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Published on: 1/9/2009
Last Visited: 1/9/2009
Jim Fagan, senior managing director at Cushman & Wakefield's Stamford office, echoed McCarthy's concerns about the immediate future of the commercial real estate market.
"In 2006 to 2007, we were seeing 3.5 million square feet of (leasing) activity," Fagan said.
"In 2008, we did 2 million square feet, and in late 2008, 1 million square feet came on the market for sublease.
We did 70 sales in 2006 to 2007.
In 2008, we did about 20 percent of that."
"The bad news, in terms of leasing and subleasing, is contained to Greenwich and Stamford because that's where financial services is concentrated," Fagan said, adding that the eastern part of the market is faring better.
In Bridgeport, however, the future of office rentals is bleak, said Fagan, part of a three-person panel.
"Bridgeport will have tough sledding for commercial office space," Fagan said.
"Historically, Bridgeport has not been a great place to invest.
It had only 30,000 square feet of leasing activity in 2008."
Construction of the Royal Bank of Scotland's regional headquarters in Stamford continues to forge ahead, as well as Building and Land Technology's Harbor Point development in the city's South End.
In response to a question from the audience, Fagan said the proposed 95/7 commercial and residential development planned for Norwalk could face challenges because of the need for costly infrastructure improvements.
"In this market, you need a lot of fortitude," he said.