CASE STUDIES

International Council of Shopping Centers/Legislative Representation

Challenge

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) is a diverse organization with 1100 Arizona members. The task for Landry-Creedon was how best to represent all the various interests, who include shopping center managers, developers, owners and retailers, both large and small, throughout the state, and then position this organization so it is seen as a strong advocate for this vital industry.

Strategy

Landry-Creedon determined that representing its diverse membership required re-building the organization so it would become one of the most active, organized and effective ICSC organizations in the U.S. Once that was accomplished the firm could position ICSC in front of the Arizona State Legislature as a serious and important economic force.

Advocacy

Landry-Creedon was able to place the ICSC in front of the Arizona Senate and House to make Arizona lawmakers aware of the importance of the industry. The firm kept legislators informed about the messages and goals of the ICSC by conducting regular discussions with key legislators regarding real estate, economic development and other issues that impact the health of Arizona’s commercial real estate industry.

It expanded the role of the ICSC Government Affairs Committee so that this committee became a trusted and standing resource, as well as a strategic reserve for its lobbying efforts. And Landry-Creedon assisted in organizing SCAN, the Shopping Center Action Network, which energized ICSC members throughout the state to keep membership engaged in sustained and effective communications with Arizona lawmakers.

Results

The Arizona Chapter’s Government Affairs Committee has become one of ICSC’s most active, organized and influential groups.

Landry-Creedon with ICSC assisted in passing legislation that established a legal standard for imposing municipal impact fees and provided definition to the criteria and process for enacting impact fees in cities;

Landry-Creedon with ICSC successfully opposed legislation that would have completely eliminated tax reduction incentives for new commercial development;

Landry-Creedon has lobbied on behalf of ICSC at the state and local levels since 1991 with successful results to protect shopping centers’ private property rights, freedom of contract and property tax valuation method.