BILOXI, MISS. — A joint venture between California-based Universal Music Group (UMG) and hospitality investment firm Dakia U-Ventures has unveiled plans for a $1.2 billion hotel and music-themed entertainment destination in the coastal Mississippi city of Biloxi. The new development will be the first of the joint venture’s UMUSIC Hotels, with additional locations coming to Atlanta and Orlando. Each hotel and entertainment district is designed to educate guests on the city’s musical heritage and will feature new venues for live performances. Pyramid Hotel Group, a Boston-based hospitality management firm, has also partnered with UMG and Dakia to operate the hotels. The new hotel and entertainment venue in Biloxi will be developed at the site of the former Broadwater resort. A construction timeline was not released. The number of hotel rooms was not disclosed, and the joint venture did not specify whether or not the development will include a casino, as many hospitality properties in Biloxi do. Should the project feature a casino, the hotel would then be legally required to have at least 300 rooms, according to regional news outlet nola.com. Local media outlets have also reported that the price tag of $1.2 billion would make the project the most …
Development
DENVER — The University of Colorado Denver has celebrated the topping out of its City Heights Residence Hall and Learning Commons development. The 182,000-square-foot residence hall — which will be the university’s first on-campus student housing complex — will offer 555 beds upon completion. The seven-story project is designed for first-year students and will feature two wings of residential units, a central campus dining hall on the ground floor and a 30,000-square-foot student services center. Named “The Learning Commons,” the student services center will also offer academic support and tutoring, faculty development programs and an expanded space to support online education. The development is scheduled for completion in August 2021 and is pursuing a LEED Gold certification. The project is being delivered by a design-build team that includes general contractor JE Dunn and Stantec. Stantec is providing architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, lighting and sustainability services on the development.
JLL Secures $48.7M in Construction Financing for Creative Office Project in Los Angeles
by Amy Works
LOS ANGELES — JLL Capital Markets has arranged $48.7 million in construction financing for Exposition 3, a creative office property located in Los Angeles’ West Adams submarket. Paul Brindley, Jeff Sause and Spencer Richley of JLL secured the three-year, floating-rate loan through HIG Realty Partners on behalf of the borrower, The Luzzatto Co. Slated for delivery in 2022, Exposition 3 is fully preleased on a long-term basis to an undisclosed company for use as its new headquarters. The property previously served as an industrial property, and Luzzatto is renovating the asset into a two-building, 94,082-square-foot creative office space.
ATLANTA — Puttshack, a technology-infused mini-golf operator from the same team behind Topgolf, has broken ground on a new location at The Interlock in Atlanta. The 25,000-square-foot Puttshack is expected to open in spring 2021. The property will feature four mini-golf courses, a bar and an indoor-outdoor rooftop patio. The location will open at 1085 Howell Mill Road, three miles north of downtown Atlanta and two miles from an existing Topgolf location. Local firm S.J. Collins Enterprises is developing The Interlock, a $450 million, nine-acre development. The property is expected to open next spring and will feature 200,000 square feet of office space; 105,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space; 349 apartments and 18 townhomes as part of the Solis Interlock; 70 townhomes by Monte Hewett Homes; and a 161-room Bellyard boutique hotel with a lobby, restaurant and bar.
MIDLOTHIAN, TEXAS — Adolfson & Peterson Construction has begun a $53 million expansion project at Heritage High School, part of the Independent School District of Midlothian. Located about 30 miles south of Dallas, the project will add a second-level classroom wing, two gymnasiums, a fine arts complex, an expanded cafeteria and four new athletic facilities. Existing academic and athletic spaces will also be renovated. VLK Architects is handling design of the project, which is expected to be complete in summer 2022.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — True Food Kitchen has opened its first Ohio restaurant at Easton Town Center in Columbus. The restaurant brand was founded in 2008 by Sam Fox and Dr. Andrew Weil, creator of the anti-inflammatory diet, which involves selecting foods that help fight chronic inflammation. True Food Kitchen serves a variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. As a result of COVID-19, the restaurant is currently offering family to-go meals and carryout cocktails. The dining room includes 27 tables that are spaced six feet apart. The restaurant also includes an outdoor patio. There are 34 True Food Kitchen locations in 15 states.
Greystar to Break Ground on $145M Student Housing Community Near University of Washington
by Amy Works
SEATTLE — Greystar is set to break ground on Lakeview Student Residences, a $145 million student housing community located in Seattle’s U District near the University of Washington. The Charleston, S.C.-based developer recently purchased a five-parcel assemblage of existing apartment buildings located at NE 42nd St. and 12th Ave. NE for the development for $17 million. Dan Chhan, Tim McKay and Sam Wayne of Colliers International represented Greystar and the undisclosed seller in the transaction. “This is a core location with high-rise zoning, just three blocks from the University of Washington and one block from the new light rail station opening in 2021,” says Wayne. “Despite some current headwinds facing student housing due to COVID-19, this area is poised for outsized future growth as institutional investors develop new residential and office towers and the University of Washington continues its expansion.” The 21-story, 226-unit community is slated for completion in fall 2022. Lakeview’s amenities are set to include a rock-climbing wall and rooftop decks with designated study areas and entertainment space. Charles Halladay, Jordan Angel, Chris Ross, Teddy Leatherman, Stewart Hayes and Taylor Gimian of JLL worked on behalf of the developer to secure construction financing for the project through Pacific …
Advocacy Development Completes Entitlements for 83-Unit Assisted Living Project in San Jose
by Amy Works
SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Advocacy Development Partners (ADP) has received unanimous approval from the San Jose City Council for a new assisted living and memory care project in the city. The 1.2-acre project will include 73,000 square feet of living and common areas, comprisingf 83 units and 93 beds. “This facility underscores the need for assisted living and memory care for senior residents in San Jose,” says Pam Foled, Councilmember for District 9, where the community will be located. “This project meets the market demand in a fashion that is least intrusive to the overall community by terracing the building into the single-family neighborhood of Dry Creek and creating fabulous outdoor garden spaces for the residents.” As recommended by the San Jose Planning Commission, the City Council approved the Conditional Use Permit for the project site to replace existing dilapidated retail strip buildings with a modern, three-story building. ADP is in the process of securing its project team of architects, engineers and contractors for the development, according to Paul Bunton of ADP. He says the firm also expects to have its financing and operator in place in the next couple months and anticipates breaking ground in early 2021, which would …
EL PASO, TEXAS — TJX Cos., the Massachusetts-based corporation that owns major discount retailers such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, will open a $150 million distribution center in El Paso, a move that will bring about 1,000 full-time jobs to the borderplex region. The facility could ultimately feature as much as 2 million square feet of industrial space. According to The El Paso Times, the proposed site for the facility is a 200-acre tract at Global Reach Drive and George Perry Boulevard in East El Paso that is owned by the El Paso International Airport. The paper also reports that Marmaxx Operating Corp., the affiliate of TJX Cos. that operates T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, received $14.3 million in tax rebates and other incentives for the project.
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS — Transwestern Real Estate Services has completed Research Forest Lakeside Building 9, a 134,938-square-foot office project located in The Woodlands, about 30 miles north of Houston. The six-story, Class A building includes floor-to-ceiling glass, a climate-controlled parking garage and proximity to a planned four-acre green space that will feature walking trails and exercise stations. In addition, several restaurants, including Snooze A.M. Eatery, Grub Burger Bar and Bellagreen American Bistro, are located adjacent to Building 9. Research Forest Lakeside is a mixed-use development that spans 77 acres overlooking Lake Woodlands that will ultimately feature 1.8 million square feet of commercial space.