Colliers Report: Bigger Ports. Bigger Ships. Bigger Buildings.

Research & Forecast Report: Q3-2016 CHARLESTON | INDUSTRIAL

Key Takeaways

• Bigger logistics is leading to larger buildings.
• Sheep Island Interchange will unlock industrial land.
• The first post-Panamax ship traveled through the Panama Canal Expansion.

To download the complete report: Q3 2016 Charleston Industrial Market Report.

Larger Speculative Buildings to Come

Increased activity in the Charleston market from larger tenants, the construction of a larger port, the expansion of the Panama Canal and the introduction of post-Panamax ships to the Port of Charleston have led to larger buildings. Over the last five years, 16 buildings over 100,000 square feet have delivered in the Charleston market, 10 of those have delivered since 2015. In 2007, most speculative construction was between 100,000 and 350,000 square feet. Today, developers are constructing buildings between 150,000 and 350,000 square feet but with the opportunity to expand the building to two or three times its size. An example is the  Keith Corporation’s building at Charleston Trade Center, a speculative building currently under construction that will be 307,350 square feet expandable to 923,000 square feet. Additionally, construction will begin soon on a new speculative building at OMNI Industrial Campus. The building will be 587,720 square feet, much larger than the standard speculative building in the Charleston market.

Fifteen industrial buildings between 169,000 and 1.3 million square feet are planned at three industrial parks located along a two-mile stretch on Interstate 26 between US Highway 17 and Jedburg Road. At the Rockefeller Group-MeadWestvaco Foreign Trade Zone industrial park, a 520,000- and a 561,600-square-foot building are planned to begin construction in 2017. Charleston Trade Center has seven buildings planned ranging from 200,000 and 1.3 million square feet, and OMNI Industrial Campus has five buildings planned totaling 2.6 million square feet. The planned construction will add an additional 7.3 million square feet to the market along this two-mile stretch.

Post Panamax Era

The Panama Canal Expansion is now open, allowing for larger and heavier post-Panamax ships to travel through the locks. This unlocks access to global markets and makes the Port of Charleston a big player in increasing accessibility through East Coast shipping routes. In September 2016, the Water Resources Development Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives, allowing the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project to move forward. The state has funded $300 million to the project and the South Carolina Port Authority says the project is on track to be completed by 2020. Once deepened, the entrance to the harbor will be 54 feet deep and the harbor will be 52 feet deep.

The Port of Charleston already has the deepest harbor on the East Coast but currently can only accept post-Panamax ships during high tide. The deepening will allow these longer, wider and heavier ships to access the port around the clock. Charleston will be the only East Coast port able to accept calls from post-Panamax III ships at full capacity (16,000 TEU). Heavier cranes and stronger infrastructure are also being added to the Port of Charleston to accommodate the larger capacity of these new Panamax and post-Panamax ships, which can hold between 12,000 and 16,000 TEU compared to Panamax ships, which can hold up to 5,000 TEU. Other efforts by competing Eastern seaboard ports are behind the preparations of the Port of Charleston to deepen their channels. None will be as deep upon completion or deliver before the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project.

To take full advantage of its competitive position, the South Carolina Ports Authority is planning an Inland Port in Dillon 160 miles North of the Port of Charleston, off Interstate 95 near the North Carolina border. The port will ease traffic as well as accommodate the growing volume at the Port of Charleston by way of a Class 1 CSX rail line. The port is expected to begin construction in the first quarter of 2017 and be completed by the end of the year.

New Interchange to Spur Growth

Berkeley County, the South Carolina Transportation Bank and a grant from the South Carolina Ports Authority have funded a $65 million project to create a new interchange along Interstate 26 between Summerville and Jedburg. To the West of I-26 along this stretch are Charleston Trade Center and Jedburg Commerce Park, and to the East are the Rockefeller Group-MeadWestvaco Foreign Trade Zone and OMNI Industrial Campus. The new interchange is under construction at Sheep Island Parkway (future Exit 197), also known as Nexton Parkway, one mile west of US Highway 17 (Exit 199). As part of the project, I-26 will be widened from four to six lanes for the one mile stretch between US Highway 17 (North Main Street) and the new Sheep Island Interchange. Both the interchange and the widening are expected to be complete in December of 2017. Upon completion, the new interchange will provide two access points to the industrial sites along the corridor. More direct access will alleviate traffic along the one mile segment of the I-26 corridor and in turn make the Charleston Trade Center, Jedburg Commerce Park, Rockefeller – MeadWestvaco Foreign Trade Zone and OMNI Industrial Campus more viable options for prospective tenants in the Charleston Market. These sites are currently within 11 miles of Volvo, 16 miles of Daimler and 22 miles of Boeing and the North Charleston Port Terminal.

 

 

 

Post Panamax Era

The Panama Canal Expansion is now open, allowing for larger and heavier post-Panamax ships to travel through the locks. This unlocks access to global markets and makes the Port of Charleston a big player in increasing accessibility through East Coast shipping routes. In September 2016, the Water Resources Development Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives, allowing the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project to move forward. The state has funded $300 million to the project and the South Carolina Port Authority says the project is on track to be completed by 2020. Once deepened, the entrance to the harbor will be 54 feet deep and the harbor will be 52 feet deep.

The Port of Charleston already has the deepest harbor on the East Coast but currently can only accept post-Panamax ships during high tide. The deepening will allow these longer, wider and heavier ships to access the port around the clock. Charleston will be the only East Coast port able to accept calls from post-Panamax III ships at full capacity (16,000 TEU). Heavier cranes and stronger infrastructure are also being added to the Port of Charleston to accommodate the larger capacity of these new Panamax and post-Panamax ships, which can hold between 12,000 and 16,000 TEU compared to Panamax ships, which can hold up to 5,000 TEU. Other efforts by competing Eastern seaboard ports are behind the preparations of the Port of Charleston to deepen their channels. None will be as deep upon completion or deliver before the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project.

To take full advantage of its competitive position, the South Carolina Ports Authority is planning an Inland Port in Dillon 160 miles North of the Port of Charleston, off Interstate 95 near the North Carolina border. The port will ease traffic as well as accommodate the growing volume at the Port of Charleston by way of a Class 1 CSX rail line. The port is expected to begin construction in the first quarter of 2017 and be completed by the end of the year.

 

 

 

Efficient Logistics

South Carolina’s efficient logistics provide companies quick access to suppliers and customers through its ports, rail lines, and interstates. South Carolina ports play a vital role in the continued success of the companies investing in the Midland’s industrial market by expediting delivery of imports and exports, as well as reducing the cost on the transportation of goods.

Total volume for the Port of Charleston at the fiscal year to date, shows a 3.4% increase over the 2015 fiscal year to date. The Port of Charleston continues to grow with no signs of slowing down, as it undergoes the construction of a new terminal in North Charleston and a recently funded deepening of its harbor to 52 feet by 2019. The location of the inland port extends the reach of the Port of Charleston and its customers beyond South Carolina borders. The Inland Port in Greer, South Carolina adds to the connectivity of the state by providing a direct route via a Norfolk Southern rail line to the Port of Charleston. The Inland Port recorded 9,392 rail lifts in August 2016, a 28.3% increase from a year ago. The combined success of the Inland Port and increased demand within South Carolina markets has led the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) to announce plans for a second inland port facility in Dillon County.

Construction Pipeline

Construction activity remains high in the Charleston market. By the end of the year, 578,000 square feet is expected to deliver, with another 648,000 square feet to deliver in the first quarter of 2017. Speculative construction remains strong in the market as seven new buildings, totaling 673,000 square feet, will deliver over the next six months. Build-to-suits and expansions from existing tenants are also popular with two deliveries this quarter and two more set to deliver by the end of the year.

Recently Delivered

• The 118,000-square-foot expansion of the Sportsman Boats Manufacturing facility in Dorchester County delivered this quarter.
• Mankiewicz Coatings completed their $25 million, 90,000-square-foot facility this quarter in Berkeley County.
• Construction of 2011 Broadbank Court completed this quarter. The distribution building is 46,800 square feet located in the Pine Hill Business Campus in Dorchester County.

Under Construction

• Construction at the Volvo Cars of North America factory in Berkeley County has been underway for a year. In 2015, Volvo Cars announced a $500 million investment to create 2,000 new jobs in the Charleston industrial market. The facility will be 2.3 million square feet and is expected to deliver at the end of 2018. Once complete, it will produce 100,000 cars and $4.8 billion in economic output each year.
• The 396,000-square-foot paint hangar for The Boeing Company is nearly complete at 5300 International Boulevard in Charleston County. The facility will be finished by the end of the year.
• The 82,500-square-foot expansion of the Google Data Center in Berkeley County is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
• The first building of the Charleston Trade Center in Berkeley County is expected to deliver by the end of 2016. Once complete, the building will be 307,350 square feet, providing the leasee future expansion to 923,000 square feet.
• Brookwood Capital Partners are developing three industrial buildings at Airport Commerce Center in Charleston County set to deliver the first quarter of 2017. Building 300 is a 100,000-square-foot build-to-suit for American Tire. Buildings 100 and 200 will be 144,000 and 154,000 square feet respectively.
• Construction of Building Two at Atlas Commerce Center in Berkeley County is nearly complete. The speculative building will be 67,500 square feet and is expected to deliver by Q4 2016.

Significant Transactions

The two-building North Rhett Commerce Park sold this quarter in the Charleston Industrial market. The two industrial buildings, located at 5801 North Rhett, are a combined 500,000 square feet of warehouse space with rail access. CenterPoint Properties purchased both buildings for $29 million, or $58.00 PSF. Strong investor activity in the market will lead to more sales in future quarters.

Leases

• Zinus leased 473,000 square feet at 1125 Newton Way, a former Piggly Wiggly distribution center in Berkeley County.
• Auto Truck Group leased 66,800 square feet at 211 Farmington Road in Berkeley County.
• Cassique Warehouse and Packaging leased 130,700 square feet at 2701 Azalea drive in Charleston County this quarter.

Market Conditions

The Charleston industrial market continues to tighten. The third quarter ended with more than one million square feet of net absorption in the Charleston industrial market, bringing the market vacancy rate to 6.1% from 8.4% last quarter. The Charleston industrial market has the highest average asking rental rate for industrial space in South Carolina. At the end of the third quarter, the average asking rental rate hit a new high at $4.85 per square foot per year (PSF/YR) triple net (NNN) for industrial space. Only a year ago, the average asking rental rate was $4.52 PSF/YR NNN, a 7.3% increase.

The Peninsula and Goose Creek-Moncks Corner submarkets, two of Charleston’s smallest industrial submarkets, remain at 100% occupancy this quarter. The Peninsula has been at full occupancy since the start of 2015 and the Goose Creek-Moncks Corner submarket since the end of the second quarter.

The Hanahan submarket ended the third quarter strong, with a vacancy rate of 11.4%, down from 17.4% at the end of the second quarter.

North Charleston is the largest industrial submarket in Charleston, comprising 40% of the total market inventory. Due to nearly 257,000 square feet of positive net absorption, the vacancy rate at the end of the third quarter was 5.3% in the North Charleston submarket, down from 7.0% last quarter.

The vacancy rate in the Summerville submarket was 2.8% at the end of the third quarter, a decrease from 10.4% last quarter. The large shift in occupancy is due to the positive net absorption of nearly 655,000 square feet, the majority attributed to Zinus leasing 473,000 square feet in the former Piggly Wiggly distribution center.

Industrial Employment

Industrial employment, those jobs related to the manufacturing and whole sale trade sectors, are growing in the Charleston-North Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), despite a slight drop in total non-farm employment in the MSA. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, since April of 2015, 1,600 industrial using jobs have been added to the MSA, 20.0% of the total number of jobs added over the same time period. Industrial-using employment has seen a growth from 29,900 jobs in April 2011 to 35,200 jobs in April 2016, a 15.1% growth. Robust interest in the Charleston industrial market, coupled with the planned transportation infrastructure improvements, is expected to continue this upward trend in industrial employment.

Market Forecast

The coming quarters are expected to see continued healthy absorption as activity from new and expanding tenants increases. The Charleston industrial market has been limited to small industrial spaces in past quarters, but prospective tenants will begin to see new large speculative space come to market over the next six months. Additionally, continued economic development and infrastructure improvements will attract new prospects to the market. The Charleston Harbor Deepening Project will play a key role in the movement of goods throughout regional and global markets and in leveraging South Carolina as a strong industrial market to investors, developers and national and global companies.

Around South Carolina

The South Carolina industrial market is strengthening with interest from investors and prospective tenants. The rapid absorption of speculative space in the Greenville industrial market and statewide infrastructure improvements are evident of this strength.

Columbia, South Carolina

• Richland County has funded a Transportation Improvement Program (CTIP) that will extend and widen heavily trafficked roads allowing industrial users to move goods to market. The widening projects will vastly increase the amount of industrial land in the county and make it more attractive to industrial developers and investors considering the Columbia market.

Greenville, South Carolina

• Build-to-suit development is prominent in the Upstate industrial market. Delivery of these buildings at full occupancy is the primary driver of large absorption in the market for 2016. The year to date net absorption for the Greenville/Spartanburg market is 6.3 million square feet, 20.9% higher than the combined year net absorption of 2014 and 2015.

For statewide commercial real estate news check out our market reports at: www.colliers.com/southcarolina/insights.

 

To download the complete report: Q3 2016 Charleston Industrial Market Report.