Throughout metro Detroit, employment and population gains are bolstering apartment demand. Following the creation of 40,200 jobs one year ago, employers in the metro area added 22,200 people to payrolls during the past four quarters. The hiring brought the unemployment rate to 4.5 percent in March, down 10 basis points year over year. The tighter rate may make it more difficult for some employers to find qualified workers to fill openings. During the past 12 months, the hospitality sector led hiring with 8,200 additional workers. New hotel openings contributed to the increase. Sustained job growth has helped to boost the metro population by nearly 11,700 people and 6,600 households over the past year. Many of these residents are opting to rent, as rising home prices place homeownership beyond the reach of more households. During the past five years, the median price of a single-family home has soared 68 percent to $177,053 as of March. Highly amenitized homes or properties in desired areas such as downtown Detroit, Troy or Royal Oak, have much higher median prices, making renting a more affordable option in numerous areas of the region. Construction concentrations Multifamily construction is gaining traction in the suburbs. Completions in the …
Market Reports
The Inland Empire continues to be one of the most dynamic industrial real estate markets in the country from both a user and investor perspective. Rent growth remains exceptionally strong, boasting a growth rate of more than 50 percent in the past five years, with a 10.1 percent increase in 2017. Although current average asking rents are at record highs, they remain at a 40 percent discount when compared to the neighboring infill markets of Los Angeles and Orange County, indicating ample room for further growth. Vacancy remains unchanged at 3.7 percent, despite 20 million square feet of deliveries last year, a testament to the market’s unrivaled user demand. Leasing momentum continues to outpace supply, particularly for recently constructed distribution space. This is demonstrated by the 46 percent pre-lease rate for deliveries greater than 1 million square feet last year. The Inland Empire’s proximity to world-class transportation infrastructure, combined with a relatively large supply of recently delivered distribution facilities, creates a highly optimistic future outlook when considering the projected exponential growth of e-commerce. The Inland Empire’s e-commerce primacy of location as it relates to underlying market fundamentals are attracting best-in-class domestic and global capital. This is creating a hyper-competitive buyer …
The office sector in Rhode Island’s commercial real estate market has seen a strong carryover and positive momentum from 2017, into 2018, which we continue to enjoy today. The market has seen positive absorption in most areas and with little speculative development on the horizon, lease rates are being affected accordingly. It’s safe to say, it is no longer a Tenant’s market. In Providence, vacancy rates are hovering in the 12 percent range, down from 16.5 percent just a few years ago. Recent projects include the redevelopment of South Street Landing, a $230 million dollar renovation of the former Narragansett Electric power station which is now home to the URI/CCRI Nursing School as well as some of the administrative offices of Brown University. Just a block away, construction is underway for the 191,000-square-foot Providence Innovation Center. This will be occupied by the Brown University School of Professional Studies, Johnson & Johnson and the Cambridge Innovation Center. The redevelopment of 75 Fountain Street, a 160,000-square-foot building, once fully occupied by the Providence Journal, has also enjoyed positive absorption. The redevelopment by Nordblom Company and Cornish Associates has attracted companies such as Tufts Healthcare, GE Digital and Virgin Pulse to join the Providence …
Atlanta is the logistics hub and economic engine of the Southeast, which is the fastest growing region in the country. Its 700 million square feet of industrial space makes it the fifth largest logistics market in the United States. Traditionally, population and job growth are key drivers of industrial demand, and Atlanta has had strong growth in each. The metro added 78,000 people in 2017, or nearly 214 new residents every day, which is reminiscent of the solid population growth of the 1990s when Atlanta averaged nearly 100,000 new residents every year. Additionally, Atlanta has had solid job growth, growing 2.5 percent last year, second only to Dallas/Fort Worth among the 12 largest metro areas in the U.S. E-commerce has caused a surge in demand for industrial space that has benefitted the Atlanta industrial market. Online retail sales now make up over 9 percent of total retail sales, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, up from 5 percent in 2012. A recent report from Cushman & Wakefield stated that while e-commerce accounted for just 5 percent of leases in 2013, it now commands over 20 percent of all warehouse leasing. As Amazon and others ramp up delivery times from two-day …
Over the last 15 years, the office market of Fort Worth, as well as that of the metroplex as a whole, has experienced steady growth in both development and absorption of new product. DFW’s office vacancy rate currently sits at 15 percent, according to CoStar Group, indicating the ceiling for new growth has not yet been hit. The traditional drivers of job and population growth have fueled new construction and strong leasing velocity for office properties in Dallas. But in Fort Worth, particularly the downtown area, the growth is more visibly tied to the live-work-play trend embodied by millennials and other young members of the workforce. The health of Fort Worth’s multifamily, restaurant and hotel markets are all contributing to the growth of the office sector. Office developers consider a number of factors when constructing new space. But much like any project, location is key. As Fort Worth’s need for more housing, dining and hotels has grown, the walkability factor in the office sector has only increased in importance. As such, it’s not only the employees that are drawn to properties that are located within walking distance to residential buildings and entertainment destinations. Developers are also coveting these sites. Entertainment …
The most exciting story in Michigan’s overall recovery from the Great Recession has been the revitalization of downtown Detroit. For locals and out-of-towners, Detroit’s development boom is surprising, exciting, refreshing, and at times, hard to believe. This real estate cycle may go down as the most important and consequential in 50 years. Indeed, the numbers and the anecdotal evidence demonstrate that we are not just witnessing a hot market — we are witnessing a once-in-a-generation shift in Detroit’s office market. Where we were What makes Detroit’s renaissance so amazing is how far the city has come in just eight years. For decades, downtown Detroit’s office market was effectively in the Detroit River. The central business district (CBD) continuously bled tenants to suburban markets, and heavy concessions along with incentives were required to lure office users to the city. Office tenants tended to be law firms, city, county and federal government agencies, non-profits, and city contractors — generally users that had to be downtown for proximity to the courts and City Hall. While the real estate statistics were not strong, the larger issue was the overall look and feel of the setting. Many buildings sat ominously vacant, the restaurant scene was …
Pittsburgh was recently ranked among the “Top 100 Best Places to Live in 2018” by Livability.com, citing the region’s strong university presence, burgeoning craft beer industry and successful professional sports franchises as important factors. Home to more than 15 breweries and a variety of new restaurants garnering national critical acclaim, Pittsburgh has also added foodie town to its list of accolades. A mix of local ownership groups and national franchisees has been actively pursuing expansion opportunities and new concepts in the region. Among the most active are AMPD Group, a partnership that includes Local Bar + Kitchen, Steel Cactus and Social House 7, which has six new restaurants in the works in the coming months both in Pittsburgh and outside the region in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The owners behind a local gastropub, The Yard, are introducing a new concept call Stout Pub & Kitchen in the Airport Corridor submarket. This new concept will focus on a variety of cured and smoked meats coupled with local beers and spirits. The fifth location of The Yard, which specializes in craft beers and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, is under construction in the adjacent space. Full Menu of Food Options While full-service dining …
Park Center is the largest ground-up corporate office project in metro Atlanta’s history. In early 2017, KDC broke ground on Park Center Phase II, which consists of two office towers totaling 1.1 million square feet, including approximately 40,000 square feet of retail space. The office towers will be leased by State Farm, which also leased the 21-story office tower in Phase I. Phase II of Park Center started with the implosion of the existing 240,000-square-foot, 10-story Hammond Exchange building on March 4, 2017. The remainder of 2017 was spent removing the debris from the implosion, blasting and removing over 300,000 cubic yards of rock, site grading, relocation and placement of utilities, and installation of tower cranes. In addition, construction started on the parking structure and building pad for Building 2. Several large culverts were constructed for a new road that will connect Perimeter Parkway in Dunwoody to Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs. Today, seven of the 11 parking levels of Building 2 have been poured, including the lobby level and vehicular-pedestrian plaza in front of it. Completion of the 660,000-square-foot, 22-story Building 2 is slated for the end of 2019. Work is also taking place on Building 3, including …
The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex will lead the nation in absolute job creation for a third consecutive year in 2018. Strong employment gains have produced healthy household formation trends as new residents migrate to the market and young adults continue to move out on their own. As a result, many new residents are filtering into apartments as homeownership in the metro falls out of reach. Pricing Concerns Since the end of 2012, median home prices in DFW have increased nearly 60 percent to more than a quarter of a million dollars, with median prices in some core neighborhoods reaching well above half a million dollars. At the same time, the projected minimum qualifying income rose marginally in comparison. The gap in growth between these two metrics makes single-family homeownership unattainable for a number of residents. And although the homeownership rate has ticked up over the past couple of years, it remained below the national average in the first quarter of 2018. These trends bode well for the apartment sector, ensuring overall absorption will be healthy at a time when developers are adding a record number of units to inventory. Households, whether renting or owning, are searching for affordable living options …
Outlets of Des Moines brings some of the best brand names in retail to the Des Moines metropolitan area, one of the strongest economies in the country. Retailers include such favorites as American Eagle, Asics, Bath & Body Works, Brooks Brothers, Converse, Express Factory Outlet, francesca’s, Le Creuset, Levi’s, LOFT Outlet, Lucky Brand Jeans, Michael Kors, Nike Factory Store, Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger, Vera Bradley and Under Armour. Since Outlets of Des Moines opened in October 2017, hundreds of thousands of local and regional residents have visited the Des Moines region’s newest shopping destination. Located at an established area for entertainment and shopping, the site is easily accessible to the residential trade area of nearly 1 million. With no major outlet center located within 80 miles, the 300,000-square-foot property fills a void in this populous market. New England Development’s newest shopping destination, Outlets of Des Moines has an unparalleled location in this major metropolitan market. Some features include: • Six miles from downtown Des Moines, the capital of Iowa and the most populous city in the state • At the intersection of I-80 and US-65 in Altoona, an established destination for entertainment and shopping • Located at the same exit as …