The Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council honored its most productive members of 2012 at the 12th annual Pinnacle Awards gala, held Thursday, April 25, at the Memphis Country Club.

2. Commercial Practitioners Have Voice With Council - Tuesday, April 09, 2013

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council has grown and evolved over the past nine years since its inception, with membership increasing from 150 members in 2004 to more than 350 members this year.

3. Panther Properties Buys Two Cordova Apartments - Tuesday, April 02, 2013

2350 N. Houston Levee Road and 2323 N. Houston Levee Road

4. Highwoods Buys Land for International Paper Expansion - Thursday, March 28, 2013

Highwoods Realty LP has bought two parcels of East Memphis land totaling about 5.1 acres that will be used for International Paper’s headquarters expansion.

5. Highwoods to Develop International Paper Tower - Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The future of International Paper Co. in Memphis, where it’s long been based and where it recently reached a deal to solidify its presence here, is taking shape.

6. Highwoods Signs Build-To-Suit Lease with International Paper - Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Highwoods Properties Inc. has signed a long-term build-to-suit lease with International Paper Co.

The agreement, announced by Highwoods Monday, March 25, involves Highwoods developing a 241,000-square-foot, nine-story Class A office building with structured parking in the Poplar Avenue corridor. That new building will sit directly across the street from International Paper’s world headquarters and main campus, and construction is expected to start in the fourth quarter, with completion by the end of the second quarter of 2015.

7. Reappraisal to Impact Office Market - Monday, March 18, 2013

For the first time in history, the property value of the once-every-four-year reappraisal is going down, and it has some commercial real estate property owners concerned.

Although how much the value decreases won’t be official until April 20, the first formal notices of 2013 Shelby County property values for taxation purposes were mailed at the beginning of this month to owners of commercial and industrial cost properties.

8. Apperson Crump Expands in Triad III - Friday, March 15, 2013

Memphis’ oldest continuously practicing law firm is expanding its presence in Triad III.

Apperson Crump PLC added 2,037 square feet to its seventh floor space in a vacant adjacent area between Silverleafe Capital Partners LLC.

9. Fogelman Properties Moves Headquarters to Triad II - Saturday, March 02, 2013

Memphis-based Fogelman Properties LLC has signed a lease for 12,000 square feet on the second floor of Triad Centre II, an 110,305-square-foot, Class A office building at 6060 Poplar Ave.

10. Fogelman Properties Moves Headquarters to Triad II - Monday, February 25, 2013

Memphis-based Fogelman Properties LLC has signed a lease for 12,000 square feet on the second floor of Triad Centre II, an 110,305-square-foot, Class A office building at 6060 Poplar Ave.

11. Pinnacle Awards Entries Due Friday - Thursday, February 14, 2013

The deadline for local commercial real estate brokers to enter the 12th annual Pinnacle Awards is Friday, Feb. 15.

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council will honor those top producers in the industry at an April 25 ceremony at the Memphis Country Club, 600 Goodwyn St.

12. BenchMark to Relocate, Restructure - Friday, January 25, 2013

BenchMark at Southwind Realtors LLC will soon relocate its Southeast Memphis office, add agents, integrate technology into its business practices and go paperless in one fell swoop.

13. Deadline Fast Approaching for Pinnacle Awards - Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council is well under way in planning the 12th annual Pinnacle Awards ceremony, a night dedicated to showcasing commercial real estate industry professionals in the area.

14. Changing Market - Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Much of 2012’s commercial real estate deals could be summed up in one of three phrases: speculative construction, institutional buyers and unusual transactions.

The first quarter was kicked off when Industrial Developments International Inc. revealed plans to add one build-to-suit and two speculative buildings in its Crossroads Distribution Center in Olive Branch – marking the area’s first spec construction since 2008.

15. Southwind Homewood Suites Sells for $6.5 Million - Monday, December 31, 2012

3583 Hacks Cross Road Memphis, TN 38125

Sale Amount: $6.5 million

Sale Date: Nov. 2, 2012

16. $1.3 Million Permit Filed for The Capital Grille - Friday, December 28, 2012

Orlando, Fla.-based Darden Concepts Inc. has filed a $1.3 million permit application with the city-county Office of Construction Code Enforcement to build The Capital Grille on an outparcel of the Crescent Center in East Memphis.

17. CashSaver Trades Hands for $3.2 Million - Friday, December 28, 2012

The CashSaver in Midtown has traded hands. 

Kansas City, Kan.-based Super Market Developers Inc. bought the 69,017-square-foot building at 1620 Madison Ave. at Avalon Street from 1620 Madison LLC for $3.2 million. Fred Monks III, president/chief manager of 1620 Madison LLC, signed the special warranty deed.

18. Uniquely Creative - Monday, December 10, 2012

The freshly painted walls at Paradigm Marketing & Creative include the definition of creativity spelled out to serve as a constant reminder of the 20-year old firm’s mantra.

“The ability to transcend traditional ideas and to create meaningful new ideas,” the wall leading into the newly refurbished kitchen area reads.

19. Permit Filed for Seasons 52 at Crescent Center - Friday, November 30, 2012

Preparations have been made for Seasons 52’s first Memphis location at the Crescent Center, according to a recent permit application with the city-county Office of Construction Code Enforcement.

20. Snyder’s-Lance Signs Deal In Southaven - Friday, September 21, 2012

A well-known snack food company has boosted its distribution presence in the Memphis area.

Snyder’s-Lance Inc. signed a 26,757-square-foot lease at Airways Distribution Center Building F, 8425 Airways Blvd., in Southaven.

21. Commercial Council Elects deWitt, Reilly as Top Leaders - Monday, August 13, 2012

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council announced its 2013 officers and directors Thursday, Aug. 9, at its annual Member Appreciation and Election Party.

Greg deWitt of Grubb & Ellis Memphis will serve as 2013 president. Patrick Reilly of CB Richard Ellis Memphis will serve as vice president.

22. Granting Wishes - Monday, May 28, 2012

Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South plans to grant 220 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions this year.

On Thursday, May 24, the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council was able to witness one of those wishes being granted firsthand at Windyke Country Club, as well as donate enough funds to share the power of three additional wishes.

23. In-Rel Outsources Office Leasing - Friday, May 25, 2012

In-Rel Properties Inc. has outsourced its Memphis office leasing to Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors LLC, following months of changes up top for the Lake Worth, Fla.-based real estate firm.

24. In-Rel Outsources Office Leasing - Thursday, May 24, 2012

In-Rel Properties Inc. has outsourced its Memphis office leasing to Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors LLC, following months of changes up top for the Lake Worth, Fla.-based real estate firm.

25. Highwoods Properties' Q1 Net Income Rises - Thursday, May 03, 2012

Highwoods Properties Inc.’s first-quarter net income was $16.7 million – up from $10.1 million during the same period last year – the Raleigh, N.C.-based real estate investment trust announced Wednesday, May 2, in its Q1 earnings conference call.

26. Office Opportunities - Thursday, May 03, 2012

Memphis’ office real estate landscape is changing, and for three firms, those changes are creating opportunities.

Orlando, Fla.-based Parkway Properties Inc. in March completed the sale of its interest in Renaissance Center – a 190,000-square-foot office building at 1715 Aaron Brenner Drive in the Poplar Avenue corridor – to partner Parkway Properties Office Fund LP.

27. Restaurants Make Market Entrée at Crescent Center - Tuesday, May 01, 2012

The Poplar/240 corridor soon will add a pair of national restaurant tenants to its already booming portfolio of dining options.

The Land Use Control Board unanimously approved in April a planned development to add two upscale freestanding restaurants to the Crescent Center office building site at Poplar Avenue and Ridgeway Road.

28. Awards Just One Facet Of Comm. Council - Tuesday, April 17, 2012

This year marks a decade of existence for the Memphis Area Association of Realtors’ Commercial Council, the trade organization for the commercial real estate profession and its related sectors.

The council has about 325 members whose professions include commercial developers, brokers, property managers and other related CRE careers. Two of the council’s main events each year are the Commercial Property Forecast Summit, held in February, and the Pinnacle Awards, which honor the highest-producing commercial brokers each spring.

29. Office Market Outlook Tied to Small Biz Expansion - Monday, April 02, 2012

Companies seeking larger blocks of office space are staying on the sidelines for the most part so far this year because of diminishing inventory in the area’s hottest submarkets of East Memphis, the Tenn. 385 corridor and Downtown.

30. Monroe Ave. Bldg. Sells For $3.3M - Friday, March 23, 2012

A fully leased Downtown office building has traded hands for more than twice its assessed value.

309 Monroe Property LLC purchased the 22,792-square-foot property at 309 Monroe Ave. for $3.3 million. The Shelby County Assessor of Property’s 2011 appraisal was $1.5 million.

31. Norris To Withdraw Annexation Bills - Friday, February 10, 2012

Tennessee State Senate Republican leader Mark Norris of Collierville said Thursday, Feb. 9, he plans to withdraw two bills affecting annexation in Shelby County.

32. CRE Activity Stays Strong During 2011 - Friday, December 30, 2011

Despite hard times, local commercial real estate firms were able to ink plenty of deals in the past 12 months.

Memphis’ industrial leasing activity kicked off in January when Buena Park, Calif.-based Pacific Logistics Corp. signed a 60,000-square-foot lease in ProLogis Park DeSoto for its first Memphis-area location.

33. Mercer Ready to Steer MAAR Commercial Council - Monday, November 28, 2011

John Mercer does not take over as 2012 president of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council until Jan. 1, but he is already working hard planning several big MAAR events for early next year.

34. Crye-Leike Inks Car Dealership, Industrial Deals - Friday, October 14, 2011

Bill Caller with Crye-Leike Commercial has brokered a pair of sales in recent weeks that enable the new users to occupy second-generation space.

Nihal Khwaja with Best Deal Motors purchased the 2-acre former car lot at 5648 Summer Ave. for $150,000.

35. Three-in-One - Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Highwoods Properties Inc. is about two weeks away from completing more than $1 million in parking lot renovations and building improvements at the East Memphis office complex Triad Centre, bringing its three developments into a cohesive, campus-style environment.

36. Staying Afloat - Monday, September 19, 2011

Compared to the overall U.S. construction landscape, Memphis’ position appears to be managing fairly well.

Within the last 10 months, the city has landed several heavy manufacturing projects – Electrolux, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc. and Kruger Inc., to name a few – in a time when, nationally, the manufacturing sector is stagnant.

37. Tactical Magic Celebrates 10 Years - Monday, September 12, 2011

It was 10 years ago this month – amid some of the most uncertain times in the nation’s history – that Trace Hallowell founded Tactical Magic.

He had completed his commitments at Thompson & Co., took a month off to drive around the country with his family, and came back ready to work.

38. Owners, Brokers Work Harder To Seal Deals - Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Whether it’s a new lease or a renewal, industrial and office deal cycles are taking more time than normal due to fear, indecisiveness, doubt and a higher level of scrutiny in the negotiating process.

39. Highwoods Properties’ Q2 Funds Down to $45.8 Million - Friday, July 29, 2011

Highwoods Properties Inc.’s second-quarter funds from operations was $45.8 million – down from $48.7 million during the same period last year – the company announced Thursday, July 28, in its second-quarter earnings conference call.

40. Sharp Optimistic About Future of CRE - Friday, June 17, 2011

For more than 17 years, Mary Sharp has made a name for herself in the historically male-dominated industry of commercial real estate.

41. Dollar General Building Store On Jackson In N. Memphis - Friday, June 10, 2011

Plans for a new Dollar General store in the city’s North submarket are under way. Ware Properties LLC purchased 9,100 square feet of vacant land at 3433 Jackson Ave. from Hector Tejeda in May for $140,000, according to the Shelby County Register of Deeds. The Shelby County Assessor of Property’s 2011 appraisal of the parcel was $109,200.

42. Highwoods to Receive LEED Gold Plaque - Friday, June 03, 2011

Highwoods Properties Inc. will be presented Monday, June 6, with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold plaque for Memphis’ first multi-tenant LEED-certified building, Triad Center III, 6070 Poplar Ave.

43. Cable Service Provider Signs New Lease - Friday, June 03, 2011

A Madison, Tenn.-based cable service provider is taking advantage of lower rates in a competitive leasing environment.

FTS USA has signed a 4,002-square-foot lease in East Pointe Business Center, 3915 S. Mendenhall Road.

44. Slow Deals Latest Signs of Times - Monday, May 30, 2011

Office and industrial deals across the Mid-South are taking longer to get accomplished thanks to shaky confidence and more financial hurdles coming out of the economic downturn of the past few years.

45. Ridgeway Trace’s Success Fills ‘Huge Void’ - Monday, May 16, 2011

A dramatic change to the retail landscape in East Memphis began in February of 2005 with one phone call.

Danny Buring, managing partner of The Shopping Center Group, made that call to the owner of the Ridgeway Trace Apartments, located on the southeast corner of Poplar Avenue and Interstate 240.

46. Pinnacle Awards Honor City’s Best Brokers - Monday, April 11, 2011

As emcee Dan Conaway noted in his opening address Thursday night at the 10th annual Pinnacle Awards, “OK is the new great.”

47. Pinnacle Awards Honor City's Best Brokers - Friday, April 08, 2011

As emcee Dan Conaway noted in his opening address Thursday night at the 10th annual Pinnacle Awards, “OK is the new great.”

48. Black Equip. Supply Grows Memphis Presence - Friday, April 08, 2011

Black Equipment Supply is relocating its Memphis presence to a space that nearly doubles the size of the firm’s former location.

The company will vacate its 14,000-square-foot space off Cherry Road and has signed a 25,372-square-foot lease at Shelby Air Park, 4570 Shelby Air Drive, suite 8.

49. Myers Tire Finds ‘Ideal’ Spot in Miss. - Friday, April 01, 2011

Airways Distribution Center at 8474 Marketplace Drive in Southaven is nearly at capacity with a new lease.

50. Changes On Tap For 2011 Pinnacle Awards - Tuesday, March 15, 2011

After a decade of awarding excellence in the commercial real estate industry, the Memphis Area Association of Realtors’ Commercial Council Pinnacle Awards will celebrate its 10th anniversary by recognizing the industry’s top producers and offering a few surprises as well.

51. Gaining Momentum - Monday, March 07, 2011

The office leasing market in Memphis is gaining momentum in the first few months of this year, following a slow but steady 2010.

Last year, smaller users kept the market afloat. But in the past month, an influx of interest from large users has been a welcome – and pleasant – surprise for the market.

52. MAAR to Honor Top Brokers with Pinnacle Awards - Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Pinnacle Awards have become a benchmark for excellence in the commercial real estate industry.

Started in 2002, the awards honor the highest producing commercial brokers in Memphis for the previous year in a number of categories including broker and newcomer of the year. All commercial brokers who hold membership in the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council are encouraged to submit an application.

53. Highwoods Reports $62M in Fourth Quarter Revenue - Monday, February 14, 2011

Highwoods Properties Inc. saw 2010 profits of $61.8 million – a 19 percent jump year over year – the company announced Thursday in its fourth-quarter and year-end earnings conference call.

54. Dotzour Outlines CRE Future at MAAR Summit - Thursday, February 10, 2011

For this year’s version of the commercial real estate industry to differ from 2010, the economy needs one thing – jobs.

That was the message Mark Dotzour, chief economist and director of research for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, told a room full of local brokers, bankers and appraisers at Wednesday’s Commercial Property Forecast Summit, held at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre and sponsored by the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council.

55. Summit to Provide Insights for CRE Market - Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Commercial real estate professionals will soon have the opportunity to gain insight on local and national issues that have an effect on Memphis business.

The eighth annual Commercial Property Forecast Summit, presented by the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council, will provide reviews and forecasts of four local commercial real estate sectors.

56. Highwoods Extends Tenants at Southwind Office Center - Friday, January 28, 2011

Raleigh, N.C.-based Highwoods Properties Inc. has signed two deals at its Southwind Office Center, a 62,000-square foot, three-story building with views of the Tournament Players Club at Southwind golf course.

57. Yogurt Craze Continues with TCBY Store - Friday, January 21, 2011

A TCBY franchise has signed a 1,225-square-foot lease in University Center, 3445 Poplar Ave., at the southwest corner of Poplar and Highland Street.

58. Riley Poised to Lead MAAR Commercial Council in 2011 - Friday, January 07, 2011

Ron Riley launched his sales career by selling copiers and printers at Xerox Corp. shortly after receiving his bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Memphis.

59. Moving Forward - Monday, December 27, 2010

As the commercial real estate market remained soft in 2010, a handful of major deals – including some to close the year – indicated light at the end of the tunnel.

The year ended with the top retail investment sale of the year when Loeb Properties Inc. bought Park Place Centre from Belz Enterprises Inc. for $10.3 million.

60. EMHC Moving to Appling Farms, Doubling in Size - Friday, December 17, 2010

Emergency Mobile Health Care is more than doubling the size of its Memphis corporate headquarters.

EMHC has signed a 14,200-square-foot lease at 6972 Appling Farms Parkway. EMHC currently occupies 6,900 square feet at 5071 Wilfong Road, and also has an office in Jackson, Tenn.

61. Highwoods Stands Tall Among Competition - Tuesday, December 14, 2010

As a prominent investment and leasing firm and one of the most active real estate investment trusts in the Memphis market, Highwoods Properties Inc. routinely made commercial real estate headlines in 2010.

62. Seeking Stability - Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The commercial real estate market is poised for a comeback in 2011, as investment sales show signs of recovery and occupancy slowly improves to meet supply.

Shelby County’s commercial sales during the past 12 months (November 2009 through October 2010) totaled 581, down 6 percent from 620 sales during the previous 12-month period, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

63. Guinn Receives Nat'l Commercial Award - Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Steve L. Guinn, vice president of Highwoods Properties Inc., is one of 20 nationwide commercial Realtors to receive the 2010 National Commercial Award.

64. Calif. Investor Buys Midtown Apartments - Friday, November 12, 2010

A vintage apartment complex in Midtown is under new ownership.

Gabrion Properties LLC closed on approximately 20,000 total square feet of space in Cherokee Arms Apartments for $455,000. The three-story apartment complex, 1508 Madison Ave., contains 30 studio apartments with historic vintage architecture.

65. Kent H. Landsberg Co. Doubles Space - Friday, October 08, 2010

Kent H. Landsberg Co. has finally inked a deal that had been in the works for quite some time.

Landsberg, a packaging, janitorial and food service shipping supply company, stayed in Memphis and expanded when it purchased Wurzburg Inc., a Memphis-based provider of supply-chain logistics and packaging.

66. CBRE Lands Leasing Contract With Parkway - Friday, October 01, 2010

The Memphis office of CB Richard Ellis Inc. will handle marketing and leasing services for Parkway Realty Service’s Memphis office building portfolio, the company announced this week.

67. Lending Landscape Remains Bleak - Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Commercial and residential construction lenders continue to see slow activity from developers, making it unlikely much dirt will get pushed on new projects in the next several months.

“We are seeing softness in the commercial market in almost all sectors,” said Rick Hall, executive vice president at Renasant Bank. “Not many projects have been presented, and demand is low for new loans.”

68. MAAR Commercial Council Welcomes New Board Members - Monday, August 16, 2010

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council held its annual board of directors meeting Thursday, approving three new members for its 2011 board.

Greg deWitt of Grubb & Ellis Co. will take over one of the council’s director seats next year before becoming the council’s vice president in 2012. He will inherit the seat occupied by John Mercer of Highwoods Properties in 2011.

69. Highwoods Buys Crescent Center for $52.6M - Thursday, July 29, 2010

Highwoods Properties Inc. has bolstered its already strong position along the Poplar Avenue office corridor by adding an impressive asset.

70. Highwoods Buys Crescent Center for $52.6M - Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Highwoods Properties Inc. has bolstered its already strong position along the Poplar Avenue office corridor by adding an impressive asset.

71. Deal 'Huge' For Office Real Estate Market - Thursday, June 10, 2010

The lease that sent Glankler Brown PLLC from Downtown to East Memphis was one of the most significant commercial real estate deals inked all year, even in a city known for its abundance of large industrial transactions.

72. Tough Call - Thursday, June 10, 2010

With the ink dry on a lease that moves Downtown mainstay Glankler Brown PLLC out of the landmark One Commerce Square building and into a prominent East Memphis building, one thing is clear: The decision to relocate was excruciating.

73. Last Straw? - Tuesday, June 08, 2010

News last week that the law firm Glankler Brown PLLC will vacate 39,000 square feet in One Commerce Square signaled another blow to the embattled 31-story tower, a fixture on the Memphis skyline for the past four decades.

74. Glankler Brown Departs Downtown - Monday, June 07, 2010

Glankler Brown PLLC, a law firm that has been a Downtown mainstay for nearly a century, won’t renew its lease at One Commerce Square and will move to East Memphis.

75. Glankler Brown Departs Downtown - Friday, June 04, 2010

Glankler Brown PLLC, a law firm that has been a Downtown mainstay for nearly a century, won’t renew its lease at One Commerce Square and will move to East Memphis.

The firm on Friday announced a 10-year, 32,000-square-foot lease with Highwoods Properties at Triad Centre I at Poplar Avenue and Shady Grove Road near Interstate 240, in the heart of the most desirable office corridor in town.

76. Highwoods Inks Deal With C.H. Robinson Worldwide - Thursday, April 29, 2010

Raleigh, N.C.-based Highwoods Properties Inc. this week announced that the Memphis office of global logistics and transportation provider C.H. Robinson Worldwide has signed a lease on 9,900 square feet of office space at 3400 Players Club.

77. Highwoods to Hold Triad Open House - Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Raleigh, N.C.-based Highwoods Properties will hold an open house for its recently completed Triad Centre III

office building at 6070 Shady Grove Road in East Memphis.

78. Highwoods Renews Lease With Agency Services - Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Highwoods Properties Inc. has announced a 3,700-square-foot lease renewal with Agency Services Inc. at Highwoods’ Southwind Office Center, 8275 Tournament Drive.

79. Rhea Receives WKNO’s Distinguished Service Award - Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Stephen H. Rhea has received the Julian Bondurant Distinguished Service Award from WKNO Public Broadcasting.

Rhea is the WKNO Capital Campaign chair and led the campaign for the digital transition that brought in $16.9 million. The campaign enabled the station to build the Digital Media Center.

80. Aiken’s Love of Profession Radiates in Commercial Realty Work - Friday, December 18, 2009

Wyatt Aiken launched his commercial real estate career in 1983, the same year he graduated from Tulane University with an MBA. As the New Orleans native first looked for jobs, he interviewed in a handful of Southeastern U.S. cities, but never considered Memphis.

81. LEED-Certified Triad Centre III Welcomes Competition Buzz - Friday, September 25, 2009
 

An interior design competition will give University of Memphis students some real-world practice and the Triad Centre III in East Memphis some marketing exposure, bringing much-needed benefits for the university and the developer in light of the slow economy.

Highwoods Properties is sponsoring a commercial design competition for students in the U of M’s interior design program to compete for the chance to design an environmentally sustainable office for Triad Centre III, the LEED-certified office building that is nearing completion.

LEED is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, which is developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The competition is a collaboration between Raleigh, N.C.-based Highwoods and the U of M’s architecture department, which houses the interior design program.

Highwoods Vice President Steve Guinn said the Class A, 147,982-square-foot Triad Centre III, slated to open Nov. 23, is just 17 percent leased, so any kind of buzz surrounding the building at Poplar Avenue and South Shady Grove Road is welcome.

Not only that, Guinn added, the competition fosters an important partnership between the development firm and the U of M.

“We were looking for a way to promote the building, the first LEED office building in Memphis, and we’ve had success in other cities with joint venturing with the local college,” Guinn said. “It’s a way to get involved in the community as well and show our support for the University of Memphis and what they’re doing in their design class.”

Timely competition

Though Guinn would like to see more space leased in Triad Centre III, he said he understands the difficulty of landing tenants with the current state of the economy.

“We’ve had some decent activity on it,” Guinn said. “For this type of economic environment we’re in, it could be worse.”

That makes the contest timely for Highwoods. As part of the competition, the firm will award $500 to the university and another $500 to the winning team, which is being asked to design a roughly 4,500-square-foot office for a fictitious public relations firm.

That part of the competition was the brainchild of Brent DeLatte, program coordinator for the U of M’s interior design department. DeLatte said giving commercial interior design students a blank palette for designing a sustainable office space first and foremost complements the current trend of green design and architecture.

“As a program and as a department – and truly on up to the college (of communication and fine arts) and the university – we have made it a focus to become even more aware in teaching and to give information to the community about sustainability through design and all aspects of that,” DeLatte said. “It’s become a big focus in the community, across the country and across the world.”

Green leg up

DeLatte said designing sustainable office space is about much more than choosing recycled glass or a bamboo floor. The students will have to calculate the points needed for LEED certification as if it were a real contract.

“This opportunity came up, and I don’t think I could have had a better project for the students to be exposed to the serious research that’s necessary as a designer to do this type of project,” DeLatte said. “It’s really getting to the root of what sustainable and green and LEED design is.”

U of M architecture department chair Michael Hagge said the department has been participating in similar design competitions, including one for a component of the Volkswagen site in Chattanooga, Tenn., and also one for a green coffee shop in Phoenix.

He said these types of competitions give students invaluable experience with regard to researching and preparing projects, which they will be called upon to do once they have their degrees.

“It gives the students the opportunity to work on projects that will be ultimately juried by people who are not from around here,” Hagge said. “These are international, in some cases, jury members, and so it gives them a chance to compete in an entirely different setting.”

Moreover, the specific research needed for this design project – from the materials to the systems to the lighting – will give interior design students a leg up on their peers in the job market.

“That is something that fits right into what those students will be doing in their regular interior design studio,” Hagge said, “so it gives them this quick kickoff where they’re being exposed to a lot of things.”

82. Recent Malco Dustup Leads To E. Memphis Alliance - Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Crowd control problems at the Malco Paradiso movie theater have led to a broader discussion about development in East Memphis, including the theater and a number of thriving businesses.

The locally owned movie theater chain Friday began implementing new policies essentially banning children at the Paradiso after 6 p.m. because of a mob of unruly teenagers in the parking lot the previous weekend. And Memphis police had a more visible presence around the theater during the Labor Day holiday.

83. MAAR Commercial Council Names 2010 Officers - Monday, August 24, 2009

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council announced Friday that Wyatt Aiken of Commercial Advisors will serve as 2010 president and Ron Riley of In-Rel Management will serve as 2010 president-elect.

84. Commercial Real Estate Hangs on for Dear Life - Friday, March 20, 2009

The pulse of commercial real estate is barely detectable, but the fact that it’s still registering a beat is remarkable considering the trauma it’s suffered over the past year.

From March 2008 through February 2009, commercial sales in Shelby County declined 35 percent compared to the prior 12-month period, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

85. Tight Credit Put Squeeze On ‘08 Commercial Real Estate Sales - Thursday, January 22, 2009

As with the residential sector, 2008 was a year to forget in commercial real estate, which suffered declining sales and endured a nationwide credit crunch throughout the year.

“The big storyline in ’08 was that lenders weren’t lending,” said Johnny Lamberson, senior vice president at CB Richard Ellis Memphis. “It put a real tightening on deals getting done. If deals weren’t highly leveraged, as the year went on it became harder and harder to get transactions closed because nobody was lending money.”

86. Calipari Tapped to Rally Real Estate Community - Thursday, January 08, 2009

For many local sports fans, the lasting image of 2008 was the University of Memphis men’s basketball team suffering a heartbreaking loss to Kansas in the national championship game.

For many local Realtors, the lasting image of 2008 was the housing market suffering a continued slump.

87. Caraway Named ‘Rising Star’ By Midsouth Superlawyers - Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Kirk Caraway of Allen, Summers, Simpson, Lillie & Gresham PLLC has been selected as a “Rising Star” in the field of Labor and Employment Litigation by Law & Politics Midsouth Superlawyers publication for 2008.

88. Commercial Real Estate Sales Bleak in October - Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Commercial real estate’s downward spiral continued in October, with sales falling by a third compared to the same month a year ago.

Just 64 commercial deals occurred in Shelby County last month, a 33.3 percent decline from 96 in October 2007, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

89. State Supreme Court To Hear Cases In Memphis - Thursday, October 30, 2008

The Tennessee Supreme Court is coming to Memphis on election day.

The five-member court will be hearing three oral arguments in three cases at the Shelby County Courthouse on Tuesday afternoon.

90. Central Gardens Condominiums Under Renovation - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

1676 Central Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104
Loan Amount: $ 750,000

Loan Date: Sept. 18, 2008
Maturity Date: Sept. 17, 2009
Borrower: Belvedere Central LLC
Lender: BancorpSouth Bank

91. Highwoods Properties Acquires PennMarc Building - Monday, October 20, 2008

Highwoods Properties Inc., operating as Highwoods Realty LP, has bought the PennMarc office building at 6401 Poplar Ave. for $14.5 million.

92. MAAR Elects Board of Directors - Monday, September 08, 2008

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors elected six real estate professionals to its 2009-2010 board of directors at last week’s annual meeting.

The new directors are Landis Foy of Crye-Leike Inc.; Steve Guinn of Highwoods Properties; R. Darnell Tate of ERA Legacy Realty; Michael Green of John Green & Co. Realtors; Betsy Kelly of Hobson Co. Realtors; and Randy Jefferson of Hobson Co. Realtors.

93. New AT&T Retail Center Slated for Germantown Parkway - Tuesday, June 10, 2008

1730 N. Germantown Parkway
Cordova, TN 38016
Sale Amount: $1.3 Million

Sale Date: May 6, 2008
Buyer: Retail Realty Partners LLC
Seller: First Capital Bank
Loan Amount: $2 million
Loan Date: May 12, 2008
Maturity Date: May 12, 2015
Lender: Cadence Bank NA

94. Highwoods Moves Forward With Triad Centre III - Monday, June 02, 2008

After delays, Highwoods Properties Inc. is moving forward with plans to build a $29.2 million, 148,000-square-foot office building near Poplar Avenue and Shady Grove Road, the company announced last week.

95. Highwoods Project on Hold Despite Filed Permits - Thursday, May 08, 2008

     Three building permits totaling $30.1 million were filed by Highwoods Properties Inc. this week for an office building and two parking garages at Poplar Avenue and Shady Grove Road, according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com. But the project - to be called Triad Centre III - is still on hold, said Steve Guinn, division vice president for the Raleigh, N.C.-based company.
     "We're not doing anything on it yet," he said. "My contractor just did the permit to be ready in case we move forward."
     One permit for $15.1 million was for a new office building, while two for $7.5 million each were for new parking garages.
     The applications for permit, filed with the city-county Department of Construction Code Enforcement by contractor Montgomery Martin Contractors LLC, were formalities that will pave the way for starting construction when the timing is right, which could be at least another month, Guinn said.
     

96. Big Sales Keep Market Afloat - Friday, May 02, 2008

A retail strip center, a car dealership, land for a fitness center, two cemeteries and a hotel - in that order - ranked as Shelby County's top five commercial real estate sales in terms of dollar amount for March, proving the local market's versatility.

97. MAAR Event Tailored to Commercial Property Reappraisals - Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Andy Raines graduated from law school at then-Memphis State University in 1980, the same year Shelby County held its first property reappraisal in nearly two decades.

As a young attorney cutting his teeth on property tax law for Evans and Petree PC, Raines saw firsthand the chaos created by what later would be considered a watershed event.

98. Big-Picture Economics Topic Of Property Summit - Tuesday, February 19, 2008

A host of experts will discuss the bigger picture of the U.S. and global economies as well as local real estate matters at this week's Commercial Property Forecast summit, hosted by the Memphis Area Association of Realtors' Commercial Council.

99. Peterson Named Director of Purchasing at UTHSC - Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Kenneth M. Peterson has been appointed director of purchasing for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Previously, Peterson was a career employee of the U.S. government, and formerly served as director of the National Acquisition Center for the Customs and Border Patrol Protection Service in the Department of Homeland Security.

100. MAAR ConfirmsCommercial Council Officers - Monday, September 10, 2007
     The Memphis Area Association of Realtors (MAAR) Commercial Council last week confirmed that Steve Guinn of Highwoods Properties will serve as 2008 president. The group also elected Irvin Skopp of Belz Realty Co. as 2008