Concurrent sessions at ULI meetings are a great opportunity to take a deeper dive into a topic or trend that is shaping the world of real estate. Typically, these sessions take place in convention center meeting rooms; but this year, ULI is trying something a bit different: three concurrent sessions on Thursday, May 4, will be held outside the Washington State Convention Center at locations throughout Seattle, the 2017 ULI Spring Meeting host city.

For each session, the venues either provide a real-life example of a trend or are close to a project under discussion. The goal is to provide members and attendees another chance to get outside the convention center walls and experience Seattle on their own, says Maria Fiore, vice president for program development. Also, members have increasingly expressed a desire for more opportunities to discover what makes each host city special.  “We are trying a new and creative approach this year with some of our concurrent sessions by taking members into unique neighborhoods and projects that will bring to life some of the topics and themes that will be covered,” she says.

Some things to note about these off-site sessions:

• You will need a ticket to attend these sessions, but they are free. Sign up when you register for the meeting at spring.uli.org.
• If you’ve already registered for Spring Meeting, but did not sign up for one of these sessions, you can still attend. Email [email protected] or call customer service at 1-800-321-5011 or (410) 626-7500.
• Getting there is up to you. ULI is not providing transportation to these sites, but the good news is that all the venues are within walking distance of the convention center.
• You may attend only one off-site concurrent session.
• Plan your route ahead of time. You may want to explore the neighborhood or grab a bite to eat before or after the session.
• Plan to arrive ten to 15 minutes early to get a seat.
• After the session is over, no need to rush back. The sessions are timed in such a way that there will be time to return to the convention center in time for the next round of concurrent sessions.

Below is a quick rundown of these new and exciting off-site sessions, which will all be offered on Thursday, May 4:

I Love the ’80s: Updating Nonhistoric Vintage Buildings for 2017’s Office Tenants

8th and Olive (Photo courtesy of officespace.com)

9:00 to 10:15 a.m.

8th and Olive

720 Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98101

https://www.8thandolive.com/

This session explores a challenge many U.S. cities face: what to do with building stock built after 1970 that looks dated without having historic appeal? How can these properties be repurposed and retrofitted to meet the expectations of today’s office tenants? The venue, Eighth and Olive, perfectly illustrates this trend, and you’ll hear from experts with experience in this type of renovation. Built in 1980, Eighth and Olive underwent extensive interior renovations in 2015, resulting in a more activated lobby, more on-site amenities including a new café with after-hours beer and wine service, a new fitness room with lockers, expanded bike storage, a new conference and training center, a new three-story glass atrium, and significant upgrades to exterior space. Come and learn from representatives from co-owners of the property, Talon, and members of the renovation team.

The lobby of the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, whose interiors and lab spaces were designed by NBBJ. (Photo courtesy of NBBJ).

The Silicon Valley of Saving the World

10:45 a.m. to noon

Seattle Children’s Research Institute

1904 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101

http://www.seattlechildrens.org/research/about/

This session takes a closer look at a sector that is a major force in the Seattle economy: mission-driven organizations focused on global health. You’ll hear how these players are solving some of the most pressing global health challenges while attracting new talent to Seattle’s workforce and transforming the local economy. The session will explore the strategic real estate decision making that led to like-minded organizations locating near each other in downtown Seattle and how their geographic proximity fuels collaboration and innovation.

“This session will explore how this clustering and density of talent came to be,” says Ann Lin, associate principal at Seneca Group. “We wanted to contrast this story of innovation in Seattle with that of Silicon Valley, where talent and energy fulfill commercial objectives and business goals. Here, human capital is working toward a different aim: to scale up and adapt global health technologies to significantly reduce mortality, improve health, and increase social equity.”

Come and learn from discussion leaders from the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, one of the top five pediatric research centers in the United States; the Center for Infectious Disease Research, an organization working toward cures for malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS; PATH, a global nonprofit group specializing in life-saving, innovative health technologies; and Washington Global Health Alliance, a membership organization that advocates for and connects professionals in the global health industry.

MarketFront, which represents an exciting new expansion of the Pike Place Market.

Transformation of the Waterfront and Renovated Pike Place Market

1:15 to 2:30 p.m.

Hard Rock Café, Seattle

116 Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98101

http://www.hardrock.com/cafes/seattle/

This session highlights the transformation of Seattle’s waterfront, “the largest civic transformation of the city since the Seattle Center was built for the World’s Fair in 1962,” says Marshall Foster, director of the city of Seattle’s office of the waterfront.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct, an elevated highway, acts as a massive barrier between downtown and the waterfront. Plans to remove the viaduct (and reroute the highway) as well as a major redesign of the waterfront infrastructure will create a “clear and legible pathway” to the water from downtown, Foster says. You’ll also hear about plans to strengthen the pedestrian experience of the waterfront through new connections to the Seattle Aquarium and Pike Place Market, Seattle’s famous farm and craft market that has continuously operated since 1907.

The market itself is undergoing a historic and exciting new expansion with the opening of MarketFront, a $74 million mixed-use project that will include 30,000 square feet (2,800 sq m) of open space, 47 new stalls for purveyors, new parking for cars and bikes, 12,000 square feet (1,100 sq m) of new commercial space, and a new neighborhood center. The Hard Rock Café is a short walk away from Pike Place Market—arrive early and wander to the market for lunch before the session starts.

Register today for the 2017 ULI Spring Meeting, including these exciting off-site concurrent sessions, at: https://spring.uli.org/register/