Retail Brokers Network (RBN) Names Chris Abadie 2018 President
The Retail Brokers Network (RBN), one of the nation’s largest retail real estate networking groups, has selected Chris Abadie, Stirling Properties’ Vice President & Manager of Commercial Brokerage, as its 2018 President. He assumed office on January 1, 2018 and will serve for a one-year term.
As President, Abadie will be responsible for helping grow the RBN brand, representing RBN at industry related events, recruiting new RBN brokerage offices, and facilitating education, networking, and sharing of brokerage “Best Practices” between the 65+ RBN member offices.
This year, RBN plans to expand the organization by adding affiliated members in major metropolitan markets, as well as in underserved markets across North America. Also, it plans to increase business for members through the coast to coast platform.
“I am honored to have been chosen to serve as RBN President for 2018 and to support our mission of growth for the organization,” said Abadie. “With the dynamic changes to retail real estate across the country, it is more important than ever to have trusted advisors who are the experts in their fields and the geography in which they operate. At RBN, we are fortunate to have a powerful network of independent brokerage companies to rely on. Through that network, our members can offer adept guidance on the real estate needs of clients locally, regionally, and nationally.”
Abadie manages Stirling Properties’ Commercial Brokerage Division and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of commercial operations throughout each of the company’s brokerage offices. His focus includes directing sales efforts, new business development, and recruitment and training of new agents.
Abadie is affiliated with ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) and holds the designations of Certified Retail Property Executive (CRX), Certified Leasing Specialist (CLS), and Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). He is a member of the Louisiana CCIM Chapter, the Commercial Investment Division (CID) of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR), and RBN.
He served as the 2017 President-Elect of RBN and as a member of the National Executive Committee, Tenant Council, Investment Sales Council, and Southeast Regional Council. Abadie also serves on the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, as well as the Workforce Development Board serving St. Tammany, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines Parishes.
Stirling Properties Announces Louisiana’s #1 Megasite For Future Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics
More than 6,000 contiguous acres primed for development in St. Tammany Parish.
Stirling Properties announces that Bilten Park has been named Louisiana’s #1 megasite for future advanced manufacturing and logistics. Strategically located at the intersection of Interstate 12 and LA Hwy. 434 on the Northshore of the greater New Orleans area, this 6,031-acre site was recently opened for sale/lease and development opportunities. Stirling Properties and CBRE are co-listing the property.
Bilten Park is a premier location for local and national business relocation and growth and is primed to support a diversity of future users. The development-ready site offers unsurpassed amenities such as intermodal accessibility—including 3.5-linear miles of frontage along Interstate 12, proximity to numerous major markets, a regionally unmatched labor force, quality employer base, and superior quality of life. Future infrastructure additions are planned for the site.
As part of the greater New Orleans region, St. Tammany Parish boasts a healthy and cost-effective climate for conducting business. Additionally, the area’s nationally recognized school system, first-rate medical facilities, large population density, and high median income make the community an attractive destination for companies of every size.
Louisiana Economic Development Secretary, Don Pierson, said, “At Louisiana Economic Development, our goal is to secure quality jobs for our citizens, retain and grow companies with existing Louisiana operations, and attract new investments to our state. As we engage in recruitment efforts, development-ready sites are a critical component of success. Today, investors make decisions quickly, and communities must have construction-ready sites. The Bilten Park site is strategically located to provide ready access to logistical infrastructure assets. From highways and railways to pipelines, ports, and airports, Louisiana’s infrastructure advantages are second to none. The Bilten Park site location can also count on the impressive workforce capacity available in St. Tammany Parish and the surrounding area. We are confident it will yield a significant new regional investment.”
Bradley Cook, Sales & Leasing Executive with Stirling Properties, said, “Our local amenities and culture enhance the appeal of this future developments’ success. The quality of life in the New Orleans area is incomparable. We enjoy a year-round calendar of events along with a vibrant art, music, and recreational scene. This site offers much more than a place to do business; it is truly a place to call home! We anticipate ample interest in this unique development opportunity in the usage of office parks, logistics centers, manufacturing facilities, healthcare services, etc. in the near future—from both local and national industries.”
For sales and leasing information, contact Bradley Cook at (985) 246-3720 / bcook@stirlingprop.com, Darin Gosda at (713) 577-1819 / darin.gosda@cbre.com, or Bill Boyer at (713) 881-0919 / bill.boyer@cbre.com.
Stirling Properties Is Pre-Leasing Offices At Spanish Fort Town Center
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pre-leasing Offices at Spanish Fort Town Center, a proposed Class-A office building to be located within the Spanish Fort Town Center mixed-use development in Spanish Fort, Alabama. The offices will be situated along Bass Pro Drive on the east side of the center.
The proposed Offices at Spanish Fort Town Center includes the construction of a 2-story office building consisting of roughly 44,000 square feet. The building will feature state-of-the-art construction, efficient floor configurations, and ample surface parking. Adjacent land is available for additional office development phases to meet expansion requirements and demand.
Stirling Properties currently handles leasing for Spanish Fort Town Center. The proposed office development would be owned and managed by the company. Since opening its Mobile office in 2014, Stirling Properties remains committed to expanding its footprint in South Alabama and the surrounding region.
“The Offices at Spanish Fort Town Center will be a great addition to the area. It will be located within walking distance of abundant amenities that already exist as part of the overall Spanish Fort Town Center mixed-use development. This is a great example of the live, work, play development model that is becoming attractive to many companies and employees,” said Jeff Barnes, CCIM, Broker with Stirling Properties.
Spanish Fort Town Center, anchored by Bass Pro Shops, Kohl’s, JCPenney, Urban Air, Fairfield Inn, and Courtyard by Marriot, is a 230-acre premier master-planned development located at the intersection of Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 98 in Baldwin County. The center includes 450,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, an apartment community, hotels, banks, and entertainment options.
Stirling Properties has a diverse portfolio of retail, office, mixed-use, healthcare, and hospitality developments and managed properties across the Gulf South region. The company recently developed a similar office product—Offices at River Chase—in the River Chase mixed-use center located in Covington, Louisiana.
For Offices at Spanish Fort Town Center leasing information, contact Jeff Barnes, CCIM, at (251) 375-2496 / jbarnes@stirlingprop.com or Angie McArthur at (251) 375-2481 / amcarthur@stirlingprop.com.
Stirling Properties is located at One St. Louis Centre, 1 St. Louis Street, Suite 4100 in Mobile, Alabama.
DXC Technology Signs Lease For Office Space In New Orleans
Stirling Properties Brokers Deal At 1615 Poydras Street
Stirling Properties was recently part of the brokerage team that landed DXC Technology in its new office location in New Orleans, Louisiana. DXC Technology has reached a lease agreement for multiple floors of the Freeport McMoRan Building located at 1615 Poydras Street, across from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in the city’s Central Business District. Gaines Seaman, Stirling Properties’ Sales & Leasing Executive, represented the building owner in the transaction.
DXC Technology will initially occupy two floors of the building and is expected to begin operations in January of 2018. The company has future options to lease up to 10 floors representing a total of 178,000 square feet of commercial space. Freeport McMoRan Inc. will continue to maintain a major presence in the building and in New Orleans, according to a release issued by Louisiana Economic Development (LED).
The Freeport McMoRan Building will house the permanent operations for DXC Technology’s new Digital Transformation Center in New Orleans, where the company will eventually employ 2,000 professionals in one of the largest economic development deals in the history of Louisiana.
The announcement that DXC Technology had selected New Orleans to establish its Digital Transformation Center was regionally celebrated back in November. This economic development win further solidifies the emergence of New Orleans as one of the top cities for young professionals to live and work, and reinforces the momentum of our area as a major technology hub. Stirling Properties is proud to have been a part of this historic accomplishment for our region.
#StirlingProud
Shreveport-Bossier City Retail Market Survey Mid-Year 2017
Stirling Properties is pleased to present the Shreveport-Bossier City Retail Market Survey for the Mid-Year of 2017.
This report, compiled by Stacy Odom and Karen McElroy, Broker Associates of our Shreveport office, is intended to give the reader a broad understanding of the market as well as specific information about the available square footage, occupancy and rental rates of each retail center greater than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet. It was created to be a resource for agents as well as tenants, landlords, developers, lenders, fellow brokers and anyone else looking for information about the Shreveport-Bossier City retail market.
Retail Market Assessment
Recent years have brought a new level of grocery competition with the opening of two (2) Kroger Marketplaces, Whole Foods, and a number of Walmart Neighborhood Markets to the Shreveport-Bossier City area. Also notable for 2017 has been the addition of two (2), new home goods retailers, At Home and HomeGoods. The location of these two (2) additional soft goods stores continues to solidify the importance of Youree Drive, Shreveport’s major retail corridor. Also, T.J.Maxx has opened its second location in the MSA along Bossier City’s major retail corridor, Airline Drive. There continues to be an influx of new food concepts entering the Shreveport–Bossier City MSA. So far this year, our market has seen new openings of Chicken Salad Chick, la Madeleine, First Watch, The Halal Guys, Pita Pit and Larry’s Pizza. FD’s Grillhouse, Pizza Rev, and CC’s Coffee House stores are under construction. Additionally, the openings of locally run restaurants are on the rise and occupying available, second generation spaces.
Stirling Properties Highlights Leading Ladies In Commercial Real Estate!
Last month, several Team Stirling Properties members were acknowledged and awarded for their successes and contributions to the Gulf South commercial real estate industry.
Melissa Warren, CCIM, Sales & Leasing Executive, was selected by the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® (NOMAR) Commercial Investment Division (CID) as a member of its governing Board of Directors. Warren is one of only three women to hold this post. She will assume the position on January 1, 2018, and serve for a two-year term.
Warren has provided commercial real estate advisory services for more than 16 years, with a focus on industrial, office, and retail sales and leasing, as well as tenant and landlord representation. She was awarded the Top Producer Ruby Award by the Gulf Coast Association of Realtors (GCAR) for completing the largest number of commercial transactions on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and inducted into the Top Producer Round Table for lifetime achievement. She is a graduate of Mississippi State University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree. She is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), NOMAR CID, CCIM Institute, Louisiana Chapter of CCIM, and ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers).
Carly Plotkin, Sales & Leasing Executive, was awarded a $1,500 NOMAR CID Education Scholarship. The scholarships are designed to help individual CID members increase their knowledge and education in the fields of commercial and industrial real estate. The scholarship may be applied to courses from many different providers (i.e., CCIM, SIOR, IREM, LR, UNO, etc). She is one of only three recipients awarded this year.
Plotkin joined Stirling Properties in 2016. Her primary focus is on tenant and landlord representation, as well as a strong interest in the retail and hospitality market. She has worked with national, regional, and local clients in both marketing and leasing capacities. She was the recipient of the 2017 “Rising Star Award” at the NOMAR CID Annual Achievement Awards ceremony. She is an active member of ICSC and holds the position of Next Generation State Chair for Louisiana. She is also a member of the Retail Brokers Network (RBN), and serves as RBN’s NextGen Southeast Committee Chair. Plotkin is a graduate of Tulane University with a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Behavior/Marketing and Management.
Rhonda Sharkawy, Senior Retail Leasing & Development Executive, was recognized in New Orleans CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Network’s member spotlight for the month of November. New Orleans CREW Network is the premier commercial real estate association in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area for women from all disciplines of commercial real estate.
Sharkawy joined Stirling Properties in 1998, and has commercial experience working with new retail developments, redevelopments, and leasing of existing shopping centers. In addition, she represents over a dozen national retailers throughout Louisiana. She is a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans with a bachelor’s degree, and a master’s degree in Land & Real Estate Development. She also completed coursework for a master’s degree in Construction Science from Texas A&M University. Sharkawy is active in ICSC and serves on Loyola University’s Board of Trustees. She has been inducted into the National Association of REALTORS® Commercial Hall of Fame for having the highest volume of transactions in the marketplace for at least 5 years. She is one of only three inductees in the Hall of Fame, and the only woman to achieve this distinguished honor.
These women are truly leaders in the commercial real estate industry and are serving as trailblazers for others in the business. A recent study commissioned by CREW Network tracks 10 years of progress for women in a traditionally male-dominated industry. The report found that women in commercial real estate are more satisfied with their career progression than they were a decade ago, a substantial leap for the industry. Successes included more women filling senior vice president, managing director, and partner positions—even women starting their own real estate companies. Women in commercial real estate have achieved equal or close-to-equal standing as men in many aspects. (Read the full report HERE.)
While there is still much work to do, progress is happening. We are proud of our Stirling Properties’ team and all the women who are making a difference in commercial real estate!
#StirlingProud
