ULI chairman discusses the state of the multifamily market and the future of suburbs, By John Egan, NREIOnline.com
Millennials, at 80 million strong, are entering the housing and employment markets in large numbers. Baby boomers, at 75 million-plus, are downsizing, retiring or contemplating retirement. These are just a few of the demographic and population changes that have huge implications for development, in terms of what is built and where it is built.
Solid fundamentals, positive momentum in Atlanta, By Robert Demeter, Multi-Housing News
“The metro’s favorable business climate continues to entice companies to relocate. Through March, the job market added 103,100 positions, the bulk of which were in professional and business services. The hospitality industry is booming, as the state generated a record-breaking $61.1 billion in commercial sales in 2016. Furthermore, the presence of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention boosts medical research and has helped to propel health-care employment to record highs. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s growing film industry is making the city competitive with Hollywood.”
Why obsolete warehouses on the ‘last mile’ are attracting institutional investors, By Patricia Kirk, NREIOnline.com
“The distribution space along the ‘last mile’ to consumer makes up a big chunk of this need, according to Marshall. This has created a new niche for institutional investors who are now competing for small, previously obsolete class-B, -C and -D industrial buildings in urban locations and are snapping up whole portfolios in this asset class.”
Is there a real estate solution to e-commerce’s returns problem? By Matthew Rothstein, Bisnow
“Distribution centers are being built all over the country, many as big-box facilities that in some cases require clearance of up to 40 feet. Last-mile distribution centers, designed to be leaner to make use of tighter spaces close to major cities, are beginning to crop up — like a rumored Amazon warehouse close to the University of Pennsylvania’s campus in West Philadelphia. Real estate is changing shape to better fit e-commerce, but only the sexy part. Returns are still a worry.”
New urban development growing on the Southside, By Alex Soderstrom, Atlanta Business Chronicle
“The 234-acre development will feature 1,200 residencies and 270,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space, along with 15 miles of paths and 118 acres of green space. Pinewood Forrest also aims to create a more sustainable community, requiring all homes to be heated and cooled with geothermal technology, said Pinewood Forrest’s president Rob Parker. Since homes went on the market for phase one of the project in April, Pinewood Forrest has made more than 40 sales and reservations, Parker said.”