Bisnow has been busting out the mayors for you: Our recent Oakland, Baltimore, and Denver State of the Market summits were all keynoted by the local head honchos. (Plural: Hizzonii?) Above, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock highlighted how his city is one of the premier growth markets. The crowd of 350 agreed, saying the Denver commercial real estate economy is back to a 7 or 8 (with 2007 being a 10 and 2009 being a 1).
400 attendees saw Oakland Mayor Jean Quan flaunt her city’s titles: Top turnaround city, home to the fastest-selling homes in the US, and No. 5 best city for attracting VC. She’s particularly proud of Oakland’s international prowess, noting the $1.5B Chinese investment for the Brooklyn Basin project—a signature property on the water. The restaurant scene isn’t too bad either; "If you’re a foodie like me,” she says, this is the place to be. (We'll just have to do extensive research on that and get back to you.)
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake celebrated progress toward her goal of 10,000 new families in the city: 4,200 housing units have been created in Baltimore City since 2010, and 3,700 are in the pipeline. (So tell your kids to move out already.) Apartment development and conversion incentives should keep the momentum going, but a city can't grow unless the people who already live there have a reason to stay. Hers: She'll continue to cut residential property taxes; the City is issuing RFPs for City-owned properties in the Bromo Arts District; and her administration has $1.1B lined up for school construction.
