Commercial vacancy rate decreases

jclark@sunmulti.com

 

The data compiled into a commercial vacancy survey of Perry

shows an overall decrease in the number of vacant commercial buildings.

“The overall vacancy rate continues to decrease,” said Mike

Beecham, the director of community development for the city, in a memo sent to

Mayor Jimmy Faircloth and the city council. “In 2010, the rate was 24 percent,

23 percent in 2011 and 19 percent this year.”

The overall vacancy number for 2012 is 104, according to the

chart provided with the memo.

Although most of the nine districts saw a decrease in

vacancies from last year, two districts increased by two vacancies each. The

districts are Gen. Courtney Hodges Boulevard and Houston Lake/Hwy 127.

The Village Shops in downtown saw vacancies increase from

one last year to seven this year, and the shopping center that once held Harvey’s

Supermarket increased by one vacancy.

Yet with the increase in those districts, the vacancy rate

for shopping centers in the city remained at 38 percent, or 57 vacancies.

“The vacancy rate for non-shopping center properties

decreased to 13 percent from 18 percent in 2011,” said Beecham in the memo.

A total of 49 non-shopping center vacancies are located in

the city.

Beecham stated that the decrease in vacancies is a sign of

economic improvement.

He said, “More businesses are starting, so we take that as a

sign the local economy is improving.”