PHOTO: Courtesy Brookfield Properties
Bobby Swennes
Executive vice president and head of mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions at Brookfield Properties
It’s been an arduous yet rewarding year for Brookfield Properties in the mid-Atlantic, and Bobby Swennes, who leads the area, is loving the adventure.
“The challenges of the current environment can be approached in two ways: with trepidation or with a focus on opportunities,” he said. “I’m most proud of the ability of our team to continue to flex with the environment — there is no one silver bullet to some of the challenges facing the industry, but the strategic thinking we are doing today is laying the groundwork for a successful recovery.”
The company’s portfolio spans office in both Downtown D.C. and the surrounding areas, as well as large-scale developments. One of its most noteworthy efforts this past year was the continued expansion of retail offerings and placemaking in D.C.’s The Yards, which announced five new retailers coming to the neighborhood: Foxtrot, Maman, Playa Bowls, Jungle & Loom and Sea Suite Cruises. What’s more, Vela, the first residential building in The Yards’ second phase, is slated to debut in the fall.
Swennes and his team also invested in capital improvements at 1250 Connecticut and the nine-story Victor Building, both in the District, and brought Potomac Tower, a 20-story office building in Arlington, Va., to 100 percent occupancy.
“We have always been focused on winners vs. losers — buildings that fundamentally work and those that don’t — but we also are spending time on how to attract tenants back to office buildings,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of success come from Activated, our tenant engagement platform that brings curated and elevated experiences to our office communities. We recently conducted a survey and found that 84 percent of respondents had attended an Activated event, and 93 percent of respondents feel that Activated adds value to their workplace/workday.”
Brookfield has also recently committed to transition its entire Washington, D.C., office portfolio to zero-emissions electricity by 2024 and to have its entire national portfolio switched over by 2026.
