As the costs of land, labor and construction rise, more developers are focusing on upgrades to existing properties than they are on seeking ground-up developments or value-added centers, executives said at a RECon panel discussion. “It’s been hard to make deals economical if we can’t get the land for free,” said Conor Flynn, CEO of Kimco Realty Corp. “We haven’t been able to go out and find a site and make it work.” So mixed-use has become a big push for the firm, Flynn said. Click to read more at www.icsc.org.