MAYWOOD, ILL. — McShane Construction Co. has broken ground on a 72-unit affordable housing project on behalf of developer Interfaith Housing Development Corp. in Maywood, about 11 miles west of Chicago. Situated on South Fifth Avenue, the property will be known as Fifth Avenue Apartments. Plans also call for 4,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Designed to achieve National Green Building Standard’s Bronze Level, the property will include a high-performance HVAC system, efficient insulation and LED lighting. Completion is slated for February 2021. HED is the project architect.
Development
THOMASVILLE, GA. — Walmart has opened a 201,000-square-foot meat processing facility at 121 Roseway Drive in Thomasville, 15 miles north of the Georgia-Florida border. The Thomasville Times-Enterprise reported the facility cost $90 million to develop. The plant will house more than 200 employees who will distribute a selection of Angus beef cuts, such as steaks and roasts, from the new supply chain to 500 Walmart stores in the Southeast. Construction of the property began in August 2018. In conjunction with the opening of the facility, Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart has awarded a $7,500 grant to Georgia Wildlife Federation, a $2,500 grant to the Thomasville Police Force and a $2,500 in grant to Second Harvest of South Georgia. Walmart employs more than 62,000 associates across Georgia’s 211 retail units and seven distribution centers.
ATHENS, GA. — ACRES Capital Corp. has originated a nearly $32 million construction loan to fund the expansion of The Cottages at Ridge Pointe, a 216-unit apartment community located at 940 Creek Ridge Lane in Athens. The developer, Jim Chapman Communities, will take on the loan, which carries an 18-month term. The Cottages at Ridge Pointe, located approximately eight miles from downtown Athens, is an existing community with all 38 currently available units occupied. An additional 79 units are under construction, and the loan will fund the creation of another 99 units. Amenities include a clubhouse, fitness center, outdoor kitchen and grilling station and a pool.
Metropolitan Capital Advisors Arranges $4M Construction Loan for Self-Storage Facility in Mobile
by Alex Tostado
MOBILE, ALA. — Metropolitan Capital Advisors (MCA) has arranged a $4 million senior construction loan for Anytime Storage, a self-storage owner and operator based in Phoenix. The company will use the loan to construct a three-story self-storage facility in Mobile comprising 466 climate-controlled units, representing the first Anytime Storage facility in Alabama. The financing features a fixed 5.05 percent interest rate and 36 months of interest-only payments followed by a 20-year amortization schedule. MCA’s Duke Dennis originated the loan with ServisFirst. Once complete, Anytime Storage’s portfolio will total over 3,700 units across Alabama and Arizona.
SALT LAKE CITY — Atlanta-based Portman Holdings, Irvins, Utah-based DDRM and city officials broke ground for Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 10. The developers received $377 million in financing for the project, located at the northwest corner of 200 S and West Temple in Salt Lake City. Situated adjacent to the Salt Palace Convention Center, the 26-story Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City will feature 700 guest rooms, approximately 60,000 square feet of meeting space, two restaurants, a lounge, outdoor pool, business center, fitness center and 7,500-square-foot outdoor event terrace. Completion for the 686,784-square-foot hotel is slated for October 2022. Minneapolis-based Piper Sandler Cos. (PSC) served as sole capital arranger for the financing. The private financing sources include non-recourse construction debt and limited partner equity. Additionally, the Piper Sandler Hospitality Group served as the placement agent for the $54.7 million Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) loan to finance a portion of the project, which represented the single largest amount ever financed by C-PACE nationally. PSC also served as the sole underwriter for a $45 million taxable bond issue to finance the remaining portion of the project, which will be repaid by taxes generated at the hotel.
Peak Campus, Blue Vista Buy Student Housing Development Site Near the University of Washington
by Amy Works
SEATTLE — Peak Campus Development and investment partner Blue Vista Capital Management have acquired a development site located near the University of Washington in Seattle, with plans to construct a student housing community. The new project — titled Theory U District — is set to offer 500 beds in studio, one-, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom, fully furnished units. Shared amenities will include a rooftop deck, multiple study rooms, a landscaped courtyard for outdoor activities, a fitness room, package lockers and parking. University Christian Church (UCC), which previously owned the property, moved out last summer. According to a press release issued by UCC last year, proceeds from the sale will go into a foundation established by remaining UCC members. UCC already demolished the existing buildings, and vertical construction for Theory U District will commence later this year with a projected opening in fall 2022.
DETROIT — City Club Apartments has broken ground on the redevelopment of the formerly named Elmwood Park Plaza, an 18-story apartment building in Detroit built in the early 1970s. Located at 750 Chene St. in the newly renamed Rivertown District, the redevelopment will comprise 202 apartment and penthouse units, 20 percent of which will be affordable for existing residents. The project will feature green space, a new HVAC system and new efficiency windows. Amenities will include a lobby lounge, clubroom, fitness center, outdoor park, beach volleyball court, dog park and an 18th-floor sky lounge. The property will be named City Club Apartments Lafayette Park. Existing residents can stay in place during the redevelopment. New residents are expected to begin moving into the redeveloped units in March. City Club Apartments is an owner, developer and manager of apartments with approximately 10,000 units within 30 communities.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The University of Rochester (UR) plans to develop The UR Medicine Orthopaedics & Physical Performance Center at The Marketplace Mall in Rochester. The 330,000-square-foot facility would be the largest off-site building in UR history. Wilmorite, owner of The Marketplace Mall, plans to sell the former Sears department store and surrounding mall property to UR. Plans call for repurposing the vacant Sears building as the shell for the new ambulatory surgery center, with new operating rooms and procedure rooms. New construction would create a multi-story tower above the surgery center, housing services such as diagnosis and treatment of bone, spine, muscle and joint conditions as well as sports medicine, injury prevention and other wellness services. The Orthopaedics & Physical Performance Center could cost up to $240 million, which will be paid for through a combination of philanthropy, UR funds and borrowing. Trustees have approved $11 million for project design. If approvals and construction proceed as expected, the campus could be completed by 2023.
ALLENTOWN, PA. — Center City Investment Corp. will develop 1 Center Square, a 296,000-square-foot Class A office building in the City Center business district of Allentown, located approximately 60 miles north of Philadelphia. The 16-story office building will be built with a speculative corporate headquarters anchor tenant in mind and will feature open floorplans and theater-style auditoriums. JDavis Architects is designing 1 Center Square and Gensler is the interior designer. North Star Construction Management is the general contractor. Construction is slated to begin this fall, with initial occupancy scheduled for 2022. The project is estimated to cost $100 million.
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Egbert Perry and Affordable Housing: How One Man’s Vision Launched a National Movement
by Jaime Lackey
When picturing the rebirth of downtown Atlanta, one of the first images to come to mind is the skyline — the iconic high-rises. Another, often overlooked, part of this picture includes Atlanta’s skywalks. In the early days of redevelopment, these walkways connected luxury buildings above urban neighborhoods that many had abandoned, and effectively furthered the separation of the “haves” from the “have-nots.” Iconic Atlanta developer Egbert Perry was driven to challenge development that emphasized the separation. From his perspective, perpetuating the separation of community members simply perpetuated the issues of inequity and injustice that plagued the city. Perry was motivated to bring people together in a different way, in neighborhoods that would appeal to everyone. Where others saw poverty, blight, and dilapidated housing projects, Perry saw potential — and pioneered a new approach to affordable and workforce housing, commercial real estate development, and community development and investment. The Story Begins at Centennial Place In 1994, when Perry left H.J. Russell & Company to start The Integral Group, he quickly came upon an opportunity to redevelop the area now home to Centennial Place. The 60-acre property was located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, and was considered to be the most …