Recently the Triangle Business Journal released their quarterly insert: SPACE, their regular report on commercial real estate trends in the Raleigh-Durham area.

For the first quarter of 2007, TBJ reports that the commercial sector took a slight breather after a torrid 2006 second half.

Net Absorption dipped in all four classes, Office Space, Flex, Warehouse, and Retail.

Leasable Square feet increased in three classes, with only Flex Space adding no new square feet from the end of Q4/2006 through Q1/2007.

Vacancy Percentages were up in three classes, with only Office Vacancy declining slightly.  The lower Office Vacancy was spurred by demand for Class C space, with a reduction in vacancy rate from 17.43% to 10.77%.  Warehouse Vacancy shows a large percentave increase but TBJ attributes that increase to tobacco warehouses converted to general warehouses and coming available.

SPACE is distributed quarterly in the print edition of the Triangle Business Journal.  It is one of many worthwhile special inserts print subscribers receive throughout the year.