The Louisville office market is taking diverse paths forward following the pandemic. The suburban Class A market is thriving with new construction, rental rate growth and resiliency in the face of downsizing tenants and negative absorption. A flight to quality among tenants has benefited local developers such as NTS Development, which has been constructing first-class, next-generation buildings at ShelbyHurst Office Campus since 2012. NTS recently completed its fifth speculative office building at the project, 425 North Whittington, a four-story, 130,000-square-foot building that is 60 percent leased with strong leasing activity. The flight to quality is driving tenants to choose higher-quality buildings with more expensive rental rates to help attract and retain talent and cater to a hybrid workforce. Traditional downtown occupiers are also considering the suburbs for the first time to create a workplace that draws employees back to the office. Suburban vacancy rates have increased since the end of 2019, with the Class A rate increasing by 490 basis points to 13.5 percent and the Class B vacancy rate increasing by 440 basis points to 15.2 percent as of second-quarter 2022. The average asking rental rate for Class A suburban space rose during this period despite increased vacancy rates. …
