Massachusetts Building Congress’ Post

Great podcast! an excellent conversational format with many current and future insights on Build to Rent in the Australian market....  "A bit like picking your hotel when travelling" "Psychographics rather than demographics" "a vending machine for a glass of wine" "Flexing engineering muscle". "...at the end of the day we are talking about an operational model of professional ownership in the rental market" Amenities = Point of difference and/or revenue stream Interestingly there is yet to be a transaction in the market meaning uncertainty on cap rates, once transactions occur (6-12 Months?) then certainty of exit values will help with unlocking the capital watching from the sidelines

Thank you to Urban Living News for the moderator slot alongside Jonni Glick Owain Thomas and Joe Flaherty talking all things PBSA development, investment and finance. Key takeaways 👇🏼 Affordability - enough is enough - as a sector we need to explore more interesting ways to build cheaper accommodation for the domestic and more price sensitive international market given Chinese numbers are down. This may include more beds in a cluster, duplex cluster units to avoid extra circulation space, tech focused buildings to minimise staffing and less amenities. Building Safety Act - it costs another c£1m to take your project through Gateway 2 and many smaller and medium sized developers are becoming unstuck. This means they are either just selling sites or turning to larger developers to partner together. Therefore we expect a consolidation in the market to take place, benefitting larger developers like Watkin Jones Group McLaren Construction group Plc HUB Sir Robert McAlpine Capital Ventures and many more Investment Trends - investors are focusing on purchasing assets with refurbishment potential. Greater focus is being put on Russell Group cities. The beds sectors are blending and PBSA will need to compete more actively against BTR and Co-living although it is well placed given yields. Thank you George Sell Sarah Canning and Deenie Lee !

Places for Everyone sets out Greater Manchester’s development strategy to 2039 Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone plan for new homes, jobs and sustainable growth across the city region has come into effect, providing a blueprint for development across nine boroughs up until 2039. It will also ensure all new developments are sustainably integrated into Greater Manchester’s transport network or supported by new infrastructure. Places for Everyone is a comprehensive joint development plan of the nine districts to determine the kind of development that takes place in their boroughs, maximising the use of brownfield land and urban spaces while protecting Green Belt land from the risk of unplanned development. The plan supports the delivery of key infrastructure, while protecting important environmental assets. Paul Dennett, City Mayor of Salford and GMCA Portfolio Lead for Places for Everyone, said, “This is a major milestone for our city-region, and the culmination of a process that first began 10 years ago. “It’s been a complex journey but Places for Everyone is now part of the development strategy in the nine boroughs, opening up a new chapter in Greater Manchester’s devolution story. As a long-term spatial plan, we can use it as a tool to advocate for our people, places and businesses, maximise our strengths, and achieve our potential in a global economy.” ... Find out more 👉 https://buff.ly/3UfAqJS #Manchester #transport #infrastructure #IntelligentInfrastructure #TransportInfrastructure #ConnectedTransport

🎬 NEW VIDEO | How do we supercharge sustainable housing delivery? There is a lot of work to be done if there is any hope of achieving the government’s goal to build 1.5m homes over the next five years. Property professionals from the public and private sector gathered in Liverpool to debate the best way forward in this roundtable discussion hosted by Onward Homes. Participants Tracy Gordon, lead officer for housing partnerships at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Simon Humphreys, director of regeneration and place at Starship Tahreen Shad, partnerships director at Lovell Partnerships Ltd Catherine Holmes, assistant director for markets, partners, and places at Homes England Darren Muir, planning director at Pegasus Group Nicola Butterworth, corporate director of neighbourhoods and housing at Liverpool City Council Sandy Livingstone, executive director of property at Onward Homes Victoria Millward, director at Paddock Johnson WATCH 👇

Our London & Thames Valley business was joined by public sector clients and consultants this morning in an insightful roundtable discussion looking at how we unlock residential delivery across the local authority landscape. The discussion, chaired by Cratus Group, focused on the challenges of reaching the delivery phase of schemes, the advantages of collaborative partnerships, and the importance of embedding sustainability as a standard practice. The conversation was an opportunity to highlight how bringing contractors to the table early can help develop robust solutions for complex, constrained sites while identifying opportunities for carbon reduction throughout the project lifecycle. We discussed sites like our Colville Estate project for the London Borough of Hackney, where Kier’s in-house expertise is delivering 93 new homes in east London. Read more here: https://ow.ly/Ifbk50UOO0w We'd like to extend a huge thanks to all participants for engaging. It was a very energetic conversation with real tangible calls to action that we look forward to following up on. Stay tuned for our upcoming white paper, which will capture key takeaways from the roundtable and outline what more needs to be done to enable critical delivery. Ealing Council (London Borough of Ealing) | @BeFirst Regeneration | London Borough of Hackney | London Borough of Lambeth | AtkinsRéalis | Lambert Smith Hampton | Cratus Group | David Rowsell | John Bolton | Siu-Pei Choi | Alexandra Smith #Kier #LoveConstruction #Residential #AffordableHomes #London #housing #Hackney

Developers and property owners – what do you need to know about the Boston Planning and Development Agency’s (BPDA) proposed Skyline Districts in Downtown Boston, which will support high-density residential and commercial uses while limiting the scale of development in historic areas? David Ingraham, David Linhart, and Matthew Kiefer outline in our latest advisory here: https://bit.ly/4buHqIi

We’re very proud of Georgie Elliott, (one of our Land Managers), who was selected last year for the 2024 Wates Future Leaders Board, (FLB). The FLB has a rigorous, high-bar selection process, and those who are successful in securing a place benefit from some great professional and personal development opportunities.   Last month Georgie and other members of the 2024 cohort visited the Prism offsite manufacturing office in Coventry. This brilliant offering is helping Wates Group realise the benefits of prefabrication, modularisation and offsite construction across a wide range of industry sectors. Modular housing, for example, is a scalable, affordable option that could transform the fortunes of those that rely on transitional accommodation, as well as the local authorities providing it.   Georgie said, "It has been great to see what other parts of the business are doing, particularly in terms of sustainability, as Wates Developments continues to work on enhancing our sustainability offering."   Georgie and her colleagues are now halfway through the 2024 programme, which will provide more opportunities to witness first-hand the excellent range of services Wates Group offers, which – along with its’ people - help make it one of the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance companies.   #BuiltEnvironment #sustainability #newhomes #affordablehomes #HousingCrisis #ModularHousing #SocialHousing #Innovation #WatesGroup

CIBS Hosts Insightful Discussion on Melville Town Center's Future On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, the Commercial and Industrial Brokers Society of Long Island (CIBS) hosted a highly anticipated panel discussion: “The Melville Town Center – Will it Succeed and is It a Model for Other Long Island Municipalities?” The event brought together industry leaders and real estate professionals to explore the potential of the Melville Town Center and its impact on Long Island’s growth. Moderated by Peter L. Curry, partner at Farrell Fritz, P.C., the panel featured: • David Pennetta SIOR, CIBS, LEED GA, CIBS Co-President and Executive Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield • Michael Florio, CEO of Long Island Builders Institute • Louis Bekofsky, Principal & Managing Director at VHB Engineering • Kelley Coughlan Heck, Executive Vice President & Partner at TRITEC Real Estate Company, Inc. The conversation highlighted opportunities and challenges tied to redeveloping the Maxess Road area into a dynamic mixed-use community, blending commercial, residential, and recreational spaces. Peter Curry noted, “The Melville Town Center project could reshape how Long Island approaches mixed-use development and serve as a model for other municipalities balancing growth with community needs.” The panel emphasized the need for collaboration between developers, local governments, and communities to ensure Long Island remains a thriving hub for commercial and residential activity. CIBS Co-President David Pennetta added, “CIBS is proud to facilitate these essential conversations. As Long Island evolves, it’s critical that we proactively address the challenges and opportunities of major projects like the Melville Town Center.” #CIBS #LongIsland #RealEstate #MixedUseDevelopment #MelvilleTownCenter #CommercialRealEstate #CommunityGrowth  

Corporate Build-to-Rent: A New Era in UK Housing – 185 Apartments in Leeds We’re excited to share an overview of our latest Build-to-Rent (BTR) project for Rise Homes in Leeds – a development of 185 purpose-built apartments designed to meet modern tenants needs with sustainable, energy-efficient features all at moderately priced rents. Project Highlights: Energy Efficiency: With low-energy designs, the building offers sustainable living without high utility costs aligning with today’s green standards. Affordable, Quality Housing: Moderately priced rents make this project accessible to a wider range of residents, supporting tenant stability and community engagement. Fantastic Amenities: Residents enjoy access to top-tier amenities, creating a lifestyle-focused environment that caters to convenience and well-being. In a competitive rental market our BTR projects delivers high occupancy and rental demand, making it an attractive, long-term investment with stable income potential. For investors it represents a unique opportunity to tap into the UK’s growing corporate BTR sector. Is BTR in the UK part of your investment strategy? #BuildToRent #RealEstateInvestment #SustainableLiving #BTR #Investments #UKRealEstate #LeedsProperty #CorporateHousing

Consultation launched on Accrington masterplan framework. Hyndburn Borough Council and Lancashire County Council are seeking views on the regeneration of Accrington Town Centre. The Accrington Town Centre Investment Plan (TCIP) 2022-2032 aspires to create a vibrant, bustling, and proud market town steeped in industrial, cultural, and architectural heritage. This plan outlines up to £70 million of potential investments set to radically transform Accrington’s prospects for the future. The next stage in delivering this vision involves creating an Accrington Town Centre masterplan framework – a ten year roadmap for regeneration guiding future growth and development while evolving over time. Have your say and find out more at https://lnkd.in/eUPAsaP3