Contrasting Boston's Return to Work With New Hampshire's, And How It Could Affect The New Hampshire Office Market

On Memorial Day week, Boston City Mayor, Marty Walsh, announced the Return to Workplace Framework for Commercial Spaces the full details of which can be found here: (https://www.boston.gov/news/return-workplace-framework-commercial-spaces-boston).

Today we contrast this with the Stay at Home 2.0 initiative by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and speculate what Massachusetts’ policy means for office space, particularly along the corridors to New Hampshire.

It is worth acknowledging by almost any standard, Massachusetts has been harder hit by COVID-19 than the Granite State.  Reopening standards and regulations surrounding masks and social distancing tend to be stronger in the Bay Stay. As it relates to office space in New Hampshire, the standards for the Universal Guidelines have been set by the corner office, and no additional local regulations have superseded it. However, to the South, there is a statewide standard for office space, and in this case the Mayor of Boston has added additional layers to that standard.

When the stay at home orders are lifted in New Hampshire, office employers and their staff who were previously “non-essential” can start going back to their bricks and sticks offices.  Currently, the regulations on these businesses are centered on the employees and employers, not the built environment. For example, the standards discuss temperature checks and Q&A with people entering the building.   Some in New Hampshire are receiving guidance from the Re-Opening Taskforce and then subsequent guidelines endorsed by the Governor that is more specific to that industry.  So, for example, hair stylists have specific standards that really apply to just their niche, and the task force has addressed this.

However, in Massachusetts the guidelines for office users are in place and very clear. When they reopen the State has stated that, “businesses and other organizations shall limit occupancy within their office space to no more than 25 percent of the maximum occupancy level.” Keep in mind, for standard office build out with mix of cubicles and hard offices, the average demand is 4 people per 1,000 square feet (sf).  That is a rule of thumb and you should consult your local code to check what is appropriate for your business. So, the standard would be 1 person for every 1,000 sf under the new reopening order.  

In addition, the statewide orders would ask for cubical barriers to be taller than a standing person, that common areas be reconfigured, and other broad based social distancing goals. Within Beantown, further restrictions are in place, such as requirements for elevator density, lobby and reception areas, as well as cafeterias. These guidelines are very specific.  As most of the office environment is multi tenanted in the city, the reading of these does create a challenge for both tenant and landlord as to the compliance.

While these specific standards for office space have not yet been released in New Hampshire, we do know that in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts there is a phased approach for these reopening’s. As metrics of COVID-19 improve (or god forbid worsen) the standards may change over time.

What will this mean for the office market moving forward in New Hampshire and Boston? Many have speculated, and we have commented, that there could be dramatic impact from COVID on the office leasing market. Some bloggers have stated that larger offices, with only 1 or 2 people per 1,000 sf, will be the new norm, and office demand will rise. While others have said that only a skeleton crew will go to offices, while most work from home, and office space will plummet. But these trends are too early to tell. The only clear piece of data is that for those employers who are looking to get back into their buildings, there is exploration of new office furniture such as the aforementioned taller cubicles.

However, in light of our headline, we should discuss what these guidelines will do to the cross border tenants. Estimates are around 80,000 people travel from New Hampshire to Massachusetts each day.   It is not out of the question to believe that regardless of what standards are created in New Hampshire, that some employers who see benefits of in person office space versus work from home may open satellite locations in New Hampshire, rather than have team members commute. 

In the long run, it will be curious to see if this speculation will play out on a broader scale in the office market, with more New Hampshire based satellites. The corollary would be in the residential real estate market, where there is speculation of a lasting impact on people leaving more densely populated areas to live in more rural environments. If this is true, would it not also follow that the same is true for employers and lessees of office space?

There is much that is speculation, and aside from anecdotal stories about which office users will be opening up when, it is too soon to predict long term trends. Until then we will watch the Stay at Home 2.0 orders as well as the subsequent phasing levels and see how tenants and landlords react.