The Greater Boston industrial market is busier than ever. Supply for quality warehouse and flex space is limited and the demand is at an unprecedented high. As a result, we have seen rents soar, achieving upwards of $7 to $7.50 Triple Net rent along I-495, and $9 to $11 Triple Net rent along Route 128, notable increases from just a few years ago. To coin a well-known quote from the 1989 film Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come,” and both investors and tenants continue flocking to the industrial real estate market in the Commonwealth, in some cases making their first appearance in Massachusetts, or in others looking to expand their presence here. Along with the usual suspects, we are seeing plenty of non-traditional industrial buyer groups as well as users who are now seeing the value in the region and asset class. While developers have experienced tremendous success to date with speculative builds, there are undoubtedly some potential risks on the horizon. Tenants are looking for clear heights exceeding 30 feet with as many loading docks as possible, a first-class inventory type that is far from common or plentiful in our marketplace. To accommodate changing tenant …
