Shared space in Chesterfield a win-win

Two West St. Louis County companies are relocating to the same Chesterfield office space, joining forces to provide complementary financial services.

The America Group, a financial advisory company, and Chas. W. DeWitt Insurance Agency, a business and personal insurance solutions provider, will be moving to 390 S. Woods Mill Road, according to JLL, who represented the firms on their search for new office space.

The companies will move into the shared 12,000-SF office in August, after renovations are complete. The companies’ goal is to create a hub of financial planning and insurance experts — a one-stop shop where clients can find answers in all areas of financial support and planning.

Advisors with the firms offer financial planning, tax planning, business and personal insurance, employee benefits and health/Medicare insurance, allowing clients to align their financial decisions in those areas and avoiding conflicts or gaps in coverage.

“The benefits of shared office space can be quite valuable, particularly for companies working in the same or complementary industries,” said David Steinbach, managing director of JLL St. Louis. “For DeWitt and The America Group, they will benefit from shared expenses and more efficient communication, but even more importantly their clients will benefit from having these services aligned in one central location.”

Chas. W. DeWitt Insurance Agency was founded in 1925 and is currently located in Ballwin, Mo. DeWitt started its business relationship with The America Group in 2011 when Ross Pfeifer, DeWitt’s vice president, began offering financial planning services to clients of DeWitt through The America Group.

In January 2021, Pfeifer, Aaron Stewart and Jeff Seeburger became co-owners of The America Group. Seeburger, who now serves as president, admires the numerous advantages of the new space —including its size, location and their ability to integrate services to clients.

“The workspaces and office layout as well as the kitchen are Class A space,” Seeburger said. “We stepped into a practically turnkey, Class-A situation thanks to JLL.”

Commercial real estate focuses on bounce-back

As pandemic restrictions are lifted throughout the St. Louis area, companies are focusing in on how to return to offices and learn from lessons of the past year and a half.

In a May 19 session hosted by the IFMA St. Louis Chapter, panelists Meghan Graves, human resources manager with PARIC Corporation, and Allison Dionne, lead workplace strategist, Spire, discussed how their businesses are preparing for the newest aspect of the COVID-19 experience. Dave Davis, business developer with Ideal Landscape Group, sponsored the session. Kevin Sullivan of PARIC served as moderator.

Panelists agreed that employees, clients and customers are eager to return to the office, but that doing so requires due diligence about local, state and national guidelines about safety, some of which goes back to how they responded pandemic when the pandemic began.

When it began

For some companies, the pandemic required balancing their own policies with those of some clients. They could send office staff home to work remotely, but still had to provide clients such as healthcare institutions with onsite services. Workarounds included setting up task forces, setting precedents for who would be needed at client locations, and establishing protocols for entering buildings and restricting travel. 

Workarounds included setting up task forces, setting precedents for who would be needed at client locations, and establishing protocols for entering buildings and restricting travel. 

As an essential business, PARIC had to make similar adjustments for its distributed workforce of office and field workers in several states. “There were a lot of working pieces,” said Graves. “We engaged with IT to make sure people could work from home. It was pretty seamless. We were guided by safety. We set up a COVID response team with representatives from all parts of the company to stay on top of challenging guidelines.” Sometimes it seemed as if those guidelines changed from minute to minute. 

Spire also had a varied workforce to manage. “Once we sent everyone home, we still had two service centers up and running that we had to keep safe,” Dionne said. “We developed cross-function teams and safety procedures. Teams had to scramble to respond at all hours and over weekends. Now it’s second nature, although we’re seeing fewer calls.” 

Maintaining morale and recruitment

For these companies, the impact on morale, recruitment and turnover was minimal, primarily because they quickly recognized what employees would need. Spire rolled out emergency leave for field workers who suddenly had school-age children at home. “We’re considering a hybrid approach (now) and are taking into consideration what other companies are doing,” Dionne said. 

Reinforcing the value of work-life balance was one of the few positive takeaways of the pandemic for PARIC.

“We were already well-positioned for balance in our employees’ lives, and added unlimited personal time off,” Graves said. “A financial assistance fund for employees helped morale because they didn’t have to worry about how they would get work done and bills paid. The reality is that it’s hard to work remotely without collaborating and relating to colleagues in person, so we set up virtual coffee talks and happy hours. People now realize they have leverage and are considering different options — they’re choosing us because we have that flexibility, which will continue to be important in the future.

Companies also made a point of praising their workers who were based in medical facilities to support hospital systems and found that the best morale-booster was getting back to normal.

Vaccination policies

None of these companies are mandating that employees be vaccinated as they return to their offices, but all are strongly encouraging doing so. “We’re providing information about efficacy and our leadership’s commitment, which is what we usually do about health issues,” Graves said of PARIC. Plans are for an onsite clinic to make it as convenient for employees to get vaccinated, with the incentive that fully vaccinated employees can take off their masks and stop doing social distancing.

“That will be a big morale boost,” she said.

Spire is among companies providing paid company time as an incentive for employees to get vaccinated and also lets them earn points toward cash rewards at the end of the year. The mask mandate and social distancing restrictions have been lifted. 

For companies whose client sites are in the healthcare sector, staff who don’t have exposure to patients may be able to go maskless. Others have begun incorporating new indoor air quality equipment in their facilities that will probably be a permanent change and plan to increase the workload handled by their plumbing systems.

Changes and impact

Like many area commercial entities, PARIC and Spire are taking the return to the office with care and caution.

“Nothing is finalized yet,” said Dionne. “We’re bringing everyone back slowly, with three days a week in the office and working from home the other two. We’ll continue evaluating that hybrid approach over the summer.”  

“What will change forever is our approach to remote work and flexibility guidelines. We’re taking a hybrid approach as it makes sense for the type of work people are doing. Nothing is set in stone yet,” said Graves. 

The lasting impact of the pandemic is expected to include somewhat reduced workforces overall, more flexibility and work-from-home options, enhanced technology to support new ways of working and communicating, and continued alertness to potential health effects on office and field work. 

St. Louis Regional Freightway releases Q2 2021 Industrial Report

As global and domestic markets recalibrate in the pandemic recovery environment, it has never been clearer just how important freight logistics and a healthy supply chain are to keep the economy moving. Demand for distribution space continues to grow, and a new report released by the St. Louis Regional Freightway reveals the southwestern Illinois and eastern Missouri region is rebounding from the uncertainty of 2020 and is well positioned to assist distributors and developers meet that demand. 

The St. Louis Regional Real Estate Market Indicators & Workforce report focuses solely on bulk industrial buildings that are vital to the freight and logistics supply chain. The data highlights the strong market fundamentals in the St. Louis region, recent trends in construction and development, and the latest labor figures that demonstrate the presence of a highly skilled workforce ready to meet the needs of the bi-state region’s robust supply chain logistics, distribution and manufacturing industries. 

Key Takeaways from the Report  

• Construction has rebounded from the uncertainty of 2020, with construction completions already totaling more than 1.8 MSF (over 70% of total completions from 2020) with an additional 1.6 MSF under construction, which is close to pre-pandemic levels.

• Speculative construction activity levels are at 2.2 MSF for 2021, which equals speculative activity in both 2018 and 2019, a clear indication that developers believe the St. Louis market remains a strong place for industrial growth.

• Bulk distribution buildings (more than 250,000 SF) remain the fastest growing sector in the St. Louis inventory.

• The direct average asking rent for the entire St. Louis, MO-IL MSA market is at $3.76 per square foot for Q2 2021, which is close to 2019 rates but is a nearly $0.50 drop from five years before during Q2 2017.

• Madison County in Illinois and North St. Louis County in Missouri represent the largest inventory of bulk buildings within the region with 68.8% of the building stock. When one factors in that an additional 6.9% of the bulk buildings are in neighboring St. Charles County (MO) to the west, it reinforces the locational advantages of being along the Interstate 70 corridor are a key driver of that concentration.

Examples of how the St. Louis region is supporting successful industrial developments are highlighted through a spotlight on the major redevelopment and investment in former and current auto manufacturing sites in the area. Following a $1.5 billion investment by General Motors into growing its Wentzville Assembly Center in 2019, the plant now employs 4,300 workers. The transportation and warehousing industry grew 11% faster in the five-mile radius around the GM plant than the national average.

Meanwhile, an estimated $550 million has been invested in developing both the Fenton Logistics Park and Aviator Business Park (at the sites of the former Chrysler and Ford auto plants respectively). Today, these redevelopments have collectively generated more than 3,150 jobs with more to follow at Fenton Logistics Park as the final four buildings are fully built out. 

“Aside from the region’s locational advantages and exceptional freight network, the developers of both projects cited the available workforce as a contributor to the success of the redevelopments,” said Allison Gray,  vice president, Steadfast City Economic & Community Partners, which developed the report. The fact that the St. Louis region has more workers in Production Occupations and Transportation/Material Moving Occupations than Louisville, Kansas City, and Nashville is an indication it can continue to deliver on the workforce front.

A second spotlight on the Illinois Route 3 Corridor in southwestern Illinois showcases its strength as the backbone of a 60-mile long logistics and manufacturing corridor that spans from north of Alton in Madison County to south of Waterloo in Monroe County and has access points to six Class 1 railroads, five airports with capacity, four interstates with national access, and America’s third largest inland port.

“We’ve enjoyed the fruits of the corridor and been part of it for nearly 150 years,” said Mike Patton, general manager of U.S. Steel, an integrated, flat rolled steel manufacturing operation in the heart of the Illinois Route 3 corridor. “But one thing that’s been fairly constant is we rely heavily on getting product to us, as well as shipping our product, and being geographically located in the Midwest, as well as having all of those transportation ways, if you will, there’s been a huge advantage for this facility and one of the reasons we’re still here.”

Information about nearly a dozen prime industrial sites along the Illinois Route 3 corridor and dozens of others across the bi-state region can be found in the Featured Real Estate Sites Map that rounds out the latest report. The map can also be found on the St. Louis Regional Freightway’s Website at www.thefreightway.com.

“With more than 51 million square feet of modern bulk inventory supported by a strong labor force and an exceptional freight network that provides tremendous optionality to move goods into and out of the region via river, rail, truck and runway, the bi-state St. Louis region is well positioned to deliver as demand for bulk distribution space to meet growing consumer demand increases,” said Mary Lamie, vice president of Multimodal Enterprises for Bi-State Development and head of the St. Louis Regional Freightway.

The report was released on the final day of FreightWeekSTL 2021, which was held May 24-28 and featured industry experts and leaders in freight, logistics and transportation. The week-long event was delivered by St. Louis Regional Freightway, The Waterways Journal and Bi-State Development. To see video from each of the FreightWeekSTL 2021 panel discussions, visit www.freightweekstl.com.

Holland Construction Services celebrates 35 years

Thirty-five years ago, Holland Construction Services began as one man’s vision to build a construction company based on integrity, trust and long-lasting relationships. Today, the company has grown to become one of the most respected and sought-after contractors in the St. Louis region and Southern Illinois.

Bruce Holland, founder and CEO, began the company in 1986 as a full-service general contracting company and quickly grew as one of the Midwest’s pioneers in the Construction Management delivery method. His goal was to give honest bidding, transparency, and in turn, develop trusted relationships with both his clients, and the subcontractors and architects they worked with.

“A core part of our business philosophy from the beginning was handling projects with integrity,” said Holland. “Over 35 years, 90 percent of our business is repeat clients. I think that’s because our team always operates with empathy by putting ourselves in our clients’ shoes, and making sure we are listening to what is important to them, whether that be a completion date, or something that has historical significance. We deliver without excuses and make it happen.”

Part of the company’s success can be attributed to its adaptability. Over the years, the company’s areas of expertise have continued to evolve and expand from primarily retail projects in the beginning, to schools, healthcare facilities, multifamily, senior living, recreation, public safety and industrial projects.

As a result, the company now has a footprint throughout the St. Louis and Southern Illinois region on a variety of significant developments. Several high-profile projects completed in the past few years include the new 144-bed HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and medical office building (MOB) and new 94-bed Memorial Hospital East and MOB both in Illinois; Volpi Foods new meat slicing and packaging facility in Union, MO; numerous luxury apartment complexes across the St. Louis area (Whispering Heights in Edwardsville, Villages of Twin Oaks, Chroma Apartments near downtown St. Louis, and Encore at Forest Park); recreation complexes for the cities of Bridgeton and Fairview Heights; and senior living communities in O’Fallon, IL as well as in the Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio areas.

“We have a growing Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) Department that has played a vital role in our ability to tackle larger, more complex projects,” said Mike Marchal, Holland president. “Over the years, our adoption of technology across all departments has allowed us to catch issues before they become problems and to deliver on our clients’ objectives with certainty.”

Holland fosters a family-friendly culture and has introduced unique programs throughout the years to encourage a work/life balance. In 2016, as part of their 30-year anniversary, Holland introduced a 3-week paid sabbatical program available to employees for every five years at Holland, along with a stipend to use for their trip. Additionally, in keeping with Bruce Holland’s life-long personal commitment to community philanthropy and involvement, Holland encourages volunteerism and opportunities to give back, establishing the Holland Employee Charitable Foundation (HECF) several years ago with the mission of helping others in the community. The firm’s charity golf tournament, The Klondike Klassic, has raised more than $225,000 for local charities, now topping $25,000 annually.

“There has been a world of positive changes since we started the company but the thing that impresses me the most is the quality of people we have and watching them grow and expand their careers, “said Holland. “The special culture we have created here has allowed for the planned growth of our people and our company, year by year, while also creating an environment where individuals can grow professionally and have the ability to give back.”

Holland is led by founder and CEO Bruce Holland, President Mike Marchal, and Vice President & Project Executive Doug Weber. Marchal, who joined Holland in 1997 and became president in 2011 after working his way up through the ranks, believes all the important ingredients are in place for continued growth nationally.

“We are in the process of finalizing plans to open an office in St. Louis this year,” said Marchal. “Also, based on our previous work with several clients who are also expanding their businesses, we have opportunities for strategic growth in other areas around the country including Ohio, Tennessee, Florida and Arizona. We are a growing company, but our reputation of integrity, creating opportunities, and helping our community are the lifeblood of our business and Bruce’s legacy, and that won’t ever change.”

For more information, visit Holland’s website at www.hollandcs.com.

Global supply chain disruptions felt across Midwest

Delays and higher shipping costs have impacted consumers coast-to-coast and underscore the need for new shipping alternatives - can the St. Louis region deliver?

Striking images of dozens of container ships berthed outside of already congested West Coast ports, plus photos and video showing a 1,300-foot-long container ship stuck in the Suez Canal, have landed supply chain industry news in the forefront for consumers in recent months.

While the visuals may be what has caught the attention of people who normally do not give much thought to the movement of freight, the ripple effect of these global incidents on the heels of supply chain disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is being felt nationwide and in the St. Louis region. It also is reinforcing the importance of having a resilient supply chain and calling attention to the role the St. Louis region could play in providing options for shippers in this evolving environment.

Panos Kouvelis has looked extensively into this subject over the past year, interviewing multiple local and global companies with complex supply chains. He found resiliency in the supply chain comes down to two things.

“When we think about resilience, we say redundancy and flexibility. Those are the two things you've got to build,” said Kouvelis, director of the Boeing Center for Supply Chain Innovation (BCSCI) in the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

Redundancy and flexibility might have helped avoid some of the early pain when the COVID-19 pandemic started and consumers grappled with shortages of toilet paper, sanitizer and paper towels; but those proved to be just a minor annoyance. The global supply chain disruptions experienced in recent weeks are having a much more significant impact.

Due to the shortage of semiconductor chips, General Motors announced in late March it was idling the General Motors Wentzville plant for two weeks, starting March 29. The move affected not just the more than 3,500 employees at the St. Charles County facility, but also the associated suppliers, not to mention the nearby restaurants for whom GM employees are core customers. Other consumers throughout the region are finding their orders for furniture, TVs, laptops and countless other household goods not only delayed, but ultimately costing more as higher shipping costs are getting passed along to end consumers.

As Kouvelis and his colleagues reviewed the pandemic year to see its impact on the manufactured durable goods global supply chains, they feared supply shocks and expected some temporary pandemic pain; but, surprisingly, it was strong consumer demand coming back that caused the most disruption. As summer came, and most Americans became adjusted to a life with limited or no access to dining services, sports venues and other entertainment, gyms and restricted air travel, they turned to projects for their houses, kitchens, cars, in-home entertainment devices, exercise equipment, power tools and boats.

“The demand for those products came back at a speed of recovery and level nobody expected,” Kouvelis said. “And the shortages were compounded by severe shortages of products such as semiconductors, the essentials of ocean and trucking transportation – shipping containers, and raw materials, such as aluminum, titanium and even stainless steel.”

Adding to the high demand were the delays due to continued congestion at the West Coast ports and the even more recent disruption caused by the blockage in the Suez Canal that backed up more than 400 other ships carrying millions of tons of cargo for days. Kouvelis said he expects the shortages will be longer lasting, resulting in consumers having to wait longer and pay higher prices to get their durable goods.

Such challenges actually bode well for the St. Louis region, where the strength of the existing freight infrastructure and innovative collaborations are providing even more reasons for shippers to consider routing freight through the bi-state area. In fact, it appears a hallmark of the St. Louis region’s freight network is its inherent flexibility and redundancy.

“You have so many assets. You have the network of the roads; you have the rail and then you have the Mississippi River. And then of course, the airports as well,” said Kouvelis. “But, again, I think the use of the intermodal and the heavier use of the river is the flexibility that you can offer that sometimes is not fully exploited.”

That is changing with the 2020 launch of Container-on-Barge (COB) services from America’s Central Port and  advancing plans to bring innovative Container-on-Vessel (COV) services to the St. Louis region and the Midwest. Kouvelis is enthusiastic about the proposed services, noting that, as a logistics person, everything is about the 20-foot containers and how you move them and how having them sitting around is a not a good thing.

“If we manage to basically use the transit capacity in a way that we get to free up, for longer trips, the intermodal and the river and the other assets that should be used instead of the truck, that will basically relieve bottlenecks at the ports and start moving things towards the middle of the country,” said Kouvelis. “And that's where we get a big, big advantage with this type of initiative.”

Through his research over the past year and ongoing relationships with global companies headquartered in or having a significant presence in the bi-state St. Louis region, Kouvelis also noted there are tremendous examples of supply chain resiliency among them.

He cited Emerson, which has headquarters in St. Louis and facilities in the bi-state area, and credited it as one of the most resilient companies in the region. He said one thing that has made Emerson more resilient over time is a change in their supply chain strategy. He said Emerson had been very heavy on sourcing from Asia but, over time, it developed a regionalized supply chain strategy. It strives to have a supply chain in North America for North America and in Asia for Asia and operate in Europe for Europe. These more regional supply chains have been an effort to bring things closer to the market. As a result, Emerson either has its own facilities or it has suppliers that are in the region to positively impact lead times.  Kouvelis believes this is good for the St. Louis region, as it might bring more manufacturing closer to the region, especially since it is an environment that will make investments in infrastructure.

Kouvelis called attention to Bunge, which has gradually increased its presence in the bi-state region to leverage its logistics advantages, especially the river. Its new headquarters is located in Chesterfield, Mo., a research and development center is located in St. Charles County, and its barge loading/grain facility is located in Fairmont City, Illinois, part of the Ag Coast of America.  He also cited AB-InBev, and how the pandemic reinforced that the beer business is a logistics business.

“From a logistics business perspective, they are really the best,” said Kouvelis. “They don't want to change St. Louis from being the logistics hub. They have moved marketing functions and finance functions to New York. But the logistics have stayed in St. Louis.”

He pointed to AB Mauri® North America, the yeast manufacturer based in St. Louis, which saw demand increase by an estimated 400% during the pandemic, and highlighted Bayer, Millipore Sigma and Belden, which all have a strong presence in the region and share the common thread of resiliency in their supply chains -- resiliency that has been years in the making. All of the companies Kouvelis has been engaging with have been willing to talk about their best practices for dealing with supply chain disruptions, sharing important knowledge for the benefit of all, without revealing private information.

Kouvelis believes other companies can learn from these corporations and he shared several key takeaways. Companies need some redundancy in their assets, either in facilities or in the inventories. They should consider a more diversified footprint, potentially having facilities in different areas as much as possible. He suggests supply networks also have to be very diversified, either at the global level or even within the different regions where a business operates. When something happens, companies should have the operational flexibility to switch assets or to find alternatives, which can require that businesses have a little buffer. 

“One part of that is distribution, so there are advantages in having multiple alternatives,” said Kouvelis. “I think that the transportation alternatives that the St. Louis Regional Freightway is creating are a major advantage for companies.”

Mary Lamie, vice president of Multi Modal Enterprises for Bi-State Development and head of its St. Louis Regional Freightway enterprise, is excited about the work that Kouvelis is doing with these organizations.

“Kouvelis’ supply chain resiliency collaboration with private industries prior to COVID-19 has demonstrated the value of knowledge sharing within a specific industry, the value of redundancy and flexibility, and a region’s ability to work together to leverage human capital and logistics assets,” said Lamie.

“The St. Louis region has a great positive business climate and thanks to forward thinking global and national corporations anchored in the St. Louis region, we’ll continue to lead the nation through the COVID-19 and future supply chain disruptions.” 

New $4.4 million guesthouse, lodge debut at Inns at St. Albans

A new 12-bedroom luxury guesthouse and meeting lodge will officially open its doors to the public on Memorial Day weekend at The Inns at St. Albans at the western edge of the St. Louis metropolitan area.

The $4.4 million, 11,000-SF lodge with a wraparound veranda and lake views will sleep up to 32 people in a range of room configurations featuring king and queen beds, mini wet bars and private baths.  Located within walking distance to all the historic attractions at The Inns at St. Albans, the new lodge also features a state-of-the-art meeting space for up to 25 people.

“Our new lodge offers excellent accommodations for a variety of guests and occasions, from individual travelers and weekend staycationers to larger groups like wedding parties, family reunions and corporate clients requiring an entire block of rooms,” said Schuyler Clark, general manager of The Inns at St. Albans. 

“We have nearly doubled the bedrooms available at The Studio Inn, the Old Barn Inn Cottages and The Farm House so more guests can experience our sought-after overnight getaway destination flavor. Later this summer we will be opening a three-bedroom renovated home called Link’s Cottage to keep pace with our overnight stay popularity with individual travelers, couples or groups.”

Destination event guests can participate in many nearby activities while staying at The Inns at St. Albans including access to 36 holes of golf and on top-rated courses nearby, weekend cooking classes, wine tastings and hiking trails.

Construction of the new lodge began in September 2019 on the site of what was once the Chesterfield Day School near the historic Heads Store, where guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. New and renovated facilities added at The Inns at St. Albans in recent years include a larger event pavilion at the Studio Inn which can seat up to 180, a new tiered ceremony site at the Old Barn Inn, and a new pavilion in the Old Barn Inn gardens that can house outdoor cocktail events. The existing pavilion at the Old Barn Inn can accommodate up to 220 seated diners.

Nestled in scenic rolling hills first charted by Lewis & Clark near the Missouri River, The Inns at St. Albans is situated on what was once considered America’s western frontier. The rich history of St. Albans is steeped in Americana culture from the 1700-1800s including Osage Indians, Daniel Boone, Lewis & Clark, Mark Twain, the International Shoe Company and riverboat commerce.  The Studio Inn was built by renowned architect Theodore Link, the designer of St. Louis Union Station.  For many years, the area was the country retreat of some wealthy St. Louis families.

For more information on The Inns at St. Albans, visit www.innsatstalbans.com.  

New medical marijuana dispensary set to open in Pevely

Missouri’s passage of medical marijuana legislation has led to a growing commercial real estate development market for dispensaries that are licensed to serve customers.

CREW-St. Louis took colleagues on a virtual tour of the North Medical Group dispensary in Pevely, Mo. on May 11 to share the selection, design and other topics involved in the upcoming opening of the business. 

Connie Kroenung, a consultant with Working Spaces who worked with North on building design, outlined where Missouri is with medical cannabis (any marijuana product created for medical purposes). Patients require a doctor’s referral and license from the state for an ID card to purchase medical marijuana products.

Teri Samples, director of real estate & construction services, Mueller Prost, moderated the session. Panelists included Zach Mangelsdorf, president of North Medical Group LLC; Leonard Volner, vice president of North; and Neil Volner, director of marketing & procurement for North, along with Christi Johaningmeyer, president of Architextures Interior Design, and Geoffrey (Geoff) Crowley, principal with Verve Design Studio. 

North originated with Mangelsdorf’s experience as a cancer survivor for whom medical marijuana was the most-effective treatment. The name refers to “true north” as a symbol of the owners’ journey toward achieving their dream for the business.

Membership in the Missouri Cannabis Industry Association led the owners to Crowley, who was impressed that they already had a plan, logo and brand in place. The North building is just off Highway 55 at the Pevely exit, a site chosen to be easily seen and visible from all angles.

“It is in a position to draw attention to the site and the building,” said Crowley. “We wanted to make sure the building was very open and inviting.”

Glazing makes the structure look light, and windows tinted light blue match the logo and provide privacy. Utilities are hidden so the structure looks like one cohesive unit.

The owners chose Pevely because they all grew up in Jefferson County. They plan a second location in Hillsboro once they meet regulations there.

“The three essentials of the building are the security desk for patient check-in, secure retail floor and vault,” said Johaningmeyer, who worked on the interior with colleague Ashley Richardson.

Patients who don’t have to sign in can use an iPad station for pickup, and there’s a touchless process for actually receiving products. iPad stations also provide product information, and there will be “snuffer pods” where patients can smell different products before purchasing. There’s also an ATM in the building.

All product must come from Missouri providers.

“We’re working with anyone who has product,” Leonard Volner said. “We knew the supply scenario could be limited,” said Neil Volner.

Interior design elements in the 3,500-SF space include bright-white walls for a clean, light-intensive overall look; the company logo as a large lighting feature and used on the walls; bold, large graphics and a lighted vanity to make the ADA-compliant bathroom look cool; concrete floors in the public areas and luxury vinyl flooring in the staff spaces; Clipso acoustic ceilings to absorb reverberation from traffic or indoor noise; quartz desks; stainless steel in the production space; and product displays. North voluntarily incorporated high-end filters and a UV ionizer unit to control odors. The design conforms to state requirements for smooth surfaces through the space.

The building includes a drive-through, which Johaningmeyer said is unusual for this type of business.

Getting the business up and running has taken about two years, including applying for nine licenses for three aspects of the industry: growing/cultivating product, manufacturing, and dispensaries, and receiving approval only for their two dispensaries.

“The application process was flat-out brutal — the hardest thing we ever did,” Mangelsdorf said.

It involved 36-hour days and wading through hundreds of pages of documentation.

“We spent about $90,000 on application fees and about $150,000–$200,000 on various startup expenses, for $600,000–$800,000 before even beginning operations. The two buildings were about $1.7 million, but we felt that was essential for the marketing, customer experience and the brand — it’s how we differentiate from the competition.”

Because a medical marijuana business has restrictions on advertising on TV or the radio, North is using social media and their website, including a blog, to promote the business.

Initial working capital came from cash and leveraging resources of Mangelsdorf’s family for the build-to-suit process and leaseback, with bank accounts for product supply. Among the challenges is that under the 280E regulation, they can only write off the costs of goods sold or purchase of product as long as the business is not plant-touching.

Finding employees has been easy: “Everybody wants to sell weed,” Mangelsdorf said. “We had about 20 applicants for every position.”

The challenge is retention, as people discover that the sales process is only a small part of the job.

To build an employee pipeline while providing a community service, the North owners have worked with Jefferson College to develop a six-week certificate program.

Security elements

North has gone beyond the state requirements for site security, with cameras in and outside the building, intrusion detectors, panic buttons, constant lighting, vehicle-resistant bollards, a multipoint deadlock on the back door, bullet-resistant glass, and live feeds and silent alarms connected to the nearby police station (which has an expected response time of about 90 seconds), as well as staff training in security precautions.

Every aspect of the process has been challenging, the owners agree, especially getting through thousands of pages of documentation and maintaining patience for the inspection process.

“You need a strong sense of perseverance,” Mangelsdorf said. 

Getting their license approved and seeing product come in the door have been the best moments so far. Delivery and online ordering are in the works. The planned May 29 opening will be their ultimate reward.

To date, Missouri medical marijuana sales are more than $32 million; 90,000 ID cards have been approved; nine Missouri licenses have been issued and four approved for operation; 60 issued and 19 approved for cultivation; 85 issued and 10 approved for manufacturing; 192 issued for dispensaries and 89 approved; and 22 issued for transportation with 10 approved.

Currently, 192 medical marijuana dispensary licenses have been issued in Missouri and 89 approved.

Read related MWM article: http://www.metrowiremedia.com/news/lees-summit-medical-marijuana-shop-a-win-win

STL CREW and KC CREW team up to raise diversity, equity and inclusion awareness

CREW St. Louis and CREW KC recently co-hosted a virtual event organized by their diversity, equity and inclusion committees. 

The featured speaker was Adrienne Bain, a commercial real estate executive with Citizens Bank and CREW Network director.

Bain offered her observations as a black female who has been in the commercial real estate industry for nearly 20 years.  Bain was born and raised in a predominately white neighborhood in St. Louis where she was one of just a few black students in her class.

“I remember trick-or-treating on Halloween and knowing that there were certain houses that I had to avoid because the treats they gave the little black kids were very different from the treats that they gave the little white kids,” said Bain.

Bain recalled waking up one night to a cross burning on her family’s front yard.

“All that was years ago, but sometimes I wonder how much things have really changed,” she said.

After graduating college, Bain worked in retail sales management where she was one of just a few black store employees, then in retail advertising where she was the sole black employee in the department.  In graduate school, she was one of only eight black students in her class of approximately 180, and one of just two black females.

When she subsequently began her career in commercial real estate, Bain said she realized that the commercial real estate industry really wasn’t any more diverse than her previous experiences.

CREW Network has conducted benchmark studies every five years commencing in 2005 to measure the progress of women in commercial real estate, but Bain said little data exists regarding race within the industry.

“Despite research that suggests that a diverse and inclusive workforce leads to higher productivity, higher creativity, higher profitability, employee morale, stronger brand, you name it . . . . 46% of respondents in a Deloitte 2021 commercial real estate outlook reported that they were focused on increasing the level of diversity in hiring, development and leadership.  So that means that 54% were not focused on this,” said Bain.

Bain said it is difficult for her to look at the disparity between genders without also considering race. 

“I would also say being both female and a person of color is a disadvantage in this industry,” said Bain.

Bain said that there exists a lack of awareness in the commercial real estate industry.

“And one of the reasons for that is because being a member of a minority population, actually you stand out.  And you would think there would be more awareness because you stand out.  But there’s not,” she said.

Bain said she notices this when she attends events, and she is used to being one of the few women or one of a few minorities in the room. 

When Bain’s husband, who is white, attended with her the retirement party of the father of Bain’s friend, he did not know any guests other than Bain and her friend.   He immediately noticed he was the only white person and was uncomfortable.  Later that evening, he told Bain he now knows how she feels.

“It’s interesting when you are the minority and often times in environments where you’re one of a few or the only one, and there is an expectation of assimilation.   I think it’s very different when you are a member of majority population but then find yourself as a minority in a particular event or occurrence.  So yes, I hate to say it, but I actually had a little smile on my face that day when he said he understood what I felt like.  I say all that to say lack of awareness is huge,” Bain said. 

Bain said persons of color also have lack of access to sponsorship, mentorship and ally ship. This may explain why there are so few minorities in some of the upper echelons of the commercial real estate industry.

“People tend to sponsor and mentor and ally with folks who kind of look like them.  And in fact in many structured mentorship programs, they often consider both gender and race when they’re selecting mentors and mentees. . . . And so while it may be comforting to be mentored or sponsored by someone who looks like you, if you’re both black and female, that may not always be possible.  And it may not always be the way to get to that next job or next promotion,” Bain said.

Pandemic continues to have legal impact on commercial real estate

The legal aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic might be as difficult for business owners and tenants as the disease itself, judging by insights from Joseph Bealmear, a real estate attorney and shareholder with Polsinelli PC, at an April 14 meeting about “Navigating Commercial Real Estate Legal Issues through COVID” hosted by IREM-St. Louis at the Serendipity Labs location in Clayton, Mo.

The key issues for commercial real estate professionals to understand in coping with and responding to recent COVID-related legal issues start with the impact of force majeure contract terms, Bealmear said. This came up for hotels, retail businesses and leases for other types of tenants.

“It’s boilerplate that people rarely thought about but would include everything,” he said. “Most force majeure provisions didn’t include a pandemic — maybe 150 contracts out of 1,200 we’ve reviewed.”

Having the federal government and many state and local jurisdictions calling for a shutdown made the situation even more challenging.

“The first question across the board was ‘What can we do?’ Some tenants were trying to get out of their leases, but most wanted to stay and not pay rent if they couldn’t operation. The issue was location-specific.”

The rule of law came into play, Bealmear said, saying that “impossibility of performance” could be used to support such efforts. Many matters in this area were resolved through negotiation because that is easier than going to trial, and “the legal system is still not operating efficiently.”

There is still no standard language for dealing with force majeure related to a pandemic, he noted. “It’s acute in situations where you couldn’t close deals — it could be disastrous.”

Co-tenancy clauses also were, and could still be, a pandemic legal concern, especially for tenants in malls, who could walk away from leases is the main tenant closed. Such events have been triggered by stores going bankrupt, although Bealmear noted that many of those would have happened even without a pandemic.

“It’s a tricky issue for both; when anchors shut down, there’s a ripple effect among smaller shops in the space.”

Cash management provisions in loans are more of an issue if a commercial loan is not local, Bealmear said; local lenders might be more willing to negotiate terms. He suggested that commercial real estate professionals suggest that their tenants or clients “prioritize debts with the biggest hammer if you get over your head.” That approach helped keep a lot of operators in business in the early days of COVID.

It might be possible to renegotiate lease rates; hotels, for instance, used nontraditional equity to keep running and saw few closures. The retail sector saw a rise in percent rents instead of flat rates. Office buildings reduced rents in exchange for extended terms.

The medical sector, however, saw a “huge wave” of bankruptcies, mainly due to high fixed costs and employee levels rather than rents. The impact was more noticeable on the national level than local.

The impact has been less in the industrial/warehousing sector.

“There is some pain in working on such issues,” Bealmear said.

Because most states do not let landlords or commercial property owners take personal action such as changing locks or taking possession of a non-paying tenant’s possessions, the leverage for making a tenant pay their rent is lost.

The challenges will continue to evolve, including lawsuits over insurance. Coverage varies by company, with suits being settled but some still active.

Bealmear expects to see new policies that will take events such as pandemics into account, and that some insurance companies will be among those that go bankrupt.

Space-sharing should have an uptick, and there will be less interaction among or for employees as commercial properties adapt to the post-pandemic era. There will be “hoteling” of space: bringing people back into commercial space only on certain days.

Bealmear advised colleagues to keep an eye out for legislation relative to business liability for COVID exposure as employees start to return to work. If an employee were to sue, they would have to prove where they got the disease, and it can be hard to trace contact points, unlike with an issue such as asbestos.

One area catching the commercial real estate sector by surprise, Bealmear said, is “pre-bankruptcy”: when tenants threaten to file bankruptcy. “The first question to ask is whether the location is unprofitable versus the entire business is unprofitable,” he said. A little-noticed 2016 case in Illinois could now have an impact on Missouri real estate, because it found that the bankruptcy code overrides anything in a lease. “You can’t evict a tenant that files bankruptcy, or terminate their lease,” he said in part.

“COVID trends in the bankruptcy process are still evolving as a lot of tenants are insolvent but aren’t filing bankruptcy because they can’t pay for it,” Bealmear said. “People who work on bankruptcy also are not getting paid.” 

Because the overall situation is still fluid, commercial real estate professionals should review all of their contracts and consider sitting down with their attorneys to identify where they might be at risk or need to update language to correspond with the continuing effects and impact of the pandemic.

Other business included IREM-St. Louis president Liz Brown reminding attendees of upcoming events: a chocolate and wine tasting on May 20 and the annual golf tournament on May 27 at Missouri Bluffs Country Club. Sponsorships are still available for the golf event, as are raffle tickets for a Busch Stadium dispay, with proceeds supporting Friends of Kids with Cancer. (See the IREM-St. Louis website for details: https://iremstl.com/.)

Two colleagues were also inducted as new Certified Property Managers (CPMs): Cory Redman, CPM, US Bank, and David Harris, CPM, UMB Bank.

Holland Construction completes O'Fallon senior living development

Holland Construction Services has completed work ahead of schedule on the new Keystone Place at Richland Creek Senior Living Development in O’Fallon, Ill.

The $39 million development, located at the northwest corner of Frank Scott Parkway and Fountain Lakes Drive, offers independent living, assisted living and memory care services in one location.

The four-story building has 149 apartments; including 64 independent-living, 66 assisted-living and 19 memory care, plus one guest suite. The five-acre development also features a memory garden, a courtyard and a formal entrance lobby facing Fountain Lakes Drive.

“This development offers a much-needed, new rental housing option for older adults seeking a safe, secure, maintenance-free, service-rich lifestyle and we’re very excited that it was completed ahead of schedule,’ said Timothy Eldredge, president of NASCON Senior, LLC and co-founder of Keystone Senior Management Services, Inc.

The 170,000-SF development was constructed adjacent to Parkway Lakeside Apartments, which Holland completed several years ago.

“Our team has an incredible amount of experience handling multifamily and senior living projects that require different care levels and because of that background, we were able to ensure this development met the intended use for the building and the project ran smoothly,” said Holland project manager, Rob Ruehl.

“Keystone Place at Richland Creek’s ultra-inclusive service package provides meals, housekeeping, transportation, and life enrichment opportunities that allow residents to engage, explore and maximize their personal wellness, even in a time of social distancing,” said Jan Brenner, Keystone Place at Richland Creek’s Senior Living counselor.

“With residents and staff vaccinated at this point, people are really seeking opportunities to socialize and connect with others again, and that’s the idea behind the Keystone Place lifestyle,”

The community is hosting open house events on April 17 and 18 by appointment.  For more information about Keystone Place at Richland Creek or to schedule an open house visit, call (618) 576-6178.