Commercial Investment Real Estate Spring 2022 | Page 10

MULTIFAMILY LOOKS STRONG FOR FORESEEABLE FUTURE
LOS ANGELES RIVER LOOKS FOR REBIRTH VIA DEVELOPMENT
INDUSTRIAL TOPS WISH LIST FOR INVESTMENT
DATA CENTERS BUY BIG IN CLEAN ENERGY
This page , left to right : Eyecrave , Pete Saloutos , Kefkenadasi , Thomas Barwick
One of the strongest CRE sectors in the last two years , multifamily will see continued growth in 2022 . According to a Marcus & Millichap forecast , the U . S . will form 1.6 million new households this year , which is the same number of newly constructed residences expected to be delivered in 2022 . Multifamily could also see a boost in demand as the supply of single-family homes dries up and mortgage rates are set to rise .
While suburban locations saw an uptick in demand with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic , urban areas could benefit from a suburban vacancy rate that is expected to remain below 4 percent . The resumption of entertainment and nightlife activities in central business districts could be another pull for potential renters to return to city areas . Additionally , considering changing working conditions , potential renters will be looking for spaces with offices and petfriendly landlords .
Running within a mile of more than one million people , the Los Angeles River includes 2,300 acres of public land . The iconic concrete-covered riverbank has long been a point of discussion for CRE investment , but the LA River Master Plan hopes to incorporate parks , affordable housing , community space , and emergency disaster preparedness into the waterway ’ s future .
Los Angeles County Public Works is currently working on an updated Los Angeles River Master Plan that could meet community needs , while identifying potential funding sources . Proponents of development are aiming for funding from city , county , state , and federal sources as well as private dollars .
“ If anti-displacement policies are left to follow the adoption of the plan , real estate speculation will outpace any community stabilization efforts ,” says Friends of the L . A . River President and CEO Marissa Christiansen , in a statement to Bisnow .
Optimism in commercial real estate investment is widespread , with 87 percent of investors feeling positive about the general outlook , according to a Colliers report . The industrial sector , unsurprisingly , continues to be the most popular target , with 67 percent of survey respondents likely to invest in the sector in 2022 , followed by multifamily ( 53 percent ) and office ( 45 percent ).
Overall , 62 percent of respondents expect value gains in industrial in 2022 , including 13 percent of respondents expecting more than a 20 percent increase in capital values . Interest focused primarily on light industrial / flex space ( 83 percent of respondents interested in it ), followed by bigbox / warehouse ( 81 percent ) and last-mile ( 48 percent ). Cold / dark storage ( 35 percent ) and container terminals ( 21 percent ) are two specialty assets that could see an uptick in investment , considering the overall competitive environment of the industrial sector .
The cloud doesn ’ t power itself , and much of the energy used to operate data centers and other IT infrastructure came from renewable sources , according to research firm BloombergNEF . Amazon ( 4,824 megawatts in solar and 1,388 MW in wind ), Microsoft ( 3,477 MW solar ; 2,678 MW wind ), and Meta ( 1,980 MW solar ; 222 MW wind ) led the way of the top corporate buyers of clean energy . Amazon had a total of 44 power purchase agreements in nine countries , making its consumption of clean energy the 12th largest in the world .
“ The clean energy portfolios of big tech companies now rival those of the world ’ s biggest utilities ,” says Helen Dewhurst , senior associate at BNEF . “ Big tech faces mounting pressure from investors to decarbonize , and this is reflected in the steep increase in clean energy volumes purchased . The power purchase agreements inked in previous years pale in comparison to the portfolios announced in 2021 .”
CIREMAGAZINE . COM COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 9