Charlotte Office Market Picking Up on Leasing, Investment Front

CHARLOTTE—Jones Lang LaSalle is on a roll in the Charlotte office market, closing back to back deals spanning 10,106 square feet. The flood of new deals comes at the heels of Charles Jonas signing on with the firm as vice president of its agency leasing group.

New Market Waste Solutions, a refuse and recycling management company, leased 4,276 square-feet of office space in Charlotte’s SouthPark area at 2701 Coltsgate Road. JLL market director and Charlotte brokerage lead Chase Monroe, along with and vice president Bryan White represented the tenant, which will relocate from Charlotte’s Southend.

Intermark Brands LLC, a leading brand marketing and management firm, leased 5,830 square feet of space in Charlotte’s Southwest Submarket. The new office space is directly accessible via 485 and a 10-minute drive to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Uptown. JLL vice president White represented the tenant.

JLL leases more than 3.6 million square feet in the Charlotte region and manages 31.3 million square feet of assets across the Carolinas. Jonas sees more opportunity in the Charlotte office market.

“Charlotte’s location on the southeastern seaboard bodes well for direct connection to large urban cities in the Midwest and Northeast, favorable weather and deep water ports of Charleston, Norfolk and Savannah,” Jonas tells GlobeSt.com. “Charlotte ranks high on the quality of life index, while also enjoying modest taxes and some of the lowest energy costs in the nation.”

As Jonas sees it, the region proves itself a sophisticated commercial real estate marketplace and has caught the attention of top REITs, real estate funds and life companies, resulting in a comfortable investing atmosphere for new-to-the market investors. Case in point: 2011 began with investment opportunities in Charlotte that have not been seen in over a decade.

“A series of class A office buildings and multiple building parks currently are, or will be soon, on the market,” Jonas says. “Two class A CBD core assets with strong, credit-worthy tenants make the Charlotte Skyline an attractive investment opportunity for both domestic and international investors.”