LEBANON, IND. — Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY) has unveiled plans to invest $4.5 billion to create the Lilly Medicine Foundry, a new center for advanced manufacturing and drug development in Lebanon, about 27 miles northwest of Indianapolis. The Medicine Foundry, slated to open in late 2027, will be located in Indiana’s LEAP Research and Innovation District. The project brings Lilly’s total investment in the area to more than $13 billion. Earlier this year, Lilly released plans for a $5.3 billion expansion of its pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Lebanon. “As we accelerate our work to discover new medicines for the toughest diseases, we’re continuing to invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure to support our growing pipeline,” says David Ricks, Lilly’s chair and CEO. “In addition to supplying high-quality medicine for our clinical studies, this new complex will further strengthen our process development and scale up our manufacturing capabilities to speed delivery of next-generation medicines to patients around the world.” Lilly says the flexible design of the new facility will enable production of various molecular therapies, including drug substances for small molecules, biologics and nucleic acid therapies. New technologies developed at the Medicine Foundry will be transferred to Lilly’s other manufacturing sites …
Development
Public-Private Partnership Breaks Ground on $148.8M Graduate Student Housing Project at University of Maryland
by John Nelson
COLLEGE PARK, MD. — A public-private partnership (P3) between Campus Apartments, Mosaic Development Partners and the University of Maryland has broken ground on a $148.8 million graduate student housing project on the university’s campus in College Park. The community is the first of a larger, three-phase development that will replace the existing “Leonardtown” section of campus. Upon completion, which is anticipated for 2027, the building will span 323,000 square feet. The community will offer 741 beds across 465 fully furnished units in studio, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom configurations. Shared amenities will include a large conference space with interior and exterior courtyards on the ground floor; a penthouse community lounge and terrace; various community breakout spaces; resident parking; and bike storage. The development team for the project, which is targeting LEED Silver certification, includes Gensler, Michael Marshall, Davis Construction and Smoot Construction. RBC Capital Markets arranged financing for the development, which is being funded through tax-exempt bonds.
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. — Souto Foods, a locally based food distributor and subsidiary of Alex Lee, has leased 200,000 square feet of cold storage and warehouse space at Sugarloaf Logistics Hub, a 2.2 million-square-foot industrial development underway in Gwinnett County. The nearly 300-acre development is located along Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville within a couple miles of the interchanges of I-85 and Ga. Highway 316. The tenant, which specializes in Latin American and Caribbean food distribution, plans to invest $28 million into the site and hire 70 new positions. Reed Davis of JLL and Stephen Bridges of OnPace Partners represented the landlords, Foxfield LLC and AEW Capital Management, in the lease transaction. Bill Kee of NAI Brannen Goddard represented Souto Foods. In addition to the lease, Foxfield and AEW have sold a 13-acre parcel at Sugarloaf Logistics Hub to Atlanta-based Westplan Investors for a new 330-unit multifamily development. Construction is expected to commence in second-quarter 2025. Scott Cullen of JLL represented the landlords in the land sale.
Kia of Covington, Gulf States Real Estate to Open New Car Dealership on Louisiana’s Northshore
by John Nelson
COVINGTON, LA. — Gulf States Real Estate, Development and Construction Services has announced that Kia of Covington will soon open its new car dealership. The site of the future dealership is located at the intersection of I-12 and US Highway 190 on Louisiana’s Northshore. The Kia franchise owner, Kevin Szura, had paused the development due to rising interest rates and construction costs, resulting in a six-month delay. While Szura worked on finding alternative financing sources, the Gulf States team led by Jason Reibert and Mike Saucier “value engineered” more than $500,000 out of the construction budget, which also required approval from KIA’s corporate design team. “Although we will be entering the market six months later than we had hoped, the value engineering and financing efforts were well worth it given today’s tough business climate for new construction,” says Szura. Mark Holcomb Consulting LLC served as an advisor for the new Kia of Covington project.
RED OAK, TEXAS — Compass Datacenters will undertake a $300 million expansion of its campus in Red Oak, a southern suburb of Dallas, according to reports from multiple publications, including the Dallas Business Journal and Data Center Dynamics. The former publication reports that the locally based owner-operator plans to add three more buildings totaling approximately 755,000 square feet, with each building measuring about 216,000 square feet. The DBJ also reports that construction is already underway on two of those buildings and is scheduled for completion in 2025 or 2026. Most recently, Compass partnered with Schneider Electric on a 103,000-square-foot, build-to-suit manufacturing facility on the Red Oak campus.
DALLAS — OHT Partners has begun a multifamily conversion project in Dallas. The Austin-based developer will convert the former Ambassador Hotel, located just southeast of downtown, into a 299-unit apartment complex. Known as Ambassador, the complex will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom units that will range in size from 502 to 1,539 square feet. Amenities will include a pool, fitness center, coworking lounge, package lockers, dog park, minimart and indoor/outdoor club with a kitchen. Corgan is the project architect. The first units could be available for occupancy as early as third-quarter 2026.
ANAHEIM, CALIF. — Western National Property Management (WNMP) has opened Link OC Apartments, a multifamily community located at 1075 N. Link in Anaheim. Situated adjacent to Anaheim Canyon Metrolink, Link OC Apartments offers 406 studio, one- and two-bedroom residences spread across two five-story buildings. Units feature a complete kitchen appliance package, in-home washer/dryer, quartz slab countertops with full-height tile backsplashes and wood plank-style flooring. Community amenities include two swimming pools and spas, two fitness centers, two clubhouses, two rooftop decks with barbecue grills, a business center with coworking space, courtyards with barbecue grills, bike storage, electric vehicle charging stations and complimentary Wi-Fi. WNPM, a subsidiary of Western National Group, will serve as property manager for Link OC Apartments.
NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. — A public-private partnership between South Carolina-based developer Greystar and Merrimack College has broken ground on a 540-bed residence hall on the university’s campus in North Andover. The development will consist of two four-story buildings. The first building will span 79,600 square feet and offer 351 “traditional style” beds with academic space and gathering areas on the first floor. The second, 61,300-square-foot building will offer 189 beds in suite-style units with en-suite living rooms and bathrooms throughout. The community, which will offer housing for first- and second-year students, will also include a fitness center and in-building laundry facilities. Cube3 Architects designed the project, which is slated for a fall 2026 completion.
MINNETONKA, MINN. — Associated Bank has provided a $55 million construction financing package for a 269-unit apartment complex in the Minneapolis suburb of Minnetonka. Greystar is developing the project, which is named Marlowe Opus Station. Amenities will include a pool, courtyard, fitness room, clubroom, sauna, pet wash, private work-from-home offices, bike storage, structured parking, electric vehicle charging stations and storage units. Demolition is currently underway on the vacant office building on the site. Completion is slated for fall 2026. The project is within the 550-acre Opus 2 Parkway, which comprises a mixture of office, industrial, commercial and residential uses. Edward Notz of Associated Bank originated the loan.
CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILL. — Principle Construction is underway on a two-building, 276,019-square-foot industrial build-to-suit for Morgan Li in Chicago Heights, a southern suburb of Chicago. The family-owned furniture and fixture fabricator had a previous warehouse destroyed by a fire in February 2023 on the project site. Building A will total 237,756 square feet with 230,298 square feet of warehouse space and 5,122 square feet of office space. The facility will feature a clear height of 36 feet, 20 docks and four drive-in doors. Building B will house 36,360 square feet of warehouse space as well as 1,143 square feet of office space. It will also feature a specialized paint line mechanical system for Morgan Li’s operations. Principle will also construct a 158-stall parking lot with four electric vehicle charging stations. Morgan Li’s 245 employees have been working out of secondary locations in Matteson and South Holland while the new space is under construction. Designhaus Inc. Architecture designed the new facilities. Completion is slated for March 2025.