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Colorado Springs Industrial Market on Pace for Another Level Year

Taylor Williams — Sat, 15 Feb 2020 12:31:59 +0000

The Colorado Springs industrial market has trended positively over the past 10 years. Though it is a very gradual trend, we are now at a point where we anticipate the market to slow or level off. The market will not see a lot of change throughout 2020, though we expect the market to stay positive due to the lack of new construction, high costs, possible hesitancy related to elections and lack of available quality industrial product. The overall vacancy rate for the Colorado Springs industrial market started the year below 7 percent. That rate has dipped lower each quarter, nearing 5 percent at the end of 2019. We foresee room for the rate to continue dropping through 2020, but believe we may see a slight rise in the vacancy rate due to some new construction and existing occupants becoming more efficient with their spaces. This industrial market has not seen the amount of new construction needed over the past two years to keep pace with the high demand the market has experienced. This will impact growth and trends throughout 2020. There was roughly 72,000 square feet of new industrial product under construction during 2019. When it comes to new construction…

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Colorado Is Experiencing Residential Growth, But Uncertainty Could Temper That

Taylor Williams — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 12:53:35 +0000

The past 10 years has brought population growth to Colorado, which many associate with Amendment 64, or the legalization of marijuana, along with an overall flat interest rate. The new issue is whether Colorado can sustain this growth, despite the heavy focus on affordability. So far, however, the state has experienced continued growth in population, income and multifamily sales volume, according to CoStar. Tapestry Segmentation also reports a median household income in the Greater Denver area of $76,094, which is 28 percent higher than the national figure reported by the U.S. Census. The Denver multifamily market is enticing to tenants as many view the option to lease as an easier path than purchasing a home. This, in turn, has enticed investors and developers to build due to demand. Investors also see opportunity in converting apartments to condos when the market shifts. At the same time, there are concerns that the Federal Reserve’s Interest on Excess Reserves (IOER) policy could present uncertainty to the overarching environment. The intention of the IOER policy is to allow banks to have a lower reserve, which is intended to remove the volatility of interest rates. However, many experts are questioning if…

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Is Class B Office the Big Play for Denver in 2020?

Taylor Williams — Sat, 08 Feb 2020 12:57:21 +0000

The Denver office market remains strong. Vacancy continued to compress in 2019 as rental rates and sale prices forged ahead to the highest levels in history, allowing landlords and sellers to remain in control of the market. Class A office transactions accounted for $1.7 billion in office sales in Denver Metro over the past year, versus $1.2 billion of Class B office sales, with average market cap rates of 6.6 percent and 7 percent, respectively. Interestingly enough, vacancy rates are higher in Class A product at 11.7 percent versus 10.1 percent in Class B. Sale prices and rental rates continued to grow in both classes. However, there was a significant difference in rental rate and sale price numbers as Class B lagged by about 20 percent to 25 percent in both categories. With a potential downturn looming, it begs the question, is Class A or Class B office a better long-term value? Considering rental rates and income are a direct derivative of what investors will pay for office buildings, investors must ask themselves whether rental rates are sustainable. It is apparent that the “chase” for the cool, hip, new Class A office is real, but the question is whether Class…

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Colorado Hotel Market Fundamentals Remain Stable Despite Increased Construction Activity

Taylor Williams — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 13:04:10 +0000

Strong gains in population and travel spending highlight Colorado as an increasingly popular place to work and visit, boosting demand for hotel rooms in the state. Leisure travel spending has climbed by 28.9 percent over the past five years, surpassing $22 billion in 2018. More than half of those funds were spent on commercial lodging. Business travel is also bolstered by companies either entering or expanding in the state. These demand factors translate to hotel occupancy and revenue metrics that have consistently exceeded the national average since 2014. Colorado’s November annual average occupancy rate rose 90 basis points year over year to 68.1 percent, compared with the national metric that held flat at about 66.2 percent. Colorado’s annual average RevPAR grew 3.8 percent over that same span, more than triple the U.S. pace, to $98.48. Robust gains in both occupancy and RevPAR demonstrate how demand for Colorado hotel rooms has outpaced numerous supply additions. The state’s inventory of hotel rooms has expanded by about 13 percent over the past five years, with 4,226 hotel rooms under construction. More than half of the keys underway will be delivered in Denver and Colorado Springs. Notable new projects in the Denver metro include…

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Denver’s Industrial Market Is Still Going Strong

Taylor Williams — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 12:22:49 +0000

Denver’s industrial real estate market continues to fire on all cylinders with 37 consecutive quarters of positive net absorption, record amounts of new supply and record-low cap rates for investment properties. The region’s industrial product has benefitted greatly from a strong and diversified economy, significant population growth both locally and regionally and the continued trend by companies to modify their supply chain to accommodate same-day deliveries. Demand has come from existing businesses that have grown organically and are now serving a larger market and carrying increased inventories. It has also come from new companies that hadn’t previously had distribution centers here but now need to serve the Colorado Front Range and the Rocky Mountain region. A new phenomenon that impacted the market recently is increased demand by tenants and users seeking build-to-suits rather than leasing or purchasing speculative buildings. One reason has been affordability, as some new developers and their capital partners have accepted significantly lower yields on cost in order to “build into” the market, compared to existing local developers that have historically commanded higher yields for speculative product. An example of this was a project built by Becknell/UBS that contained a 541,000-square-foot, cross-dock building. Haier (GE) Appliances pre-leased…

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Innovative Solutions Continue to Push the Office Market in Denver

Taylor Williams — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 12:29:43 +0000

Denver was one of the top major metros targeted by commercial real estate investors in 2018. This year is proving to be no different as the third quarter closes out with a flood of office deals. Office investors are being forced to look for deals outside Denver’s urban core. Value-add acquisitions are mainly redevelopments driven by tenant demand for “cool” workspace and talent wars. There is no arguing Denver’s office market is maturing, but there appears to be no threats of an impending plateau or decline. The headlines this year have been dominated by large office lease transactions, including WeWork tying up 220,000 square feet at McGregor Square in LoDo. WeWork has taken a commanding stance with 2 million square feet in Denver and counting. Much of that space is dedicated to enterprise office space solutions and headquarters locations. This year has also marked the notable expansion of coworking outside of Denver’s urban core into Midtown, Cherry Creek and Southeast Denver. Occupancy levels within WeWork locations historically ebb and flow with direct vacancy rates per submarket performance. For example, WeWork at Civic Center Plaza in Upper Downtown Denver has been slow to fill with memberships and term. A WeWork desk…

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Investors Continue to Pay a Premium for STNL Retail Properties in Colorado

Taylor Williams — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 12:10:33 +0000

Single-tenant, net leased (STNL) retail properties continue to be among the most highly sought-after real estate investments. This is particularly true in Colorado and California where supply and demand constraints have created sales with significant premiums. Investors are accustomed to paying low cap rates for single-tenant assets within California as these properties have historically traded for a significant premium in comparison to the rest of the nation. However, the premium associated with Colorado STNL retail properties is a fairly new phenomenon. This Colorado premium can be attributed to a considerable supply and demand imbalance. There are very few available STNL properties within Colorado, and substantial capital actively chases this product type. California-based 1031 exchange investors seeking higher yields and Colorado-based 1031 exchange investors selling multifamily properties at historic pricing (due to significant appreciation in rents and historically low cap rates) are spurring the increased demand. Colorado’s strong economy and recent population growth has also led to a lot of new development. This has impacted the quality of available properties, many of which are new construction with long-term leases. The median sold cap rate for a STNL retail property in Colorado was 6.02 percent in 2017. This represented a 38 basis…

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Industrial Investors, Developers Turn Up the Heat in Denver

Taylor Williams — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 11:56:27 +0000

Denver industrial assets are achieving record pricing as cap rates compress well below 5 percent for Class A product. As this is happening, developers are taking on hefty projects, signaling that Denver’s industrial real estate cycle is stretching its legs instead of winding down. Among the headlines: • Denver’s single largest investment transaction on record occurred in the first quarter of 2018. The Pauls Corporation sold 14 Class A, highly functional assets totaling 1.9 million square feet to Clarion Partners in the Airport submarket. • The largest speculative build of 701,900 square feet is underway by Majestic Realty. Prologis is building more than 500,000 square feet in the Central submarket, while Hyde Development kicked off the 1.8-million-square-foot 76 Commerce Center project in the “less than proven” I-76 Corridor. • Industrial land pricing has doubled in recent years to now double-digit pricing as triple-net asking lease rates approach $8 per square foot. Despite these impressive headlines, here are three reasons we expect further expansion in Denver’s industrial sector into 2019. Investor Preferences Align CBRE’s 2018 Americas Investor Intentions Survey revealed a dramatic increase in the popularity of industrial investments compared to years prior. Half of investors in the Americas are seeking…

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Denver’s Multifamily Market Tests Its Limits

Taylor Williams — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:56:50 +0000

An interesting metric was reached in the Denver multifamily market during the first quarter of 2018 — and that’s record absorption. The city already boasts accolades for quality of life, talks of strong in-migration and speculation of becoming the location for the second Amazon headquarters. After these, the most common topic of conversation for multifamily professionals is the unprecedented construction pipeline and just when will we hit an inflection point where the market won’t accept any more Class A, market-rate apartments. It seems we’re still not there. As of the first quarter of 2018, the trailing 12-month absorption was more than 10,000 units. That’s more units than what was completed in 2017 and the highest absorption on record. The result was metro-wide vacancy dipping year-over-year to 5.79 percent, limited concessions and metro-wide annual rent growth at 3.8 percent. Denver’s average rent now stands at $1,405 per unit and $1.62 per square foot. The Central Business District (CBD) experienced the most absorption this quarter, accounting for nearly 25 percent of total metro absorption. Annual rents also grew by 2.7 percent, leading the CBD to regain its title for most expensive rental submarket in Denver with rents per-unit averaging $1,835. But development…

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Denver’s Dynamic Office Market Changes Face of Downtown

Taylor Williams — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:50:21 +0000

Denver’s office market has been riding a wave of expansion, entering its ninth straight year of growth, with net absorption totaling 186,826 square feet in the first quarter of 2018. While vacancy ticked up — ending at 15.9 percent, up from 15.1 percent in the prior quarter and from 14.6 percent one year ago — it is expected to fall over the next several quarters as tenants continue to absorb space in both new and existing buildings. The Denver office market’s impressive expansion has lasted 33 consecutive quarters, resulting in a total of 9.7 million square feet of absorption, 7.4 million square feet of new deliveries and a 409-basis-point plunge in vacancy. The majority of the 9.7 million square feet absorbed between the first quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2018 occurred in three key submarkets. This included the Southeast Suburban (SES), Downtown and Northwest (NW) markets, which recorded 3.3 million, 2.9 million and 1.3 million square feet of absorption, respectively. The Downtown market ended the quarter with absorption of 214,317 square feet, and Class A median asking rates were up 39.5 percent from year-end 2009 to $39.76 per square foot. Asking rates in some of the newest…

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Denver Industrial Market is Still Climbing

Camren Skelton — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 11:45:52 +0000

Denver’s industrial market has had an impressive run so far this economic cycle – so much so that the top-of-mind-question is, “Where do we go from here?” Last year was a prolific year, attracting new investors, delivering 4.5 million square feet of Class A space and posting the fifth straight year of sub-5 percent vacancy. But the outlook for 2017 is brighter given Denver’s strong economic foundation, the arrival of e-commerce users and delivery of much-needed warehouse inventory. E-commerce Arrives in a Big Way E-commerce arrived in Denver in 2016 but is only just rolling out. Construction began earlier this year on a 1.1-million-square-foot fulfillment center, which will be the market’s largest industrial building upon completion. Several other last-mile e-commerce facilities are opening in the region that are intended to provide same-day or fresh food delivery. The local e-commerce footprint is approaching 3 million square feet in total. E-commerce companies are actively securing sites in Denver largely in response to the region’s explosive population growth. Colorado was the second-fastest-growing state in 2015, and Colorado’s Front Range communities are home to more than 5 million people. Between 2010 and 2016, Denver added nearly 1,000 new residents a week and ranked 12th…

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Five Transformative Years Elevate Denver’s Office Market

Camren Skelton — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 11:45:11 +0000

The region is creating transformative projects that are substantially elevating the desirability of its office market five years into Denver’s strong development cycle. This trend — strongest in Denver’s Central Business District (CBD) and Southeast Suburban (SES) submarkets — is attracting a new breed of tenants to the Denver landscape. About 1.4 million square feet of Class A office space has been delivered in Denver’s CBD since 2012, with an equal amount under construction. Deliveries in the previous development cycles (1999 to2003 and 2007 to 2010) were on a smaller scale, delivering about 800,000 square feet and more than 1.5 million square feet, respectively. During the 2007 to 2010 development cycle, which had the unfortunate timing of commencing right before the financial crisis, new product struggled with pre-leasing. It took an average of 10 quarters to lease up to stabilized occupancy at 85 percent. Only one project, 1800 Larimer Street, was more than 85 percent leased in the first year. In contrast, the current cycle is much different and much stronger. The amount of square footage being added to the CBD outweighs the previous other two cycles. Leasing activity is white hot as well, with new product averaging 60 percent…

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Job Growth Encourages Industrial Development

Camren Skelton — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 12:45:24 +0000

Denver’s economic growth, its reputation as a commercial hub in the Rockies and the growth in e-commerce sales are all factors contributing to the metro’s strong industrial property performance. Denver employers are on track to add 39,000 new workers to their headcounts by year end, expanding the local workforce by 2.8 percent, with the professional and business services and construction sectors driving employment gains. As household formation and retail spending has increased, demand for industrial space in Denver has followed suit. The city’s strategic position as a Western state commercial hub, along with the rapid rise in e-commerce sales, has attracted retailers and distributors, such as FedEx and Amazon, to the area. These large retailers and distributors are contributing to the high demand for industrial space, especially given the limited number of industrial property deliveries in 2015. The industrial construction pipeline is growing as a result of this demand. Spurred on by Denver’s positive economic performance, developers have expanded the industrial development pipeline, including higher levels of speculative development. About 3.7 million square feet of industrial space will have come online by the end of the year. About 1 million square feet of space was delivered in 2015. The breakneck…

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Vestar Acquires Bowles Crossing Shopping Center Near Denver for $76.1M

Nellie Day — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 13:00:45 +0000

LITTLETON, COLO. — Vestar has acquired Bowles Crossing, a 409,457-square-foot regional shopping center in the Denver suburb of Littleton, for $76.1 million. The 53.8-acre Bowles Crossing is one of the area’s top regional shopping destinations in the southwest Denver metro area. Tenants at the center include Trader Joe’s, DSW Warehouse, Ross Dress for Less, Gordmans and a newly renovated AMC Theatre. The center is located at 8055 W. Bowles Ave., at the northeast corner of Wadsworth Boulevard and Bowles Avenue. Vestar plans expand the shopping center, adding new retail, restaurants and a multifamily component. “Over the past 12 months, Vestar has acquired five retail centers valued at $670 million throughout the Western states,” says Clint Marchuk, the firm’s vice president of acquisitions. “Our goal is to continue acquiring strategic centers in key markets with strong demographics.” Vestar also recently acquired the 623,205-square-foot, open-air retail and entertainment portion of The Gateway, a retail, residential and office complex in downtown Salt Lake City. Phoenix-based Vestar is a privately held real estate company that specializes in the acquisition, management and development of commercial real estate, particularly retail. The company owns and manages more than 25 million square feet of retail assets in the…

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Lancaster Pollard Hires Rob McAdams to Open Office in Denver

Nellie Day — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 15:35:00 +0000

DENVER — Rob McAdams has joined Lancaster Pollard and will open a new office for the firm in Denver. McAdams will serve the lender’s clients in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho and will oversee the structuring and funding of healthcare project financings for hospitals and senior living providers in those states. McAdams has been involved in investment sales and debt and equity structuring for the hotel and hospitality industry since 2005 and most recently served as a partner at U.S. Hotel Advisors in Denver. In that role, he oversaw all areas of hotel debt and equity financing transactions, including new business generation, negotiation of financing terms, selection of capital providers and orchestration of closing processes. He earned master’s degrees in finance, as well as real estate and construction management, from the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business. He received a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Colorado.

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Starwood, East West Partners to Build $190M Office Property in Denver

Nellie Day — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 16:07:24 +0000

DENVER — Starwood Capital Group and East West Partners have announced plans to develop a $190 million office building in Denver’s Union Station neighborhood. The 250-foot-tall building will be known by its address, 16 Chestnut. The property will have frontage along both 16th and 17th streets. DaVite HealthCare Partners will be the first tenant. The kidney care provider will expand upon its current space, which is across the street. It will occupy about 265,000 square feet. DaVita will also have its own entrance and lobby. “When we moved to Denver, we knew we would commit to the city, to the state and to the community,” says Kent Thiry, DaVita’s chairman and CEO. “Today’s announcement of another DaVita building downtown, developed with East West Partners and Starwood Capital Group, cements that commitment.” Construction will begin in July 2016 and is scheduled for completion in October 2018. DaVita is scheduled to occupy the new space in August 2018. The remaining space will become available for lease in January 2016. The project is targeting LEED-Platinum certification. Gensler will design the building, with BuildMark providing construction management services. A general contractor has not yet been named. The development is situated adjacent to the South…

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Cardinal Group to Manage 9Seventy Near the University of Colorado at Boulder

Nellie Day — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:31:44 +0000

BOULDER, COLO. — Cardinal Group Management will manage 9Seventy in Boulder, located on the east side of the University of Colorado at Boulder. The property is comprised of 138 units across five four-story buildings. Beginning in November 2015, 9Seventy will offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes. The community will have a resident clubroom with kitchen, outdoor grilling area, views overlooking Chautauqua Park and the Flatirons, swimming pool, fitness center, business center, billiards table and guest patio. Cardinal Group Management will now manage more than 11,000 units in 20 states.

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Steadfast Apartment REIT Buys Two Denver-Area Apartment Buildings for $91M

Nellie Day — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 16:14:48 +0000

AURORA, COLO. — Steadfast Apartment REIT has purchased two apartment communities in the Denver submarket of Aurora for a total of $91 million. The acquisition includes the 304-unit Bella Terra at City Center and the 360-unit Hearthstone at City Center. The garden-style Bella Terra is located at 15400 E. Evans Ave. It was built in 1980 and is currently 98 percent occupied. The community contains a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom homes that contain an average of 676 square feet and an average rent of $917. Common-area amenities include a clubhouse, fitness center, swimming pool with spa, business center, outdoor basketball court, playground and a picnic area with barbecue stations.  Hearthstone is located at 932 S. Helena Way. It was built in 1984. The community contains a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 720 square feet to 1,501 square feet. Average in-place rents are $1,038. The property also includes a fitness center, swimming pool, business center and a playground with a basketball court. Both properties will undergo significant interior and exterior renovations. The assets are situated near the Denver Tech Center Business Corridor, Denver’s largest employment hub, which contains more than 40 million square feet of…

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Investor Demand Outpaces Retail Property Listings in Booming Denver Metro

Nellie Day — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 05:41:21 +0000

A booming Denver economy has strengthened the local real estate market, creating strong demand across all property sectors, including multifamily, housing, office and retail. The wealth effect stemming from robust employment and rising home values will specifically drive retail sales in the Denver metro this year. A thriving retail market will attract new tenants to the metro, and facilitate healthy rent growth. Employers will continue to expand in the metro, pushing total employment to a new high and drawing additional residents to the metro. Hiring will expand 3.3 percent this year as employers are expected to add 45,000 total workers to payrolls. Metro Denver has also attracted high-wage earners. For instance, Lockheed unveiled plans to add 850 high-paying jobs at its Jefferson County facility over the next few years. Meanwhile, rising housing demand has lifted the median price of an existing home nearly 60 percent over the past six years. This has caused Denver to become one of the most expensive non-coastal housing markets in the nation. High home values will positively affect how homeowners feel about their ﬁnancial situation, encouraging retail spending. Retail construction will slow this year as many developers focus on redevelopment projects like the Southwest Plaza…

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Colorado Springs Industrial Market Looks Positive

Nellie Day — Tue, 19 May 2015 10:11:47 +0000

The Colorado Springs industrial real estate market continues to rebound with a decrease in vacancy to 8.1 percent, an increase in the average asking rate to $6.19 per square foot (NNN) and a net positive absorption of 199,101 square feet. Along with these improvements, there has been a healthy number of owner/user acquisitions in the industrial market that has created a more competitive market for both tenants and owner/user buyers over the past year. Colorado Springs will also soon benefit from Sierra Nevada Corporation’s recent decision to construct its new $88-million hangar facility at the Colorado Springs Airport, a development that will significantly aid the city’s struggling southeast submarket. Designed as a 90,000-square-foot facility, construction is slated to begin in early 2016. The company estimates it will create about 2,100 new jobs. The city will further benefit from the formation of a new 225,200-square-foot FedEx distribution facility currently scheduled to open in 2016 These new developments reflect the abundance of opportunities and land options near the airport in the southeast submarkets, with available sites ranging from small sites of less than an acre to sites larger than 50 acres. The southeast area also offers a wide range of office/warehouse flex…

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