Downtown hosting conference on retail real estate

Downtown hosting conference on retail real estate

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An industry association is producing a conference on the region’s retail real estate market next month.

The International Council of Shopping Centers, or ICSC, will host the 16th-annual West Michigan P3 (public-private partnerships) Retail Program at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, at 435 Ionia Ave. SW, on March 5 from 3-6:30 p.m.

About 150 real estate developers, retailers, public officials and professional service providers will be in attendance.

The event will open with a keynote speech from Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss.

Highlights include a Meet the Developers panel moderated by Chris Prins, senior retail associate at Colliers International West Michigan, and a New Retailers panel moderated by Todd Leinberger, retail advisor at NAI Wisinski of West Michigan.

Other speakers include Tom Wackerman, president and founder of ASTI Environmental, Elissa Sangalli Hillary, president of Local First, Ingrid Miller, executive director of Wayland Main Street/DDA and more.

Registration for the event is online.

ICSC was established in 1957 to provide educational programming, advocacy and networking for retail professionals and has 60,000 members in 90 countries.  

In Michigan, there are 1,350 ICSC-affiliated retailers, developers, investors, mall managers and professional service providers.