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Este informe no está disponible en español. CARIBBEAN BUSINESS Pridco Raises RentsAgency Needs More Revenue For Infrastructure By MARIALBA MARTINEZ September 18, 2003 Maritza Cruz, the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Co.’s (Pridco) deputy executive director for finance, confirmed that Pridco has approved a rent increase on all new or renewed leasing contracts effective July 1. Pridco Executive Director Milton Segarra hasn’t made a public statement regarding the rent hike, but several sources in the manufacturing industry are concerned. "With the state of the economy as it is, increasing Pridco buildings’ lease rates doesn’t seem to agree with the promises made by this administration to keep business costs to a minimum," said one source in the San Juan metro area who is facing a rate increase when his leasing contract expires. "Pridco’s rental fees hadn’t been revised in 13 years," said Cruz. "Our rates weren’t in tune with Puerto Rico’s real-estate market. Before July, the fees ranged from $1.75 per square foot to $4.75 per square foot. A group of appraisers prepared a lease-rate study for the entire island." The new rates vary according to a building’s zone and height. The fees are highest for buildings in the San Juan metro area (Zone 1); lease rates in this area increased an average of 60%, from $4.30-$4.75 per square foot to $6-$8.45 per square foot. Zone 5, which has the lowest lease rates ($2-3.10 per square foot), comprises municipalities in the central mountain area—from Las Marias to Comerio—plus Loiza, Arroyo, Patillas, Maunabo, Vieques, and Culebra. "For Pridco to continue building facilities according to market needs and demands, we needed to revise the lease rates," said Cruz. "About $50 million of Pridco’s most recent $162 million bond issue will go toward infrastructure improvements and new construction. This is important because Pridco depends mostly on revenue from leases." Over the past four decades, Pridco has acquired or constructed 31 million square feet of industrial space throughout Puerto Rico. Today, it has 25.4 million square feet, of which 86%, or some 22 million square feet, is occupied. Pridco’s revenue from leases remained steady between fiscal years 2002 and 2003, at $49.9 million and $50.3 million, respectively. This Caribbean Business article appears courtesy of Casiano Communications.
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