Finding Savings in Your Office Lease, the 15-Minute City and More!


NPC Newsletter May 13, 2026

Helping Nonprofits (and businesses) Find Value and Savings in their Office Lease

The physical spaces in which we deliver services sets the tone for an organization or business - both for participants and for staff. In finding a home for our nonprofits, we are often focused on location and cost, but the finer details of lease arrangements can be more complicated.

I was pleased to chat with my friend and colleague, Craig S. Ruoff, Executive Vice President at Colliers, on May 8^th about helping organizations navigating commercial leases. 

When speaking with a new client, Craig has three initial questions:

1.        Do you know what you are paying?  

Often clients might be paying bills without comparing the details of these expenses and what was agreed to in their lease.

2.        How is your space – does it meet your needs?  

Many times, in looking only at upfront lease expense, organizations will forfeit space needed for programs, customers, and staff. The spaces that nonprofits occupy should be accessible to their clients and staff. Additionally, they should be welcoming places that help inspire the organization’s mission.

3.        Do you know when your lease is up for renewal? 

The power of negotiation for lease renewals is not the month before the lease expires! Get started early (Craig recommends two-three years before your lease comes due) as you will need time to negotiate new terms or, to find a new location and move.

At the end of the day, navigating space needs and the leasing process, requires thoughtful planning. While a real estate attorney will review your contract for legal compliance, a broker with expertise in nonprofits embarks on the journey with you at the beginning to ensure that the place that will become the home to your staff and clients, meets the purpose and mission of your organization.

Thank you to the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley for hosting our conversation!

Watch our conversation here.

Have questions? Email Craig here.

Sharing resources, events, and more

Resources

• Historic preservation is a collaborative world—it’s made up of architects, engineers, conservators, advocates, and other professionals from a wide array of different industries. Check out the Preservation League of New York State’s Preservation Professionals Digital Guide, with contact information and resources for preservation professionals across New York State.

• National Preservation Atlas. An integrated, interactive repository of standardized data about historic places in the United States and the legal protections they have, is an interactive resource locating historic sites and land use regulations.

• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: Resources for Local Governments. Information and links to New York State grants and resources to support strategies for developing climate change adaptation and resilience plans and low-carbon policies.

Upcoming Events

• New Jersey Cannot Afford to Wait. NJ Infrastructure Underwater. June 9, 2026 at 1:00 pm. Join Rebuild by Design for a conversation with the Major of Metuchen to discuss challenges municipalities face and strategies to build resilience. Register here.

Check out prior New Jersey events on climate resilience led by Rebuild by Design.

• Risk Management in Heritage (ABC Methodology) May 19-20, 2026. Two-day course designed for heritage professionals identify and analyze risks to collections and historic interiors and priorities risks to support resource allocation. Learn more here.

• National Preservation Summit. September 22-24, 2026, Washington, D.C.

Past Events

• Missed the National Main Street Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma? You can still access the program APP to connect to speakers, attendees and download program materials. Lots of good information on building durable financial roadmaps for Main Streets to building leadership.

• Creating Streetscapes: Using Urban Trees to Mitigate Climate Change/Extreme Heat. This program from 2025 is still relevant and has great information on designing streetscapes and managing trees.

Regional Resources - A look at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) serving the Great Boston Area

History, Art, and Heritage come together at MAPC, an agency dedicated to supporting municipalities create more a equitable, sustainable, and climate resilient future through collaboration.

MAPC provides technical assistance for projects that have included local sheltering for regional resistance to placemaking forum bringing arts and community together to spur neighborhood revitalization, preserve and promote cultural and historic heritage and build social capital.

Its most critical role however is in providing data!

MAPC is a research organization cultivating and curating data on topics that impact the shape, connections and health of residents in its service area.

The 15-Minute City: What if our Towns Were Designed Around Daily Life?

I often turn to the folks at All Things Urban for a look at international perspectives on urban planning and city life. The concept of the 15-minute city is based on neighborhood design built around everyday routines and not on the ability to commute to some other location. 

By using data based on needs of residents, urban planning decisions are guided by putting people first (and not cars). Having essential services such as grocery stores, schools, healthcare, and other important amenities within a 15-minute walk from home, makes life easier - and tends towards more successful neighborhoods.

Another side effect? Reducing our carbon footprint!

We need your support!

At the Neighborhood Preservation Center, we are passionate about the opportunities for revitalizing and building vibrant communities.

By sharing resources and connecting partners across disciplines and neighborhoods of all shapes and sizes, our goal is to support community renewal.

Please consider making a donation today.

Have a question or idea about your neighborhood preservation project?

Share your thoughts, suggestions, or resources by emailing us at:

info@nycnpc.org

NPC Newsletter Contributors

L. Danielle Cylich: NPC Board President, Danielle Cylich is always ready to share enthusiasm about the rich history and beauty found in the built environment and the people who inhabit our neighborhoods, and in protecting our natural resources.

The Neighborhood Preservation Center is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and enabling conversations about the need for community space - both physical and virtual - in order to improve the urban environment and quality of life.

We work to facilitate mutually beneficial connections between like-minded groups in the livable cities sector, share resources and champion neighborhoods.