The Necessary Elements of Flex Buildings

Solomon: “Many flex property owners are upgrading interiors to include new restrooms and showers for employees who run or ride during the day, which is a majority in this active beach town.”

SAN DIEGO—Assets that offer curb appeal and a strong aesthetic, with good loading and truck access and a minimum of one to two truck doors, are among those that attract investors in flex buildings, BLT Enterprises’ chief development and legal officer Rob Solomon tells GlobeSt.com. The CRE investment company has acquired Sorrento Tech III, a 30,000-square-foot flex building in the Sorrento Mesa submarket of San Diego, that is located adjacent to Sorrento Tech II, a two-building office and R&D campus that the firm acquired earlier this year. We spoke exclusively with Solomon about the necessary elements of flex buildings in this market and how flex buildings have changed over the last decade.

GlobeSt.com: What are the most important features flex buildings must have, particularly in the Sorrento Mesa market? Solomon: When investing in flex buildings, we look for assets that offer curb appeal and a strong aesthetic, and we typically target single-tenant, free-standing properties as opposed to multi-tenant. In addition, flex buildings must have good loading and truck access with a minimum of one to two truck doors; a minimum clear height of 15 feet for warehouse space; substantial power to accommodate office, manufacturing and life-science uses; and robust mechanical systems to fully condition the premises.