Company News

Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae Enact 90-Day Financial Relief Plan for Multifamily Borrowers, Tenants

by John Nelson March 24, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have separately announced nationwide initiatives to provide financial relief for their multifamily borrowers and tenants affected by the outbreak of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). The two government-sponsored enterprises are enacting programs that allow their borrowers to defer monthly payments for up to 90 days by showing hardship as a consequence of COVID-19 and by gaining lender approval. Additionally, participants in the program must agree to not evict their renters who are facing financial hardship due to the current health crisis. The agencies anticipate the initiatives could impact more than 54,000 apartment communities across the country. “This program is historic in its size, and it has the potential to provide relief to millions of families in multifamily rental homes financed through a Freddie Mac loan,” says Debby Jenkins, executive vice president and head of Freddie Mac Multifamily, which implemented a similar forbearance plan in 2017 following Hurricane Harvey in Houston. “Countless Americans are facing unimaginable hardships, and Freddie Mac is doing what we can to provide relief as our nation addresses this global pandemic,” says Jenkins. The outbreak of COVID-19 is likely to push the United States into a recession as the …

March 24, 2020

Company News Retail Texas

Studio Movie Grill Temporarily Closes All Venues

by Taylor Williams March 23, 2020

DALLAS — Texas-based entertainment concept Studio Movie Grill will temporarily close all locations nationwide in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19. The company, which has 14 venues in Texas, said it would refund pre-purchased ticket sales and suspend billing on all subscription plans until its theaters have fully reopened. The company also pledged to actively maintain health insurance benefits for employees and to create a fund to support team members’ in dire financial circumstances.

March 23, 2020

Company News Hospitality Top Stories

Marriott to Furlough Two-Thirds of Domestic, International Corporate Staff

by Taylor Williams March 23, 2020

BETHESDA, MD. — Marriott International Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) will furlough approximately two-thirds of its 4,000 corporate staff members in the company’s Bethesda office, as well roughly two-thirds of its international corporate staff, according to multiple media sources. A company spokesperson first confirmed the news to The Wall Street Journal, which also reported that most furloughs are expected to last 60 to 90 days. Hospitality and travel blog One Mile at a Time reported the same time frame. The announcement comes on the heels of Marriott’s decision last week to furlough what could ultimately be tens of thousands of employees at its hotels around the world. According to the company’s website, Marriott owned and operated about 7,300 properties under 30 brands in 134 countries. Those properties total more than 1.3 million rooms. Marriott also employs some 130,000 people worldwide. On a conference call late last week, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson told investors that after seeing strong growth in revenue per available room (REVpar) in its European and North American hotels during the first two months of the year, these properties were now seeing an average occupancy rate of about 25 percent. That figure stood at roughly 70 percent a year ago, …

March 23, 2020

Company News Retail South Carolina Southeast

United Development to Close Myrtle Beach Mall Today Until Further Notice Due to COVID-19 Outbreak

by Alex Tostado March 20, 2020

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — United Development Co. will close Myrtle Beach Mall at 7 p.m. local time today indefinitely due to growing concerns of the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. The owner said the exterior entrances to Belk, Bass Pro Shops, Books-A-Million and JC Penney will remain open as long as those retailers continue to be open to the public. The owner also said that a deep cleaning will be initiated immediately following the closing, then again prior to the reopening. Myrtle Beach Mall is situated at 10177 N. Kings Highway, 11 miles north of downtown Myrtle Beach.

March 20, 2020

Company News District of Columbia Southeast

SIOR Launches Nationwide Outreach Program to Aid Nonprofits Impacted by Coronavirus

by Alex Tostado March 20, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) has launched a nationwide program to help nonprofit organizations remain open and operating in the midst of the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. The Community Assistance and Relief in Emergencies (CARE) program will help get charities and nonprofits in touch with local SIOR members to share the organization’s contact information, circumstances and needs. The SIOR member can then provide real estate advice, contacts and, if applicable, direct the organization to a property owner(s) that can help accommodate the group’s needs. Through this initiative, SIOR hopes that organizations searching for a commercial real estate space can quickly get up and running. “Our organization was founded during World War II with the goal of assisting the United States government in fulfilling critical space needs,” says Mark Duclos, SIOR global president. “Today, we are in a new global crisis, one that calls upon all of us to do our part. There has never been a more important time to use our knowledge, resources and network to help our nation get through this together.” Organizations interested in getting in contact with CARE can do so at www.sior.com/care.

March 20, 2020

Company News Office Texas

Integra Realty Resources Opens Seventh Texas Office in Rio Grande Valley

by Taylor Williams March 20, 2020

EDINBURG, TEXAS — Integra Realty Resources (IRR), a provider of valuation, counseling and advisory services, has opened a new office in the Rio Grande Valley city of Edinburg that will be the company’s seventh in Texas and 56th overall. The opening comes on the heels of the company debuting a new office in Lubbock. William Robinson, who served as managing director in the company’s San Antonio office, will lead the new office as managing director along with Adam Solis, who joins IRR from Lone Star National Bank and will serve as a senior analyst.

March 20, 2020

Acquisitions Company News Retail Washington Western

Costco Wholesale Acquires Innovel Solutions for $1B to Expand Last-Mile Capacity

by Amy Works March 19, 2020

ISSAQUAH, WASH. — Issaquah-based Costco Wholesale Corp. has acquired Innovel Solutions, a provider of third-party logistics solutions with nationwide capabilities, for $1 billion. Innovel was a subsidiary of Transform Holdco, which operates Sears and Kmart stores. The acquisition was funded with the company’s existing cash balances. Innovel provides last-mile delivery, complete installation and white glove capabilities for large and/or bulky products. Its network offers coverage to nearly 95 percent of the United States and Puerto Rico. Products served through Innovel include major appliances, furniture, mattresses, televisions, grills, patios, fitness equipment and wine cellars. Innovel employs over 1,500 people and operates 11 distribution and fulfillment center, as well as more than 100 final-mile, cross-dock centers with over 15 million square feet of warehouse space. The company also operates dedicated call centers. Costco has been a customer of Innovel since 2015, and under Costco’s ownership Innovel will continue to serve Sears and other existing third-party customers. “We have a great relationship with Innovel and share a philosophy of taking care of our members,” says Craig Jelinek, Costco’s CEO, “We believe the acquisition will allow us to grow our e-commerce sales of ‘big and bulky’ items at a faster rate.” Costco currently operates …

March 19, 2020

California Company News Indiana Midwest Retail Top Stories Western

Simon, URW Among Latest to Temporarily Close Retail Centers Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

by Alex Tostado March 19, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS AND LOS ANGELES — Simon Property Group and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) have announced they will temporarily close their respective shopping centers across the United States amid the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. Simon (NYSE: SPG) closed all of its U.S. properties at 7 p.m. local time Wednesday. URW will close its properties starting today. URW, which is headquartered in Paris and has offices in Los Angeles and New York City, operates 47 properties in the U.S. Due to European governments implementing crowd bans, URW began shuttering centers in France, Spain, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia on March 16. In a corresponding move, the company began actively reducing non-staff expenses and deferring non-essential capital expenditure. Unless instructed otherwise by local authorities, URW will reopen its properties March 29. URW says “essential” retailers will remain open. Essential stores are typically defined as grocery stores, pharmacies, convenient stores, etc. “We have not made this decision lightly and believe this is in the best interest of protecting our various stakeholders. We look forward to reopening these centers in the very near future,” says Jean-Marie Tritant, U.S. President of URW. “In the meantime, we are doing everything possible to make sure that ‘essential’ retail outlets …

March 19, 2020

Company News Hospitality Maryland Southeast

Marriott Reportedly Set to Furlough Tens of Thousands of Hotel Employees Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

by Alex Tostado March 18, 2020

BETHESDA, MD. — According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Marriott International Inc. is in the beginning stages of furloughing what could be up to tens of thousands of employees. The hotel chain cited travel cancellations and government travel bans due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak as the basis for its decision. Through a Marriott spokeswoman, the Journal reported the jobs are from hotel managers down to housekeeping. The spokeswoman said there have not been any corporate-level furloughs, but those are being discussed. According to Marriott, the Bethesda-based company employs 130,000 people nationwide. Additionally, on Tuesday afternoon, the CEO of Marriott, Arne Sorenson, as well as CEOs from Best Western, Choice Hotels International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group, MGM Resorts, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, Universal and The Walt Disney Co. met with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in an effort to work with the federal government to protect the millions of employees working in the hospitality sector. Based on current occupancy estimates, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) says 4 million hospitality jobs have been eliminated or are on the verge of being lost in the next few weeks. The AHLA reports …

March 18, 2020

Company News Mississippi Retail Southeast

Eldorado Resorts Temporarily Closes Three Casinos in Mississippi

by Alex Tostado March 17, 2020

GREENVILLE, LULA AND VICKSBURG, MISS. — Eldorado Resorts Inc. has temporarily closed Tropicana Greenville, Isle of Capri Lula and Lady Luck Vicksburg in Mississippi, due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. The Reno, Nev.-based company said in a press release that the closures are in accordance with the Mississippi Gaming Commission order to shut down operations as of midnight local time, March 16. Eldorado agreed to sell Lady Luck last summer to Twin River Worldwide. The sale is expected to close this year. Eldorado acquired Tropicana Entertainment Inc. and all of its real estate assets in April 2018 for $1.85 billion.

March 17, 2020

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