Market Trends
Market Trends – Retail Expanding
Apr 3rd
Retail – and waistlines – are expanding. Of the 41,000 planned retail openings in 2013, 42% are restaurant-related according to Chainlinks’ retail forecast. Five Guys hopes to open 500 new stores this year, with 25 other food chains announcing plans to open 100 to 200+ new locations.
Talk It Up Tuesdays
Aug 21st
“Talk It Up Tuesdays” takes a look back to some of the best business news that we announced on our Facebook page over the last week. So check here for any news you might have missed during the past week!
- Fuse Coworking, Lincon’s first coworking site, is set to open above the Mill at 808 P Street. Tom Graf, NAI FMA, assisted Fuse in finding their location.
- Washoo’s Fish Tacos opened downtown next to Noodles at 14th & P Street.
- Chipotle Mexican Grill relocated back to 13th & Q Street in the newly named Roger Larsen building (f/k/a the Cataylst Project or Block 38).
- Don & Millie’s and INMOTION Auto Care are under construction near 84th & O Street just west of the former Russwood site.
- Cetak’s Gourmet Meats closed their storefront at 70th & Pioneers but will continue to sell their meats at the local Hy-Vee stores.
- The Saucy Cook located at 70th & Van Dorn will close at the end of September.
Local retail market continues to improve
Aug 13th
Matt Olberding with the Journal Star wrote on Lincoln’s retail market and quoted our recently released 1st Half 2012 market report. Read the full article “Local retail market continues to improve“.
REALTOR Rally 2012: We were there!
Jun 8th
Realtor Rally 2012: We were there!
NAI FMA Realty’s President Drew Stange was one of the 14,000+ Realtors in attendance at the National Association of Realtor’s (NAR) Rally to Protect the American Dream in Washington, D.C. on May 17th. Click here to see a picture from the Rally FanCam with Drew in the middle!
The Realtor Rally was part of NAR’s legislative outreach and provided opportunities for Drew and other Realtors to speak directly to our Congresspeople on specific issues facing property owners today. Why was this rally important? NAR reports that approximately $60,000 is pumped back into the economy with every home sale. Businesses want to be in a market that is vibrant and small businesses depend on a healthy housing market. All reasons why NAR advocates on behalf of Realtors and the communities they live in.
Congress heard from our representatives on a number of issues but those specifically affecting the commercial real estate market were:
- Further extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which provides affordable flood insurance. Floods are not just a costal issue; flood disasters have been delcared in all fifty states, and commercial properties are affected no less than residential. Take for example the floods last summer along I-29. NAR urges Congress to take up a five-year NFIP reauthorization measure to remove the uncertainty that has plagued the program as of late.
- Need for liquidity in the commercial real estate and multifamily markets. A shortage of available credit to small businesses and property owners can be by expanding credit unions’ small business lending and to create a covered bond market. A large wave of loans are set to mature in a few years and can result in higher loan defaults and delinquncies. Expanding access to credit is critical to allowing for further economic recovery.
NAR and Realtors…collectively working to keep the communities that we all live and work in vibrant.
Talk It Up Tuesdays
May 22nd
“Talk It Up Tuesdays” takes a look back to some of the best business news that we announced on our Facebook page over the last week. So check here for any news you might have missed during the past week!
- Pancheros Mexican Grill opened at SouthPointe Pavilions and Maurices is expected to open this summer in the former American Eagle space.
- Cornerstone Pizza is coming to 27th & Randolph in the old flower shop
- Dairy Queen near 38th & South St is under new ownership
- Polka Dot Bicycles is expanding at 38th & South
- 19th Street Liquor has opened at 230 S. 19th Street
- Rumor has it that Walmart is building north of 27th & Yankee Hill Road. Unsure if its a full super center or their new concept a Market Express which is closer to 15,000-20,000 square feet.
Small(er) Markets, Big Opportunities | CCIM Institute
May 1st
The CCIM Institute published a good article titled “Small(er) Markets, Big Opportunities | CCIM Institute” that talks about how investors are moving away from core markets to capitalize on properties in the secondary and tiertary markets.
Investment property sales have been historically limited in Lincoln due to a high amount of local ownership and owners focusing on long-term investment strategies rather than thinking about a hold period. However, in 2011, the Lincoln market experienced an increase in out-of-state private investment with several significant office sales occurring that reached more than $16 million in transaction volume. A significant sale for the city was the Federal Trust Building, a 12-story downtown office building that sold for $5.775 million or $92 per square-foot. Lincoln’s largest transaction was the sale of the three former TierOne Bank buildings and a 265-stall parking garage to Woodbury Strategic Partners at a price of $9.3 million. Both properties were bought by out-of-state investors with the intent of long-term ownership. Lincoln’s stable economy and the construction boom from university and government-driven projects has provided added incentive for investors to consider our tertiary market.
NAI FMA Realty works with institutions, private investors, entrepreneurs and lenders seeking to maximize their real estate position and portfolio strategy on properties ranging from portfolios of owned real estate, to single-tenant net leases, multi-family properties, and corporate headquarters. If you are considering investing in the Lincoln market, contact our investment brokers to gain a thorough understanding of your investment critera and assist you in the planning and due diligence of a transaction.
For more information, contact Richard Meginnis, Tom Graf or Chris Vasek at 402-441-5800.
Talk It Up Tuesdays
Apr 24th
“Talk It Up Tuesdays” takes a look back to some of the best business news that we announced on our Facebook page over the last week. So check here for any news you might have missed during the past week!
- Two Twin Cafe on N. Cotner has changed to Boulevard 333 Bistro. Check out their new menu!
- Westfield Gateway Mall is part of seven malls to be sold to Starwood Capital Group.
- Celebrity Staff has moved to 300 N. 44th Street. Mike Ball, NAI FMA, represented Celebrity Staff.
- Mutual of Omaha and Chipotle will be the first two tenants at the Parkhaus Building or f/k/a the Catalyst Project at 13th & Q Street. They will relocate from other downtown locations.
Announcing a New Feature – Talk It Up Tuesdays!
Apr 17th
We are adding a new feature to our blog called “Talk It Up Tuesdays” that will look back to some of the best business news that we announced on our Facebook page over the last week. So check here for any news you might have missed during the past week!
- NEW today: Zipline Brewing Co. has opened at 2100 Magnum Circle.
- Pearls & Pebbles is open at 3859 South Street.
- Dickey’s BBQ Pit is opening a downtown location at 1226 P Street. Your Big Yellow Cup will be sighted there soon!
- Aspen Athletic Clubs will have a neighbor at 16th & Pine Lake Road. A Thai restaurant, rumored to be affiliated with Blue Orchid, has pulled a permit.
- D.A. Davidson has joined the tenants at the Wells Fargo Center.
Downsizing of the Retailer
Sep 28th
Over the past two years, a new dynamic trend has emerged with America retailers. A few retailers are actually expanding their store layouts while most retailers are actively pursuing downsizing their store footprints to reduce operating costs. Office Depot, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy who have held steadfast to their larger footprints are exploring new strategies of smaller-sized retail building components to fit the needs of an area while hopefully, contributing to the profitability of the company.
Office Depot has shrunk their building square footage requirements from 25,000 square feet to 14,000 square feet. Hobby Lobby has gone from 85,000 square feet to 55,000 square feet. While Walmart has developed two new prototypes, a 45,000 square foot Walmart Neighborhood Market Place and a 15,000 square foot Walmart Express concept to open up more opportunities in urban areas.
This trend can be seen in the Lincoln market as Best Buy is downsizing its current floor space by making 12,000-18,000 square feet available for lease in their store at 48th & R Streets. Opening kiosks at airports is another strategy Best Buy is testing to reach customers and reduce costs.
Retailers will continue to explore alternatives that will impact store sales and operations and ultimately profits as economic conditions remain challenging and consumers want more value.
The Future of Workplaces
May 13th
Gone are the days of cubicles and rows of offices. The future workplace is changing.
On Monday, May 2, a panel of four young leaders in corporate real estate, all under the age of 35, discussed the future workplace at the CoreNet Global Summit in Chicago. From the discussion it was clear that the future workplace will typify a collaborative layout, green features that benefit the environment and employees, a seamless integration of information technology, and options for where to spend the workday.
Movement towards this future workplace is already present in some local and regional offices. Employers such as Google, TD Ameritrade and Bailey Lauerman have gone away from cubicles to open environments to allow for more collaboration and flexibity. Ample light and clean air are important in designing interior space. And aspects such as outdoor areas for company barbeques or a quick game of basketball are increasingly included in space planning.
Its evident that employees and employers can benefit from embracing the above future workplace aspects into their office designs.
