Mexico Developers Looking to Canada for Buyers
Posted in Real Estate on April 06, 2010 by Kevin Brass
Mareazul , Coral's project on Grand Riviera Maya
With the United States still wallowing in the blahs, Mexico developers are allocating more resources to target Canadian second home buyers.
Although difficult to quantify, project managers say the Canadian snow birds are bouncing back quicker than other buyers. Canadians also seem more willing to pull the trigger on a sale, un-encumbered by the recent economic nightmares haunting U.S. buyers, developers say.
For example, on the southern tip of Baja California, 25 percent of thesecond home buyers in Puerto Los Cabos, a 2,000-acre marina and resort project, have been from Canada, according to Grupo Questro, the Mexican developer. In recent months builders in the Cabo San Lucas-area have specifically bulked up their marketing budgets to Calgary and Vancouver, a spokesman says.
Similar stories can be found in most Mexican resorts, which are trying to fight back after a year of intense coverage of horrific drug-related violence and various disasters, both man-made and natural.
Sarah Cox
Last week, Sarah Cox, who specializes in international sales for Grupo Grand Coral Riviera Maya, a developer with a series of gringo-oriented projects on Riviera Maya, participated in the Mexico Living Expo, an exhibition in Vancouver. In an e-mail interview, she discussed the "Canadian effect."
What kind of people were you seeing? Serious buyers? Lookie Lous?
A lot of area brokers were asking about listing our properties. We had several very serious buyers that will be visiting within the month, and a few “lookie lous.” Everyone was interested, but some knew they wanted Playa del Carmen while others were undecided as to where in Mexico they would like to go.
What surprised you about the event?
In spite of the latest negative news going out about drug crimes in Mexico, people still had a favorable view of Mexico and were not afraid to visit or invest.
What did people want to know about Mexico?
People asked a lot about health care and safety. They wanted to know the statistics for growth in the region. How rentable would their property be when they were not using it? And how complicated it is to let someone else manage the property for them?
How important is Canada as a market to you these days? What percentage of your buyers is from Canada?
Very important. I’ve seen the market very strong and people have the money to invest in a winter vacation/investment property. Canadians as a whole have been looking in the price range of $300,000 to $500,000, which might mean going away from a beachfront in exchange for a golf property that includes private beach club membership. From our latest golf property, Nick Price Residences, 50 percent of the owners are from Canada. From our beachfront property, maybe 15 percent is from Canada (starting from low $600s.)
How has your marketing approach changed in the last year?
We are focusing more in meeting the people where they are. In other words, participating in real estate expos, networking with the local broker community, or reaching out with local brokers to their contacts in Canada.
How would you describe the mindset of the attendees toward Mexico?
Positive in spite of recent news. Canadians really like the cultural and language aspect, high interest in submersion and cultural programs. Mexico seems to be the buzz of Canada, and more when it’s very cold!
What is your biggest challenge pitching Mexico these days? How do you over come it?
Security. I overcome it with a map that shows distances between “trouble” zones and tourist zones, and we’re talking days away.
What did you learn from the event?
Canadians will keep coming to Mexico and favor it as a resort destination over various U.S. locations (Florida or Arizona, for example.)
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
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martes, 15 de marzo de 2011
Energy Bank In Baja California Mexico Will Receive $4 Billion Dollars
Energy bank will receive 4.000 million dollars
The company Rubenius implemented in Baja California the largest bank in the world power, the company will install and operate a storage and regulation of renewable energy.
RELATED ARTICLES
Climate change is an opportunity: SE
Mexico's economy could grow by creating sustainable products and energy saving. Calderon 'extinct' inefficient bulbs
The 'Sustainable Light' seeks to Mexico to migrate into energy-saving lamps. Wind power, alternative Mexico
The Government asserts that the La Ventosa can meet the needs of a country like Spain. GE, 1.500 million dollars for energy efficiency
The pioneer in the environmental issue is the tremendous growth potential in lighting. Peñoles bet 160 million dollars to wind power
For the director general of mining, Fernando Alanis, sustainability is a good investment. The aircraft will fly with vegetable oil
The SCT considers that in the future bioturbosina be used by aircraft.
Cancun, Quintana Roo (Sports Network) - The company Rubenius will invest 4.000 million dollars in Mexico , to be exercised in the next 7 years and help to implement the bank's largest power in the world , which is located in Mexicali, Baja California, said Wednesday the president Felipe Calderón.
As part of the 16 Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16) was announced that the company Rubenius , based in Dubai, UAE, install and operate a storage and regulation of energy produced in a sustainable manner .
Calderón announced that the project will store the energy generated by renewable sources and deliver it to consumers when they need it, so it is of utmost importance because it is electricity produced from unconventional sources.
President Felipe Calderón recalled that the great "pending" to renewable energy is intermittent, and a wind generator, for example, only generates electricity when it is windy , and a client, an industry or a house can not depend on such factors to generate power permanently.
Renewable energy, he added, requires a backup to the time when the wind stops blowing or the sun have to be replaced by a backup routine, which involves and encourages these issues.
He stressed that the success of the company in question is to be developed with Japanese technology, these massive batteries that are installed on a strategic site in Mexicali allow you to store the energy generated there , mainly with other renewable sources to produce more energy this type.
He stressed that this can be achieved only to the extent that there should be an energy storage facility the size Rubenius installed in the country, which will also generate a change in the electricity markets both in Mexico and California , in United States, which are directed to renewable energy.
President Calderon also confirmed that from next year all mortgages Institute's National Housing Fund for Workers (Infonavit) will be awarded on the basis that the buildings have ecological characteristics .
He mentioned that, so next year between 500,000 and 600,000 mortgages that will give the Institute shall be conditioned on the house has energy-saving fixtures in Mexico , either solar water heaters or water-saving faucets, among other things.
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
www.tibesarealty.com.mx/wordpress/
The company Rubenius implemented in Baja California the largest bank in the world power, the company will install and operate a storage and regulation of renewable energy.
RELATED ARTICLES
Climate change is an opportunity: SE
Mexico's economy could grow by creating sustainable products and energy saving. Calderon 'extinct' inefficient bulbs
The 'Sustainable Light' seeks to Mexico to migrate into energy-saving lamps. Wind power, alternative Mexico
The Government asserts that the La Ventosa can meet the needs of a country like Spain. GE, 1.500 million dollars for energy efficiency
The pioneer in the environmental issue is the tremendous growth potential in lighting. Peñoles bet 160 million dollars to wind power
For the director general of mining, Fernando Alanis, sustainability is a good investment. The aircraft will fly with vegetable oil
The SCT considers that in the future bioturbosina be used by aircraft.
Cancun, Quintana Roo (Sports Network) - The company Rubenius will invest 4.000 million dollars in Mexico , to be exercised in the next 7 years and help to implement the bank's largest power in the world , which is located in Mexicali, Baja California, said Wednesday the president Felipe Calderón.
As part of the 16 Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16) was announced that the company Rubenius , based in Dubai, UAE, install and operate a storage and regulation of energy produced in a sustainable manner .
Calderón announced that the project will store the energy generated by renewable sources and deliver it to consumers when they need it, so it is of utmost importance because it is electricity produced from unconventional sources.
President Felipe Calderón recalled that the great "pending" to renewable energy is intermittent, and a wind generator, for example, only generates electricity when it is windy , and a client, an industry or a house can not depend on such factors to generate power permanently.
Renewable energy, he added, requires a backup to the time when the wind stops blowing or the sun have to be replaced by a backup routine, which involves and encourages these issues.
He stressed that the success of the company in question is to be developed with Japanese technology, these massive batteries that are installed on a strategic site in Mexicali allow you to store the energy generated there , mainly with other renewable sources to produce more energy this type.
He stressed that this can be achieved only to the extent that there should be an energy storage facility the size Rubenius installed in the country, which will also generate a change in the electricity markets both in Mexico and California , in United States, which are directed to renewable energy.
President Calderon also confirmed that from next year all mortgages Institute's National Housing Fund for Workers (Infonavit) will be awarded on the basis that the buildings have ecological characteristics .
He mentioned that, so next year between 500,000 and 600,000 mortgages that will give the Institute shall be conditioned on the house has energy-saving fixtures in Mexico , either solar water heaters or water-saving faucets, among other things.
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
www.tibesarealty.com.mx/wordpress/
Iberdrola Will Build $320 Million Dollars Power Plant in Guanajuato Mexico
Iberdrola will build $320 million dollars power plant in Guanajuato
01/03/2011 01:07
The Spanish energy group Iberdrola won the bid to build a power plant in Mexico for $ 320 million, said the Spanish company in a statement.
Iberdrola has been awarded a turnkey contract in Mexico for the construction and operation of a cogeneration plant of 430 megawatts (MW) capacity in the town of Salamanca in Guanajuato, for $320 million dollars.
The contract, in whose tender participated other seven groups, includes the construction of 'a compacted substation and eight transmission power lines of 230 kilovolt (kV).
Estimated time to complete the works to be carried out 'in the facilities of the refinery Pemex has in Salamanca, is 29 months, said the Spanish company.
Iberdrola obtained in 2010 a net rising profit of 1.7% of up to $2.870 billion Euros, after shedding non-strategic assets to be reoriented towards high growth markets like Brazil.
In Mexico, the Spanish company began operations in 2001 and since then has accumulated contracts worth about $2.5 billion dollars. (El Economist)
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
www.tibesarealty.com.mx/wordpress/
01/03/2011 01:07
The Spanish energy group Iberdrola won the bid to build a power plant in Mexico for $ 320 million, said the Spanish company in a statement.
Iberdrola has been awarded a turnkey contract in Mexico for the construction and operation of a cogeneration plant of 430 megawatts (MW) capacity in the town of Salamanca in Guanajuato, for $320 million dollars.
The contract, in whose tender participated other seven groups, includes the construction of 'a compacted substation and eight transmission power lines of 230 kilovolt (kV).
Estimated time to complete the works to be carried out 'in the facilities of the refinery Pemex has in Salamanca, is 29 months, said the Spanish company.
Iberdrola obtained in 2010 a net rising profit of 1.7% of up to $2.870 billion Euros, after shedding non-strategic assets to be reoriented towards high growth markets like Brazil.
In Mexico, the Spanish company began operations in 2001 and since then has accumulated contracts worth about $2.5 billion dollars. (El Economist)
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
www.tibesarealty.com.mx/wordpress/
Mexico Consolidates as The Major Point Of Global Mining Investment
Mexico consolidates as the major point of global mining investment
09/03/2011 21:31
According to the 2010 report from Metals Economics Group (MEG), one of the most respected in the industry, the country emerged as an important magnet for investment in Latin America, and the fourth worldwide in mining.
The government of Mexico celebrates in Toronto the Mexican Mining Day, as part of the PDAC International Mining Exhibition, held this week and will have the chance to brag about the mining potential Mexico has among more than 7,000 entrepreneurs.
Last year, Mexico received funds from abroad for $4.4 billion dollars in this sector.
According to data from reports of the Mexican Secretariat of Economy (SE) between 2003 and 2010 mineral exports were growing at an average rate of 22%.
Mexico currently stands in the first 12 positions in production of 18 minerals, among which are gold and silver.
Between 2011 and 2012 new mining projects will start, most notably El Boleo, in South Baja California, Palmarejo, Dolores and Pinos Altos in Chihuahua and Solar Mine in Sonora.
These data rule out any impact for Mexico despite the recent decline in competitiveness reported by The Fraser Institute, warned that insecurity as a problem for the sector, according to representatives of the SE.
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
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09/03/2011 21:31
According to the 2010 report from Metals Economics Group (MEG), one of the most respected in the industry, the country emerged as an important magnet for investment in Latin America, and the fourth worldwide in mining.
The government of Mexico celebrates in Toronto the Mexican Mining Day, as part of the PDAC International Mining Exhibition, held this week and will have the chance to brag about the mining potential Mexico has among more than 7,000 entrepreneurs.
Last year, Mexico received funds from abroad for $4.4 billion dollars in this sector.
According to data from reports of the Mexican Secretariat of Economy (SE) between 2003 and 2010 mineral exports were growing at an average rate of 22%.
Mexico currently stands in the first 12 positions in production of 18 minerals, among which are gold and silver.
Between 2011 and 2012 new mining projects will start, most notably El Boleo, in South Baja California, Palmarejo, Dolores and Pinos Altos in Chihuahua and Solar Mine in Sonora.
These data rule out any impact for Mexico despite the recent decline in competitiveness reported by The Fraser Institute, warned that insecurity as a problem for the sector, according to representatives of the SE.
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
www.tibesarealty.com.mx/wordpress/
With an Investment of $1.5 Billion Dollars the Segment of Industrial Parls Will Be Reactived in 2011 in Mexico
With an investment of $1.5 billion dollars the segment of industrial parks will be reactivated in 2011.
17/02/2011 14:48
After the crisis faced by the industrial parks in 2009 and the first half of 2010, the industry awaits a positive panorama, as it provides an investment of over $1.5 billion dollars this year, said Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks (AMPIP).
Despite progress, still not reach the level of investment that was before the crisis, according to a survey of AMPIP among its members, it was about $2 billion dollars and reached up to 50% decrease in 2009.
Current need in the country is focused on developing Distribution Centers (Cedis) in the center and southeast, so it is expected that these are having a greater development.
Among the factors that trigger these projects are the U.S. recovery, the growth of the Mexican economy, in addition to the placement of resources in the Mexican Stock Exchange under the scheme of Development Capital Certificates (CKDs), made by AMB Mexico and Prudential Real Estate Investors, members of AMPIP, which together put about $460 million dollars in 2010.
AMPIP recalled the beginning of very specific projects, such as the Volkswagen engine plant in Silao, Guanajuato, one of the parks of the association, with an investment of $550 million dollars in the first stage, or production plant Learjet 850 of Bombardier, with $250 million dollars in the Vesta in Queretaro Aerospace Park last year, 'factors that will help the sector continue uphill.' (T21)
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
www.tibesarealty.com.mx/wordpress/
17/02/2011 14:48
After the crisis faced by the industrial parks in 2009 and the first half of 2010, the industry awaits a positive panorama, as it provides an investment of over $1.5 billion dollars this year, said Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks (AMPIP).
Despite progress, still not reach the level of investment that was before the crisis, according to a survey of AMPIP among its members, it was about $2 billion dollars and reached up to 50% decrease in 2009.
Current need in the country is focused on developing Distribution Centers (Cedis) in the center and southeast, so it is expected that these are having a greater development.
Among the factors that trigger these projects are the U.S. recovery, the growth of the Mexican economy, in addition to the placement of resources in the Mexican Stock Exchange under the scheme of Development Capital Certificates (CKDs), made by AMB Mexico and Prudential Real Estate Investors, members of AMPIP, which together put about $460 million dollars in 2010.
AMPIP recalled the beginning of very specific projects, such as the Volkswagen engine plant in Silao, Guanajuato, one of the parks of the association, with an investment of $550 million dollars in the first stage, or production plant Learjet 850 of Bombardier, with $250 million dollars in the Vesta in Queretaro Aerospace Park last year, 'factors that will help the sector continue uphill.' (T21)
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
www.tibesarealty.com.mx/wordpress/
Bombardier Will Assemble Aircraft In Queretato Mexico For NetJets Inc.
Bombardier will assemble aircraft in Queretaro for NetJets Inc.
15/03/2011 06:07
Bombadier Aerospace reported that will perform the best-selling of aircraft in its history, thanks to the request of the firm NetJets Inc., which consists of 50 business aircraft type Global with option to purchase additional aircraft.
Production will be held in Queretaro and the transaction is valued at $2.8 billion dollars, according to the price lists of the company.
This purchase order consists of 30 aircraft Global 5000 Vision and Global Express XRS Vision and deliveries are expected to start from the fourth quarter of 2012.
The sale also includes 20 orders for the recently launched Global 7000 and Global 8000. Delivery of these aircraft will be in 2017.
In the Commercial Aircraft Market Forecast, Bombardier, released mid last year, it is estimated that business aviation industry in Latin America will deliver 775 aircraft during the next ten years, between 2010 and 2019.
According to the company, the aircraft Challenger Series 600 and Challenger 605 jet are leaders in their category in Mexico and Latin America, with market shares above 48% and 55% respectively. (Excelsior
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
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15/03/2011 06:07
Bombadier Aerospace reported that will perform the best-selling of aircraft in its history, thanks to the request of the firm NetJets Inc., which consists of 50 business aircraft type Global with option to purchase additional aircraft.
Production will be held in Queretaro and the transaction is valued at $2.8 billion dollars, according to the price lists of the company.
This purchase order consists of 30 aircraft Global 5000 Vision and Global Express XRS Vision and deliveries are expected to start from the fourth quarter of 2012.
The sale also includes 20 orders for the recently launched Global 7000 and Global 8000. Delivery of these aircraft will be in 2017.
In the Commercial Aircraft Market Forecast, Bombardier, released mid last year, it is estimated that business aviation industry in Latin America will deliver 775 aircraft during the next ten years, between 2010 and 2019.
According to the company, the aircraft Challenger Series 600 and Challenger 605 jet are leaders in their category in Mexico and Latin America, with market shares above 48% and 55% respectively. (Excelsior
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
wwww.tibesarealty.com.mx/wordpress/
viernes, 11 de marzo de 2011
Foreign Direct Investment, Commercial Real Estate, and Hotel Development in Mexico City
Foreign Direct Investment, Commercial Real Estate, and Hotel Development in Mexico City.
By Luigi Major, Raul Duarte and Richard J. Katzman
Friday, 11th March 2011
Mexico City is one of the most densely populated and developed urban areas in the world, how will rising foreign direct investment amplify the dynamics of the city’s office and lodging markets in the wake of the recent recession?
Mexico City’s office and lodging markets have gradually evolved over the last decade. Investment in the country has resulted in the arrival of new companies and the expansion of many already in operation.
This in turn has given rise to a growing Class A office market and increased demand for hotel accommodations.
This article examines the relationship between foreign direct investment, demand for office space, and lodging demand in Mexico City—one of the largest and most dynamic metropolitan centers in the world.
Foreign Direct Investment – A Key Economic Driver
On the world stage, many economic, political, and social developments in Mexico have been overshadowed by recent media attention focused on the government’s efforts to eliminate drug-trafficking violence in border regions of the country.
Yet in the past 16 years, Mexico’s political system has transitioned from one dominated since 1921 by one-party rule to an active multi-party democracy. Material changes to Mexico’s economy include the unilateral lowering of trade barriers and entrance into GATT (now the World Trade Organization) in 1986, the 1994 signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the nation’s subsequent entrance into a similar free-trade accord with the European Union.
As shown in Figure 1, annual foreign direct investment in Mexico has grown dramatically since 1995, creating a backbone of industrial activity and supporting a trend toward job growth.
These developments were accompanied by other structural economic changes, including privatization of certain industries previously controlled by the government, as well as improvements in road and airport infrastructure.
Foreign direct investment decreased in Mexico in 2009, as was the case in nearly every Latin American country. Mexico’s economy fluctuates with that of the United States and was particularly hard-hit during the recent economic downturn. The loss of business and tourism in the months following the H1N1 outbreak in April of 2009 made things worse.
However, according to Mexico’s Secretary of the Economy, Foreign Direct Investment rose to $17.726 billion USD in 2010, representing a 16.6% increase from 2009. The same source reported that in 2010 the most attractive segments for foreign direct investment were manufacturing (59.7%), commerce (14.2%), financial services (13.8%), other services (7.6%), and other sectors (4.7%).1
This optimism is supported by Mexico’s leap in ranking on A.T. Kearney’s 2010 FDI Confidence Index. Despite declining oil production, media focus on drug-trafficking crime in limited areas of the country, and the worst recession since the 1930s, Mexico remains a popular location for light industry and U.S.-based companies looking to reduce costs. The manufacturing sector, overall employment, and commercial, retail, and tourism projects in the country have continued to grow during the past decade.
According to a report published by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2010, Mexico’s manufacturing and services sectors continue to receive the most foreign direct investment, at 49% and 42%, respectively. The manufacturing sector includes the production of metal products, machinery, and equipment and is closely tied to the U.S. economy, particularly the automotive industry. The services sector includes the financial, trade, healthcare, and hospitality industries, among others.
The impact of rising foreign direct investment has made its mark on the real estate sector as well. Industrial parks mirroring those across the U.S. border have been developed throughout northern and central Mexico, financed by both domestic and international investment funds and banks. Class A office buildings developed to international standards have multiplied, primarily in Mexico City, which remains the key financial and corporate center of the country.
Both industrial and office assets are part of sophisticated real estate capital markets, with mid- to long-term lease periods, often in U.S. dollars, also financed by both domestic and international investment funds and banks. Department-store-anchored regional shopping centers and grocery-anchored neighborhood centers have also increased in number to serve a growing middle class, which is gradually transitioning from employment in rural and informal sectors to NAFTA-related jobs in key economic corridors.
Private developers and dedicated government agencies have designed and implemented mechanisms allowing massive development of affordable and middle-income housing product, with the annual inventory also growing significantly over the last decade, providing start-up housing for young couples and families.
The rise in investment and economic activity has brought increased demand for business and leisure travel. Leisure travel continues to proliferate for many coastal and interior destinations within Mexico, which hosted over 22 million international visitors in 2010.1 This has given rise to the development of full-service, limited-service, and economy hotels throughout the country, with more set to follow in the coming years.
Tracking Office Space in Mexico City
Foreign direct investment, coupled with population growth and the broadening of the service sector, has resulted in a growing office market in Mexico City. Total available Class A office space increased from 672,273 square meters in 1995 to 3,087,197 square meters in 2009. This translates into an average annual compounded increase of 11.5%, or 172,423 square meters of additional office space each year.
Figure 2 below illustrates the amount of available and absorbed Class A office space from 1995 through the third quarter of 2010.
In the period from 2006 through the third quarter of 2010, vacancy rates remained below 10%. Vacancy rates are forecast to move slightly upward through 2014 as supply increases, which have been minimal over the past few years, continue to ramp up.
Over the past 20 years, office development in Mexico City has taken place along two key axes. The first, known as the Reforma to Santa Fé corridor, extends due west along Paseo de la Reforma from the old city center (Centro Histórico) through several office submarkets referred to as Reforma, Polanco, Lomas, Bosques de las Lomas, and Santa Fé. This corridor houses the majority of national and international corporate headquarters in the city, as well as most of its branded, full-service hotels. The second axis, which extends south from Centro Histórico, includes the Insurgentes and Perisur submarkets. Office hubs and a diverse, albeit smaller, supply of hotel assets are spread along this axis.
As of the third quarter of 2010, the Reforma to Santa Fé corridor housed 2.3 million square meters of Class A office space, equivalent to 76% of all Class A office space in Mexico City.
More foreign direct investment in Mexico has corresponded to an increase in office space, led by industrial growth in northern and central Mexico and a growing corporate presence in Mexico City. Approximately 951,000 square meters of office space were under construction in Mexico City as of the third quarter of 2010.2 This represents 30% of the existing supply of the city’s Class A office space.
The following chart illustrates the relationship between foreign direct investment and available office space in Mexico City since 1995, along with forecasts for 2010 through 2014.3
A More Detailed Review of the Reforma Submarket
Government initiatives and incentives to redevelop Paseo de la Reforma (the main roadway along the Reforma to Santa Fé corridor) have kindled interest among private real estate developers. Approximately 48% of the office space under construction in the city (457,000 square meters) will be located along Paseo de la Reforma from the area known as La Alameda Central near the Centro Histórico to the intersection of Paseo de la Reforma with Avenida Mariano Escobedo.
Within this same 3.5-kilometer corridor, an additional 231,000 square meters of office space have been proposed.
The amount of Class A office space under construction represents a 192% increase in supply over current 237,321 square meters in the Reforma district. The addition of office space proposed (i.e., not yet under construction) for this district would swell the rise to 290%. Since 1995, Mexico City has absorbed an average of approximately 171,000 square meters of Class A office space annually.
The forecasted increase of 951,000 square meters for the entire Mexico City area over the next five years should be largely absorbed as new businesses seek space in the city. Expected increases in supply should keep rental rates relatively stable in this market.
Figure 4 lists major office developments proposed for the Reforma submarket, and Figure 5 maps their locations.
Hotel Supply and Demand
Occupancy for hotels along Mexico City’s Reforma to Santa Fé Corridor has been relatively stable over the past 15 years, with the exception of the drop in 2009 caused by the effects of the recent recession and the H1N1 scare. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between the absorption of new hotel rooms and the increase in foreign direct investment and office inventory.
Lodging demand began to strengthen in September of 2009 and continued to improve into 2010. Lodging data for hotels along the Paseo de la Reforma corridor are presented in Figure 6 below.
These figures represent a very stable hotel market. The table above also illustrates that, since 1994, the corridor has absorbed an average of 48,000 room nights annually. Limited supply is expected throughout the city, which should aid the recovery of existing hotels. New supply anticipated for the Reforma and Santa Fé submarkets includes a 150-room Park Hyatt (currently on hold), a W Hotel (scheduled to open in 2013), and a Marriott Edition (expected to open mid-year 2011).
The Polanco hotel district has long been considered an especially attractive location given its proximity to prime office markets in the Lomas, Polanco, and Reforma submarkets. New hotels have come online in recent years to service demand created by the maturing Bosques de las Lomas and Santa Fé submarkets, which now house many commercial and financial headquarters.
During the 1990s, as hotel corridors spread from the city center toward the western suburbs, the Reforma to Santa Fé corridor seemed stalled. But the area provides a rare opportunity for development in one of the densest parts of Mexico City, where sites zoned for hotel development have become very hard to find. The corridor’s access to extensive public transportation, along with government revitalization efforts, has also encouraged new investments.
Most development in the Reforma to Santa Fé corridor centers on high-end office and residential projects, with few sites dedicated to the construction of hotel assets, whether free-standing or within mixed-use projects. In the mid-term, we expect the corridor’s lodging demand base to expand, allowing for existing hotels to achieve higher occupancy and command higher rates as proposed supply stabilizes.
Local and federal tourism authorities continue to promote leisure visitation to Mexico City both nationally and abroad, which has the potential to bolster weekend occupancy in a hotel market historically dominated by weeknights.
At the same time, the staggered delivery of new commercial developments over the next five years should further strengthen weekend demand, especially during peak seasons. Average rates should see a gradual rise with the concentration of higher-rated commercial demand.
Wrap-up
The Mexico City office and lodging market is in the midst of a renaissance. As foreign direct investment is forecast to continue to increase in Mexico, broader real estate development in the local market should benefit existing and future hotels in Mexico City. This factor, coupled with limited increases of hotel supply, should result in improving occupancies and average rates for area hotels, perhaps exceeding levels achieved prior to the economic recession of 2008/09.
http://www.tibesarealty.com.mx/
www.tibesarealty.com.mx/wordpress/
By Luigi Major, Raul Duarte and Richard J. Katzman
Friday, 11th March 2011
Mexico City is one of the most densely populated and developed urban areas in the world, how will rising foreign direct investment amplify the dynamics of the city’s office and lodging markets in the wake of the recent recession?
Mexico City’s office and lodging markets have gradually evolved over the last decade. Investment in the country has resulted in the arrival of new companies and the expansion of many already in operation.
This in turn has given rise to a growing Class A office market and increased demand for hotel accommodations.
This article examines the relationship between foreign direct investment, demand for office space, and lodging demand in Mexico City—one of the largest and most dynamic metropolitan centers in the world.
Foreign Direct Investment – A Key Economic Driver
On the world stage, many economic, political, and social developments in Mexico have been overshadowed by recent media attention focused on the government’s efforts to eliminate drug-trafficking violence in border regions of the country.
Yet in the past 16 years, Mexico’s political system has transitioned from one dominated since 1921 by one-party rule to an active multi-party democracy. Material changes to Mexico’s economy include the unilateral lowering of trade barriers and entrance into GATT (now the World Trade Organization) in 1986, the 1994 signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the nation’s subsequent entrance into a similar free-trade accord with the European Union.
As shown in Figure 1, annual foreign direct investment in Mexico has grown dramatically since 1995, creating a backbone of industrial activity and supporting a trend toward job growth.
These developments were accompanied by other structural economic changes, including privatization of certain industries previously controlled by the government, as well as improvements in road and airport infrastructure.
Foreign direct investment decreased in Mexico in 2009, as was the case in nearly every Latin American country. Mexico’s economy fluctuates with that of the United States and was particularly hard-hit during the recent economic downturn. The loss of business and tourism in the months following the H1N1 outbreak in April of 2009 made things worse.
However, according to Mexico’s Secretary of the Economy, Foreign Direct Investment rose to $17.726 billion USD in 2010, representing a 16.6% increase from 2009. The same source reported that in 2010 the most attractive segments for foreign direct investment were manufacturing (59.7%), commerce (14.2%), financial services (13.8%), other services (7.6%), and other sectors (4.7%).1
This optimism is supported by Mexico’s leap in ranking on A.T. Kearney’s 2010 FDI Confidence Index. Despite declining oil production, media focus on drug-trafficking crime in limited areas of the country, and the worst recession since the 1930s, Mexico remains a popular location for light industry and U.S.-based companies looking to reduce costs. The manufacturing sector, overall employment, and commercial, retail, and tourism projects in the country have continued to grow during the past decade.
According to a report published by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2010, Mexico’s manufacturing and services sectors continue to receive the most foreign direct investment, at 49% and 42%, respectively. The manufacturing sector includes the production of metal products, machinery, and equipment and is closely tied to the U.S. economy, particularly the automotive industry. The services sector includes the financial, trade, healthcare, and hospitality industries, among others.
The impact of rising foreign direct investment has made its mark on the real estate sector as well. Industrial parks mirroring those across the U.S. border have been developed throughout northern and central Mexico, financed by both domestic and international investment funds and banks. Class A office buildings developed to international standards have multiplied, primarily in Mexico City, which remains the key financial and corporate center of the country.
Both industrial and office assets are part of sophisticated real estate capital markets, with mid- to long-term lease periods, often in U.S. dollars, also financed by both domestic and international investment funds and banks. Department-store-anchored regional shopping centers and grocery-anchored neighborhood centers have also increased in number to serve a growing middle class, which is gradually transitioning from employment in rural and informal sectors to NAFTA-related jobs in key economic corridors.
Private developers and dedicated government agencies have designed and implemented mechanisms allowing massive development of affordable and middle-income housing product, with the annual inventory also growing significantly over the last decade, providing start-up housing for young couples and families.
The rise in investment and economic activity has brought increased demand for business and leisure travel. Leisure travel continues to proliferate for many coastal and interior destinations within Mexico, which hosted over 22 million international visitors in 2010.1 This has given rise to the development of full-service, limited-service, and economy hotels throughout the country, with more set to follow in the coming years.
Tracking Office Space in Mexico City
Foreign direct investment, coupled with population growth and the broadening of the service sector, has resulted in a growing office market in Mexico City. Total available Class A office space increased from 672,273 square meters in 1995 to 3,087,197 square meters in 2009. This translates into an average annual compounded increase of 11.5%, or 172,423 square meters of additional office space each year.
Figure 2 below illustrates the amount of available and absorbed Class A office space from 1995 through the third quarter of 2010.
In the period from 2006 through the third quarter of 2010, vacancy rates remained below 10%. Vacancy rates are forecast to move slightly upward through 2014 as supply increases, which have been minimal over the past few years, continue to ramp up.
Over the past 20 years, office development in Mexico City has taken place along two key axes. The first, known as the Reforma to Santa Fé corridor, extends due west along Paseo de la Reforma from the old city center (Centro Histórico) through several office submarkets referred to as Reforma, Polanco, Lomas, Bosques de las Lomas, and Santa Fé. This corridor houses the majority of national and international corporate headquarters in the city, as well as most of its branded, full-service hotels. The second axis, which extends south from Centro Histórico, includes the Insurgentes and Perisur submarkets. Office hubs and a diverse, albeit smaller, supply of hotel assets are spread along this axis.
As of the third quarter of 2010, the Reforma to Santa Fé corridor housed 2.3 million square meters of Class A office space, equivalent to 76% of all Class A office space in Mexico City.
More foreign direct investment in Mexico has corresponded to an increase in office space, led by industrial growth in northern and central Mexico and a growing corporate presence in Mexico City. Approximately 951,000 square meters of office space were under construction in Mexico City as of the third quarter of 2010.2 This represents 30% of the existing supply of the city’s Class A office space.
The following chart illustrates the relationship between foreign direct investment and available office space in Mexico City since 1995, along with forecasts for 2010 through 2014.3
A More Detailed Review of the Reforma Submarket
Government initiatives and incentives to redevelop Paseo de la Reforma (the main roadway along the Reforma to Santa Fé corridor) have kindled interest among private real estate developers. Approximately 48% of the office space under construction in the city (457,000 square meters) will be located along Paseo de la Reforma from the area known as La Alameda Central near the Centro Histórico to the intersection of Paseo de la Reforma with Avenida Mariano Escobedo.
Within this same 3.5-kilometer corridor, an additional 231,000 square meters of office space have been proposed.
The amount of Class A office space under construction represents a 192% increase in supply over current 237,321 square meters in the Reforma district. The addition of office space proposed (i.e., not yet under construction) for this district would swell the rise to 290%. Since 1995, Mexico City has absorbed an average of approximately 171,000 square meters of Class A office space annually.
The forecasted increase of 951,000 square meters for the entire Mexico City area over the next five years should be largely absorbed as new businesses seek space in the city. Expected increases in supply should keep rental rates relatively stable in this market.
Figure 4 lists major office developments proposed for the Reforma submarket, and Figure 5 maps their locations.
Hotel Supply and Demand
Occupancy for hotels along Mexico City’s Reforma to Santa Fé Corridor has been relatively stable over the past 15 years, with the exception of the drop in 2009 caused by the effects of the recent recession and the H1N1 scare. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between the absorption of new hotel rooms and the increase in foreign direct investment and office inventory.
Lodging demand began to strengthen in September of 2009 and continued to improve into 2010. Lodging data for hotels along the Paseo de la Reforma corridor are presented in Figure 6 below.
These figures represent a very stable hotel market. The table above also illustrates that, since 1994, the corridor has absorbed an average of 48,000 room nights annually. Limited supply is expected throughout the city, which should aid the recovery of existing hotels. New supply anticipated for the Reforma and Santa Fé submarkets includes a 150-room Park Hyatt (currently on hold), a W Hotel (scheduled to open in 2013), and a Marriott Edition (expected to open mid-year 2011).
The Polanco hotel district has long been considered an especially attractive location given its proximity to prime office markets in the Lomas, Polanco, and Reforma submarkets. New hotels have come online in recent years to service demand created by the maturing Bosques de las Lomas and Santa Fé submarkets, which now house many commercial and financial headquarters.
During the 1990s, as hotel corridors spread from the city center toward the western suburbs, the Reforma to Santa Fé corridor seemed stalled. But the area provides a rare opportunity for development in one of the densest parts of Mexico City, where sites zoned for hotel development have become very hard to find. The corridor’s access to extensive public transportation, along with government revitalization efforts, has also encouraged new investments.
Most development in the Reforma to Santa Fé corridor centers on high-end office and residential projects, with few sites dedicated to the construction of hotel assets, whether free-standing or within mixed-use projects. In the mid-term, we expect the corridor’s lodging demand base to expand, allowing for existing hotels to achieve higher occupancy and command higher rates as proposed supply stabilizes.
Local and federal tourism authorities continue to promote leisure visitation to Mexico City both nationally and abroad, which has the potential to bolster weekend occupancy in a hotel market historically dominated by weeknights.
At the same time, the staggered delivery of new commercial developments over the next five years should further strengthen weekend demand, especially during peak seasons. Average rates should see a gradual rise with the concentration of higher-rated commercial demand.
Wrap-up
The Mexico City office and lodging market is in the midst of a renaissance. As foreign direct investment is forecast to continue to increase in Mexico, broader real estate development in the local market should benefit existing and future hotels in Mexico City. This factor, coupled with limited increases of hotel supply, should result in improving occupancies and average rates for area hotels, perhaps exceeding levels achieved prior to the economic recession of 2008/09.
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