By Anthony Avendt, Cushman & Wakefield Like most markets in the U.S. and Canada, Detroit’s industrial sector has seen its ups and downs. Detroit’s always been a bit of an outlier though due to extreme volatility. What’s more, we’ve (hopefully) learned lessons from past downturns that well position the city and its commercial real estate regardless of continued strong demand and rent growth or any bumps in the road we may encounter. Detroit is a little different from similar-sized markets in the region. First, while it’s certainly part of the U.S. heartland, the city’s geographic position on a peninsula means it’s poorly suited for broad distribution to large swaths of the country. Second, of course, is the auto industry’s impact. The auto industry is widely dispersed across the U.S. now, but Detroit and Michigan remain its heart and brain. As the sector pivots to autonomous and electric vehicles, that is going to drive demand for industrial space. Ford already has announced an investment of $40 to $50 billion over the next decade-plus, including redevelopment of Michigan Central Station as anchor of its Mobility Innovation District. Stellantis, the parent of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge, has announced its own $35.5 billion investment …
