• Construction Executives Association

Supports Amendment No. 1 on Property Tax Exemptions

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL—January 9, 2008 – The Construction Executives Association (CEA) held its monthly membership meeting on Monday, January 7, 2008 to discuss property taxes as they relate to construction and development in South Florida.   Guest speakers included Lori Parrish, Broward County Property Appraiser and Jeff Kottkamp, LT Governor, who discussed the benefits of voting yes to Amendment No. 1 on Property Tax Exemptions at the primary election being held on January 29^th. 

“Many of CEA’s members have been involved in researching the pluses and minuses of Florida’s proposed constitutional Amendment No. 1,” said Bill Bower, 2008 President of CEA and Vice President/Owner of Southeast Mechanical, Inc., a $50+ million mechanical contractor company.   “We have discovered that although the savings are not what we had all hoped for, the amendment is on the right track to keep more money in our pockets and does not hurt local government in anyway.  If anything it helps us by giving them some accountability.” 

“Amendment No. 1 provides significant tax relief to Florida property owners and businesses. Most importantly, portability has the real potential to kick-start our sagging economy by reviving the real estate and new home construction markets” said Property Appraiser Lori Parrish.

Voting “YES” to Amendment No. 1 on January 29^th  would grant added tax relief to property owners by doubling the homestead exemption to $50,000; allowing for portability of existing Save Our Homes benefits; providing a 10% maximum cap on assessment increases for non-homesteaded properties; and creating a $25,000 exemption on tangible personal property for businesses and mobile home residents.  A 60% approval is needed to pass this amendment. Without approval, Florida property tax owners will not receive any relief and it could take years until another amendment gets this far.

For additional information on Amendment 1 contact Rich Paul-Hus at (954) 868-5167 or visit the Broward County Property Appraiser’s website at http://www.bcpa.net.

About CEA

The Construction Executives' Association (CEA) is a business group consisting of contractors, developers, and associate members in which a substantial portion of their annual revenue is from direct business within the construction industry. One member from each member category (ie: Concrete supplier, Plumber, Electrician, Attorney, CPA, etc.) meet once a month to help one another become more successful in business.

For more information visit http://www.constructionexecutives.org/.

• Corporate Relocations in the 21^st Century

by: David Feldan

david.feldan@amicondevelopment.com

When I started in construction 20+ years ago completing a Tenant Improvement (TI) and getting a client moved in was simpler, quicker and definitely cheaper. Today even the simplest office move requires 6 months to locate, lease, permit, build and outfit a space and can cost over $90 a square foot including construction, FFE, IT and one time moving costs.

Companies growing and thriving in this new millennium:

• Run lean management teams and do not have the excess capacity to allocate 25-50% of a key executive’s time to the move.

• Are constantly growing, improving and evolving and cannot afford the lost production and opportunity caused by delays.

• Cannot afford, in this increasingly competitive world, to get any thing less then what they paid for and need to stretch their facility dollars.

• Need the facilities expertise that most larger companies have in house without the long term commitment and expense.

• Understand that they compete everyday for the positive perceptions of their clients, vendors and employees and the character of their office is often THE first impression.

An Owner's Rep applies their extensive knowledge, experience and relationships in real estate, design, construction, code compliance, IT (information technology) and office  furnishings  to  become   the single source for the owner, design professionals, contractors and vendors to ensure that the right question is asked to the right person at the right time and that those answers are disseminated, incorporated and coordinated into the project to avoid delays and cost increases.

The Owners Rep’s relationship is structured to ensure the owner that someone with no separate agenda, who understands the process and the players, is documenting and reporting progress and issues, supporting their decision making and protecting their interest.

While any construction project will have its share of challenges, an effective Owner’s Rep can ensure that the owner receives accurate budgets, efficient and realistic schedules and an unbiased explanation of their options.

Recently a large insurance brokerage retained an Owner’s Rep to complete two separate 15,000 square foot relocations at a projected cost of $90 psf.  In the end, under the Owner Rep’s consultation, the project was delivered below $70 psf by consolidating the two offices.

In another project an Owner’s Rep was able to help a dynamically expanding client to develop standardized finishes, IT and furniture for their regional offices. This enabled this them to grow without having to reinvent the wheel with every new project and to be able to better leverage their relationship with vendors.

As construction and real estate become more complex and the business environment more competitive successful companies are learning that just as they wouldn’t enter the court room without an attorney they need an independent, experienced and effective Owner’s Rep at their side during their corporate relocation.  It is a smart investment.

Submitted by: David Feldan

david.feldan@amicondevelopment.com

David is the principal-in-charge of Amicon Construction Management, which is dedicated to Owner’s Representation for Corporate Relocations and Real Estate Development. With offices in Delray, Hollywood and Miami, Amicon brings their expertise all over S. Florida and their work has been recognized multiple times by the “Florida Best” award. For more information please visit www.amicondevelopment.com.