Market Reports

Wegmans

The Washington, D.C., and Baltimore markets, when combined, represent the fourth-largest metropolitan region in the nation by population, and retailers are taking notice again. Grocery-anchored projects are the most prevalent in the headlines. For example, the first of nearly 20 Amazon Fresh locations has opened in the area. Additionally, Wegmans’ smaller format rollout plan is active with its first location in Stonebridge’s Carlyle Crossing in Alexandria opening spring 2022, along with Roadside Development’s City Ridge Project at the former Fanny Mae Headquarters in Northwest D.C. Former Shoppers Food Warehouse boxes also continue to get absorbed by new grocers. A less-covered sector of the grocery market is the international markets category, which remains very active in the region. There are 29 different banners across the region that exceed 10,000 square feet in size, with the newest entrant being Oh! Markets in Northern Virginia. Other international market newcomers, including 99Ranch and Enson Market, are also searching for space. With the immense ethnic diversity of the region, we expect investors to start taking notice of this sector with their acquisition appetite, just as they have in other regions like Texas and Florida. Publix, a customer favorite, is in the early stages of identifying …

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To the surprise of many in the Kansas City retail sector, the end of 2021 looked much different than most anticipated when 2021 began. As uncertainty buzzed through the retail world, the flurry of 2021’s real estate activity was a welcome surprise. Retailers who embraced technology and adapted to the changing circumstances of today’s world were able to reap the benefits 2021 offered.  As consumers took advantage of post-lockdown freedoms, brick-and-mortar retailers experienced a surge in sales volume. Throughout 2021, many national retailers and local Kansas City owners reported volumes exceeding 2019 pre-COVID levels. It’s comforting to report that retail leasing and sales continue to be strong, and overall Kansas City remains consistent in attracting retail business during these uncertain times. One of the most recognizable transformations in retail is the way in which technology seamlessly connects e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores. Consumers can now use technology to satisfy their desire for the contactless fulfillment of their order, browse local inventory at grocery and retail stores for immediate pickup and grocery shop without entering the store. This list will continue to grow as acceptance of the technology accelerates.   Another noticeable retail alteration is the addition of drive-thrus as well as …

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By Tim Reid, First Vice President, CBRE Boise’s retail market continues to show signs of resiliency in the wake of a global downturn caused by the pandemic. Though retail companies pivoted their business models to accommodate social distancing policies and provide contactless options last year, many were still forced to close their doors. The retail outlook is now much brighter after the industry experienced an incredibly turbulent year.  Beginning in April, Idaho’s year-over-year retail sales rebounded 56.3 percent after dropping to 22.7 percent in 2020. Much of that progress can be attributed to Idaho’s strong fundamentals, including the state’s robust population growth. Idaho led the nation as the second-fastest growing state in the past decade, adding 17.3 percent to the population from 2010 to 2020. This state also houses several of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. While much of the migration to Boise City came from within the state, relocations from the West Coast — namely, California, Washington and Oregon — surged, accounting for 17.5 percent of last year’s growth. Those moving tend to be young, affluent, childless professionals seeking urban locations. While this migration pattern is not new, relocations to the Treasure Valley were amplified by the pandemic. These dynamics …

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Reno-City-Center-Reno-NV

By Tad Loran, Vice President, Retail Specialist, Avison Young | Western Alliance Commercial Inc. The Reno retail market was hard hit overall by the pandemic, with the service industry at the top of the list. Some notable businesses that closed in Reno last year include Santa Fe Basque Restaurant, Truckee River Bar & Grill, An — Asian Kitchen & Bar, Little Nugget Diner, True NY Pizza Co., Rounds Bakery Storefront, Jos A. Bank, St. James Infirmary, 24 Hour Fitness and Pier 1 Imports. Big box national retailers picked up virtually no new space in 2020.  The good news is retail demand and leasing activity has rebounded this year. Northern Nevada’s retail vacancy rate saw positive absorption. It currently sits at 5.8 percent, while asking rental rates have increased. They are currently at $19.08 per square foot (triple net) on an annual basis for second-generation space and $42 per square foot (triple net) on an annual basis for new construction. Notable business openings this year include Sport Clips, the Human Bean, C-A-L Ranch, In-N-Out Burger, Starbucks, Chipotle, Firehouse Subs, Truckee Bagel, Base Camp Pizza, SUP and Chase Bank. Commercial sales in Northern Nevada were nominal in 2020. This was driven by the pandemic, a lack of …

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Atlanta remains an incredibly active market for multifamily demand from both a renter and investor standpoint. The Atlanta metropolitan statistical area (MSA) boasts a population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau of more than 6.1 million people, an increase of 14.3 percent over the past 10 years, and ranks consistently as one of the top recipients of in-migration in the country. The continued influx of new residents and rising home pricing have led to a vacancy rate of 4.9 percent, the lowest recorded in the MSA since 2000. In the third quarter, rents reached the highest average in Atlanta’s history of $1,561 per unit, an increase of 21.3 percent year-over-year. While on average apartment communities tend to see an average occupancy rate around 95 percent, eviction moratoriums have pushed occupancies at many to as high as 99 percent leased as property managers seek to make up for lost revenue. Residents are flocking toward urban infill projects in walkable parts of the city, such as in the micro-market along the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail where effective rents reached $2,052 per unit, commanding a 31.5 percent premium over the metro Atlanta average. However, there has also been substantial rent growth recorded in …

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The current state of the New Orleans industrial real estate market can best be described as “dichotomic.” On the one hand, New Orleans has the stability of a mature market featuring one of the largest and oldest ports in North America, traditionally serving heavy industry that continues to perform. On the other, you have two new proposed container port projects that could significantly alter the landscape of the industrial real estate market for the foreseeable future. Like so many other markets across the country, the New Orleans area is gaining its fair share of distribution facilities, with Amazon and the like scrambling for sites to service increased consumer and business-to-business demand. That said, the real game-changer for the distribution sector will ensue when at least one of the two announced container port projects in the New Orleans area comes on line. The Port of Plaquemines and the Port of New Orleans have both identified sites with access to rail, major roadways and water-based transport options that would fundamentally alter the opportunity for distribution emanating out of the New Orleans area. Either project would instantly create a great demand for warehousing and distribution space and further diversify the industrial asset class …

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With the explosion of e-commerce over the past year and a half, it’s no surprise the industrial sector across the United States is posting significant gains. In fact, 2021’s national demand for industrial space is up by 22 percent year-over-year, and the market is showing no signs of retreating. This trend comes as a result of increased consumer demand for immediate, contactless deliveries, which has boosted demand for distribution centers that house e-commerce and logistics companies. The Louisville market, which features major attractors such as the UPS Worldport, two Ford plants, the GE Appliance Park and robust interstate connectivity, has experienced record success in 2021, with several key trends driving this sector’s growth. 1. Explosive leasing Louisville’s net absorption metrics are approaching historic highs. When COVID-19 hit, nearly all businesses took a 30-day pause to evaluate the implications the pandemic posed. The ensuing change in consumer purchasing patterns and product delivery pushed the national industrial market on a positive trajectory for both absorption and construction starts. Louisville is no exception. To date, 62 percent of industrial buildings in Louisville were leased prior to construction completion, compared to 25 percent in 2020. In addition, 85 percent of facilities delivered this year …

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A recent order from the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals highlights a troubling aspect of real property tax valuation in the Buckeye State, where school districts wield extraordinary authority to influence assessments. In this instance, courts allowed a district to demand a taxpayer’s confidential business data, which it can now use to support its own case for an assessment increase. Ohio is one of the few states that permit school districts to participate in the tax valuation process, allowing a district to file its own complaint to increase the value of a parcel of real estate, and permitting a school district to argue against a property owner that seeks to lower the taxable valuation of a parcel of real estate. Generally, school districts looking to increase tax revenue will review recent property sales for opportunities to seek assessment increases. Likely candidates for an increase complaint include real estate that changed hands at a purchase price or transfer value that exceeds the county assessor’s valuation. That is not always the case, however. In the case that gave rise to this article, there was no recent sale of the subject property, which is a multi-story apartment building. The apartment building owner had …

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Like the rest of the country, metro New Orleans is slowly coming out of the COVID-19 fog. The uncertainty of these uncharted waters caused a lot of anxiety for multifamily owner and operators. Although there were some challenges, the market has survived the pandemic surprisingly well. The overall vacancy factor for the city is in the 5 to 6 percent range and should compress further given the modest pipeline of new inventory coming on line. The highest vacancy rates reported are in Algiers (15 percent) and East New Orleans (12 percent) where the majority of service and tourism workers lived and the most affected by COVID-19. It should be noted that we feel this downturn in occupancy is temporary and is showing signs of recovery as our tourism industry slowly rebounds. The Downtown/Warehouse district also experienced increased vacancies as residents fled the urban market for the suburbs with communities reporting vacancy rates as high as 15 percent. As the height of COVID-19 dissipated, the submarket rebounded strongly with many communities reporting 92 to 95 percent occupancy. Although previous years have seen a host of new developments enter the Downtown submarket, currently there are only two communities in the pipeline that …

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By Taylor Williams Demand for retail and restaurant space in Northern New Jersey has long been buoyed by spillover tenants that find themselves priced out of premium spaces in New York City.  Yet despite the fact that retail rents throughout the city have been depressed for the last 18 months, users have not flocked to Manhattan and Brooklyn at the expense of the fringe markets of Northern New Jersey. In fact, brokers in the latter region see a healthy level of demand from a wide range of users that see opportunity in the current conditions.  “The closures of national soft goods retailers that were squeezed by reduced demand and supply chain constraints during the height of COVID-19 left some beautifully built-out spaces,” notes Kevin Pelio, director of leasing at Azarian Group. “This has benefitted local and regional operators who can come into a prominent retail location without the capital-intensive, upfront investment typically required in a normal market.” Pelio adds that the larger trend among brick-and-mortar retailers to reduce initial capital outlays and build-out costs has also led to reductions in landlords’ tenant improvement (TI) allowances. Brian Katz, CEO of Englewood, N.J.-based Katz & Associates, concurs that certain retailers are aggressively …

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