Market spotlight — Sarasota/Manatee Industrial market shows robust activity

 Although Sarasota and Manatee counties haven’t developed much industrial product relative to submarkets to the north, northeast or south, the area has shown that it can support manufacturing, flex and distribution space alike. New space, meanwhile, from Benderson Development Co. and Harrod Properties, primarily, has met with widespread acceptance from tenants seeking modern space with amenities, adequate truck and other vehicle parking and higher ceiling heights. Much of the markets’ industrial space tends to measure 50,000 square feet or less to accommodate tenant demand, but that could be changing as logistics firms need to meet so-called “last mile” demand from e-commerce purveyors and distributors who are willing to be pioneers.