The city of Charlotte has maintained a strong retail market, with smaller spaces proving to be especially competitive within the sector over the last year.

Charlotte ranked first among the top 43 U.S. retail markets with at least 100M SF of inventory in asking rent growth and overall investment performance, according to a recent CoStar report.

Brandon Svec, national director of retail analytics at CoStar Group, noted that several fundamentals combined in Charlotte’s retail rise.

“After coming in sixth place last year, Charlotte’s rise to the top was predicated on demographic tailwinds, a diversified economy, and a disciplined supply pipeline,” Svec said in a statement.

Retail rent growth in Charlotte averaged 7.4% last year, according to CoStar. Over the past 10 years, the city’s retail rents have increased 57%, compared to just 34% nationwide. 

Retail vacancy in Charlotte was just 2.9% in Q3 2025, marking three consecutive years below 3%, according to an Oct. 2025 Colliers report. 

The rumors of retail’s demise in the city turned out to be greatly exaggerated, said Clay Grubb, CEO of Grubb Properties.

“Retail had 10 brutal years, with everybody saying retail was dead,” Grubb said, speaking at the Bisnow Charlotte Commercial Real Estate Market Kickoff on Jan. 15. “But ever since coming out of Covid, the consumer has been very strong, and so the retail sector has been very strong.”

Smaller spaces were especially competitive for retail tenants, with vacancy in buildings under 10K SF at only 1.77%, Colliers reported. 

Converting the first floors of office buildings into spaces for retail tenants has proven to be a successful strategy in Charlotte, Grubb noted.

“They’re paying real rent and changing the images of office buildings, making the retail sector much healthier than we’ve seen in 15 years,” he said at the Bisnow event last week at the Union at West Station.

Suffolk has topped off construction at BioMed Realty’s 585 Kendall a mixed-use lab/office building and performing arts center in the Canal District of Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA. Takeda has leased the property’s approximately 600,000-square-foot lab and office space for its global R&D center.

“We are honored and privileged to celebrate this important milestone in the construction of this complex facility,” said John Fish, Chairman and CEO, Suffolk. “Thank you to BioMed and Takeda for their close partnership, for their investment in this community, and for their faith in Suffolk to deliver this game-changing project for the life sciences community, the City of Cambridge and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

Set for occupancy in 2026, 585 Kendall is designed to support the diverse needs of the Cambridge community. Its 30,000-square-foot performing arts center is intended to complement the existing, ongoing community activations at Canal District Kendall.

The Moinian Group topped out construction on 7 Platt St., a 37-story, 250-unit luxury residential development located in Manhattan’s Financial District. The project’s construction is being carried out by AECOM Tishman and completion is expected in the first quarter of 2026.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating this topping out milestone as we move one step closer to delivering 7 Platt to the neighborhood,” said Matthew Moinian, principal of The Moinian Group. “Having completed many conversion projects in Downtown Manhattan, the firm is excited to be pursuing a luxury ground-up residential offering in the region, which is one of the last of its kind to be carried out under the 421-a program.”

Located next to The Moinian Group’s 172-unit Platt Street Hotel project, 7 Platt St. benefits from its proximity to transportation offerings including the Fulton Street subway station and quick access to multiple NYC Ferry routes, a variety of surrounding outdoor green spaces and parks, and nearby food, beverage and cultural offerings.

Centennial Yards Company topped out the first residential tower in the sports and entertainment district at Centennial Yards. The company broke ground on the first two projects within the $5 billion 50-acre mixed-use development less than two years ago and marks this construction milestone with the naming of its first new residential tower, The Mitchell. The project is designed by architecture firms TVS Architecture + Design and Goode Van Slyke Architects (GVSA).

Located in the heart of Centennial Yards across from Mercedes-Benz Stadium and adjacent to State Farm Arena, The Mitchell will feature 304 units ranging from studios to three-bedroom residences. Residences will have floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies. The building will also feature a pool with event lawn and grilling stations, on-site co-working spaces, a fitness center and a residential lounge, as well as 16,000 square feet of street-level retail space. With construction at The Mitchell expected to be complete mid-next year, first move-ins at the apartment building are slated for summer 2025. 

McCarthy Building Companies, a Missouri-based construction firm, recently marked a significant milestone for the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Campus Renewal project in St. Louis with the Plaza West Tower topping-out ceremony. The ceremony celebrated the installation of the final steel beam on the new 16-story building and world-class healthcare facility.

The work is part of BJC HealthCare’s Campus Renewal Project, a long-term, $1 billion renewal of its Washington University Medical Campus. The Plaza West Tower is expected to open in the fall of 2025.

The 660,000-square-foot facility will include seven floors with 224 private inpatient rooms and 32 rooms for patients with heart and vascular illnesses. The project team includes architect CannonDesign, consulting engineer BR+A, structural engineer Thornton Tomasetti, civil engineer Castle Contracting and landscape designer DTLS.

Plaza West Tower is the final project currently planned for BJC’s Campus Renewal, following other projects including the new Parkview Tower and St. Louis Children’s Hospital expansion.

In a ranking of the top college towns in the U.S., Bozeman, MT came in at number one, according to a RentCafe study reported by Coldwell Banker Commercial. The ranking was based on 12 different metrics, including cost of living, tuition fees, graduation rates, and others.

“Staying informed about the top college towns of any given year is important for student housing investors,” according to Coldwell Banker Commercial. “These towns serve as hotbeds of academic achievement and vibrant student life, attracting a constant influx of potential tenants seeking quality living spaces. By understanding the dynamics and allure of these prime locations, investors can strategically position themselves to capitalize on the steady demand for student accommodation.”

Home of Montana State University, Bozeman offers a mix of affordability, student activities and nearby parklands, such as Yellowstone National Park. Click here for more on Bozeman and other college towns in the top five.