5 reasons to choose a site in a commerce park over already-built office space

When companies seek to establish an initial business location or expand upon one or more existing locations, they have a long list of factors to weigh when choosing the perfect facility for their new venture. For some, an already-built office building can check all the boxes. But for those looking for higher levels of customization or ways to substantially differentiate themselves from the norm, building or leasing in a commerce park can present a much more attractive option with far greater possibilities.

Consider these five compelling reasons why opting for a site in a commerce park over existing office space could be a growing business’s best choice for its new facility:

1. Increased customization opportunities: Existing office buildings rarely allow for substantial modifications to be made by tenants. But when businesses choose a site in a commerce park, they can take more ownership of the land where they build or lease — giving them much more freedom to customize their facilities as they desire.
2. More flexibility: Typically located in special economic zones, industrial development sites also tend to have substantially less-restrictive zoning requirements in place than existing office buildings do. As such, by choosing a site in a commerce park as the location of their facilities, businesses can often avoid having to make zoning-driven compromises related to the size, height and density of the structures their businesses occupy. At South Carolina’s next-generation commerce park Camp Hall, for example, zoning is already in place for both industrial and office use — giving tenants more freedom and flexibility than the typical office building can offer.
   Further, leasing space in a spec building gives tenants the flexibility of large spaces that can be customized, the reduced need for upfront capital that comes with leasing versus owning, and the benefits of a greatly reduced time frame versus building to suit. While some sacrifices on customization must be made with this approach, the tenants are able to gain more flexibility on future options — and can do so with much less commitment than owning. For these reasons, spec buildings are a great option for many businesses that initially have a specific time frame or are just entering a market.
3. Fewer landlord-imposed restrictions: Further, businesses that choose a site in a commerce park as their facility location can actually own the building their business resides in. This means that they do not have to answer to a landlord when it comes to making any desired modifications to the space — as long as zoning mandates are met, the choice is theirs.
4. Closer proximity to high-level infrastructure: Commerce parks are usually built with the capacity to house large industrial and/or manufacturing operations requiring a consistent and high-volume supply of energy, water and other important utilities. Because of that, the infrastructure needed to deliver these critical resources on a large scale is almost always in place. And this infrastructure is typically sized to deliver these utilities on a much more significant scale than the conventional office building’s setup would be able to support. That helps ensure that the commerce park’s tenants will always have ready access to a high-level utility supply — and will have room to grow their operations in the future without having to worry about overtaxing the existing utility infrastructure.
5. An easier path to future expansion: Thanks to both the above-mentioned high-level utility infrastructure in place and, typically, options to purchase (and later develop) nearby and even adjacent sites on the same property, businesses that choose to locate in commerce parks usually have an easier path to on-site growth than tenants of the average office building typically do. Especially for businesses with future growth in mind, this can present a big benefit by eliminating the need for future location searches and moves as the company scales up.

A master-planned home for business and industry

Master-planned for ultimate functionality and located in the fast-growing and business-friendly Charleston, South Carolina, region, the aforementioned Camp Hall commerce park offers a wide variety of site options for businesses with a desire to thrive. Camp Hall can also provide a broad range of parcel sizes — with specific site-development opportunities ranging from 7 to 600 acres — to allow for maximum flexibility in meeting businesses’ industry-specific needs. 

Whether your business is seeking an industrial site with close proximity to Charleston to build on, warehouse space in the Charleston region, easy access to manufacturers in Charleston, or commercial property for sale in the Charleston area, Camp Hall can accommodate. To learn more about Camp Hall’s in-place infrastructure and campus availability for your business plans, check out the commerce park’s array of available sites. And if you have any questions about the wide-ranging possibilities the leading-edge commerce park presents, contact a Camp Hall representative today.