BRENTWOOD, TENN. —Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD), the country’s largest seniors housing operator, has named Nick Stengle as its new chief executive officer. Stengle will assume the role, as well as join the Brookdale board of directors, effective Oct. 6. Denise Warren, who has served as interim CEO beginning in April of this year following the departure of president and CEO Lucinda “Cindy” Baier, will step down and reassume her role as non-executive chairman of the board. According to Brookdale, Stengle’s selection was the result of a comprehensive search led by the board’s search committee. Stengle previously served as president and chief operating officer of Gentiva, a role he assumed in 2022. Gentiva, which employs more than 12,000 associates, provides hospice, palliative and home health services at 550 locations across 38 states. Prior to his tenure at Gentiva, Stengle served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Sunrise Senior Living, leading community operations, sales, marketing and clinical operations for roughly 250 seniors housing communities. His experience also includes an 11-year career with the U.S. Air Force. “While I have enjoyed my time as interim CEO, I am confident Nick has the strategic acumen, vision and leadership skills …
Company News
LOS ANGELES — Vestar has been selected to provide management services for Warner Marketplace, a 160,000-square-foot shopping center located in the Canoga Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Warner Marketplace is fully leased to a mix of tenants including Ashley Furniture, BevMo!, Ulta Beauty, DSW, PetSmart and Carter’s. With the addition of Warner Marketplace, Vestar now manages over 12.5 million square feet in California and the western United States.
PNC Agrees to Acquire FirstBank for $4.1B, Adding 95 Retail Branches in Colorado and Arizona
by John Nelson
PITTSBURGH AND LAKEWOOD, COLO. — The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE: PNC) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lakewood-based FirstBank Holding Co., including its banking subsidiary FirstBank, in a deal valued at $4.1 billion. Founded in 1963, FirstBank Holding has $26.8 billion in assets under management as of June 30 and provides commercial and retail banking services across Colorado and Arizona. The bank operates 95 FirstBank retail bank branches. PNC plans to retain all of FirstBank’s retail branches, as well as the onsite banking team members. The bank branches will be rebranded as PNC Bank branches following the closing of the merger, after which FirstBank will be fully merged into PNC Bank NA. “For decades, FirstBank has been proud to serve Colorado and Arizona with a strong community focus, deep customer relationships and dedicated commitment to our employees,” says Kevin Classen, CEO of FirstBank. “In PNC, we have found a partner that not only values this legacy but is committed to building on it. Their scale, technology and breadth of financial services will allow us to offer even more to our customers, while ensuring that our employees and communities continue to thrive.” Upon completion of the merger, Classen …
CONSHOHOCKEN, PA. AND TORONTO — An affiliate of Morgan Properties LP, a multifamily investment firm based in metro Philadelphia, has entered into an agreement to acquire Toronto-based Dream Residential Real Estate Investment Trust (Dream Residential REIT). The all-cash transaction is valued at $354 million and is expected to close by the end of the year. Dream Residential REIT owns 15 garden-style multifamily communities totaling more than 3,300 units. The portfolio is concentrated in three markets: Cincinnati (six), Oklahoma City (five) and Dallas-Fort Worth (four). Morgan Properties will acquire all of Dream Residential REIT’s assets and assume the company’s liabilities as part of the acquisition agreement. Jonathan Morgan and Jason Morgan, co-presidents of Morgan Properties, said in a prepared statement that the company “looks forward to welcoming these new communities, enhancing the physical assets and providing best-in-class customer service for the residents.” The agreement requires Morgan Properties to pay all unit holders of Dream Residential REIT, which trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange, as well as unit holders of the REIT’s subsidiary DRR Holdings LLC, $10.80 per unit. The price represents a 60 percent premium to the REIT’s closing price on Feb. 19, 2025, which is the day the company announced …
Elme Communities Agrees to Sell Multifamily Portfolio to Cortland for $1.6B as Part of Liquidation Plan
by John Nelson
BETHESDA, MD. AND ATLANTA — Elme Communities (NYSE: ELME), a Maryland-based multifamily owner-operator that previously operated as WashREIT, has entered into a purchase and sale agreement with an affiliate of Cortland Partners, an Atlanta-based multifamily investment and management firm. Under the terms of the transaction, Elme would sell 19 apartment communities to Cortland for $1.6 billion in an all-cash deal. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Cortland that recognizes the greater value of these 19 Elme communities and their long-term potential when coupled with Cortland’s economies of scale,” says Paul McDermott, president and CEO of Elme. “We believe Cortland will be an excellent steward of the properties and that this sale will facilitate a seamless transition of ownership, enabling continuity of operations for our residents and community teams.” Steven DeFrancis, CEO of Cortland, said that the portfolio will grow the company’s presence in the Washington, D.C., region and in its home state of Georgia. “We’re excited to welcome these communities into the Cortland family and deliver the exceptional living experience residents have come to expect from our brand,” says DeFrancis. The properties include: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Jones Lang LaSalle Securities LLC are acting as …
Pilgrim’s to Invest $400M for Prepared Foods Facility in Northwest Georgia, Create 630 Jobs
by Abby Cox
LAFAYETTE, GA. — Pilgrim’s, a global food company primarily known for producing and processing chicken and pork, will invest $400 million for the construction of a new prepared foods facility located in the northwestern corner of Georgia in LaFayette, about 30 miles south of Chattanooga, Tenn. Situated within Walker County Business Park, the multi-phase development is expected to create more than 630 new jobs at full capacity. The project is scheduled to break ground in the fall, and hiring is expected to begin in 2027, aligning with the scheduled completion of the first phase of construction. Lori Dowdy, in partnership with the Walker County Development Authority and Georgia Quick Start, internally represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team in the Pilgrim’s deal. Pilgrim’s currently operates seven food production facilities across Georgia, employing roughly 7,500 people.
NASHVILLE, TENN. AND COLUMBUS, GA. — Pinnacle Financial Partners (NASDAQ: PNFP) and Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE: SNV) have entered into a definitive agreement to combine operations in an all-stock transaction valued at $8.6 billion. The price reflects the closing stock prices for the two companies on July 21, the latest date unaffected by the merger announcement — $116.83 per share for Pinnacle and $55.53 for Synovus. Under terms of the agreement, Pinnacle shareholders will own approximately 51.5 percent of the combined company, which will operate under the Pinnacle name and trade under the PNFP ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange. Pinnacle Financial will move its headquarters to Atlanta while the retail bank branch division of the combined company, which will operate under the Pinnacle Bank brand, will be based in Nashville. As of June 30, Synovus operates 244 bank branches in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee. Pinnacle operates 179 bank branches in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and Florida, according to the FDIC. The Pinnacle-Synovus merger will create the largest bank holding company in Georgia and the largest bank in Tennessee. The transaction, which is expected to close in first-quarter 2026, has …
ARLINGTON, VA. — Penzance, a locally based commercial real estate development and management firm, has received approval from Arlington County for a proposed three-tower, luxury mixed-use development in Arlington’s Rosslyn district. Dubbed One Rosslyn, the new development will deliver more than 970,000 square feet of rental apartments, for-sale residential condominiums and retail space along Gateway Park, which will replace the current Rosslyn Gateway office buildings. Upon completion, One Rosslyn will deliver a total of 845 residential units. Penzance is developing the project in partnership with Boston-based investment manager The Baupost Group. STUDIOS Architecture and Hickok Cole collaborated to design the three-tower composition. One Rosslyn’s south tower will stand the tallest at 300 feet, while delivering 461 residences across 434,000 square feet. The northwest apartment tower, which is the second tallest building, will span 356,000 square feet and include 311 rental units. Lastly, the project’s northeast tower will offer 73 for-sale condominiums across 195,000 square feet. Residents will also have access to a private, 30,000-square-foot landscaped terrace overlooking Gateway Park. Additionally, the ground level will provide more than 14,000 square feet of curated retail space along all four blocks of the property. Designed to enhance walkability and encourage multimodal transportation, public spaces …
DALLAS AND VANCOUVER — City Office REIT (NYSE: CIO), a Canadian company focused on the acquisition, ownership and operation of office properties in Sun Belt markets in the United States, has entered into a merger agreement valued at $1.1 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, MCME Carell Holdings LP and MCME Carell Holdings LLC — collectively a joint venture between South Florida-based firms Elliott Investment Management LP and Morning Calm Management LLC — will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of City Office REIT common stock for $7 per share in cash. The company’s stock price closed on Tuesday, July 23 at $5.56 per share, roughly the same as a year ago. City Office REIT’s current portfolio comprises 54 office buildings totaling roughly 5.4 million square feet of net rentable space in the Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh, San Diego, Seattle and Tampa markets. The company’s U.S. headquarters is located in Dallas. Terms of the merger agreement include the sale of City Office’s Phoenix portfolio. Upon close, City Office will become a private company and its shares will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange. “After conducting an extensive process to explore potential strategic alternatives, we …
EL PASO, TEXAS AND ATLANTA — Hunts Cos. Inc. has acquired a controlling interest in Carter, a mixed-use and residential real estate investment and development firm based in Atlanta. The El Paso-based firm is acquiring the majority stake in Carter and buying out longtime CEO and chairman Bob Peterson, who has subsequently announced his retirement. Current CEO and president Scott Taylor will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations at Carter post-acquisition. Terms of the transaction were not released. The partnership aims to grow Carter’s banking relationships, expand the company’s mixed-use development platform and secure additional investment opportunities in key markets. Hunt Cos. and Carter have previously collaborated on Prospect Lake Wire, a 22-acre mixed-use development underway in Lakeland, Fla., and for The DeSOTA, a luxury apartment development in Sarasota, Fla.