Phillips named new regional planning executive director
After 17 months as the commission's finance director, Phillips was voted into her new role Thursday by the RPC executive committee. Phillips, an Allen County native currently living in the Allen East area, is succeeding former executive director Tara Reynolds-Bales, who resigned in September.
Prior to her employment at the RPC, Phillips worked as the fiscal officer for Bath Township as well as in financial aid roles for Rhodes State College and the University of Northwestern Ohio.
"I'm excited," she said. "I was the finance director, so I think that gives me a good foundation to move up into this role. I've done a little bit as far as some of the strategic planning for our agency and our work plan, which is what we plan to do for the upcoming year. I've been involved a lot in that, but this will really expand on that."
Phillips wants to build on the work of her predecessors in building positive relationships with area civic officials, both in townships and in villages and cities. These connections are important, she said, since the RPC is a valuable resource for creating solutions for officials on improving a wide variety of civic planning issues, from improving roadways and traffic flow to addressing zoning and property issues to locating funding sources for potential improvement and safety projects.
"There is a wide range of needs out there that we have from our members," she said. "It's about getting to know them and getting to know what those needs are and how we can best serve them in their needs with planning and transportation dollars."
The RPC is also the administrator for the West Central Ohio Rural Planning Organization, which is addressing transportation issues in rural areas over a seven-county area surrounding Allen County.
Phillips also hopes to get the public more engaged in the planning process for the various projects and studies the RPC oversees, encouraging public comment during a project's formation.
"We have open houses, and all of our meetings are public, and we publish them on our website," she said. "My hope is in strengthening those relationships, attending those council meetings, being involved with the (Lima/Allen County) Chamber and networking with some of those people there, putting ourselves out there and letting people know what we do."
An open house event on the commission's 2026-2029 Transportation Improvement Plan will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 1 at the Allen County RTA, 200 E. High St., Lima. For more information on the Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission, visit lacrpc.com.
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These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Urban Edge Properties (UE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Brixmor Property Group Inc. (BRX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
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Experiential Retail and Omnichannel Integration Are Revitalizing the Sector: Retail REITs are benefiting from the transformation of physical stores into immersive, experience-driven destinations. Experiential retail, incorporating dining, entertainment and interactive elements, is driving stronger foot traffic, longer visit durations and higher sales. This evolution aligns with changing consumer preferences that favor engagement over transactional shopping. Complementing this trend is the growth of omnichannel strategies, as retailers, including digitally-native brands, are establishing physical storefronts to reduce return costs and deepen customer relationships. Programs like Buy Online, Return In Store ('BORIS') enhance convenience while boosting in-store traffic. Another key tailwind is solid leasing demand from consumer service providers and cross-border entrants expanding into U.S. markets. 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Mixed-use developments are also gaining momentum, turning outdated retail sites into vibrant, community-oriented destinations. These strategies are reinforcing portfolio durability and improving rental income visibility across economic Volatility, E-Commerce Pressure and Tariffs Cast Shadows: Despite positive structural shifts, retail REITs face ongoing pressure from macroeconomic headwinds. High interest rates, inflation and tariff changes are prompting retailers to delay leasing decisions or scale back expansion plans. Store closures are now outpacing openings, and leasing activity is slowing. Rising e-commerce penetration dampens demand for traditional retail space, especially in commodity-driven segments. Tariffs on low-cost imports could further erode retailer profitability, limiting expansion plans and increasing the likelihood of further bankruptcies, leading to vacancy risk and challenging cash flow visibility for retail REITs in the near term. Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bright Prospects The Zacks REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry is housed within the broader Zacks Finance sector. It carries a Zacks Industry Rank #69, which places it in the top 28% of around 250 Zacks industries. The group's Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates robust near-term prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. The industry's positioning in the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries is a result of the upward funds from operations (FFO) per share outlook for the constituent companies in aggregate. Looking at the aggregate FFO per share estimate revisions, it appears that analysts are gaining confidence in this group's growth potential. Since March 2025, the industry's FFO per share estimates for 2025 and 2026 have moved 1.64% and 0.2% north, respectively. 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Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-year FFO per share has witnessed a marginal upward revision to $2.23, indicating a 4.7% year-over-year jump. The stock has also risen 3.7% over the past three months. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Phillips Edison: PECO, based in Cincinnati, OH, specializes in the ownership and operation of high-quality, grocery-anchored neighborhood shopping centers. As of June 30, 2025, the company managed 327 shopping centers, including 303 wholly owned centers containing 34.0 million square feet across 31 states and 24 shopping centers owned in three institutional joint offers omnichannel grocery-anchored shopping experiences. It enjoys strong-credit neighbors and a diversified mix. With high-quality, necessity-based tenants and resilient foot traffic trends, PECO benefits from consistent demand. It is also among the REITs with the lowest tenant exposure to changes in tariff rates. Strong tenant retention, solid same store net operating growth, decent lease spreads, and consistent dividend income underscore its operational excellence and long-term value currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 FFO per share has witnessed a 1.2% upward revision to $2.58, reflecting analysts' bullish outlook. Though the stock has declined 5.6% over the past three months, it currently offers a good entry point. Urban Edge Properties: This New York-based company is engaged in the owning, managing, acquiring, developing and redeveloping retail real estate in urban communities, primarily in the Washington, DC to Boston corridor. Its properties are concentrated in the most densely populated, supply-constrained region in the country, assuring a steady flow of a large portion of Urban Edge's portfolio is anchored by high-performing essential retailers, which ensures stable cash flows. Particularly, 80% of portfolio value is grocery-anchored. It has a healthy balance sheet, with only 8% of debt maturing through 2026. It targets long-term FFO growth of 4-5% annually, supported by a strong lease pipeline (≈9% of NOI) and strategic redevelopment and capital currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 FFO per share has been raised 1.4% over the past month to $1.40, indicating a 3.7% year-over-year increase. The stock has rallied 6.8% in the past three months. Note: Funds from operations (FFO) is a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs rather than net income as it indicates cash flow from their operations. FFO is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization to earnings and subtracting the gains on sales. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Urban Edge Properties (UE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Brixmor Property Group Inc. (BRX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Boston Globe
The lease of a popular R.I. restaurant will not be renewed after more than 60 years. Officials have pledged to fight back.
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