6 must reads for the AEC industry today: May 1, 2020

1. Gilbane shares supply-chain status of products affected by coronavirus (BD+C)
"The supply chain, for everything from paper towels to building products, has been a major concern during the pandemic."

2. DLR Group completes LA Memorial Coliseum Renovation (BD+C)
"The modernization project improved stadium seating and circulation while replacing every seat and installing handrails throughout. The design intervention widened seats and increased leg room in many sections."

3. OSHA says most employers don’t have to track worker COVID-19 infections (BD+C)
"Agency clarifies responsibility for contractors, others."

4. Coronavirus Pushes Colleges to the Breaking Point, Forcing ‘Hard Choices’ About Education (WSJ)
"Forecasted declines in enrollment and revenue have triggered spending cuts and salary freezes."

5. Banks Not Returning to Skyscrapers Anytime Soon (Bloomberg, National Real Estate Investor)
"Bank headquarters housing thousands of staff might go out of fashion if people need to take the elevator only two at a time."

6. Over 50% of department stores in malls predicted to close by 2021, real estate services firm says (CNBC)
"Department stores still represent about 60% of the anchor space within malls today, according to Green Street Advisors. Up until the coronavirus pandemic, it has been years of “kicking the can down the road,” analyst Vince Tibone said."

One of the hardest decisions multifamily developers and their design teams have to make is what mix of amenities they’re going to put into each project. A lot of squiggly factors go into that decision: the type of community, the geographic market, local recreation preferences, climate/weather conditions, physical parameters, and of course the budget. The permutations are mind-boggling.