Georgia

Metro Atlanta’s Multifamily Market Poised for Growth Despite Construction Costs

by John Nelson January 7, 2019

Driven by continued job and population growth, metro Atlanta’s multifamily market remains strong. Rarely a week goes by without an announcement of another corporate relocation or expansion somewhere throughout the metro area. This, in addition to an increasing population seeking the region’s quality of life, relative affordability and dynamic economy, has sustained the current cycle of development in the multifamily market. Investors appear to share this conclusion and have made Atlanta a top destination for acquisitions over the past several years. Despite some potential challenges on the horizon, namely rising construction costs, metro Atlanta’s apartment market is poised to continue its expansion over the near term. Market Fundamentals While new supply has outpaced absorption, most data providers still show metro Atlanta’s overall occupancy rate above 94 percent. Many market observers estimate that the multifamily market is on the cusp of, or has just moved past, its short-term peak of deliveries. Spiraling land and construction costs, coupled with the current labor shortage being felt across the economy, are acting governors of future supply expansion. These increases in costs are also translating into much higher required rents, which are testing the size of the renter pool capable of affording them. Despite concerns …

January 7, 2019

Georgia Market Reports Office Property Type Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Office Redevelopments, Leasing Key to Downtown Atlanta’s Re-emergence

by John Nelson December 31, 2018

The vitality of Downtown Atlanta is exciting. In response to a wave of revitalization efforts and substantial investment from corporations, universities and the public sector, the submarket’s fundamentals are rapidly strengthening. As tenants have reprioritized their desires for office locations to include access to public transportation, walkable retail and proximity to cultural attractions and an educated workforce, Downtown has gained tremendous traction in demand and re-emerged as an affordable and authentic urban work setting. Model Project: 100 Peachtree While new development activity is primarily focused on housing, much of the bustle in Downtown Atlanta’s office market is focused on redevelopment, renovations and repositioning. For instance, our team is transforming 100 Peachtree, a 32-story office tower, into a modern, transportation-oriented workplace destination with upgraded amenities, enhanced connectivity with Woodruff Park and new community activations. 100 Peachtree’s timeless Meisian design functionality provides a workplace for tenants ranging from traditional corporate headquarters to tech startups. Changes at 100 Peachtree reflect a broader story about shifting expectations for workplace environments. Employees increasingly desire to work at a “go-to” office building with access to transit in an amenity-rich setting. Office amenities have evolved from providing convenience like a café or sundry shop to blurring the …

December 31, 2018

Georgia Market Reports Property Type Retail Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Retailers Attracted to Atlanta’s Mixed-Use Projects, Infill Locations

by John Nelson December 24, 2018

If we had to sum up the 2018 Atlanta retail environment with a single word, it would be “change.” Atlanta’s builders have turned away from the traditional suburban models in favor of modern mixed-use developments featuring high-end office and residential units on the upper floors, along with street-level retail shops. Many planners see such projects as a means of creating more walkable, safe and vibrant neighborhoods. Retailers are drawn to intown opportunities such as Modera by Mill Creek’s mixed-use apartment communities (existing locations in Midtown, Sandy Springs and Vinings, with Reynoldstown coming soon), or Revel, a planned $900 million, 118-acre mixed-use and entertainment destination being developed by North American Properties in Duluth in Gwinnett County. With a limited supply of real estate inventory for shops and restaurants and the continued demand from new concepts entering or growing in the Atlanta metro market, the competition for space has grown fierce. For example, Franklin Street’s client City Barbeque waited 18 months for a premier location to become available for its new eatery in Johns Creek. The restaurant group made a lease agreement offer within three days of the prior tenant going dark to secure the spot before other bidders could jump in. …

December 24, 2018

Georgia Industrial Market Reports Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Historically Low Vacancy, Port Growth Drive Savannah’s Industrial Development

by John Nelson December 17, 2018

Though Savannah by all standards is a small industrial market, you would never know it from the activity in the area. At 57 million square feet, the port city is poised to add an astounding 9.75 million square feet of inventory by mid-2019. The force behind all of this growth is attributed to one key factor: The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA). The GPA is an economic giant in Georgia supporting one of every 11 jobs in the state and accounting for 8 percent of its GDP. Home to the largest single-container terminal in North America, GPA moved more than 4.2 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in fiscal year 2018, an 8 percent increase over 2017 and an all-time record for the port. With both CSX and Norfolk Southern on terminal, GPA also handled a record 435,000 rail lifts in FY 2018, which was a 16.1 percent increase over 2017. As the fastest growing port in the country, one might be concerned about congestion becoming an issue for the port, but reinvestment remains a top priority. The GPA recently opened its second inland port to move more containers toward population centers via CSX rail. It doesn’t hurt either that Savannah, geographically …

December 17, 2018

Georgia Market Reports Property Type Retail Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Tech, Film Industries Help Atlanta Sustain Retail Growth Intown and in Suburbs

by John Nelson July 16, 2018

“How long will Atlanta’s retail boom last?” That is the multibillion-dollar question everyone in the market is asking themselves. Nobody knows for sure, although there are many valid reasons to think that Atlanta will sustain its growth through 2018 and beyond. The state of Georgia has placed a strong emphasis on drawing technology companies to the state, and Atlanta’s tech boom has catapulted the city to the front of the race for Amazon’s $5 billion HQ2 project. The city already boasts the world’s busiest airport, which makes it easy for any company to relocate here because they can directly connect to anywhere in the world. Most recently, Facebook announced it will build a sprawling data center campus at Stanton Springs, about 40 miles east of Atlanta, and NCR Corp. recently opened its new headquarters campus in Midtown. The emerging tech community includes startup hubs such as Atlanta Tech Village, Switchyards Downtown Club, the upcoming Coda project at Tech Square and Advanced Technology Development Center, an affiliate of Georgia Tech. With elite local colleges like Georgia Tech, Emory University and the state’s flagship school, the University of Georgia, about 60 miles east in Athens rapidly producing new graduates, the city is …

July 16, 2018

Georgia Industrial Market Reports Property Type Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Booming Atlanta Industrial Market Continues Surge Thanks to E-Commerce

by John Nelson July 9, 2018

Atlanta is the logistics hub and economic engine of the Southeast, which is the fastest growing region in the country. Its 700 million square feet of industrial space makes it the fifth largest logistics market in the United States. Traditionally, population and job growth are key drivers of industrial demand, and Atlanta has had strong growth in each. The metro added 78,000 people in 2017, or nearly 214 new residents every day, which is reminiscent of the solid population growth of the 1990s when Atlanta averaged nearly 100,000 new residents every year. Additionally, Atlanta has had solid job growth, growing 2.5 percent last year, second only to Dallas/Fort Worth among the 12 largest metro areas in the U.S. E-commerce has caused a surge in demand for industrial space that has benefitted the Atlanta industrial market. Online retail sales now make up over 9 percent of total retail sales, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, up from 5 percent in 2012. A recent report from Cushman & Wakefield stated that while e-commerce accounted for just 5 percent of leases in 2013, it now commands over 20 percent of all warehouse leasing. As Amazon and others ramp up delivery times from two-day …

July 9, 2018

Georgia Market Reports Office Property Type Southeast Southeast Market Reports

KDC Underway on Phase II of Park Center Office Campus in Central Perimeter

by John Nelson July 2, 2018

Park Center is the largest ground-up corporate office project in metro Atlanta’s history. In early 2017, KDC broke ground on Park Center Phase II, which consists of two office towers totaling 1.1 million square feet, including approximately 40,000 square feet of retail space. The office towers will be leased by State Farm, which also leased the 21-story office tower in Phase I. Phase II of Park Center started with the implosion of the existing 240,000-square-foot, 10-story Hammond Exchange building on March 4, 2017. The remainder of 2017 was spent removing the debris from the implosion, blasting and removing over 300,000 cubic yards of rock, site grading, relocation and placement of utilities, and installation of tower cranes. In addition, construction started on the parking structure and building pad for Building 2. Several large culverts were constructed for a new road that will connect Perimeter Parkway in Dunwoody to Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs. Today, seven of the 11 parking levels of Building 2 have been poured, including the lobby level and vehicular-pedestrian plaza in front of it. Completion of the 660,000-square-foot, 22-story Building 2 is slated for the end of 2019. Work is also taking place on Building 3, including …

July 2, 2018

Georgia Office Southeast Top Stories

Portman Holdings Secures $150M Construction Financing for Office Tower in Midtown Atlanta

by Nellie Day January 31, 2018

ATLANTA — Portman Holdings has secured $150 million in financing to build a 21-story office building in Atlanta’s Technology Square. The 352,000-square-foot, build-to-suit Anthem Technology Center will be situated near Georgia Tech in Midtown. This area is known as an innovation hotbed with research facilities, incubators, technology start-ups and the Georgia Institute of Technology campus. Healthcare insurance giant Anthem (NYSE: ANTM) will occupy the space. The offices will serve as a hub for approximately 3,000 IT professionals seeking to enhance consumer healthcare experiences, improve the quality of care and lower healthcare costs. The building will feature a 14,000-square-foot terrace area with green space. Anthem placed an emphasis on energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and active design standards. The building will also include 7,000 square feet of retail space and alternating two-story spaces connected by a staircase to promote collaboration. The project’s groundbreaking is scheduled for Feb. 21. Construction is expected to take two years. John Portman & Associates designed the building for Anthem. PCCP contributed equity financing, while SunTrust acted as the lead lender. Regions also served as a lender for the project. SunTrust will open a full-service branch inside Anthem Technology Center. Atlanta-based Portman Holdings is a …

January 31, 2018

Georgia Market Reports Multifamily Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Demand for Live-Work-Play Fueling Global Interest in Atlanta Multifamily Market

by John Nelson December 4, 2017

With Atlanta’s economy more robust than ever, demand for multifamily housing remains high, driving rent growth and investor interest throughout the market. Since the last cycle — when a reliance on construction hit hard — the city has transformed its economy by building up its IT, healthcare and automotive sectors, among others. The results of strong job growth and the diversification of employment are evident market-wide. In particular, Buckhead and Midtown have seen a substantial increase in multifamily supply over the last three to five years, as spillover activity in East Atlanta and West Midtown will continue. And the rise of two multibillion-dollar sports stadiums (Mercedes-Benz Stadium and SunTrust Park) in the same year — a first for the city — continues to draw national and international attention to intown and metro submarkets. Urban Goes Suburban A seemingly insatiable demand for urban live-work-play settings has inspired developers to replicate the highly-amenitized and high-rent success in the suburbs. Alpharetta’s Avalon was a game changer, spurring destinations in John’s Creek, Gwinnett County’s Peachtree Corners and the mixed-use boon around SunTrust Park in Cobb County. So far, development activity has been steady in the northern submarkets, with little activity on Atlanta’s south side. …

December 4, 2017

Georgia Market Reports Office Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Creative Office Space Fuels Growth in the Already Robust Atlanta Market

by John Nelson November 27, 2017

Although so-called “creative office space” is for now a tiny slice of the overall supply in Atlanta, it represents the most significant change in the use of office space in generations. Tenants and landlords have only begun to use creative design principles to push rents past levels previously thought unreachable, while increasing worker productivity and satisfaction. Trends in this sector will define the American workplace for decades. The largest users of creative office space — also commonly referred to as loft office space — today are in the TAMI sector (tech, advertising, media and information), but law practices, engineering firms and others are also embracing the open office concept. In Atlanta, there is 3 million square feet of creative office space, which is only 1.2 percent of the metro area’s total inventory. But the vacancy rate for creative spaces is just 8.3 percent and the gross asking price is $29.90 per square foot, both considerably outperforming the traditional office arena. Since 2013 the asking rate for traditional office space in Atlanta has grown 17.2 percent. For creative space the asking rate has shot up 62.5 percent. The top end asking rate for creative spaces is more than $6.50 higher than …

November 27, 2017

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