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Midwest Market Reports

IndustrialMarket ReportsMichiganMidwestMidwest Market Reports

Detroit Industrial: Bright Future, Ready for Anything

by Kristin Harlow

By Anthony Avendt, Cushman & Wakefield Like most markets in the U.S. and Canada, Detroit’s industrial sector has seen its ups and downs. Detroit’s always been a bit of an outlier though due to extreme volatility. What’s more, we’ve (hopefully) learned lessons from past downturns that well position the city and its commercial real estate regardless of continued strong demand and rent growth or any bumps in the road we may encounter. Detroit is a little different from similar-sized markets in the region. First, while it’s certainly part of the U.S. heartland, the city’s geographic position on a peninsula means it’s poorly suited for broad distribution to large swaths of the country. Second, of course, is the auto industry’s impact. The auto industry is widely dispersed across the U.S. now, but Detroit and Michigan remain its heart and brain. As the sector pivots to autonomous and electric vehicles, that is going to drive demand for industrial space. Ford already has announced an investment of $40 to $50 billion over the next decade-plus, including redevelopment of Michigan Central Station as anchor of its Mobility Innovation District.  Stellantis, the parent of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge, has announced its own $35.5 billion investment …

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Market ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsOfficeOhio

Air Force Base Propels Dayton’s Office Market

by Kristin Harlow

By Richard Meder, Colliers While office markets across the country have experienced a slow climb back to normalcy following COVID-19-related restrictions, the Dayton office market has found its strength in the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB). Though the Dayton office market around WPAFB experienced similar ebbs and flows as that of the rest of the country during the pandemic, business never stopped. For some in other markets, the lasting effects of this disruption to the office market remain unknown. Business leaders must decide whether to implement a remote work lifestyle into their employee regimen or make a push to get back to normal office life — for some companies it is considered a hybrid approach. For the tenants in the WPAFB submarket, however, there was never question. While many office tenants vacated their spaces out of uncertainty, defense contractors cautiously occupying office spaces at the WPAFB submarket almost singlehandedly helped Dayton remain upright during the pandemic. With the submarket almost entirely consisting of defense contractors, this type of defense contracting work was not allowed to stop with the rest of the world.  Having to adhere to both local and federal guidelines, decision-making among defense contractors certainly slowed, but it never …

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IndustrialMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsOhio

Top Five Trends, Challenges and Takeaways for Cincinnati’s Industrial Market

by Kristin Harlow

By Mark Volkman and Brian Leonard, JLL It’s no secret the industrial market has seen a monumental surge throughout the nation as a result of changing consumer behaviors.  How developers in each city are combatting the demand, though, is a different story. The success of the industrial market in Cincinnati, in particular, stems from its affordable cost of living, strong labor pool and impressive accessibility. With the city being only an eight-hour drive away from half of the country, it’s become a viable option for tenants with a large footprint that want a lower-cost facility compared with the price of those in major cities like Chicago, New York City or San Francisco. Like other cities throughout the U.S., Cincinnati’s successes have come with both challenges and a variety of emerging trends. Learn about some of the most prominent ones below. 1. The emergence of the Cincinnati-Dayton metroplex With the heightened demand for industrial space comes the need for developers to find land not only in the city, but in its suburbs, as well.  Dayton, a city about one hour north of Cincinnati via Interstate 75, has surfaced as a strong option for developers. Proctor & Gamble’s 1.8 million-square-foot distribution center, …

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IowaMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsOffice

Collaboration, Creativity and Coffee: Reasons Why the Office Still Matters

by Kristin Harlow

By Chris Curran and Alexa Strickler, R&R Realty Group It’s no secret that the past couple of years have been dramatically different for us all. We’ve had to adjust to new routines, new practices and new ways of getting work done. Some of these new things will be here to stay while others have already receded into memory. No matter the amount of change though, one thing remains the same. That’s the need for human connections and relationships. And, ultimately, that’s what physical office space provides.  It seems many organizations are starting to understand just how valuable this connection truly is. Across various submarkets within the Des Moines metro area, companies large and small are returning to in-person work. And it’s not just existing customers returning to their spaces. There has been a marked uptick in office leasing activity in locations ranging from downtown to the western suburbs. From advertising agencies to accounting firms and more, the vacancy rate across the entirety of central Iowa is beginning to be chipped away. Why are so many companies across a wide variety of industries heading back to the office? Well, like we mentioned earlier, there’s a sense of connection and an ability …

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Affordable HousingIowaMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsMultifamily

Organizations Align to Address Housing Affordability in Des Moines

by Kristin Harlow

By Ryan Kelly, TWG Development Despite the affordable housing crisis, Des Moines has managed to endure the adverse factors that have caused a boom in housing prices nationwide — but we still have a ways to go. A sustained demand, an influx of business and new projects by national developers all played a role in Des Moines’ multifamily growth over the past two years.  Developing Des Moines Home to some of the largest multinational finance and insurance corporations, Des Moines has pioneered Iowa’s growth. The city has also seen population growth — the most recent census revealed that Des Moines’ suburbs led to Iowa’s development while the city itself grew by 5.4 percent. Des Moines is the 10th-best place for business and careers, according to Forbes, and ranked as the fifth-best city to live in, according to U.S. News and World Report. The capital city has experienced a boom in employment, with a rise in the number of high-tech jobs, at a 6.7 percent rate. The Midwest’s low cost of living (7 percent lower than the national average) and Des Moines’ proximity to large cities have contributed to the growth of key industries, including logistics, ag-bioscience, manufacturing, data and insurance.  …

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IllinoisMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsRetail

Online, Luxury Retail Brands Expand in Chicago Neighborhoods

by Kristin Harlow

By Kelly Nickele, Mid-America As the summer season begins, retailers and restaurateurs in Chicago are scheduling tours for the city’s warmest months of the year, and overall leasing velocity is continuing to increase. Here’s a quick review of the top retail real estate trends in Chicago now.  Digitally native brands continue to expand, embracing omnichannel sales strategies. I grew up at Fremont & Armitage in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood through my high school years. I remember when Aldo, Barbour and Bebe anchored Halsted, and United Colors of Benetton (now Interior Define), American Apparel (now Parachute), Intermix (now Outdoor Voices) and Hanig’s (now Marine Layer), were the mainstays of Armitage. I saw tenants like BCBG relocate from Halsted (now Apotheco Pharmacy) to Armitage (now Serena & Lily), and locals like Art Effect and Lori’s remain relevant while the trade area garnered national attention and the 60614 zip code continued to report strong catalog and ultimately e-commerce sales.  I’ve experienced the rise and fall of many retailers, the emergence of digitally native brands, the major shift in how and where we shop and the influence of social media in the retail industry. As a consumer and a retail advisor, I believe in …

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IllinoisMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsMultifamily

Downtown Chicago Multifamily Market Roars Back

by Kristin Harlow

By Mike Drew, Structured Development As a longtime developer of multifamily, commercial and mixed-use properties in Chicago, I can tell you we’ve never seen anything like the last few years. From the highs of the pre-pandemic multifamily construction boom to the lows of the first year of COVID-19 lockdowns — when downtown emptied out — to today, it’s been a rollercoaster ride. But the multifamily sector has ultimately proved resilient and is roaring back stronger than ever. Here’s a look back at the past three years and a glimpse of three projects we broke ground on during the pandemic: Schiller Place, Big Deahl and Harrison Row. Early pandemic exodus  For the years 2019-2021, developers were expected to build 9,000 apartment units in downtown Chicago, according to Integra Realty Resources. This figure was lower than the expected 10,700 units because of rising construction costs and uncertainty around property taxes, but still strong. Average rents for downtown Class A rental communities were $3.31 per square foot, per Integra, and occupancy was a robust 94.9 percent. When the pandemic hit nine months later, it greatly slowed that activity. Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued the first stay-at-home order on March 20, 2020, followed by other …

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IndustrialKansasMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsRetail

Retail, Industrial Brokers in Wichita Market Remain Busy

by Kristin Harlow

Wichita experienced considerable retail and restaurant expansion throughout 2021, with other new stores planned for 2022. The two biggest new players to Wichita include Top Golf at 29th Street and Greenwich Road, now under construction, and Scheel’s entering the market with a new 220,000-square-foot store to be located in the former Sears space at Towne East Square. Top Golf is anticipated to open in late 2022, spurring more retail activity on North Greenwich.  Furniture stores have been actively backfilling big boxes, including Bob Mills who took the former Michael’s, and Wichita Furniture, a strong regional player, taking the former 100,000-square-foot Kmart building on West Kellogg/US-54. Discount stores have continued to find a way to open more locations to increase their footprints in the market, both new construction and conversion of former retail spaces. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet opened its west store at Central and Ridge roads, and is also opening a store at Brittany Center.    Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) have been active, including two new locations opening in 2022 for Dunkin’ and several new Dutch Bros Coffee locations as they enter the market as well in late 2022 and 2023. Tropical Smoothie Café opened a location last year and Smoothie King …

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Market ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsNAIOfficeWisconsin

Office Designs, Layouts Look Different in Post-Pandemic Marketplace

by Kristin Harlow

It’s safe to say office space design has been transformed over the past two years in large part due to COVID-19 and the work-from-home experience. It has changed for now, the foreseeable future and maybe forever.  Though many people are still working from home, others have returned to the office, even if only for a few days a week, and many of the office spaces are looking entirely different. While this may be happening in other markets, it is a trend we are seeing in the Milwaukee office market. The idea of the design and aesthetic of the office has changed. Current trends in office design are focusing on safety and comfort, while also creating a sense of home at the office. Tenants are being more thoughtful about their space layout and design. Instead of trying to fit as many people as possible into the space, tenants are occupying roughly the same size, or even slightly smaller spaces, but focusing on making those spaces more welcoming to help ease those workers coming back into the office, as well as recruiting new employees.  Bring home into the office This design trend has the goal to provide comfort and safety at every …

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IndustrialMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsWisconsin

Industrial Cap Rate Spread Narrows in Milwaukee as Demand Continues to Surge

by Kristin Harlow

Like much of the country, the Milwaukee industrial market flourished over the last 12 to 24 months and has continued to shatter records across the board. Tenant demand far exceeded supply, driving vacancy rates down and rental rates up. Pent-up capital chased deals at record numbers, compressing cap rates further in this sector. And new construction continued its speedy pace, with over 8 million square feet on schedule to be delivered in 2022.  But with inflation surpassing 8 percent and interest rates on the rise, the question now is how long will we continue this record-setting pace? Just-in-time to just-in-case As supply chain constraints emerged during the pandemic, businesses switched from the widely used just-in-time model to just-in-case, meaning drastic increases in inventory storage and logistic needs for many companies. Tenants scrambled to lease additional space to house what inventory they could get in stock.   At the start of 2021, Class A industrial vacancy in Milwaukee was 9.68 percent. By the end of the year, that number had been slashed in half to just 4.39 percent as the flight to quality industrial product exceeded deliveries. In the fourth quarter of 2021, 1.65 million square feet of new industrial space …

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