.  

“Sustainability at its root is all about being efficient with our resources.  This ‘council of councils’ is intent on bringing the industry together to work more efficiently with our own resources in pursuit of our common interest in sustainability within Colorado's built environment.  The collective efforts of the SBCC will be both more efficient and more effective than what could occur independently,” Mike Lowell, SBCC Chair, said.

SBCC chose to organize the collaboration around a common theme that united all of the organization’s respective members: sustainability. A shared calendar is just one example of how SBCC will strive to minimize the gaps and overlaps in the available information and education throughout Colorado’s building industry.  For further information go to www.sbccolorado.org.

The mission statement of the Council is:

“The Sustainable Buildings Council of Colorado (SBCC) is an alliance of industry associations that is focused upon the Colorado built environment.  Its mission is to provide a conduit for resources and education that fosters cooperation and collaboration for a sustainable Colorado.”

The Council membership currently includes the following partners:

Colorado Chapter, American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
Colorado Component, American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Colorado Chapter, American Planning Association (APA)
Rocky Mountain Chapter, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
Colorado Chapter, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
Colorado Chapter,  Associated General Contractors (AGC)
Denver Metro Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA)
Colorado Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) 
Colorado Chapter, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)
Colorado Chapter, Urban Land Institute (ULI)
Colorado Chapter, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

ReENERGYze Your Real Estate Education Series Wraps Up!

by Blair Daniels, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

The fifth and final session in NAIOP Colorado's "ReENERGYze Your Real Estate" Education Series, held on September 22, 2010 at ProLogis, focused on the myriad of public policy, legislative and regulatory issues affecting the future of renewable energy, advanced biofuels, climate change initiatives and clean technology from a global, national and statewide perspective. 

David Bernhardt, a Shareholder in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck's Washington D.C. office and member of the firm's Natural Resources, Government Relations and Litigation practice groups, discussed the inherent challenges of drafting meaningful renewable energy legislation based on the numerous stakeholders working in the United States Congress, the White House and related federal agencies and explained the "life cycle" of the most recent renewable energy legislation passed by the United States Congress.  Additionally, David provided insight as to the potential effect of the November 2010 election on future renewable energy legislation. 

Mike McAdams, President of the American Biofuels Association and Policy Director in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck's Washington D.C. office, discussed the diverse array of second generation biofuel technologies and the need for the federal government to promulgate functional, fair policy initiatives to support the further development of such technologies.  David and Mike encouraged attendees to engage in a lively question and answer session, where the group focused on public policy and international issues related to renewable energy and solutions for the future.  Attendees were urged to participate in influencing policy decisions by joining NAIOP-Colorado's Legislative Affairs Committee, contributing to its Common Cents Fund and supporting NAIOP's lobbying efforts in Washington D.C. through their membership dues and contributions.   

Addressing the Real Estate Needs of the Renewable Energy Economy

By John V. Miller, First American Title Insurance Co.

The fourth session of NAIOP-Colorado’s Educational Series “How to ReENERGYze Your Real Estate” addressed the real estate needs of the Renewable Energy Industry. Erik Abrahamson of CB Richard Ellis, Dan Belin of Ecology and Environment, and Greg Vallin of Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck discussed market trends, critical information about siting of generation and transmission facilities, and tips for streamlining the zoning permitting and land use processes.

Erik Abrahamson’s presentation focused on recent deal activity and trends in the marketplace. He cited statistics that point to ever increasing demand for energy in the years to come and linked that phenomenon with real estate absorption in Colorado, thanks, in part, to policies designed to foster a “New Energy Economy.” Erik showed the clear connection between growing energy needs and the demand for real estate from the Renewable Energy Industry, demonstrating that economic factors are driving growth of renewable energy providers as well as their need for space. Click Here to read Erik's presentation.

Dan Belin discussed the practical considerations in siting renewable and non-renewable energy developments and transmission facilities and mapped the labyrinth of the Federal, state, and local permitting process. Dan demonstrated that, while the permitting process is rife with pitfalls, it can be expedited. Early coordination, consultation, and communication with key stakeholders, along with an understanding of the regulatory environment, will make or break a project. It was invaluable information for anyone considering an energy related project.  Click Here to see Dan's presentation.

Greg Vallin brought elements of Erik’s and Dan’s presentations together in a discussion that weighed the regulatory and policy considerations that make Colorado a great place to do business if you are in the renewable energy industry against the growing “Not In My Backyard” sentiment found in many communities across the country, Colorado included. He discussed the state and local incentives that are driving activity, the state of Colorado’s policy decisions that have expedited the development process, and practical considerations when putting a project together. Click Here to view Greg's presentation.

The speakers delivered three excellent presentations that captured the difficulty and the opportunity offered to real estate practitioners as they meet the needs of the Renewable Energy Industry.

Project Finance Opportunities in Energy Generation

By Greg Johnson, Patton Boggs, LLP

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of project finance opportunities for energy generation.  In part, these developments have been the result of an increased public awareness of the desire for energy independence, and a desire for cleaner sources of energy.  This has created opportunities to increase demand for clean-burning natural gas to fuel large central power plants for generating electricity throughout the U.S., and for applying wind and solar technology to generate electricity.  As a result, Patton Boggs represents and works with many developers of electrical generation and transmission facilities, and financial institutions, which are involved in construction and financing of projects using a variety of state and federal assistance to access the capital markets.  The new finance and regulatory environment has made it possible to finance generation and transmission facilities on a more cost effective basis.

Build Green, Save Green - Energy Tax Deductions Benefit More Than Building Owners

By Lee H. Johnson, CPA, CCIFP
Clifton Gunderson LLP

High energy costs have always been an incentive for improving the energy efficiency of commercial buildings. Now the threat of global climate change and record-high costs has ratcheted up the urgency of efforts by the government to promote energy-conscious building practices.

Federal tax deductions passed in 2005 give commercial property owners, and in some cases architects, engineers and contractors, generous allowances for the construction or renovation of energy-efficient commercial buildings.

That’s good news for property owners and the environment. Additional good news is that this law doesn’t expire until after 2013.

High Performance Building Program - Request for Applications

From the Colorado Governor's Energy Office, there is a new grant opportunity that provides Recovery Act funding for soft costs associated with achieving High Performance Design for partners accepted into the High Performance Building Program.  Funds can be used for such tasks as enhanced commissioning, third-party building rating system certification costs, energy modeling as a design tool, and other fees that might otherwise prevent a partner from utilizing these services to their full extent.  For more information about this request for applications, click here and look under "August Grants."

June ReENERGYze Series Focused on Renewable Energy Profits

Submitted by Drew Torbin, Vice President – Renewable Energy, ProLogis

The second session of the NAIOP “How to ReENERGYze Your Real Esate” series focused on the opportunities in photovoltaics from a landlord’s perspective.  Representatives from  ProLogis gave a detailed overview of the market demand drivers, the approach that ProLogis has taken, some project case studies and the technical considerations for a project.

Wayne Barrett, Vice President and Market Officer for ProLogis, kicked off the session by introducing the crowd to the company, the markets they are active in and the type of product they build.  He then passed the microphone to Drew Torbin, so that he could take the group through the macro demand drivers in the industry.  Mr. Torbin touched on the need for an inexhaustible, cheap, clean source of energy and the country’s current strategy to achieve this.  Building on that concept, Torbin next discussed the solar supply chain and real estate’s role in it.  Given that most other constraints have been or are in the process of being removed, real estate is emerging as the predominant bottle neck in many of these projects.  An active and educated real estate sector can have a positive impact on the efforts in this space.  Next, Torbin covered the typical ownership structures of these projects and the roles played by each stakeholder.  Additional time was spent explaining the landlord and construction management roles that ProLogis plays.  Mr. Torbin concluded by talking through a few of ProLogis’ projects and one in-depth case study. 

Matt Singleton, Vice President – Renewable Energy at ProLogis, took over at this point.  He built upon what was previously discussed by walking the audience through ProLogis’ Spain tranche I project.  Next, he went through an in-depth technical explanation of photovoltaics.  Matt covered the history of the technology, the different types of modules, the make up of a typical system, the other balance of system components, some example pricing and even discussed cell efficiency and his view of what the future may hold.  

To conclude, the ProLogis representatives took questions from the attendees.  Most questions centered around policy and other macro drivers with a few audience members keying in on projects that held specific interest for them.  Click Here to see copies of the event presentations.