By John Dickerson, OMNE Partners Our Omaha-area industrial sector has come through the pandemic very well, compared with other commercial sectors. We have not had to work out many rent payment plans with tenants, and industrial users going out of business have been minimal. Omaha has survived and come out of 2020 well economically. Our unemployment rate is the second lowest in the country. Our cost of living has also been lower than most other major cities in the Midwest. This low cost of living carries over to real estate rental rates and operating costs. Leasing activity Industrial leasing has been quite good in Omaha for years. Our vacancy rates have been below 5 percent for a number of years and currently have been about 3.5 percent. By reviewing spaces for lease on Crexi, an internet marketing service, there are about 120 properties that I identified with space available with a total of over 3 million square feet for lease. Rental rates for industrial vary, of course, for typical reasons — age and condition of the property, location and how much a space/building might be finished in office or other special improvements. In Omaha, many flex buildings have users that …
Midwest
COLUMBUS, OHIO — The board of directors for L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB) has unanimously approved a plan to separate the company into two independent, public companies consisting of Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret. L Brands expects to create these companies through a tax-free spinoff of Victoria’s Secret to the shareholders of L Brands. “The spinoff will enable each company to maximize management focus and financial flexibility to thrive in an evolving retail environment and deliver profitable growth,” L Brands stated in a news release. As separate businesses, each will benefit from a sharpened focus on pursuing growth strategies best suited to each company’s customer base and strategic objectives, adds Sarah Nash, chair of the board for L Brands. The Columbus-based retailer had been evaluating the possibility of either a spinoff or a sale of Victoria’s Secret with input from its financial advisors, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. Ultimately, the board decided that the spinoff would provide shareholders with more value than a sale. The transaction is expected to close in August. L Brands reported net sales of $3 billion for the first quarter of the company’s 2021 fiscal year that ended May 1, compared with $1.6 billion …
SPIRITWOOD, N.D. — ADM (NYSE: ADM) has unveiled plans to build a new soybean crushing plant and refinery to meet demand from food, feed, industrial and biofuel customers. Located in Spiritwood, which is about 85 miles west of Fargo, the approximately $350 million complex will have the capacity to process 150,000 bushels of soybeans per day. ADM expects to complete the facility in time for the 2023 harvest. ADM also plans to invest approximately $25 million to expand refining and storage capacity at its crush and refining property in Quincy, Ill. The expanded facility is slated for completion in the second quarter of 2022. ADM is an agricultural origination and processing company based in Chicago.
OWATONNA, MINN. — Kraus-Anderson has begun construction of a new $94 million high school located at 1455 18th St. SE in Owatonna, about 65 miles south of Minneapolis. The project is part of a $112 million district bond referendum, which voters passed in November 2019. Designed by Wold Architects and Engineers, the three-story, 317,000-square-foot school will accommodate 1,600 students. In addition to classrooms, the high school will feature industrial arts labs, an 825-seat auditorium and a large cafeteria space. Plans also call for a 3,451-seat football stadium, four-court gymnasium, eight tennis courts, four soccer fields, two softball fields, two baseball fields, a synthetic turf field, full track and four storage buildings for athletics. Completion is slated for summer 2023.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Trammell Crow Co. and its capital partner, Clarion Partners LLC, have broken ground on two Class A warehouse and distribution facilities within the KCI Intermodal Business Centre in Kansas City. Located adjacent to the Kansas City International Airport, the buildings will total 676,000 square feet. Completion is slated for the fourth quarter. The first building will span 216,320 square feet with a clear height of 32 feet, 48 dock positions, four private entrances, two drive-up ramp dock doors, parking for 62 trailers and parking for 225 cars. The second building will span 459,680 square feet with a clear height of 36 feet, 88 dock doors, three private entrances, four drive-up ramp dock doors, parking for 110 trailers and parking for 366 cars. Kadean Construction, M+H Architects and Stock & Associates make up the project team. KCI Intermodal Business Centre is a master-planned industrial business park spanning 687 acres. It currently includes six fully built facilities. Plans call for an additional 1.2 million square feet across three buildings.
CINCINNATI — Cushman & Wakefield’s healthcare capital markets team has brokered the sale of Anderson Ferry Plaza in Cincinnati for $4.2 million. The 43,599-square-foot medical office building is located on Anderson Ferry Road. It is more than 87 percent leased to TriHealth Physician Partners, ABC Pediatric Therapy, Clarkson Eye Care and Happy Hangout. Gino Lollio, Scott Niedergang and Travis Ives led the Cushman & Wakefield team that represented the seller, Rialto Capital. Publicly traded healthcare real estate investment trust Community Healthcare Trust Inc. (NYSE: CHCT) was the buyer. As of March 31, the REIT’s portfolio consisted of 147 properties totaling 3.2 million square feet across 33 states.
Shifting behaviors and expectations for consumers, manufacturers and distributors have made industrial space central to the commercial real estate landscape. “This is an asset class that for 25 years of my 39 years in the commercial real estate business was a boring, middle-of-the-road class. But this steady investment has just exploded,” says Jay Olshonsky, president and CEO of NAI Global. Much of the most recent change has been driven by the particulars of the COVID-19 pandemic. Delivery became a way of life for those socially distancing, creating an instant need for more distribution and warehousing centers. Olshonsky explains that the behavioral changes starting in March of 2020 accelerated trends (online shopping, delivery/pickup services and working from home) that might otherwise have taken five or more years to come to fruition. Olshonsky explains that there are still hurdles for this ascendant product type to overcome, but the changes we’ve seen over the last year will remain. Industrial Not a Bubble “Industrial is here to stay,” says Olshonsky. “COVID accelerated trends that already existed, but those trends were already in motion. We’re seeing some changes that are fundamental.” The need for delivery and warehouses is fed by new expectations: “Ecommerce is the …
INDIANAPOLIS — David Simon, CEO and president of Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG), says he is pleased with the company’s first-quarter results and that business has “substantially improved after addressing the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.” According to Simon, the mall owner is experiencing cash flow growth, increasing shopper traffic, increasing retailer sales and leasing momentum across its portfolio. Additionally, Simon says it is experiencing similar results in its recently acquired Taubman Realty Group portfolio, and is “encouraged by collective progress in increasing profitability.” Simon reported that its first-quarter revenue fell to $1.2 billion, compared with $1.3 billion the same period a year ago. For the three-month period ending March 31, occupancy at Simon’s U.S. malls and outlet properties totaled 90.8 percent, compared with 94 percent the year prior. Simon’s stock price closed at $126.75 per share Monday, May 10, up from $55.08 per share one year ago. Simon’s global property portfolio is comprised of more than 200 malls and outlet centers. It also owns an 80 percent interest in Taubman Realty Group, which owns 24 retail assets in the U.S. and Asia.
LEAWOOD, KAN. — Torch.AI, a global artificial intelligence firm, has unveiled plans to expand its operations in Leawood and create nearly 500 full-time jobs over five years as part of a $27 million tax incentive package awarded by the Kansas Department of Commerce. The firm plans to hire more than 100 new professionals this year alone. Torch.AI is also making a significant capital investment in collaborative workspaces for its employees. The announcement comes on the heels of Torch.AI’s $30 million raise in Series A funding to accelerate its overall growth strategy. WestCap Group, a San Francisco-based investment firm, led the funding.
GLENVIEW, ILL. — McShane Construction Co. is underway on a 429,524-square-foot addition to the existing warehouse and showroom facility for Abt Electronics in Glenview, about 15 miles northwest of Chicago. The expansion will incorporate two three-story office blocks totaling 22,230 square feet and 407,294 square feet of warehouse space. The office buildout will include trucking offices, security offices, a breakroom and open office space. The warehouse will feature a clear height of 32 feet, and 39 semi-truck docks. Completion is slated for October. Camburas & Theodore is the project architect. Abt is an electronics, appliances and home goods retailer.