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Ralph
Kamps
Editor CirexNews
608.345.2880
                Ken Harwood
Publisher CirexNews
608.334.2174

"Don't mistake motion for progress."

— Alfred Montapert

Lease Asking Rates April 2026

This Weeks Articles for 4/7/2026 ...

  1. 6 major Madison housing development proposals to watch in April ...
  2. Current Development Proposals...
  3. Exclusive Listings Are Rewriting the Rules of Real Estate Portals...
  4. Selling your company twice to maximize financial gains ...
  5. Why Office-to-Residential Conversions Still Come Down to a Few Hard Truths...
  6. AI’s Data Center Gold Rush Comes With Real Risk...
  7. Data Center Nation: How All Of America Became Big Tech's Boomtown...
  8. Apartments proposed at shuttered bus transfer point near former Oscar Mayer site ...
  9. Harvest Corners: Developer breaks ground on new McFarland housing project...
  10. 'Extreme demand shock.' Data center boom raises electrical grid reliability questions...
  11. Hail Is Becoming A Real Estate Problem, Not Just An Insurance Problem...
  12. The Property Tax Crisis Threatening Chicago’s Real Estate Markets...
  13. Construction and Development Roundtable: Building the next chapter ...
  14. CVS opens first of nearly 20 pharmacy-only stores planned for 2026 ...
  15. Sentiment Destruction, Not Demand Destruction...

New Listings

Land for Sale Active
Vacant land
DeForest, WI



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Cirex News is emailed weekly to over 2,000 CRE Brokers/Agents and people interested in commercial real estate. Email Ralph or call 608-345-2880 to feature your business or properties in CirexNews...

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6 major Madison housing development proposals to watch in April


With the arrival of spring to Madison also comes a flurry of development proposals, including four proposals for multifamily housing scattered across the city’s western and downtown corridors.

Here are six of the biggest development proposals up for approval next month:

1. Multifamily complex in new southwest subdivision

2. Regent Street redevelopment

3. West side apartments

4. Three-story redevelopment on the isthmus

5. and 6. Referred proposals

   ...Full Story Here

RSK: Several residential proposals up for review in the city of Madison.

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Investors Associated



See All Listings Here...

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“At Investors Associated, we make it easy for brokers to match clients with well?managed, high?quality spaces. Our team prioritizes clear communication, quick turnaround times, and a seamless leasing experience. Partner with us to provide your clients with properties backed by dependable service and long?term value.”

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Current Development Proposals


View map of current development projects(opens in a new window)

The projects listed on this page involve a Land Use or Subdivision Application. To see the application materials for a project click on the Legislative Files link....


   ...Full Story Here

RSK: Here is the Madison CIty development tracker just for you.

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Madison Lifestyle Office Portfolio



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The Madison Office Lifestyle Portfolio consists of 13 Class A, amenity-rich office properties ranging in size from approximately 25,000 square feet to over 300,000 square feet and is home to more than 130 tenants. The portfolio is located on the west side of Madison and Middleton, with the majority of properties situated in the Far West submarket.

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Exclusive Listings Are Rewriting the Rules of Real Estate Portals


Sellers trade reach for control


Compass just walked away from a legal fight that was supposed to define the next era of real estate portals, but the retreat might actually signal something more strategic than surrender. The brokerage officially dropped its lawsuit against Zillow this week after the portal giant quietly revised the listing policy that sparked the dispute. What started as a hard line threatening to sideline listings not uploaded within 24 hours has softened into something more accommodating, allowing pre-market exposure on Zillow before properties hit the MLS. That shift gave Compass what it wanted in practice even without a courtroom victory, making the lawsuit harder to justify. A federal judge had already denied Compass’ request for a preliminary injunction, finding little evidence that Zillow’s policy crossed into antitrust territory...

   ...Full Story Here

RSK: Will this system eventually hit the CRE market portals?

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The Gialamas Company, Inc.


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We offer the experience, quality and service you deserve, but with the personal attention and dedication that only a family business can provide. We’re not just your landlord, we’re partners in your success.

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Selling your company twice to maximize financial gains


Did you know that you can sell your company twice? And that by selling it twice you can realize a much higher combined sale price than you can by selling it just once?

There are many options for exiting your business, including a sale to a strategic buyer, sale to a financial buyer, management buyout, ESOP, and sale or gift to a family member, but only one of those options allows you to sell your company twice.

Selling your company to a private equity firm (i.e., a financial buyer) offers some great benefits that aren’t possible through other sale alternatives.

When private equity firms buy companies, they usually only offer to buy 70-80% of the company, asking the seller to maintain a 20-30% equity position in the company. This is often referred to as “rolling your equity.”..


   ...Full Story Here

RSK: If you are in the realm of selling businesses, this article is for you.

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Madison Commercial Real Estate LLC



Need to sublet extra office space?

Let our years of experience help you find relief from this excess space and help your bottom line" 

Call Ralph Kamps 608-345-2880

SEE ALL LISTINGS HERE




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Why Office-to-Residential Conversions Still Come Down to a Few Hard Truths


Office-to-residential conversions are often presented as a broad answer to two stubborn urban problems at once: too much empty office space and not enough housing. But the reality is much narrower. Whether a building can actually make the jump usually depends on a small set of physical and financial variables, and if too many of them are out of alignment, no amount of civic enthusiasm can make the deal work.

That was the message from a recent Propmodo webinar featuring Franco Faraudo, editor and co-founder of Propmodo, Steven Paynter, principal and global practice area leader for building transformation and adaptive reuse at Gensler, and Aaron Kraus, managing director and head of market development and strategy at Nuveen Green Capital...   ...Full Story Here

RSK: The low down on what type and if an office conversion to apartments will work....not that simple.

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Commercial Brokers Group





Breakfast meeting and CE-4 at Vogel

    April 16, 2026
    7:15 AM
    Vogel Bros. Building Co.







   ...Full Story Here

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AI’s Data Center Gold Rush Comes With Real Risk


The surge in data center development has become one of the largest capital stories in commercial real estate, driven by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Billions are flowing into new projects, with construction and deal activity accelerating sharply and demand outpacing supply in many major markets. Low vacancy rates and heavy pre-leasing, often years in advance, have reinforced the belief among many investors that AI-driven demand is durable and still in its early innings.

At the same time, there is growing unease about how quickly capital is concentrating in one asset class. Some investors are acquiring land and securing power before lining up operators, reflecting a fear of missing out rather than disciplined underwriting. Others point to the rapid evolution of AI technology itself, warning that computing needs, chip lifecycles, and deployment strategies could shift faster than these facilities can be delivered, potentially leaving certain projects less relevant or misaligned with future demand...



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RSK: Even though there is a rush to build data centers, I do not think the sub-market is saturated yet. As many proposals that are out there, more than half are turned down for various environmental issues, power use and NIMBY's.

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St. John Properties




See All Listings Here...

   ...Full Story Here
Since 1971, St. John Properties has designed, developed, and managed spaces that fit every type of business. Our team anticipates and serves the needs of over 2,700 clients, including small, mid-sized, and large companies, nationwide.

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Data Center Nation: How All Of America Became Big Tech's Boomtown


Prince William County, Virginia, looked very different in 2016.

With the Manassas Civil War battlefield at its center, the county long served as a dividing line between the heavily developed D.C. suburbs of Northern Virginia and the rural communities in the central part of the state. 

A decade ago, the county’s western half was predominantly forests and farms, with its eastern half filled with bedroom communities.

Now, an explosion of data center development has changed this landscape dramatically. Vast campuses of windowless concrete buildings surrounded by generators have bubbled out along major highways and power transmission corridors, replacing homes, businesses and green space...



   ...Full Story Here

RSK: All you need to know is where data centers are blooming....and Wisconsin is one of them.

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CARW 2025 Events and Resources









   ...Full Story Here

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Apartments proposed at shuttered bus transfer point near former Oscar Mayer site


Washington-based housing developer DevCo Residential Group wants to build a pair of lower-cost apartment buildings at the site of east side Madison’s former Metro Transit North Transfer Point, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.

The proposal includes 163 total apartments in two four-story buildings, constructed side-by-side at 1201 Huxley St. and 1910 Roth St. near the former Oscar Mayer plant. The shuttered bus transfer point — among those eliminated in 2023 after a system redesign aimed at streamlining service — would be removed.

DevCo’s plans feature one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for households earning 50-70% of the area median income, which for Dane County last year was roughly $90,900 for a one-person household and $129,800 for a four-person household...



   ...Full Story Here

RSK: Look like the old Oscar Mayer property is starting to take off.

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Knight Barry Title Group



                       608-255-2700  www.KnightBarry.com
   ...Full Story Here
With over 350 experienced real estate professionals, Knight Barry provides exceptional support and service. Visit our website for more information about our 50+ commercial and residential offices throughout Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.

MADISON: 2450 Rimrock Road, Suite 204, 608-255-2700
CAP SQUARE: 44 E. Mifflin Street, Suite 101, 608-255-2700

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Harvest Corners: Developer breaks ground on new McFarland housing project


MCFARLAND — Construction has begun on a new housing development at the northwest corner of County Road AB and Elvehjem Road on McFarland’s southeast side.

MCFARLAND — Construction has begun on a new housing development at the northwest corner of County Road AB and Elvehjem Road on McFarland’s southeast side.

Lakestone Properties broke ground April 1 on Harvest Corners, the apartment-building portion of its roughly 18-acre Sperle Corners development that will eventually include 147 units of new housing, a park, walking and bike path, and green space...

“We’re excited about getting it started,” said Brett Riemen, a partner at Lakestone. “This is a pretty big development for McFarland.”

Construction on the first two 40-unit apartment buildings will start this month, with completion expected next spring or summer. They will include a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and two-bedroom-plus-den units. A third, 37-unit apartment building, is planned for a later date...

   ...Full Story Here

RSK: One of our very own developing the largest McFarland project to date. Congrats Brett et. al.

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Reinhart



Milwaukee: 414.298.1000
Madison: 608.229.2200
Waukesha: 262.951.4500
   ...Full Story Here

With the largest Real Estate Practice of any law firm in Wisconsin, Reinhart offers clients custom-tailored real estate insight.

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'Extreme demand shock.' Data center boom raises electrical grid reliability questions


JANESVILLE — As Wisconsin continues to be flooded by new data center proposals, with more expected in coming years, UW-Madison data science researchers are raising alarms about whether the state’s existing electrical power grid can handle the anticipated rising load.

Utility companies like Alliant Energy, and multi-state energy transmission system operator MISO respond that they’re prepared to shoulder an expected, and unprecedented, massive spike in demand from such hyperscale projects.

The rising questions about statewide and Midwest region-wide electrical power grid reliability is key for Janesville, where an 800-megawatt data center is proposed to go on the 250-acre former General Motors assembly plant site on the city’s southside.

GM closed the plant at the end of 2008, followed by the demolition of the buildings there in 2018 and 2019. At its peak in the 1970s, the GM plant along Kellogg Avenue in Janesville employed about 7,000 people...


   ...Full Story Here

RSK: Here in lies the power problem with Data Centers. I have been pointing this out for awhile, but now it is happening.

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Colliers|Wisconsin


Colliers| Wisconsin offers clients in the Wisconsin market, expertise in every property type. Wisconsin’s Colliers office offers a comprehensive portfolio of real estate services to occupiers, owners and investors on a local, regional, national and international basis, including: Brokerage Services, Corporate Solutions, Property Management and Valuation & Advisory Services. Colliers is the third-largest commercial real estate services company in the world, with over 12,300 professionals operating out of more than 522 offices in 62 countries.

See All Listings Here...

   ...Full Story Here

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Hail Is Becoming A Real Estate Problem, Not Just An Insurance Problem


Baseball-sized hail used to read like a weather oddity. In March, it looked more like a balance-sheet issue.

In Kansas City, storms dropped hail as large as 4 inches across parts of the metro, with the worst damage concentrated in the Northland. In the Chicago region the same week, a supercell produced giant hail in the Kankakee River Valley, including a stone measured at more than 6 inches that could set a new Illinois record. These were not edge-case rural events. They hit major Midwestern metros with deep inventories of apartments, office buildings, retail centers, and industrial properties.

That matters because hail has quietly become one of the most consequential weather risks facing commercial and multifamily real estate...

   ...Full Story Here

RSK: And Wisconsin is one of the high states for hail insurance damage. Owners must do some sort of mitigation to reduce this or endure higher insurance rates.

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Park Towne Realty LLC



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Park Towne is a family run Madison-based real estate company serving southern Wisconsin for over 50 years. Led by second generation brothers Mike, Jim and Joe Ring, Park Towne has a portfolio of for-lease commercial properties and offers development, management and brokerage services.

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The Property Tax Crisis Threatening Chicago’s Real Estate Markets


Commercial appeals shift costs to homeowners

Property taxes in Chicago’s Cook County have climbed 182% over the past 30 years while inflation rose just 91%, creating an affordability crisis that threatens to reshape Chicago real estate markets from residential neighborhoods to downtown office towers. Property owners paid $19.2 billion in taxes in 2024, up from $6.8 billion in 1995, according to a new study from County Treasurer Maria Pappas released Monday. Average wages grew 161% during the same period, meaning tax bills are consuming an ever-larger share of household income despite laws ostensibly designed to cap increases. The disconnect is particularly stark when examining what homeowners should be paying versus what they actually owe. If property taxes had kept pace with inflation, the median bill would be around $3,057 instead of the actual $5,827.

The mechanics behind this explosion reveal systemic exploitation of legislative loopholes that benefit those with resources to navigate the appeals process...

   ...Full Story Here

RSK: Looks like school taxes are the bane of Chicago residents as well.

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RASCW Events


RASCW Broker Summit 2026
Thursday, April 16, 2026
(9:00 AM - 3:30 PM) (CDT)


Get Ready for What’s Next. 

RASCW, in collaboration with NAR, is hosting a Broker Summit on Thursday, April 16—a high-impact, half-day conference designed specifically for brokers and team leaders preparing for the year ahead. 

This summit brings national insight directly to you. Join us for timely strategy, data-driven forecasts, and practical guidance led by:
  •     Nykea Pippion McGriff, Vice President of Broker Engagement, NAR
  •     Jessica Lautz, NAR Deputy Chief Economist
  •     The RPR Team, sharing tools and intelligence to sharpen your business decisions
  •     Plus additional expert voices and peer discussion ...

   ...Full Story Here

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Construction and Development Roundtable: Building the next chapter


There’s no better setting to explore the state of building and development in Wisconsin’s capital region than in the shadow of the state capitol building in Madison — a city that often sets the agenda for the rest of the state. On a crisp and sunny Monday morning in February, In Business gathered four construction, development and legal experts from Dane County at the downtown offices of legal firm Boardman Clark for a far-reaching discussion about everything from the region’s burgeoning workforce development pipeline to the lack of commercial development in Dane County to how is AI reshaping the construction landscape. What follows are edited highlights of the approximately 90-minute discussion.

PANELISTS:

Patrick Baldwin, principal/president, Advanced Building Corporation

Tim Cleary, executive vice president, Ideal Builders

Jamie Radabaugh, attorney, Boardman Clark

Christopher Tatge, president, DC Materials LLC

MODERATOR:

  • Michael Popke, contributor, In Business Madison...


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RSK: In case you missed it. a roundtable discussion on construction in the Capital City.

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Key Commercial Real Estate, LLC


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CVS opens first of nearly 20 pharmacy-only stores planned for 2026


A pharmacy chain has begun its rollout of a new scaled-down store concept.

CVS Health has opened the first of nearly 20 pharmacy-only, “apothecary-style” CVS Pharmacy locations it plans to open this year. Located in Chicago’s West End neighborhood, the new concept aims to help bridge gaps in care and make it easier for community members to access medications, immunizations and other health care services, according to the company.

With footprints averaging around 3,000 sq. ft., the pharmacy-only sites will help ensure patients have access to prescription medications and the advice and counsel of a CVS pharmacist...

   ...Full Story Here

RSK: I look where those stores are located and they fail to mention one key fundamental reason for the change....theft!

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Food Fight


Food Fight Gift Cards...

Food Fight is a locally owned and operated restaurant group with an ever-growing family of unique and diverse restaurants in the greater Madison area. Founded in 1994 by Monty Schiro of Monty’s Blue Plate Diner and local real estate investor Peder Moren, Food Fight Restaurant Group combined their creative vision and business sense with a mission of providing the best possible service and experiences for the greater community.

Gift cards can be redeemed at all of our restaurants for dine-in visits or call-in carryout orders, and they never expire...

   ...Full Story Here

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Mullins Group LLC



See All Listings here...



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Sentiment Destruction, Not Demand Destruction


Daily data are starting to show a significant deterioration in inflation expectations and consumer sentiment across the income distribution, see the first two charts below.

But there is a difference between what consumers are saying and what they are doing. The third, fourth and fifth charts below show that weekly data on consumer spending remain strong, daily data on airline travel remain strong and weekly data on hotel demand remain strong. A full review of all publicly available daily and weekly indicators shows no signs of demand destruction, see our chart book here.

Markets are overreacting to what will likely be a 4- to 6-week period of volatility, which will ultimately result in 50 years of stability in oil markets, supply chains and geopolitics. The Gulf region will become more stable and even more closely integrated with the global economy. For the Fed, the rise in inflation due to higher oil prices is temporary; once the conflict is over, Fed cuts will be priced in again, and long rates will decline...



   ...Full Story Here

RSK: If you are looking for an optimistic outlook...here it is! Hope he's right.

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Properties for Lease or for Sale By Company



          


The Gialamas Company, Inc.









Artis Reit

Key Commercial Real Estate, LLC

Madison Commercial Real Estate LLC


St. John Properties

IA Management, LLC

Wisconsin Commercial Real Estate


Park Towne Realty LLC

Mullins Group, LLC

Crown
Commercial

Flad Development & Investment Corp.

Evans Properties, LLC

Keller Real Estate Group

MIG Commercial Real Estate, LLC

First Weber Group, Inc - West Towne

Opitz Realty, Inc.
First Weber Group, Inc - Prairie Du Sac

Peterson Management Company Inc.

The Lenhart Company, Inc

Scott Faust & Associates

Shamrock Real Estate Services, LLC

Targa, Inc

Executive Management, Inc



Stark Commercial - East

Urban Land Interests

Slinde Realty Company

Assist-2-Sell/Pohlkamp & Associates




Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Matson Real Estate


Artisan Graham Real Estate





Hovde & Hovde, Inc

ABSTRACT Commercial Real Estate LLC




   ...Full Story Here

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About CirexNews.com


Ralph Kamps
Editor CirexNews
608.345.2880

Ken Harwood
Publisher CirexNews
608.334.2174

Cirex News is emailed weekly to over 2,000 CRE Brokers/Agents and people interested in commercial real estate. It is online at CirexNews.com. All of our articles are archived and searchable. So a search for "opportunity zone" will bring up dozens of articles on the subject.


In our weekly News & Views you can promote your clients properties and your services
call 608-345-2880 for details...
   ...Full Story Here

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