Return to Virginia Business - March 2004

Commercial Real Estate Quarterly

Outlook

Virginia Business
March 2004

The look ahead:

• Medical practices are leaving hospital campuses for traditional office space.
• Office condos are hot buys, thanks to attractive mortgage interest rates.
• Corporate downsizing in Richmond and other places continues to dump space on the market.
• Increased federal spending for defense and security helps the rebound in Northern Virginia, boosting office leases and absorption.


What's going up:

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY
Buchanan Partners of Gaithersburg, Md., has contracted to purchase six acres for the construction of speculative flex/office space in the county’s 1,600-acre Innovation biotech-oriented business park. By mid 2004, the company plans to build two, single-story flex office buildings totaling 90,000 square feet, which will be leased to biotechnology and technology firms. The park is already home to Micron, Lockheed Martin and Eli Lilly & Co.

RICHMOND
Family Dollar Stores of Virginia Inc. has purchased 1.1 acres of land at 3110 Jefferson Davis Highway. The Chesapeake-based company plans to build a new showroom, warehouse and office space.

WILLIAMSBURG
Liberty Property Trust is building a 101,000 square-foot office headquarters building that will be leased by Wythe-Will Distributing Co., a leading specialty food company now located in Lightfoot. The single-story building will be located on 15 acres on LaGrange Parkway in the Stonehouse Commerce Park.

Virginia Business - March 2004