T
he Woodlands area saw a rise in office occupancy as of early November, contrasting with a decline in industrial occupancy of around 13 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of last year, according to October data from Caldwell Cos. The statistics encompass buildings of all sizes for both sectors, except that office data is limited to structures over 10,000 square feet. Trends observed in September persisted into November for offices and retail spaces. Rental rates as of November 4 showed a decrease in the retail sector but an increase in office and industrial sectors compared to last year's figures. Currently, there are 15 industrial buildings under construction in The Woodlands area, whereas no office buildings over 10,000 square feet are being constructed.