The State of the Union Is . . .

With the federal stimulus concluded, we’re now at the beginning ofanother chapter—where we're going to cull waste—says JLL managing director of government investor services Joe Brennan(left, with Trammell Crow’s Tom Finan at a Bisnow GSA schmooze).President Obama’s State of the Union address was “great,” he says. “Education and infrastructure are all lofty goals we believe in.” But we have to separate the chatter from what’s really happening, he warns. There are three views on how to package and cut government spending, and when you get to the bone of them, there are political problems with all three. The words government officials use aren’t real, he says—it’s a matter of what they do with those words, such as the call to a federal income freeze.
But what does this mean for commercial real estate? Obama referenced the government selling acres of federal office space that hasn’t been used in years, but Joe notes he hasn’t seen much action on that. “His motives are pure,” he says, “but it takes work,planning, and negotiation.” Pursue government deals in play with vigor, Joe says; we’ll have to watch and see what happens withfuture procurement. He foresees government tenants favoringrenewals over taking new build-to-suit space, and for those who have to move, migration toward existing space, especially in sustainable,transit-oriented downtowns. There will also be a greater focus onspace efficiency, with less SF per person, hoteling, and work-at-home programs.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Related Topics: Joe Brennan , Tom Finan
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's New York Newsletters
Related Stories

Bally's Lines Up $560M Loan For Bronx Casino: The N.Y. Deal Sheet

Data Center Spills 5,000 Gallons Of Fuel Into New Jersey River

Historic Brooklyn Hotel To Be Turned Into Ritz-Carlton-Branded Condos

Downtown Atlanta Improvement Group Picks Food Bank Chief As Next Leader

Trump's DEI Crackdown Is Creating New Risks For Landlords That Lease To The Government

Taconic Partners Sheds Another NYC Life Sciences Property

Oxford Properties' U.S. Investment Head On Why It's Buying Office Again — And Where

Brandon Johnson Seeks Second Term Amid Strained CRE Relationship

25 Years After 9/11, Lower Manhattan Is Finally Firing On All Cylinders

Tishman Speyer Seeks $92M Tax Break For Next Hudson Yards Office Tower

Former CBRE Exec Suing Brokerage Giant Over Age Discrimination, Whistleblower Complaint

D.C. Investor Behind The Stacks Swaps CEO For First Time In 25 Years