Beware the Broad Brush
There has been much debate in the media this week about Donald Trump’s taxes and the need for Congress to overhaul America’s tax system. In yesterday’s editorial debate of the USA Today, the editorial board makes its point for real estate tax policy reform and the overly generous tax benefits received by commercial real estate property owners.
The opposing viewpoint, authored by Real Estate Roundtable President and CEO, Jeff DeBoer, emphasizes that all business investments, including real estate, be allowed to recover its capital investment cost through depreciation and amortization. He goes on to point out that it is irresponsible to specifically target the tax structure of the real estate industry, which accounts for a large percentage of America’s jobs and economic activity.
The current value of the US commercial real estate investment is approximately $6.0 trillion, leveraged conservatively at approximately 55% (over $2.7 trillion of equity; $3.3 trillion of debt). This investment is responsible for billions of dollars in economic activity, supports approximately 9 million American jobs, and contributes 13% of the nation’s gross domestic product. Real estate activity accounts for nearly 25% of the taxes collected at all levels of government, including income, property and sales taxes. Property taxes alone constitute 40% of the state and local tax base. Taxes derived from real estate ownership and transfer represent the largest source, which in some cases, is approximately 70% of local tax revenues, helping to pay for schools, roads, law enforcement and other essential public services.
Further, the US real estate industry is an inherently domestic product that cannot be offshored through inversions or other tax schemes. If Congress does take on Tax Reform in 2017, it should be noted that much of our country’s real estate investment is made locally by individuals seeking solid, long-term returns with a desire to improve their neighborhoods and serve the communities in which they live.
Let’s not use Mr. Trump’s personal tax situation as a means to hurt our local communities and our nation’s economy by using a broad brush approach!
Stirling Properties Welcomes Northern Tool + Equipment To Lake Charles, Louisiana
Stirling Properties is pleased to welcome Northern Tool + Equipment to Park Plaza in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The company will be located at 3131 Gerstner Memorial Drive and plans to open in November of 2016.
Park Plaza Shopping Center is a 172,949-square-foot multi-tenant, neighborhood retail and restaurant center located at the intersection of I-210 and LA-14 in Lake Charles’ retail hub. Northern Tool + Equipment will join a great mix of established local and national retailers, including Family Dollar, Save-A-Lot, Altitude Trampoline Park, Citi Trends, Osaka Hibachi Restaurant, Beauty Supply, Louisiana Wireless, L.A. Fashions, Liberty Tax, Subway, EZ Checkloans and Sam’s Southern Eatery.
Stirling Properties Sales and Leasing Executive, Seth Citron, handled the lease transaction with Clay Mote of Dallas-based Venture Commercial. Northern Tool + Equipment will occupy 19,109 square feet in the former Conn’s space. This will mark the third Louisiana location for the company.
Family-owned and operated for more than 35 years, Northern Tool + Equipment has grown into a billion-dollar company with 95 stores in 19 states nationwide. It provides over 40,000 carefully chosen tools via catalogs, website and retail stores. The Northern Tool + Equipment store in Lake Charles will offer Louisiana residents a wide selection of portable generators, pressure washers, air compressors, power tools, welding equipment and many more quality equipment products, as well as a complete line of emergency storm supplies.
Lake Charles has recently made headlines as a major growth leader in southwest Louisiana, driven by massive industrial projects. According to recent reports, Lake Charles’ economy grew 8.3%, the 3rd-fastest in the nation, and job growth and sales taxes are exceeding the national average. This progression is quickly attracting new retail developments and tenants to the market.
“Lake Charles is one of the hottest areas in the state with upwards of $80 billion in anticipated industrial projects driving significant growth and job opportunities,” said Citron. “This is an exciting time for progress, and we are starting to see major retailers taking notice. Stirling Properties is proud to be a part of that growth, and to have the opportunity to help bring quality retailers to the area.”
For sales or leasing information, contact Seth Citron at scitron@stirlingprop.com or (337) 572-0273.
Ambassador Town Center 100% Leased!
Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. welcome four new tenants to Ambassador Town Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. Developers are pleased to announce the center is now 100% leased!
5 Star Nutrition has leased 1,759 square feet of space, with an anticipated opening in November. This marks the company’s 2nd location in south Louisiana, and 5th location for the state.
Orangetheory Fitness will occupy 3,300 square feet and is expected to open in December. This will be the 4th Louisiana location for the company.
Sprint will occupy 1,286 square feet and anticipates opening later this year.
Newly leased I Love Juice Bar is celebrating its 1st Louisiana location. It will occupy 1,250 square feet and also plans to open later this year.
Rounding out the tenants, previously announced Just 4 Him Men’s Haircut Lounge celebrated its grand opening last week, and Half Shell Oyster House is still on track to open next month. They join 30 other retailers and restaurants that call the shopping center home, including anchor tenants Costco Wholesale and Dick’s Sporting Goods/Field & Stream. Last month, developers also installed a public walking/jogging trail at the site for community use.
“The growth of Ambassador Town Center since its opening six months ago is impressive,” stated Michael Lebovitz, executive vice president, development and administration, CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. “We’re thrilled to add additional national names like Orangetheory Fitness – one of the fastest growing fitness franchises in the country – to our line-up and continue to offer the Lafayette community a vibrant and dynamic lifestyle destination.
“We are extremely proud of the success at Ambassador Town Center,” said Townsend Underhill, Senior Vice President of Development for Stirling Properties. “Getting a retail center of this size 100% leased within 6 months of its grand opening is a huge accomplishment in any community. The progress of this center truly represents the strength of the Lafayette market, especially during this challenging economic time.”
Ambassador Town Center is a roughly 60-acre premier regional shopping and entertainment destination, as well as a vital economic contributor to the area. With more than 430,000 square feet of retail space, the center offers a great variety of national and local shopping and dining options. Most of the retailers opened at Ambassador Town Center are either first-time locations within Lafayette or Louisiana, or both.
Located at the southeast corner of Lafayette’s ‘main-at-main’ intersection, Ambassador Caffery Parkway & Kaliste Saloom Road, the development also includes 5 Star Nutrition, Avalon Salon & Spa, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Blaze Pizza, Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant, Costco Gasoline, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Five Below, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Half Shell Oyster House, I Love Juice Bar, Just 4 Him Men’s Haircut Lounge, Marshalls/HomeGoods, Nordstrom Rack, Off Broadway Shoes, Orangetheory Fitness, Panda Express, Panera Bread, PetSmart, Phone Zone, Professor Bob Beans Coffee Bar & Ice Cream Lab, Red Robin, Sprint, Subway, Tao Asian Cuisine, World of Beer and Verizon.
Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. formed a joint venture to develop the center, and construction began in January of 2015. The companies currently manage and lease the property. Ambassador Town Center has been credited with creating approximately 2,200 construction jobs, roughly 1,700 permanent jobs and nearly $9 million annually in sales taxes for the City of Lafayette.
Stirling Properties Names Justin Landry Vice President Of Finance
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pleased to announce that Justin Landry has been promoted to Vice President of Finance. Landry is a leader in the company’s Baton Rouge office located at 8550 United Plaza Boulevard, Suite 300.
Landry joined Stirling Properties in 2007 and is responsible for evaluating the economic feasibility of new development opportunities for the company. He serves as the lead on all development proforma and financial modeling. In addition, he is lead on debt placement for new developments and refinancing in preparing and soliciting permanent loan packages, and negotiating those loans with lenders. Landry is also asset manager in charge of the company’s entire multi-family portfolio throughout Louisiana.
“Justin is an integral part of our Stirling Properties team, and this promotion is well-deserved,” said Townsend Underhill, Senior Vice President of Development for Stirling Properties. “He has assisted in the placement of more than $1 billion of interim and permanent financing, and has significantly aided with the recent development of Ambassador Town Center. He’s played a key role in major acquisitions such as Turtle Creek Crossing, Retreat at Acadian Point, and Ansley Place, just to name a few. He is certainly worthy of this recognition, and we are proud of his success.”
Landry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Louisiana State University. He is an active member of ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers). He currently sits on the ICSC Scholarship Committee, and is former Committee Chair for ICSC’s Next Generation – Louisiana Chapter. In addition, he serves as an instructor at Louisiana State University teaching Finance 7720 (Commercial Real Estate Investing). Justin Landry can be reached at (225) 922-4340 or
Justin Landry can be reached at (225) 922-4340 or jclandry@stirlingprop.com.
Stirling Properties Brokers Acquisition for The Learning Tree, Inc. in Mobile, Alabama
Stirling Properties is pleased to announce the sale of property to The Learning Tree, Inc. in Mobile, Alabama, that will be used to house office and support staff, as well as allow for future school expansion.
The property is located at 5451 Able Court in Mobile, adjacent to The Learning Tree’s current facility, and was purchased from F&S. The acquisition includes four existing office/warehouse buildings totaling 15,190 square feet. With the new location, office and support staff will now be located next door to the school facility, rather than across town, creating a much more efficient and effective operation. They plan to occupy the space early 2017.
Nathan Handmacher, Stirling Properties Senior Sales & Leasing Executive in Mobile, handled the transaction. “My son attended Woody’s Song School, which is a program of The Learning Tree, so this transaction was rather personal and fulfilling for me,” said Handmacher. “I’m thrilled that we were able to help the school acquire this property that will streamline their operations, so they can continue to focus on the great work they do for the young people in our community.” Handmacher also volunteers for The Learning Tree and serves on the Board of Trustees for the group.
The Learning Tree is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational, residential and support services for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities, including autism. Programs are designed to help children lead more fulfilling and rewarding lives.
Access to educational opportunities and support services for families and children with developmental disabilities is crucial for their success and growth. In addition, educational expansion leads to economic development and increased job opportunities within the community.
The Learning Tree serves more than 600 children and families from across the state of Alabama and the southeast region of the United States. It operates seven programs in the north, central and southern regions of the state including residential and non-residential schools for children ages 5-21, as well as preschool services.
Stirling Properties is proud to serve the commercial real estate needs for Mobile and the surrounding Gulf South region. Stirling Properties manages more than 17 million square feet of property, with close to 100 million square feet of properties and land for sale or lease in the region. We specialize in brokerage services, development & redevelopment opportunities, acquisitions & investments, and property and asset management, over a wide array of property types.
Nathan Handmacher can be reached at nhandmacher@stirlingprop.com or (251) 342-7229.
#StirlingProud
National Association of Realtors (NAR) Names Stirling Properties’ Beth Cristina as Commercial Committee Vice Chair
Stirling Properties’ Senior Broker Associate, Beth Cristina, ALC, has been selected as the 2017 Commercial Committee Vice Chair for the National Association of Realtors (NAR). She will assume the position on January 1st, 2017.
Each year, the incoming NAR president-elect appoints vice chairs to help lead and guide the 1.2 million-member association. Their role is to navigate issues that matter to realtors and home owners, such as economic forces, demographic shifts, and technological innovations that are reshaping the $3.3 trillion residential and commercial real estate industry.
“I am confident and qualified, and bring the right credentials to the job. Having served on NAR commercial committees since 2004, I’m comfortable in the trenches,” said Cristina. “I believe the work of the volunteer leadership team is crucial to the future of our industry. Commercial real estate is consistently changing, and I’m looking forward to leading a committee that will help our members and clients to be successful.”
Ms. Cristina has over thirty-six years of successful experience in commercial real estate sales, leasing, development and investments. Her qualifications include retail and office market analysis, tenant/landlord and purchaser/seller representation, marketing sales, leasing strategies, and consulting services. She has earned numerous awards and recognition throughout her career, including Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Real Estate (2011), Realtor of the Year (2010), and Woman of the Year (2005).
She is affiliated with several business and professional organizations, including Realtor Land Institute (RLI); Louisiana Realtors (LR), where she served as 2015 President; New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR), where she served as 2005 President; and Commercial Investment Division (CID) of NOMAR, where she served as President for 2000 and 2008.
The National Association of Realtors is America’s largest trade association, representing over 1.2 million members, including NAR’s institutes, societies, and councils, involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. Membership is composed of residential and commercial realtors who are brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors, and others engaged in the real estate industry.
Beth Cristina can be reached at (504) 620-8127 or bcristina@stirlingprop.com.
