Fourth Quarter 2019 Office Space Market Indicators and Report
by Chelsea Drinkard
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Important Highlights:

o Unemployment rate in Tampa Bay dropped to 2.7%, lower than the US average of 3.9%.

o Tampa Bay’s economy accelerated over the past year, adding over 30,000 jobs for an annual growth rate of over 2.0%.
o Class A rent increased over 6% a Square Foot, pushing the average rent across the Tampa Bay Market over $30.00 Square Foot for the third consecutive quarter in 2019.

 
Let’s Talk Rent Numbers:

Submarket

Overall Average Asking Rent All Classes

Overall Asking Rent Class A

Westshore

$33.85/sq. ft.

$36.87/sq. ft.

Downtown Tampa

$34.62/sq. ft.

$36.39/sq. ft.

Northwest Tampa

$23.96/sq. ft.

$26.40/sq. ft.

South Tampa

$29.60/sq. ft.

N/A

i-75 Corridor

$22.53/sq. ft.

$25.78/sq. ft.

Southwest

$19.75/sq. ft.

$24.00/sq. ft.

Downtown St. Petersburg

$27.91/sq. ft.

$30.18/sq. ft.

Construction Highlights:

Approx. 2 million square feet under construction and increase in speculative construction. Tampa Bay is on tract for it “largest injection of space in over ten years.” Heights Union and SkyCentreOne are both projects underway in Downtown Tampa. Heights Union recently landed co-working giant, WeWork, as a 50,000 SF lease.  Sparkmarn Wharf is renovating the office portion creating 200,000 SF of office space. Highwoods plans to renovate the 100,000 SF in Westshore formerly leased by Laser Spine Institute.

2019 4th Quarter Forecast:

Companies outside of Tampa Bay and around Florida and the country will continue to target Tampa Bay as they identify cities to expand due to Tampa Bay’s opportunity for small to large growing companies. Tenants may continue to leave Class A+ buildings or maximize existing office space for efficiently, as they experience sticker shock and move into B buildings and other Sub-urban markets.

What does this mean for Tenants?

o Flexible office space solutions have increases with We-Work location in Downtown Tampa and Pipeline for Tenants who prefer short term and flexible options.
o Parking in downtown Tampa still remains an issue with limited spots and cost is high.
o Construction costs remain high and Tenants may have to sign a 7-year term to cover requested Tenant Improvements.
o The end of 2020 should provide a wide variety of office space options with approx. 1,000,000 Square Feet in the pipeline for new construction.
o Now is the time to have a Tenant Representative Broker advocating on your behalf. The market is dynamic, availability is quickly shifting and having a Broker who has their finger on the market pulse and long-standing relationships with Brokers will get you the best terms possible.

 What does this mean for Landlords?

o Landlords are moving forward with new Class A construction to meet the forecasted transition into smaller, sub-markets i.e. Water Street and the Heights Union with upcoming residential construction, creating a dense, live work and play environment

o Class A rent is in the $30-$45 Square Feet Full Service depending on location and new construction
o Westshore, Downtown Tampa and Downtown St. Petersburg are still highly desired areas for Tenants especially with generational shift of decision making
o Landlords of Class B and C buildings continue updates to remain competitive with new office buildings breaking ground

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