North Carolina Archives - REBusinessOnline https://rebusinessonline.com/tag/north-carolina/ Commercial Real Estate from Coast to Coast Tue, 20 Aug 2019 14:33:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://rebusinessonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cropped-REBusiness-logo-512px-32x32.png North Carolina Archives - REBusinessOnline https://rebusinessonline.com/tag/north-carolina/ 32 32 Banking, Tech Employment Usher Charlotte’s Office Market Into the Future https://rebusinessonline.com/banking-tech-employment-usher-charlottes-office-market-into-the-future/ Tue, 20 Aug 2019 12:03:20 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=236657 The momentum of the Charlotte office market continued in the first quarter of 2019, as office rents rose for an eighth consecutive quarter and the city notched a major economic development win with the announcement that BB&T and SunTrust would merge, creating a new bank that will be headquartered in Charlotte. The news came on the heels of announcements late last year that Honeywell plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to the city and that LendingTree would expand its headquarters, creating 436 jobs over five years. The city’s economic strength has been fueled by a growing labor market that was led by the tech sector in 2018. Last fall, CompTIA’s 2018 Tech Town Index found that Charlotte is the No. 1 city for information technology workers when it comes to job opportunity and cost of living. At the time of the report, more than 44,000 IT jobs had been posted in Charlotte over the previous 12 months. That number is projected to grow by 11 percent over the next five years as Bank of America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co. and Ally Financial look to fill IT jobs at all levels. Office rental rates in Charlotte increased by 6.5 percent…

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Charlotte’s Industrial Market Is in Aggressive Expansion Mode https://rebusinessonline.com/charlottes-industrial-market-is-in-aggressive-expansion-mode/ Mon, 19 Aug 2019 12:00:13 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=236654 Charlotte has been in expansion mode for several years, due to population growth, excellent logistics infrastructure, low operating costs and low unionization rates. At the mid-point of 2019, the market continues to expand at a healthy rate and is growing outward into Cabarrus, York and Gaston counties. This expansion follows a strong 12-month period ending first-quarter 2019 when nearly 6 million square feet of new product was delivered. Now encompassing 322 million square feet of space, Charlotte is the second largest industrial market in the Southeast. Charlotte’s accessible location and low cost of doing business is attracting many e-commerce and logistics providers, as well as more traditional industrial businesses looking to expand or realign their space requirements. One common theme is consolidation of business units, which has been a significant benefit to the Charlotte market. Among the examples are J.J. Haines & Co. consolidating its Carolina warehousing operations from several Carolinas locations into a 500,000-square-foot distribution center in Cabarrus County and Staples consolidating from multiple Charlotte facilities into a 600,000-square-foot logistics center in south Charlotte. Driven by available land and access to key transportation routes, a look at the market’s growth patterns shows that development and leasing are extending up…

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Tech, Co-Working Shine in Raleigh-Durham’s Downtown Submarkets https://rebusinessonline.com/tech-co-working-shine-in-raleigh-durhams-downtown-submarkets/ Sun, 09 Dec 2018 12:16:27 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=219230 The question today for office tenants and investors is not why Raleigh-Durham, but why not. The Raleigh-Durham market is defined by continued job growth and a thriving technology sector. The Triangle is enjoying significant rent growth, strong absorption and major construction that now has a Downtown Raleigh and a Downtown Durham. Raleigh-Durham’s overall growth continues and was recently ranked No. 1 in the Southeast in projected population growth, posting a 10.3 percent growth rate from 2017 to 2022. This figure is nearly double the 5.5 percent average growth rate for Southeastern cities. Job growth is the primary driver of the region’s expanding presence with over 30,000 jobs added in 2018 through the first half of the year, already surpassing the 24,000 jobs added in all of 2017. Over the last year, we have seen Infosys (2,000), Credit Suisse (1,200), LabCorp (400) and Ipreo (250) announce major job additions to the area. Most recently, Amazon announced 1,500 jobs that will be required for its new fulfillment center. The tech sector is a major contributor to those jobs, and there is a lot of talk about a well-known e-commerce giant and a major technology giant bringing a significant presence to our market.…

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Charlotte Companies Getting in on Amenities Arms Race to Attract Top Office Users https://rebusinessonline.com/charlotte-companies-getting-in-on-amenities-arms-race-to-attract-top-office-users/ Mon, 20 Aug 2018 11:30:55 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=209606 Companies looking to attract and retain talent are now offering top amenities, a modern office space and a healthy work environment with a sense of community. Employees are a company’s most vital asset, and firms are willing to pay a higher rate for office space if it provides a place that employees want to work. One of the trends this year in commercial office space is enhancing the work environment. According to a recent Pew Research Center analysis, millennials have become the largest generation in the U.S. workforce. To attract today’s workers, office users must offer an overabundance of amenities. Companies are now providing gaming lounges that include video games, foosball, air hockey and darts. They are also offering napping rooms, coffee shops with baristas and even onsite bars with wine and craft beer on tap. This type of atmosphere enhances employee interaction and provides the employee a place to relax while at work. Technology allows employees to be more efficient, but it will never replace the connection that happens with face-to-face conversations. Companies are looking to create an atmosphere where employees can collaborate throughout the workday, which in turn has a positive effect on worker productivity. The key to…

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Renter Demand, Investor Interest are Strong in Carolinas’ Top Multifamily Markets https://rebusinessonline.com/renter-demand-investor-interest-are-strong-in-carolinas-top-multifamily-markets/ Mon, 13 Aug 2018 11:30:36 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=209595 Several Carolinas markets continue to top national lists for job and population growth, particularly Charlotte and the Triangle. The quality of living and strong fundamentals draw both millennial renters and empty nesters, with no slowdown in demand in sight. In turn, capital continues to pour into the region’s multifamily sector as investors chase higher yields and lower supply pressure while cap rates linger near historical lows. Multifamily Momentum With the record-setting pace of single-family pricing in these markets, renting remains a more attractive option. Developers are responding accordingly and now build product squarely aimed at specific renter demographics. Specifically, developers have raised the level of quality and amenities in the suburban product similar to that of the urban infill movement earlier in the cycle. Strong demographics in these locations produce a renter accustomed to a high level of quality in the unit interiors while also placing value on the convenience and quality of onsite amenities. That’s because empty-nesters are challenging a singular focus on millennials. To many developers’ surprise, the active-adult demographic has shown up to rent much of the luxury product in both the urban core and suburban locations. Steady Inventory Most data providers that track new supply do…

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Industrial Developers are Building for the Long Term in Charlotte https://rebusinessonline.com/industrial-developers-are-building-for-the-long-term-in-charlotte/ Mon, 06 Aug 2018 11:30:55 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=209570 As demand for e-commerce and corporate distribution space continues to drive supply chain expansion in the Southeast, many developers are designing facilities to accommodate the truck-dependent, labor-driven operations present today and for the near-term. While robotics and automated vehicles are exciting to dream about, the reality is that these innovations are not expected to impact industrial building design any time soon in the Southeast. Modern industrial buildings that can support heavier than average employee parking needs while also providing abundant trailer storage are the standard for new projects. At the same time, these buildings need to support advanced technology, automation and extensive stacking and sorting operations. By building with an eye toward long-term tenant needs, developers are working to differentiate themselves in this highly competitive environment. These trends are particularly apparent in the Charlotte market, where developers have added 4.5 million square feet of industrial space over the past year. With a 5.3 percent vacancy rate in the first quarter of 2018, the market is well positioned to absorb the additional 4.7 million square feet of projects in the pipeline. Of that total, 62 percent is either preleased or set to be owner-occupied. Modern Design Demands At the core of…

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Investment Activity for Class B, C Multifamily on the Rise in Triangle https://rebusinessonline.com/investment-activity-for-class-b-c-multifamily-on-the-rise-in-triangle/ Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:30:29 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=196139 Solid fundamentals in tandem with soaring population growth in the Triangle market continues to drive rents and occupancy to record highs. Raleigh is repeatedly recognized as one of the nation’s best places to live, work and start a business. As a result, the market has a projected population growth of over 73 percent through the year 2044, outpacing cities such as Boston, Atlanta, Nashville and San Francisco, creating a snowball effect of investment and interest. Investors are finding the greatest opportunities in the value-add space in Raleigh for B and C-class product. Significant shortage of single-family home availability in the Triangle region has forced young and new families to turn to multifamily properties as a housing solution. Due to the demand for mid-size accommodation within middle-class budgets, and very few neighborhoods in that criteria, Class B and C apartments have seen a surge in interest, and in turn, attraction of investor attention. Of the 84 multifamily properties sold through Dec. 1 in 2017, 75 were considered Class B or C and totaled over $1.3 billion, or 76 percent of total Raleigh-Durham multifamily market investment in that time frame. Developers have slightly overbuilt Class A property downtown, resulting in a softening…

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Triangle Riding High Amid New Retail Development in Downtown Submarkets https://rebusinessonline.com/triangle-riding-high-amid-new-retail-development-in-downtown-submarkets/ Mon, 19 Feb 2018 12:30:27 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=196137 The Triangle continues to attract national attention due to job growth, relatively low cost of living, economic diversity, a central East Coast location and its access to three world-class universities. Additionally, the Triangle’s unemployment rates are below the state and national averages. These are some of the driving forces that bring nearly 80 residents a day to the metro area, as recently published by U.S. News & World Report. Triangle retailers, developers and investors are taking advantage of this momentum, and the local retail market is thriving as a result. At the conclusion of third-quarter 2017, the Triangle retail vacancy was 6.7 percent. This represents a 60-basis point increase year-over-year. However, there was over 340,000 square feet of positive net absorption during the same quarter. This stat marks the highest quarter of positive absorption for the market since the second quarter of 2014. There were several notable retail deliveries in 2017, such as Carolina Square, containing nearly 50,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. The mixed-use project is located along Franklin Street in Chapel Hill and is a joint venture between Cousins Properties and Northwood Ravin. The retail portion of Carolina Square delivered 84 percent preleased and is anchored…

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Tenants Gain Leverage in Raleigh-Durham Office Market as Supply Comes On Line https://rebusinessonline.com/tenants-gain-leverage-in-raleigh-durham-office-market-as-supply-comes-on-line/ Mon, 12 Feb 2018 12:30:01 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=196135 Eight years into the recovery, Raleigh-Durham’s office market conditions remain decidedly in favor of landlords, but increased construction following years of limited development activity is at last providing much needed new leasing opportunities for tenants. While a combination of factors, including new construction, drove office vacancy higher by the second half of 2017, the market began the year with the tightest Class A leasing market witnessed since the dot-com boom. Class A vacancy bottomed out in the first quarter of 2017 at 9.1 percent, down from a cyclical peak of 17.6 percent in the third quarter of 2009, and the lowest level since fourth-quarter 2000. Class A vacancy rose to 11 percent in the third quarter of 2017 as a wave of new deliveries hit the market. Total vacancy ended the third quarter at 13.5 percent, up 70 basis points year-over-year. It is worth noting that this figure includes a handful of large, formerly corporate-owned facilities in the Interstate 40/Research Triangle Park (RTP) submarket. Originally constructed for single tenants such as GlaxoSmithKline, Dupont and Reichold, these facilities are likely to need substantial retrofitting to achieve lease-up. While they are certainly a factor in the market, they are not an option…

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High Demand, Low Vacancy Push Triangle’s Industrial Rents to New Heights https://rebusinessonline.com/high-demand-low-vacancy-push-triangles-industrial-rents-to-new-heights/ Mon, 05 Feb 2018 10:00:09 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=196124 The Raleigh-Durham industrial and flex market, totaling approximately 129 million square feet, continues to be strong with overall positive absorption. Vacancy is trending lower, making the region a landlord and seller’s market. With increasing construction costs, lower vacancy and solid demand, the rental rates and sales prices are now the highest of any city in North Carolina. Available industrial land is diminishing for development in high-demand areas, and that typically signifies a significant barrier to entry for developers helping keep supply in check. The rental rate for new industrial product is currently in the mid-$5.00 per square foot range and trending higher. Some developers and brokers speculate the Triangle may become a $6.00-plus per square foot market for institutional-grade warehouse space. However, when comparing rental rates to markets like Austin and Boston, Raleigh-Durham is still a very competitive option. Ground zero for the region’s warehouse market is in the general vicinity of Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Most of these distributors are delivering to the local market and need the central location and access to Interstate 40. The highest rates and prices can be found in this submarket and then start to decrease further out. Due to the lack of available land…

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Charlotte Sees New Construction, Renovations of Second-Generation Office Space https://rebusinessonline.com/charlotte-sees-new-construction-renovations-of-second-generation-office-space/ Mon, 22 Jan 2018 12:00:14 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=194404 It’s impossible to ignore the ongoing boom of new commercial real estate development in downtown Charlotte. Get a glimpse of the skyline from the Interstate 277 loop and you can see the already-present structures standing tall among the handful of cranes and half-completed construction filling in the gaps. More than a dozen projects are currently underway in Center City, with more expected during the next 12 to 18 months. New and Improved Recently opened towers, like 300 South Tryon and 615 South College, have attracted major corporate relocations to downtown CBD, including Regions Bank and Sitehands. Ally Bank just announced its 400,000-square foot move to Ally Charlotte Center, and Crescent Communities just kicked off development of a new tower in the burgeoning Stonewall corridor for a 2020 completion date. Companies seeking the top-of-market space in the city’s newest downtown office developments want to have a presence in the heart of Charlotte’s energy. There, they can recruit elite talent and build their brand. Of course, that presence comes with the highest rental rates and parking costs, in addition to elevated tenant-buildout budgets in a market where construction costs continue to rise. At the other end of the spectrum, some are finding…

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Charlotte’s Ballantyne Office Submarket Shows No Signs of Slowing Down https://rebusinessonline.com/charlottes-ballantyne-office-submarket-shows-no-signs-of-slowing-down/ Mon, 04 Sep 2017 11:32:08 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=186133 The housing market remains hot in Charlotte with sustained growth in both sales activity and sales price. Affordable prices, a strong market and robust salaries are driving first-time buyers to take the plunge and purchase their first home and there’s no better place to live in Charlotte than in the 28277 zip code, otherwise known as Ballantyne. The Ballantyne area is nationally known for not only a place to work with more than 5 million square feet of Class A office space, but also a desirable place to live with housing opportunities ranging from $145,000 to over $4 million. The 28277 zip code has top-rated schools, an abundance of restaurant and shopping options, private and public golf courses, and the area’s only Four-Star recognized hotel, spa and restaurant. The office sector remains hot with continued employment growth attributing to falling vacancy rates, new construction and rising rents. Charlotte has an overall vacancy rate of 10.4 percent and the overall weighted average asking rent for Class A space in Charlotte is $25.98 per square foot. There is currently over 2.3 million square feet of office product under construction in Charlotte and close to 7 million square feet planned or proposed. The…

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Regional Job Growth Reinvigorates Charlotte’s Multifamily Market https://rebusinessonline.com/regional-job-growth-reinvigorates-charlottes-multifamily-market/ Mon, 28 Aug 2017 11:28:05 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=186131 The Charlotte economy has created jobs at a faster rate than the national average throughout this cycle. With 34,900 new jobs over the last 12 months and more than 110,000 over the last three years, the regional job market has created a new demand for the luxury multifamily inventory throughout infill and select suburban submarkets. Four of the MSA’s top five employers — Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Carolinas HealthCare System and Novant Health — each have a combined 1,000-plus job openings in Charlotte, while AXA, Red Ventures, Dimensional Fund Advisors and CompuCom have begun major expansions across the metro area. This has created a need for additional multifamily inventory, which has expanded by 7,700 units over the last 12 months, while absorption was just shy of 7,000. The modest downtick in occupancy was more than offset by a 4 percent same-store rent growth (30 basis points higher than the five-year trailing average of 3.7 percent). Two marquee high-rise projects are nearing completion in the central business district’s Third Ward: Greystar’s Ascent and Childress Klein’s Museum Tower. The early returns show unprecedented per square foot rents for the metro area. In most infill locations, developers are offering one month free…

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Charlotte Industrial Market’s Absorption, Rent Growth Spur Optimism https://rebusinessonline.com/charlotte-industrial-markets-absorption-rent-growth-spur-optimism/ Mon, 21 Aug 2017 11:29:18 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=186096 The industrial market in Charlotte is healthy, with trends pointing to another solid year of net absorption and rent growth. The market continues to attract institutional capital, as cap rates hover slightly below 6 percent for Class A product in the metro’s primary submarkets. Charlotte’s job growth continues to drive population migration into the market. More than 37,000 new jobs have been added in the past 12 months, dropping the unemployment rate from 5.2 percent to 4.9 percent. North Carolina has a young, educated workforce and boasts 53 universities and colleges. The state is nationally recognized for its labor climate. Major employers span the gamut of the business world, from financial and energy stalwarts such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo, Duke Energy and Siemen’s Energy Inc., to more industrial players such as Daimler Trucks North America, Lowe’s, FedEx and Snyder’s-Lance Inc. Charlotte is a logistically sound market, with the city’s airport ranking as the eighth busiest in the U.S., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. A relatively new intermodal rail facility and continued investment in road infrastructure projects are also helping to foster an optimistic environment. The HB2 legislation, which proved a major obstacle to attracting new companies…

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Grocery, Infill Mixed-Use Projects Make Up Bulk of New Retail Supply in Triangle https://rebusinessonline.com/grocery-infill-mixed-use-projects-make-up-bulk-of-new-retail-supply-in-triangle/ Mon, 20 Mar 2017 11:30:42 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=173284 The Raleigh and overall Triangle retail markets ended 2016 in a very healthy position. The Triangle vacancy rate is currently at 6.09 percent, nearing 10-year lows dating back pre-recession and includes retail absorption nearing 900,000 square feet over the past four quarters. The region’s diverse economic engine driven by technology, university systems, heathcare and Raleigh as a state capital, combined with a relatively low cost of living and temperate climate, continue to push population growth and related retail expansion. With fierce grocery competition, a natural evolution of inward growth and urbanization and several large mixed-use development projects, the Triangle retail market is thriving. However, e-commerce, rightsizing and store closures continue to challenge the broader U.S. retail market and the Triangle has not been spared. Grocery Competition With several homegrown grocery brands, North Carolina and the Triangle region have historically been one of the most competitive areas for grocers in the United States. Regional players like Harris Teeter (now owned by Kroger), Lowes Foods, Food Lion, The Fresh Market, Ingles and Earth Fare (all based in North Carolina) have competed for years with out-of-state supermarkets Kroger, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s and even Walmart. This year brought a new level of…

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Rents, Occupancy Rise for Triangle’s Industrial Market as Supply Lags Demand https://rebusinessonline.com/rents-occupancy-rise-for-triangles-industrial-market-as-supply-lags-demand/ Mon, 13 Mar 2017 11:30:47 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=173282 The Raleigh-Durham business climate has been on the climb for several years now and it doesn’t seem to be slowing anytime soon. The market continues to outpace most of the mid-tier markets across the country by all metrics of economic stability, quality of life, business environment, education, arts and quality of workforce. As a result, construction of office and retail projects has been strong, yet industrial construction and thus available space is lacking. Average asking rental rates have continued to rise in response to increasing demand and low supply. The remaining 550,000 square feet of industrial space that is expected to deliver has significant prelease commitments, creating competition for tenants looking for space. Raleigh-Durham’s warehouse market sits at a current vacancy of 3.8 percent with average asking rental rates at $5.01 per square foot triple net. The biggest challenge is for new and expanding tenants needing 35,000 to 200,000 square feet of space. Demand has been outpacing supply for several years in the market and industrial developers who recognized this trend were unable to fill the need because of the lack of available financing during the downturn. It has just been in the past 24 months that significant construction has…

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Despite Active Construction in Raleigh-Durham, Office Absorption Outpaces Supply https://rebusinessonline.com/despite-active-construction-in-raleigh-durham-office-absorption-outpaces-supply/ Mon, 06 Mar 2017 12:30:14 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=173280 At the close of 2016, over 1.9 million square feet of office space was absorbed in the Raleigh-Durham market and overall vacancy increased by one percentage point from 10 percent to 11 percent. Activity was strong and can partially be attributed to a very active suburban Raleigh submarket that absorbed over 1.1 million square feet. Vacancy in this submarket ended the year at 10 percent, down from a high of 17 percent in 2010. It was also an active construction year for Raleigh-Durham, with developers completing over 1.3 million square feet of new office space. There is currently another 2.7 million square feet of new projects underway, and an additional 2 million square feet of proposed projects. Downtown Durham, an approximately 4.5 million-square-foot market, has multiple office projects underway, including: The Chesterfield: Renovation on the 286,000-square-foot building should be completed soon with the first tenants moving in in July 2017. The project, being developed by Wexford Science + Technology, is approximately 75 percent leased. One City Center: The mixed-use, 432,000-square-foot project has 130,000 rentable square feet of office space and should open in late 2017. The office component is 50 percent preleased. Activity in downtown Durham has been driven by…

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Limited Office Construction in Triangle Area Bolsters Market Fundamentals https://rebusinessonline.com/limited-office-construction-in-triangle-area-bolsters-market-fundamentals/ Mon, 03 Oct 2016 12:00:29 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=163033 The Raleigh-Durham office market has not only recovered from the Great Recession, it is solidly in expansion mode, and tenants are facing market conditions not witnessed in 15 years. The current cycle has been marked by a prolonged period of limited development activity. While job growth in the local market has been rebounding for more than five years, the construction pipeline has only recently filled in a meaningful way, and a large portion of the development activity in 2014 and early 2015 was driven by build-to-suits. With Class A vacancy now at a 15-year low, speculative development is heating up again. While projects totaling 1.4 million square feet were underway in the first quarter, most of this product will not be delivered until 2017 or later, and approximately half of the space has already been spoken for. In the near term, the market heavily favors landlords. The Triangle office market began 2016 with strong activity as tenants absorbed 453,997 square feet, driving vacancy down by 40 basis points to 12.1 percent. This figure is down by 180 basis points on a year-over-year basis and has fallen from a cyclical high of 18.7 percent. Class A vacancy ended the first quarter…

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Infill, Transit-Oriented Developments are Driving Charlotte’s Retail Market https://rebusinessonline.com/infill-transit-oriented-developments-are-driving-charlottes-retail-market/ Mon, 26 Sep 2016 11:30:41 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=163027 As Charlotte’s employment surpasses the pre-recession peak of 2007 and the metro swells to almost 2.4 million residents — growing three times faster than the national average — Charlotte is on every retailer’s radar and poised for continued retail growth. Retailers seeking customers with disposable income benefit from Charlotte’s strong affordability index, relative to similarly sized cities, and have enjoyed a positive trend in household incomes, which increased 8 percent between 2010 and 2015. This income growth is bolstered by the 35- to 54-year-old “big-spender” segment, which makes up approximately 30 percent of Charlotte’s population, and is expected to continue to grow in spite of shrinking nationally. Retail developers and investors are also big fans of these fundamentals, which have yielded positive retail absorption over the past 12 months, impressive rent growth of 4.3 percent year-over-year, and vacancy of 5.5 percent, well below the historical average. Similar periods of growth in Charlotte’s history have delivered traditional grocery-anchored neighborhood centers, garden-style apartments and mid-rise office buildings, primarily surface-parked to accommodate the vehicle-centric nature of Charlotte. That trend is changing as Charlotte adapts to the cultural shift and increased density that now prioritizes proximity, access and convenience over McMansions and white-picket-fenced suburbia.…

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New Industrial Construction is Easing the Supply Squeeze in Charlotte https://rebusinessonline.com/new-industrial-construction-is-easing-the-supply-squeeze-in-charlotte/ Mon, 19 Sep 2016 11:30:36 +0000 http://rebusinessonline.com/?p=163014 In recent years, the fundamentals in Charlotte’s industrial real estate market have continued to improve. Overall, the market can be characterized by an increase in tenant activity and the emergence of new submarkets more active on the development front than in the past. Tenant growth can be attributed to organic growth from users expanding, velocity of new deals, as well as emerging submarkets within the market. Charlotte’s central location near the transportation arteries of I-77 and I-85 continues to make the city’s industrial space very attractive to logistics and distribution companies. Charlotte is growing by approximately 20,000 residents per year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The population growth, coupled with the trend of brick-and-mortar retailers transitioning portions of their business to e-commerce, makes for a positive outlook on Charlotte’s industrial fundamentals. The strongest tenant activity is in the 25,000- to 75,000-square-foot range, with tenants looking to upgrade the quality and functionality of their space. Beginning in fourth-quarter 2015 and continuing into first-quarter 2016, there was noticeable activity among tenants relocating from owner-occupied facilities to leased spaces. This trend has been driven by a limited supply of options for purchase, historically high construction prices and a steady economy. Furthermore, the…

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