The current economic downturn and the corresponding contraction of the retail sector have resulted in a glut of vacant “big-box” retail stores in shopping centers across the country. Vacant big-box spaces pose special challenges for landlords and communities. While the number of vacant big-box spaces is daunting, there are glimmers of hope as landlords and communities have become increasingly creative in their re-adaptive uses of these dark spaces. For creative landlords who are willing to invest in redesigning and redeveloping vacant big-box spaces, big boxes can provide opportunities for both landlords and communities.
Across the U.S., vacant big-box spaces have been successfully retrofitted for use by nonretail users such as churches, schools, colleges, medical and dental facilities, libraries, office and municipal tenants, health clubs, and other tenants who require large parking areas. Because traditional retail tenants are not available to fill vacant big-box spaces, Landlords should strongly consider non-traditional tenants for re-adaptive uses of vacant big-box spaces because they fill up highly visible vacant spaces (and community eye sores); they tend to be long-term, stable, credit tenants who may invest up-front in infrastructure improvements; and they are often well received by the community because of the benefits they provide.
Take a look at a very informative article appearing in the 
The current economic downturn and the contraction of the retail sector have resulted in an increasing number of vacant “big box” retail stores in shopping centers across the country. A “big box” is a freestanding building occupied by a single retail tenant that contains between 20,000 to 200,000 square feet of space and is surrounded
Congratulations to Kayla Ashley daughter of Jennette Ashley, one of our real estate paralegals, for the recognition of her work on behalf of the 
The typical co-tenancy clause provides that if occupancy at a shopping center falls below a certain level and/or certain other key tenants close, the tenant gets rent relief and at some point the right to terminate its lease. In the current retail environment, all sophisticated tenants demand some sort of co-tenancy protection. Landlords have generally
Since early 2009, Housing prices have stabilized and valuations and affordability of homes have improved. This stabilization is primarily attributed to government housing policies, such as the home buyer tax credit, the federal government’s purchase of mortgage-based securities, and temporary mortgage modifications through the Home Affordable Mortgage Program. However, many economists believe that the housing
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I often think of an African proverb shared by Kip Reader, Managing Partner of Ulmer & Berne:
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