My beautiful wife and I are celebrating an anniversary traveling and visiting places and friends from 36 wonderful years together. Having time for more reading than normal is one of my favorite things about time “off”. I decided to try to begin writing a blog.

My first observation is that Americans are getting back to normal fast. Traveling over 5 states and dozens of cities we were not asked to wear a mask anywhere with the exception of the airports and airplanes. We slept in hotels, ate meals in restaurants, shared tales and beverages in bars, shopped in stores, attended live music and events. I have to say it felt great.What are you hear'n and seeing in (Chicago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Omaha, Charlotte, Little Rock, Dallas, Portland, Seattle, LA, New York, Boston...everywhere else in America?)

I cannot help to work a little even when I am traveling with and enjoying the company my favorite person on earth. This trip for an occasional diversion I asked people I met what they are seeing and thinking about occupiers returning to buildings and offices?

This topic occurred to me while reading an article describing landlords racing to start and complete renovations to welcome back tenants.  Anecdotally; I had spoken with 3 developers this week in Chicago earlier this year and all said they are preparing and expect full "return to normal" by 2022. They also observed as I did that as of May/June we were already beginning to see at lease some office occupants returning to work in their offices at least a couple days per week. Call me old fashioned but I think people can work remotely for only so long. We humans require some degree of live interface. So while working from home is great for not commuting I actually believe “flexible office hours” will be the new normal.  Read More

Another article I was reading describes startup, Latch, going public (via SPAC merger) and the author commented "although new [smart] products come at an ideal time as commercial real estate owners welcome tenants back following the COVID-19 pandemic. Any solution that lets employees access their buildings without having to touch anything, like the Latch Visitor Express, is a good way to make them feel better about returning to their workplace."  He went on to comment that "as innovative as Latch’s solutions are, however, they’re only as useful as a building’s wireless network. Responsibility falls on CRE owners to ensure their building has the connectivity required to handle the type of “smart” tech that Latch offers."

Now this I can really relate to. Finally I understand what smart means to the average office occupant. Technology to open doors. That’s it I told my wife. A better mousetrap. Like voicemail, ringtones, sms and now the apps for my mobile phone. They took a good thing and made it 10 times better!

Reading and considering these author's conclusions I have to agree "If tenants realize such solutions are available, but they can’t access them because their office is in a property with poor connectivity, there’s a good chance they’ll find a building that is equipped to handle these innovative offerings."  Read More

I hope you respond to my blog with your own observations. We recently updated our website one of the new web pages... "HPH Partners act as independent advisors; balancing the needs of ALL Participants to design, fund, implement and manage customized digital infrastructure that fits the use, budget, and needs for the Property today and into the future. We prefer Carrier neutral solutions to retain flexibility and enhance value of the Property over the life of the Asset."

Property Owners, Developers, Occupiers, and Service Providers (aka “Carriers”) rely on HPH to design, develop and implement current and future fiber optic and wireless infrastructure requirements applicable to ALL technology requirements.

Please email me or share your comments and observations with respect to “back to normal” and if you agree tenants reoccupying offices and buildings is already happening or when you believe it will; and what will be the new changes buildings make or need to make to facilitate the return.