If you've spent any time looking for commercial property in Northern Nevada, you've probably discovered something quickly: finding available space isn't necessarily the same thing as finding the right space.
A building may have the right square footage but not enough power. Another may have great freeway access but no yard. You might find an industrial location that initially looks perfect, only to discover that the building configuration doesn't work for your equipment, trucks, employees, or future growth.
We see these situations regularly at Sky West Real Estate Services, and they're often what shifts the conversation from simply asking what's available to considering what could be built specifically for the business.
Build-to-suit development can be an excellent solution, but it isn't right for every company. Sometimes an existing commercial buying is absolutely the smarter move. The key is understanding what your business actually needs before deciding which direction to take.
What Does Build-to-Suit Actually Mean?
A build-to-suit property is developed around the needs of a specific commercial user. Instead of finding an existing building and figuring out how to make your operation fit inside it, you begin with the requirements of the business and develop the property accordingly.
For an industrial user, that could mean determining the ideal building size and configuration, office-to-warehouse ratio, clear height, electrical capacity, loading access, secure yard space, parking, equipment requirements, and opportunities for future expansion.
That last consideration is especially important.
One of the questions we regularly ask clients isn't only, "What do you need today?" but also, "What are you going to need five years from now?"
Commercial real estate is a significant commitment. Ideally, your property should support where your business is going rather than become something you've outgrown shortly after moving in.
When Existing Commercial Space Makes More Sense
We're big believers in build-to-suit when the circumstances make sense, but we're not going to recommend building something just because you can.
Sometimes an existing property is exactly what a client needs.
If a building already has the appropriate zoning, power, access, layout, parking, and improvements, there may be little reason to start from the ground up.
Existing commercial space can also offer a significant advantage when time matters. Designing, permitting, and constructing a commercial building takes time, and a business that needs to relocate quickly may be much better served by identifying an existing property and making targeted tenant improvements.
The important question is how much modification that "existing" space really needs.
If you're changing nearly everything about a building to accommodate your operation, it may be worth comparing those costs against the economics, timeline, and long-term benefits of a build-to-suit.
A Northern Nevada Example: 7955 Security Circle
Our build-to-suit opportunity at 7955 Security Circle in Reno is a good example of what flexibility can look like.
The property is located less than a mile from US-395, giving industrial users convenient access to one of the region's primary transportation corridors.
Rather than forcing every tenant into the same box, the development provides multiple building configurations, including approximately 24,000-square-foot and 18,000-square-foot options, along with smaller incubator-style industrial space. Yard space can also be negotiated depending on the user's needs.
For a growing industrial company, those details matter.
A business may not need a massive distribution center. It may simply need functional warehouse space, an appropriate amount of office, convenient freeway access, and somewhere secure to store trucks, trailers, equipment, or materials.
That's where build-to-suit becomes less about constructing a "custom building" and more about creating a commercial property that actually works for the business occupying it.
Another Example: 2729 Waltham Way at TRIC
Then there are businesses with much more specific operational requirements.
2729 Waltham Way in the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) is another build-to-suit project Sky West has worked on.
The approximately two-acre usable site was planned for a roughly 27,500-square-foot facility that could be divided into two approximately 13,750-square-foot spaces, with office components and substantial electrical capacity. Tenant improvements are being completed by Biltmore Construction.
This is where the relationship between commercial real estate and commercial construction becomes especially important.
On paper, a piece of land might look perfect, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can efficiently build what a tenant needs there.
What utilities are available? How much power does the operation require? How should the building sit on the site? How will trucks and equipment move through the property? What improvements does the tenant require inside the building?
Most importantly, what will it cost to turn the concept into a functioning commercial property?
Those questions shouldn't begin after the real estate transaction is finished. They should be part of the conversation from the beginning.
Don't Underestimate Power and Infrastructure
Electrical capacity deserves special consideration, particularly when we're working with industrial and manufacturing users in Northern Nevada.
We've worked with commercial users whose equipment requirements made power one of the deciding factors in site selection. A building can check nearly every other box and still be wrong for the business if its infrastructure can't support the operation.
The same applies to water, sewer, gas, loading capabilities, vehicle circulation, and outdoor storage.
That's one reason we don't like evaluating commercial properties based solely on square footage and asking price. A 20,000-square-foot building that doesn't function for your operation isn't really a 20,000-square-foot solution.
Infrastructure needs should be identified early so that properties can be evaluated based on their true suitability rather than simply what looks good on a listing.
Where Biltmore Construction Comes In
Sky West and Biltmore Construction work closely together because we've seen firsthand how interconnected commercial real estate and construction decisions really are.
Sky West can identify the property, analyze the market, negotiate the real estate, and help determine whether a location makes sense from a commercial perspective.
Biltmore can look at that same opportunity through a construction lens.
What would it take to build the project? What improvements will be required? What challenges can we identify before work begins? Can the property realistically accommodate the client's vision?
Having those conversations early can prevent a business from falling in love with a property only to discover later that making it work will be prohibitively expensive.
It also gives us the opportunity to look at an existing building and say, "You don't need to build. We can make this work."
That's just as valuable.
How Do We Decide Between Build-to-Suit and Existing Space?
At Sky West, we generally start with the business rather than the real estate.
Before deciding what kind of property to pursue, we want to understand how the company actually operates.
How quickly do you need to occupy the space? What is your budget? Do you need a secure yard? What are your electrical requirements? How much office space do you really need? What type of loading and vehicle circulation is necessary? Are there specialized improvements or equipment requirements?
And perhaps most importantly, where do you expect the business to be several years from now?
Once we understand those answers, we can evaluate the available commercial inventory against the cost, timeline, and potential advantages of developing something new.
Sometimes there's a clear winner. Other times, it makes sense to pursue both options until the numbers and available opportunities tell us which direction makes the most sense.
The Right Property Should Work for the Business
One of the advantages of working in commercial real estate for a long time is understanding that the most obvious solution isn't always the best one.
We've seen businesses find excellent opportunities in existing buildings. We've also worked with commercial users whose requirements were specific enough that endlessly searching for the "perfect" existing property simply wasn't realistic.
Build-to-suit gives those businesses another option.
In a market like Northern Nevada, where industrial users can have significant requirements for land, power, access, outdoor storage, and specialized improvements, having that option can make all the difference.
At Sky West Real Estate Services, our job isn't simply to find you a building. It's to help you find the right real estate solution for your business.
Sometimes that's a building that's already standing.
Sometimes we need to build it.
Fortunately, we know people.
Let's Talk About What Your Business Actually Needs
If you're searching for commercial space in Reno, Sparks, TRIC, Carson City, Minden, or elsewhere in Northern Nevada, talk with Sky West Real Estate Services before deciding whether existing commercial space or a build-to-suit development is your best option.
We'll help you evaluate what's currently available, what can be developed, and what makes the most sense for your operation.
When construction becomes part of that conversation, our relationship with Biltmore Construction gives us the ability to bring construction expertise into the process early.
Because ultimately, the goal isn't to fit your business into a building: It's to find or create a building that fits your business.
Sky West Real Estate Services
3495 Lakeside Drive, Suite 211
Reno, NV 89509
NV Broker License: B.0062387.CORP
NV PM License: PM.01 65 611. BKR
CA Broker License: 10 30 78 36