Company News

Lowe’s to Close 20 Underperforming Stores in U.S., 31 in Canada

by John Nelson November 6, 2018

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe’s Cos. Inc. (NYSE: LOW) has unveiled its plans to close 20 underperforming stores in the United States as part of its ongoing strategic reassessment. Additionally, the company will close 31 Canadian stores. The Mooresville-based home improvement retailer stated that most associates at these stores will be extended opportunities to transition to a similar role at a nearby Lowe’s store. The majority of affected stores are located within 10 miles of another Lowe’s store. Lowe’s expects to close the impacted stores by Feb. 1, 2019, which is the end of the company’s 2018 fiscal year. The list of the closed stores can be found here. The company intends to conduct store-closing sales for most of the impacted locations, with the exception of select stores in the U.S. that will close immediately. “The store closures are a necessary step in our strategic reassessment as we focus on building a stronger business,” says Marvin Ellison, president and CEO of Lowe’s. Previously the CEO of J.C. Penney, Ellison was appointed over the summer to lead Lowe’s, taking over for Robert Niblock. Shortly after the hire, Lowe’s announced plans to close all 99 Orchard Supply Hardware stores, as well as a …

November 6, 2018

Company News Office Washington Western

Amazon Reportedly Plans to Split HQ2 Evenly Between Two Cities

by Amy Works November 6, 2018

SEATTLE — Amazon has decided to split its second headquarters (HQ2) location between two cities, instead of creating one HQ2 facility, according a source who spoke to The Wall Street Journal. According a person familiar with the company’s plans, the driving factor behind the new decision to create two equal offices is the ability to recruit the best tech talent from various geographical regions. Additionally, the decision will ease the potential community issues regarding housing and transit for potentially thousands of new employees in one specific city. Under the new plan, Amazon will create two equal HQ2 facilities, each with approximately 25,000 employees. While Amazon has not announced its final decision, it is in late-stage discussions with several cities — Crystal City in Northern Virginia, Dallas and New York City as front runners — according to The Wall Street Journal, and a decision may be announced as early as this week. Amazon plans to view all three of its main U.S offices as headquarters with similar executive and back-office functions, notes a person familiar with the decision. However, the split means the company is creating two smaller offices than its 45,000-employee Seattle headquarters.

November 6, 2018

Company News Multifamily Seniors Housing Southeast Student Housing Virginia

Freddie Mac Names Deborah Jenkins as Executive Vice President, Head of Multifamily Business

by Amy Works November 6, 2018

MCLEAN, VA. — Freddie Mac has announced that Deborah Jenkins will be named executive vice president and head of its Multifamily division, effective immediately. Additionally, Jenkins has assumed a role as member of the company’s Senior Operating Committee. “Debby’s transition into her role as head of the Multifamily business has progressed very well,” said Donald Layton, CEO of Freddie Mac. “Debby is dedicated to ensuring this growing segment of our company continues to be an industry leader, innovator and a critical financier of rental housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income families.” In September, Freddie Mac announced the retirement of CEO Donald Layton taking place in the second half of 2019, as well as the commencement of the CEO Succession Plan and the elevation of former head of Freddie Mac Multifamily, David Brickman, to president of the company. Since 2010, Jenkins has led Multifamily Underwriting and Credit, overseeing all credit approvals and due diligence processes, asset level securitization activities, as well as credit policies and governance for all Multifamily’s products.

November 6, 2018

Company News Healthcare Texas

Former Trammell Crow, CBRE Executives Start New Healthcare Venture

by Taylor Williams November 2, 2018

DALLAS AND HOUSTON — Former Trammell Crow Co. and CBRE healthcare executives Kevin O’Neil and Mark Allyn have launched Fidelis Healthcare Partners, a venture that will focus on developing and acquiring healthcare properties. The new company will be affiliated with Houston-based Fidelis Realty Partners Ltd. and will utilize the firm’s existing tools and relationships to align its operations with the growing trend of “retailization of healthcare.” Each founding member has more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate.

November 2, 2018

Company News Development Retail Utah Western

Best Buy to Open its First New U.S. Store in Seven Years in Farmington, Utah

by Amy Works November 1, 2018

FARMINGTON, UTAH — Best Buy has opened its first new U.S. store in seven years at Station Park in Farmington. The 36,000-square-foot retail property features a variety of appliances, premium audio and home theater technology, and other products. The store employs 91 people and plans to hire additional employees for the holiday season. The company operates more than 1,000 stores across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

November 1, 2018

Company News Development Georgia Office Southeast

BlackRock to Open Innovation Hub in Atlanta, Creating 1,000 Jobs

by Amy Works October 26, 2018

ATLANTA — BlackRock, an asset management firm and a technology solutions provider, has selected Atlanta for the company’s newest Innovation Hub. The company plans to expand its presence in Fulton County, partner with the Atlanta business community and local universities and create 1,000 career opportunities over the next several years. This expansion will extend BlackRock’s technology capabilities, as well as provide close proximity to Georgia Tech, where BlackRock sponsors the BlackRock Hallac Scholarship for socioeconomically disadvantaged students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). “Atlanta’s culture of collaboration with public and private stakeholders bolsters our region’s economy, creates well-playing jobs and expands economic opportunity,” says Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “The opening of BlackRock’s Atlanta Innovation Hub continues this legacy, and we look forward to welcoming and working with them.” According to Dr. Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta, the technology business expansions in Atlanta in 2018 alone are projected to create an economic impact of $500 million, as the companies create thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars of capital investment.

October 26, 2018

Company News District of Columbia Midwest Minnesota Northeast Office Southeast Texas Western

SIOR Foundation Selects Aaron Barnard as New President

by Amy Works October 18, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. — SIOR Foundation has announced Aaron Barnard as its new president for the 2018-2019 term. The transition from current president Bill Ginder to Barnard occurred last week at the Society of Industrial & Office Realtors (SIOR) Fall World Conference in Denver. Barnard is a veteran broker in Minneapolis with Cushman & Wakefield and specializes in investment analysis, tenant and landlord representation. Additional 2018-2019 SIOR Foundation officers are President-Elect Chris Curtis (Nugent Curtis Real Estate), Vice President Albert McNeel (Endura Advisory Group) and Treasurer Stan Kleweno (Transpacific Investments). New SIOR Foundation Trustees who began three-year terms at the latest conference include Nancy Morse (Newmark Knight Frank), Jack O’Donoghue (Grant Street Associates/Cushman & Wakefield Alliance), Adrian Arriaga (AAA Real Estate & Investments), Robert Horn Jr. (JLL), Jesse Laikin (Lee & Associates) and Peter Richardson (Primera Cos.). As the largest association of commercial real estate brokers, Washington, D.C.-based SIOR Foundation promotes and funds programs that advance the real estate profession through educational scholarships, research projects, publishing and development of real estate curricula for higher education.

October 18, 2018

Company News Washington Western

Microsoft Co-Founder, Real Estate Developer and Philanthropist Paul Allen Dies at 65

by Amy Works October 16, 2018

SEATTLE — Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and founder of investment and project management firm Vulcan Inc., which includes its real estate development arm, has died at age 65. Allen passed away Monday from symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Born in 1953 in Seattle, Allen attended school in the Seattle area and founded Microsoft, along with Bill Gates, in 1975. Almost 10 years later, he resigned from Microsoft and began focusing on philanthropic interests and commercial real estate development and investments, as well charity efforts across the Pacific Northwest. In 1986, Allen and his sister, Jody Allen, founded Vulcan Inc., as a vehicle for real estate, investment, entertainment and philanthropy efforts. The company has built more than 7.8 million feet of office, life sciences, residential and mixed-use projects since 1998. Included in Vulcan’s development portfolio is South Lake Union, the hub of Amazon in Seattle; the Allen Institute of Brain Science; and the Allen Institute of Cell Science, and combined these properties comprise 80 percent of the company’s development efforts. As owner of the Seattle Seahawks since 1997, Allen invested $140 million toward the construction of CenturyLink Field. Additional commercial properties that Vulcan and Allen contributed to include Museum of …

October 16, 2018

Company News Florida Retail Southeast

CBRE Promotes Chris Bosworth, Will Pike to Vice Chairman in Atlanta

by Amy Works October 9, 2018

ATLANTA — CBRE has promoted Chris Bosworth and Will Pike to vice chairman, the highest-ranking title among CBRE producers. Based in the firm’s Atlanta office, Bosworth and Pike serve as partners and co-leaders of CBRE Net Lease Properties, a national practice that provides net lease investors with acquisition and disposition advisory services for single-tenant assets, national net lease portfolios and corporate sale-leasebacks. Over the course of their careers, Bosworth and Pike have executed more than $16 billion worth of assignments spanning more than 2,600 properties. Since 2016, the team has been responsible for the disposition of 720 properties with a value of over $8.2 billion. Bosworth joined the firm in 1999 and is a founding member of Net Lease Properties and the firm’s Corporate Capital Markets practice. Additionally, he is the first retail-focused capital markets professional in the firm’s history to be named vice chairman. Pike, who joined in 2004, is a founding member of Corporate Capital Markets, head of Retail-Occupier Capital Markets and currently serves on the board of CBRE’s Investment Properties and America Brokerage divisions. Pike is the third-youngest CBRE professional to earn the title of vice chairman.

October 9, 2018

Company News Industrial Texas

3M to Close 220,000 SF Manufacturing Plant in North Austin

by Taylor Williams October 8, 2018

AUSTIN, TEXAS — 3M, the Minnesota-based manufacturer best known for office products like Post-It notes and Scotch tape, will close its 220,000-square-foot plant in north Austin by the end of 2019. The property will be marketed for sale once it closes. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the closing will impact approximately 120 jobs, though laid-off employees can apply for positions at 3M in other locations.

October 8, 2018

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