The most tangible emergency was probably the need for a refill, so a tabletop exercise was used to get everyone focused. In it, everyone shared experiences of previous critical events. One desired outcome was for building operators to come up with policies and procedures in anticipation of a disaster.

Brian Boerner, City of Fort Worth director of environmental management, explained the Community Right to Know Act(designed to protect the community and responders) and the Hazard Communication Act (protects employees). He says these aren’t just government requirements to trudge through; they come back to your bottom line: Managing inventory and protecting your workers will bring economic dividends.

Blackmon Mooring consultant Christy Floyd says her disaster recovery company advises the CRE sector to plan ahead. Centra Partners property manager Gisela Stern Balsley manages four properties in Arlington and Fort Worth. She tells us three of the four are almost at capacity.

When this Bisnow reporter attended TCC, she didn’t have views like this, or the swanky amenities including highbrow art on the walls. (Also: uphill both ways, in the snow, etc...) More than a year after TCC made the $238 million purchase of Radio Shack’s HQ, the college still shares space with the retail giant and reaps the great view (like this from a hallway looking toward the Trinity River).

Campus president Tahita Fulkerson with Cook Children’s Gary Brown and David Hollar. Tahita says when TCC acquired the building, it was nothing but a sea of cubicles, but the location was ideal for TCC to serve inner city students who depend on the bus. More than 1,000 students (who have never attended college) have already enrolled for spring classes, she says.