Last summer, NAI Rio Grande Valley and Michael Uhrbrock, senior vice president of research at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, examined eight Rio Grande Valley cities to examine the history of retail sales between 2002 and 2014 and to forecast the future. The cities examined were McAllen, Brownsville, Harlingen, Edinburg, Pharr, Weslaco, Mission and Mercedes. We were working on a piece for the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s Economic Development magazine. What we learned is quite interesting and presents an unusual view into the future potential for retail expansion in the Rio Grande Valley. Total retail sales in the eight cities increased $4.47 billion between 2002 and 2014. Forecasting the future required a view of low, median and high ranges of potential sales. Based on the high projections, it is anticipated that valley sales in these cities will increase by $13.68 billion between 2015 and 2030. A number of factors go into the results, but several factors are expected contribute to the expected increases. Growth in Many Sectors With 1,450,000 residents, the population of the Rio Grande Valley today is larger than that of nine states. Forecasts show the population will grow to 2.5 million by 2040, which does …
It is impossible to have a discussion about retail commercial real estate without considering the implications of shifting demographics. This is true both nationally and in the Columbia market. The unique demographic characteristics of the local market serve as an explanation for the current situation in retail real estate. The trends in retail real estate in Columbia echo those on that national level, although with the local market’s heavy concentration of Millennials (one of the highest in the Southeast), the opportunity for disproportionately high growth is significant. Those trends involve the sector being the last to emerge from the recession with low levels of retail development on a broad scale, but increasing activity and viability in urban and infill environments, especially for restaurants. Much of the retail activity in the market uniquely caters to that 20 to 34 age demographic. At this stage in their lives, the overwhelming majority of the younger demographic is focused on living in an active lifestyle, preferably in urban environments. This is making the prospect of infill retail, particularly as a component of mixed-use development, more feasible. This is resulting in increasing retail and multifamily development in Columbia’s downtown. For urban retail, there are three …
The historic flood of June 2008 is becoming a distant memory as the city of Cedar Rapids prepares for the dedication of the new Northwest Recreation Center, the last public facility to be completed as part of the flood recovery project. The dedication ceremony is slated for Thursday, Aug. 25. The recovery has led to a revitalization of many flood-impacted areas in the city, ranging from residential neighborhoods to the downtown business district. Now the momentum is turning toward several new projects: • This month, tenants will begin moving into the 11-story CRST tower downtown, which features 300 feet of the new flood protection system. • A 28-story, mixed-use tower is being proposed on city-owned property downtown. The development may contain retail, office, hotel and residential space led by Allen Development, an Iowa City developer. • Over 10 downtown housing projects are under construction that will create almost 400 new condo and apartment units, which will bring our core closer to a live-work-play environment. These projects are also putting vacant retail and office buildings to new uses. • The Czech Village-New Bohemia neighborhood continues to grow with historic buildings being renovated and repurposed while augmenting exciting new construction featuring retail, …
WESTWOOD, MASS. — American Realty Advisors, an institutional real estate investment manager, has acquired the shops at University Station, a newly constructed, 400,000-square-foot retail asset in the Boston suburb of Westwood. Located within a 130-acre mixed-use development, the purchase price was $206 million. Wegmans, a regional supermarket chain, anchors the retail portion of University Station. Other tenants include Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls and PetSmart. “The average term of in-place leases for the property is approximately 15 years, while 95 percent of the asset’s total income is generated from its national tenant base,” says Shelley. “We believe these characteristics will provide stabilized, risk-adjusted returns for our investors over time.” University Station services a 13-town area with 214,700 residents and an average annual household income in excess of $121,000. The property is situated 15 miles from downtown Boston near I-95 and Route 128, which draw 140,000 vehicles per day. It is located across the street from the area’s sole Amtrak/MBTA commuter rail station, which transports 1.3 million travelers annually. New England Development will continue to serve as the management and leasing agent for the retail center. Robert Griffin Jr., who was with Cushman & Wakefield and is now with Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, …
Miami is coming into its own as an increasingly international city that continues to attract new residents, visitors and investment and development activity. The city’s urban core is flourishing, with residents gravitating toward a downtown area that allows them to live, work and play in the same neighborhood. The Miami retail market is experiencing a development surge to accommodate the city’s growth. Through the end of the first quarter of 2016, about 2.3 million square feet of retail space was under construction, according to CoStar. The developments are bringing a new class of retailers to the market. Major projects include Brickell City Centre, a 500,000-square-foot shopping center with a roster of tenants that includes Armani Collezioni, anchor tenant Saks Fifth Avenue and Valentino. North of downtown Miami, the $1.7 billion Miami Worldcenter project will introduce a high-street retail concept that is similar to the popular Lincoln Road open-air mall in Miami Beach. In Miami’s Design District, the $1 billion redevelopment of the neighborhood is attracting luxury retailers like Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Cartier. Downtown residents will have easy access to all of these retail destinations. Retail operating fundamentals remain strong in the Miami market. Vacancies closed the first quarter of …
Chances are you have read the stories in the news lately about the challenges facing Michigan, the City of Detroit, or more recently the state’s seventh largest city, Flint. Between the chronicles of a once ailing automotive industry, the Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing by the City of Detroit in 2013 — the largest municipal bankruptcy in history — and most recently lead-tainted city water in Flint, there have been dozens of national headlines, sharp sound bites, and a litany of negative press coverage over the past few years. In short, over the past decade we have witnessed a roller coaster of economic events that have created a rather palpable investor stigma for Detroit and the State of Michigan as a whole. Despite the negative tone surrounding investment opportunities in Michigan, the state’s strong commercial real estate market is creating value for investors acquiring retail assets. Historically, Michigan shopping centers have traded at cap rates 50 to 100 basis below their national peers. Is this discount still warranted? Tide turns in Great Lakes As a brokerage firm dedicated to the sale of investment properties and retail tenant representation, Landmark Investment Sales and its parent company, Landmark Commercial Real Estate Services Inc., …
The Atlanta retail market continues to be robust, with vacancy tightening in key submarkets and rents trending upward. Overall vacancy fell slightly from 7.1 percent during the fourth quarter of 2015 to 7 percent in the first quarter of 2016, according to CoStar. However, the decline is greater in hot submarkets such as Buckhead and Central Perimeter that boasted vacancy rates as low as 2.8 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively, in the first quarter. Demand Up, Supply Tightens There is still a disconnect between supply and demand, especially in strong trade areas, and many retailers that wish to enter or expand in the market are finding it difficult to do so. Rents are escalating by 10 percent to 15 percent because of the increased competition for space and the high cost to build new developments is attributable to escalating land costs. During the first quarter, 21 buildings totaling 300,174 square feet were delivered, according to CoStar, and at the end of the first quarter, 1.73 million square feet of retail space was under development. As Atlanta can deliver more of the space that’s under construction and open up availability, rent is expected to continue to climb. Health and Fitness Food …
The retail sector in Southern Maine’s commercial real estate market remained strong through year-end 2015 with all signs indicating continued improvement through 2016. While the national average retail vacancy rate increased to 12.6 percent in 2015, the retail vacancy dropped to 3.6 percent in Greater Portland, according to Malone Commercial Brokers’ annual retail survey. Greater Portland is a major market in Southern Maine consisting of 6.46 million square feet of retail space. 2015 marked the sixth consecutive year of declining vacancy rates in the market since its 10-year high of 10.8 percent in 2009. Meanwhile, the national retail vacancy rate rose in 2015 over year prior, marking the first vacancy increase in five years and nearly matching the 2011 national vacancy rate of 12.9 percent. Heading into the third quarter of 2016, Southern Maine’s retail sector remains extremely healthy. Short-term forecasts for Portland predict continued absorption of existing space, new retail construction, and strong market competition. Significant Developments and Redevelopments Thompson’s Point, Portland — Represented by Drew Sigfridson of CBRE / The Boulos Company, this 29-acre redevelopment offers up to 220,000 square feet of retail, office, hospitality, and recreational space off of Interstate 295. Final renovations of the 34,000-square-foot Brick …
To get a sense of what is happening in Southeast Michigan retail these days, the place to start looking is the past. It’s interesting and important to recognize that the seeds of many of the retail trends manifesting themselves today were planted years ago. Fortunately, the overall retail marketplace in Southeast Michigan remains generally strong. The marketplace may change over time, but one constant that remains unaltered is that quality rises to the top. Thoughtfully designed and developed retail projects in favorable locations have always done well — and that has remained the case through recessionary ups and downs and the whims of a consumer base that can be quick to change. Rethinking e-commerce Today, one of the most discussed topics of conversation for any retailer is the competitive pressure of the online and mobile marketplace. The convenience of virtual transactions, the rise of Internet powers like Amazon, and an increasingly tech-savvy population of shoppers who are comfortable and confident shopping online for a wider variety of goods and services has prompted the vast majority of brick-and-mortar retailers to work hard to carve out their own space in the digital marketplace. Online and mobile growth has had less of a …
The real estate market in downtown Birmingham has followed the “chicken and egg” trend. Over the last few years, over a dozen multifamily projects have been announced, but the major hurdle is proving the demand as people moving downtown have wanted a downtown grocer. While some multifamily developers decided to proceed with construction, others waited on the sidelines hoping a grocer would announce a new downtown location. On the other hand, major grocers put off locating in downtown Birmingham due to the lack of people living in the general area. Problem solved when construction started last year on a new 30,000-square-foot Publix with a full-service pharmacy in downtown Birmingham. Developers Scott Bryant and Dick Schmalz announced that the Publix will anchor a new multi-story, mixed-used development. Publix considered a store in downtown Birmingham in 2007 and again in 2009 before finally deciding to bring a store downtown now. The development of the Parkside District with Railroad Park and Regions Field, along with existing and planned apartment projects in the area, contributed to the timing. With the addition of Publix, several other multifamily projects are well underway or completed, such as the 228-unit LIV Parkside, 332 total units next to Regions …