Southern California’s Inland Empire region has enjoyed a sustained period of growth in the retail real estate sector. Good spaces in quality centers are leasing quickly. Although new developments have slowed, there is still about 1.2 million square feet of new space under construction. These are all top-tier projects that will very much enhance the communities where they are being built. Projects include a Sprouts-anchored center in Eastvale, a Grocery Outlet/Planet Fitness center in Beaumont, an Aldi-anchored center in Hesperia, a Stater Bros. center in Calimesa, AMC Theaters at Montclair Place in Montclair and a Cardenas grocery market center in Montclair. Conversely, apart from the Inland Empire, there are likely few other areas that were as impacted by the recent store closure announcements from Sears and Forever 21. Closings will occur in Montclair, San Bernardino, Victorville, Moreno Valley, Palm Desert, Riverside, Temecula and Rancho Mirage. All told, more than 900,000 square feet of big box space just hit the market. The Inland Center Mall in San Bernardino, which has been a very healthy property over the past few years, is dealing with both a Sears and Forever 21 closure. Macy’s and JC Penney (opened in 2016) still remain at the …
The Inland Empire industrial market signaled that it may be transitioning toward slower growth in the second half of the year. Leasing volume declined sharply to nearly 7.8 million square feet, which is the lowest volume seen in a single quarter since 2011. New construction deliveries pushed the average rent to the highest level on record — $0.86 per square foot. Of the 13.7 million square feet completed year to date, 32 percent remained available at the end of the quarter. Despite the deliveries, vacancy remained steady at 4.5 percent since the third quarter of 2018, proving demand for industrial space in the Inland Empire is still present. The U.S. economy may be facing a drop off after climbing steadily for the past 10 years. The trade war and tariffs are undoubtedly influencing the ports’ cargo volume, which supports industrial demand in the Inland Empire. Retailers usually prepare for increased sales during the holiday season by increasing imports in July and August. However, imports through August 2019 were down 2.4 percent from 2018. Imports had increased 3.1 percent last year at this time. The U.S. is dependent on imported goods, though, so cargo volume is unlikely to take a significant …
The Inland Empire has experienced a significant uptick in multifamily development in the past decade. We are currently seeing a healthy shift toward more units being developed, which is driven by substantial regional economic growth in the years following the recession. Multifamily development has grown from less than 2,000 units annually in 2009 to more than 5,000 units developed this year. The Inland Empire has one of the highest imbalances of housing in comparison to significant population growth and increasing renters’ demand, according to CBRE research. The Inland Empire market currently has 15 developments with a total of 3,445 units under construction. Significant developments are taking place in key cities like Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga. This is partially driven by the nearby Ontario International Airport, as well as Ontario’s position as a major logistics, warehousing and shipping hub. Market rents support the much-needed new supply. The City of Riverside currently has 595 units under construction. Riverside has the highest population in the Inland Empire, with consistent population growth over the past decade. An additional 391 units are under construction in Moreno Valley, which is also buoyed by its growth as a regional logistic center, with new industrial warehouse development adding …
Employers throughout Orange County continue to seek ways to attract and retain the best and brightest talent as unemployment dropped to 2.4 percent in the second quarter, below both the California and U.S. rates. That, in turn, has resulted in landlords reinvesting in their properties, providing creative and flexible work spaces, and offering a variety of onsite amenities and service that help companies fulfill that goal. Landlords continue to seek out creative competitive advantages by improving the actual employee experience within the workplace. This often results in amenities like gyms, fitness classes, outdoor work areas, restaurants and collaborative open spaces. Add to that complimentary concierge and personal services, dog-friendly campuses, onsite hosted events and entertainment opportunities and it’s evident to see that property owners are stepping up their tenant services game, thereby enhancing employee innovation and productivity in the workplace. With all that in mind, three new office projects completed construction in the second quarter. FLIGHT at Tustin Legacy added 457,217 square feet of unique, creative office space with 26 percent already pre-leased. The major warehouse-to-office conversion project at 2722 Michelson was delivered fully leased to Anduril, an aerospace defense firm, which subsequently subleased 47,733 square feet to advertising technology …
Despite the headwinds facing retail real estate, including the continued rise of ecommerce, the Orange County retail market remains resilient. Statistics are favorable. Vacancy is low at 3.7 percent and average market rent is $32.29 per square foot, up 1.15 percent from last year. Cap rates remain nearly 200 basis points below the national average, signaling buyer sentiment that OC retail is a relatively safe haven. Ground-up development is slow and selective, shoring up demand and keeping rates up for the foreseeable future. The interesting thing is that the market trends are pervasive. Let’s identify a few. Drive-thru restaurants are on fire. Tenants like Chick Fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Starbucks, In-N-Out, Panera and others are performing much higher in SoCal as compared to the rest of the country. Good sites are commanding competition, driving ground rents and drive-thru build-to-suit rents higher each of the past three years. Fitness, grocery, discount and entertainment uses are the most active players in the box category. It’s amazing to think the 1.5 million square feet of big boxes that were dumped on the market in 2017 and 2018 are now mostly accounted for thanks to these new users. EOS Fitness, Planet Fitness, ALDI, Burlington, At …
Orange County’s multifamily market fundamentals remain some of the strongest in the country as local real estate investors brace for new state-wide rent control policies beginning Jan. 1, 2020. There will undoubtedly be an education process for landlords regarding this new law and how it may impact the valuation of multifamily in the future, but the long-term stability of the overall apartment market looks bright. Orange County boasts historically low unemployment and low apartment vacancy, but the region continues to have a shortfall in the development of workforce housing. Orange County is expected to deliver about 2,900 new Class A units to the market in 2019, about 500 units more than last year. With an extended economic expansion throughout Southern California, Orange County has benefitted greatly with large segments of its population fully employed and seeking places to live. The county has one of the nation’s highest median home prices at more than $833,000, making homeownership unattainable for many of its residents. This workforce housing shortfall will continue to put further pressure on the demand in Orange County as its apartment average vacancy rate is anticipated to drop 40 basis points to a very low 3.4 percent in 2019. This …
Whether it’s existing properties, new development, redevelopment or a repositioning effort, the key to success in San Diego’s retail market is to focus on customer experience. You have to make it attractive for them to come out from behind their computer screens, go outside, get some fresh air, look a total stranger in the eye and be social. The market is dominated by the coastal areas between Little Italy and Carlsbad. Primary core centers that are well located and occupied with strong daily needs anchors have the most fundamental stability. Secondary centers in beach-area submarkets have some vacancies but are attractive to tenants due to their proximity to the areas with the highest disposable incomes. Investors of tertiary centers, for the most part, are looking for ways to make their centers’ relevant, with forward-thinking owners investing capital to incorporate a mixed-use component like office, hotel or multifamily. Consumers in San Diego want a vibrant, inviting center with a superior customer experience immersed in beautiful landscape under the sun. The key is having a retail environment with premier anchors to get the customer to the center, along with a great mix of tenants and events to keep the customer at the …
The outlook for San Diego’s office market is sunny and bright. Often considered a less costly option for office users as compared to other Southern California markets, San Diego holds consistent appeal for tenants seeking a coastal address where the weather is mild and the vibe is entrepreneurial and business friendly. The market is following the national trend of stronger occupancy rates and robust absorption, buoyed by a healthy economy. At 10.2 percent in the second quarter — the lowest level in nearly 14 years — San Diego’s office vacancy rate beats the national office vacancy rate of 12 percent — the lowest level in 18 years, despite construction. These fundamentals are demonstrating increased tenant demand. We’re continuing to see growth and expansion of office in submarkets throughout San Diego County. Sorrento Valley is one of the stronger office submarkets due to its centralized location and accessibility to major freeways. Other submarkets with heightened demand are Del Mar Heights, which is close to the ocean and suburban areas that house corporate executives, and Kearny Mesa, another major business center for the county. Carlsbad and Oceanside in North County and Chula Vista in South County are also popular choices. Oceanside and …
While Proposition 10 — California’s proposal to strengthen rent control — was defeated last November, it somewhat stifled the multifamily investment sector in San Diego as investors worked to figure out the next wave of opportunity. But now that market is starting to bounce back. Total multifamily sales volume in 2018 was just under $2 billion. However, several signs pointed to a resilient San Diego market, including cap rates holding steady at 4.6 percent and an increase in pricing. The tides have begun to turn in the past few months, with numerous apartment deals on the market — more than we’ve seen at one time in the past few years. This is especially true in Downtown San Diego where a significant number of new merchant-built deals are expected to come to market, continuing throughout the year. These are luxury complexes, with some expected to fetch as much as $600,000 per unit. Six conventional multifamily sales (with at least 100 units) closed in the first half of this year, totaling $550 million. This is an increase over the four sales totaling $372.5 million in the first half of 2018. The median price per unit through mid-year was $258,200, although roughly one-quarter …
The San Diego industrial market is still thriving under sunny skies. The 146-million-square-foot industrial base is more than 95 percent occupied. Businesses continue to gobble up space even though rents have grown 6 percent to 8 percent annually since 2015. Though industrial markets around the country continue to do well thanks to a rapidly expanding logistics sector, San Diego’s industrial growth is broader based. Major contributions come from the defense, tech, electronics, cross-border commerce and biotech sectors. San Diego has several large submarkets, each with its own set of opportunities and challenges. South County, which includes Otay Mesa, has seen the strongest rent growth during the current economic recovery. Since the beginning of 2018, more than 591,000 square feet of state-of-the-art distribution space has been completed, with all but 45,000 square feet fully leased up. Recent transactions in Otay include a 198,000-square-foot lease to Zucarmex and the 174,000-square-foot expansion of US Joiner Trident Marine. The vacancy rate for South County stands at 4.33 percent, slightly under the countywide rate. Vacancy in North County is running somewhat higher at 6.72 percent. This is mainly due to recent deliveries in Carlsbad. A little more than 2.2 million square feet of new space …