Tag Archive for: distribution centers

Bed Bath & Beyond’s Spillover Effects On Industrial

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Bed Bath & Beyond’s recent bankruptcy filing is not expected to impact retail landlords very much, as many have lined up tenants long before Bed Bath & Beyond actually filed its paperwork.

But it will have ripple effects elsewhere, including in some industrial markets, according to CoStar Group’s May 2023 real estate report.

Bed Bath & Beyond leased 6.1 million square feet of distribution centers throughout the country, most of which in large, modern centers built after 2005. About half already are marketed for lease on CoStar.

CoStar believes that some of those distribution locations will fare better than others and attract new tenants. The reason is that there are only three other existing or under construction distribution centers with space measuring 500,000 square feet or greater, also built after 2000 and within a one-hour drive of Bed Bath & Beyond’s largest Las Vegas distribution center. In contrast, its center within the Dallas-Fort Worth metro market has almost 50 such available distribution spaces within a one-hour drive.

At the same time, several other big chains such as T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods and Ross Stores have grabbed up some of Bed Bath & Beyond’s stores, which could necessitate their demand for more distribution centers down the road.

Meanwhile, while Bed Bath & Beyond’s store closures won’t have that much of an impact on landlords, that is not to say that retail itself hasn’t experienced some setbacks in the first quarter, according to CoStar.

In the first quarter, leasing volume for the retail sector slowed by 2% when comparing quarters and 26% in comparing year to year activity, due to the uncertain economy and absence of available spaces. Altogether, retail tenants occupied 13.2 million square feet on a net basis, which accounted for move outs. This represented the slowest level since 2020 but the ninth consecutive quarters of net demand growth.

Retail property sales also fell—by 40% quarter to quarter and almost 50% year over year due to higher interest rates affecting deal flow adversely. Falling prices have not declined enough to encourage investors to step in.

 

Source: GlobeSt.

Here Are South Florida’s Biggest Industrial Leases Of 2022

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Bigger is better when it comes to South Florida industrial leases.

Across Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties, major retailers and shipping services like Target and FedEx leased 2.8 million square feet of industrial space in the largest leases of 2022, far outstripping last year’s total of 2.2 million square feet.

Amazon was notably absent from this year’s roundup of the top 10 leases. The e-commerce giant clinched three of the top 10 spots last year. In May, news broke that Amazon sought to sublease at least 10 million square feet of its existing space — a reversal from its pandemic-era practice of gobbling up as much space as possible.

The average lease size of the top five leases this year came to 362,000 square feet, which is above last year’s 258,530 square feet, but still below 2019’s average of 449,000 square feet.

Here’s a breakdown of the top five industrial leases signed this year in South Florida.

Imperial Bag & Co., Hialeah, 506K sf

Five out of the top 10 largest leases were inked for properties in Hialeah, with New Jersey-based Imperial Bag & Paper Co. (ImperialDade) taking the top spot, both in Hialeah and overall. In the second quarter, company representatives signed a lease for 506,000 square feet at Countyline Corporate Park on Northwest 102nd Avenue in Hialeah. The company distributes janitorial supplies and food service packaging.

FedEx Ground Package System, Medley, 501K sf

FedEx leased 501,000 square feet in Medley in the first quarter. It’s the only non-Hialeah lease in the top five. The shipping behemoth took over one of the warehouses at Miami 27 Business Park at 10300 Northwest 121st Way, according to published reports. FedEx has long been interested in South Florida industrial properties. Last year, Industrial Outdoor Ventures outbid FedEx for the 38.5-acre site at 3055 Burris Road in Miami. The winning bid was $64M.

FreezPak Logistics, Hialeah, 312K sf

FreezPak Logistics took this year’s third largest lease at the same Countyline Corporate Park in Hialeah as Imperial Bag & Co. It signed a lease for 312,000 square feet in March. This is the first South Florida location for the New Jersey-based cold and dry-storage provider.

World Electric/Sonepar, Hialeah, 267K sf

In the fourth spot, World Electric leased 266,760 square feet at Beacon Logistics Park at 4220 West 91st Place in Hialeah during the first quarter. A subsidiary of South Carolina-based Sonepar, North Miami Beach-based World Electric in September announced it inked a deal to acquire Advance Electrical to increase the company’s presence in Atlanta. The company specializes in business-to-business electrical services and equipment.

All Florida Paper, Hialeah, 227K sf

Medley-based All Florida Paper signed the fifth largest lease of the year, during the third quarter. It took 227,700 square feet at Beacon Logistics Park at 4120 West 91st Place in Hialeah. All Florida Paper is a wholesale distributor founded in 1993, according to the company’s website.

 

Source: The Real Deal

Cold Storage And E-Commerce, But Not Amazon, Sustaining South Florida’s Industrial Boom

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For most of the last few years, Amazon has been the dominant force in South Florida’s industrial market, but the e-commerce giant’s recent pullback hasn’t had a negative impact on the region’s warehouse market, industry insiders said at Bisnow‘s South Florida Industrial Outlook event last week.

“The last few years it has all been Amazon, right? They were making 90% of that e-commerce growth. They were really bailing us out of all that space we could not lease,” Bridge Industrial Vice President Aaron Hirschl said at the event. “Now it’s everybody else playing catch-up. It is 85% of all the e-commerce deals are other groups other than Amazon. It’s really good to see that positive growth there.”

The vacancy rate for South Florida industrial properties dropped to 1.8% in the third quarter, according to JLL research. Rents have grown 60% year-over-year, to an all-time record of $14.35 per SF. Construction is speeding up as a result: So far in 2022, approximately 2.3M SF of new product has been delivered. Over the next 18 months, JLL projects deliveries to hit 7.8M SF.

“Much of that is still fueled by e-commerce, even in the absence of the industry’s leader,” Prologis Vice President Jason Tenenbaum said at the event, held at the GalleryOne Fort Lauderdale by Hilton. “I’d say e-commerce continues to be the predominant player, I am guessing in the majority of our portfolios, and that’s notable particularly because of Amazon’s specific slowdown this year,” he said. “I would say the vast majority of our work is centered around that space.”

Tenenbaum said that he expects more leasing in the e-commerce space to come from third-party logistics companies as retailers themselves look to outsource their distribution. Those companies, called 3PLs, have accounted for more than 35% of all warehouse leasing in South Florida so far this year, according to a just published CBRE report.

“I think as pricing and rents continue to rise and supply is constrained, you will see a lot more of all of our clients electing to 3PL their supply chain,” Tenenbaum said.

After e-commerce, the biggest driver of demand in the industrial market is in the food and beverage industry and their need for cold storage, developers at the event said. The global cold storage market was over $9.6B last year and is projected to reach $11.3B this year and hit $25.4B by 2027, according to an October market report by Reportlinker.

“If you look at where the demand is the most nationally, clearly cold storage will be it,” BBX Logistics Properties Mark Levy said. “In South Florida, if you look at the footprint of the market as a percentage of the total base, it’s a very, very small amount of cold storage space product that has been delivered.”

Tenenbaum said that the tourism industry in particular has been active in looking for cold storage properties, a piece of the market that had been largely absent for the previous two to three years.

“There was a time in the last 24 to 36 months where the tourism activity was way down. Now it’s back at a high pre-pandemic levels,” Tenenbaum said. “As tourism has come back and the cruise ships are set to sail again, that’s a really active space.”

Levy said that while the cold storage market is “still tremendously undersupplied,” building the space on a speculative basis is still a rarity. But Bridge Industrial launched a spec cold storage warehouse in Hialeah last year, and signed FreezePak to a 312K SF lease in March.

“I remember when Bridge was working on that development and we thought ‘Those guys are crazy! There is no way that they are going to get those rents,’” Hirschl said. “And sure enough, they leased it out and knocked it out of the park. They proved a thesis and it was really cool to see it happen.”

Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the country, doesn’t have a supermarket in South Florida, but it opened a 60K SF warehouse in Opa-Locka this year to start delivering groceries directly to customers’ homes. Kroger said in its September earnings report that its delivery sales grew by 34% from the previous year.

“Kroger does not have any grocery stores here but they are renting near people’s homes,” Hirschl said. “That trend is really interesting to see if they can really penetrate the market here.”

Butters Construction & Development Director of Acquisitions Adam Vaisman said on a panel that, in addition to e-commerce and food and beverage companies, manufacturing is an increasing presence in the market. He said his firm signed a 200K SF lease with a manufacturing firm in Broward County and was getting ready to break ground.

“You will definitely see more of the manufacturing jobs, especially given our labor pool here in South Florida,” Vaisman said. “We are definitely starting to see that and I think that trend is starting to pick up if you continue to have global instability the way we do.”

But while manufacturers and cold storage providers largely need specialized space, e-commerce users are taking any space they can get in a market with soaring rents and sub-2% vacancy.

“Location is the most important always, so for e-commerce users, if they can’t find a new building and it’s a market they need to be in, they will make it work with a Class-B space or a Class-C space,” said Seagis Property Group Vice President of Florida Acquisitions and Leasing Bradlee Lord. “Public transportation will only get increasingly worse as the population grows. With Covid in 2020, the roads were still relatively busy. Location matters as congestion gets worse.”

 

Source: Bisnow

 

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Six Reasons For The Surge In Commercial Real Estate Transactions In 2021

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The residential real estate market has received quite a bit of attention over the last two years, and for good reason.

The housing market has become so tight that inventory is extremely hard to come by in nearly every market, and prices are now higher than ever for homes. The properties that are listed for sale typically get snatched up in record time—and often sell for higher than asking price—which has made it tough for most buyers to compete.

Case in point: A moderately priced home recently went for sale in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it was absolutely inundated by potential buyers searching for affordable properties. That mad dash by buyers was enough to make national headlines, but any buyer who’s looked for property in the last two years was almost certainly not surprised by the overwhelming interest. That’s just part of what buyers face when looking for property in a red-hot housing market.

But the property buying frenzy that has occurred recently has hardly been limited to the residential housing market. Commercial real estate transactions have also exploded—with a surprising surge in transactions occurring over the last year. Throughout 2021, investors big and small snatched up everything from apartment buildings, warehouses, and distribution centers to other types of commercial properties, such as hotels. As of the second quarter of 2021, multifamily property sales were up 26% year over year and nonresidential properties were up 16% compared to the year prior.

There were also increases in sales rates across all commercial property types. The rampant demand for commercial properties also led to $193 billion in commercial real estate transactions occurring in the third quarter of 2021—and a record $809 billion in commercial property sales for all of 2021.

So what exactly drove the surge in commercial real estate transactions throughout 2021—and why? EquityMultiple compiled a list of six important trends in the commercial real estate markets during 2021, covering topics from the rise of individual investors to the impact of the federal reserve’s pandemic policies. Here’s what you should know.

The lower bond prices caused key bond market indices to post their first losses since 2013, and led investors to look for other ways to put their money to work, which included commercial real estate securities, real estate investment trusts, and other commercial property investments. While potentially risky, commercial real estate transactions can be lucrative for investors, with annual yields averaging between 6% and 12%, with potential for significant appreciation depending on market conditions and other factors. That means investing in commercial real estate has the potential for a significantly higher return on investment when compared to the average return on bonds.

These loans were then converted into commercial mortgage securities, which are offered to individual investors, investment firms, and other financial management companies as shares. By doing this, swaths of investors were able to buy into commercial real estate transactions without having to fund the full purchase of the physical properties or land. Apartment buildings, life science labs, and industrial properties—which were expected to yield higher returns than other commercial properties, such as shopping malls or retail centers—were especially sought after. These types of commercial properties yielded more than $193 billion in sales during the third quarter of 2021.

In turn, the demand for distribution centers surged, and vacancy rates at these properties reached historic lows. That led investors to capitalize on the trend by buying distribution centers and then rake in the profits from the high lease prices. Rampant supply chain shortages also made it difficult to develop more of these types of properties, which only added more fuel to the fire. Distribution centers and warehouses were suddenly selling for a premium, and investors were willing to pay the price for these properties, which kept transaction rates high.

By purchasing apartment buildings, commercial property investors are able to capitalize on the opportunity to profit from the increased rent prices that occurred. In 2021, rent increased by an average of 11%—or three times the normal rate—and it has only continued to increase from there. As of February 2022, the average national rent price for one-bedroom units was up 22.6% year over year, and two-bedroom rent was up an average of 20.4%.

As such, it can be tough for small investors to qualify, which has led them to set their sights on other options such as real estate crowdfunding, which opens access to commercial real estate transitions and other private fund structures. Another option includes open-ended funds, known as non-traded real estate investment trusts. Non-traded REITs accounted for about 42% of the alternative investment market in 2021, with about $36.5 billion total in fundraising that year alone. Part of the draw is that, unlike most traditional REITs, investors can buy into non-traded REITs for as little as $2,500—and there’s an opportunity for big returns in exchange. Most non-traded REITs have been paying dividends above 5%, which is competitive—and often beats—other types of fixed-income investments.

Labor Shortages, Land Availability Will Pressure Industrial In 2022

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Labor scarcity will be among the major headwinds driving industrial commercial real estate decisions in 2022 as record shortages challenge distribution channels and unemployment hits a near-historic low.

“With industrial related hiring already at all-time highs, the continued need for labor to service growing e-commerce demands, combined with an economy at nearly full employment, is exacerbating the labor shortage for distribution workers in many markets,” a new Colliers report notes, adding that the US unemployment rate is now near a 50 year low of 3.5%.

And while so far, the industrial sector has managed to post record growth, the labor shortages span “nearly all demographic groups and affect the entire American economy,” and continuing lows will slow the rate of economic growth and slow manufacturing output, Colliers predicts.

“While automation and advanced technologies are becoming more prevalent and affecting industrial employment, the future will still rely on highly skilled labor to operate complex systems and machinery, alongside robotics—labor that is increasingly more difficult to find,” the Colliers report notes.

In addition, scarce land availability will continue to impact the sector. Prologis reports that construction starts have risen to an all time high of 120 million square feet in the sector, but the firm notes that new supply is mainly concentrated in low-barrier secondary and tertiary markets and the outlying submarkets of inland markets.

While a record level of new supply is expected by the end of 2022—including massive build-to-suit projects for e-commerce suppliers and big-box chains—land near big population centers is increasingly scarce.

“Companies seem willing to pay a premium price for land with fierce competition for developable sites,” Colliers analysts note. “This competition is also driving up industrial rents, especially for logistics space near US seaports.”

Colliers also notes that facilities in excess of 2 million square feet are increasingly popular in dense markets as retailers attempt to establish footholds closer to consumers and shorten delivery times. The firm is tracking 12 such big-box multi-story industrial mega centers currently under construction, and notes that a vast majority are for Amazon.

 

Source: GlobeSt.

Midyear Market Fundamentals In South Florida’s Three Counties

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The recovery of South Florida’s office and industrial markets continued through the first half of 2021, with dynamics unique to each sector.

In the office market, inventory in the tri-counties recorded increases in vacant space, but that dynamic added needed options to new-to-market tenants from urban areas to the north. Each new company relocation from cities like New York validates that South Florida’s dynamic employment pool can provide firms with the human capital needed to grow and expand their businesses.

In the industrial sector, the pandemic helped fuel an explosion of demand led by e-commerce and logistics companies who needed to be closer to end customers. With three out of the nation’s four largest deep-water ports located in South Florida, the region took advantage of the upswing in consumer spending and trade as the economy bounced back sharply in the last half of 2020.

Office Market

Office leasing remained depressed compared to pre-COVID levels. Approximately 3.2 million square feet in deals were signed in the first six months of 2021, compared with more than 5.7 million square feet leased in the first quarter in 2020. Throughout the pandemic, the region saw heightened demand from new-to-market tenants, primarily from the Northeast. More than 60 percent of leasing volume occurred in Class A assets, reflecting a focus on quality over value. Suburban submarkets accounted for more than 75 percent of deals signed, which was similar to pre-pandemic splits. Interest remained high for space in the central business districts (CBDs), which spoke to many tenants’ desire to remain in urban cores.

Overall asking rents for office in South Florida were $40.38 per square foot, full service, on incremental increases in all three counties. In Miami-Dade, overall asking rents rose 7.4 percent year over year to $43.02 per square foot, an all-time high. Broward’s overall asking rents rose 8.4 percent year over year to $36.52 per square foot. Palm Beach County had a 5.3 percent bump in rents in the last 12 months and ended the second quarter at $39.64 per square foot, mostly driven by rent escalations of 6.5 percent in Class A buildings. New inventory delivered over the last 18 months in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach CBDs helped push asking rents higher for the overall market.

Overall vacancy rates for the region was 17 percent at the midyear, with the rate in Miami-Dade the highest at 17.6 percent, a 420 basis point jump in the last year. Broward County had a similar increase to 16.9 percent, while Palm Beach closed the quarter at 16.1 percent, up only 240 basis points year over year. Vacant space proliferated predominantly in Class A assets, as well as from new construction deliveries. This was acute in Palm Beach County, which saw several high-profile office project deliveries. Unlike several gateway cities, vacant office sublease space has not been a major contributor to increases in the rate, only 1.3 percent of overall inventory and well-below levels recorded after the last recession.

Industrial Market

New leasing activity year to date totaled 7.6 million square feet in the tri-counties, up significantly from the first half of 2020, when initial lockdowns and restrictions took hold across the country. In fact, leasing activity in the first half of the year surpassed 2019 levels by 21 percent. Miami-Dade accounted for more than half of all leases signed, with 4.4 million square feet leased, an increase of 17.2 percent compared to the same period one year ago. Broward County recorded 2.5 million square feet of new leasing activity year to date, with the second quarter reaching nearly 1.4 million square feet, a 19.9 percent increase compared to one year ago. Palm Beach County, on the other hand, clocked just 621,000 square feet in the first half of the year, a 19.6 percent decrease from the same period last year, which had the highest amount of space leased for the first six months on record.

Overall asking rents in the region were $9.78 per square foot, triple net, at the end of the second quarter. Asking rents in Miami-Dade jumped 7.7 percent year over year to $9.28 per square foot, the first time ever that asking rents averaged above $9.00 per square foot. Broward County rents improved by 1.4 percent to $10.05 per square foot on steady increases for available warehouse/distribution space. Market rents in Palm Beach County decreased year over year by 1.1 percent to $10.55 per square foot, but were up 1.1 percent quarter over quarter. New product in 2021 with higher-than-average asking rents, as well as limited available space options, allowed landlords to raise rents with confidence in the first six months.

Overall vacancy ended the second quarter of 2021 at 4.5 percent, slightly higher by 200 basis points than the level from 12 months prior. Miami-Dade had the largest increases in occupancy, with the vacancy rate falling to 3.4 percent, a decrease of 130 basis points year over year. Broward and Palm Beach counties saw increases in vacancy, rising by 40 and 90 basis points, respectively. The main driver for the decrease in vacancy was the 5 million square feet of positive absorption in the first half of the year. In addition, there were 3.4 million square feet in construction deliveries, with another 6.9 million square feet under construction.

 

Source: Commercial Observer

Industrial Construction Takes Off In Florida Markets

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As industrial took off in 2020, so did new construction in Florida markets. In many of those areas, completions have reached historic levels.

In the second half of 2020, large-scale speculative construction projects or expansions at existing industrial parks were announced in multiple Florida markets, according to Cushman and Wakefield’s “Florida Industrial Construction” report.

There was 15.4 million square feet (MSF) under construction at the end of 2020. In addition, another 29.7 MSF is poised to come online in the next three years.

Out of this new construction, speculative building dominated. At the end of 2020, 5.8 MSF of speculative building had been completed. C&W says Build-to-Suits accounted for 43% of all completions. Many of those speculative projects under construction have yet to attract tenants. By the end of 2020, only 56% achieved any pre-leasing.

“In several cases, developers moved ahead with entitlements hoping to land a sizeable build-to-suit for a new-to-market or expanding tenant,” according to C&W.

Drilling down into individual markets, Miami leads the way with 8.7 million square feet of industrial space proposed. Tampa Bay (6.0 million), Lakeland (5.8 million), Jacksonville (3.7 million), Broward (2.4 million), Orlando (2.0 million) and Palm Beach (1.2 million) are next.

Tampa Bay leads with 3.4 million square feet of industrial space under construction. It is followed by Miami (2.7 million), Broward (2.2 million), Orlando (2.2 million), Jacksonville (1.9 million), Lakeland (1.7 million) and Palm Beach (1.4 million). The highest preleasing was found in Lakeland (91%), Jacksonville (84%), Orlando (60%) and Miami (50%).

In a recent report focusing on Jacksonville, Colliers International found that construction, which represents about 1.9% of the current industrial stock, created a “trickle-up” effect where industrial users are shedding dated space for quality new construction product. The trend has produced a combination of rising industrial vacancy—which hit 5.4% in the fourth quarter—and rising rents—which increased to $5.21 per square foot.

While other asset classes are closely monitoring the vacancy rate—typically because a rising rate leads to tempered if not negative rent growth—Colliers says that increased vacancy is actually a welcome relief in the Jacksonville industrial market. In 2018, the local vacancy rate reached lows of 2%, giving users limited options. Today, the increased rate of 5.4% still points to healthy market conditions, and new construction activity is well matched to demand.

Nationally, industrial space is getting absorbed. In a recent report, Moody’s Analytics said the warehouse/distribution space absorbed 35.4 million square feet in Q4, its highest mark since Q1 2019 when 70.7 million square feet were absorbed.

Construction for the new warehouse/distribution space fell to 25.8 million square feet in Q4 after hitting 38.2 million square feet added in Q3, according to Moody’s Analytics. The space has posted an average of 36.8 million square feet of new inventory added per quarter in the prior six quarters.

 

Source: GlobeSt.