Earlier this year ICSC launched an Infrastructure Task Force with the aim of advising the Global Public Policy team in its efforts to educate the public and policymakers on the economic impact and importance of retail real estate and infrastructure investment in local communities. Shopping centers not only rely on roads and transit systems to get products and consumers to our centers, but are often key contributors to utility and water system upgrades that have a much larger community impact. ICSC is looking at ways to tell this story, while encouraging regulatory streamlining and increased opportunities for investment and public private partnerships.
“Improving inadequate public infrastructure is a cost burden for developers in every part of the country and ICSC can provide some real leadership on this issue in Washington, D.C.,” said April Anderson Lamoureux, the task force chairman, and the president of Anderson Strategic Advisors. “I look forward to working with the task force members to develop strategies that reduce risk and create opportunities, and [which] guide the federal government toward removing barriers to private activity.”
The task force members include Ronald Altoon (Altoon Strategic, LLC), Dave Anderson (Spanish Fork, Utah), Davon Barbour (Downtown Partnership of Baltimore), Terrie Battuello (Port of Everett [Wash.]), G. Lamont Blackstone (G.L. Blackstone & Associates), Angelo Carusi (Cooper Carry Inc.), Ivy Greaner (FivePoint Communities), Susan Hays (Updike, Kelley & Spellacy), Ken Hira (Kosmont Cos.), John Larsen (CI Design, Inc.), Henry Resnikoff (RFP, Inc.), Lawrence Schoen (Schoen Engineering/GGP), Suheil Totah (FivePoint Communities) and Scott Ziance (Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease). The task force is still seeking experts in transportation-oriented development to participate.
For more information on ICSC’s infrastructure initiative, stop by the RECon Roundtable Discussion on Tax and Infrastructure on Tuesday, May 22 from 9 to 10 am in room N263 at the Las Vegas Convention Center or contact Jennifer Platt, ICSC’s vice president of federal operations, at jplatt@icsc.org or (202) 626-1404.
Jennifer Platt
Vice President, Federal Operations