G
ina Baker Chambers, president of MCB Real Estate, has a background in equity and debt investments. She joined Artemis Real Estate Partners at its founding year and helped the women-led investment firm grow from zero to $10 billion in equity over 14 years. Now, she's leading MCB Real Estate, which owns and manages 17 million square feet of real estate assets worth $3 billion along the East Coast.

    MCB has a significant presence in Baltimore, where it's redeveloping sites that have been neglected for a long time. The city is attracting new residents due to its universities and medical institutions. Baker Chambers remains bullish on Baltimore but notes that Washington D.C. proper is facing challenges, including retail and multifamily market difficulties.

    MCB's retail strategy focuses on experiential retail at master-planned projects like Harborplace in Baltimore. At Viva White Oak, a community with thousands of residents, the firm aims to create a mix of grocery stores, medical offices, and other retail spaces that cater to its target audience.

    The company is also exploring new property types, such as med-tail (medical office and retail combined) and mixed-use developments with apartments, medical offices, and retail. Baker Chambers believes this approach is gaining traction due to the aging population and changing demographics.

    As retail performs well while office space struggles, MCB is building more retail spaces near residential areas rather than in central business districts. The company is also seeing strong demand for retail space, particularly from grocery stores and medical offices.

    From a landlord's perspective, Baker Chambers notes that some retailers may be pausing expansion plans due to economic uncertainty. However, she believes there will still be opportunities for retailers to take over vacant spaces, given the tight supply in many markets.