But that trend is unlikely to continue much longer: Avison Young’s Matthew McWatters
Canadian private investors dominated Q2 commercial real estate acquisitions, representing 82 per cent of transactions according to Avison Young’s new investment trends report. But that recent trend is unlikely to continue.
Private investors had been responsible for 73 per cent of first-quarter transactions, while institutional investors saw their share fall from eight to five per cent through the first and second quarters. Private investors typically accounted for less than 60 per cent of transactions but hit the 70 per cent mark in 2022 and that ratio has continued to grow.
“When there are periods of uncertainty, a lot of these institutional buyers are waiting on the sidelines,” Avison Young principal, managing director and Canadian leader of valuation, advisory and property tax services Matthew McWatters told RENX. “I’m expecting a lot of those players to get back into it.”
Avison Young principal and director of Canadian market intelligence Marie-France Benoit told RENX that institutional investors generally own large, high-quality assets that they tend to sell to each other. They have sufficient capital and the patience to wait out market downturns.
“Institutional investors will do less transactions in number, but the average size of the transactions are larger,” said Benoit. “We account for all transactions above $1 million. If you were going into $10 million and up, maybe that percentage would be a bit different.”
Foreign investment has been low
End-users accounted for 10 per cent of transactions while others — including foreign investors, governments and developers — accounted for three per cent.
Benoit said there were a few very large acquisitions by foreign investors over the past two years, but there haven’t been any similar significant transactions so far in 2024, which is why that last number is so low.
“They look more for large portfolios or large assets that make it worth investing in another country, and Canada doesn’t have a deep pool of products because of our size,” said Benoit.
McWatters believes there will be more acquisition opportunities for foreign investors in the second half of this year and into 2025.
Overall transaction activity picked up slightly
Overall transaction activity was up very slightly quarter-over-quarter and reached $12.4 billion through six months, down from $15.4 billion during the same period last year.
While there have been significant gaps between what sellers are looking for and purchasers are willing to pay over the past few years, McWatters said that’s starting to narrow. This should lead to more deals.
“What we’re seeing is more predictability in the market,” Benoit said, acknowledging the Bank of Canada’s June 5 reduction of the overnight interest rate from five to 4.75 per cent and the anticipation of another rate cut on July 24 as the country’s inflation rate has declined.
“More predictability brings more confidence. More confidence bring more transactions, more velocity and narrower bid-ask gaps.”
Multi-residential
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recently released an outlook that positioned 2024 as the bottoming of the national downward trend in housing starts from 2021 to 2023 highs. A rebound is anticipated in 2025 and 2026 fuelled by cuts to financing costs.
“Investors are very bullish on multi-res, and that’s remained throughout COVID and that’s going to continue, especially with population growth,” McWatters said. “The large demand for housing makes it a very attractive asset type for investors.”
New product is being built, which means there should be properties available to trade, and CMHC financing alternatives are available to spur further development.
Industrial
Industrial properties accounted for 44 per cent of transaction volume in the second quarter, up from 38 per cent in the previous three months.
A steady increase in vacancy rates and decrease in rents since the start of 2023 is a correction of an industrial real estate market that had overheated. Otherwise, industrial market fundamentals remain sound and the economic drivers of demand for space are pointing in the right direction for 2025.
“Some of the new supply is currently being absorbed, but it was a lot of new supply compared to historical levels,” Benoit observed.
The COVID-related boom in logistics and distribution activity has prompted the development of large fulfillment centres and big-bay projects since 2020. As demand for this market segment cools, there are more lease and sub-lease options across the country.
Vacancy rates for big-bay industrial are now higher than for small-bay. Demand for small-bay is positive, but new supply is limited due to higher construction and land costs, which has spurred investor interest.
Developers are trying to adapt their offerings to meet demands from smaller tenants, either by subdividing larger spaces or developing industrial condominiums.
Office
Office market dynamics present several headwinds to deal activity, which is being led by opportunistic local buyers acquiring assets at a discount.
“The biggest gap right now in terms of pricing between buyers and sellers would be in office,” McWatters said. “There’s just not an appetite right now for people to buy in.”
The hybrid office work model now has more structure with regards to anchor days, minimum days and percentage of time spent in the office, which Benoit said has presented more clarity to landlords, employers and employees.
Some under-utilized office space is being converted to multiresidential or other uses, and that’s expected to continue.
Retail
Demand for retail assets is outpacing supply. While discretionary goods spending continues to stall near November 2022 levels, a growing and diverse population driven by immigration is increasing consumer demand.
“There’s not a lot of new supply for retail, except for necessity-based strip malls in new neighbourhoods, because a lot of people have moved further from the core,” Benoit explained.
“In terms of malls and so on, there’s not a lot of new construction, so there’s limited product and the occupancy rates are good. Sales are at pre-COVID levels, so retail seems to have some interest from certain investors.”
Vacancy rises to 14%, with net absorption in the quarter at 15,000 square feet
Office availability rates in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) continued to rise in Q2, with vacancy rising to 14 per cent and availability hitting 20.2 per cent, according to the latest report from Avison Young.
The sector, still feeling significant impacts from the COVID pandemic and extended corporate work-from-home policies, saw availability rise 700 bps from 19.5 per cent in Q1, and from 18.5 per cent in Q2 2023. Vacancy inched up 0.3 per cent from Q1.
There was 189.8 million square feet of existing inventory in Q2, with an additional 3.24 million square feet under construction (which will add about two per cent to the total inventory). Available sublet space rose by 419,000 square feet from Q1.
Net absorption (how much space was leased vs. vacated) was almost neutral at 15,000 square feet in Q2, compared to 473,500 square feet so far this year.
Despite increased supply, the average asking net rental rate for available space for all office classes rose to $27.30 per square foot, primarily because of trophy buildings in downtown Toronto.
Avison Young also looks ahead to proposed changes to Toronto’s office replacement plan, which “could be a reduction in the market’s overall office inventory”.
Vacancy inches up, with disparities
The Avison Young report found disparities in office conditions in different areas of the GTA. While availability rose overall, gains in absorption from trophy (5,200 square feet) and class-A buildings (180,700 square feet) were almost offset by losses in class-B (154,100 square feet) and -C (16,800 square feet) properties.
This is partly attributed to a continuing trend of businesses moving to higher-quality space – “the impact of spaces being vacated by tenants who have relocated to newly delivered buildings.”
Sublet availability was approximately eight million square feet in Q2, accounting for around one-fifth of the total availability in the quarter.
Vacancies were down in midtown (0.7 per cent), Toronto east (0.2 per cent) and Toronto north (0.4 per cent). But the downtown and Toronto west markets rose 0.7 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively.
In Toronto’s suburbs, availability rose to 19.8 per cent as vacancy declined to 12.7 per cent.
Prices were not immune to the trend. Downtown and midtown markets commanded higher prices, Toronto west stayed steady, and Toronto north and east saw asking rents on the decline.
In downtown Toronto, trophy buildings led the average asking rent increase – rising to $52.60 per square foot – which raised the average Toronto asking rate for trophy buildings by $0.50 to $36.60, and the overall rent for offices.
Net asking rents for class-A and -B buildings slightly increased quarter-over-quarter to $27.30 per square foot for class-A buildings and $24.20 per square foot for class-B buildings.
Class-C buildings was the only segment that decreased quarter-by-quarter to $22.60 per square foot, dropping $0.40 per square foot.
Slow deliveries and government action
In Q2, 2 Queen St. W. (29,100 square feet) and Phase 2 of the Queen Richmond Centre West (93,100 square feet) were the only buildings completed. Five projects totaling 2.6 million square feet are in the construction pipeline.
A possible change to Toronto’s office replacement regulations which require replacing office space as part of redevelopment in certain areas could help reduce office inventories, Avison Young writes. Buildings that are older, smaller or obsolete could be candidates for demolition or redevelopment, and their replacements could contain less office space if the policy is updated.
Avison Young’s data matches the most recent findings from CBRE, Colliers and Cushman & Wakefield which also reported increased office vacancy.
Baz Group of Companies subsidiaries announce major acquisitions in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal
Two subsidiaries of Toronto’s Baz Group of Companies have announced significant acquisitions: Marlin Spring has purchased a Toronto development site at 5280 Dundas St., W., and Spring Living has acquired seven retirement residences in Ottawa and Montreal.
5280 Dundas St., W. is in the Toronto borough of Etobicoke, near Kipling Ave. The property is slated to become a transit-oriented, mixed-use high-rise residential development.
Marlin Spring intends to move ahead with a project which will add 400 new residences to the Toronto market.
“Marlin Spring Developments is proud to strengthen its presence in Etobicoke. This acquisition is specifically located in the Etobicoke centre, which is very well serviced by public transit and by a myriad of existing amenities and local retail that will continue to grow as the neighbourhood evolves,” Pedro Lopes, the CEO Marlin Spring Developments, said in the announcement Tuesday afternoon.
“This property is located just a few minutes’ drive from Joya, Curio and the Taylor, a few of Marlin Spring Developments’ projects in Etobicoke, all currently at various stages of development, sales and construction.”
Spring Living acquires 7 residences
Baz Group’s Spring Living Retirement Community will grow its portfolio by over 1,230 suites with the acquisition of the retirement residence portfolio in Montreal and Ottawa.
Spring Living was created in 2021 when it took over eight former Revera retirement residences. Marlin Spring had previously acquired two other residences, giving it 10 properties in Ontario at that time. The firm had grown that to 15 assets prior to this acquisition.
Along with the additional residences, it has acquired assets and retained employees from Horizon Retirement Management Inc., to facilitate Spring Living in providing management services to the retirement residences in Quebec.
“We are pleased to provide 21 retirement communities in urban markets to further serve the Canadian senior population,” Lois Cormack, CEO, Spring Living Retirement Communities, said. “With this acquisition, we are delighted to welcome over 500 team members who will continue in their current roles, positively impacting the lives of over 1,000 residents, families and communities served.
“We are delighted that we can operate the acquired Quebec residences under the Horizon brand, a well-known and experienced senior living management company.”
No financial details were provided for either of the acquisitions.
“We are very excited to have grown our portfolio with these significant acquisitions,” Benjamin Bakst, CEO of Baz Group, said in the announcement. “Current economic conditions have created challenges in the North American real estate market. However, these same conditions present unique opportunities for strategic growth and investment. Our recent acquisitions and partnerships reflect our commitment to adapting and thriving amidst these challenges.”
About the Baz Group
The Baz Group of Companies is one of Canada’s largest privately-owned real estate firms with a portfolio of over 20,000 units in various stages of development, construction, repositioning and completion.
Its portfolio represents more than 16 million square feet of gross floor area across Canada and the United States with a completion value of over $10 billion. Through its operating companies supported by a team of over 1,000 professionals, Baz Group has investments spanning the development, multifamily apartments and retirement community sectors in seven North American markets.
Real estate data provider offers insights into commercial real estate industry survey
The bottom is in sight for commercial real estate valuations, though there’s probably more room for office values to continue their decline.
That was one of the insights provided by Altus Group director of valuation advisory Robert Santilli during a July 11 webinar to discuss the results of the company’s second-quarter survey of Canadian industry professionals on market sentiment, conditions and issues impacting commercial real estate.
Altus Group recently released the results of the Q2 survey, which was conducted between March 25 and April 29 and received 333 responses from employees of 48 firms.
Santilli provided perspectives on where the industry is putting its current focus, forward-looking transaction plans and property type performance during the presentation.
Managing existing portfolios will remain a focus
The survey showed managing existing portfolios and exposures will be the primary focus of 50 per cent of respondents over the next six months. That was followed by:
deploying capital at 18 per cent;
raising capital and fundraising at 15 per cent;
de-risking portfolios and divesting at 10 per cent;
and pausing to re-assess at seven per cent.
“As cap rates have moved higher, getting the most out of your property, driving NOI (net operating income), lowering expenses and getting creative has become imperative,” Santilli said.
The Bank of Canada’s June 5 announcement to reduce its overnight interest rate from five to 4.75 per cent was expected and another cut is expected before the end of the year.
“This is going to spur more deal activity, and certainly there are some groups that want to get in and ride another cap-rate cycle lower,” Santilli said. “So I think many institutions have already started to move back into acquisition mode.”
Santilli expects to see more transaction activity from institutions in the coming quarters as bid-ask spreads close and prices stabilize.
“Currently, they’re churning their portfolios, reducing exposure to office — or trying to reduce exposure to office — and then taking advantage of opportunities to high-grade their portfolios,” Santilli said.
While the market hasn’t seen a surge in distress sales, concern exists that upcoming debt maturities could lead to more. That would negatively impact valuations, while loan defaults would also tighten the availability of credit, according to Santilli.
Office market is still lagging
While Santilli noted Calgary’s office market fundamentals are improving and valuations are rising there after a decade of challenges, the survey showed office is expected to be the worst-performing property type overall in Canada over the next 12 months.
“Going forward, I would expect that any value declines for office are going to be more situational, asset-specific and show a separation between strong assets and struggling assets,” Santilli observed.
Altus Group’s recent quarterly investment trends survey showed suburban class-A and downtown class-B office buildings are the least attractive to investors. There was also negative sentiment about downtown class-A office properties, but there was more balance in terms of groups that would be buyers versus sellers.
Other asset classes and property types
Santilli said there are still buyers for other asset classes and they have tighter bid-ask spreads than office.
“Fundamentals are mostly still favourable to owners,” he said. “However, there are some pending transactions that, if they go through, could point to a little bit more cap rate expansion.”
Grocery-anchored retail ranked as the most sought-after property type in Altus Group’s most recent quarterly investment trends survey, followed by single-tenant industrial, multi-tenant industrial and multifamily.
“Sentiment for tier-one retail malls moved from negative territory to positive territory in Q2, which I think speaks to the broader retail recovery story,” Santilli said. “I think while res and industrial get a lot of focus, good retail should continue to perform well.”
Altus Group has had a growing number of conversations with groups interested in getting into the student housing market, which isn’t widely institutionalized in Canada.
Self-storage facilities and hotels are also moving up in terms of investor preference, according to Santilli.
Artificial intelligence will have a major impact
Santilli believes artificial intelligence (AI) is going to be revolutionary in its impact on society, including the commercial real estate industry, and that companies must invest in it to stay competitive.
“Within the real estate space, data centres and the infrastructure to support data centres are attracting a lot of interest as AI advances. It’s certainly going to transform some industries.”
The use of property controls are the focus of the Competition Bureau’s investigation into Loblaws and Sobeys.
On Wednesday, Canada’s Competition Bureau, the law enforcement agency that protects consumer interests, detailed its preliminary enforcement approach regarding the use of property controls in commercial real estate, which are commonly used in the retail sector and believed to be anti-competitive.
The new enforcement approach is focused on the following two types of property controls:
Exclusivity clauses, which appear in leasing agreements and prohibit the landlord from leasing space to tenants that are deemed competitors of the existing tenant; and
Restrictive covenants, which are covenants on land that prevent a purchaser or owner of a commercial property from certain uses.
The two kinds of property controls are the focus of the Competition Bureau’s investigation into Empire Company Limited and George Weston, the parent companies of Sobeys and Loblaws, the two largest grocery chains in Canada, according to the Competition Bureau.
“These property controls insulate firms from competition,” says the Competition Bureau. “Therefore, by their nature these property controls can raise serious competition concerns.” Action against the use of property controls has been taken around the world, the Competition Bureau says, including in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
Potential Enforcement Options
The Competition Bureau says one avenue through which enforcement will occur is the abuse of dominance provisions under the Competition Act.
“Where a dominant firm uses a competitor property control that is an anti-competitive business practice or has the effect of harming competition we will likely seek an order prohibiting its use or enforcement,” the Competition Bureau said in enforcement guidance it published on Wednesday. “If we determine that there is evidence to demonstrate that a competitor property control is both an anti-competitive business practice and has the effect of harming competition we may also seek additional measures to restore competition or administrative monetary penalties. For restrictive covenants, we are also likely to seek administrative monetary penalties where possible, due to the heightened concern associated with this type of control.”
Through the anti-competitive collaboration provision (Section 90.1) of the Competition Act, the Competition Bureau says it can also “prohibit any person from carrying out any activities related to the agreement,” order measures be taken to restore competition, “order any person to take action if both the Commissioner and that person consent,” and order the payment of administrative penalties.
Currently, Section 90.1 only applies to instances that involve at least two competitors, but amendments were made to the Competition Act in December 2023 that allows it to be applied to instances that do not involve competitors, if “a significant purpose of any part of the agreement is to prevent or lessen competition in a market.” This change is set to come into effect on December 15, 2024.
“Our preliminary view is that the same rationale that competitor property controls are generally anti-competitive business practices in the context of the abuse of dominance provisions will also apply to the analysis under section 90.1,” the Competition Bureau says. “Therefore, section 90.1 could apply to competitor property controls where there is proof that the agreement has the effect of harming competition.”
Justifiable Uses of Property Controls
The Competition Bureau says that it recognizes that the use of property controls can be justified in certain instances, such as when companies are entering a market, but adds that even in those cases, “they must be as limited as possible to be justified.”
“For example, a limited exclusivity clause may be pro-competitive if no retailer would otherwise make the necessary investments to become a key tenant in a new shopping plaza,” says the Competition Bureau. “Without the exclusivity clause there may be no retailers of a particular type in the shopping plaza, and so the clause increased competition. However, it is important to note that even in such cases the way the competitor property control protects these incentives is by insulating the retailer from the threat of competition from rivals.”
In these scenarios, key considerations regarding whether the use of property controls is justified are the duration and scope of the restriction.
Specifically regarding exclusivity clauses, the Competition Bureau says they are “only justified in limited circumstances, such as where they go no further than necessary to encourage new entry or to allow a tenant to make investments to develop their storefront,” because “the presence of competitors could in turn reduce the benefit the key tenant receives from its investments in opening their store,” which could “reduce or eliminate their incentive to make the investments unless they are protected by a exclusivity clause.”
On the use of restrictive covenants, however, the Competition Bureau is must stricter.
“Restrictive covenants are exclusionary. Restrictive covenants apply to the land itself, and can restrict future owners of the land. They tend to be long lasting, and can create areas where no competitor can operate. Importantly, restrictive covenants create advantages for companies that have historically operated in an area based on their past ownership of land. We do not consider their use to be justified outside of exceptional circumstances.”
After detailing the new preliminary enforcement approach, the Competition Bureau is now seeking feedback from tenants, lessors, and landowners.
“Canadians are encouraged to provide feedback on the guidance, along with bringing other pertinent issues to our attention. The feedback received as part of the Bureau’s consultation on this guidance will help inform how the Bureau evaluates the competitive impact of property controls.”
“Our approach continues to develop,” the Competition Bureau added. “We may revise our approach as we gain more experience, as circumstances change, or as the law evolves.”
Those interested in submitting feedback will have until Monday, October 7 to do so.
Picture this: Your commute ends in a lobby with soaring stone pillars and a nine-storey indoor trellis that’s cascading with live greenery. A series of art is featured on 80-foot digital display as you pass by a calming pond before the workday ahead.
These are just some of the design plans for 33 Yonge St., a 42-year-old office building in downtown Toronto that is rebranding as Berczy Square after the neighbouring Berczy Park.
Home to GWL Realty Advisors (GWLRA) – one of Canada’s largest real estate companies that also manages the property – and Altus Group, a commercial real estate intelligence firm, 33 Yonge will undergo renovations that are expected to be complete by fall 2025. Part of the upgrades include five new high-end dining options that serve different cuisines such as French, Italian and Latin.
The office is classified as a ‘Class A’ building, meaning it’s a premier space in a prime location with high-quality finishes. Commercial buildings can also be classified as ‘Class B’ or ‘Class C.’ The former refers to buildings slightly less central that are accessible to transit and in good condition, while the latter tend to be less well-maintained and in more isolated locations.
“[33 Yonge] has great bones, so we just needed a new design that matches what tenants expect in the modern age of employee attraction and retention,” says Steffan Smith, the executive vice-president of asset management at GWLRA. “It’s not necessarily an Instagrammable moment, but tenants want something unique that they can attach their brand to.”
Owners will continue to offer upgraded amenities
The newly designed 33 Yonge Street is set to finish renovations by fall 2025 – complete with a new interior lobby designed by Dialog Design.Supplied by GWLRA
Updating amenities to entice employees to return to office is just one trend highlighted by the CBRE in its recent report on Canadian office figures.
These amenities include everything from boutique gyms and sleek dining options to bike storage and shower facilities. “Historically, owners of real estate in Canada have not really invested in building amenities in a way that aligns with tenant interests,” says Marc Meehan, CBRE Canada’s managing director of research. “This shift is a good thing. It’s good for tenants. It’s good for their employees.”
The first half of 2024 has seen some welcome stability in key areas, the report shows. Office vacancy rates and sublet space for downtown Class A buildings declined, while eight out of 10 markets saw more space leased than vacated. Nationally, the overall office vacancy rate held at roughly 18.5 per cent over the past year, with a lack of vacancy growth indicating a slowly improving market.
New supply high, construction will remain low
Office construction is at a 19-year low at just 5.7 million square feet, compared with the 10-year average of 14.6 million square feet, according to the CBRE’s recent report. However, Canada still had a strong start for new supply in 2024, with three new buildings delivered – the highest since 2017.
In Toronto, 160 Front St. – also known as TD Terrace – offers 1.26 million square feet of space in a 47-storey glass and steel office tower, a striking addition to the city skyline. The National Bank of Canada also opened two new office towers at 700 and 800 Saint Jacques Ave. in Montreal, complete with a daycare, 400 bike parking spots and more. All projects were delivered nearly or fully preleased.
New construction starts have petered out, with only three small projects under 30,000 square feet begun in the second quarter of this year. Mr. Meehan remains cautiously optimistic and acknowledges that the next wave of development won’t be new builds. “We’ve built a lot of Class A space and so it’s going to take a bit of time to go through that. But as tenants start to prioritize high-class buildings in the markets with good transit accessibility, eventually we’re going to run out of those buildings. I think that’s what’s going to kick off the next development cycle.”
Class B buildings will retrofit and renovate
While older and farther from prime downtown locations, Class B and C buildings will continue to play a key role in the market. To remain competitive, some of these owners are assuming the high costs to upgrade their facilities. These retrofits will help address the eventual lack of new Class A supply, add or upgrade amenities to attract and retain employees, and ensure compliance with emerging environmental, social and governance (ESG) rules.
The gap between vacancy rates for Class A and B/C buildings has widened in downtown locations, with Class A buildings showing a vacancy rate of 16.4 per cent and Class B/C buildings showing one of 25 per cent. “There are a wide range of buildings that fall within this B class, and many are doing quite well,” says Mark Fieder, principal and president at Avison Young Canada. “So long as owners continue investing in their assets, the gap between A and B class won’t widen.”
The National Bank of Canada recently opened two new buildings on St. Jacques Street in Montreal.Supplied by National Bank of Canada
The city of Calgary was the first to offer an incentive program to entice downtown office owners to convert underused buildings into mixed use and residential rental units, amenities and other services.
Calgary’s first office conversion, the Cornerstone, opened in June and offers commercial space for up to 50 retail businesses, as well as 112 two- and three-bedroom units. “Adaptive reuse contributes to the revitalization of neighbourhoods,” says Mr. Fieder. “Granted, conversions are not simple because buildings must meet criteria … and these projects are often costly, but if we can see public and private partnerships, such as what is happening with Calgary’s incentivization program, it would help pave the way.”
Municipal incentive programs are required to make conversions worthwhile for office owners, and more cities are coming on board. Last quarter, 10 conversion projects were initiated across five markets. “The reason that it has worked in Calgary is because they offered $75 a square-foot, and that allows you to buy that building for the cost of the land. If you’re able to buy the land value, then it’s more appealing to owners,” Mr. Meehan says.
Over all, office conversions are a small part of the market, comprising just six million square feet – less than 2 per cent of inventory – since 2021. But there’s a real desire to help within the commercial real estate sector. “The affordable housing crisis is real,” says Mr. Meehan. “[Calgary]’s done a great initiative, we should be doing more of it and finding ways to support it.”
Global Design and Engineering Firm’s Experiment With Unique Conversion Could Have Shared Results
When the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine needed to expand its laboratory near its urban campus, the institution found that such space is at a premium in Canada’s largest city. And having employees doing biotechnology work from home wasn’t a viable option, so the school had to conduct a different type of lab experiment.
It turned to the design, engineering and management consulting firm Arcadis, charging it with figuring out how to convert two floors of a 1980s office building into labs. Arcadis has a distinct vision for making this type of space out of office floors in the historic downtown Toronto building.
“You cannot take your lab home; you cannot make that shift,” said Jay Deshmukh, associate principal and practice lead within architecture at Arcadis, in an interview. When it comes to Toronto demand for lab space, she added, “it is only growing in terms of its presence within the global bioscience marketplace in terms of research and manufacturing.”
Finding ways to repurpose underused office space has been attracting interest in the United States, the United Kingdom to other countries. The pandemic accelerated the trend of working outside the office, leaving some owners and landlords coping with low demand, particularly in buildings that are more than 20 years old. While office space has been converted to labs for decades, and more than 100 conversions are estimated to be underway at the moment in the United States, the Amsterdam-based design firm said what it’s learning in its work with a portion of a tower in Toronto spanning 30 floors could influence its projects globally.
While office-to-residential conversions have drawn interest due to the surge in downtown office vacancies and the pressing need for housing, particularly across North America, the concept of converting office floors into laboratory space is a relatively new one in Canada.
Lab space availability in the Toronto and Hamilton Area is very low: Only 0.2% of the 12.3 million square feet of vacant inventory in the region, according to real estate brokerage CBRE.
The university was preparing a massive renovation and addition in 2020, and it needed to keep the research going while being close enough to campus, which is where the conversion of 777 Bay Street made sense.
Lab Requirements
Arcadis was engaged to explore the feasibility of converting space within a conventional 1980s office tower in downtown Toronto into a safe and functional biotech laboratory environment for potential tenants like the university.
In collaboration with property owner Canderel and the university, in 2020-21, Arcadis studied the multifaceted constraints and opportunities for converting 40,000 square feet of vacant office space on two floors into a wet and dry laboratory.
They quickly discovered how lab requirements differ from day-to-day office space.
“The simple issue that everyone starts with is the floor-to-floor height because the requirements are far more intensive, and it is a much more controlled environment,” said Deshmukh. “You can imagine air changes, pressures, humidity, you name it. Everything around the conditioning of the air. You are bringing in air at a much higher volume.”
Labs also need mechanical and electrical backups because if a device like a freezer goes down, it can mean months or years of lost research.
Also, labs generally require 15 feet of floor-to-floor space, but Arcadis only had 12 feet.
Precision Matters
“My mechanical engineer likened it to designing a large Swiss Army knife because everything had to be just so. Stuff no one sees because it is behind the ceiling,” said Deshmukh. “We had to be incredibly precise.”
Labs also have unique problems, including security issues, and most need their own entrance, making a service elevator important.
“Can you imagine someone getting their coffee and doughnut and going up the same elevator with someone taking biowaste up,” said Deshmukh. She added that equipment can be significantly heavier. “You may have to bolster some structures.”
The Canderel building had a service elevator, making it attractive. It also had rooftop space above the podium that extended to the 10th floor.
“They thought they were putting all heat, ventilation and air conditioning on the roof, and they managed to find space for them on floors nine and 10 where the podium turns into the tower,” said Deshmukh.
The office tower at 777 Bay St. has a podium that extends to the 10th floor. (CoStar)
But the venting had to go above the building, so her group found a technical solution to avoid building a 25-floor chimney stack that would take expelled air above the building.
“We ultimately created a solution that could have gone into any floor,” said Deshmukh. The solution was to install ductless fume hoods with filters that remove impurities.
Higher Lease Rates
The building also worked because the in-place zoning allowed for certain lab functions. Other buildings probably would have required some rezoning. Zoning rules for tenants handling infectious diseases would be even more stringent.
For the landlord, the advantage was the ability to charge a higher dollar per square foot. Lease terms were not disclosed on the deal at 777 Bay.
The University of Toronto had already taken advantage of the Canderel building’s proximity for programs that may not be classic office uses, including a dental clinic on an upper floor — another type of use where staff have to come to the office for work.
The cost of fitting out the space varies on the use, but it could be two or three times the cost of a traditional office, with a longer time frame.
But that could work for a long-term tenant like the University of Toronto which is covered by a 10-year lease.
Mike Vilner, senior vice president of leasing and business development at Canderel, with more than 26 million square feet of commercial space across its portfolio, said filling the space was a primary issue.
“What we were thinking is adapt this space for different uses and help future-proof our real estate,” said Vilner, in an interview. “It makes our building stay relevant in the changing economic landscape.”
Creating an Ecosystem
Canderel owns the property with TD Asset Management and with BIMCOR, a subsidiary of Bell Canada.
While vacancy rates in downtown Toronto offices continue to climb, 777 Bay St. was 95% occupied, so there was no urgency to lease to just any tenant.
“Is it a solution for every building? No. You can only have so many labs,” said Vilner.
Those companies can include healthcare providers, medical device makers and clinical trial organizations, Vilner said. “You are creating an ecosystem within the area or within the district.”
Canderel officials knew the broker representing the university, but its building was not on their list because they wanted one that could accommodate labs.
“We proved to them through a study that a standard office building could house a lab,” said Vilner. He said this marked the first such conversion in Canada. “This was on our radar. We were watching what was going on in the United States.”
More Common in US
The conversion of offices to lab space is more prevalent in the United States. About half of the more than 125 office conversions underway in the United States are to labs, according to recent comments from CBRE.
“We are studying even more,” said Vilner. “We believe we can do it in Montreal. We studied it in Ottawa and in Western Canada.”
A lab at 777 Bay St. (Arcadis)
Robin Buntain, a principal at Avison Young, said there haven’t been many conversions but noted there was a project in Vancouver’s False Creek Flats where lab space was converted back into conventional offices.
“But now Low Tide [Properties], which owns the asset, is looking at converting some of the floors back to lab because of some of the infrastructures in place,” said Buntain. “There is basically no space now, but we have one anchor tenant building a lot of it, So there will be opportunities able to use some of the older stuff as they step into new” space.
Arcadis’ Deshmukh said with the conversion fundamentals learned, tested and in place, another project would have a head start compared to where her group was three years ago.
The University of Toronto “ultimately found this solution was cheaper for them than building something new. The calculation for them was against building new space on new land,” she said.
Congestion and Office Tenants’ Priorities Driving Push
Based on an analysis of commercial real estate deals, it looks like the financial heart of Canada’s biggest city may be edging south.
Toronto’s financial core has traditionally been located between John and Church streets to the east and west and between Queen and Front streets to the north and south. At the heart of this downtown area is the Toronto Stock Exchange, and scattered throughout are the trophy assets of national and international banks that have shaped Toronto’s iconic skyline. The area boasts the highest density of office space among all of Toronto’s downtown submarkets by a long stretch, if not in all of Canada.
Historically, this density had been supported by the high demand levels for space in the city leading up to the pandemic. Toronto is one of North America’s top 10 financial centres and is the fifth largest tech services center. This diversity has generally hedged occupier demand and resulted in less volatility than other major markets that may be comparatively pigeonholed and dependent on a single sector such as tech in San Francisco.
In contrast, Toronto’s dense diversity underpinned investor demand and development feasibility. The financial core’s liquidity was well represented by the owner of the Zara retail chain, Amancio Ortega’s purchase of RBC Plaza for $1.2 billion in 2022, notwithstanding pandemic concerns.
However, since that major transaction, the financial core has seen negligible deal activity. Leasing has been similarly subdued, with net absorption averaging less than 103,000 square feet quarterly since the beginning of 2020, compared with an average of approximately 138,000 square feet over the trailing five years.
Interestingly, it appears that absorption, which measures the net change in occupancy, is increasingly bifurcated on a north-south divide. Downtown, south of King St. has seen positive absorption of approximately 184,000 square feet per quarter, compared with approximately 217,000 square feet of negative absorption when looking at the north of King in the downtown area.
Furthermore, while office availability has increased in both directions, the proportion of space available through the sublet market has continued to increase to the north and decreased to the south, inferring that SoK office occupiers are happier with their space and the associated lease agreements than those in NoK.
The trajectory of office availability, in both SoK and NoK, may indicate a general exodus of space. However, there are some large deals that back up that idea that the financial core may be edging to the south.
CPP’s upcoming move from 1 Queen St. to CIBC Square complex under construction at 141 Bay St., adjacent to Union Station, is one of these. Furthermore, TD’s occupation of 160 Front St. also lends itself to this narrative, although this lease was signed in 2019, so it may not wholly align with the pre- vs post-pandemic theme.
Traffic Congestion Making an Impact
In a post-pandemic world of increased traffic congestion and hybrid work, close proximity to commercial peers is proving to be a less valuable proposition than a streamlined commute for staff. This has been further exacerbated by the recent construction work on the Gardiner Expressway, which began earlier this year and is slated to continue for the next three.
A recent study by Geotab showed that travel times have increased by 250% during morning rush hour since the construction work commenced. It has also affected the roads around the Gardiner, with the main alternate routes seeing a 43% increase.
It appears that a driver of this comparative demand for space in the south core is the ease of access to the Gardiner and Union Station, particularly when considering the connection to the PATH and what that offers in Toronto’s colder (and even hotter) months.
Most Toronto commuters will confirm that getting onto the Gardiner can be half the battle, notwithstanding the gridlock they may then have to face.
The often-cited ‘flight to quality’ could be more aptly labeled a ‘flight to accessibility.’ Just like Canada’s geese, the country’s banks and pension funds may discover that their path leads southward.
