Rhode Island is the smallest state in the United States in terms of geographic area. With a population of 1.05 million, it is the eighth least populous state; however, its small geographic area makes it the second most densely populated of all 50 states. This density of population is attractive to retailers looking to expand in The Ocean State. The city of Providence is the only major urban center in Rhode Island. As such, it serves as the cultural and economic hub of the state. Providence Place Mall, one of the most successful urban regional malls in the country, continues to serve as a strong anchor to the downtown area, bringing suburban customers in to the city of Providence to shop and eat at one-of-a-kind retailers and restaurants in the state, including Nordstrom, Cheesecake Factory, Dave & Busters, and Apple. Other than Providence Place, retail activity in the downtown market has been primarily focused on chain restaurants, such as Ruth’s Chris, The Capital Grille and McCormick & Schmick’s, continuing their presence and new local operators opening in the areas adjacent to the downtown core such as Federal Hill (Providence’s “Little Italy”) or along Thayer Street, which is the hub of …
Market Reports
In Providence, 100 Westminster and One Financial Plaza still have ample true Class A space available, but GTECH Center has arguably produced the best return on its tenant investment, essentially leasing up all of its available space to four or five tenants. Consequently, the GTECH Building just sold for more than $50 million. In addition, the new Blue Cross tower was successful in leasing half of its 20,000 square feet of available space. This activity has pushed rental rates for Class A space back over the $30 per square foot mark on new deals. The vacancy rate will dip just below 17 percent as Hasbro officially announced that it has leased approximately 135,900 square feet in the capital city. Finally, it looks like Ameriprise Financial will be moving from Cranston into One Citizens Plaza, which will help the Class A absorption. However, the recent failure of game developer 38 Studios will negatively impact occupancy rates; the company occupied space at One Empire Plaza, a 104,000-square-foot office building in Providence. Looking forward, Bank of America announced that it will vacate its headquarters located at 111 Westminster in April 2013. It is expected that 100 Westminster will absorb employees leaving this 340,000-square-foot …
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