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City’s industrial occupancy study finds 98% of square footage leased; staff publish interactive map
Summary
A city industrial‑space survey found roughly 9.3 million square feet of industrial property with about 98% occupied by square footage and an estimated 171,000 square feet vacant, city economic development staff reported.
Derek presented an industrial occupancy study developed with the Saint Charles Business Alliance and the city GIS team. The study mapped roughly 9.3 million square feet of industrial space and found a very high occupancy rate by square footage.
Key findings
- Total industrial space: approximately 9,300,000 square feet across about 351 industrial units (various sizes).
- Vacancy by square footage: approximately 1.8% vacant (about 171,000 sq ft), concentrated in a small number of buildings—the largest single vacant building in the inventory is about 60,000 sq ft.
- Occupancy by area: most industrial clusters on the city’s larger industrial corridor show high occupancy rates; a smaller west‑side industrial pocket accounts for less square footage overall.
Method and next steps
Staff said the dataset was collected in December and combined field verification, outreach and GIS mapping. Derek estimated the initial in‑house effort required roughly 50 staff hours; he estimated a consultant doing the same work could cost $25,000–$30,000. Staff posted an interactive GIS map on the city economic development web page that shows occupied, partially occupied and vacant parcels.
Why it matters: Council members and staff noted industrial tenants are a large part of the local economy (manufacturing and heavy users) and that the study will help economic development outreach, emergency services coordination and attraction efforts. Fire and other safety staff may also use the list to improve inspection planning and emergency response.
Ending: Derek told the council the report and map are available on the economic development web page and suggested the city consider options to maintain an ongoing registry or contact list for industrial tenants to aid outreach and emergency planning.
