Last March wasn’t the best economic climate to be launching a new business, especially in commercial real estate. But with more than a decade of commercial real estate experience behind him, Jared Frost forged ahead and founded Point Commercial.
And now that he and the other company principals, Erik Murray and Jeff Dozier, are approaching the company’s one-year anniversary, they find themselves in a unique position – they’re busier than ever and growing at a
record pace.
”We are very fortunate right now,” Frost said. “We’re busier than ever putting deals together, and we’re actively recruiting to build our firm.”
Point Commercial was founded on the principles of “over-serving” the client, building relationships with personal service and commitment. On a local, regional and national level, the firm specializes in tenant and landlord
representation, development projects, land assemblage and investment sales. Currently, Point Commercial is developing a retail center at 119th and Quivira in Overland Park. They also are working with clients across the
Midwest to retrofit vacant retail “big boxes,” which is rather unique in the industry considering the current economic climate. Nationally, they are working with clients to take advantage of opportunities to open new
locations at below market lease rates in soft markets, or re-negotiate existing leases that are near expiration.
Their clients run the gamut from one of the fastest growing retail chains in the country in Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches to well established industrial companies like CertiFit Auto Body Parts. Frost and Murray are
especially pleased that Dozier, who joined Point Commercial in January as a Principal and Director of Development Services, brings more than 25 years experience in the management, leasing, development and redevelopment of more than 50 enclosed shopping centers, community centers, mixed-use urban centers, low rise and high-rise buildings.
“There are just six of us now, including the three principals and associates, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Murray said. “We are focusing on recruiting young talent to join our growing company.”
Author discusses urbanism issues
Toronto author Jeb Brugmann (above with Michael Frisch, UMKC associate professor of architecture, urban planning and design) came to town recently to speak at the Kauffman Center about several “urbanism” issues, any of which are addressed in his book, “Welcome to the Urban Revolution: How Cities are Changing the World.” He took guests on a tour of cities across the globe, and showed how some have succeeded and others have failed at “planned urbanism.” Among the prominent attendees were Bob Berkebile (below), principal of BNIM Architects, with Mary Ellen Culver and Dave Lacy of Opus Northwest.
Brugmann posed many interesting questions, including “Why do some cities unroll great plans” and their redevelopments look like the plans, while many others fail? The key is for cities to have an institution that is doing the research and developing solutions, all the way down to small details like what kind of stores would one group shop at, he said. “Cities where they’re trying to get people to move back to the urban core, you have to understand the culture and make it exciting for a particular group to want to move there. In development, we don’t do analytics well. We don’t aggressively try to understand which user groups want to be in a particular area.” That point and several others (such as he perceived Kansas City as a large downtown area with many underutilized buildings), were expecially interesting to guests such as (below) Ryan Gerstner with Blue Valley Insurance, Jeff Pinkerton and Dean Katerndahl, both with the Mid-America Regional Council.
BOMA KC makes its voice heard in Washington
On behalf of the Kansas City’s Building Owners and Management Association, BOMA KC recently sent members of the executive board and advocacy committee (below) to the 2010 Winter Business Meeting and National Issues Conference in Washington D.C.
The conference was an opportunity to communicate the real estate industry’s critical legislative issues to our Missouri and Kansas representatives. Those attending were Shelly Hickey, Highwoods Properties, Helen Lindquist, Kessinger/Hunter Management Company, Inc., Dave Grosdeck, Cassidy Turley, Barry Gregson, Cassidy Turley, Dan Storey, Cassidy Turley, Jackie Older-Hefner, MC Realty Group, Jim Unruh and Susan Moore, both with Grubb & Ellis | The Winbury Group. After presentation by both the Republican and Democratic parties, BOMA KC representatives met with members of Congress and Hill staff for both Kansas and Missouri to discuss economic and energy legislative that is pending. Then next month, BOMA Kansas City will continue its advocacy mission by visiting representatives in Jefferson City and Topeka, meeting with senators and committee chairpersons with the goal to raise BOMA Kansas City’s visibility on the state level and discuss real estate legislative issues facing both states.