The apartment market in the Greater Salt Lake area continues to be strong and vibrant. The past two quarters of 2011 demonstrated an upward pressure on rents. Overall occupancy is at 94.9 percent, up from 93 percent in 2010. Vacancy presently hovers around 5 percent and appears as though it will remain so, which is evidence of a tight rental market. These signs enable managers/owners to increase rental rates and drop concession offerings with exception to newly constructed projects during their initial lease up. Apartment development also remains robust in the downtown Salt Lake market where the City Creek project, being developed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, will be adding more than 1,000 new units. These units will be a part of a significant redevelopment of several downtown city blocks that will add new office and retail product in addition to multifamily. With this kind of unit increase in the immediate downtown market, nearby small and large projects will soon be able to raise rents as the new units will command the highest rates. The total amount of new units expected to come onto the market in the next year is approximately 1,900, with the …
Market Reports
The fast-growing Salt Lake City metropolitan area, also known as the Wasatch Front, stretches about 40 miles north of downtown Salt Lake City to Ogden and about 40 miles south to Provo, now boasting a population of about 2.1 million — or about 75 percent of the state’s population. Highly favorable demographics continue to lure top-quality retailers, restaurants and shopping centers to the region, which enjoys one of the largest average family sizes in the country (3.6), the youngest median age (28.9) and an unusually high median household income of about $63,000. The market also has a highly educated, value-based population with a strongly established work ethic that encourages retail patronage and expansion. Growth in Salt Lake County, which has a population of about 1.1 million, is particularly strong in the southwest portion, which is the region’s strongest submarket. Area planners are projecting a population growth of 1 million people in the Wasatch Front over the next 30 years. Unlike other Western markets such as Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver, retail real estate in the Salt Lake City metro area is not as volatile. Area unemployment stands at a relatively low 7.3 percent in contrast to the national mark of …
The fast-growing Salt Lake City metropolitan area, also known as the Wasatch Front, stretches about 40 miles north of downtown Salt Lake City to Ogden and about 40 miles south to Provo. The area now boasts a population of about 2.1 million — or about 75 percent of the state’s population. Highly favorable demographics continue to lure top-quality retailers, restaurants and shopping centers to the region, which enjoys one of the largest average family sizes in the country (3.6), the youngest median age (28.9) and an unusually high median household income of about $63,000. The market also has a highly educated, value-based population with a strongly established work ethic that encourages retail patronage and expansion. Growth in Salt Lake County, which has a population of about 1.1 million, is particularly strong in the southwest portion. Area planners are projecting a population growth of 1 million people in the Wasatch Front during the next 30 years. Unlike other Western markets, retail in the metro area is not highly volatile. Most retailers did take an expansion hiatus here during the recession, but store fallout was minimal, except for a handful of closings by bankrupt national retailers. Some major national retailers, including Target, …
At the end of the second quarter, the total industrial square footage in Salt Lake City was more than 110.7 million with an available square footage of 7.6 million, creating a vacancy of 6.89 percent. Big box space in Salt Lake has a 7.29 percent vacancy rate, compared to 5.62 percent in second quarter 2008. Current lease rates are down 2.38 percent from the second quarter of 2008. The hardest hit industrial segment is in the 0 to 5,000-square-foot size increments, which experienced an 11.54 percent decrease in average rents from second quarter 2008. The market is down from the record years of 2007 and 2008, both in speculative development and leasing activity. Like most markets, vacancy rates climbed through the second quarter of 2009, with approximately 1.5 million square feet of existing product coming back to the market. However, the Salt Lake industrial market is in a strong position in the West; third quarter projections are strengthening. Reckitt Benckiser just broke ground on the 200-acre Phase I of Miller Sports Park Industrial Development, a $25 million, 650,000-square-foot distribution center. Another project to note is the planned groundbreaking by The Rockefeller Group on a 365,000-square-foot distribution center on a 71-acre …
What area is your expertise? Salt Lake Valley, Utah What trends do you see presently in industrial development in your area? Large flex office, warehouse and light industrial centers are planned for the northwest quadrant of the Salt Lake Valley near the new Pacific Railroad’s Salt Lake City Intermodal hub at Highway 201 and Bangerter Highway. What type of industrial product is doing well in your area? With vacancy less than 5 percent, all industrial products are doing will. First generation product landlords will continue to push for increasing rates of $.55+ psf/mo/nnn (warehouse) and $1.00+ psf/mo/nnn (office). Second generation industrial buildings remain occupied with some softening of lease rates. Who are the active industrial developers in your area? Argent Group, Roderick Enterprises, and Rockefeller Group Development Co, Please name one or two significant industrial developments in your area. What impact will these projects have on the market? Two developments are planned to be constructed at Bangerter Highway and Highway 201. When completed, The Commerce Center, developed by The Argent Group, will add 1.8 million square rentable square feet. The Rockefeller Group will increase available space by 930,000 rentable square feet. Where is the majority of development taking place? Why …
What area is your expertise? The greater Salt Lake City area and Utah. What trends do you see presently in retail development in your area? After a record year in 2007, with absorption of over 1.9 million square feet of retail space, this year is expected to slow down somewhat due to the pullback by many retailers nationwide and the tightening of the financial markets. Existing centers will remain strong and should not experience any significant increase in vacancy or decrease in lease rate. What type of retail product is doing well in your area? Grocery-anchored centers are still very strong mainly because the support types tenants are still expanding and our market remains one of the strongest in the country. What retailers are new to your area? The Cheesecake Factory, Whole Foods Market, Ulta, Sunflower Market, El Pollo Loco, Shari’s Restaurant, Corner Bakery, Red Mango, Stage Stores, Egg & I, and In & Out Burger. Who are the active retail developers in your area? The Boyer Company, The Woodbury Corporation, Amsource Development, Four Square Development and Taubman. Please name one or two significant retail developments in your area. What impact will these projects have on the market? The City …
What area is your expertise? Utah Multifamily What trends do you see presently in multifamily development in your area? Rental rates for apartments are on the rise. Utah realized the highest rent growth in all western states over last year. 9.9 percent increase. The condo market has definitely slowed down considerably. We are starting to see platted projects available for sale as developer confidence with current market conditions are low. Rental rates will continue to climb over the next two years. Who are the active multifamily developers in your area? Active multifamily developers in the Utah market are Cow-boy partners, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), and The Metro Condominiums. Please name one or two significant multifamily developments in your area. What impact will these projects have on the market? City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City is a sustainably designed, walkable urban community of residences, offices and retail stores that will rise over the next four years on approximately 20 acres across three blocks in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City being developed by LDS. Upon project completion in 2012, the city will be one of few in the nation with a vibrant, mixed-use …
What area is your expertise? • Office leasing and sales in Salt Lake County What trends do you see presently in office development in your area? • The office market continues to show positive net absorption and a sustained demand for office product. Developers and the capital markets have not been over-zealous by creating a large supply of speculative office product. Most of the new office construction has had substantial pre-leasing activity.There is also a greater interest in creating a more green and sustainable office buildings. Who are the active office developers in your area? • DDRS, Boyer Company, Woodbury Corporation and Hamilton Partners Please name one or two significant office developments in your area. What impact will these projects have on the market? • The Gateway in the downtown area of Salt Lake City continues to have an impact on the office market. Large and notable companies such as Fidelity and Ernst and Young continue to locate in this mixed-use project. Tenants seek to have amenities such as restaurants, shopping, entertainment, condos, and light-rail transportation at their doorstep. This project will continue to be the “pace-setter” in office development and will be the development that will have little, if …
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