Client: Visiting Nursing Association of Western New York (VNA)

Address: 650 Airborne Parkway, Cheektowaga, New York 14225

Property Size: 45,000 SF

Property Type: Office

Project Team: Edmund White & Susan Ouhrabka, RPA

Comvest Real Estate Management began its relationship with Visiting Nursing Association of Western New York (VNA) once they committed to a build-to-suit building to consolidate their Erie County operations in Amherst, New York.

The Challenge

The expiration of the VNA’s various leases were about 24 months out and it was time to evaluate all future options. The VNA was leasing a total of approximately 48,000 square feet of office and warehouse space at multiple properties in proximity to each other in Williamsville, New York. It was determined that the multiple locations presented many logistical and operational challenges and additional costs for the VNA. Additionally, working with three separate landlords and three different leases added a layer of complexity to budgeting and operations. While discussing relocation options it was clear that the VNA needed to better understand what their actual space program was and how much square footage was needed to accommodate the current staff while considering future needs to coincide with the organization’s growth. It was determined that consolidating the VNA’s multiple operations under one roof would be the optimal solution.

Our Process

The Visiting Nursing Association of Western New York engaged the team of Ed White and Susan Ouhrabka of Comvest Real Estate Management to act as VNA’s representatives for the project. Comvest assisted the VNA the following: a space utilization study, overall project budget, space design, value engineering, construction oversight, furniture & fixture layouts, vendor management, punch list, commissioning, and move management. The team became actively involved with the VNA’s executives and leaders in different functional areas within the organization to help guide them throughout the project so that VNA could focus on their daily operations.

The Solution

Following lengthy negotiations with Uniland, the business and legal terms were agreed to and a lease was executed for a 45,000-square-foot build-to-suit property at 650 Airborne Parkway in Cheektowaga, New York, just a few miles away from their previous locations.

The Results

With the guidance and experience of the team of professionals from CBRE Buffalo and Comvest, an exceptional amount of monetary savings was realized by the VNA throughout both the lease negotiation and construction management process. The VNA also saved space with a footprint reduction of approximately 6.5% in which they can comfortably fit their staff under one roof while still having room to grow.

In September of 2019 VNA successfully moved into their new headquarters which:

• Saves their staff time preparing for patient visits with all supplies under one roof
• Upgraded to a deep dock in a right-sized warehouse for efficient workflow with regard to deliveries and distribution
• Provides an upgraded pharmacy, avoiding costly upgrades in their old space
• Reduced the number of redundancies with regard to supply and equipment costs
• Brought all employees under one roof in a welcoming environment with ample daylight, promoting interaction across various departments

© 2021 Comvest Real Estate Management. All rights reserved.