2020 Year End Highlights

This past year is one that will not soon be forgotten. 2020 was filled with many things that tested us mentally, emotionally, and physically. However, in a short period of time we learned and adapted while being socially distanced. Though 2020 looked very different than previous years, CASTO was able to persevere and achieve several notable accomplishments. Below are highlights from our year.

1. Getting down to business — our commercial real estate team secured 80 new leases and 150 tenant renewals at our properties. You can check out a full list of our portfolio here.
2. CASTO in the Community — CASTO remained an important part of the community by giving back more than ever! Throughout the year, select shopping centers held blood donation drives, associates and residents donated non-perishable goods for a Thanksgiving Food Drive benefiting The Byron Saunders Foundation, and associates donated money to provide holiday gifts to numerous families in need for the holiday season. As a company, we stayed active by competing in the Spark360 Fit City Challenge.
3. Helping our customers — while many of our tenants and businesses were (and still are) being impacted by COVID-19, our team provided curbside pickup parking signage and window clings to tenants at centers throughout our portfolio. This helped advertise the business and visually direct shoppers where to park for curbside pickup. Right now, more than ever, make sure you are supporting your local small businesses with online ordering and curbside pickup.
4. Exciting development updates — one of our largest projects in Columbus, Ohio, Hamilton Quarter, completed its first phase! Hamilton Quarter is a new mixed-use development located at State Route 161 and Hamilton Road interchange. The project includes 250,000 s.f. of retail space anchored by a new Next Generation Target, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center outpatient care facility, and several new outparcel tenants. Anchor tenants in this phase of the project include Hobby Lobby, Five Below, Beerhead Bar & Eatery, and Aqua Tots Swim School. For more information about the project, visit Hamilton Quarter’s website. Construction on the second phase is anticipated to start in Spring of 2021! Be on the lookout for more information.
5. A Year without Santa? — Our shopping center at Lakeside Village in Lakeland, Florida, had the brilliant idea to have a contact-less Santa experience. Shoppers scheduled an appointment online to meet with Santa to take free pictures of Santa while maintaining social distancing and adhering to CDC guidelines. It was a big hit with community members and a wonderful way to bring cheer to the holiday season!
6. Winning looks good on us — 2020 was a great year for CASTO as we were ranked and awarded on 16 different occasions across various platforms — below are some of our favorites. To check out our full list of awards and recognition, visit our Careers page.

• • 2020 Best Employers in Ohio — ranked for the eighth time in a row
  • The Healthy Business Council of Ohio’s 2020 Healthy Workplace Platinum Award Winner
  • 6 Largest Central Ohio Property Management Companies-Commercial — Columbus Business First
  • 7 Largest Commercial Developers — Tampa Bay Business Journal
  • 9 Largest Central Ohio Property Management Companies-Residential — Columbus Business First

7. Our new Look — Our marketing and IT team collaborated to create our new website redesign. The new website is more user-friendly on desktop and mobile and explains more about our services. Check at our services page here. When our doors open again to the public, you will also notice we have a new look in our offices! Interior wraps cover the walls on our fifth-floor lobby area, and a beautiful art installation featuring breathtaking views of our properties on our sixth-floor lobby area. In addition to our website and office, CASTO also provided numerous virtual tours, self-guided tours, and virtual open houses for our residential and commercial real estate properties.

We are extremely thankful to have had such a wonderful year, despite the challenges the year presented. We hope 2021 brings you and your family health and happiness all year long. We look forward to sharing our exciting updates and announcements with you thought out the year!

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