Commercial Property News - October 2008 - (Page 15)

CONFERENCES MARKET INTELLIGENCE Expansion City: Population, Job Growth Fuel Dallas Activity T his year, CPN’s Dallas-Fort Worth Property Opportunities conference, held on Aug. 26, examined a commercial real estate sector buoyed by population and job growth though not immune to the economic slowdown. Downtown Dallas continues to expand, as Ted Hamilton, president of Hamilton Properties Corp., discussed during the opening keynote address. Hamilton, whose company specializes in redeveloping old buildings, pointed to the increased desire of Metroplex residents to live in vibrant, urban settings, instead of place—no debt,” noted Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. managing director Jack Minter, though GE Real Estate regional director Lance Wright noted his company has both debt and equity to invest. Foreign investors are also in the market. Minter recommended sticking to smaller deals with smaller bid-ask spreads. And Stephannie Mower, executive vice president & managing director of investment services for PM Realty Group L.P., pointed to deals offered by special servicers. —Reach senior editor Eugene Gilligan at eugene.gilligan@nielsen.com & editor-in-chief Suzann D. Silverman at suzann.silverman@nielsen.com. no time outs! Keynote Speaker Ted Hamilton homogeneous suburban settings. Downtown will host 4,000 apartments by the end of 2009,he noted. Developers are also finding success with mixed-use projects throughout the Metroplex. And while Hillwood is focusing on office more than retail at Victory and Trammell Crow Co.is emphasizing residential in such projects as Addison Circle, developers and users are learning to appreciate the financial and time savings of livework-play environments. Green development also offers opportunities, given the healthier working environment and energy savings, but landlords and tenants are still learning how much operational costs can be reduced by building green, according to the “How Green Is My Office?” panel. The Dallas-Forth Worth investment market has likewise seen activity, but capital markets panelists acknowledged the difficulty entailed in successfully closing deals. “There is a tremendous amount of equity in the market- PANATTONI ® www.cpnonline.com • October 2008 • Commercial Property News 15 http://www.panattoni.com http://www.panattoni.com http://www.cpnonline.com

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CPN - October 2008 Contents Starting Line Industrial Data/Analysis Conferences Chicago Market Profile Finance International Title Insurance Brokerage Corporate Report

Commercial Property News - October 2008

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