Market Insights

Wayne Gretzky’s line still holds: I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been. That is a useful mindset as we think about the future of the former GM site. As Greg Ip noted in a recent Wall Street Journal article, “America Is Seeing a Stealth Boom in Manufacturing,” demand is helping drive new strength in sectors tied to AI, semiconductors, networking, power, and cooling equipment. That is worth keeping in mind as we think about where the next wave of demand may be headed.

Congratulations to Becky, a former teacher and owner of KidStation Daycare, on securing her new 4,418 SF space! Daycare operations come with unique regulatory and zoning challenges that can make site selection a years-long process.

Coldwell Banker Commercial McGuire Mears & Associates is pleased to announce the addition of Christian Horrigmo-Cook as its newest Sales Associate.

The narrative that the American mall is dying is being replaced by a more nuanced reality: the industry is bifurcating. While projections suggest the total number of U.S. malls will drop from 1,200 to 900 by 2028, premier "Class A" properties are actually flourishing. This divide is fueled by a brutal retail landscape that saw over 8,100 store closures in 2025 alone, forcing major brands to abandon struggling centers and consolidate their presence within high-performing, high-traffic hubs.

Is Janesville Built to Win? In the 1800s, a rail stop changed a town’s trajectory forever. It didn't happen because people "voted for trains"—it happened because those towns positioned themselves to compete. Today, hyperscale data centers are the new railroads. As the debate over the former GM/JATCO site intensifies, we’re asking the hard question: Is Janesville competitive enough to be chosen? Before the first public meeting, these billion-dollar decisions are won or lost in spreadsheets based on power, speed, and feasibility. We’re diving deep into the "math behind the megawatt" and what it actually means for Janesville’s future.

While the national headlines suggest office demand is cooling, the Janesville/Beloit Q4 2025 data tells a different story for small-footprint properties. With five sales in the 2,000-4,000 SF range, four of which were purchased by dentists, it is clear that owner-users are prioritizing control and long-term equity over leasing. Whether through adaptive reuse or ground-up construction, the high cost of specialized medical build-outs is driving a "buy-over-lease" trend that keeps the small-office market liquid and competitive.

Lately I’ve noticed more conversations shifting away from the “traditional four” and toward property types tied to real, durable economic activity. This Coldwell Banker Commercial piece lays out a “new growth set” to watch—cold storage, electrification sites, media production, and outdoor storage—and why they’re getting real investor attention.

 Market Insight: Southern Wisconsin’s 2025 Tug-of-War Evolving, Not Stalling. While national headlines paint a broad (and often bleak) stroke across commercial real estate, the Janesville–Beloit MSA is quietly proving that market fundamentals still win the long game. From the high-stakes "megawatt" conversation surrounding the former GM site to the visible rebalancing of our retail corridors, 2025 was a year of strategic shifts rather than simple stagnation.

Southern Wisconsin commercial real estate isn’t moving in one direction — and that’s exactly why this market matters. While national headlines tend to generalize, the reality in the Janesville–Beloit MSA is far more mixed. Like many Midwest tertiary markets, fundamentals are driving decisions. Some sectors stayed steady, others reshuffled, and a few quietly surprised.

The long-time owners of the multi-tenant commercial building at 1323 Excalibur Drive in Janesville were ready to begin their retirement. They had successfully managed and leased the building, but they now needed a reliable exit strategy that ensured maximum value and a smooth, swift closing process. Finding the right buyer for a multi-unit investment asset required specialized expertise.