A Study of Portsmouth’s Office Market: Spring 2000 – Spring 2008
By Steven H. Berg, MAI, SRA

 

 

Office Space (SF): Existing & Under Construction

 

Downtown

Pease

Suburban

Total

 

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

2000

809,474

28.7%

--

648,854

23.0%

--

1,361,583

48.3%

--

2,819,911

100%

--

2001

823,818

25.8%

1.8%

953,011

29.9%

46.9%

1,410,263

44.2%

3.6%

3,187,092

100%

13.0%

2002

823,818

24.3%

0.0%

1,150,895

34.0%

20.8%

1,410,263

41.7%

0.0%

3,384,976

100%

6.2%

2003

823,818

23.7%

0.0%

1,225,895

35.2%

6.5%

1,432,703

41.1%

1.6%

3,482,416

100%

2.9%

2004

814,893

24.5%

-1.1%

1,238,906

37.2%

1.1%

1,278,615

38.4%

-10.8%

3,332,414

100%

-4.3%

2005

818,143

23.8%

0.4%

1,324,060

38.6%

6.9%

1,290,651

37.6%

0.9%

3,432,854

100%

3.0%

2006

825,285

23.8%

0.9%

1,324,060

38.2%

0.0%

1,314,651

38.0%

1.9%

3,463,996

100%

0.9%

2007

824,158

23.2%

-0.1%

1,418,280

39.9%

7.1%

1,314,651

37.0%

0.0%

3,557,089

100%

2.69%

2008

848,158

22.4%

2.9%

1,573,960

41.6%

11.0%

1,365,051

36.0%

3.8%

3,787,169

100%

6.47%

Average

823,507

24.3%

of total

1,206,436

35.7%

of total

1,353,159

40.0%

of total

3,383,102

100%

4.3%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Existing Office Space (SF)

 

Downtown

Pease

Suburban

Total

 

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

2000

775,168

29.0%

--

532,734

20.0%

--

1,361,583

51.0%

--

2,669,485

100%

--

2001

809,474

28.3%

4.4%

656,791

23.0%

23.3%

1,395,263

48.8%

2.5%

2,861,528

100%

7.2%

2002

823,818

26.3%

1.8%

898,675

28.7%

36.8%

1,409,663

45.0%

1.0%

3,132,156

100%

9.5%

2003

823,818

24.6%

0.0%

1,108,675

33.2%

23.4%

1,410,263

42.2%

0.0%

3,342,756

100%

6.7%

2004

814,893

25.2%

-1.1%

1,176,229

36.4%

6.1%

1,237,595

38.3%

-12.2%

3,228,717

100%

-3.4%

2005

814,893

25.1%

0.0%

1,195,770

36.9%

1.7%

1,230,067

38.0%

-0.6%

3,240,730

100%

0.4%

2006

818,143

24.6%

0.4%

1,261,644

38.0%

5.5%

1,240,251

37.4%

0.8%

3,320,038

100%

2.4%

2007

804,578

23.5%

-1.7%

1,311,341

38.2%

3.9%

1,314,651

38.3%

6.0%

3,430,570

100%

3.3%

2008

809,158

22.4%

0.6%

1,481,496

41.1%

13.0%

1,314,651

36.5%

0.0%

3,605,305

100%

5.1%

Average

810,438

25.3%

of total

1,069,262

33.4%

of total

1,323,776

41.3%

of total

3,203,476

100%

4.4%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Office Space Under Construction (SF)

 

Downtown

Pease

Suburban

Total

 

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

2000

34,306

22.8%

--

116,120

77.2%

--

0

0.0%

--

150,426

100%

--

2001

14,344

4.4%

-58.2%

296,220

91.0%

155.1%

15,000

4.6%

n/a

325,564

100%

116.4%

2002

0

0.0%

-100.0%

252,220

99.8%

-14.9%

600

0.2%

-96.0%

252,820

1%

-22.3%

2003

0

0.0%

n/a

117,220

83.9%

-53.5%

22,440

16.1%

3640.0%

139,660

100%

-44.8%

2004

0

0.0%

n/a

62,677

60.4%

-46.5%

41,020

39.6%

82.8%

103,697

100%

-25.8%

2005

3,250

1.7%

n/a

128,290

66.8%

104.7%

60,584

31.5%

47.7%

192,124

100%

85.3%

2006

7,142

5.0%

119.8%

62,416

43.4%

-51.3%

74,400

51.7%

22.8%

143,958

100%

-25.1%

2007

19,580

15.5%

174.2%

106,939

84.5%

71.3%

0

0.0%

n/a

126,519

100%

-12.1%

2008

39,000

21.4%

99.2%

92,464

50.8%

-13.5%

50,400

27.7%

n/a

181,864

100%

43.7%

Average

13,069

7.3%

of total

137,174

76.4%

of total

29,383

16.4%

of total

179,626

100%

2.6%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Occupied Existing Office Space (SF)

 

Downtown

Pease

Suburban

Total

 

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

2000

740,549

95.5%

--

498,734

93.6%

--

1,299,409

95.4%

--

2,538,692

95.1%

--

2001

779,596

96.3%

5.3%

582,838

88.7%

16.9%

1,365,203

97.8%

5.1%

2,727,637

95.3%

7.4%

2002

747,287

90.7%

-4.1%

807,673

89.9%

38.6%

1,326,147

94.1%

-2.9%

2,881,107

92.0%

5.6%

2003

681,765

82.8%

-8.8%

985,293

88.9%

22.0%

1,271,827

90.2%

-4.1%

2,938,885

87.9%

2.0%

2004

711,383

87.3%

4.3%

1,066,319

90.7%

8.2%

1,191,033

96.2%

-6.4%

2,968,735

91.9%

1.0%

2005

727,513

89.3%

2.3%

1,071,782

89.6%

0.5%

1,170,883

95.2%

-1.7%

2,970,178

91.7%

0.0%

2006

730,639

89.3%

0.4%

1,139,334

90.3%

6.3%

1,191,860

96.1%

1.8%

3,061,833

92.2%

3.1%

2007

699,577

86.9%

-4.3%

1,188,873

90.7%

4.3%

1,289,039

98.1%

8.2%

3,177,489

92.6%

3.8%

2008

748,473

92.5%

7.0%

1,315,447

88.8%

10.6%

1,230,683

93.6%

-4.5%

3,294,603

91.4%

3.7%

Average

729,642

90.0%

0.1%

961,810

90.0%

20.5%

1,259,565

95.1%

-0.7%

2,951,018

92.1%

3.7%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Empty Existing Office Space (SF)

 

Downtown

Pease

Suburban

Total

 

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

2000

34,619

4.5%

--

34,000

6.4%

--

62,174

4.6%

--

130,793

4.9%

--

2001

29,878

3.7%

-13.7%

73,953

11.3%

117.5%

30,060

2.2%

-51.7%

133,891

4.7%

2.4%

2002

76,531

9.3%

156.1%

91,002

10.1%

23.1%

83,516

5.9%

177.8%

251,049

8.0%

87.5%

2003

142,053

17.2%

85.6%

123,382

11.1%

35.6%

138,436

9.8%

65.8%

403,871

12.1%

60.9%

2004

103,510

12.7%

-27.1%

109,910

9.3%

-10.9%

46,562

3.8%

-66.4%

259,982

8.1%

-35.6%

2005

87,380

10.7%

-15.6%

123,988

10.4%

12.8%

59,184

4.8%

27.1%

270,552

8.3%

4.1%

2006

87,504

10.7%

0.1%

122,310

9.7%

-1.4%

48,391

3.9%

-18.2%

258,205

7.8%

-4.6%

2007

105,001

13.1%

20.0%

80,248

6.1%

-34.4%

25,612

1.9%

-47.1%

210,861

6.1%

-18.3%

2008

60,685

7.5%

-42.2%

166,049

11.2%

106.9%

83,968

6.4%

227.8%

310,702

8.6%

47.3%

Average

80,796

10.0%

 

102,760

9.6%

 

64,211

4.9%

 

247,767

7.7%

17.2%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Office Space Advertised as Available (SF)

 

Downtown

Pease

Suburban

Total

 

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

2000

31,280

3.9%

--

81,220

12.5%

--

17,174

1.3%

--

129,674

4.6%

--

2001

66,578

8.1%

112.8%

146,273

15.3%

80.1%

75,964

5.4%

342.3%

288,815

9.1%

122.7%

2002

137,678

16.7%

106.8%

208,522

18.1%

42.6%

107,114

7.6%

41.0%

453,314

13.4%

57.0%

2003

144,455

17.5%

4.9%

202,235

16.5%

-3.0%

266,473

18.6%

148.8%

613,163

17.6%

35.3%

2004

98,659

12.1%

-31.7%

178,287

14.4%

-11.8%

128,222

10.0%

-51.9%

405,168

12.2%

-33.9%

2005

108,808

13.3%

10.3%

256,328

19.4%

43.8%

87,715

6.8%

-31.6%

452,851

13.2%

11.8%

2006

74,742

9.1%

-31.3%

152,558

11.5%

-40.5%

78,497

6.0%

-10.5%

305,797

8.8%

-32.5%

2007

79,889

9.7%

6.9%

128,917

9.1%

-15.5%

45,750

3.5%

-41.7%

254,556

7.2%

-16.8%

2008

88,098

10.4%

10.3%

188,922

12.0%

46.5%

184,726

13.5%

303.8%

461,746

12.2%

81.4%

Average

92,243

11.2%

 

171,474

14.2%

 

110,182

8.1%

 

373,898

11.1%

32.0%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proposed Office Space (SF)

 

Downtown

Pease

Suburban

Total

 

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

SF

%

Change

2000

0

0.0%

--

549,222

103.1%

--

280,556

20.6%

--

829,778

31.1%

--

2001

12,000

1.5%

n/a

395,000

60.1%

-28.1%

274,612

19.7%

-2.1%

681,612

23.8%

-17.9%

2002

28,990

3.5%

141.6%

417,942

46.5%

5.8%

173,836

12.3%

-36.7%

620,768

19.8%

-8.9%

2003

41,074

5.0%

41.7%

345,942

31.2%

-17.2%

228,636

16.2%

31.5%

615,652

18.4%

-0.8%

2004

12,750

1.6%

-69.0%

426,000

36.2%

23.1%

179,100

14.5%

-21.7%

617,850

19.1%

0.4%

2005

12,750

1.6%

0.0%

340,000

28.4%

-20.2%

218,021

17.7%

21.7%

570,771

17.6%

-7.6%

2006

0

0.0%

-100.0%

384,000

30.4%

12.9%

182,501

14.7%

-16.3%

566,501

17.1%

-0.7%

2007

223,712

27.8%

n/a

330,000

25.2%

-14.1%

182,501

13.9%

0.0%

736,213

21.5%

30.0%

2008

219,000

27.1%

-2.1%

439,000

29.6%

33.0%

80,000

6.1%

-56.2%

738,000

20.5%

0.2%

Average

61,142

7.5%

 

403,012

37.7%

 

199,974

15.1%

 

664,127

20.7%

-1.4%

 

 

 

Comments:

 

All information reported here is deemed to be reasonably accurate, but is subject to error. This study should be used for general information only. The author can not be held accountable for readers using this study in a manner not intended.

Survey excludes complexes with less than 10,000 SF of office space, "loft" or studio space, office integral to light-industrial facilities, schools & first floor retail occupied by "service" office users (e.g. real estate agency, computer, etc).

A space reported as empty, may or may not be rented at the time; there is simply nobody occupying that space. A space reported as available, may or may not be occupied. Note that the word "vacancy" is not employed in this study.

Buildings reported as under construction include unfinished, existing space, which may not actually be under construction. Completed buildings, with space that is not yet fit-out, are not counted as "under construction". Proposed projects that are actively soliciting and accepting "intents" are shown as having available space.

Rentable areas were provided by individuals deemed credible or taken from city records and are therefore, subject to error. These figures may change from year to year as I refine the data. When changes are made, prior years are adjusted as well.

A "(c)" indicates that property is actually a condominium complex. Rentable area is total area of all office units.

The percentages shown for "existing occupied" and "existing empty" are based upon existing gross rentable area.

This study is copyrighted (2008). Permission is granted to reproduce, distribute or cite this study, provided credit is attributed to the author.

A more detailed version of this report, listing each property individually, as well as additional information, is available.

For additional information contact:

 

Steven H. Berg, MAI, SRA

Sargent Consulting, Ltd.

Post Office Box 787

Portsmouth, NH 03802

603-433-4494

shberg@sargentconsultingltd.com