Northeast Market Reports

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Connecticut Industrial Sector Sees Steady Demand from Tenants, Investors

by Jaime Lackey August 31, 2016

The Connecticut industrial market has changed. The days of large corporate surplus assets littering our industrial parks, mid-teen vacancy rates and discounted lease rates are over — or at least on a hiatus. In the last few years, the market has tightened with many of the larger blocks of space absorbed by various local and national tenants. The last 20 to 25 years saw corporate consolidations, downsizing and the move to cheaper markets dominate our industrial landscape. Left behind were inefficient, large manufacturing facilities in a market losing its manufacturing base. As time went by, these idle, surplus assets were acquired by local and regional investors who eventually made these properties functional again. Over the years, steady absorption has chipped away at vacancy rates, and quality available product has become increasingly difficult to find for tenants. Traditionally, an industrial tenant needing 100,000 square feet or greater would have numerous alternatives to consider and a wide range of quality too. This gave tenants enormous leverage, allowing them to negotiate more flexible and favorable terms and conditions. The relatively recent shift in tide has allowed landlords to control the process and we’ve seen a corresponding upward tick in lease rates. The sales …

August 31, 2016

Connecticut Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

Fairfield County: Office Revamps Result in Tenancy Shift

by Jaime Lackey August 25, 2016

Fairfield County, Connecticut, which has traditionally been home to many multi-national financial tenants, is transitioning to become one of the most diverse business environments in the region and attracting some of the biggest names from the TAMI (technology, advertising, media and information), creative, engineering and corporate arenas. This shift in the fabric of the business community may be attributed to major investments made by a number of owners to improve and reposition their office properties to meet the demands of this new type of tenant. Owners are virtually creating new tenant experiences in their buildings, with office space boasting technological efficiencies and tenant amenities designed to support a balance between professional and personal needs. The “if you build, he will come,” quote made famous in the movie Field of Dreams is certainly apropos when looking at the trend of newly renovated properties attracting some of the best tenants in the market. A perfect example is the success at Merritt 7, a six-building, 1.4 million-square-foot office complex that recently completed more than 600,000 square feet of new leases — including a recent 133,000-square-foot lease by Datto Inc., one of the fastest- growing information technology firms in the world for its global …

August 25, 2016

Maine Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

Availability Continues to Tighten in Greater Portland, Maine, Office Market

by Jaime Lackey August 17, 2016

The real estate environment in the Greater Portland region has been incredibly strong this year. On top of the favorable vacancy rates in the industrial, retail, and multifamily sectors, the office market vacancy in the region continues to dwindle, following the trend we’ve seen over the last five years. In a state with a geographic footprint that could nearly fit the rest of New England, the bulk of office inventory is concentrated in the southern region. Specifically, the supply is in the Greater Portland area, which comprises seven cities and towns. This region features just over 10.5 million square feet of Class A and Class B office space, with an additional 1.25 million square feet of medical space. Of that, 40 percent is located in downtown Portland. Portland is in the midst of a renaissance of sorts. Demand and desirability to live and work here, especially downtown, has grown significantly in recent years. We’ve become a “foodie” destination with a surge of new high-end restaurants and hotels. This coupled with beautiful water views and a unique way of life has attracted a younger demographic. Baby boomers and empty nesters are also relocating to this area from the suburbs. The movement …

August 17, 2016

Maine Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

Greater Portland Retail Bucks National Trend with Decreasing Vacancy

by Jaime Lackey July 20, 2016

The retail sector in Southern Maine’s commercial real estate market remained strong through year-end 2015 with all signs indicating continued improvement through 2016. While the national average retail vacancy rate increased to 12.6 percent in 2015, the retail vacancy dropped to 3.6 percent in Greater Portland, according to Malone Commercial Brokers’ annual retail survey. Greater Portland is a major market in Southern Maine consisting of 6.46 million square feet of retail space. 2015 marked the sixth consecutive year of declining vacancy rates in the market since its 10-year high of 10.8 percent in 2009. Meanwhile, the national retail vacancy rate rose in 2015 over year prior, marking the first vacancy increase in five years and nearly matching the 2011 national vacancy rate of 12.9 percent. Heading into the third quarter of 2016, Southern Maine’s retail sector remains extremely healthy. Short-term forecasts for Portland predict continued absorption of existing space, new retail construction, and strong market competition. Significant Developments and Redevelopments Thompson’s Point, Portland — Represented by Drew Sigfridson of CBRE / The Boulos Company, this 29-acre redevelopment offers up to 220,000 square feet of retail, office, hospitality, and recreational space off of Interstate 295. Final renovations of the 34,000-square-foot Brick …

July 20, 2016

Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office Pennsylvania

The Lehigh Valley Office Sector Welcomes New Tenants and New Developments

by Jaime Lackey July 13, 2016

The Lehigh Valley has seen no shortage of success stories in recent months when it comes to the region’s office sector. The third-largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley is located 60 miles north of Philadelphia and 90 miles west of New York City. The region consists of 62 municipalities within Lehigh and Northampton counties, including the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. Last year, Guardian Life Insurance, one of the nation’s largest mutual life providers, announced it would establish a three-story corporate office building in Hanover Township, Northampton County. That 281,680-square-foot facility is expected to be completed by late 2016 and will house 1,500 employees. In March, Paychex Inc., a provider of payroll, human resources, retirement, and insurance services, announced it will undertake a $1.3 million expansion of its facility in South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County. That project will nearly double the company’s square footage and will create 100 new jobs. Many economic factors have contributed to the growth in Lehigh Valley’s office sector. These include its central location, well-developed transportation infrastructure, availability of suitable office space, high relative broadband rank, access to markets, and strong workforce. All these factors led Atlanta-based Garner Economics to identify high-value business …

July 13, 2016

Industrial Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania

Lehigh Valley’s Industrial Sector Sees Increasing Rents and Spec Construction

by Jaime Lackey July 7, 2016

With increasing rental rates, strong investor demand for core product and record levels of speculative construction, spirits are high in the Lehigh Valley with regard to industrial real estate opportunities. The record volume of product deliveries the past two years underscores the strong industrial demand in the Lehigh Valley. Vacancy has dropped from 15.9 percent in the first quarter of 2009 to a record-low 4.9 percent at the end of 2015, according to CoStar. The average net industrial rental rate jumped 11.1 percent during the past 18 months, an even more impressive figure when compared against the 10-year average of 1.65 percent rental rate growth in Lehigh Valley for modern distribution buildings. After many years of flat rental growth, year-end 2015 industrial leases were completed in the $4.75- to $4.95-per-square-foot range in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pennsylvania MSA. In 2016, expect a modest increase in rental rates as the delivery of new construction across the northeastern Pennsylvania region will slow growth and push vacancy rates higher. Leasing activity has been broadly distributed along the regional I-78 and I-81/I-80 corridors. Within the valley, industrial growth has occurred primarily along the main interchanges of I-78, U.S. 22 and Route 33. In the past 12 …

July 7, 2016

Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

Pharmaceutical Sector Dominates Suburban New Jersey Relocation Activity

by Jaime Lackey June 29, 2016

By many measures, 2015 was Northern New Jersey’s best year for its office market in quite some time. Tenants leased 11.7 million square feet, the strongest annual activity since 2003. Business confidence improved and companies showed a growing willingness to invest in their workforce and workplace. The number of larger leases dropped off a bit in 2015, though, as many of the largest space searches were fulfilled and fewer quality space options remained in some of the most sought after areas. Tenants have no shortage of options in much of Morris County and Newark, but steady leasing in Metropark and Jersey City’s waterfront has pushed availability below 15 percent. Smaller and mid-sized tenants can still find space in these locations, but there are far fewer big blocks of quality space remaining. There were fewer larger leases in 2015, but tenants were very mobile: relocations outnumbered renewals by two to one with 12 firms opting to move and six renewing. An analysis of larger leases (deals over 40,000 square feet) signed since 2009 shows that larger tenants renewed slightly less than 50 percent of the time (81 firms moved and 75 renewed). From a supply perspective, market conditions have been ideal …

June 29, 2016

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

In NYC, High Retail Rents Still an Issue, but e-Commerce May Loom Larger

by Jaime Lackey June 22, 2016

Although it would appear that retail landlords in New York City are reaping the benefit of high rents — and many are, if they bought at the right time — demand has declined and leasing velocity has slowed, mostly due to inflated landlord expectations, tenant hesitancy and increased supply from tenant defaults. Yes, the Manhattan retail leasing market has softened, but not enough to significantly reduce historically high asking rents. For example, the fourth quarter of 2015 saw ground-floor average asking rent decreasing in the majority of the major corridors over the second quarter 2015. Fifth Avenue, from 49th to 59th, saw an 8 percent decrease; Madison, from 57th to 72nd, saw a 5 percent decrease; West 34th Street, from Fifth to Seventh avenues, saw a 16 percent decrease; and Broadway, from Houston to Broome, saw a 15 percent decrease. The corridors which saw rent increases were modest compared to the rises we saw in early 2015 and 2014. While this is in part due to increasing supply, an adjustment in landlord expectations is having the greatest impact. High rates of default and eviction have plagued New York City for years, mostly due to inexperienced tenants relying on unrealistic revenue …

June 22, 2016

Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

NYC Sees Rising Office Rents, Development Activity Picks Up Across Boroughs

by Jaime Lackey June 15, 2016

In New York City, sizable tenants are renewing their office leases and expanding work space. Citywide, office space searches are being driven by new businesses that need to establish presence. These dynamics have the office market operating as powerfully and effectively as possible. New York City organizations are slated to create 80,000 new jobs this year, expanding total employment by 1.9 percent. Major companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon have recently committed to large blocks of space, which are becoming notably rare as office vacancy levels in the Big Apple continue to tighten. Vacancy will slip 10 basis points to 9.6 percent this year as firms absorb more than 3.8 million square feet. As a result of office vacancies continuing to tighten, builders have started to add to the pipeline, which New York City will see come to fruition this year with the opening of 10 Hudson Yards, Related Cos.’ long-awaited office building project in Manhattan’s West Side. Overall, developers will complete 3.6 million square feet of office space this year, with nearly half at 10 Hudson Yards. Located near Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea and the Penn Station area, the building is part of the Hudson Yards urban renewal project. Manhattan …

June 15, 2016

Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania

Lehigh Valley Retail Development is Up, and Class A Values Top Pre-Recession Highs

by Jaime Lackey June 8, 2016

The Lehigh Valley has experienced significant residential growth over the last 20 years, and retail development is now catching up. High-growth suburban townships have seen significant retail development. Mixed-use projects that include retail are planned or underway in downtown Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. New pad site and outparcel development has continued to be strong throughout the entire valley. The Hamilton Boulevard/Route 222 corridor in Lower Macungie has been the most active area for new construction. The 560,000-square-foot Hamilton Crossings in Lower Macungie is scheduled to open shortly and will feature Target along with the valley’s first Costco, Nordstrom Rack and Whole Foods. Trexler Business Center, a new project anchored by Movie Tavern, is also in the works. These developments will keep local residents shopping in this area versus traveling to the Macarthur Road corridor, Cedar Crest Boulevard or the Promenade Shops. The 140,000-square-foot retail component at Madison Farms in Bethlehem Township is nearing full completion and the 270,000-square-foot Westgate Mall is in the middle of a major renovation. New projects are in the planning stages along Route 309 in North Whitehall Township, Macarthur Road in Whitehall Township, Airport Road in East Allentown, Eighth Avenue in Bethlehem, Route 33 in Bethlehem …

June 8, 2016

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