Top Markets for Office Development in the West

The office sector continued to change in 2024, as stabilization efforts following post-pandemic effects saw different subsectors become the primary driver in the market. As multiple companies implemented return-to-office policies, office utilization metrics posted only marginal increases throughout the year, while high vacancy rates continue to affect multiple key markets, according to CommercialEdge data. Nationally, only 57.8 million square feet of office space was under construction through November, down 39 million square feet from 2023.

The decline in office projects under construction did not avoid Western U.S. markets. The following list shows leading markets for office development underway in the region, while also highlighting projects delivered through the first eleven months of 2024.

The top four markets had a combined office pipeline amounting to only 694,266 square feet, a significant drop from the 1.6 million square feet that broke ground during the same interval in 2023. In terms of office deliveries, developers completed almost 2 million square feet, whilst some 2.9 million square feet had come online in 2023. The difference marks a 31 percent decrease in new office space across the metros in the region. Here are the top markets for office development in the Western U.S., based on CommercialEdge data.

Phoenix

Phoenix had 373,247 square feet of office space spread across seven properties under construction as of November. The metro is still struggling with supply and posted one of the smallest pipelines among Sun Belt metros.

Developers broke ground on all these projects during the same month, while office deliveries totaled 646,629 square feet across 10 properties year-to-date as of November. SunCap Property Group’s Gilbert Spectrum’s Building 3 remains the largest office project under construction in Phoenix. The 119,222-square-foot building is part of the company’s Gilbert Spectrum project, a 64-acre office campus in Gilbert, Ariz., that will include 850,000 square feet of office, tech and flex industrial space.

In contrast, nine properties broke ground during the same period last year, totaling 619,213 square feet, while developers delivered 712,719 square feet across 12 properties.

Denver

In terms of space underway, Denver followed with just under 200,000 square feet across five properties. There were seven office projects totaling 1.3 million square feet that were completed as of November.

One of them is 1900 Lawrence, developed by Riverside Investment & Development, that includes 726,450 square feet of Class A space. Rising 30 stories in Denver’s central business district, the high-rise is one of the largest skyscrapers delivered in the metro over the last 40 years.

When looking at last year’s data, Denver had 776,904 square feet across seven properties under construction, while developers completed 10 other properties, or 1.4 million square feet.

Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City had only two properties totaling 84,655 square feet underway as of November, both starting construction in the same period. There were 91,638 square feet of space across three delivered properties. This amount marks an 84 percent decrease compared to 2023 data, when 574,349 square feet of office space was completed. In terms of space under construction, Salt Lake City had 214,867 square feet across five properties underway at this point in 2023, a 60 percent decrease from the current pipeline.

Boise and other metros with limited activity

Boise, Idaho had only one office project underway as of November, totaling 37,067 square feet, with no significant deliveries recorded this year. In 2023, developers delivered 255,500 square feet of office space across three properties in the capital city of Idaho.

Other large Western markets on the list include Las Vegas, Reno, Nev., Albuquerque, N.M., and Tucson, Ariz. These posted either a too limited pipeline or barely any development underway as of November, showcasing the overarching slowdown in office development, not only in the region but in the country at large. This year’s numbers show that only Las Vegas and Albuquerque saw any significant office completions, with 458,810 square feet across six properties, and 95,000 square feet across a single property.

When looking at 2023 data, three properties totaling 402,042 square feet of office space came online in Las Vegas. The only metro where developers delivered significant properties was Albuquerque, with these buildings totaling 110,915 square feet.