Market Reports

The Silver Lining of the Amazon HQ2 Outcome in Northern New Jersey

by Taylor Williams May 16, 2019

Despite the heartache from losing the bid for Amazon’s second headquarters, New Jersey is undoubtedly in a more competitive position than it was before the selection process began. The exercise of responding to Amazon’s request for proposals showcased many of New Jersey’s strengths, such as its talented labor pool, access to higher education and vast transportation infrastructure. As we now know, these assets weren’t enough to secure the Amazon campus, leaving state officials and business leaders motivated to work on those areas identified as falling short. But that doesn’t take away from what the state offers both corporate occupiers and institutional investors. To start, building owners are increasingly investing significant capital to improve and expand New Jersey’s aging supply of office properties. This is music to a tenant’s ears and, as a result, the office market continued its streak of growing occupancy with 302,577 square feet of positive absorption in the fourth quarter, according to Transwestern. Where many of the new leases were signed, landlords committed to substantial capital improvement programs. For the past several years, the best lease-up success stories have come from owners that upgraded their properties to current standards and added amenities preferred by today’s dynamic workforce. …

May 16, 2019

Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Retail Wisconsin

Creativity, Flexibility Are Paramount in Milwaukee’s Retail Market

by Kristin Harlow May 16, 2019

Milwaukee, a city known for beer, motorcycles and baseball, is currently in a position of shifting from what was once perceived as the normal retail marketplace into the new age of retail. This type of retail is ever-changing and has a deeper focus on experiential activities and artisanal food. These two words, “experiential” and “artisanal,” are frequently being used to describe where the retail landscape is heading. Online competitors, as well as changing consumer preferences, are driving out the traditional department store models and forcing retailers to adapt to this way of life or suffer struggling sales and inevitable store closures. Adaptive reuse The story of traditional retail being dead due to online retailers’ entrances into different market segments continues to invade publications throughout the country. While there may be some truth to that for certain retailers such as Toys ‘R’ Us, Babies ‘R’ Us, Shopko, Bon-Ton and Payless ShoeSource, an argument can be made that it was also their inability to adapt in the marketplace that led to their demise. These store closures affected numerous markets throughout the country and Milwaukee was no different in seeing several of these retailers close multiple locations across the metro area, leaving landlords …

May 16, 2019

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

Long Island Serves as Launchpad for New Retail Concepts

by Kristin Harlow May 15, 2019

Long Island represents one of the most sought-after suburban retail markets in the Northeast. It’s almost guaranteed that when a retailer opens on Long Island — especially concepts centered on fast-casual dining, boutique fitness experiences and specialized beauty services — it becomes a top performer in the chain’s overall portfolio. Service-oriented retailers are quickly replacing concepts cannibalized by online shopping and are proving to be wildly successful in this important market. With an average household income that trends higher than the national average, a dense population — 2.8 million people live in Nassau and Suffolk counties — and a highly educated consumer base, high-profile national chains recognize the value of having a presence on Long Island. The daytime population swells in areas around shopping centers, hospitals and medical districts, as well as office corridors, while new multifamily and mixed-use developments promise to bring increased foot traffic to retailers seeking a presence on Long Island. Additionally, suburban downtown areas are making resurgences thanks to relaxed zoning restrictions. As the areas around real estate hotbeds like the Route 110 office corridor in Farmingdale, New York, and the Roosevelt Field trade area continue to evolve, new retail centers and mixed-use campuses are emerging. …

May 15, 2019

Industrial Market Reports Texas Texas Market Reports

McAllen Industrial Market Sees Greater Diversity Among Users

by Taylor Williams May 14, 2019

The agriculture industry, long an economic staple of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), has been at the forefront of the region’s industrial expansion and is seeing its role elevated with more product coming from Mexico. Over the last several years, road and bridge infrastructure improvements throughout Mexico’s southwestern regions have laid the groundwork for increased traffic of produce-carrying trucks headed northeast to the border area. Ports of entry throughout the RGV have become the top destinations for agricultural imports, surpassing the longtime leader of Nogales, Ariz. This has heightened cross-border trade activity throughout the South Texas ports of entry. Most notably, the Pharr, Texas, port of entry has increased the most in terms of activity, which has led to greater absorption and development of industrial product throughout the McAllen metro area. The prime example of this infrastructural development is the Baluarte Bicentennial Bridge. The 3,700-foot, cable-stayed bridge opened in 2013, connecting the Mexican coastal city of Mazatlan to the inland port of Durango and shortening delivery times for product en route to the U.S. border by four to six hours. As a result, a significant amount of the new industrial development in recent years has centered on cold storage facilities. …

May 14, 2019

Market Reports Retail Southeast Southeast Market Reports Tennessee

Memphis Retail has Momentum With New Developments, Retailers, Restaurants

by Alex Tostado May 13, 2019

In January, during his annual State of the State address, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland emphatically exclaimed, “Memphis has momentum!” Memphis, the biggest little town in America, is definitely in a period of unparalleled economic growth. Memphis has momentum on its side with the $10 billion, nine-year expansion at St. Jude Hospital and an infusion of hospitality that includes a new convention center and no fewer than 17 new hotels, which all started, will start or will be completed in downtown in 2019. Additionally, $4 billion in building permits have been awarded in the last few months with another $5 billion planned by developers. Most importantly, the highly anticipated Memphis 3.0 plan — the first comprehensive growth strategy for the city in 30 years — will ensure growth is sustained for many years to come. What are others saying about Memphis? Many respected publications are putting Memphis back on the map. Food & Wine put Memphis in its top 50 places to go and eat in 2019. Frommer’s Travel named the city the best place to visit in 2019. TravelChannel.com lists Memphis as the hottest Southern destination in 2019. And Forbes stakes Memphis as the best bet for real estate investments. …

May 13, 2019

Industrial Market Reports Texas Texas Market Reports

Industrial Balance Prevails Near Port Houston

by Taylor Williams May 10, 2019

Businesses and industries whose supply chains are tied to Port Houston are dealing with tariffs on select imports, volatile energy markets and a one-two punch of rising rents and construction costs for any industrial space they want to lease or have developed for them. But based on the performance of Houston’s nearby Southeast industrial submarket, these larger geopolitical and economic forces are wreaking minimal havoc. An increasingly diverse mix of industrial users has landed in Houston over the past five or so years. These tenants include national retailers and third-party logistics (3PL) firms that see Houston as an emerging regional distribution hub, as well as suppliers of durable consumer goods and companies that service the petrochemicals industry. The port submarket is seeing heightened activity from all of the above. At the same time, the infrastructure within Port Houston has expanded. Ship channels are in the process of being deepened and widened. Special equipment has been introduced that allows overweight containers to safely and legally leave the port and hit the roadways. Demand for rail-served properties is growing, particularly on the north side of the Houston Ship Channel, leading to more of those projects. And Harris County has begun work on …

May 10, 2019

Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Multifamily Wisconsin

Construction Is Booming for Milwaukee Multifamily Market

by Kristin Harlow May 9, 2019

It is widely acknowledged among commercial real estate professionals in the Milwaukee market that we are in the midst of a renaissance of sorts — certainly the most exciting period in the past few decades to be actively involved in the industry. From the Harbor District to the Deer District (the newly branded area around Fiserv Forum), new neighborhoods and exciting destinations are sprouting up. This resurgence continues to attract residents and developers who are quickly creating the critical mass necessary to make Milwaukee a viable 18-hour city. On the multifamily front, new supply that has come online in the past few years is driving both average rental rates and overall vacancy higher. As of the first quarter of 2019, the average rental rate in the metro Milwaukee market increased 0.8 percent from the previous quarter to $1,075, continuing an upward trend that saw a 2.2 percent annual increase at year-end 2018, according to real estate data provider CoStar. The vacancy rate hovered around 5.9 percent during this same period, slightly higher than the year-end 2018 level of 5.6 percent, but lower than the recent high of 6.1 percent established in 2017. The average rental rate in the first quarter …

May 9, 2019

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

New York City, There’s a Smarter Way to Do Glass Buildings

by Taylor Williams May 8, 2019

New York City recently passed the Climate Mobilization Act, the first real action by any city to require buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions to meet global climate targets. The new law requires owners of large buildings to meet carbon footprint standards or face millions of dollars in annual fines. The emission limits will begin in 2024 and become increasingly stringent from there. The legislation primarily applies to commercial office and market-rate multifamily buildings over 25,000 square feet. According to Urban Green, these buildings account for about 60 percent of the total building area in New York City — those that make up the Manhattan skyline. While skyscrapers will be forced to act first, significant levels of investment will also be needed for public buildings, affordable housing and non-profits. The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) estimates the total cost of the upgrades needed to comply with the new law is about $4 billion. Building owners can calculate the performance targets they’ll need to meet and the associated fines if they fail to meet them. While it may be possible to buy renewable energy credits to offset emissions, it is unclear how many will be available. Some buildings will need to …

May 8, 2019

Market Reports Southeast Southeast Market Reports Tennessee

Memphis Office Market Continues to Evolve with Strong Leasing, Sales Activity

by Alex Tostado May 6, 2019

Memphis is currently undergoing an evolution that has been experienced by many markets in the region: increasing activity among office tenants moving with more confidence. In Memphis, this is manifesting itself in a flight to quality among office-using companies. While East Memphis is considered the most attractive office submarket in the region, the Downtown submarket has experienced significant leasing over the past 24 months and is gaining momentum. This focus on urban office is another trend that is just now hitting the Memphis market. Memphis’ most significant win in 2018 was Indigo Ag’s announcement that it will relocate its North American headquarters for its commercial operations to downtown Memphis. Indigo Ag, a high-tech agriculture firm whose primary service includes coating seeds with protective microbes, will expand its current downtown Memphis office at Toyota Center. With the expansion, the firm intends to increase its workforce by 700 corporate employees and invest $6.6 million over the next three years. Upon its completion, Indigo Ag will occupy 103,500 square feet in the eight-story Toyota Center, which will be renamed “Indigo Plaza.” The move represents the most recent and significant corporate investment in the Downtown submarket, following the relocation of ServiceMaster and its 1,200 …

May 6, 2019

Market Reports Office Texas Texas Market Reports

Job Growth Trumps Office Market Fears

by Taylor Williams May 3, 2019

Despite the rise of the gig economy, the explosion of coworking concepts and the move toward greater density among office-using companies, America’s office market is maintaining steady growth and balance, thanks to the exceptional job growth of this cycle. According to Costar Group, the national office vacancy rate currently stands at a 9.8 percent. Developers delivered approximately 59.3 million square feet of new product over the last 12 months. National net absorption of 56.6 million square feet during that period suggests that the market is quite close to equilibrium. According to the most current available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) at the time of this writing, between December 2018 and January 2019, American nonfarm payrolls added about 525,000 new jobs. The BLS reported substantially lower job growth in February, with just 20,000 new positions added. However, most economists expect that figure to be revised upward as the effects of Mother Nature and the government shutdown wear off. While office properties only capture a portion of that activity, job growth expectations are still the main criteria by which office market health is evaluated. By that logic, the office markets of Texas’ four largest cities should all post strong …

May 3, 2019

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