Portland Industrial Submarkets

Most distribution users start with Airport Way / Columbia Corridor (PDX adjacency, I-84/I-205 access, strong warehouse inventory). For I-5 north/south connectivity and SW Washington reach, I-5 North / Marine Drive and Vancouver, WA are also common contenders. The “best” choice usually comes down to customer lanes, labor/commute patterns, trailer parking needs, and the loading configuration you can actually secure.

Trailer parking and secured yard tend to be most feasible in larger-site corridors such as Airport Way / Columbia Corridor, Clackamas / SE Industrial, Gresham / East County, and parts of Vancouver, WA. Close-in markets (Central Eastside, Swan Island) generally have tighter sites, more constraints, and fewer true yard options.

Dock loading is usually prioritized for high-throughput distribution and typically clusters more in Airport Way / Columbia Corridor and newer logistics-oriented pockets. Grade loading can be perfectly workable for contractors, service, light manufacturing, and mixed-use operations, and opens up more options in Clackamas, Gresham/East County, and parts of the Westside. The bigger driver than “dock vs grade” is often door count, truck court depth, circulation, and parking.

Rent differences usually track:

• Location/access (freeway adjacency, last-mile time, customer proximity)

• Building spec (clear height, loading mix, sprinklers/ESFR, column spacing)

• Site utility (yard, trailer parking, truck courts, turning radius)

• Age/condition (functional older product vs newer distribution)

• Constraint level (zoning/use restrictions, limited supply, close-in infill)

  Headline asking rent is only part of the story—NNN/CAM structure and concessions often change effective economics.

A good rule: start 12–18 months before expiration for most industrial tenants, earlier if there’s meaningful buildout, specialized power/loading, or multiple decision-makers. If the current building has major functional issues (yard, loading, power, parking) or the landlord’s early proposal is off-market, a parallel relocation search creates leverage and reduces risk. Waiting until the last few months usually leads to worse terms and fewer real options.

Compare them on a consistent basis:

• What’s included/excluded (management fees, admin, capital items, roof/structure, reserves)

• Base-year vs direct NNN and any “gross-up” language

• Expense caps (especially on controllables)

• Audit rights and timing

• Utilities (separately metered vs included)

  Two buildings with the same asking rent can have very different total occupancy costs because CAM definitions vary widely.

Typically:

• Power (available amps/voltage/3-phase, upgrade feasibility and lead times)

• Clear height and layout (workflow, equipment footprint, column spacing)

• Loading (grade access often matters; dock can still be useful)

• Ventilation/HVAC (process needs, comfort, makeup air)

• Floor and site (slab condition, parking, outdoor storage, truck access)

• Zoning/use compliance (noise, hours, materials, emissions—where applicable)