Denver’s industrial market has had an impressive run so far this economic cycle – so much so that the top-of-mind-question is, “Where do we go from here?” Last year was a prolific year, attracting new investors, delivering 4.5 million square feet of Class A space and posting the fifth straight year of sub-5 percent vacancy. But the outlook for 2017 is brighter given Denver’s strong economic foundation, the arrival of e-commerce users and delivery of much-needed warehouse inventory. E-commerce Arrives in a Big Way E-commerce arrived in Denver in 2016 but is only just rolling out. Construction began earlier this year on a 1.1-million-square-foot fulfillment center, which will be the market’s largest industrial building upon completion. Several other last-mile e-commerce facilities are opening in the region that are intended to provide same-day or fresh food delivery. The local e-commerce footprint is approaching 3 million square feet in total. E-commerce companies are actively securing sites in Denver largely in response to the region’s explosive population growth. Colorado was the second-fastest-growing state in 2015, and Colorado’s Front Range communities are home to more than 5 million people. Between 2010 and 2016, Denver added nearly 1,000 new residents a week and ranked 12th …
The region is creating transformative projects that are substantially elevating the desirability of its office market five years into Denver’s strong development cycle. This trend — strongest in Denver’s Central Business District (CBD) and Southeast Suburban (SES) submarkets — is attracting a new breed of tenants to the Denver landscape. About 1.4 million square feet of Class A office space has been delivered in Denver’s CBD since 2012, with an equal amount under construction. Deliveries in the previous development cycles (1999 to2003 and 2007 to 2010) were on a smaller scale, delivering about 800,000 square feet and more than 1.5 million square feet, respectively. During the 2007 to 2010 development cycle, which had the unfortunate timing of commencing right before the financial crisis, new product struggled with pre-leasing. It took an average of 10 quarters to lease up to stabilized occupancy at 85 percent. Only one project, 1800 Larimer Street, was more than 85 percent leased in the first year. In contrast, the current cycle is much different and much stronger. The amount of square footage being added to the CBD outweighs the previous other two cycles. Leasing activity is white hot as well, with new product averaging 60 percent …
Denver’s economic growth, its reputation as a commercial hub in the Rockies and the growth in e-commerce sales are all factors contributing to the metro’s strong industrial property performance. Denver employers are on track to add 39,000 new workers to their headcounts by year end, expanding the local workforce by 2.8 percent, with the professional and business services and construction sectors driving employment gains. As household formation and retail spending has increased, demand for industrial space in Denver has followed suit. The city’s strategic position as a Western state commercial hub, along with the rapid rise in e-commerce sales, has attracted retailers and distributors, such as FedEx and Amazon, to the area. These large retailers and distributors are contributing to the high demand for industrial space, especially given the limited number of industrial property deliveries in 2015. The industrial construction pipeline is growing as a result of this demand. Spurred on by Denver’s positive economic performance, developers have expanded the industrial development pipeline, including higher levels of speculative development. About 3.7 million square feet of industrial space will have come online by the end of the year. About 1 million square feet of space was delivered in 2015. The breakneck …
LITTLETON, COLO. — Vestar has acquired Bowles Crossing, a 409,457-square-foot regional shopping center in the Denver suburb of Littleton, for $76.1 million. The 53.8-acre Bowles Crossing is one of the area’s top regional shopping destinations in the southwest Denver metro area. Tenants at the center include Trader Joe’s, DSW Warehouse, Ross Dress for Less, Gordmans and a newly renovated AMC Theatre. The center is located at 8055 W. Bowles Ave., at the northeast corner of Wadsworth Boulevard and Bowles Avenue. Vestar plans expand the shopping center, adding new retail, restaurants and a multifamily component. “Over the past 12 months, Vestar has acquired five retail centers valued at $670 million throughout the Western states,” says Clint Marchuk, the firm’s vice president of acquisitions. “Our goal is to continue acquiring strategic centers in key markets with strong demographics.” Vestar also recently acquired the 623,205-square-foot, open-air retail and entertainment portion of The Gateway, a retail, residential and office complex in downtown Salt Lake City. Phoenix-based Vestar is a privately held real estate company that specializes in the acquisition, management and development of commercial real estate, particularly retail. The company owns and manages more than 25 million square feet of retail assets in the …
DENVER — Rob McAdams has joined Lancaster Pollard and will open a new office for the firm in Denver. McAdams will serve the lender’s clients in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho and will oversee the structuring and funding of healthcare project financings for hospitals and senior living providers in those states. McAdams has been involved in investment sales and debt and equity structuring for the hotel and hospitality industry since 2005 and most recently served as a partner at U.S. Hotel Advisors in Denver. In that role, he oversaw all areas of hotel debt and equity financing transactions, including new business generation, negotiation of financing terms, selection of capital providers and orchestration of closing processes. He earned master’s degrees in finance, as well as real estate and construction management, from the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business. He received a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Colorado.
DENVER — Starwood Capital Group and East West Partners have announced plans to develop a $190 million office building in Denver’s Union Station neighborhood. The 250-foot-tall building will be known by its address, 16 Chestnut. The property will have frontage along both 16th and 17th streets. DaVite HealthCare Partners will be the first tenant. The kidney care provider will expand upon its current space, which is across the street. It will occupy about 265,000 square feet. DaVita will also have its own entrance and lobby. “When we moved to Denver, we knew we would commit to the city, to the state and to the community,” says Kent Thiry, DaVita’s chairman and CEO. “Today’s announcement of another DaVita building downtown, developed with East West Partners and Starwood Capital Group, cements that commitment.” Construction will begin in July 2016 and is scheduled for completion in October 2018. DaVita is scheduled to occupy the new space in August 2018. The remaining space will become available for lease in January 2016. The project is targeting LEED-Platinum certification. Gensler will design the building, with BuildMark providing construction management services. A general contractor has not yet been named. The development is situated adjacent to the South …
BOULDER, COLO. — Cardinal Group Management will manage 9Seventy in Boulder, located on the east side of the University of Colorado at Boulder. The property is comprised of 138 units across five four-story buildings. Beginning in November 2015, 9Seventy will offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes. The community will have a resident clubroom with kitchen, outdoor grilling area, views overlooking Chautauqua Park and the Flatirons, swimming pool, fitness center, business center, billiards table and guest patio. Cardinal Group Management will now manage more than 11,000 units in 20 states.
AURORA, COLO. — Steadfast Apartment REIT has purchased two apartment communities in the Denver submarket of Aurora for a total of $91 million. The acquisition includes the 304-unit Bella Terra at City Center and the 360-unit Hearthstone at City Center. The garden-style Bella Terra is located at 15400 E. Evans Ave. It was built in 1980 and is currently 98 percent occupied. The community contains a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom homes that contain an average of 676 square feet and an average rent of $917. Common-area amenities include a clubhouse, fitness center, swimming pool with spa, business center, outdoor basketball court, playground and a picnic area with barbecue stations. Hearthstone is located at 932 S. Helena Way. It was built in 1984. The community contains a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 720 square feet to 1,501 square feet. Average in-place rents are $1,038. The property also includes a fitness center, swimming pool, business center and a playground with a basketball court. Both properties will undergo significant interior and exterior renovations. The assets are situated near the Denver Tech Center Business Corridor, Denver’s largest employment hub, which contains more than 40 million square feet of …
A booming Denver economy has strengthened the local real estate market, creating strong demand across all property sectors, including multifamily, housing, office and retail. The wealth effect stemming from robust employment and rising home values will specifically drive retail sales in the Denver metro this year. A thriving retail market will attract new tenants to the metro, and facilitate healthy rent growth. Employers will continue to expand in the metro, pushing total employment to a new high and drawing additional residents to the metro. Hiring will expand 3.3 percent this year as employers are expected to add 45,000 total workers to payrolls. Metro Denver has also attracted high-wage earners. For instance, Lockheed unveiled plans to add 850 high-paying jobs at its Jefferson County facility over the next few years. Meanwhile, rising housing demand has lifted the median price of an existing home nearly 60 percent over the past six years. This has caused Denver to become one of the most expensive non-coastal housing markets in the nation. High home values will positively affect how homeowners feel about their financial situation, encouraging retail spending. Retail construction will slow this year as many developers focus on redevelopment projects like the Southwest Plaza …
The Colorado Springs industrial real estate market continues to rebound with a decrease in vacancy to 8.1 percent, an increase in the average asking rate to $6.19 per square foot (NNN) and a net positive absorption of 199,101 square feet. Along with these improvements, there has been a healthy number of owner/user acquisitions in the industrial market that has created a more competitive market for both tenants and owner/user buyers over the past year. Colorado Springs will also soon benefit from Sierra Nevada Corporation’s recent decision to construct its new $88-million hangar facility at the Colorado Springs Airport, a development that will significantly aid the city’s struggling southeast submarket. Designed as a 90,000-square-foot facility, construction is slated to begin in early 2016. The company estimates it will create about 2,100 new jobs. The city will further benefit from the formation of a new 225,200-square-foot FedEx distribution facility currently scheduled to open in 2016 These new developments reflect the abundance of opportunities and land options near the airport in the southeast submarkets, with available sites ranging from small sites of less than an acre to sites larger than 50 acres. The southeast area also offers a wide range of office/warehouse flex …