>>20719290

wwg1wga

GHOST TOWN: Office Buildings in New York City Set New Record for Emptiness

New York City has a serious and growing problem with empty office space. Between rising crime, high taxes, and the crazy rules of the pandemic a few years ago, people have fled the city in huge numbers.

Now the city is home to a record number of empty office buildings. The lack of revenue from these properties has got to be hurting the city’s bottom line and the policies of the current mayor are not helping.

Who would want to spend millions of dollars to open a new office in Manhattan right now?

The New York Post reports:

Manhattan offices set new record high for emptiness

Big Apple office buildings have never been so empty.

While the peak era of remote work may feel long ago in the past, the number of vacant offices in Manhattan just hit a new record.

The borough’s office availability rate -– or, how much of that market is currently unfilled — hit 18.1% in the first quarter of 2024, the highest rate ever recorded. That’s according to a recent report by investment management company Colliers, Crain’s first reported.

In contrast, that number, which includes currently empty offices and those that will be empty in the very near future, was just 10% back in March 2020. The majority of the 8% vacancy increase that has occurred since then happened between 2020 and 2022.

Still, the rate has gone up even in the past 12 months, when it was 17.1%, and even last quarter, when it was 17.9%.

Townhall has more:

As we noted last summer, it’s not just the banks who are on the hook—we have individuals and pension funds that have invested in commercial real estate through what has been dubbed “alternative investment” opportunities. With inflation and interest rates chipping away at the worth of these assets and the possibility of loans being called, our country is barreling toward a situation where a Troubled Asset Relief Program will be needed to stop the bleeding.

How soon before NYC is looking for a bailout due to the crash of the commercial real estate market?

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/04/ghost-town-office-buildings-new-york-city-set

>>20719397

was at the time

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

17m

Apr 13, 2024, 12:48 AM

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112262101736605966

Australia Prepares Its Own ‘National Guard’ to Enforce Lockdowns During Next Pandemic

Australia is considering plans to deploy a civilian-led “national guard” for the next time that the country imposes its draconian lockdowns.

According to The West Australian, the Australian Federal Police Association is calling for a “feasibility study” into the idea as part of its inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic.

The paper reports:

Police forces nationwide were stretched to capacity during the pandemic, with officers forced to juggle normal frontline duties with emergency tasks including patrolling borders checkpoints, enforcing social distancing rules and managing quarantine.

In its submission to the inquiry, the AFPA said it was worth considering setting up a “national guard” to free up police officers to focus on their main job. The national guard in the US is essentially a civilian defence force which is regularly deployed into domestic emergencies, including natural disasters.

In its submission to authorities, the AFPA explained that “National guard personnel could be given special powers during a declared incident, such as biosecurity checking, the authority to request personal details, or the power to stop and detain for suspected breaches of pandemic or natural disaster restrictions.”

Meanwhile, AFPA president Alex Caruana argued that the police’s committment to enforcing the rules meant that regular policing “wasn’t getting the attention that it needed”.

>“In order to make sure that organised crime doesn’t capitalise on that, it is important that we are least consider it (a national guard) and look at the merits of having something set up,” he said. “Whether that be a national guard, or something similar, to fill that gap where it’s not policing and it’s not the military.”

Such a proposal will likely send a shiver down the spine of many Australians, millions of whom suffered immensely during the country’s draconian lockdown regime.

As part of their various measures “imposed” by federal and regional governments, healthy individuals were prevented from going outside for fresh air or even sitting on their balconies. Those entering the country were also forced to stay in specialized hotels where leaving their rooms would have exposed them to criminal investigation.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/04/australia-prepares-its-own-national-guard-enforce-lockdowns