End-of-year numbers are being released for the Charlotte-area office, retail and industrial markets, and one number stands out - the year 2005.

That's the last time the area saw similar vacancy rates in some cases, according to a review of reports released by Karnes Research.

Take the industrial market, for example, where vacancy rates hit 14.2 percent in 2009, according to Karnes. The last time the rate topped 14 percent was the second quarter of 2005, said analyst Andrew Jenkins.

Only about 160,000 square feet of new industrial space came on the market last year, down from nearly 2 million square feet two years ago.

Regarding office space, uptown continues to show the biggest change, with vacancy rates reaching 8.8 percent up from 2.5 percent at the end of 2008, due largely to the number of new office buildings being constructed.

While the increase is dramatic, a healthy office vacancy rate is thought to be about 10 percent.

"We're in a good position now we have space that can be marketed," Jenkins said.

Uptown vacancy rates last hit 8.2 percent in the first quarter of 2005.

The retail outlook remains fairly weak, due in large part to the closings of big box stores. In Mecklenburg County, retail vacancy rates rose to 8.5 percent from 6.8 percent.

Vacancy rates last hovered in this range during the 2002 recession after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. One difference between that downturn and the current one is that landlords then typically kicked out tenants who couldn't pay their rent, Jenkins said. This time, landlords are making concessions.

"The retail vacancy rate is not horrific, but it's above what we're used to and comfortable with," Jenkins said.

With retail vacancies, 2005 actually posted a relative low of 5 percent.

Financial details to come later

The holding company for Rosewood Condominiums has filed a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Georgia asking for a 15-day extension for filing additional documents detailing its assets and the amounts it owes to creditors.

Rosewood at Providence filed for Chapter 11 protection this month. It is an affiliate of WCDM Development Co. of Macon, Ga., which built the luxury condos at Providence and Sharon Amity roads. The bankruptcy filing follows foreclosure proceedings started by the project's lender, Regions Bank.

Crosland nabs assignment

Crosland's apartment leasing and management arm, Crosland Investment Services, has been picked to manage Eastern Federal Corp.'s real estate assets plus two Charlotte multi-family apartments - adding about 224,000 square feet of retail and 489 multifamily residences to the group's portfolio.

Once primarily known as a regional movie chain, Eastern Federal has been involved in real estate since the 1930s. The company began focusing on development and managing property when it sold its theaters in 2005.

Its portfolio consists primarily of neighborhood-scale centers in Myers Park, including Providence Road Shops and Selwyn Shops. Selwyn Shops was the first retail property developed by Crosland founder John Crosland Sr. in 1938. Eastland acquired the property in the 1970s.

Clients include institutional owners, national and international lenders, and other developers. Recent assignments include property management of uptown's Catalyst, a 462-unit condo-to-apartment conversion, for Lehman Brothers.

Headquartered in Charlotte, Crosland has offices in Raleigh, Orlando, Tampa and Nashville, and develops, builds and manages properties in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The privately held company's asset portfolio and current projects have a market value of about $1.5 billion.

Law firm's new digs

The law firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP has moved into its office in the Duke Energy Center. Katten will occupy the 28th and 29th floors of the building on South Tryon Street, part of the Wells Fargo Cultural Campus.