Missouri

Surging rental demand for apartments in metro Kansas City during the first six months of 2015 supported a sharp rise in real estate fundamentals following a lackluster second half of 2014. Renters absorbed 2,510 apartments during the first half of this year, surpassing the 1,810 apartments completed during the same period a year ago. With leasing activity exceeding deliveries so far this year, the overall vacancy rate fell 60 basis points to 5 percent by the end of June. The decline followed a spike in vacancy and negative absorption in the fourth quarter of 2014. The recent resurgence in leasing resulted in the vacancy rate in June matching the 5 percent rate one year ago. Supply-side pressure was most noticeable in the Class A apartment segment, which po sted an increase of 60 basis points in the vacancy rate year-over-year to reach 4.2 percent in June. Even with the increase, the vacancy rate was tightest among top-tier apartments, while Class C vacancy tightened 20 basis points during the same period to settle at 5.3 percent in June. A Landlord’s Market As a result of Kansas City’s apartment vacancy rate tightening during the first half of this year, operators were able …

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E-commerce and business-to-consumer companies could overtake the automotive industry when it comes to driving growth in Kansas City’s modern bulk distribution segment of the industrial market. Auto suppliers filled the first wave of new space in the Kansas City industrial market. But now that those needs have primarily been met, new industry sectors are needed to fill the second wave of development. E-commerce and business-to-consumer companies could be the dominant users. These companies are capitalizing on the fact that 85 percent of the U.S. population can be reached from Kansas City in a two-day truck drive, according to KC Smart Port, a nonprofit organization that works to attract freight-based companies to the Kansas City area. Through in-house transportation studies, KC Smart Port is coming to the conclusion that it strategically makes sense for the distribution centers of e-commerce companies to be located in Kansas City. Recommendations from UPS, FedEx and third-party consultants also help e-commerce companies — located on both the East and West coasts — make that decision. Business-to-consumer companies operating a one-, three- or five-building model find that Kansas City works well logistically as it is in the middle of the country. Inherent Advantages Locating in Kansas City allows …

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Family-owned grocers Schnucks and Dierbergs solidified their position as the primary grocers across the St. Louis metro area when Schnucks acquired 57 stores from National Supermarkets in 1995. But after several years of these two chains dominating the grocery sector, an influx of fresh-format grocery stores is shaking up the market by offering shoppers fresh, local, organic — and in some cases more affordable — whole food choices. These new chains — typically half the size of traditional grocers — appeal to a younger customer, as well as those looking to supplement their grocery shopping or find items for special occasions. Consumers interested in the offerings of fresh-format grocers are willing to drive farther to shop at their stores. New Entrants Abound Fields Foods, a “homegrown” fresh-format grocer, opened its first location in the Lafayette Square neighborhood in January 2014. The newly constructed 37,000-square-foot, stand-alone building is just south of downtown’s central business district. The grocer markets produce provided by farmers within 100 miles of the store, and also features a wine bar and personal shoppers. This unique, full-service grocer is locally owned and was the first fresh-format store to enter the metro area. Fields Foods has plans to expand …

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TGIFridays

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $2.9 million sale of TGI Friday’s, an 8,000-square-foot net-leased property located in Springfield. The property is located at 3242 S. Stewart Ave. Chad Lieber and Dominic Sulo of Marcus & Millichap’s Chicago Oak Brook office represented the seller, a private investor. Brett Chetek, a broker in Marcus & Millichap’s St. Louis office, assisted in closing the transaction.

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Statistically speaking, retail real estate market conditions have remained relatively stable in St. Louis throughout 2014 and early 2015. Close to 88,000 square feet of new retail space was delivered in the first quarter of this year, resulting in a slight uptick in vacancies. At the end of the first quarter, the overall vacancy rate stood at 7.3 percent, up 10 basis points from the prior quarter, according to CoStar Group. The pace of new development is expected to escalate this year, with several new projects on the drawing board: • Pace Properties is under contract in Midtown — across from the IKEA that will soon open — to develop Midtown Station. The project will include 150,000 square feet of retail space. • Summit Development Group is under contract in Richmond Heights to develop a mixed-use project totaling 120,000 square feet that will feature a combination of restaurant and retail space — possibly even a grocer — and a hotel. The project will be known as The Crossings at Richmond Heights. • The city of Kirkwood has approved plans to redevelop the southeast and southwest corners of Lindbergh Boulevard and Manchester Road to make way for a Fresh Thyme Farmers …

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Hilton KCI Exterior

KANSAS CITY, MO. — Laurus Corp. has completed a $10 million renovation on the Hilton Kansas City Airport Hotel. The property is located at 8801 NW 112th St. All 347 guest rooms and guest bathrooms saw renovations including new carpeting, stonework and modern artwork. All three ballrooms include 21,000 square feet of total meeting space and the largest meeting room accommodates up to 700 people in a theater-style setting. The newly renovated indoor/outdoor pool and lounge is designed to create an oasis for guests to relax and unwind. In addition, the restaurant and bar was revamped and now operates as Asado Grill. Surrounded by more than 6 million square feet of office space, including several Fortune 500 companies, the hotel offers proximity to shopping, dining and other entertainment venues.

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Busch-Stadium

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority (RSA) has contracted Kwame Building Group Inc. (KWAME) to provide project management support to John Loyd, RSA’s developer’s representative, for the proposed NFL stadium on the St. Louis riverfront. The RSA contracted John Loyd as its developer’s representative to consult on stadium design and construction. The Hunt Construction Group/Clayco (HCKL) construction management team will report to Loyd. Hunt Construction, in association with Kwame Building Group, served as the design-build contractor on the $270 million Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis, with Loyd as the owner’s representative. Construction of the new stadium would create more than 5,000 construction jobs over a four-year period, in addition to retaining a major regional employer and more than 2,400 game-day jobs.

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The big story in the St. Louis office market is that available Class A space continues to become more scarce. As we watch the larger blocks of space being absorbed, and as Class A asking rates continue to increase, the probability for new development seems inevitable, leaving some property owners wondering if they should move forward and build. Although little new office construction is underway, the tightening market has undoubtedly prompted conversations. Expect projects to surface once developers land their first major tenant. The most likely submarkets for new development are in Clayton and West County, where many tenants requiring more than 25,000 contiguous square feet of office space are looking. You cannot have a full recovery for office occupancy until employment increases and the abundance of empty desks is absorbed. The local unemployment rate reached its peak of 10.9 percent in February 2010. The good news is that the unemployment rate hit a six-year low of 5.4 percent in October 2014. This significant drop can be attributed to the gain of over 11,000 jobs since January 2014 in the professional and business services sector. The St. Louis office market ended the year at a 10.5 vacancy rate, with Class …

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Gateway-673

After a recession-induced lull, speculative construction is back in full swing in the St. Louis industrial sector. Record-setting absorption in 2014 drove vacancy rates to near record lows, and spurred speculative construction on both the Missouri and Illinois side of the Mississippi River. With activity on both fronts, it’s clear that the St. Louis industrial market is well past recovery mode and into growth mode. The St. Louis industrial market posted net absorption of 5.2 million square feet in 2014, passing the all-time record for annual absorption set back in 2005 by more than 20 percent. This is more than double the square feet absorbed in 2013, which itself was a banner year. The positive absorption figure has significantly affected the market’s overall industrial vacancy rate, dropping it to 6.3 percent — the lowest rate since 2005. The Class A vacancy dropped to an impressive 4.1 percent and modern bulk vacancy rate stands at 4.6 percent. Just as in 2006-2007 when nearly 5 million square feet of new construction was delivered, St. Louis is seeing a surge of new construction with these historic vacancy rates. The lack of available industrial space has drastically changed the landscape for tenants during the …

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