In conjunction with the completion of construction work on ``JP Tower Osaka,'' a large complex directly connected to JR Osaka Station, the office floor equipped with a sauna and gym was opened to the press on the 3rd. The area around JR Osaka Station is undergoing a series of redevelopment projects, which are expected to lead to further revitalization.
Construction work has been completed on the approximately 188-meter-tall JP Tower Osaka, which will be built on a plot of land that includes the former site of the Osaka Central Post Office on the west side of JR Osaka Station. It was released to the press.
The common areas are equipped with facilities such as a lounge where business meetings can be held and conference rooms, as well as a sauna and gym that can be used by office workers.
The commercial facility ``KITTE Osaka'' will be located between the first basement floor and the sixth floor above ground of this building, which is scheduled to open in July this year, and a hotel is also scheduled to open in the future.
In the vicinity of JR Osaka Station, a station building directly connected to the west exit ticket gate will open this fall, and in the Umekita area on the north side of the station, part of the park will open in September as part of the second phase of redevelopment. A hotel is expected to open ahead of time, and it is hoped that this will lead to further revitalization of the area around the station in anticipation of next year's Osaka/Kansai Expo.
Hiroya Masuda, president of Japan Post, the parent company of Japan Post, one of the companies that designed this building, said, ``The office is designed to make it fun to go to work, and it will enrich the lives of the workers themselves.'' "In conjunction with JP Tower Osaka, we hope to enhance the appeal of this area in conjunction with the redevelopment of the area around Osaka Station that is proceeding elsewhere."
Is there a possibility of an oversupply of office buildings?
While redevelopment and the opening of complex facilities are expected to revitalize the area around JR Osaka Station, will this result in an excessive increase in the supply of offices for companies and other businesses?
According to JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), a major real estate company, the amount of new office space that will be provided this year (2024) in the five central wards of Osaka City, including Kita Ward and Chuo Ward, will increase even if only large-scale offices are provided. It will be approximately 280,000 square meters.
This is approximately the size of seven Koshien Stadiums, and is said to be the largest area ever supplied in one year in central Osaka.
Regarding the possibility of an oversupply of offices as telecommuting and remote work become popular due to the spread of the new coronavirus, JLL said, ``The opening of office buildings in central Osaka is expected to continue next year, and due to concentration of supply, There is a possibility that rents will fall. However, compared to the Tokyo metropolitan area, there are relatively few IT companies that can easily introduce telecommuting, and demand for offices is steady. In addition, companies are struggling to secure human resources and There is a strong tendency to seek offices in good locations from the perspective of the public image, and from a medium- to long-term perspective, there is not too much supply."