Sonny Culp of Birmingham-based Graham & Co. looks at the Birmingham industrial market through an optimist’s glasses. While the recession has slowed activity significantly — Culp estimates that the bulk distribution vacancy rate is somewhere around 20 percent — transactions are still taking place. And on the bright side, at least the current development standstill means Birmingham won’t have tons of warehouse space sitting empty for the next few months. “The economy has slowed construction, so that when the market rebounds, those projects that need to get filled first most likely will,” Culp says. Birmingham, by location and size, is a secondary market. The city’s industrial market is closely tied to the health of corporate America; when corporations do well, space gets occupied, but in the current stagnant financial situation, it’s harder to find firms hungry for a transaction. “Historically, Birmingham has always been two or three deals shy of a shortage,” Culp says. “Today, you might say that two or three figure is eight or nine.” Sales are now the territory of mom-and-pop companies, and the leasing arena mostly consists of renewals and small leases for short terms. This is the broker’s new reality. “Any transaction person is finding …
Alabama
Montgomery’s commercial real estate industry is repaving the rocky road of the recession. The small capital city is fairing well, fueled by the state government, the Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base and the car manufacturer Hyundai. Montgomery’s transportation options also make the area attractive; two major highways intersect in the city, and the Alabama River provides a shipping alternative for sea-fairing businesses. According to Jerome Moore of Montgomery-based Moore Company Realty, manufacturing helps fuel local commercial real estate because industrial activity boosts the multifamily and retail markets. The tight financial markets have affected the resiliency of the industrial market, however, and warehouse vacancy is now a little more common that it was before. The office market remains strong on the heels of government expansion. The one dark area hovering around the industry concerns the financial meltdown and the ever-changing banking landscape. “All the shakeup there, with the merger of Regents and AmSouth [banks] and Colonial’s present troubles, will create significant vacancy in the market from an office standpoint,” he says. Many office buildings were developed with significant vacant space. If a landlord purchased a building that was vacant, he’s having a hard time filling the property, but the recession hasn’t created …
The University of Alabama at Birmingham continues to be the most powerful and stable economic engine in North Central Alabama. The university offers the community high-paying jobs as both faculty and staff employees and an affordable and beneficial educational opportunity, while drawing patients and visitors to its world-class medical center from throughout the region, and in many instances, from all over the globe. Approximately 12 years ago, Alabama embarked on a program to entice automotive manufacturers to the state. That program paid off first with Mercedes, then with Honda and Hyundai, which are all located in central Alabama. Birmingham is at the center of this automotive triangle. With tens of thousands of jobs associated with the industry, Birmingham has been able to continue its manufacturing tradition with higher pay than the old iron and steel jobs of the city’s past. Despite the pressure on the automotive sector from the current economic downturn, Alabama-based manufacturers appear well-positioned to weather the storm and return to profitability. That bodes well for Birmingham, and that bodes well for Birmingham’s retail. On February 5, 2009, Birmingham-based Bruno’s Supermarkets declared Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Locally, the move surprised no one, but it did bring finality to the …
The Birmingham industrial market was much like the rest of the country in 2008. The recession reared its head in Birmingham, resulting in an overall decline in average rental rates and occupancy levels. The multi-tenant bulk distribution sector was the hardest hit, falling to 82.4 percent occupancy with a negative absorption of 206,000 square feet compared to the previous year’s 600,000 square feet of positive absorption. Surprisingly, the service center market showed positive absorption for the second year in a row, settling at 91.7 percent occupancy for the year end. There were no new developments completed in 2008, as landlords struggled to retain tenants and conserve cash. Other than the delivery of a 150,000-square-foot building currently under construction in Shelby County, we anticipate much of the same for 2009. Despite these challenges currently facing our market, several significant transactions completed in 2008 meant that the market was certainly not stagnant. Brookwood Pharmaceutical, a manufacturer and leading provider of surface modification and drug delivery technologies to the healthcare industry, acquired the former Saks corporate headquarters facility in the Lakeshore corridor. This 286,000-square-foot office and warehouse will receive an additional $30 million of capital investment. It is a prime example of Birmingham’s …
What office are you based in? Birmingham, Ala. What area is your expertise? Birmingham Industrial Market What trends do you see presently in industrial development in your area? Presently, some geographic areas of our market are soft. Primarily some of the bulk distribution markets located on the perimeter of Birmingham are experiencing a softness that our market has not seen in recent history. This softness is associated with the construction of new buildings which the market has not yet absorbed. What type of industrial product is doing well in your area? Office warehouse product is currently 91.1 percent leased. It is a very tight market with all submarkets in Birmingham experiencing the same kind of high levels of occupancy. Who are the active industrial developers in your area? There are different partnerships developing industrial product in the Birmingham market with either EGS Commercial Real Estate or Graham and Company leading the partnerships. Please name one or two significant industrial developments in your area. What impact will these projects have on the market? The most recently completed developments in our area have occurred in the Southern submarket. Shelby West and Shelby Commerce Park, IV are each significant developments (approximately 250,000 square …
What area is your expertise? Office brokerage and development, Birmingham, Ala. What trends do you see presently in office development in your area? Class A buildings, but very little supply in 2008. Who are the active office developers in your area? EGS Commercial Real Estate, Colonial Properties and Daniel Corporation Please name one or two significant office developments in your area. What impact will these projects have on the market? Colonial Brookwood Center, developed by Colonial Properties and located adjacent to Colonial Brookwood Village. Completed in May 2007 and added 150,000 square feet of Class A space to the Midtown market. The building was 100 percent leased at the time of completion. Where is the majority of development taking place? Why is this area doing well? The majority of development is taking place in the Midtown submarket, primarily because of its proximity to Birmingham’s upscale residential areas and its access to the Central Business District (CBD). What area do you expect to be the next big development market? Why? Suburbs and the Midtown market What areas are doing well in terms of office leasing? Which areas are struggling with office leasing? Midtown and Highway 280 are the tightest submarkets currently, …
What area is your expertise? Birmingham Retail Market What trends do you see presently in retail development in your area? Retail development continues to be driven by discount anchors and grocery stores. What type of retail product is doing well in your area? Of note, fourth quarter saw most retail absorption take place in neighborhood retail properties. Also, a new Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in the Eastern/Irondale submarket. All retail is doing well in our market with occupancy at approximately 91.2 percent. What retailers are new to your area? ALOC Grocery is new to the market along with several smaller national chain stores. Who are the active retail developers in your area? Colonial Properties Trust has done the most retail development in the past several years. Please name one or two significant retail developments in your area. What impact will these projects have on the market? Colonial Promenade in Fultondale, located in the Northern submarket, opened in Fall 2007 — Target, Best Buy and Books-A-Million Colonial Promenade in Alabaster, located in the Highway 31 south submarket, Phase II opened in August 2007 — Target, JCPenney and Best Buy The Grove in Hoover, located in the Hoover/Riverchase submarket, planned for 2009 — …
What area is your expertise? • Huntsville, Ala. What trends do you see presently in industrial development in your area? • Speculative construction in the 50,000 to 200,000-square-foot range What type of industrial product is doing well in your area? • 5,000 to 10,000-square-foot buildings Who are the active industrial developers in your area? • Industrial Properties of the South, Triad Development and Graham & Co. Please name one or two significant industrial developments in your area. What impact will these projects have on the market? • Graham & Co. developed a 208,000-square-foot warehouse in 2007 at 255 Short Pike Road. Triad Properties is developing a 102,000-square-foot flex building on New Loop Road across from the Huntsville Airport. Industrial Properties of the South has developed two 42,000-square-foot warehouses on Electronics Boulevard. This new speculative environment for industrial product has been a catalyst for local expansion, new business and new jobs. Where is the majority of development taking place? Why is this area doing well? • Huntsville Airport area – final parcels of Jetplex Industrial Park are being developed. What area do you expect to be the next big industrial development market? Why? • West Huntsville/Greenbrier exit. 5 miles from Interstate …
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