Pennsylvania

Demand Floods Mid-Atlantic Industrial Market

by Taylor Williams May 18, 2021

By Taylor Williams Demand for industrial space continues to surge throughout New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, prompting developers to undertake more projects on a speculative basis and avail themselves to the classic mantra of “If you build it, they will come.” E-commerce users, spanning every industry from building materials to electronics to food, continue to spearhead the demand side of the equation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2020, a year in which a global health crisis spurred furious increases in online shopping, e-commerce sales accounted for 14.4 percent of all retail sales, up from 7.3 percent in 2015. That figure is expected to grow to nearly 20 percent by 2024. Lenders are eager to finance speculative industrial projects, and developers are scouring the Mid-Atlantic for viable sites as spec projects increasingly account for bigger portions of their portfolios. “Pre-COVID, and even dating back several years, you might see 20 percent of the Mid-Atlantic industrial projects being done as build-to-suits,” says Rob Borny, senior vice president of capital deployment and head of the East Region for Nevada-based Dermody Properties. “It’s now moving toward being significantly less [build-to-suit activity] due to robust tenant demand, as well as the shorter lead …

May 18, 2021

Market Reports Multifamily Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Development Landscape Favors More Multifamily, Adaptive Reuse Projects

by Taylor Williams May 11, 2021

By Mark Fogel, president and CEO, ACRES Capital As the state’s second-most populous metro, the Pittsburgh MSA is the anchor of western Pennsylvania. Over the last 20 years, Pittsburgh has pivoted and evolved into a hub for the healthcare, education and technology industries, thus attracting an influx of young, high-earning millennials. Over the last 10 years, Pittsburgh has undergone an economic resurgence. Firms such as Google and Uber have opened regional headquarters in the city, lured by the strong base of talent graduating from Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) computer science and robotics programs. In fact, Pittsburgh has been the epicenter for autonomous vehicles (AVs) since the mid-1980s, when CMU’s Robotics Department developed the world’s first self-driving car. AV research, development and testing are expected to be catalysts of growth for the city in the coming years. In addition, the cutting-edge research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the associated University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which operates eight hospitals within the MSA and plans to build three more over the next several years, is attracting medical professionals from around the world. These factors, combined with a low cost of living and proximity to high-end amenities, have helped Pittsburgh …

May 11, 2021

Industrial Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Industrial Market Displays Resilience, Sees More Development

by Taylor Williams May 7, 2021

By Justin Brown, director of research, Cushman & Wakefield | Grant Street Associates Inc. While the last year has been extremely challenging, one bright spot within Pittsburgh’s commercial real estate markets has been the industrial sector, the resiliency of which cannot be overstated. Consistent increases in asking rents, flat vacancy rates and positive levels of absorption have been the norms for the past few quarters. Like many metros, the Pittsburgh industrial market saw very strong absorption in the fourth quarter of last year — about 391,000 square feet, to be exact. Net absorption slid to approximately 92,000 square feet in the first quarter of this year, but there rem ains ample reason to believe that leasing activity will stay steady, if not improve, in the coming months. Much of the new leasing activity has been concentrated within the airport corridor. This region features both considerable land for new development and exceptional access to key pieces of infrastructure, making it popular with tenants and landlords alike. Currently, there is approximately 1.8 million square feet of industrial space under construction throughout the metro, with more than half of those projects (about 1 million square feet) concentrated in the airport corridor. The average …

May 7, 2021

Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania

Pitfalls, Opportunities Abound Within Pittsburgh’s Property Tax Code

by Taylor Williams November 13, 2020

By Brendan Kelly, associate, Siegel Jennings Over the past decade, Mr. Rogers’ adopted hometown of Pittsburgh has been named the most livable city in the continental United States — a hipster haven, tech hub and other trendy titles. Affordable housing stock in a stable real estate market, access to the arts in an established cultural community and world-class healthcare and higher education place the Steel City at the forefront of medicine and robotics. This attention has drawn real estate investors to submarkets well beyond downtown Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle. As competition increases, investors from outside the region should be aware of idiosyncrasies and pitfalls lurking in Pennsylvania tax law and the local market. Welcome, Stranger As in most states, assessors in Pennsylvania cannot independently change a property’s assessment upon its transfer. However, Pennsylvania lets local taxing districts appeal assessments and request value increases, which they frequently do following a sale. Locals often call this the “welcome, stranger” tax. “One of the most common reactions I hear from our out-of-state clients who are new to this market is disbelief that districts can appeal assessments,” says Sharon F. DiPaolo, Esq., managing partner of Siegel Jennings’ Pennsylvania property tax practice. “Of course, in most …

November 13, 2020

Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania Retail

Philly Retail Market Responds to COVID-19

by Taylor Williams October 9, 2020

By Taylor Williams What a difference a year makes. Around this time in 2019, the Philadelphia retail market was experiencing something of a Renaissance. Driven by forward-thinking projects in chic neighborhoods, such as Fashion District Philadelphia, as well as the delivery of new phases of retail at destinations like Schuylkill Yards and the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the market was embracing new users, customers and spaces alike. The evolution of Philly’s retail market at this time inevitably bred winners and losers. Six months later, the onset of a global pandemic would give rise to political policies that crushed capacities and foot traffic for retailers and restaurants. Add in a healthy dose of elevated online shopping, and the result was a one-two punch that was simply too much for some retailers to survive. Such is the scene playing out today in the City of Brotherly Love. But real estate professionals are quick to point out that the demise of some retailers was unavoidable before COVID-19 came around, and that ultimately the city’s strong demographics will usher its retail market through the recession. “We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that pre-COVID, several categories of retailers were not thriving or were irrelevant or …

October 9, 2020

Market Reports Multifamily Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania

Three Key Trends to Monitor in Philadelphia’s Multifamily Market

by Taylor Williams September 11, 2020

By Christine Beechan, area vice president, Morgan Properties If there’s one certainty about the unusual year that is 2020, it’s that COVID-19 has significantly impacted every industry across the globe. For apartment owners and operators, we’ve entered uncharted territory in terms of changing renter demands, unconventional leasing methods and new operational procedures. Consequently, it’s especially important right now for apartment professionals to understand the complexities of the current state of the market and where it’s heading. As 2021 is fast approaching, here are three key trends we can expect to see in the Philadelphia multifamily market for the remainder of 2020 and into the new year. Demand Remains Stable When the pandemic initially hit, we noticed a decrease in leasing because Pennsylvania was under strict orders to shelter-in-place. Because of this uncertainty, people wanted to see how the pandemic would shake out and ultimately decided to stay put, affecting markets across the nation. However, as those restrictions were lifted and the economy started to stabilize, we noticed people felt more comfortable moving into new units, which is typical during the summer season prior to school commencing. Unlike most cities, both urban and suburban parts of Philadelphia have seen accelerated growth …

September 11, 2020

Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Office Market Enters ‘Wait-and-See’ Mode

by Taylor Williams September 1, 2020

By Tom Weitzel, managing director, JLL The Philadelphia office market at the moment is running in place, which is to say that there is certainly energy being expended, but it is going nowhere fast. Tenants and landlords alike are partnering with real estate experts to navigate this challenging time. However, while office users evaluate businesses and study workforces, the benefit of making a decision has not yet outweighed the downside of making a wrong decision, so most users are adopting a “wait-and-see” approach. Tenant Perspective Tenants are finding it challenging to make long-term decisions about their office spaces given the lack of clarity in the future. Business leaders and executives are tasked with considering factors such as health and safety, productivity, profitability and overall employee morale on a daily basis as they evaluate their physical office space usage during COVID-19. Throughout the region, executives continue to balance health and safety concerns with operational needs as they advance office re-entry plans. They are also assessing the current productivity of their employees compared to that at the beginning of the pandemic. Many companies that we have spoken with have cited declining productivity and creativity from their employees. At the same time, these …

September 1, 2020

Industrial Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey Industrial Market: Everything Investors Need to Know

by Taylor Williams August 28, 2020

By Marc Isdaner, senior managing director, principal, Colliers International; and Ian Richman, senior managing director, Colliers International Strong job and population growth in recent years have caused the Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey industrial market to continually rise on the radars of both investors and developers. As the nation battles COVID-19, we see demand for industrial space growing as more users look to service last-mile customers in densely populated areas. This market is no exception. With the right guidance and counseling, investors can achieve strong returns here, even as variables like user demand and land/construction costs continue to rise, bringing valuations and sales prices along with them. Projects Get Bigger We continue to see developers take down large tracts near major thoroughfares in this region, oftentimes building on speculative bases. Examples of such projects are Mansfield Logistics Park, a 960,000-square-foot, two-building spec development by Clarion Partners off Interstate 295 in Burlington County that is nearing completion; and The Cubes at East Greenwich, a two-building spec development located off I-295 in Gloucester County. The latter project is being developed in an area that was largely inactive until 2018, as land sites and established industrial parks such as Pureland were essential built out. Scout …

August 28, 2020

Market Reports Massachusetts New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office Pennsylvania

Developers Adapt to Tight Office Market in Northeast

by Taylor Williams December 4, 2019

Office vacancies are falling across the big metros of the Northeast as robust user demand outpaces the supply of new construction. Deliveries in the last year have primarily been limited to Class A, build-to-suit properties and mixed-use developments. Meanwhile, office tenants are seeking high-end amenities at favorable prices. Nationally, the office vacancy rate stood at 16.8 percent in the second quarter, up slightly from 16.6 percent a year ago, according to real estate research firm Reis. Net absorption for the quarter totaled 3.2 million square feet, down from 3.9 million square feet a year ago. The average asking rent was $33.79 per square foot, up 2.2 percent on a year-over-year basis. Approximately 11.1 million square feet of office space was under construction at the end of the second quarter across Philadelphia, New York and Boston, according to CoStar Group. Helped by approximately 8.3 million square feet of absorption in the second quarter, the average vacancy rate across all three markets was 8.1 percent. Rather than undertake costly new ground-up construction projects, many developers are choosing to redevelop existing assets and efficiently incorporate office space into mixed-use projects. Coworking tenants occupied 54.2 million square feet of office space nationally at the …

December 4, 2019

Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania Retail

Experiential Retail Takes Philly by Storm

by Taylor Williams September 25, 2019

The evolution and transformation of Philadelphia’s retail real estate market is in full swing, as evidenced by the arrival of several long-awaited shopping and dining concepts, the growth of retail in mixed-use settings and the balanced levels of demand between urban and suburban submarkets. According to the latest data from CoStar Group, over the last three years the Philadelphia metro area’s retail inventory has grown by about 1.3 million square feet per year. The development pipeline is leveling off, with less than 700,000 square feet of retail product currently under construction, and steady demand has pushed the market’s vacancy rate down to 4.2 percent. While the quantity of annual new space added has been on par with the national average for primary markets, the quality of that space and the fundamentals that drive demand for it have made Philadelphia a key market for expanding and new-to-market retailers. “Philadelphia is a market with many millennials and college students, a dense residential downtown area and a thriving tourism industry,” says Doug Green, managing principal at brokerage firm MSC Retail. “If you’re Bonobos, Warby Parker or Untuckit, Philadelphia is going to be one of your stops, because we check all the boxes that …

September 25, 2019

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