Blog

        The interplay of natural light and architecture is what creates great spaces. In Tanizaki’s essay, he goes on to make the case that modern spaces with electrical lighting are psychologically exhausting—that the eye and psyche are drained by modern environments. Recent studies agree, stating human beings need exposure to the full spectrum of light in order to thrive, and in retail environments, the use of natural light has been shown to not only warm the often times sterile spaces, but also increase sales due to higher energy levels in consumers . In these dark days of commercial…

  Don’t you wonder what will be the lasting accomplishments of the federal stimulus package? As well as the intended and immediate impact on individuals? I believe it could greatly enhance the economy of states that agree to strategically allocate their respective share. Today, we discuss stimulus packages not in hundreds of millions but in hundreds of billions and even a trillion or more dollars. I advocate using a fraction of those billions to statewide and nationally endorse Chicago’s pursuit to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016. Let’s use a tiny fraction of those available billions to…

  Do you ever feel alone when you read or watch the news? The only one paying income taxes at the prescribed rates? The only one that resisted the urge to buy a bigger house? The only consumer that lives within your financial means? The only business or investment manager with morals and ethics? The only one that is not looking for a government bailout? The only one not getting anything from the bailout? You are not alone. In fact 80-90% of Americans are with you. 80-90% pay taxes and their home mortgage and hope the government covers the core…

  As we approach the 2nd quarter of 2009, several trends are becoming apparent: Many institutional owners are under pressure to sell assets in order to redeem capital to their investors and, in some cases, to avoid violating loan covenants. Special servicers for CMBS commercial loans in default appear increasingly willing to provide time to negotiate terms. Many want a pay down in the debt balance – most start foreclosure proceedings at default. Strong regional and National banks are making more acquisitions and refinance loans, particularly for well capitalized owners. Their terms are often more competitive than life companies and…

As a CEO, getting engaged with your workforce is one the best things you can do to drive performance, engender workforce loyalty, and boost morale. The topic of “employee engagement” is something that many CEOs tend to struggle with. I’ve written before about the critical importance of CEOs and entrepreneurs having an external focus. Long gone are the days where the executive leadership of a company can remain sequestered in their offices with an internal focus on hard metrics. Given the current economic climate it takes far more than cost-cutting to survive. It is the CEO who focuses on the…

  It is February 17th, and we are more than half way through the “Winter of our Real Estate Indecision”.  Two or three warmer days teased us earlier this month, only to hear that frigid conditions will be returning to Chicago this week.  However, we have learned that spring does return, and that is what motivates all of us to anticipate baseball, outdoor dining, golf and hot August nights.      Wow, does it not read like a page from the Wall Street Journal, or a current economic overview?  It appears that every piece of good economic news is “blasted”…

  Don’t expect government infrastructure jobs to bail out the commercial real estate industry. A recent story on the Inland Empire area of California shows the limitation of a government-created job market. The 9.5% unemployment rate in the area matches Detroit as the worst in the nation. At the same time, Riverside (one of the Inland Empire communities), has almost $1 billion worth of public-works projects underway or planned, from widening roads to building a new jail. The area illustrates both the promise and the limitations of President Obama’s spending proposal to pull the U.S. economy out of a recession…

“Leadership Lessons from Abraham Lincoln” is the second in a two-part series celebrating Presidents’ Day by examining the leadership traits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. In yesterday’s post I examined the unimpeachable character of our first president, and in today’s post I’ll examine the resolve of our sixteenth. It is an astute person who studies history and applies the lessons learned to their present day life as a method for preventing the completely avoidable mistakes that plague many. I hope that these brief examinations into the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln will help you become a better…

It’s not uncommon in today’s world to wonder “where have all the leaders gone?” When you want to find great examples of solid leadership, you need only look back to our nation’s founders. Since we’re headed into Presidents Day weekend and the commencement of Lincoln’s bicentennial celebration, I thought I’d take this opportunity to author a two part series in which I’ll examine the leadership characteristics of the two presidents for which the holiday is celebrated; George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. In this week’s column I’ll begin by taking a brief look at the life of George Washington in an…