Page 4 - New England Condominium July 2020

4 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -JULY 2020 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM Industry Pulse Events New England Condo Introduces FREE Webinars—a New Resource for Boards and Managers at newenglandcondo.com/events New England Condominium , a Yale Robbins publication, has been a resource for the boards, managers, and residents of condos, HOAs, and co-ops for nearly two decades, both in print and online—and we are pleased to announce a new addition to our toolkit. Yale Robbins Productions has launched New England Condominium Webinars, a Cooperator Event, which is a new series of FREE educational ‘town- hall’ style webinars, sponsored by leaders in the multifamily industry and focusing on issues and challenges facing today’s boards. We have assembled expert panels on everything from legal questions around the COVID-19 pandemic to optimizing your insurance coverage to disinfecting your community’s pool. Registration and attendance are FREE to all—just visit newenglandcondo.com/events, choose the webinar you’d like to attend, and sign up. It’s that simple. You’ll get an email link and reminders for the event, and will have the opportunity to submit questions for the panelists before and during the we- binar itself. Past events are archived and available on-demand on newenglandcon- do.com/events. Serving on your board is a big job, and a big responsibility, but sound, timely advice from industry veterans can help lighten the load and make your building or association run more smoothly. We’re committed to helping you achieve that, and look forward to ‘seeing’ you at an up- coming webinar! BOMA Launches Virtual Conference & Expo Due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19, the Building Owners and Managers Association’s (BOMA’s) in- person Philadelphia conference and expo that had been scheduled for June 27–30 was cancelled—but has been resurrected as an online event on July 7–9. The event includes 18 breakout educa- tion sessions organized under the prima- ry themes of workforce development, the evolving workplace and emerging trends, as well as two keynote sessions on the im- pact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on commercial real estate (CRE) and strate- gies for moving forward. The opening keynote address on the State of the Indus- try will be presented by Henry Chamber- lain, BOMA International President and COO. He will examine how CRE has been affected, highlight current short-term so- lutions, and explore the lasting impact of the pandemic on the future of commercial real estate. Wednesday’s keynote panel will focus on a post-pandemic outlook for commercial real estate. Registrants who happen to miss one of the live webcasts will be able to pick up what they missed, since all sessions will be recorded and available on demand after the event. The registration fee for the confer- ence is $225 and includes all the session webcasts, the exhibit hall and the TOBY® Awards webcast. Also available is the op- tion to visit the exhibit hall or attend the TOBY Awards, at no charge. Register at www.bomaboston.org. CAI Programming Moves Online The Community Associations Insti- tute (CAI) will hold its next M-100 Es- sentials of Community Management as a live streaming event on August 12 and 13. The M-100 is a comprehensive com- munity association management course that provides a practical overview for new managers, an essential review for veteran managers, and an advanced course for board members. Instructors will be Ramona Acosta, PCAM, Director of Operations & Business Development for Tinnelly Law Group in California, and Michael Johnson, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, CEO & President of FCS Community Management in Utah. This course, to be presented using Ado- be Connect, fulfills all regular continuing education requirements through CAI and CAMICB. For registration details, visit www.caionline.org. BuildingEnergy Boston 2020 is Going Virtual The Northeast Sustainable Energy As- sociation (NESEA) has joined the ranks of organizations moving their 2020 confer- ences to a virtual format. BuildingEnergy 2020, originally scheduled for March, will take place online over three days, August 12–14. Billed as “the region’s leading event for professionals and practitioners in the fields of high-performance building, en- ergy efficiency, and renewable energy,” the event feature educational sessions, an awards ceremony, and, this year, a series of pre-conference webinars. The theme of BuildingEnergy Boston 2020 is Trans- forming Existing Buildings, with addi- tional emphasis on decarbonization and on bringing more diverse communities into the discussion. Registration details can be found at www.nesea.org. Law & Legislation States Pass Laws for Immunity from COVID-19 Claims, But Not in New England Four states have passed laws that grant busi- nesses immunity from civil liability for claims relat- ing to COVID-19, and legislation in at least three other states is advancing — but no such legislation has been pro- posed yet in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or New Hampshire, according to attorney Ed Allcock of Marcus, Errico, Emmer & Brooks, PC, in Braintree, Massachusetts. Allcock is also the 2020 president of the New England Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI). The bills signed into law by the gover- nors of North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming go far beyond the immu- nity that several states granted to health care providers at the onset of the corona- virus pandemic, Allcock said in a news update issued by the legal firm. “North Carolina provides immunity to a broader swath of ‘essential businesses,’ such as gro- cery stores and restaurants, from liability for any harm caused by COVID-19. Okla- homa, Utah, and Wyoming provide im- munity to everyone, as long as safety rules are followed and no laws are broken,” he noted. Bills to create similar liability pro- tections have also passed the Louisiana House of Representatives and Senate, the Kansas Senate and the Arizona House. They now await consideration by the oth- er chamber. “As of this date, no such legislation has been proposed in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or New Hampshire. CAI New England and National are exploring the possibility of including condominiums and HOAs in the event such legislation is ultimately proposed. Certainly, tort im- munity would take a lot of pressure off of boards and management companies struggling to clean, disinfect, and comply with the various re-opening restrictions,” Allcock said. Real Estate & Development Connecticut Market Booms in Wake of COVID The real estate market in Connecticut took an upswing this spring, despite—or because of—the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Real estate professionals told the Coun- ty Times newspaper that they’ve been re- markably busy since March. A key factor: New York City residents moving to north- west Connecticut to find housing with more ability to socially distance, work from home, and access the outdoors. “It was already looking to be a prom- ising year for real estate even before the pandemic hit,” Heidi Picard-Ramsay of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England in Torrington, told the County Times , citing a good economy and low mortgage rates during the first couple of months of 2020. “Anything now that’s not being priced out is going quickly.” The situation has even prompted bidding wars and property sales over the asking price. At the same time, available inventory has dropped markedly, because properties are selling so quickly. Work Resumes on Raffles Boston Development After a seven-week shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Noannet Group and Saunders Hotel Group and its partners, Cain International, resumed construction for Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences in May. The partners are developing a 33-story, $400 million hotel and residences, which will be the first mixed-use property in North Amer- ica for the world-renowned and iconic hospitality brand, according to a press re- lease. Raffles Boston broke ground in Sep- tember 2019, and began site demolition in December 2019. Although construction stopped in mid-March per the mayor’s orders the team says it is still on track to deliver in 2022. “Overall, we are fortunate to have had a very mild winter in Boston, free of the snowstorms and Nor’easters that can typically delay work. Apart from the COVID-19 shutdown, construction was full steam ahead between fall 2019 and winter 2020,” Gary Saunders, the chairman of Saunders Hotel Group, Bos- ton, said in the release. Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Resi- dences will be located at 40 Trinity Place, Boston. Featuring 147 guestrooms, 146 branded residences, and six food and bev- erage venues, Raffles Boston Back Bay Ho- tel & Residences joins Raffles’ prestigious collection of 14 individually unique and timeless properties located in the world’s most fascinating cities and vibrant desti- nations. n PULSE Please submit Pulse items to Pat Gale at patgale@yrinc.com