MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Fortress Investment Group has purchased a majority of Spark LS, a 106-acre life sciences campus in the Raleigh suburb of Morrisville, for $226.5 million, according to Triad Business Journal. The sale covers six parcels, including two new advanced manufacturing facilities, totaling 80 acres. The news outlet also reported the buyer secured an acquisition loan from Bank of America totaling $111.1 million. In December, the seller, affiliates of Starwood Capital Group and Trinity Capital Advisors, signed a nearly 1.3 million-square-foot lease with Millennium Print Group for 20 years, with a 20-year renewal option. Doug Cook of Cushman & Wakefield arranged the lease. The tenant is a subsidiary of The Pokemon Co. International and produces Pokemon playing cards. The company plans to occupy more than 400,000 square feet of existing space and a new ground-up building totaling 866,000 square feet that will deliver in 2027, according to a December press release from Trinity Capital. Triad Business Journal reports that the status of the construction and upfit for Millennium Print is “unclear” in light of the ownership change.
North Carolina
Johnson & Johnson to Develop Multibillion-Dollar Life Sciences Facility in Wilson, North Carolina
by John Nelson
WILSON, N.C. — Pharmaceutical and home consumer products giant Johnson & Johnson has announced a new multibillion-dollar life sciences facility in Wilson, which sits east of the Raleigh-Durham region along I-95 in Wilson County. The new factory will focus on the production of medicines for oncology and neurological diseases. The development is expected to create up to 500 new jobs and represents the second major investment in Wilson County for Johnson & Johnson. In October 2024, the company announced a $2 billion manufacturing campus that would support 420 jobs. That facility is currently under construction, and Johnson & Johnson has begun hiring advanced manufacturing positions. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson announced last year a $2 billion biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in nearby Holly Springs, N.C. Civic partners on the new factory in Wilson includes the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Wilson Community College, the BioPharma Crescent, Wilson County, the Wilson Economic Development Council and the City of Wilson.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Locally based developer Crescent Communities has sold Elizabeth on Seventh, a 105,000-square-foot mixed-use building in Charlotte. Atlanta-based Invesco purchased the four-story, LEED-certified property for $58 million, according to the Charlotte Business Journal. Completed in 2022, Elizabeth on Seventh is located at the intersection of East Seventh Street and North Caswell Road and offers boutique office space and 22,000 square feet of ground-level retail space. The property’s office tenants include Abry Partners, Abundant Power, Adams Beverages, Becker Morgan Group, Bowman and Brooke, Brown Brothers Harriman and Influencable. Retail and restaurant tenants include Barre3, Catalina Kitchen + Bar, Rosemont Market & Wine Bar and The Yard Milkshake Bar.
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Tariffs Are Moving the Needle for Manufacturing, Distribution Demand on the I-85 Industrial Corridor
by John Nelson
More than seven months have passed since Liberation Day, where the Trump administration declared a sweeping package of tariffs for foreign trade partners and specific commodities, including steel and aluminum. Since the announcement in early April, there has been a boon in the amount of multibillion-dollar advanced manufacturing, life sciences, semiconductor and data center investment announcements around the country, with the markets along the I-85 Industrial Corridor being no exception. To name a few: Toyota has recently begun production at its $13.9 billion battery plant in Liberty, N.C.; Rivian broke ground on its $5 billion electric vehicle plant near Social Circle, Ga.; JetZero is planning to create 14,500 jobs for an aerospace manufacturing facility in Greensboro, N.C.; Eli Lilly is developing a $5 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the Richmond suburb of Goochland County, Va.; and Google is developing a trio of data centers in metro Richmond’s Chesterfield County. “We have incredible momentum bringing business back into the United States, which is going to drive industrial growth, particularly in the Southeast,” says Jim Anthony, CEO and founder of APG Companies. “We’re not unionized, we have lower taxes, fewer regulations and lower cost of energy, which is huge factor in site …
Jackson-Shaw Delivers 594,300 SF First Phase of Landis Ridge Industrial Park in Central North Carolina
by Abby Cox
LANDIS, N.C. — Texas-based real estate developer Jackson-Shaw has delivered Phase I of Landis Ridge, a 150-acre master-planned industrial park located in Landis, a central North Carolina city that sits along I-85. This is the first of two planned phases for the property, which will comprise 1.3 million square feet upon completion. The project team for Landis Ridge consists of Compatriot Capital (equity partner), Frampton Construction (general contractor), Orsborn Design Group (civil engineer), Merriman Schmitt Architects (architect) and Hartford Investment Management Co. (financing). Jay Hill, Spencer Yorke and Matthew Greer of JLL are leading leasing efforts for the development. Phase I of Landis Ridge totals 594,300 square feet and spans three speculative buildings, which include Building 1A at 1205 Ridgeview St. (202,800 square feet), Building 1B at 205 Richwater St. (121,800 square feet) and Building 2 at 1400 Ridgeview St. (269,700 square feet). All three buildings are available for lease and can accommodate users ranging in size from 33,180 to 594,300 square feet. Jackson-Shaw recently finished the clearing and grading of the remaining 58 acres, along with the construction of a stormwater control measure pond, for Phase II of Landis Ridge. The second phase will be able to accommodate build-to-suit …
CARY, N.C. — The Sigmund Cos. (TSC) has acquired Millpond Village, an 84,373-square-foot grocery-anchored retail center located in Cary, a suburb of Raleigh. TSC will operate the property as part of a joint venture with a Washington, D.C.-based institutional partner. Anchored by Publix, Millpond Village features other national tenants such as Dollar General and Starbucks. Berkeley Capital Advisors represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. CBRE will handle leasing at Millpond Village, while Cushman & Wakefield will provide management services.
Crescent Communities, Fortius Capital Sell 449,069 SF Industrial Facility in Charlotte Leased to Amazon
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Crescent Communities and Fortius Capital Partners have sold AXIAL Rapid Commerce, a 449,069-square-foot industrial facility located at 500 Rhyne Road in Charlotte. The owners recently signed Amazon to a full-building lease at the facility, which is situated within the 1.5 million-square-foot, 140-acre Rapid Commerce Park. Pacolet Milliken, the project’s limited partner, is purchasing the facility from Crescent Communities and Fortius Capital for an undisclosed price. The LEED-certified property features 3,850 square feet of office space, 338 automobile parking spaces, 106 trailer parking spaces, two drive-in doors, multiple storefronts, 36-foot clear heights and abundant dock doors.
CHICAGO — Vestian, a Chicago-based commercial real estate services firm, has recently secured three commercial leases in North Carolina for three global manufacturers. The deals include an industrial lease for HEYCO-Werk USA, a tech manufacturer for plastic injection and two-shot molding; a lease for a new experience center in Charlotte for corrugated box manufacturer BHS Corrugated; and an industrial lease for BICASA North America, a provider of technical lab furniture. Information on the landlords and specific locations were not released.
BCP, Crow Holdings Recapitalize 423,852 SF Industrial Campus in Whitsett, North Carolina
by Abby Cox
WHITSETT, N.C. — A joint venture between Buchanan Capital Partners (BCP) and Crow Holdings Development has recapitalized a two-building industrial campus located in Whitsett, a city near Greensboro in North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad region. The 423,852-square-foot project, dubbed Rock Creek Center, will be situated in close proximity to the $14 billion Toyota battery manufacturing campus and the $860 million Food Lion Distribution Center. In addition, the project is within an unnamed mixed-use park that includes tenants such as Amazon, FedEx, Duke Energy, Lenovo, Ralph Lauren and American Express. Developed by Crow Holdings, the campus will feature two 211,926-square-foot buildings, with each featuring 32-foot clear heights, 2,500 square feet of office space, 38 dock doors, two drive-in doors and 205-foot truck courts, as well as about 255 car parking spaces. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2027. Rock Creek Center marks BCP’s first joint venture with Crow Holdings. ARCO Murray will serve as general contractor, while the North Carolina division of Crow Holdings’ industrial team will manage the complex. Dodson Schenck and Will Henderson of CBRE will lead leasing efforts.
HICKORY, N.C. — Ashburn, Va.-based LaRock Capital Partners has acquired 29 North Apartments, a 101-unit community located in Hickory, about 58 miles north of Charlotte. Delivered in 2013, the complex offers one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans, ranging in size from 715 to 1,308 square feet, according to Apartments.com. Amenities include a resort-style swimming pool, fitness center, clubhouse with coworking spaces and a pet park. LaRock Capital has selected Greensboro, N.C.-based Burkely Communities to serve as the new property manager at 29 North. William Lawson of BWE originated acquisition financing on behalf of LaRock Capital. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
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