Gerald Divaris, chairman and CEO of Divaris Group of Companies and a panelist at last week’s Entertainment Experience Evolution (EEE) conference, produced by France Media’s Shopping Center Business and InterFace Conference Group, has a Shakespearean take on today’s retail environment. It’s that all the (retail) world’s a stage. “Retail is essentially entertainment,” he told a crowd of 500 attendees during the Leading Retail Landlords Panel at EEE, which was held Feb. 25-26 at the J.W. Marriott LA Live. “Otherwise, you’d be buying on Amazon.” Editor’s note: InterFace Conference Group, a division of France Media Inc., produces networking and educational conferences for commercial real estate executives. To sign up for email announcements about specific events, visit www.interfaceconferencegroup.com/subscribe. Divaris expanded upon this notion, citing that even supermarkets have entertaining “stations,” TJ Maxx provides the opportunity to treasure hunt and Barnes & Noble has made a major comeback by doing little more than allowing guests to thumb through books. Panel moderator Nick Egelanian, president of SiteWorks, noted much of the current retail experience can be divided into two categories, though it may not be an even split. There are the items consumers want to buy quickly and easily (and arguably cheaply) online, and …
Property Type
Semiconductor Manufacturer TSMC to Invest $100B in US, Including Development of Six New Facilities
by John Nelson
HSINCHU, TAIWAN —TSMC (NYSE: TSM), a Taiwanese manufacturer of semiconductors, has announced plans to invest at least $100 billion in the United States, which would bring the company’s total investment in its U.S. manufacturing base to $165 billion. As part of the new round of investment, TSMC plans to develop three more fabs (i.e. manufacturing plants), two advanced packaging facilities and a major research-and-development (R&D) center in Arizona. Once fully realized, the project will be solidified as the “largest single foreign direct investment in U.S. history,” according to TSMC. The construction timeline was not disclosed, but U.S. President Donald Trump and TSMC CEO C.C. Wei announced the investment at a press conference on Monday, with Trump saying the investment will be made “over the next short period of time.” TSMC’s expanded investment is expected to support 40,000 construction jobs over the next four years and create tens of thousands of high-tech jobs in advanced chip manufacturing and R&D, which Trump said would range between 20,000 and 25,000 jobs. Yahoo! Finance reported that Intel is currently the only computer chip manufacturer with a dedicated R&D center in the United States. TSMC is currently building out its 1,100-acre campus in north Phoenix, …
— Dave Carder, Senior Vice President, Kidder Mathews — The state of Phoenix’s office market is not easily summed up with a catchy headline or a few brief bullet points. Along with most large metropolitan areas across the country, Phoenix has struggled with lower demand, rising vacancies and a shift toward hybrid workweeks. However, several emerging trends are creating positive shifts in the market that should be noted as we look to 2025 and beyond. The average vacancy rate of the Phoenix office market over the past decade was 18.5 percent. That includes a low of 13.9 percent in 2019 and a high of 24.8 percent in 2024. Gross leasing absorption averaged nearly 7 million square feet annually, with a high of nearly 7.9 million square feet in 2019 and a low of 5.5 million square feet last year. Net leasing absorption showed a similar pattern, peaking at 3.1 million square feet in 2019 and declining to negative 2.2 million square feet in 2024. These trends point to 2019 being the market’s best-performing pre-pandemic year across all three metrics. Despite 2024’s gross leasing absorption (5.5 million square feet) being close to the 10-year average, the significant rise in vacancy and …
— By Sebastian Bernt and Erick Parulan of Avison Young — The Orange County office market continues to show resilience, particularly compared to urban centers like Downtown Los Angeles. Its suburban environment, coupled with higher office utilization rates, has made it an attractive option for businesses adapting to evolving workplace strategies. As a result, leasing activity has remained steady with availability stabilizing and tenant demand holding firm. Total leasing volume reached 1.6 million square feet in the fourth quarter of 2024, bringing the annual total to 7.8 million square feet. Notable transactions included Willow Laboratories, which signed a 63,440-square-foot lease at 121 Theory Drive in Irvine, and Acrisure, which secured 59,409 square feet at 611 Anton Blvd in Costa Mesa. While leasing slowed slightly in the fourth quarter, demand for modern, amenity-rich office spaces remained strong as companies continued implementing return-to-office strategies. This demand has pushed average asking lease rates to $35.05 per square foot, reflecting a broader shift toward high-quality, collaborative work environments that prioritize employee engagement and workplace experience. Orange County’s growing residential appeal has further fueled office demand as young professionals and families increasingly opt for a suburban lifestyle. As a result, companies are prioritizing locations with …
BEE CAVE AND GEORGETOWN, TEXAS — Virginia-based multifamily REIT AvalonBay Communities (NYSE: AVB) has agreed to acquire Cielo and Retreat at Wolf Ranch, two apartment communities in the Austin area, for a combined purchase price of $187 million. The seller is BSR REIT, and the deal is expected to close in late March. Cielo is a 554-unit apartment community in Bee Cave, located west of the state capital, that was built in 2015. Retreat at Wolf Ranch, a 303-unit community located in the northern suburb of Georgetown, was acquired by Arkansas-based BSR in summer 2020 for $51.6 million.
COPPELL, TEXAS — Houston-based developer Alliance Industrial has broken ground on 300 Freeport, a 186,291-square-foot distribution center in Coppell, located in the northern-central part of the metroplex. The site spans 13 acres, and the development will feature a rear-load configuration, 32-foot clear heights and 233 trailer parking stalls. Project partners include Seeberger Architecture, Langan Engineering, Alliance Industrial Builders and Stream Realty Partners. Completion of 300 Freeport is slated for the first quarter of 2026.
HOUSTON — JLL has brokered the sale of 1255 Enclave, a 171,091-square-foot office building in the Energy Corridor area of West Houston. Completed on 6.7-acres in 1999, the six-story building is situated within a 120-acre, 3 million-square-foot development known as The Enclave and offers amenities such as a fitness center and outdoor dining and gathering spaces. The sale also included a 676-space parking garage. Kevin McConn and Marty Hogan of JLL represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. The buyer, Harmony Public Schools, plans to house back-office functions within the building.
BURLESON, TEXAS — Elevate Commercial Investment Group has purchased Camden Crossings, a 144-unit apartment complex located south of Fort Worth in Burleson. Built in 2023, Camden Crossings offers studio, one- and two-bedroom units that are furnished with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and private balconies. Amenities include a pool, pickleball court and a pet park. The seller, the original developer, requested anonymity. The sales price was approximately $23 million, based on a stated per-door price of $160,000.
SAN ANTONIO — A partnership between OCI Development, Atlantic Pacific Cos. and Opportunity Home San Antonio has completed Vista at Silver Oaks, a 76-unit affordable housing project on the city’s north side. Residences come in two- and three-bedroom layouts and are entirely reserved for renters earning 60 percent or less of the area median income. In addition to business and fitness centers, residents have access to services such as monthly social events, tax preparation classes, health and wellness programming and afterschool care. Construction began in August 2023.
MANASSAS, VA. — Penzance has acquired Gateway & Linden, a six-building industrial portfolio totaling 212,086 square feet in Manassas, for $55 million. The transaction includes two industrial flex parks, Gateway Centre and Linden Business Center, where Penzance plans to lease current and upcoming vacancies up to 33,000 square feet. Additionally, office suites will be converted for industrial use by raising dropped ceilings and adding dock doors. Built in 1988, Gateway Centre is located at 7201-7401 Gateway Court and totals 102,277 square feet. Linden Business Center, built in 2001, is situated at 7245-7795 Coppermine Drive and totals 109,809 square feet. JLL’s Metro D.C. industrial team will lead leasing efforts for the property and Penzance’s in-house property management team will oversee operations. Bill Putting, Craig Childs and Chris Dale of JLL’s Mid-Atlantic Capital Markets team served as the advisors for the transaction.