Top 5 Midwestern Metros for Office Deliveries

Developers completed 9.9 million square feet of office space nationally year-to-date as of May, according to Yardi Matrix data. Of that total, the top five midwestern metros accounted for almost 1.2 million square feet, or 11.7 percent of all office space delivered across the U.S. during that time frame. Meanwhile, national office development remained muted, with just 28.7 million square feet under construction as of May, representing roughly 0.4 percent of total stock.

Across these five Midwestern markets, office deliveries more than doubled compared to the same period last year, when developers added just 580,800 square feet of space. However, the number of completed properties slightly decreased year-over-year, from nine to eight. Chicago led the region in terms of new supply, followed by Omaha and Milwaukee.

The following list features the Midwest’s five most active office markets by amount of space delivered year-to-date through May.

1. Chicago

Chicago ranked first among midwestern markets for office deliveries, with two properties totaling 371,119 square feet coming online in the first five months of 2026. This figure was almost double the volume registered during the same interval last year, when developers completed 195,600 square feet across three properties.

Despite leading the region in absolute volume, Chicago’s new supply represented only 0.1 percent of total office inventory, the smallest share among the metros on this list, mainly due to its sheer size, as well as a general slowdown in development. As of May, the market had six office properties under construction, totaling 1.3 million square feet, the largest pipeline among these metros.

One of the projects that came online earlier this year is The Fulton, an 11-story building that broke ground in 2023 and topped out last year. Fulton Street Cos. took out a $112.9 million construction loan for the LEED Silver-certified project. Harrison Street Asset Management occupies more than 110,00 square feet at the property.

Chicago office space also had four planned properties totaling 935,570 square feet, along with 42 prospective projects encompassing 18.6 million square feet, pointing to the deepest longer-term development pool in the region.

2. Omaha

Omaha landed in the second spot, with one office property totaling 268,000 square feet delivered year-to-date through May. This marked a notable increase from the same period in 2025, when the metro saw just 170,000 square feet come online.

The market also posted the highest share of deliveries as a percent of existing office inventory among the five markets, with completed space accounting for almost 0.6 percent. Omaha had three office properties under construction as of May, totaling roughly 1.1 million square feet.

The market’s future supply also included one planned property totaling 170,000 square feet, while 11 additional prospective projects could add another 2.3 million square feet.

Applied Underwriters completed earlier this year North Wing of the Applied Underwriters Operations Headquarters, a 268,000-square-foot office building within the Southwest submarket. The three-story facility is part of a 500-acre, mixed-use development dubbed Heartwood Preserve, which features residential, commercial, retail and recreational space.

3. Milwaukee

Milwaukee ranked third, with two office properties totaling 248,386 square feet completed in the first five months of 2026. The metro saw one of the sharpest year-over-year increases on this list, as developers completed only 63,880 square feet across two properties during the same period last year.

One of these projects include Milwaukee County’s Forensic Science and Protective Medicine Facility, a 212,000-square-foot life science building. The four-story building broke ground in 2023 and houses the state of Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Crime Lab, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management. 

New office supply represented 0.4 percent of Milwaukee’s total inventory, the second-largest share on this list. As of May, the metro had two office properties underway, totaling 612,000 square feet. Although Milwaukee had no planned office projects, its prospective pipeline included 17 properties totaling about 1.5 million square feet.

4. Columbus

Columbus saw two properties totaling 153,350 square feet coming online year-to-date as of May. This represented a return to delivery activity, as the metro had no office completions during the same period last year. The new supply accounted for 0.2 percent of the market’s total office inventory.

Equity completed 4024 Green Stripe Lane, a 113,350-square-foot office building in Hilliard, Ohio, in the first quarter of this year. Advance Drainage Systems uses the three-story, LEED Silver-certified facility as its official corporate headquarters,

Columbus had two office properties under construction as of May, totaling 152,800 square feet. The metro’s development pipeline also included two planned properties totaling 200,822 square feet, along with 19 prospective projects encompassing about 4.7 million square feet.

5. Indianapolis

Rounding out the top five is Indianapolis, where developers completed one office property totaling 122,000 square feet year-to-date as of May. This was below the volume recorded during the same period last year, when three properties totaling 151,350 square feet came online.

Deliveries represented 0.2 percent of the metro’s total office stock. As of May, Indianapolis had four office properties under construction, totaling 242,417 square feet. The market also had three planned office properties totaling 286,560 square feet, while its prospective pipeline included 24 projects encompassing almost 3.8 million square feet.