LOS ANGELES AND FREMONT, CALIF. — Newport Beach, Calif.-based MIG Real Estate has opened escrow on two ground-up multifamily projects located within Opportunity Zones in Los Angeles and Fremont. The projects mark the firm’s entry into the Los Angeles and Bay Area markets. MIG will develop a 140-unit residential property in the core of Hollywood and a 240-unit community in Fremont. MIG is actively seeking other suitable land investment opportunities to develop and revitalize Opportunity Zone properties in primary markets throughout the West, Mountain West and Sun Belt states. Earlier this year, the firm acquired its first site in metro Denver for the development of a 114-unit apartment community, with construction slated to start later this year. The Fremont and Los Angeles projects are a continuation of MIG’s investment strategy to reposition its portfolio by purchasing and developing new projects in key urban areas. To further that goal, MIG has allocated $100 million in equity to develop Opportunity Zone sites throughout the western United States.
Development
COLUMBUS, OHIO — VanTrust Real Estate has broken ground on a 1 million-square-foot speculative warehouse near the Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus. VanTrust will build the project on land that it acquired from K-Nova LLC earlier this year. The master-planned industrial park will be known as Rickenbacker Exchange at Commercial Point and encompasses more than 900 acres of shovel-ready logistics and manufacturing ground. VanTrust says it can accommodate an additional 1.2 million square feet of warehouse space at the site. Jack Tzagournis of Fortress Real Estate Cos. assisted K-Nova in the sale. Pepper Ohio, a subsidiary of Pepper Construction Group, will lead construction. RED Architecture designed the building. Michael Linder of Colliers International has been retained as listing agent.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Herman & Kittle Properties Inc. has opened Riverside Trail, a $50.6 million affordable housing property in Columbus. The community’s 248 units are available to residents who earn at or below 60 percent of the area median income. Located on Chatterton Road, the project features one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom layouts that range from 809 to 1,453 square feet. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, game room, dog park and outdoor grilling area.
FREDERICK, MD. — Matan Cos. has broken ground on the first two buildings of Center 85, a speculative, 556,800-square-foot industrial park in Frederick. The company has started on Buildings I and II, which will span 116,000 square feet and 64,000 square feet, respectively. The locally based developer expects to deliver the two buildings in July 2021 with tenant improvements slated to begin in May 2021. Matan will break ground on Building III dependent on leasing activity on the first two buildings. Matan is available to begin construction on the 276,000-square-foot asset and have the same timetable as the other two buildings. The buildings will feature 30-foot clear heights, a 120-foot truck court, 50-foot speed bay and two drive-in dock doors. Morgan Keller is the general contractor of Center 85, and Powers Brown in the architect.
TUSCALOOSA, ALA. — Spaces Management has opened The Walk Tuscaloosa, a 251-bed student housing complex serving the students at the University of Alabama. The four-story building is located one block from Bryant-Denny Stadium and Tutwiler Hall. Unit interiors are fully furnished and feature quartz countertops, tile bathroom flooring, walk-in showers, vinyl plank wood-grain flooring and stainless steel appliances. Communal amenities include three fitness centers, private and group study spaces, a tanning bed, lounge area, pool, pool deck, firepit and below-grade parking. Elite Building was the general contractor, and Poole & Co. and Southpark Interiors were the architects. Function First Furniture furnished the units. The University of Alabama is currently offering in-person classes.
Miller Construction Breaks Ground on 114,000 SF Showroom for City Furniture in Metro Orlando
by Alex Tostado
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FLA. — Miller Construction has broken ground on a 114,000-square-foot, two-story showroom for Florida-based City Furniture in Altamonte Springs. The property is situated at 555 Douglas Ave., overlooking Interstate 4 and 10 miles north of downtown Orlando. Miller is constructing the asset to achieve LEED certification. The property will include interior and exterior LED lighting, a water-conserving HVAC system and seven electric car-charging stations. Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based Gallo Herbert Architects is the designer. Orlando-based Dewberry is the civil engineer. A timeline for construction was not disclosed. City Furniture operates 20 showrooms in Florida as well as 14 Ashley HomeStore showrooms in southern Florida.
Parkway Breaks Ground on $200M Office Tower in Philadelphia for Law Firm Morgan Lewis
by John Nelson
PHILADELPHIA — Parkway Corp., a family-owned real estate developer and manager based in Philadelphia, has started construction of 2222 Market in its hometown. The $200 million office tower will be situated in Philadelphia’s Center City district, and will be the first office property in the submarket not built for Comcast in 30 years. Local law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius will be the sole occupant of the development and was a key contributor to the design of the property. The office building will span 305,000 square feet and include multiple outdoor terrace amenities, flexible workspaces, a fitness center and a conference center. Designed by Gensler, 2222 Market will also feature 10-foot ceilings throughout with floor-to-ceiling windows. Gensler is aiming to achieve both LEED-CS Gold and Fitwell certifications. The property is located at the corner of 23rd and Market streets, seven blocks from City Hall and one block from the banks of the Schuylkill River. The office building is also situated near Comcast’s new headquarters with multiple transit options available to Morgan Lewis staffers within walking distance, including SEPTA’s Suburban and 30th Street stations, as well as the 22nd Street trolley station. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Parkway secured $187 million …
Ford Motor Co. Breaks Ground on Electric Vehicle Center for Production of F-150 Pickup Trucks
by Jeff Shaw
DEARBORN, MICH. — Ford Motor Co. has broken ground on an electric vehicle center at the historic Rouge Center in Dearborn where it will build the all-electric F-150 by mid-2022. Upon completion, the new 500,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the Rouge Center will add 300 jobs and is part of a $700 million investment in building the all-new lineup of F-150 pickup trucks, including the first-ever F-150 PowerBoost hybrid. The new jobs will support battery assembly and production of the F-150 PowerBoost hybrid and fully electric F-150. Including investments for Bronco and Ranger at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., announced last year, Ford plans to invest more than $1.45 billion and create approximately 3,000 jobs over the next three years in Michigan alone. “We are proud to once again build and innovate for the future here at the Rouge with the debut of our all-new F-150 and the construction of a modern new manufacturing center to build the first-ever all-electric F-150,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor. Co., in a press release. “This year’s COVID-19 crisis made it clear why it is so important for companies like Ford to help keep our U.S. manufacturing base strong and …
LITHIA SPRINGS, GA. — Bang Energy will invest $145 million in a 644,00-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Lithia Springs. The energy and sports beverage company, which is based in Weston, Fla., expects to bring 600 jobs to the area. The property is located at 7705 Staples Drive, 16 miles west of downtown Atlanta and 19 miles northwest of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Once fully operational, the company will produce more than 4,000 cans per minute. A timeline for construction was not disclosed.
SAN ANTONIO — Atlanta-based Seefried Industrial Properties will develop Project Star, a $200 million facility that has a proposed location at 6806 Cal Turner Drive on the southern side of San Antonio. The facility will span 3.8 million square feet. According to The San Antonio Express-News, the facility will be a build-to-suit project for an unspecified tenant that will operate the facility as a sortation or fulfillment center. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter and to wrap up in the first quarter of 2022.