US Real Estate: Rebirth After Corona

Where do we go from here???

It’s on everyone’s mind. I know you’re thinking it. You’re over two weeks in to what feels like a lifetime sentence of a voluntary imprisonment. There’s only so much Netflix and social media one human can take. You can’t help but ponder the bigger questions… not just if your non-stretch denim will be as forgiving as your dog that’s tired of being dragged out on hikes but some fundamental questions about the direction of our country and of our local communities moving forward.

This isn’t a question about where you identify on the political spectrum. In a time of unprecedented division, I believe that one thing became quite clear to every American during the Great Quarantine:

America needs to start producing and not just consuming.

‘National Security’ isn’t just essential for classified documents, nuclear codes, and maybe little green men in Area 51…

It’s ventilators…

It’s personal protective equipment…

It’s surgical masks…

It’s lifesaving pharmacological drugs…

It’s MANUFACTURING.

Many towns and municipalities have adapted their zoning maps along with the steady decline of “American Made” products. Commercial real estate zones are already limited, manufacturing even more. Is it time for municipalities to embrace the need to expand commercial uses and zoning? Corona isn’t going away and we can’t shut the country down because we have a collapse in a supply chain of critical resources.

This was a rude awakening for many Americans. We watched helplessly as loved ones courageously left the safety of their homes for an ‘essential’ job without so much as a face mask. We are better than this. Moving forward, let’s work together to expand land-use options for local businesses, increase employment opportunities for our neighbor,s and futures for their families.

Never let a crisis go to waste. It’s a great opportunity to grow and learn.