Cushman & Wakefield’s Washington, D.C. area and Baltimore research teams have
released the Industrial MarketBeat Reports for the second quarter 2012. A summary of these
reports is below:
Baltimore
The greater Baltimore industrial market continued to improve as the overall vacancy rate
dipped into the single digits. Positive absorption of 1.3 million square feet (msf) for the
year reflects demand for warehouse/distribution space in both the I-95 and Baltimore-Washington
Corridors. While the largest deals of the second quarter were renewals, strong first quarter
leasing and subsequent occupancies by companies such as Elite Spice, Inc. kept absorption
healthy.
Portfolio sales totaling over 2 msf closed during the second quarter. IndCor Properties
picked up 11 industrial buildings in Maryland and 7 in Virginia as part of a larger national
purchase from DEXUS. Cabot Properties, out of Boston, purchased a 5-building portfolio in
Howard County from Invesco Real Estate for $35.2 million, about $52 psf. Strong market
fundamentals throughout the Corridors are attracting both regional and national investors to
industrial product in the area.
Northern Virginia
The largest new lease in years closed during the second quarter as Amazon.com, Inc. took
179,250 sf at the new Dulles Summit Court, improving market fundamentals somewhat in the
Northern Virginia industrial market. Leasing is up from last year at this time and absorption
is positive. However, the market has remained relatively flat overall with no change in the
vacancy rate over the past twelve months and renewals accounting for 43.3% of all activity in
2012.
Suburban Maryland
The industrial market in Prince George’s County is holding its own in 2012, with
positive absorption of 154,737 sf and a vacancy rate which has declined by 1.2 percentage
points since year-end. Tenants such as Mattress Discounters and Scope Services, a Pepco
subcontractor, have been active in the market this year. On the investor side, Morgan Stanley
purchased a 3-building portfolio from American Realty Advisors for approximately $27.5 million
or $96 psf.