Corporate

At some point, we will power down our makeshift home offices and return to the workplace. What that will look like is the subject of much discussion, but many agree that office space will undergo a substantial post-pandemic redesign. Communal tables and benches might become a thing of the past, while the face shields we’ve come to see at the supermarket could take the form of plexiglass dividers between desks. It won’t be the end of collaboration, but it might be the end of the bustling, densely packed “collaboration spaces.”

Boston Real Estate COVID Consortium is creating a toolkit of strategies for workplace design, construction, and management in response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The mission of the consortium is to share knowledge relating to current industry best practices, due diligence, and adapting to changes in codes and regulatory amendments for the post-pandemic working environment.

Exicure, a clinical-stage biotechnology firm, has leased 30,000 sf in The Labs in Chicago. Accommodating headquarters and research operations relocated from Skokie, Ill., the facility will accelerate the creation of innovative therapies for genetic disorders, inflammatory diseases, and cancer. 

Merrick & Company are offering a free webinar on strategies for returning to work during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The one-hour session will begin at 1:00 PM EDT on May 7, 2020.

FM:Systems is offering a webcast detailing five key steps that will enable facilities managers to prepare for the return to the workplace. Delivered by Brian Haines, Vice President of Strategy for FM:Systems, "Strategic Planning When Returning to the Workplace" will air from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM EST on May 7, 2020. 

Key takeaways will include:

Real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield launched the Recovery Readiness Task Force (RRTF) in April of 2020 to lead the development of best practices, products, and partnerships to prepare clients for post-pandemic recovery and the eventual return to the workplace. Drawing on innovative strategies for design, construction, facilities management, and commercial cleaning protocols, the task force will offer a toolkit with step-by-step protocols for tenants and landlords to use as they begin planning the transition back to the workplace.

AMS CAD + CAFM Solutions is offering a webinar on a Phase One approach to leveraging technology to assist in the gradual transition back to the workplace. "How Technology Can Help Transition Back to the Workplace" will review areas of planning an initial return of employees to the workplace and how technology can assist in many areas from seating for social distancing to hoteling and hardware.

New guidance has been released by the U.S. Department of the Treasury which makes Paycheck Protection Program loans available to companies with 500 or fewer employees, as well as to firms that fall below the size standards set by the Small Business Administration. Construction companies, whose status is generally determined by average annual income threshold and not by number of employees, will benefit from this amendment to the previous announcement, which required a business to meet both criteria to be eligible.

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has assembled a task force to address the role of the built environment in reducing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory infections. Aiming to define the critical role that buildings, organizations, and communities play in infectious disease management, the work will take a broad approach in considering both new and recurring agents that can affect large populations.

G|M Business Interiors is offering the Workplace for Breakfast webinar series in April and May of 2020. Topics related to remote working will be explored, including preparation strategies for the return to the physical workplace. Sessions include:

ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, has created an epidemic task force to respond to the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and provide guidance on how to ensure that buildings are prepared for current and future epidemics. The ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force has been established to deploy ASHRAE’s technical resources to address the impact of HVAC systems on disease transmission in healthcare facilities, workplaces, homes, public spaces, and recreational environments.

Crocker Partners is engaged in a $90 million redevelopment of a former IBM site to create the Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC) in Florida. Designed to foster employee engagement and collaboration, the 1.7 million-sf complex will provide Class A office space for life science and technology companies. Sited on 123 acres, the facility will include a conference center with robust audiovisual infrastructure, a business center, a 7,000-sf fitness center, a yoga studio, a catering kitchen, and a 1,200-seat multipurpose dining hall.

FM:Systems is offering a webcast on the use of digital solutions to enhance productivity on May 14, 2020. If you would like to build a smarter workplace, optimize space utilization, and enhance employee experience, FM Systems’ strategies will enable you to leverage connected devices and applications to deliver the flexibility that your staff require. By the end of 2020, mobile workers will account for 75 percent of the total workforce.

The University of South Florida broke ground on a $42 million innovation center in Tampa in March of 2020. Located in the USF Research Park, the 120,000-sf facility will provide researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry partners with leasable laboratory, office, and meeting facilities. Designed by Gensler, the three-story building will act as a catalyst for regional economic growth through the creation and commercialization of new technologies.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the fourth quarter of 2019. Key points include: