7 minute read
Continued Flexibility in the Return to Office Spaces
How Commercial Office Properties are Navigating the Return to Office
By Devin Simon, Zeller
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Tenant needs are consistently at the forefront of our day-to-day operations, and the property management, security and janitorial teams all play an important role in ensuring complete tenant satisfaction. We have adapted to working with tenants as they continue to reoccupy buildings and to achieve our corporate initiatives, which roll down to each individual properties, have proven to be appealing.
Is COVID-19 still important? As we have prepared for COVID-19 being the “Now Normal,” any individual entering our building is greeted with protective face coverings, hand sanitizing stations and welcomed by our trained security personnel to support a safe environment.
The commercial real estate workplace functionality for tenants has evolved, and we engage closely with tenants offering a better understanding of how to design a work environment that functions for their employees creating an efficient, renovated space to maximize their current and future capacity. Tenants are open to having the “flexibility” conversation because we preface it with the understanding that the convenience of working from home can also be achieved within their space and is also offered as a luxury amenity within the building to make their on-site work experience a simplified relationship. As we continue to navigate the return-to-work experience, we have discovered that tenants are eager to engage and utilize outdoor space. Resurgens Plaza continues to promote our 14th floor newly constructed 2,500 RSF rooftop terrace which is few and far between around Atlanta and meets our tenants increased desire for outdoor space. The 14th floor rooftop terrace features panoramic views of the Atlanta skyline, a green roof, and serves as an apiary, home to three custom designed honeybee hives. We house over 180,000 pollinators that positively impact the overall environment, Buckhead, Brookhaven, and Peachtree Hills communities.
Technology has enhanced our ability to offer the best tenant experience and creates a unique workplace via a mobile app that notifies our security team of visitors; allows tenants to enter work orders; order food from our on-site café and other nearby restaurants. The app also syncs with the Lenox Marta Gold Line train station, which is uniquely located below Resurgens Plaza; provide updates for our building amenities; delivers e-newsletters and provides direct access to our building Instagram right at their fingertips. We pride ourselves on hosting creative tenant events which have captured the interest of many as we enjoy building trustworthy and meaningful relationships.
Our community engagement manager, Adriana Bibbs said “many tenants have shared they are appreciative of the fitness studio hours of operation since we offer access 24-7. They are also excited about returning back to their offices since we offer a one-stop-shop for food, drinks, coffee, snacks, visual and audio entertainment, and tenant and community-based events during and after-hours.”
Photo of Resurgens Plaza 14th Floor Rooftop Terrace. Credit: Resurgens Plaza The management team provides a one-on-one return to work per tenant plan before their employees return to the building. Our engineering team works hard to identify and improve the operational efficiency and efficacy throughout the building. This plan includes identifying and coordinating an in-person or virtual presentation reviewing important updates such as building improvements, neighboring tenant improvements, life safety reminders/updates, along with giving the tenants an opportunity to share their concerns. We work very closely with tenants and our janitorial team to understand their enhanced cleaning requests for their space(s) since we have the most updated cleaning technology located on-site such as self-cleaning surfaces in high-traffic areas that consistently clean high-touch surfaces, no-touch fixtures, dispensers, and door openers.
We implemented sensor technologies to reduce excessive contact in public areas, hospital-grade EPA disinfectants and an on-site electrostatic sprayer to provide peace of mind that a clean, healthy, and safe environment is our top priority. The management team ensures to include every employee within their company since it is imperative that each individual’s comfort level is addressed and to keep them aware of our ever-changing enhanced cleaning protocols, sending out notifications when our highest rated MERV filters are changed throughout the building, and reporting our health, wellness, energy, and building certifications and re-certifications.
Many, if not all of our tenants, are eager to engage with the management team to ensure we are capturing key elements surrounding corporate social responsibility. As they return to work, prior to COVID, and during the pandemic Resurgens Plaza continued to hold a leadership role within the commercial real estate industry placing a priority on the well-being of our management team, tenants, suppliers, and community. We are aware that not every tenant suite comes equipped with a mother’s room. In order to be supportive of an inclusive environment that helps make returning to work not so challenging for our tenant’s and to offer an emerging building amenity with privacy, we created a Mother’s Room to support working mothers who choose to nurse.
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Photo of Bee Hive Tour on the 14th Floor Rooftop Terrace at Resurgens Plaza. Credit: Resurgens Plaza
Supporting our community continues to be a partnership that will not only benefit tenants but is an initiative that our management team believes in mutually on both a corporate and private level. Our Resurgens Plaza Instagram (@resurgensplaza) has been a direct link for our tenants and our community partners to view the latest tenantbased project. Tiny Doors ATL installed Zeller’s very first Tiny Door and Resurgens Plaza’s along with Atlanta’s tallest Tiny Door to date by national artist Karen Singer. Our Tiny Door features an augmented reality feature and the custom design ties directly into our rooftop terrace, green roof, city views, and of course our honeybees. • Diversity Month • Mental Health Awareness Month • Gender Equality Month • Poverty Awareness Month • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month • Jewish American Heritage Month • Americans with Disabilities Act • National Native American Heritage Month • Universal Human Rights Month • National Suicide Prevention Month • Global Diversity Awareness Month
Our property management team makes overall diversity and the inclusion of others a top priority. Our tenants are always included. We take advantage of communicating with tenant contacts and their employees to ensure we are addressing their D&I requests. Upon communicating with individual tenant decision makers, we’ve discovered that new hires want to ensure they are engaging in a career at a company that supports diversity efforts and since our own organizational policies align, we are socially accountable, responsible, and intentional being inclusive with all our tenant and community events. Our D&I events have included, but are not limited to: • Black History Month Scavenger Hunt • Auburn Avenue Tour • International Women’s Day • Pride Month • Juneteenth • Back to School Drives to help support underprivileged children, • World Health Day • National Gardening Day • World Humanitarian Day • Earth Day • National Volunteer Month • Breast Cancer Awareness • National Hispanic Heritage Month
We seek to ensure that tenant expectations are met through this “new normal” return to office navigation, and we continue to grow with the evolving tenant relationships while adapting to being flexible to their needs upon reentry. Our reentry videos are an additional technology-based way we’ve adapted to tenant needs offering a quick snapshot of what to expect upon returning to the building which can be easily distributed. We realize that we are an integral part of supporting the return-to-work culture for tenants and have adapted to ensuring the conversations are continuous and supportive.
About the Author
Devin Simon is the Property Manager for Zeller at the Resurgens Plaza Building. She has been at the property for 2 and a half years & began her career within commercial real estate five years ago. Devin is an active member of BOMA Georgia since 2019, has recently been appointed to the BOMA GA Board of Directors, and serves as the co-chair for Zeller’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee (ZDIC). She is a also an active member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) of Atlanta.
Photo of the Resurgens Plaza Tiny Door. Credit: Resurgens Plaza
