FROM: Andrew J. Groveman Belz Enterprises The Tower at Peabody Place 100 Peabody Place/Suite 1400 Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 260-7278 CONTACT: Bob Phillips or Keith Britt Thompson & Baker (901) 527-8000 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Belz Enterprises’ leasing and development activity strong in 1998 MEMPHIS, Tennessee, January 20, 1999 – Brokers and leasing agents in the Belz Enterprises industrial, office and retail divisions worked non-stop during 1998, leasing more than 2.08 million square feet and averaging a lease transaction every 2.5 days. The industrial division executed 53 leases for 1,603,385 square feet of distribution, warehouse and industrial space during 1998. This total is 650,000 square feet more than was leased during 1997, which was a banner year for the company. Thirty-six office leases were signed for 85,062 square feet during the same period, while the retail division had 57 leases for 391,641 square feet. "1998 was an extraordinarily busy year in which not only newly constructed buildings became leased, but also a large portion of our existing space as well," said Morris Thomas, vice president, brokerage and leasing. Industrial growth A flagship industrial project for Belz in 1998 was its construction of an additional 300,000 square feet at Shelby Oaks Industrial Park. The new space at Shelby Oaks is already occupied and an additional 130,000 square feet of speculative industrial space is under construction. Belz also plans to build another 130,000 square feet of industrial space at Shelby Oaks in the future. At Southridge Industrial Park, located at 4971 Southridge Blvd., Belz added 325,000 square feet to the Technicolor Distribution Company, bringing Technicolor’s total space to 640,000 square feet. Technicolor, which makes and distributes videocassettes for Disney, is one of only three sites in the country that manufactures DVDs. Also at Southridge, Belz has constructed 150,000 square feet of speculative space that is leased to Faulding, Inc., a New Jersey-based pharmaceutical firm, and McKesson Corp., with some space still available. "Projects such as these underscore the continuing growth of manufacturing and distribution in Memphis," said Andrew Groveman, senior vice president of marketing and administration. "Memphis is truly North America’s Distribution Center." Office growth Belz has seen strong growth and activity across the board in the office market. From downtown to Midtown to Germantown, many of the company’s properties are approximately 95 percent leased. "The demand for space has been vigorous, and we’ve been working over the last several months to absorb any vacancies," Groveman said. "Memphis’ growing economy has created a strong demand for quality office space." In downtown Belz has continued its development of Peabody Place, an urban mixed-use project that when completed will contain almost two million square feet of space. In 1998, Belz reached 95 percent occupancy of its office space in the Tower at Peabody Place, and leased 35,000 square feet in Pembroke Square to Executive Suites, Inc. Scheduled to open in winter 1999, Peabody Place Executive Suites will feature 106 office suites that can accommodate up to 200 entrepreneurs and executives. During the third quarter, FedEx signed a multi-year lease for 25,000 square feet of office space in the PennMarc building located at 6401 Poplar Ave. FedEx will be housed on the entire sixth floor, which was occupied by BellSouth. BellSouth moved to a building in the Belz development, Goodlet Farms. The FexEx lease makes PennMarc 95 percent occupied. Belz has entered the Germantown market with the opening of The Enclave, a 6,500-square-foot up-scale office building located on Walnut Grove Rd., just east of Germantown Parkway. The unique office space is designed for professional firms such as attorneys, accountants, or financial services. The Enclave site offers the potential to build two additional 6,000-square-foot office buildings. The Midtown office properties such as 2400 Poplar Avenue and 1451 Union Avenue are 95 percent leased. The 170,000-square-foot Memphis Professional Building at 1211 Union in the heart of the city’s medical center is 98 percent leased. The growth in the office arena has prompted the development by Belz of a new 25,000 square-foot building at Shelby Oaks that should be completed by summer. Retail growth The retail division has seen a resurgence at Park Place Centre in East Memphis. The center, which opened in early 1998 after months of extensive renovation, is 99 percent leased. New tenants include Amerigo Italian Restaurant, Zany Brainy toy store, Hallmark, Jason’s Deli, Gould’s Day Salon, Little Lambs & Ivy, and Alphagraphics. "1998 proves that the retail market is going strong in Memphis; our tenants are doing extraordinarily well," Groveman said. ### |
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