International trade is a driving force behind one of the most vibrant industrial markets in the nation. There are more than 1.7 billion square feet of industrial space in Los Angeles County, Orange County and the Inland Empire, with 18.2 million square feet of additional space under construction at the end of the third quarter. The South Bay and Central Los Angeles markets are leading the way in new development in Los Angeles County. The LA Basin’s occupancy gains of 12.7 million square feet during the first nine months of the year dropped its overall vacancy rate to 4.9 percent, from 5 percent last quarter and 5.3 percent a year ago. As the logistics hub of Southern California and the big-box capital of the U.S., international trade is especially critical to the Inland Empire’s industrial market. As a result of increased demand for modern warehouse facilities, warehouse construction in the Inland Empire more than doubled from a year ago to 16.4 million square feet. It was the most active in the nation. Increased demand for industrial space in the Inland Empire lowered the overall vacancy rate to 6.2 percent in the third quarter. This was 60 basis points lower than …
Market Reports
Downtown St. Louis has always marched to the beat of a different drummer. Despite a sluggish economy and a history of major corporations leaving for a variety of reasons, the downtown office market has experienced steady, incremental growth that has been reflected by the positive absorption since 2009. Much of this growth is due to tenants looking to expand or relocate in order to take advantage of the many options downtown, which generally are less expensive than suburban locations. Since 2012, downtown St. Louis has gained 425,000 square feet of positive absorption in the office sector. New Life for Older Buildings Recent building renovations also play a part in the growth. Creative companies are looking for open, contemporary facilities, which can be found in old buildings that have been redeveloped. These revitalized buildings now offer new infrastructure and modern space that exude a cool look and vibe. Indeed, that trend can be found in historic structures like the 450,000-square-foot Park Pacific, once the headquarters of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and now 80 percent luxury apartments and 20 percent office (tenants are CBS Radio and Creative Producers Group) and retail space. Cupples 9, a 144,000-square-foot building that was once part of …
Saying that Austin's multifamily market has been a strong performer for the past several years would be stating the obvious and hardly newsworthy, considering that all of the well-reported economic rankings list Austin at or near the top. Nevertheless, the numbers from the past five years are remarkable. While 2013 will go into the record books as one of the best years for multifamily landlords, the real story for 2014 — and beyond — is how the market responds to the two forces that have clearly started to change: supply and financing. Supply Surge There is no hiding the fact that a building boom is occurring in central Austin, as the cranes for multi-family construction easily outnumber the activity in hospitality and office properties combined. Completions for 2014 are expected to be approximately 12,000 units, with the highest concentration (more than 3,000 units) in the central sub-markets. This is a dramatic increase in new supply in a market that has been significantly under supplied due to the collapse of the capital markets in 2008. After a couple of years focused on urban, in-fill projects, the recent third quarter reports indicate that developers are returning to the suburbs, with over 18,000 …
If only the economy would cooperate, there are signs of improvement in the downtown and suburban Hartford office market. Modest expansion and non-traditional absorption of office buildings is beginning to create shortages of large blocks of office space in certain areas. Places like West Hartford Center, Glastonbury’s Somerset Square area, Corporate Ridge in Rocky Hill, downtown Middletown and downtown Hartford have all seen their best Class A buildings’ occupancy levels grow. Vacancy is being concentrated in buildings that suffer from either age-related challenges, capital issues or buildings that are in an ownership transition. Unfortunately, although the governor and legislature have taken some positive steps to create economic activity, the state is still mired in a high-tax, high-cost model that is eroding or tempering growth from many of our largest employers and keeping new businesses from entering the market. In spite of that self-inflicted condition, here are the trends that are currently shaping the current office market in Hartford County: Non-traditional absorption: real estate demand for educational, multi-family residential, medical and government facilities is booming compared to corporate office needs. Offices buildings are being taken out of inventory for conversions to schools, apartments, medical offices and state offices. While some of …
The Twin Cities retail market is still on the road to recovery, with 231,913 square feet of absorption since the beginning of the year. With steady positive absorption, the former tenant-favorable market is beginning to even out, especially with regard to the urban core or first-ring suburbs. Lease negotiations have started to tip in favor of landlords. Developers, tenants, landlords and brokers are all expressing increased confidence in the strength of the market. Among the tenants contributing to the healthy absorption of space have been Whole Foods, Walmart, and LA Fitness, all of which are opening stores throughout the suburbs. The overall vacancy rate in the third quarter stood at 5.7 percent, down from 6.2 percent the prior quarter, according to data compiled by the Welsh Cos. Vacancy at regional malls is 2.1 percent. The retail vacancy in the trade areas surrounding these regional centers follows suit with premier areas of demand among growing retailers. Chick-fil-A has also entered the Twin Cities market, opening stores in Apple Valley, Bloomington, Coon Rapids and Maple Grove. This continues the trend of new food tenants seeking more space in the Twin Cities, including Smashburger, Which Wich Superior Sandwiches and Freddy’s Frozen Custard & …
While the national economy remains sluggish, the energy-fueled Houston economy continues to power a resurgent local apartment market. The Houston multifamily market is the strongest it has been in years, with robust performance across classes and in virtually every submarket. Construction has rebounded from the depressed levels of the past few years, but demand continues to exceed supply, forcing rents ever higher. The statistics say that vacancy is at its lowest level in nearly eight years, and rents are at their highest rate on record. I am seeing that borne out, as virtually every deal that crosses my desk shows that income is on an upward trend. Houston was the first market nationally to recover all of the jobs lost during the recession, and since, the pace of job growth has accelerated. Projects that were shelved four or five years ago are now under construction throughout the region, including OliverMcMillan beginning work on its River Oaks District, Wulfe going vertical at BLVD Place and GID building on the site of the old Allen House. In addition, new developments continue to be announced. This construction activity, both residential and commercial, has created lots of good jobs for skilled and semi-skilled laborers …
The government shutdown impacted local economies and real estate dynamics in many U.S. markets, but none moreso than the Washington, D.C., region. With anywhere from a quarter to over a third of metro D.C.’s privately owned office leasing tied to the federal government, the inability of the federal government to engage in long-term real estate planning has serious implications for the office sector. Non-federal tenants in the region are impacted as well in that a significant portion of the region’s occupiers are reliant, at least in part, on government contracts and spending. In fiscal 2012 alone, more than $72.6 billion of federal contracting dollars were procured in Washington, D.C., and its suburbs. Possible repercussions in the contracting arena from the shutdown and continued budgetary uncertainty from the federal sector could include contract cancellations, delays in payments and scope reductions. With ongoing questions about government funding and spending, these companies, like the government itself, cannot plan for the future and make decisions in areas that affect their businesses such as staffing, office and facility needs and support infrastructure. The inevitable uncertainty due to the current stop-gap fiscal environment creates questions about where funding for fit out, technology and equipment will come …
There is roughly 61 million square feet of office space in the Las Vegas Valley. About 22 percent of that is vacant. That being said, leasing activity is picking up. Tenants nearing the end of their leases are looking for better deals elsewhere – and they’re finding them. Then there are the new players in the market, who are are kicking the tires, too. The tenant’s market has been a mainstay for the past few years in Las Vegas. But over the past 12 to 18 months, banks have shifted their philosophies in regards to how they handle their office portfolios and it’s definitely making an impact on the market. Lenders today are no longer dumping foreclosed properties back on the market at fire sale prices. Instead, they are choosing to add value to their assets by leasing space in the hopes of a better future return for investors. In general, banks are very aggressive with their terms and generous with tenant improvement allowances. Private owners have needed to follow suit in order to stay competitive. Some tenants that have considered buying are frequently steered back into leases. This is because rates and terms are far too attractive. Leasing offers …
If the recession is truly over in Cincinnati and the nation, we are thankful. Still, the pace of deal and development activity is exceedingly slow. Projects started before the Great Recession are proceeding at a cautious speed. Retail leasing, which has always had a long deal cycle, now seems to take forever. But there are some bright spots in Cincinnati. The downtown market is thriving. Steiner + Associates and Bucksbaum Retail Properties recently announced that they will soon break ground on Liberty Center, a 1.1 million-square-foot, $325 million mixed-use development on 64 acres in West Chester, located about 18 miles north of downtown. And in an interesting twist on new development, college campus mixed-use projects are one of the few ways developers can develop in this risky environment. The Banks Hits A Home Run Our retail update begins on Cincinnati’s riverfront. Located on the Ohio River between Great American Ballpark and Paul Brown Stadium, the 18-acre mixed-use development known as The Banks continues to add new housing, offices, dining and entertainment. A few more restaurants opened this past year including The Yard House, The Wine Guy Bistro, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Tin Roof, which serves up lunch, dinner and music. …
The tide is changing for subcontracting in the Washington, D.C., multifamily market. In the past year, while much of the country has been in recovery, Washington construction managers experienced a white-hot market in wood-frame, market-rate apartments. Along with multiple building opportunities, there was an abundance of qualified subcontractors offering extremely competitive pricing. Currently, new properties continue to be developed, but reductions in the subcontracting pool and changes in building codes are creating a climate of increased pressure for construction managers. Subcontractor Capacity Recently, our industry has seen unprecedented subcontractor failures, workforce leaving the area and some company owners leaving the business altogether because they are not willing to risk their livelihoods anymore. Profits and cash flow were just too tight. At the same time, more than 20,000 units will be added to the D.C. market during the next two years. Affordable and tax credit markets have come back strong as well, and rent increases in the new ground-up apartments have created a booming submarket in Class B renovations. For example, Snell Construction Corp. of Arlington, Va., is repositioning two major properties: Southern Towers, a 2,500-unit, 1960s era high-rise community in Alexandria, and Monticello Gardens, with 794 apartments in Falls Church, …