Could it be that the Recession is Over?

Earlier this week, I told some buddies that it has been so long since I saw a crane, I wasn't sure I could recognize one.   One responded, "What's a crane?"  The other told him, "It's a bird with long legs that lives near marshes."

We've been burned before thinking that the Great Recession was over.   Technically, I guess from its true economic definition, the recession has been over for nearly 3 years but this has been a recession without a recovery, so far.  

Perhaps, in Louisville at least, the recovery we have been waiting for is finally here.   We have had several indicators -

• Town Center retail center - known by most as the home of Tinseltown sold in late 2011 for close to twice as much as its purchase price just a few years before
• Cabela's, a large outdoor retailer, announced plans to build a new store by Lowes and Costco at Brownsboro Crossing. 
• Central Station retail center, close to Churchill Downs recently sold to an out of state investor
• River Ridge, in Jeffersonville, Indiana, has a new 1,000,000 SF warehouse being built by a so far undisclosed company
• Bullitt County has another still undisclosed company presently looking for land to build another 1,000,000 SF warehouse.
• The new North Hurstboure Parkway Class A Office building built by Faulkner, the only spec Class A Office building I can think of for the last several years, is nearly completely leased after only being officially open for a few weeks.

In addition, there are less concrete indicators -

• We have been getting inquiries from businesses that are suppliers to some of our larger employers, saying that they need more space to gear up for new contracts and increased activity.
• Whereas last year I would sometimes ask friends to call my phone to be sure that it was working, now our phones are ringing again.
• Several companies are now at least looking at new space.  Much of this is taking advantage of better lease rates while they are still down and long term leases are expiring.   Still, there is more activity than there has been in quite a while. 

As I mentioned in the outset, we have been burned before, so I won't be buying a new car right away.   Still, things are looking more positive than they have in quite a while.   

Hope you have a great day!

BTW - If you need some Real Estate help, give me a call!   I specialize in commercial real estate and work with Buyers, Sellers, Landlords, Tenants and Investors.  I handle Office, Industrial, Land, Retail and Investment properties.  Heck I can even set you up with help for residential properties. 

ALSO - I am sure that my managing broker would appreciate me clarifying that the views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Commonwealth Commercial Real Estate, its brokers, agents, or employees, other than me, of course.    Should you like to make a comment or offer another point of view, you may feel free to do so in the comments or you may contact me directly.   You should not feel free however to make any comments which are inappropriate or offensive.   Should I see any such comments, I will exercise my right to delete them.

David

David W. McCoy
Associate Broker
Commonwealth Commercial Real Estate
10444 Bluegrass Pkwy
Louisville, KY  40299

ofc: (502) 379-6005
cel: (502) 905-5274
e-mail: DMcCoy@ccre.biz