The Wall Street Journal is reporting commuting by bike has grown by 62% between 2000 and 2013 in the U.S., according to the League of American Bicyclists and urban developers in New York, Oregon, Florida, Minneapolis, and North and South Carolina are paying attention.

A bike valet will offer tune-ups and tire changes to spandex-clad commuters and residents at a multiuse residential and office complex under construction in Portland, Ore., when completed next year. At a high-end rental building in Minneapolis, tenants can use the “bike kitchen”—a bicycle repair area with tire pumps and spare chain links, as well as a bike wash. A shop with trail maps and energy bars is also in the works. A series of golf-resort communities in North and South Carolina, have enlisted a 17-time Tour de France rider to offer group rides for homeowners and the rising popularity of cycling is driving a new type of housing: the luxury, bike-friendly development.

As cities, suburbs and rural communities race to add bike-share programs and lanes and trails for cyclists, developers and home builders are rolling out amenities designed to woo more bike riders to stand out from the competition. By bulking up on bike-friendly amenities, developers can go after both ends of the demographic spectrum—20- and 30-somethings who want to live closer to work as well as older baby boomers looking for a more walkable, bike-able lifestyle.

Bicycles are also just plain trendy. Gotham West, a 550-unit luxury rental building in New York that opened last year, boasts a NYC Velo bike shop on the ground floor along with foodie stops like Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop and Blue Bottle Coffee. Residents will have access to a bike porter concierge at Velo, where they can store bikes and get tune-ups.

At Kestral, a new rental building in Brooklyn, there are 12 bikes emblazoned with the building’s logo that residents will be able to borrow. While the building is under construction, the developer has hired marketers to ride the bikes to the farmer’s market nearby to hand out brochures and talk about the building. Kestral’s studios start at $1,662 a month and its three-bedrooms will be priced around $4,569.

Seattle’s Velo building in Fremont is built right off the Burke-Gilman bike and recreation trail. Opening this weekend, the 171-unit building Vélo North Loop, takes its name from the French word for bicycle (the two buildings are unrelated). It offers a bike-maintenance area as well as a bike wash and storage, both in the garage and on the main level. Apartments will also have bike-storage niches.

Jim Atkins, chief operating officer and managing director of Mack Urban, Velo Fremont’s developer, says the building was built with wider hallways and doorways so residents can wheel their bikes to and from their units. Lobby fabrics and floor materials were chosen in part because they could withstand wear from bike tires. Even the artwork in the building has a cycling theme.

Rents in the building range from $1,600 for one-bedroom apartments to $2,495 for two-bedrooms. Atkins estimates that 85% of renters will be bringing bikes.

In 2002, there were seven bike-sharing programs world-wide offering subscription-based, short-term bike rentals, according to MetroBike, a bike-sharing consultancy. Today, there are 750.

CycleHop, a company that funds, plans and operates bike-share programs, says it is starting to get requests from developers who want to install small-scale bike-share facilities. “Eventually, the bike station on their property will be no different from the workout room or the swimming pool. You’ll just expect it,” says Josh Squire, the company’s founder.

When it opens in the summer of 2016, the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Miami Beach will have a bike-share program from CycleHop in which residents and their guests can unlock and reserve bikes from bike racks on the property using a smartphone application. Membership will be included as part of homeowner’s association fees, which range from $1,780 to $13,000 a month and cover numerous other amenities. Prices will start at $2 million, going up to $35 million for penthouses.

In some cities, bike infrastructure is prompting real-estate development. Many of the newest luxury apartment and condo buildings in Minneapolis are rising along the city’s Midtown Greenway, a 5½-mile-long bike and pedestrian trail converted from an abandoned rail corridor. Soren Jensen, the executive director of the Midtown Greenway Coalition, says that historically, buildings in the area were constructed with main entrances facing vehicular roadways.

But in the past few years, newer buildings are installing their main entrances off the trail, and some developers have secured even more direct access. The developers of a large commercial complex and Flux, a 216-unit luxury apartment building, partnered with the county to build a $400,000 ramp and pedestrian bridge that allows direct biking or walking access from the Greenway to the apartment building, offices and restaurant plaza, says Thatcher Imboden, who manages transit-oriented development for the county.

Portland, Ore., recently increased its requirements for bike storage. Areas around its Central Business District must have 1½ long-term bike parking spaces per apartment unit or condo, up from one space for every four units. That means Hassalo on Eighth, the Portland complex with 657 apartments across three buildings, must include 987 long-term bike-parking spaces. The architects also decided to add another 300 additional stalls for community members and commuters.

Kyle Andersen, of GBD Architects, the project’s lead designer, says he looked to cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam for inspiration. The resulting plan calls for a “bike hub” on a lower level that will include lockers, showers, repair stations and a bike valet. One of the apartment buildings will also include bike parking on each floor, so residents can park their most expensive rides down the hallway.

Biking amenities are also a way for developers to add an active sheen to an existing resort or golf community. The Viceroy Snowmass Resort & Residences, a 152-unit luxury-condo hotel, launched a biking program over the summer in which owners and guests can partner with pro cyclists for guided group rides. The resort also offers personal training, fitness advice and meal planning for cyclists. Prices range from $279,000 for studios to over $2.249 million for three-bedroom condos and penthouses.

To read full article https://online.wsj.com/articles/developers-build-luxury-bike-friendly-buildings-1411660659?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj&url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB11309768568962153647304580164084259694608.html&fpid=2,7,121,122,201,401,641,1009

At 2014’s midway point, the Cushman & Wakefield | Picor retail market report for Tucson reports positive performance, with the winds continuing to blow in the direction of retail sails / sales.

In summary, a lower unemployment rate for the Tucson area than at year ago and decreased government spending both impacted Tucson’s retail market momentum and activity. Home prices were flattened in Q2, while the inventory of Tucson residential listings increased.

Retail sales statewide were up 7.6% over the prior May, with strength in durable goods, increasing to 8.0%. In addition to durable consumer goods, building material sales jumped significantly year-over-year, and overall retail sales outpaced employment growth.

Market fundamentals continued to improve as supply tightened. Second quarter positive net absorption of 129,159-square-feet represented the ninth consecutive quarter on a positive trajectory. At 6.5%, vacancy reached its lowest mark since Q4 2008, a predictor of slowing absorption. Continued market firming put upward pressure on asking rents, which increased 2.3% over the previous quarter to $14.52 PSF.

Activity and absorption for the quarter was markedly more distributed and diverse. That being said, of the market’s largest true retail leases, second quarter activity trended toward automotive uses and discount retailers.

Downtown saw a key puzzle piece solidified with its first specialty food market signed: The 5,000-square-foot Johnny Gibson Downtown Market in the heart of the entertainment district; and Mattress Firm’s acquisition of Bedmart will likely result in future store consolidation and availabilities.

The first quarter saw the opening of a 99,594-square-foot Walmart at Houghton Town Center. New construction includes the redevelopment of Broadway and Wilmot by a local developer where demolition has begun for phased rebuilding. A new-to-market Cheddar’s is being built at El Con Mall in midtown and is expected to put pressure on other restaurants in the sit down family category.

El Con Mall sold in the second quarter representing a significant investment transaction for Tucson at $81.7 million. With pent up demand, it is a great time to be a seller. Cap rates and interest rates are low, and appetite is high for retail investment property, both single tenant and multi-tenant. Multiple offers are the norm, and values are increasing. User purchase activity remains relatively quiet.

Downtown Tucson will continue to shine brightly for development and absorption, with the late July opening of the Modern Streetcar and the return of student residents. We expect new construction to increase as Tucson approaches a stabilized vacancy rate; particularly if consumer confidence continues to improve. Look for continued stabilization and gradually increasing rental rates. Supply of investment grade property may remain limited, but demand will be high from investors when sellers are ready to divest or trade.

To read the full Cushman & Wakefield Retail Market Report click here: https://picor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Tucson_RET_2Q14.pdf

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC) while announcing results for its Q3 and year to date fiscal 2014, also updated its outlook for fiscal year 2014 and provided initial fiscal year 2015 outlook last week.

Reliable sources told us that Natural Grocers has leased the vacant 16,000-square-feet, former Office Depot, space at the southeast corner of Broadway and Kolb owned by Larsen Baker of Tucson and are looking to add 4 to 6 Tucson locations. The company has stores in Sedona, Flagstaff and Prescott in Arizona already.

Natural Grocers is a rapidly expanding specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries and dietary supplements whose products must meet strict quality guidelines. Grocery products may not contain artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, or partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils. Natural Grocers’ flexible small-store format allows it to offer affordable prices in a shopper-friendly retail environment. The Company provides extensive, free, science-based nutrition education programs to help customers make informed health and nutrition choices. The Company, founded in 1955, has 84 stores in 14 states as of the date of this earnings release.

Highlights for Third Quarter and Year to Date Fiscal 2014

• As of June 30, 2014, the Company had $6.6 million in cash and cash equivalents and no amounts outstanding on the revolving credit facility.
• Year to date fiscal 2014, the Company generated $23.5 million in cash from operations and invested $26.9 million in capital expenditures primarily for new stores.
• Net sales increased 18.4% to $134.0 million in the third quarter and increased 22.0% to $385.0 million year to date

• Daily average comparable store sales increased 3.1% in the third quarter and increased 6.3% year to date
• Net income increased 16.6% to $3.4 million with diluted earnings per share of $0.15 in the third quarter and increased 23.6% to $10.3 million with diluted earnings per share of $0.46 year to date
• EBITDA increased 22.0% to $10.6 million in the third quarter and increased 28.8% to $31.2 million year to date

“We continue to focus on new store investments including infrastructure to support our growth while controlling expenses and maintaining profitability,” said Kemper Isely, Co-President. “We have clear direction on how we intend to manage expenses and margin going forward while we work on various initiatives to increase sales. We plan to continue our 20% unit growth into fiscal 2015 and intend to open 18 new stores in that period. We are excited about the increasing demand for natural and organic food and believe this supports the growth opportunity we see ahead of us.”

During the third quarter of fiscal year 2014, the Company opened three new stores, bringing the total store count as of June 30, 2014 to 84 stores located in 14 states.

The Company plans to open a total of 15 stores in fiscal year 2014 and expects to remodel two existing stores. One of the remodels has been completed and 12 new stores have opened year to date fiscal 2014.

As of this release, the Company has signed leases for the remaining three stores it plans to open in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2014 and has seven signed leases for stores planned to open after fiscal year 2014 in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada and Oklahoma.

Visit www.NaturalGrocers.com for more information and store locations or the Home Office directly at (877) 986-4600.