RECon Coverage: Incoming ICSC Chair Offers Insights

May 25, 2011
By Allison Landa, News Editor

LAS VEGAS – David Henry is bullish on the future. The incoming International Council of Shopping Centers chairman and president & CEO of Kimco Realty Corp. sees good things coming not only for the organization, but for the retail sector as a whole.

“Retail real estate prices are … increasing, in some cases dramatically,” he said while addressing a packed audience at this year’s global retail real estate convention. “It’s clearly a much better environment for all of us.”

When introducing Henry, ICSC president & CEO Michael Kercheval noted that he has been active in many areas of the organization since joining Kimco in 2001. Henry has been president & CEO of Kimco since 2009.

For his part, Henry sees both challenges and rewards in today’s market.

“Internet sales and smaller stores … represent some of the issues facing us,” he said. “As an offset, however, there is (little to no new construction).”

He noted that it will be a busy year not only for him, but for ICSC as a whole.

“ICSC is a very special group of people,” he said. “Retail is the only property tpe which has a member organization consisting of property owners, realty owners, all kinds of owners. Over the next year, ICSC will be working hard on numerous initiatives to help more business.”