Commercial Marketplace


	PIKE/PINE--EVOLUTION OF AN URBAN VILLAGE The area between I-5 and 15th Avenue and East Pike and East Pine Streets has become the most interesting, vibrant, diverse and active neighborhood in Seattle, and over $40 million of planned development should only make things more interesting.

	PAVITT: `THIS IS HOW CULTURE STARTS' Sometimes a real urban village has its own standards for development. "Liveable" doesn't mean "spacious." And "safe" doesn't mean "quiet."

	UNIVERSITY VILLAGE: `HOW COULD WE MISS?' Thanks to high traffic and several new, high profile stores, University Village has become a big hit with Seattle shoppers.

	DOES THE STATE OWN YOUR SHORELAND PROPERTY? Owners of western Washington marinas, shipyards, and shoreline industrial facilities may be surprised to learn that sections of their piers, docks or other marine structures that extend beyond extreme low tide may technically be the property of the state.

	WHO CARES ABOUT ABSORPTION? A LOOK AT JOBS Too many real estate folks fall into the trap of using yesterday's news to make decisions for tomorrow. A look at how analyzing other mitigating factors can make your real estate decisions more successful.

	TURNING CORNER MARKETS INTO SUPERSTORES If it hasn't already appeared in your neighborhood, expect a grocery superstore to arrive soon, with aisles and aisles of everything a customer needs all under one roof.

	WHY SUPPLY OF BIOTECH SPACE REMAINS TIGHT An increase in start-up biotechnology and biomedical firms is creating strong demand for laboratory space as firms try to get established here before spending hard-won operating capital on their own buildings.

	HOTEL MARKET READY FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION 1995 was a banner year for owners and operators of Seattle area hotels, but a number of new construction projects in various stages of development could create a significant shift of market conditions by the end of this decade.

	URBAN VILLAGES: REGULATIONS AND REALITY A few years ago the term "urban village'' was known only to a handful of academics and planners concerned with urban sprawl, gridlock and environmental degradation. Now, the "urban village" has become a key planning concept for Seattle and the region.

	THE DJC 1996 REAL ESTATE SURVEY The Journal polled twelve of the region's most influential real estate firms about today's market. What they said might suprise you.

	RETAIL IN THE 90S: BIG WINNERS, BIG LOSERS SILO, Clothestime, Barneys and Littler. Whether it's poor management, a lack of consumer awareness, increased competition or a variety of other roadblocks, a number of companies have all fallen into the Chapter 11 abyss facing far too many retailers today.

	PUGET SOUND REAL ESTATE STAGES A COMEBACK The Puget Sound commercial real estate market is experiencing a remarkable resurgence, posting the lowest vacancy rate among comparable cities across the nation.

	SOUTHEND APARTMENT MARKET FINALLY HEATS UP Although the South King County apartment market hasn't been kind to owners of apartment properties in recent years, a tightening rental market is making this one of the most overlooked areas for real estate investments in the region.

	DEMAND FOR HIGHER END APARTMENTS GROWS Around the country, high-end properties, dubbed "AA" or even "AAA" quality, have been selling for well over $80,000 per unit. And recent trends could push prices even higher.

	INDUSTRIAL GROWTH HEADING SOUTHWARD If Horace Greeley suddenly found himself standing amid the acres of warehouses in the Kent Valley today, the oft-quoted newsman of yesteryear would likely utter two words of advice to developers lusting for land: "Go South."

	LUXURY CONDOS: OVERBUILT AND UNDER-MARKETED It takes more than a line in the classifieds to sell a penthouse unit in one of Seattle's luxury condominium buildings. Yet many developers and brokers continue to use a passive "list and wait" marketing strategy.

	RENT IS RISING, WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT? Rent is the second largest cost companies incur, so with the projected increases, it is more important than ever for companies to review and manage their leases to maximize cost effectiveness.

	NEW OFFICE SPACE? IT'S ALREADY HERE Downtown office space opportunities have been altered dramatically by global, national and local events over the past six years. While the majority of the country still copes with vacancy rates in the teens, the Greater Seattle area has mid-single digits.

	PRIVACY AND PRODUCTIVITY: DO THEY GO HAND IN HAND? A look at how the designs of office spaces have on the approach, and sometimes the success, of the businesses that use them.

	SEATTLE AREA CONDOMINIUM MARKET SUBDUED When they're hot, they're hot and when they're not, they're not. That axiom may best describe the history of condominiums in the Puget Sound region.

	`MYTHS' OF RETAIL MAY BE HURTING YOUR BUSINESS In the world of retailing, we are confronted constantly with forecasts and trends about the future that inevitably become accepted truths. But upon closer examination, many of these so-called truths may be nothing more than myths.