The pandemic has not killed bricks and mortar stores despite the move of consumers to clicks and online buying. Only changes that provide greater convenience to consumers at reasonable cost to retailers will persist. Most disruptions have already been coming and the pace and convergence have simply been accelerated. But very big questions remain. These were some of the insights from a panel of retail experts during the “Rebuilding Local Retail: Operations, Design and Technology” round table webinar hosted by the soon to be launched Retail Innovation Center and the Center for Real Estate Entre ..read more

Student fund managers of Patriot Real Estate Fund I, a real estate investment fund run by second-year students of the George Mason University Masters in Real Estate Development (MRED) program, recently sold its first investment. The students successfully achieved strong returns for fund investors and benefited from a unique experiential learning opportunity. In January, the fund sold its equity investment in the Heathcote Professional Building, a 53,000 square foot office building which offers for-lease and for-sale medical office condominiums in Gainesville, Virginia. The building was deve ..read more

“Classifying Regulatory Approaches of Jurisdictions for Accessory Dwelling Units: The Case of Long Island” by Katrin B. Anacker (George Mason University Schar School of Public Policy and Government) and Christopher Niedt (Hofstra University) Abstract: Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are a strategy for providing affordable rental housing. We suggest a typology of regulatory approaches in Long Island, New York, differentiating between jurisdictions that allow nonfamily/nondomestic employee renters in ADUs (Type 1), allow only family members and domestic employees in ADUs (Type 2), and do not all ..read more

“Inclusionary Zoning and Housing Market Outcomes” By Emily Hamilton,  Mercatus Working Paper, Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Arlington, VA, September 2019. Abstract: “As regions across the United States are experiencing high and rising house prices, inclusionary zoning is increasing in popularity as a tool to increase the availability of affordable housing for households making less than their region’s median income. However, when inclusionary zoning requires private developers to subsidize below-market-rate units, it may act as a tax on housing, leading to reduced supply and high ..read more

Fairfax County and the George Mason School of Business are proud to host the 2020 Housing Challenge as a means of bringing together students, residents, industry professionals, housing advocates and policy experts to provide solutions to three critical challenges facing Fairfax County in our pursuit towards enhanced home affordability – particularly for those earning low to moderate incomes. Cash prizes will be awarded to the most promising ideas and proposals! Affordable housing is a critical priority facing Fairfax County. The anticipated growth of the community, increasing rents and only m ..read more

Adam Weers, an experienced principal with national development firm Trammell Crow Company, addressed a group of real estate students and alumni at the Master in Real Estate Development program’s Role Model Thursday event last October 24 in Arlington.  Role Model Thursdays are networking events held several times a year with a featured real estate executive providing a short talk on lessons learned from his real estate projects and career. Weers presented the history of the on-going redevelopment of the McMillan Sand Filtration site in the District of Columbia, a rare 25-acre urban land parcel ..read more

The George Mason Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship and HITT Contracting partnered last October to host an on-site case study tour and lecture on mass timber construction featuring Co|Lab, HITT’s new 8,650 sq. ft. two-story research and testing facility that opened in June.  The building, located in Falls Church, is the first structural mass timber building in Virginia. Commercial construction using engineered mass timber structural framing, instead of typical steel and concrete, has attracted growing interest among developers, architects, and builders.  Mass timber frame projects have b ..read more

Sharon Bulova, the long-time chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, gave the 2019 Benjamin F. Tompkins Real Estate Best Practices Lecture last September 25 before an audience of real estate students, alumni, and industry professionals at Van Metre Hall.  She is stepping down in January 2020 after serving three terms as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and previously served as the Braddock District Supervisor from 1988-2009. After a thirty-one year career in public service, Chairman Bulova reflected on lessons learned from her role in land use decisions and sh ..read more

Greg Hoffman, Vice President of Arlington-based real estate developer Rooney Properties, joined the Advisory Board of the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship (CREE) at the George Mason School of Business.  Greg graduated from the George Mason Masters in Real Estate Development (MRED) program in 2016.  He is the first alumni of the program to join the center’s advisory board as a full member, establishing an important milestone for the MRED program. Greg has been an active alumni supporter of the MRED program.  He has served previously as president of the MRED alumni group and as a board m ..read more

One of the largest real estate-related events in the Washington, DC area, the 30th annual JDRF Real Estate Games, was held at the campus of American University last June 6. The JDRF Real Estate Games is an annual fundraiser sponsored by the Washington, DC area real estate community to benefit the JDRF Capital Chapter. JDRF is the leading global organization focused on T1D research, currently sponsoring $450 million in charitable research in 17 countries. The Games drew a record of 3,000 real estate professionals to compete in sports such as swimming, tennis, track, wrestling and basketball and ..read more