HOUSTON — General contractor Austin Commercial has broken ground on Sarofim Hall, an 83,000-square-foot academic building that will be located on Rice University’s campus in Houston. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the building will be situated adjacent to the Moody Center for the Arts and will feature a cinema, flexible performance lab, adaptable classrooms and workshops. Sarofim Hall is expected to open in time for the fall 2025 semester.
SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FLA. — A partnership between Dezer Development and luxury automobile company Bentley Motors has broken ground on Bentley Residences Miami, a 62-story condominium tower. Located at 18401 Collins Ave. in Sunny Isles Beach, the beachfront development will feature 216 condos, each with glass-covered, three- and four-car sky garages all made possible utilizing four car lifts and a car elevator dubbed The Dezervator. The development will also feature a food-and-beverage program by chef Todd English, as well as a beach club and oceanfront pool deck. Other amenities will include a whiskey bar, cigar lounge, spa, cinema and salon. The general contractor, Coastal Construction, expects to deliver Bentley Residences Miami by the end of 2027. Dezer Development says that 40 percent of the condominiums have been sold, with prices starting at $5.6 million. Designed by Sieger Suarez Architects, residences will include high-end finishes including saunas, outdoor showers in select units and behind-mirror TVs.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Portman and National Real Estate Advisors have topped out Linea at the Line, a 25-story apartment tower underway in Charlotte’s South End. The residential property is situated adjacent to The Line, a 16-story mixed-use property that Portman and National developed and sold in 2022. Portman and National plan to begin preleasing at the 370-unit high-rise in June and begin move-ins in February 2025. Linea at the Line will include connectivity to the Rail Trail and Lynx Blue Line light rail. In addition to luxury residences, Linea will feature ground-level retail space that will house True Food Kitchen, BAR ONE South End and Night Swim Coffee. Amenities will include concierge service, a rooftop pool, coworking spaces, pet spa, game room, climbing wall and an indoor/outdoor fitness center. Units will come in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans, as well as lofts and penthouse suites.
DULUTH, GA. — Gwinnett County has partnered with CBRE to redevelop Gwinnett Place Mall, a beleaguered regional mall in metro Atlanta. The county purchased 39 acres at the mall, including a shuttered Belk-Parisian department store, food court and inline retail space, in 2020 for $23 million. Other stakeholders in the nearly 1.3 million-square-foot mall include Northwood Ravin, which purchased the former Sears in 2018, and department store owner-operators Macy’s, Mega Mart and Beauty Master. Originally opened in 1984, Gwinnett Place Mall has served as filming locations for movies and TV series such as “Stranger Things” and “I, Tonya,” among others. Gwinnett County’s vision for the site is to create a dense, mixed-use activity center that is “well-connected, green and walkable, while preserving the cultural diversity and character of the area.” Next steps for the project will include collaboration with CBRE to refine plans before seeking development partners to transform the site. “Building on Gwinnett County’s work to date and commitment to this transformational project, CBRE is proud to join the county to deliver a revitalized, vibrant and inclusive development for Gwinnett residents,” says Jae Kim, vice president and head of CBRE’s U.S. East Coast Korea Desk.
IRVINE, CALIF. — Developer Alliance Residential and architect KTGY have opened Broadstone Edition, a 264-unit residential property with a mix of market-rate and affordable apartments in Irvine. Located on the corner of Alton Parkway and Von Karman Avenue within the Irvine Business Complex, the five-story Broadstone Edition wraps around a six-story, 426-stall parking structure and two open courtyards. The property offers 22 very low-income units, 14 moderate-income units and 228 market-rate units. Onsite amenities include a pool and spa with cabanas; private karaoke lounge; 2,000-square-foot rooftop deck with a social lounge and firepits; 2,000-square-foot gym/studio; specialty bicycle parking; and a courtyard barbecue area. Additionally, the development has a Fitwel Healthy Building certification. The project team included Hendy as interior designer, Fuscoe Engineering as civil engineer and MJS Landscape Architecture as landscape architect.
AURORA, COLO. — A joint venture between Draper and Kramer Inc., Koelbel and Co., Mile High Development and Urban Roots Development has completed vertical construction of Tempo Nine Mile, a multifamily community in Aurora. The project, which is located at the northeast corner of Parker Road and Peoria Street, is part of the 22-acre The Point at Nine Mile master-planned development. The five-story property will feature 255 market-rate apartments in a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, ranging from 542 square feet to 1,321 square feet. Additionally, the community will offer 3,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, an outdoor pool, landscaped courtyard, community room, bike-ski-kayak room, and rooftop fitness center and party deck. Pre-leasing is slated to begin this summer, with first deliveries and move-ins scheduled for fall 2024. KTGY is serving as architect, and Brinkmann Constructors is serving as general contractor. The developers are financing the project through a HUD-insured loan that PGIM Real Estate originated.
RALEIGH, N.C. — A joint venture between Woodfield Development and American Asset Corp. plans to soon open The Keaton at Brier Creek, a 264-unit apartment community located at 3920 Macaw St. in Raleigh. The property will serve as the multifamily component of Brier Creek Town Center, which features an 800,000-square-foot shopping center called Brier Creek Commons Shopping Center. Woodfield and American Asset Corp. have begun leasing The Keaton, which will include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments commanding monthly rental rates starting at $1,414, according to the property website. Shelton Taylor + Associates designed the unit interiors. Amenities will include an 8,000-square-foot clubhouse, resort-style pool, fitness center, rooftop sky lounge, courtyards, dog park and spa, car wash station and detached garages. Move-ins are slated to begin later this month.
ATLANTA — Swinerton, a general contractor firm based in San Francisco, has opened its new office space at 251 Armour Drive in Atlanta. The 10,000-square-foot office is part of the Armour Yards adaptive reuse development and will house 70 Swinerton employees. JLL arranged the lease on behalf of the Armour Yards landlord, Northwoods Office. Designed by MurphyMeyers, the new space includes 22 private offices, 30 workstations, two flex rooms, two meeting rooms and a “preconstruction room.” Amenities include a fitness studio, wellness room and a working lounge with overhead doors, as well as direct access to the Atlanta BeltLine. The space also includes a mural, custom art pieces and the integration of mass timber into the overall aesthetic. Founded in 1888, Swinerton is 100 percent employee-owned and has 21 offices nationwide. Swinerton first opened its Atlanta office in 2017.
NEW YORK CITY — New York City-based Simone Development Cos. is nearing completion of a 186,298-square-foot industrial conversion project in the Morris Park area of The Bronx. The site at 1720 Eastchester Road previously housed a 63,000-square-foot Stop & Shop grocery store, liquor store and a Subway restaurant and is adjacent to Hutchinson Metro Center, Simone’s 1.4 million-square-foot mixed-use development. The new building will feature 63,000 square feet of indoor warehouse space with a clear height of 18 feet, as well as 62,000 square feet of rooftop parking and 65,000 square feet of outdoor parking space. Full completion is scheduled for this summer. Cushman & Wakefield is marketing the property for lease.
YONKERS, N.Y. — The Yonkers Industrial Development Agency (YIDA) has granted final approval of financial incentives for Teutonia Hall, a $458 million luxury apartment project comprising two 41-story towers. AMS Acquisitions is the developer. Located in Yonkers, a northern suburb of New York City, the two-phase development will feature a total of 906 apartment units, 91 of which will be affordable. Plans also call for 2,900 square feet of street-level commercial space and 907 parking spaces. The lower six stories of the buildings will comprise a podium, which will serve as a parking facility for residents. Construction for Phase I is expected to begin in September, with completion slated for December 2027. Phase II construction is anticipated to begin in December 2028, with completion slated for December 2031. The developer received approval for $12.9 million in sales tax exemptions and $4.5 million in mortgage recording tax exemptions. The two phases of the project are estimated to create 1,100 construction jobs. According to a cost-benefit analysis, the project will create $2.35 for every $1 of incentives. The developer is also requesting a 20-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement. YIDA also voted preliminary approval of financial incentives for Champlain Hudson Power …