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Ralph
Kamps
Editor CirexNews
608.345.2880
                Ken Harwood
Publisher CirexNews
608.334.2174

“Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.” 

- Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. President.

Lease Asking Rates August 2026...

This Weeks Articles for 8/4/2026 ...

  1. Binkowskis to overhaul GEF buildings downtown...
  2. Breathing New Life Into Campus Landmarks...
  3. Madison ...
  4. American Transmission Co., We Energies ask regulators to approve data center cost agreement...
  5. Peak office use hits 80%, topping pre-pandemic levels: CBRE ...
  6. How the Office Market Finally Came to WeWork...
  7. Fed Holds Rates In Split Decision As Iran War Hampers Inflation Fight...
  8. NYC Stops Construction On Another Office-To-Residential Conversion As Inspectors Descend On Job Sites...
  9. Union-at-Home Ordinances Could Change How Landlords Handle Tenant Disputes...
  10. BioMed Hands Boston Lab, Office Property To Lender...
  11. Largest U.S. Grid Operator Scrambles For Power, Warns Of Data Center Outages...
  12. US Multifamily Loan Balances Surge 53% Since 2019...
  13. Microsoft Reports Over $130 Billion in New Data Center Leases...
  14. The Unexpected Ways AI Is Changing How Commercial Real Estate Organizations Operate...

New Listing

Building For Sale Active
Cornerstone
100 Wilburn Rd, Sun Prairie, WI 53590

Brochure

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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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Binkowskis to overhaul GEF buildings downtown


Madison-based developers Brad and Mark Binkowski plan to transform the state-owned General Executive Facility 2 building into apartments and demolish the next door GEF 3 building to accommodate additional housing on a 2.5-acre site on South Webster Street, according to an article in the Wisconsin State Journal.

The state is prepared to accept the $12.65 million offer by the father-and-son team, whose plans are still being finalized.
They envision 300 to 400 apartments, some commercial space and a large open area between the buildings, the report said.

The Wisconsin Department of Administration put the two buildings up for sale as part of an Evers administration plan to consolidate state office spaces, in part because they have more than $200 million in combined deferred maintenance needs...

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RSK: Good move by someone who is familiar with repurposing downtown office buildings. Hope it works out for them.

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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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Madison


Neighbors, developers split on fate of 1932 prohibition-era building... Video at the link

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RSK: There will always be the ying and yang of things. I see this one going to the ying and recevelopment will happen.

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Breathing New Life Into Campus Landmarks


How existing buildings can support future learners.

How can colleges adapt to the evolving student experience without losing the places that define their identity? For many institutions, the answer is not demolition — it’s transformation. Adaptive reuse gives campuses a way to modernize learning environments while preserving the spaces that connect students to history, culture, and community.

As campuses work to remain competitive and fiscally responsible, many are finding that the most strategic investment isn’t always building new. Often, it begins by reimagining what already exists.

The Old Becomes New

Adaptive reuse, or the process of converting existing buildings for new purposes, allows campus leaders to breathe new life into underused structures. Rather than replacing buildings that no longer serve their original purpose, institutions can transform them into spaces that support contemporary learning, collaboration, and student life...




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RSK: I am hoping the UW system,especially in Madison, will take this to heart.

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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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American Transmission Co., We Energies ask regulators to approve data center cost agreement


Agreement aims to protect customers as Racine County data center energy needs ramp up

A transmission utility has filed plans with state and federal regulators aimed at shielding customers from transmission costs tied to data centers.

Late last month, American Transmission Co. and We Energies filed an application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin seeking approval of a transmission charge agreement for Microsoft’s data center in Mount Pleasant.

It comes as ATC is planning more than $2 billion in transmission infrastructure projects tied to data center developments across Wisconsin. Those range from new high-voltage power lines and substations to upgrades to existing facilities...

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RSK: There is plenty of money in data centers....I would think this is a good trade off if they want to build and operate them in Wisconsin.

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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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Peak office use hits 80%, topping pre-pandemic levels: CBRE


Driving the gains are attendance policies and managers doing a better job matching space with what employees want, the company says.

Dive Brief:

  • Peak office utilization has risen above pre-pandemic averages as workplace managers enforce attendance policies and prioritize desk sharing, rotating schedules and flexible arrangements, according to a CBRE report released Thursday. Peak use globally averages 80%, compared to 65-75% pre-pandemic, the report says. 

  • There was also a surge in average office use in 2025, the report says. Global average office use rose to 53%, compared to 38% in 2024, marking the largest annual gain since 2021, the report states. The share of organizations enforcing in-office policies doubled to 37% in 2025, while the share of workplaces measuring policy compliance rose to 69%, from 45% in 2024.  

  • The acceleration has been driven both by more enforcement of attendance policies and workplaces winning over employees “with the promise of connection,” CBRE says. 

Dive Insight:

The private and public sector’s push to bring employees back to the office coincides with a shifting view of what a productive office environment looks like, research shows. The emerging office is organized around the team and relationships rather than the traditional focus on the individual and the task, CBRE says...


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RSK: Slowly coming back but doubt it will hit 100%.

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Madison Commercial Real Estate LLC



SEE ALL LISTINGS HERE


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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

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How the Office Market Finally Came to WeWork


The WeWork story has been told so many times and in so many formats, including documentaries, books, podcasts, and business school case studies. What has got far less attention is what has happened after the bankruptcy. That WeWork has retooled in a way that makes it well suited for the office market that it finds itself in.

The office market’s defining dynamic right now is the flight to quality. Tenants have been concentrating demand in the newest, most amenitized, most sustainably certified buildings at the expense of older commodity stock, and that concentration has compressed available supply at the top of the market in ways that are creating real pressure for companies that need premium office space on shorter timelines than a conventional lease typically allows. New office development has slowed dramatically, with completions projected to fall to roughly five million square feet nationally by 2027, a fraction of the historical average. Good offices in good buildings in good markets are genuinely hard to find, and the process of building out a new one is slow, expensive, and operationally complex...   ...Full Story Here

RSK: Good to see that WeWork's niche has synced with market demands. Will it last?

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Commercial Brokers Group




2026 Annual CBG Golf Outing • September 2 • The Oaks
    Wednesday, September 2, 2026
    10 AM
    The Oaks Golf Course

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Fed Holds Rates In Split Decision As Iran War Hampers Inflation Fight


The Federal Reserve opted for no action on its benchmark rate for the second time in as many meetings under Chairman Kevin Warsh, who arrived at the Fed in May promising a new chapter but has faced the same old challenges that have defined central bank policy during President Donald Trump’s second administration...

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RSK: Sometimes steady as she goes is easier to deal with....sometimes.

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St. John Properties




See All Listings Here...

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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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NYC Stops Construction On Another Office-To-Residential Conversion As Inspectors Descend On Job Sites


Construction work has been halted at a second Manhattan project as city officials embark on an inspection onslaught at office-to-residential conversions following the near collapse of a Midtown skyscraper.

City inspectors ordered that construction be stopped at GFP Real Estate’s 222 Broadway on Friday, The Wall Street Journal first reported. The issue revolves around a contractor’s failure to notify the Department of Buildings after two newly installed beams on the 32nd floor displayed cracks...


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RSK: Ever since the supposed near collapse of the Pfizer Building conversion, things have really tightened up with inspections and work stoppages. Who said office conversions would be easy?

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CARW 2025 Events and Resources








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Knight Barry Title Group



                       608-255-2700  www.KnightBarry.com
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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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Union-at-Home Ordinances Could Change How Landlords Handle Tenant Disputes


San Francisco law requires landlords to negotiate

Rent strikes are becoming the default tenant response in San Francisco. At 907 Valencia Street, tenants organized a building-wide association and launched a rent strike after their landlord, Mosser Living, offered them $4,000 each to move out following fire damage that left the building with unrepaired structural issues. Recent rent strikes have resulted in major concessions from landlords. At 434 Leavenworth Street and 209 Geary Street, tenants negotiated directly with their landlord after organizing a rent strike, to secure transparency around maintenance contracts and ask for repairs. The pattern is accelerating. What used to be a rare tactic deployed by politically motivated tenant organizers has become a normalized landlord-tenant negotiation mechanism...


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RSK: Only a matter of time before this gets here. Good landlords have little to worry about.

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Reinhart



Milwaukee: 414.298.1000
Madison: 608.229.2200
Waukesha: 262.951.4500
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With the largest Real Estate Practice of any law firm in Wisconsin, Reinhart offers clients custom-tailored real estate insight.

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BioMed Hands Boston Lab, Office Property To Lender


The lenders on a two-building lab and office complex in Boston's South End have taken over ownership from life sciences giant BioMed Realty.

The lenders, a partnership of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust and AllianceBernstein, took over the adjacent properties at 1000 Washington St. and 321 Harrison Ave. last month, deed records show.

KKR said in its second-quarter earnings supplemental this week that it took ownership of a Boston life sciences asset, but it didn't provide further details, and a spokesperson declined to comment. BioMed Realty and AllianceBernstein didn't respond to requests for comment.

BioMed Realty, a life sciences real estate company owned by Blackstone, secured a $322M floating-rate loan from the partnership when it acquired the property in April 2021 from CIM Group.

The buildings were both office towers at the time, but BioMed bought them with the intention of converting them to labs, as Boston was experiencing a pandemic-era boom in life sciences demand...


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RSK: Another sign that the Bio-Med sector has taken a hit in the Midwest.

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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...

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Largest U.S. Grid Operator Scrambles For Power, Warns Of Data Center Outages


The nation's largest grid operator warned that it could temporarily cut off data centers without an independent source of power in an unmanageable demand event.

PJM Interconnection's plan, shared in a letter to stakeholders on Monday, aims to prevent blackouts and protect residential customers from rate spikes, Bloomberg reported. PJM could implement it as soon as mid-2027 across the system spanning 13 states from Ohio to Virginia and Washington, D.C.
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RSK: It is coming to a head people....let's see if a solution can be hammered out.

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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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US Multifamily Loan Balances Surge 53% Since 2019


Key Takeaways

  • US multifamily loan balances rose 53% from Q1 2019 to Q1 2026, the fastest percentage growth among CRE asset classes.

  • Core commercial and residential categories each added over $440B in balance sheet debt, while multifamily gained $229B.

  • Growth patterns highlight shifting risk exposure and changing priorities across bank loan portfolios amid broader lending volatility.

Bank Lending Exposures Reshaped

According to the Commercial Observer, CRED iQ reported that US bank real estate loan balances hit $6.14T in Q1 2026, marking a significant evolution in the composition of CRE and residential debt since 2019. Multifamily lending posted the highest percentage increase, but the largest absolute gains occurred in core commercial and residential categories. These shifts underscore a realignment of risk and focus within US bank real estate portfolios as lending priorities adapt to evolving market conditions...


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RSK: You can decipher yourself but basically Banks are heavy into CRE loans including multifamily, yet home lending is the largest yet multifamily surges.

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RASCW Events


Thursday, August 20, 2026 (11:00 AM - 6:00 PM) (CDT)

Description

Join us for some good food and to raise money for great area organizations. A portion of the sales from 11-6 that day goes to Dells/Delton Kops for Kids. HDA is also donating $2.00 from every t-shirt sold that day as well. We are offering deliveries from 11-1:30 and there will be a limited menu for delivery. Dine in, it's full menu.


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Mullins Group LLC



See All Listings here...



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Microsoft Reports Over $130 Billion in New Data Center Leases


Microsoft Corp. reported more than $130 billion in new data center leases in the past quarter, signaling an accelerating pace of spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The company's total commitments for leases that have not yet commenced were $329.1 billion as of the quarter ended June 30, Microsoft said Wednesday in a regulatory filing. That's up from $196.6 billion in the prior period.

"That's really a signal of the continued demand strength that we see," Jonathan Neilson, Microsoft investor relations chief, said in an interview. "These leases are going to be there to serve demand for many many years."

The future costs, which come on top of active leases, won't appear on Microsoft's balance sheet until it begins making payments on them. The company said they are "primarily" for data centers and some are "subject to certain contractual conditions being met."...

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RSK: If you think there is a slow down of data center use because of moratoriums, think twice. And the next big thing will be battery storage centers and campuses to help even the electric demand supply of data centers.

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Key Commercial Real Estate, LLC


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The Unexpected Ways AI Is Changing How Commercial Real Estate Organizations Operate


Interacting with AI has become a normal part of professional life in a way that would have seemed remarkable just three years ago. Drafting emails, summarizing documents, answering research questions, generating first drafts, these are tasks that millions of people now hand to ChatGPT or Claude without much thought. Commercial real estate has followed that curve. According to Kolena’s 2026 State of AI in CRE report, 34% of CRE firms are now using a general-purpose AI tool as part of their regular workflow. The number sounds encouraging until you read what sits next to it: 78% of those same firms still process their documents manually. Nearly a third of the market has a general AI subscription and a document workflow that is entirely, stubbornly, manual.

That gap is the defining feature of where commercial real estate’s AI adoption actually stands, and it points to a distinction that the industry is beginning to understand more clearly. Conversational AI and automated AI are different tools built for different purposes, and using one doesn’t put you any closer to the other...


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RSK: Still, a long way to go for VFRE companies to fully utilize the productivity of AI....we are just touching the tip of the iceberg.

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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...

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Properties for Lease or for Sale By Company



          


The Gialamas Company, Inc.









RFA Asset Management Madison, WI

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




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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...
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