Commercial Development

Call Oregon, Wis., a bedroom community, and Brett Frazier, the village’s indefatigable chamber of commerce director, is likely to correct you – with the sort of amiable flair you’d expect from one of this agreeable old town’s youngest leaders. Full Story 

The Dane County housing market might never again see the heyday of 2007, when home sales reached lofty heights, but some industry practitioners appear to be okay with that. The metrics of today's market are more aligned with historic norms than the high sales numbers associated with the pre-recession, easy-money days. But that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement, experts say, especially if the government ditches programs that have not worked to prime the market and instead focuses on forging more reasonable lending requirements. Full Story 

In some ways, today’s economic divide reflects two Americas. Corporate entities are hoarding their cash, but many are reporting healthy quarterly earnings, especially those that tap global markets. Privately held businesses, especially retailers, are struggling to regain the consistency that marked their pre-recession sales amid a sluggish national economy marked by sagging consumer confidence. In this, our initial In Business Wisconsin feature, we sought a variety of opinions on whether Wisconsin businesses can outperform a weakening national economy. Full Story 

With the American economy teetering on the brink of another recession, the quest to find new commercial space might not be a top-of-mind task for Greater Madison employers. Yet with continuing economic sluggishness, those who think outside the box might find this autumn an ideal time to consider moving, even if there is nothing wrong with their existing location or lease. To get a read on the current state of the commercial office market, IB interviewed several experts, including tenant representatives, to answer several key questions: Is it still a market where good lease deals can be negotiated, particularly rents and office improvements? How flexible are landlords still willing to be? Which Madison submarkets are closer to equilibrium, where tenants have less negotiating power? Full Story