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Crocker Partners, which owns 11 million square feet of office space in Florida and Atlanta, is requiring its property management teams to don masks and gloves and building visitors to wear masks in common areas, among other measures, said Angelo Bianco, managing partner for the landlord. Same as other office owners and property managers, Crocker Partners has designated stairwells as either ascending or descending and is encouraging their use given occupancy restrictions of two to three people per elevator. The landlord is also considering replacing stainless steel hardware with copper alloy because copper tends to kill viruses more quickly.

“When people walk into our buildings, I want them to sigh with relief that they have made it,” Bianco said. “It’s not like they’re going to war, but people are fearful, and we want them to know that these buildings are going to be safe.”

Many office buildings have remained open under stay-at-home orders but have seen occupancy drop to 5 to 10 percent, observers say. Officials don’t anticipate full occupancy returning anytime soon. Unless compelled for certain reasons, companies are going to take a cautious re-entry approach, said Michael Kaiser, senior vice president of operations with Hines.

Regional differences

Following a pandemic plan it created 15 years ago, Hines began taking mitigation steps in early February, including cleaning high-touch surfaces more frequently and stocking up on personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer and other cleaners. The real estate investment firm has been building on the initial plan to prepare for an escalation in occupancy, but it is also aware that solutions are going to differ among regions, said Kaiser, who oversees property and engineering management of assets in the Southeast, Midwest and Canada.

“What’s going to work in New York or Chicago may be different than what will work in suburban Cincinnati,” he added. “But we want people to feel comfortable coming back to work and to feel as safe as possible.”

Katie Sakach, managing director of asset services for Transwestern, a commercial real estate firm managing some 220 million square feet, is also anticipating some regional differences. The company has provided property management teams with workbooks that can be updated and customizable as conditions change, she explained.

Reopening retail, mixed-use

Retail centers and mixed-use projects are preparing similarly. In late April, developer North American Properties launched the “Better Together” program at its Avalon mixed-use community in Alpharetta, Ga., to reprogram its common areas and enforce social distancing and cleanliness rules. While some restaurants have been providing curbside service, stores have begun to open and more restaurants are expected to open in the coming days, said Tim Perry, managing partner for the company.

Among other steps, North American Properties is creating one-way traffic patterns on Avalon’s sidewalks and a grid system in its outdoor plaza. It is also working with tenants to ensure that customers feel safe going into shops, he added. “Nobody is going into your store if it’s crowded or creates an uncomfortable environment,” Perry said.

Enclosed malls will require a more hands-on style than open-air centers, noted Fred Meno, president & CEO of asset services for Woodmont, a real estate firm that manages more than 19 million square feet of retail assets. It has put together a mall plan that, along with emphasizing cleanliness and social distancing, reduces public seating areas and food court tables, keeps play areas closed, implements one-way traffic patterns, and restricts access to restrooms, to name a few procedures. Woodmont is also working with tenants to control the amount traffic in their stores, but it ultimately may restrict entry into malls while further tailoring its plan to local regulations, he said.