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AcquisitionsGeorgiaHospitalitySoutheastTop Stories

Portman Acquires 73-Story Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Downtown Atlanta from Marriott

by John Nelson

ATLANTA — Portman has acquired the Westin Peachtree Plaza, a 73-story, cylindrically shaped hotel in downtown Atlanta. Marriott International Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) sold the 1,073-room, full-service hotel but will continue to operate it under Portman’s ownership. “Marriott International has maintained a strong, long-standing relationship with Portman, and we are confident in their ability to realize the full potential of the iconic Westin Peachtree Plaza in the years ahead,” says Cameron Read, CFO for the United States and Canada at Marriott International. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with Portman through our ongoing management of the hotel.” Portman, a real estate development, investment and management firm based in Atlanta, purchased the hotel via its Portman Hospitality Fund I LP. The sales price was not disclosed. The acquisition was a full-circle moment for Portman as Westin Peachtree Plaza was delivered in 1976 by John C. Portman Jr., founder of the Portman company and a world-renowned architect best known for designing high-end, futuristic hospitality properties. His work includes designing the Atlanta and New York Marriott Marquis hotels; Renaissance Center, Detroit; Hyatt Regency San Francisco; Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai; and the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites Los Angeles, among others. “Hospitality is in Portman’s …

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Company NewsMultifamilyTop Stories

AvalonBay, Equity Residential Announce $69B Merger Agreement

by Hayden Spiess

ARLINGTON, VA. AND CHICAGO — Multifamily owners and operators AvalonBay Communities (NYSE: AVB) and Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) have announced a definitive, all-stock merger agreement. The new combined company will have a total enterprise value of $69 billion, with a market capitalization of $52 billion.  Following the merger, the combined company’s portfolio will comprise more than 180,000 apartments. Together, AvalonBay and Equity Residential currently have 10,800 apartments under construction, totaling $4.4 billion in estimated value. Annual cash flow for the new company is estimated at $2 billion.  The merger has been unanimously approved by the AvalonBay board of directors and Equity Residential board of trustees. Under the agreement, AvalonBay shareholders will receive roughly 2.8 shares of Equity Residential common stock for each owned share of AvalonBay common stock.  Equity Residential shares closed at $66.28 on May 20, up from $65.97 a year prior. AvalonBay shares closed at $186.69 on May 20, down from $194.17 a year prior. According to the companies, the merger will enhance resident experience and expand margins across the multifamily portfolio by scaling operations.  “This combination creates a new and fundamentally stronger company with differentiated capabilities that will drive structurally superior cash flow generation, earnings and dividend …

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DevelopmentLoansMultifamilySoutheastTop StoriesVirginia

Insight Property Group Breaks Ground on $174.6M Office-to-Residential Conversion in Fairfax, Virginia

by Kristin Harlow

FAIRFAX, VA. — Insight Property Group has broken ground on the redevelopment of the Hunters Branch office property in Fairfax within Northern Virginia. Brian Crivella, Brian Gould, Patrick McGlohn, Bill Gribbin, Yalda Ghamarian, Hunter Wood, Patrick Cunningham and Natalie Hershey of Berkadia arranged equity and construction financing for the $174.6 million project. The lenders, CIBC and Citizens Bank, jointly provided a $107.7 million nonrecourse construction loan. In March, Insight sold a portion of the Hunters Branch property, consisting of two vacant office buildings totaling 400,000 square feet, to Toll Brothers for $17 million. The national homebuilder will develop 76 stacked townhomes on the parcel. Insight will develop the balance of the site into a 452-unit apartment community while preserving 656 parking spaces in the existing garage. Resident amenities will include a fitness center, clubroom, coworking library, private dining space, a pool, outdoor grilling areas, a pet spa and dog park, along with expanded outdoor recreation space tied to the adjacent Hunters Branch Park. The project site is situated a quarter-mile from the Vienna Metro Station. Acquired for $28.9 million in a direct REO (Real Estate-Owned) transaction in November 2024, the original office property was not zoned at the time and …

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LoansMultifamilyNew YorkNortheastTop StoriesWalker & Dunlop

Naftali, Access Real Estate Secure $374M Refinancing for Waterfront Multifamily Community in Brooklyn

by Abby Cox

NEW YORK CITY — Locally based developer Naftali Group, along with Access Real Estate, the real estate investment arm of Access Industries, has secured $374 million in refinancing for Phase I of Williamsburg Wharf, an 850-unit multifamily project under development in Brooklyn. Upon completion, Williamsburg Wharf will comprise five 22-story luxury towers consisting of 850 residences, with a mix of condos and rental homes. The property will span approximately 1 million square feet. Aaron Appel, Keith Kurland, Jonathan Schwartz, Adam Schwartz, Dustin Stolly, Sean Reimer, Ari Hirt and Stanley Cayre of Walker & Dunlop arranged the financing through Barings to refinance Two, Three and Four Williamsburg Wharf. Since opening last summer, more than 90 percent of the roughly 500 apartments are leased. One Williamsburg Wharf, the project’s condominium component, has also welcomed residents. “Williamsburg Wharf offers truly unprecedented waterfront living in New York City, and we’re thrilled to see our vision come to life and how quickly renters and buyers have embraced it,” says Miki Naftali, CEO and chairman of Naftali Group. “We remain incredibly optimistic about the long-term future of this development and our role in the continued evolution of the Williamsburg waterfront.” Each building offers private entrances and …

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CaliforniaCompany NewsConnecticutIndustrialNortheastTop StoriesWestern

Sachem Capital, IRG Enter Into Agreement to Create $3.4B Industrial REIT

by Taylor Williams

BRANFORD, CONN. AND LOS ANGELES — Sachem Capital Corp. (NYSE: SACH), a Connecticut-based real estate finance company, and Los Angeles-based Industrial Realty Group (IRG) have entered into a definitive contribution agreement to form a new industrial REIT with a market value of $3.4 billion. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year. Under the terms of the agreement, IRG will contribute 98 industrial properties from its portfolio of 200 assets to Sachem. Once complete, the newly formed company will operate as IRG Realty Trust Inc. (IRGT) and is expected to have an industrial portfolio with a gross real estate asset value of $2.9 billion. In addition, the new company will carry Sachem’s approximately $470 million (as of March 31, 2026) in direct and indirect mortgage loans, investments in developmental and owned real estate and other assets. The transaction values Sachem’s common shares at $2 per share, representing a 90 percent premium to the company’s 30‑day volume weighted average price. Upon closing, IRGT Inc. will focus on mission‑critical industrial infrastructure that supports manufacturing and distribution users. Assets that are not being contributed will continue to be owned and operated by IRG’s existing private business. “This accretive transaction …

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DevelopmentFloridaMixed-UseSoutheastTop Stories

Torburn, Jamestown Announce Next Steps for Mixed-Use Redevelopment of Sarasota Square Mall in Florida

by Abby Cox

SARASOTA, FLA. — Torburn Partners, a real estate development and investment firm based in Chicago, and leasing and placemaking partner Jamestown are moving forward with Sarasota Square, a mixed-use redevelopment of the former Sarasota Square Mall. The mixed-use development spans nearly 100 acres at the corner of South Tamiami Trail and Beneva Road in Sarasota. Sarasota Square Mall originally opened in September 1977 and closed in December 2024. Phase I of the project, which is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2027, will introduce approximately 90,000 square feet of daily-needs tenants, such as Whole Foods Market, HomeSense, Charles Schwab, CAVA, Joe & the Juice and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Most recently, Warby Parker signed a 2,040-square-foot lease, bringing the first phase to 88 percent preleased. Additional leasing and development announcements will be shared as the project progresses. Jamestown, an Atlanta-based development and management firm that specializes in placemaking for retail and mixed-use environments, has begun leasing negotiations for Phase II. “With Phase II, we’re targeting operators that deliver a sense of discovery and a unique point of view,” says Adam Schwegman, head of retail leasing at Jamestown. “The early response from prospective tenants has been incredibly strong, reinforcing …

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ColoradoDevelopmentMixed-UseMultifamilyTop Stories

Walker & Dunlop Arranges $130M HUD-Insured Financing for Mixed-Use Redevelopment of Former VA Hospital in Denver

by Hayden Spiess

DENVER — Walker & Dunlop has arranged $130 million in financing to fund the mixed-use redevelopment of a former Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital campus in Denver. GM Development, a locally based urban infill development firm, is the borrower.  Chris Rumul, Jason Silva, Cole Parker and Mike Valucci of Walker & Dunlop arranged the financing through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 221(d)(4) loan program. This marks the largest HUD 221(d)(4) loan in the company’s history. (The 221(d)(4) loan product is HUD’s construction-to-permanent financing program that funds the construction or heavy renovation of apartment communities with five or more units.) Situated in the historic Hale neighborhood of Denver, the project will transform a historic 10-story building and eight-level parking garage. The project’s capital stack includes historic tax credits.  Upon completion, the redevelopment will feature 493 multifamily units, with roughly 8 percent of units designated as income-restricted. Additionally, the development will include more than 50,000 square feet of retail and medical office space.  The 8.2-acre site is located roughly three miles from downtown Denver and is adjacent to the 9+CO master-planned district. GM Development acquired the property in 2022.  “We’re excited to transform this historic site into a vibrant …

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AcquisitionsOfficeSoutheastTennesseeTop Stories

Drawbridge Realty Acquires 30-Story Bridgestone Tower in Downtown Nashville for $255M

by Kristin Harlow

NASHVILLE, TENN. — Drawbridge Realty has entered the Nashville market with the acquisition of Bridgestone Tower, a 30-story office building in the downtown district, for $255 million. Raleigh-based Highwoods Properties Inc. sold the 514,000-square-foot building, which was developed as a build-to-suit for Bridgestone Americas Inc. and completed in 2017. Eastdil Secured represented Highwoods in the sale. The property was fully leased at the time of sale and serves as the headquarters of Bridgestone Americas, the largest subsidiary of Bridgestone Corp., a publicly traded manufacturer of tires and rubber. Bridgestone Tower is situated within walking distance of Broadway, Bridgestone Arena, the Music City Center and the Country Music Hall of Fame. “Bridgestone Tower is a high-quality, mission-critical asset leased to a major global credit tenant in one of the most attractive investment markets in the country,” says Charlie McEachron, CEO of Drawbridge. With this acquisition, Drawbridge has purchased more than $740 million in assets in the past 12 months, totaling over 1.1 million square feet. Last October, the firm acquired The HIVE, a Class A office campus in Costa Mesa, Calif., that is fully leased to Anduril Industries. Drawbridge invested more than $20 million in tenant and capital improvement projects across …

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DevelopmentIndustrialSoutheastTennesseeTop Stories

INDUS Realty Trust Underway on 2.1 MSF Industrial Park in Metro Nashville

by Taylor Williams

LEBANON, TENN. — Indus Realty Trust, an industrial owner-operator based in New York, is underway on construction of INDUS Commerce Center @ 840, a 2.1 million-square-foot industrial park that will be located on the eastern outskirts of Nashville in Lebanon. The site spans 189 acres near the I-840 and Couchville Pike interchange. The development will consist of four buildings that can accommodate tenants with requirements from 250,000 to 1 million square feet. Vertical construction of the first, 507,000-square-foot building is now underway. This structure will be known as Building 2 and will feature a clear height of 40 feet, 120 dock-high doors, four drive-in doors, parking for 216 cars and 175 trailers, ESFR sprinklers and high-efficiency LED lighting. Completion is slated for the first quarter of 2027. Building 1 within INDUS Commerce Center @ 840 spans 537,000 square feet and is pad-ready. That structure also features a clear height of 40 feet, as well as 110 dock-high doors, four drive-in doors and parking for 196 cars and 120 trailers. Buildings 3 and 4 are also pad-ready and will total 496,674 and 610,480 square feet, respectively. In addition, according to the property’s marketing brochure, Buildings 3 and 4 can be combined …

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DevelopmentFloridaHealthcareMixed-UseSoutheastTop Stories

Benderson, The Villages to Develop 700-Acre Hospital-Anchored Campus in Central Florida

by John Nelson

THE VILLAGES, FLA. — Benderson Development, in a collaboration with The Villages, has announced plans to develop Legacy Place, a 700-acre mixed-use development in Central Florida. The project will be situated along three miles of Florida’s Turnpike near County Road 470 and Central Parkway and serve as the southern gateway to The Villages master-planned community. A new 25-acre hospital operated by Florida-based AdventHealth will anchor Legacy Place, serving communities across Sumter, Lake and Marion counties, including residents within The Villages. Construction on the 80-bed hospital, which will have emergency and surgical services, is expected to begin in 2027, with an opening projected in 2030. The Wildwood–The Villages metropolitan area has been among the fastest-growing in the country, with population rising by nearly 20 percent over the past four years. “This region is growing quickly, and that kind of growth brings both opportunity and responsibility,” says Rob Deininger, CEO of AdventHealth’s East Florida division. “We’re planning for what families will need not just today, but years from now, making sure the medical infrastructure keeps pace. This will strengthen how people receive care across the region, helping connect care and reduce the need for travel.” At full build-out, Legacy Place will feature 3 …

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