Jacksonville boasts the fourth-largest metro population and the largest city proper population in the state of Florida. It is the 14th most populous city in the United States, and with a breadth of approximately 841 square miles, it is the largest city in the contiguous United States by area. The county seat of Duval County, Jacksonville touts a population of approximately 900,000 people (2012 estimate) with a median household income of $50,701 and a median age of 31.4. The unemployment rate is presently on a downward trend decreasing 80 basis points from August to September 2014 to 5.8 percent, which was significantly lower than the previous year’s rate of 6.6 percent and Florida’s 6.1 percent. Jacksonville’s retail market remains strong despite the lack of available space in the mature Class A submarkets such as Town Center, Rivercity Marketplace, Mandarin, Orange Park, West Beaches and Beaches. National retailers and restaurants remain active seeking deals throughout Duval County, yet are still hesitant to consider Class B and C submarkets given their selective national site strategies. As most of the highly desirable spaces has been absorbed, there is more demand for new space than any time in recent memory. Although several redevelopments and …
Market Reports
The Kansas City industrial market continues to be an incredibly strong performer. At the end of the third quarter of 2014, the industrial vacancy rate stood at a tight 6.1 percent. Absorption totaled more than 2.5 million square feet during the first nine months of the year, while new deliveries were slightly over 2.6 million square feet in the same period. Let’s examine some contributing factors that are encouraging new deliveries while still driving vacancy rates down and absorption up. Spec Is King The biggest story in the Kansas City industrial real estate market during the first three quarters of 2014 was the delivery of over 2.5 million square feet of Class A distribution facilities on a speculative basis. It can be argued that, in the past, many prospective tenants considered locating a distribution center in Kansas City, but they ultimately selected a different market based on a lack of available inventory and the inability of some companies to wait on the extended timetable for a build-to-suit project. Developers that took notice of this trend and reacted by delivering space to the local market are currently being rewarded for their actions. Much of the speculative development in 2014 centered around …
The Orange County office market continues to experience steady growth as it moves into 2015, with three straight years of positive net absorption under its belt. The county’s unemployment rate has dropped to 5.4 percent over the past 12 months, while the job growth rate has averaged 1.8 percent over the same period. The overall signs for the office market are very positive as we head into the growth phase of this real estate cycle. Orange County’s office market has experienced almost 1.7 million square feet of net absorption in the past 12 months, according to CoStar. This net absorption has been spread out evenly over Class A and B properties. The current vacancy rate of 11.4 percent has steadily declined on an average of 1 percent per year for the past four years. Based on current absorption trends, the office vacancy could dip below 10 percent in 2016, which may usher in significant speculative development. The majority of the tenant activity is home grown, with limited growth from companies outside of Orange County. Net absorption is mainly due to recent larger space transactions. These occupiers include Pacific Investment Management absorbing 380,000 square feet, Belkin International (128,000 square feet), Yokohama …
The Charleston office sector is robust, with movement in virtually every aspect of the market. Tenants have flocked to the city, leaving only a small number of available spaces for those looking to move or expand, particularly into larger spaces. What Renters Want Low vacancy citywide — in the Central Business District (CBD), the vacancy rate is under 5 percent — is driving an uptick in rents, with current rents ranging from $17 to $28 per square foot, depending on the age and location of the space. Landlord concessions are also falling off as space becomes tighter. The shift toward more open workspaces continues as technology advances, meaning a decrease in the number of private offices and an increase in community/collaborative spaces. With smaller computers, storage in the cloud instead of filing cabinets and the use of off-site printers, most offices in the city are down to less than 200 square feet per employee. Since Charleston has one of the highest overhead rates in the Southeast, cutting down on square footage is a priority for most companies. Development Underway More than $1 billion of projects across all property types are currently under construction on the Charleston peninsula alone, and for …
It’s no secret that with the abundance of developable land, affordable housing, and close proximity to the ports and major freeways, the Inland Empire has a tremendous advantage in relation to other Western markets. The Inland Empire industrial market has experienced a transactional volume of 120 deals for 100,000 square feet or more, as of this past November. There are also more than 30 buildings under construction, which total more than 15 million square feet. Developers have been quick to respond to demand, with about 15.5 million square feet of construction completed in the Inland Empire to date, thanks to Fortune 500 retailers and third-party logistics (3PL) firms nabbing large space within the market due to an improving economy. With another 15 million square feet currently under construction, the Inland Empire’s industrial base will foreseeably increase by 10 percent by the end of 2016. Assuming the current state of economic growth continues, the Inland Empire industrial market is expected to finish 2014 strong, with positive market activity poised to continue well into 2015 and 2016. The industrial demand in the Inland Empire is closely associated to international trade and continues to attract large distributors, warehouses, e-commerce companies and logistics firms …
Are Hikes in Construction, Rent Around the Corner for Jacksonville Industrial Market?
by John Nelson
Over the last four years, North Florida’s industrial market appears to have stabilized. While rental rates remain flat offering a variety of expansion opportunities for users and tenants, rental increases and new construction opportunities may be right around the corner. Consider the facts: the Jacksonville industrial vacancy rate now hovers around 8.5 percent, the lowest in the last five years and down from a high of 11.4 percent in 2010. Rental rates, now in the $3.98 per square foot range for the last two quarters, have stabilized from a high of $4.38 per square foot reported in the first quarter of 2010, according to CoStar. Because of a finite supply, with an increase in demand for Class B and Class C space, a rent increase may be in the forecast. Add with the lack of choices for large blocks of Class A space, expect more build-to-suit activity, or speculative construction. In 2014, two speculative industrial projects were announced in Jacksonville. In order to meet a contractual construction deadline within the city of Jacksonville’s master developer agreement, Hillwood Investment Properties launched a 510,000-square-foot cross-dock project at Alliance Florida. Hillwood was chosen as the master developer of Alliance Florida, formerly Cecil Commerce …
Buoyed by a healthy economy, the Twin Cities industrial market has experienced strong demand for functional, 24- to 32-foot clear height space, with more companies expanding during the first three quarters of the year, according to Cushman & Wakefield | NorthMarq. The market posted nearly 1.3 million square feet of absorption in the first three quarters of 2014, a solid number. The overall vacancy rate for multi-tenant properties 20,000 square feet and above stood at 10.1 percent at the end of the third quarter, down from a high of 16.4 percent in 2010. The bulk/warehouse segment has posted the most leasing activity with 451,097 square feet of net absorption year-to-date, including 140,514 square feet in the third quarter, and a tight 9.2 percent vacancy rate. Office/warehouse absorption totaled 476,032 square feet year-to-date through the third quarter, and 391,676 square feet in the third quarter alone, lowering the vacancy rate in that segment to 9.6 percent. Office/showroom absorption totaled 359,687 square feet during the first three quarters of 2014, lowering the vacancy rate in that segment to 12.8 percent, the lowest since 2006 when it stood at 11.7 percent. The Northeast submarket posted 222,267 square feet of net absorption in the …
Cassidy Turley recently released its Third Quarter Office Market Snapshot for Northern and Central New Jersey. We detailed the absorption rates, asking rents and availability in both Central and Northern New Jersey and found the Grow NJ tax incentives and the movement of midsize companies played significant roles in shaping the market. Although not shocking revelations, these factors help explain surges and lags and why some markets are still feeling the crunch of previous quarters, even though employment rates have increased. Shifts in the Newark submarket, particularly Prudential vacating large portion of 3 Gateway Center and moving into its own office tower, created an uptick in availability. The resulting availability at the Gateway complex was a large factor in the 86,084 square feet of negative absorption recorded during the third quarter throughout Northern New Jersey. However, the impact was lessened as the owner of 3 Gateway recently announced Prudential has signed a lease to maintain a 160,000-square-foot presence in the building based on significant internal growth. Interestingly, in many submarkets, the development of a new office building indicates a thriving economy. However, Newark’s economic recovery has been slow. Panasonic’s recent move to a new headquarters and the development of new …
The Phoenix office market ended the third quarter in a very strong position. Increasing momentum in the sector should continue into 2015. Healthier economic conditions, including a growing GDP and higher employment, are translating into increased market activity and confidence. The biggest take-away from Phoenix’s rebounding office sector is new office development, with several high-profile construction projects underway in the East Valley. Tower cranes dot the horizon along Tempe Town Lake in downtown Tempe. The largest project, State Farm’s Marina Heights, is under construction on its first phase, which includes two mid-rises totaling more than 1 million square feet. Additional phases will bring the project to more than 2 million square feet, making it the largest office project in Arizona. Hayden Ferry Lakeside III is under construction with a 10-story, 250,000-square-foot building on the lake. This is the third and final phase of this office project. Arizona State University has also jumped into the mix by announcing a huge 330-acre development on the south side of Tempe Town Lake. It is expected to incorporate athletic, commercial and residential projects at full build-out that will be utilized as a funding source for ASU Athletics. USA Place, a $400-million-plus development in downtown, …
The Jacksonville multifamily market can lay claim to being the healthiest in Florida, not because of blockbuster demand or rapid construction, but because steady growth has kept it from overheating. The pace of construction and absorption should sustain the market for at least the next six months to a year. With an unemployment rate at 5.8 percent in September, it’s clear that the metro market has bounced back from the recession, boosting demand for housing. GE announced that same month they would be opening a new plant, adding 500 jobs. Additionally, Forbes ranks the city sixth nationally in its list of best cities for tech jobs, just ahead of Silicon Valley. Unlike other regions of the state that attract retirees and foreigners, Jacksonville is drawing young professionals and recent college graduates who are well-matched to small-scale multifamily projects. These single, well-educated and childless individuals tend to be renters. And because of their sophisticated tastes, they are driving the creation of live-work-play communities that resemble well-established submarkets like Brickell in Miami and along Magnolia Avenue in Orlando. Residents who want to be close to entertainment districts are moving into the Southside submarket, which is close to downtown and the St. John’s …