Retail

— By Bryan Ledbetter of Western Retail Advisors — Phoenix’s retail market continues to surge. Vacancies are dipping below 5 percent, gross absorption is exceeding 1.5 million square feet in the third quarter and asking triple-net rates continue to increase, reaching into the mid-$50 to $60 per square foot range for newly constructed space. West Valley Leads the Charge in New Development After decades of limited retail construction, metro Phoenix — and the West Valley, in particular — are flush with new space. Projects like SimonCRE’s Prasada in Surprise and Vestar’s Verrado in Buckeye are among the major new developments providing the high-end availability that tenants and residents have been asking for. Although elevated debt and construction costs have tempered new development, more than 1.2 million square feet is still under construction. The lion’s share of that product is already pre-leased. This keeps developers and investors bullish on Phoenix, and on the lookout for the Valley’s next development frontier. Though the West Valley reigns as Phoenix’s latest retail boom market, outliers in the East Valley are teeing up for their turn in the spotlight. Apache Junction is a great example… Far Southeast Valley Emerges as a Growth EngineA neighbor of …