Nearly 800,000 square feet of industrial real estate was snapped up in Greater Boston from July through September, according to a report from the brokerage firm Transwestern RBJ.
Rents rose slightly last quarter, but no new construction of warehouses or manufacturing sites was planned. Over the past year, warehouse rents have risen 6.8 percent in the Boston area, while asking prices for manufacturing space have gone up by 9.2 percent.
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Just two leases — by Max Finkelstein Tire and Industrial Packaging Supply Inc. — amounted to 182,000 square feet of industrial space leased last quarter, or nearly a third of the metro area’s total, according to the report.
Chase Bourdelaise, the research director of Transwestern RBJ, said the demand for warehouse and factory space was rising nationally and in Boston. E-commerce companies are trying to rent warehouse space fulfillment centers near major cities, he said, while manufacturers were looking for spaces that could accomodate robots and large machinery.
“As these companies are becoming more automated, some of this automation has kind of led to requiring higher ceilings and bigger floor space and larger buildouts,” Bourdelaise said.
Jack Newsham can be reached at jack.newsham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheNewsHam.Open all references in tabs: [1 – 5]