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Monthly Archives: May 2014

A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Next Office Renegotiation or Relocation: Part V

May 23, 20140 CommentsBy JLL Spaces

By: Scott Pick, Executive Vice President, JLL

As a lease expiration date approaches, many mark their calendars in dread of the administrative tasks ahead. And although moving is complicated, it’s also a unique opportunity to reinvent your culture, address your space utilization and ensure your strategy is aligned with organizational objectives.

At JLL, my business partner, Brian Conroy, and I follow a strategically crafted roadmap to guide our clients through the process. This is the fifth post in a blog series; each post will serve as a stop on the way to your destination – success.

Next Stop: Negotiate Your Lease To Prepare for Occupancy

You’ve identified your preferred new office space, but the journey doesn’t end there.

Before you can start picking out furniture, you have the fun of negotiating a lease document. This is where a good attorney provides tremendous value. (Again, this is just another reason why building the right team of trusted experts before you begin is so critical to end with a successful transaction.)

After you’ve chosen your space, strategic, well-calculated negotiations are a must. Below are the next two steps to officially make your next corporate move.

An Inside Look at Cleveland’s Elite Workspaces: Q&A with President of Oswald Companies

May 20, 20140 CommentsBy JLL Spaces

The office is the cornerstone of any business. It’s at the heart of organizational structure, productivity and external branding. JLL’s real estate experts get it. They are committed to securing the very best spaces to fit specific business needs. This is the first post in a series spotlighting a few of our region’s most elite workspaces.

In late 2010, Oswald Cos. approached JLL with a common problem faced by commercial real estate tenants. The Cleveland-based, employee-owned insurance brokerage firm did not have very flexible lease terms, limiting overall growth for the foreseeable future.

Not long after Oswald and JLL started searching the local market, space at 1100 Superior quickly rose to the top of Oswald’s list. The company moved into the spacious, 72,000-square-foot space on Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland, in time to coincide with its 120-year anniversary in 2013.

With a brand new, state-of-the-art conference center, functional, modern design, leading technologies, and huddle rooms for collaborative and creative meetings, Oswald Centre qualifies among Cleveland’s most elite spaces.

Now that Oswald has had time to get comfortable in their new space, we met with company President and COO, David Jacobs, to see how he (and his employees) have adjusted to the new headquarters.

Q&A With Oswald President & COO, David Jacobs

Q: What has the last year been like since the company’s move?

A: Great! Actually, more than great. Our employees saw Oswald’s level of commitment to them. It meant a lot to them to know that they are so valued by the organization that leadership built a better environment specifically with them in mind.

Commercial Real Estate News Brief: April 2014

May 13, 20140 CommentsBy JLL Spaces

Commercial real estate is a dynamic industry. Keep up with Spaces’ monthly recaps of the most valuable industry articles we’ve recently come across, focused on news in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Suburbs See Increased Office Build-To-Suits

JLL Mar-NB A number of suburban office sectors are experiencing historically high vacancy rates, according to GlobeSt.com. But, because many of these properties are outdated, businesses are looking to invest in new, more modern spaces. Plus, build-to-suit opportunities in suburban zones are much more affordable than downtown areas. GlobeSt.com reported, “ …a new wave of office build-to-suits has begun flooding the suburbs.”

JLL experts predict that eventually building owners will need to renovate and remodel to remain competitive.

Smart Buildings Create More Intelligent Work Environments

REJournals.com recently highlighted innovations in smart building technologies, like solar power panels, LED lighting, energy-efficiency controls and wireless sensors. These technologies can result in benefits for both our atmosphere, as well as operational cost savings.

As JLL reports in The Changing Face of Smart Buildings: The Op-Ex Advantage, smart building advancements can increase employee satisfaction, as well as productivity within the workplace. “Smart building systems enhance the ability of landlords to engage with tenants and to tap into their growing desire to have less of an impact on the environment,” according to the report.

3 Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Industrial Market Conditions

May 2, 20140 CommentsBy JLL Spaces

By: Dan Wendorf, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain and Logistics / Industrial at JLL

Across the country, the industrial market has been slowly recovering for more than four years. According to recent JLL research, “the national vacancy rate is moving closer to its cyclical low of 7.5%, which is expected to be reached by mid-2014.” In many markets across the Midwest, we are also seeing record low vacancy. In fact, Q1 2014… Read More