#A dogs purpose backlash plus

вЂњItвЂ™s a huge amenity and itвЂ™s also a way to attract more residents.вЂќ вЂњItвЂ™s like dropping your kid off at daycare,вЂќ Davis says of City Dog.

#A dogs purpose backlash plus

One such development is downtown SeattleвЂ™s Olivian, a 27-story high rise with an artificial-turf pet park on the 26th floorвЂ™s outdoor terrace, plus a 6,000-square-foot (557 sq m) ground-floor retail space called Citydog that offers boarding, grooming, and five indoor pet play spaces. Jerry Davis, the companyвЂ™s chief operating officer, estimates that almost half of UDRвЂ™s renters nationwide have a pet, so one-third of the companyвЂ™s new developments since 2007 have included some pet accommodations. Today, itвЂ™s all about whatвЂ™s most practical and what will be used the most.вЂќДenver-based urban apartment developer UDR has been at the forefront of providing pet-friendly features. вЂњPrior to вЂ™07, the buzz was who could build the biggest clubhouse and pool, who could wow the consumer the most. вЂњWhat has changed is the mind-set of developers,вЂќ says Marian Schaffer, founder of Southeast Discovery, a web portal for retirement and second-home real estate. But pet amenities tend to be used every day, and sometimes more than once. Some industry research has found that about 10 percent of apartment or condo residents will consistently use a fitness center, and fewer than that will use a community or party room. Out went frou-frou features like cigar and wine rooms, and in came more social and communal amenities like craft rooms, gardens, and pet spaces. According to developers and market observers, a new wave of multifamily projects started to cater to populist lifestyles. This trend took off as real estate recovered from the Great Recession. It creates a larger target market for your community,вЂќ says William MacDonald, chief investment officer for apartment owner Mill Creek Residential in Maryland and chairman of ULIвЂ™s Multi-Family Council (Gold Flight).

вЂњOne of the ways to be successful in this business now is you have to be pet friendly. Apartment and condominium developers from New York City to Washington state are incorporating pet amenities like grooming stations, day boarding facilities, dog-walking services, veterinary clinics, miniature dog parks, and even rooftop dog walks with special cleaning systems. Finally, the real estate industry is beginning to catch up. Cities have been developing dog parks for years, and the retail industry has long catered to our four-legged friends with doggy daycare, dog clothing, and even yoga classes that people can take with their dogs. Welcome to a new frontier in multifamily housing: pet-friendly accommodations. вЂњIt gives us an advantage because we have a few more amenities than some of the communities in our area.вЂќ вЂњWhen weвЂ™re showing the building to prospective tenants, nine out of ten times weвЂ™ll be asked if weвЂ™re pet friendly,вЂќ says property manager Mary Swanson. So far in Third NorthвЂ™s young life, management has determined that 55 percent of the tenants have pets, so the dog-washing station gets used every day. It is a small room off the garage that includes a stainless-steel tub with a sprayer hose alongside a table with a blow-dryer. But the building also features something a little more unusual to stand out in the marketplace: a dog-washing room. Third North Apartments opened in downtown Minneapolis in December with the usual modern amenities to attract high-end tenants: underground parking, a swimming pool, an outdoor fire pit, a fitness center, and a private party room, plus Вstainless-steel appliances and granite-topped kitchen islands.