ORLANDO—Where is the growing demand for distribution centers impacting the Central Florida industrial market? The short answer is: the market is extremely active.

GlobeSt.com sat down with Deborah Mickler, managing director of Industrial Services at Colliers International Central Florida, to get her take on the activity in the I-4 Corridor in part two of this exclusive interview. You can still read part one: Why You Should Pay Attention to the I-4 Corridor.

GlobeSt.com: How does the I-4 Corridor rank in terms of distribution centers nationwide?

Mickler: According to the Kenco Group, a third-party logistics and supply chain management company, the Orlando-Central Florida and Tampa-Saint Petersburg markets are currently ranked sixth and seventh in terms of national distribution centers, respectively. Coming in at number one is Los Angeles, while second and third place go to Riverside-San Bernardino, CA and Denver. 

GlobeSt.com: How has this growth of distribution centers impacted the Central Florida industrial market?

Mickler: Because of the intended use of these spaces, the market is extremely active in the 400,000- to 600,000-square-foot range. However, there is currently no inventory available in this size, even in class B industrial spaces. New construction and build-to-suit has emerged to meet the demand in this market. Meanwhile, facilities smaller than 75,000 square feet are in short supply and high demand.

GlobeSt.com: What types of users are occupying industrial space in the I-4 Corridor?

Mickler: To better understand the I-4 Corridor industrial market, the Colliers International Central Florida Industrial team recently compiled data on users occupying 100,000 square feet or more of industrial space in this location. Of the 251 users that met this requirement, 31% were food service, 22% were consumer retail goods, and 13% were logistics or delivery companies. Building products (12%), e-commerce (6%), automotive distribution and service (5%), theme parks and convention services (4%) and pharmaceuticals (3%) were also present.