— 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 …
MODESTO, CALIF. — The Mogharebi Group (TMG) has directed the sale of Summerview Apartments, a 136-unit multifamily community located at 3601 Prescott Road in Modesto. Summerview Apartments ABC LP acquired the asset from San Francisco-based Tesseract Capital Group for $37.6 million. Built in 1988, Summerview Apartments features 20 one- and two-story buildings offering one- and two-bedroom floor plans with full-sized washers/dryers. The previous owner renovated 120 of the 136 units. Renovated apartments include stainless steel appliances, Shaker cabinets, stone countertops, modern water fixtures, vinyl plank flooring, new baseboards, two-toned paint, LED-recessed lighting and modern ceiling fans. Community amenities include a resort-style pool and spa, fitness center, secure parcel lockers and a leasing office. Otto Ozen, Brian Nakamura and Nazli Santana of TMG represented the seller in the deal.
SAN DIEGO — Ambient Communities has purchased Consulate Hotel, a shuttered hotel located at 2901 Nimitz Blvd. in San Diego’s Point Loma neighborhood, from Noble Legacy LLC for $17.4 million. Al Apuzzo, Matt Weaver, Alex Bentley and Brianna Lehman of Lee & Associates represented the seller, while Rick Wu and Austin Dias of Duhs Commercial represented the buyer in the transaction. The buyer plans to convert the property, which includes a bar (ABC 47), restaurant and amenity space, into market-rate and student housing apartments. The 63,234-square-foot building, situated on 0.9 acres, was originally built in 1971. The transaction closed with entitlements in place for the proposed redevelopment.
DENVER — Evergreen Devco has broken ground on Superblock, a two-building industrial project located at 4439 N. Telluride St. and 17688 E. 45th Ave. in Denver’s Airport submarket. The speculative development is slated for completion in first-quarter 2026. Situated on 16.5 acres, Superblock will feature a 154,702-square-foot building and a 124,672-square-foot building, designed for flexibility to accommodate a variety of tenants from distribution to manufacturing operations. Additionally, Superblock will offer 39 trailer parking stalls. The site offers connectivity with direct access to Peña Boulevard, Interstate 70 and E-470, as well as immediate proximity to Denver International Airport. Keiffer Garton, Tyler Carner and Jeremy Ballenger of CBRE are handling leasing for the properties.
SAN DIEGO — Pacific Coast Commercial has arranged the sale of a multi-tenant office property located at 9466 Black Mt. Road in San Diego’s Miramar neighborhood. Hindu Mandir Society of San Diego acquired the asset from 9466 BMR LLC for $6.6 million. The two-story, 31,575-square-foot building was constructed in 1977 as a racquetball facility and converted to a multi-tenant office property in 1983. Bo Gibbons, Brian Crepeau and Daniel Goodman of Pacific Coast Commercial represented the seller, while Paul Britvar of Lee & Associates represented the buyer in the deal.
TUCSON, ARIZ. — TMC Holdings Inc. has purchased 2.4 acres of land at Pavilions Lots 9 and 10 at 10330 E. Drexel Road in Tucson. Houghton Drexel LLC sold the assets for $3.4 million. Richard M. Kleiner and Alexis Corona of Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR represented the buyer, while Chad Kouts of Jump Ventures and Cameron Warren of Phoenix Commercial Advisors represented the seller in the deal.
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIF. — The Bascom Group has acquired Highridge Apartments, a value-add multifamily property in Ranchos Palos Verdes, for $127 million, or $494,163 per unit. Built in 1972, Highridge Apartments has undergone significant upgrades and renovations over the years, including the addition of in-unit washers/dryers and enhanced amenities. The community features 257 apartments, averaging 1,157 square feet, as well as 28 loft-style units with high ceilings. Property amenities include ample parking, two pools and spas, two fitness centers, a tennis court and a clubhouse. Bascom plans to renovate unit interiors to a Class A standard and enhance amenities. Annie Rice and Jamie Kline of JLL Capital Markets arranged the debt financing for the acquisition, while AXA Investment Managers US Inc. provided the acquisition loan. Blake Rogers and Kevin Sheehan of JLL Investment Sales represented the undisclosed seller in the deal. AMC will provide property management services for the community and SD-Cap will manage planned property renovations.
RENO, NEV. — JLL Capital Markets has arranged refinancing for HERE Reno, a student housing community serving the University of Nevada, Reno. JLL represented the borrower, Article Student Living, in facilitating the three-year, floating-rate financing with PPM America Inc. Located at 920 Evans Ave., HERE Reno offers 636 beds in studio, one-, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom, fully furnished apartments, a 24-hour fitness center, a study lounge with private rooms, hot tub and sundeck, coffee and breakfast bar, clubroom with kitchen and gaming zones and a club lounge. The asset was built in 2022.
PETALUMA, CALIF. — Brixton Capital has acquired Washington Square, a retail property in Petaluma, from El Segundo, Calif.-based Paragon Commercial Group for $67.5 million. Bryan Ley, Eric Kathrein and Warren McClean of JLL represented the seller, while Brixton was self-represented in the deal. Located at 301 S. McDowell Blvd., the eight-building property features 215,506 square feet that is more than 99 percent leased. Current tenants include Safeway, Staples, Harbor Freight Tools, Planet Fitness, Five Below and Marin Health. Originally built in 1971 and renovated in 1996, Brixton Capital plans to renovate the property with parking lot improvements, roof replacements, exterior painting, HVAC upgrades and façade enhancements. Additionally, the company plans to renovate the landscaping and update the signage to enhance curb appeal.