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Commercial Marketplace 1999

special issues index
[Commercial Marketplace 1999]
February 18, 1999

The real estate boom in the Seattle area continues in 1999. The DJC's special section, Commercial Marketplace 1999, looks at where the last year has brought the real estate market, and what the coming years promise.

Pacific Place
Seattle's Pacific Place is one of the newer additions to the retail landscape in the downtown area.
In "Shoppers, retailers both flocking to downtown Seattle," guest writer Susan Zimmerman looks at the rise of retail in the downtown Seattle area and what's made it so attractive to retailers. And a story by DJC reporter Clair Enlow looks at the innovative way Pacific Place uses vertical space to create a new retail environment for its customers.

You'll also find stories about issues facing the industry today. Eric Postle advises readers on the most costly mistakes made when leasing office space. And in "Y2K: Out of sight but not out of mind," Bill Garland examines some of the technical issues facing computer systems in real estate offices.

Several stories speculate on how the commercial real estate market will hold up in the coming year. In "Downtown Seattle: hold on to your hats" and "Seattle CBD has some great years ahead" both predict another round of growth is coming for downtown Seattle. Paul Sweeney's article sees a similarly bright future for the Eastside. And the annual DJC Real Estate survey gives DJC readers a comprehensive look at many of the area's commercial real estate firms and what they see developing in the coming year.

We at the DJC hope readers find 1999 Commercial Marketplace a helpful resource to staying on top of the area's exciting and robust commercial real estate industry.

- Maude Scott, Commercial Marketplace editor


C O N T E N T S


Grace, grandeur and a whole lot of sales
Getting Tiffany's, Cartier, Max Mara and Il Fornaio together in Seattle took the right combination of patience, business savvy, charm and architecture.
Real Estate Survey
A look at Portland's experience with rail, real estate
Some people in Portland missed the train.

Now, they're chasing the caboose.

Hotel market: Let the good times roll
By most measures, 1998 was an excellent year for the Seattle hotel market. Even though several new hotels opened during the year, the average occupancy in Seattle increased to 78 percent from 77 percent in 1997. In addition, the average room rate for Seattle hotels increased to $128 from $120.
Retail forecast: ethnic malls and urban villages
Retail properties have a greater impact on a community than any other property type. A new or rehabbed shopping center or the addition of a major retailer often becomes a catalyst for additional neighborhood development.
Last summer's joy-ride has ended but we're still cruisin'
Forget for a moment the relentless onslaught of winter storms, and think back to last summer when we cruised with the top down in our souped-up, Puget Sound real estate roadster. Remember? Tank full of high octane conduit money, REIT buyers waving those full price signs, burying the needle on our job growth and rental rate gauges Oh please, dont let this joy-ride end!
Y2k: Out of sight, but not out of mind
It's virtually impossible to ignore the headline warnings being splashed across newspapers and magazines throughout the world announcing the fast approaching "Millenium Bug." And the commercial real estate industry will clearly not be spared. The primary concern for office buildings is due to the presence of "embedded systems" in buildings.
Hey buddy, can you spare 10,000 square feet?
The South Puget Sound industrial market has become the land of the giants. Over the last three or four years, the size and scale of buildings has increased. A few years ago, a 250,000-400,000-square-foot building was extremely uncommon; now it has become typical.
Shoppers, retailers both flocking to downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle is one of the most talked-about cities in the United States with the realization that has taken place over the last three years. By the end of this year, downtown Seattle will have added approximately 1 million square feet of new retail since the opening of the Meridian complex in 1996. The big question: Why the growth spurt? The bigger question: Will it continue?
The Eastside real estate boom is on
To say the Eastside market today is healthy from an owners perspective is a gross understatement. Rental rates and vacancy rates, the two key barometers in analyzing any market, both are pointed strongly in the owners direction.
Downtown Seattle: Hold on to your hat
In the depths of winter, it's easy to forget what an incredible place downtown Seattle has become. But sure as the sun will burst forth in July (it had better), Seattle's downtown is poised to embark on another round of breathtaking growth and innovation.
The six most costly leasing mistakes
Every executive who reads the paper knows how tight the commercial real estate market is. And most know how important a good facility is to the bottom line. But most executives only get involved in leasing property when their lease expires, once every five to seven years. As a result, when it comes time to negotiate this important transaction, the average executive is ill prepared and may have a difficult time in the process.
More companies are calling Kitsap home
The Navy still accounts for more than 40 percent of the civilian work force in this semirural county seven miles west of downtown Seattle, but a growing number of private companies - sick of big city traffic and attracted to the area's laid back lifestyle - are setting up shop there.
Seattle CBD has some great years ahead
Let there be no mistake, it is the high-tech industry that has catapulted demand for office space downtown. If not for high-tech, Seattle would continue to grow, but demand for office space and rental rate increases would likely be a small fraction, possibly only 20 percent, of what we have witnessed.


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