Development

PHILADELPHIA — Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP) has broken ground on the first phase of The Bellwether District, a redevelopment project encompassing 1,300 acres in South Philadelphia. The project will transform the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery into a state-of-the-art innovation, e-commerce and logistics campus. Demolition of the obsolete industrial site is now substantially complete. The redevelopment will be a 14 million-square-foot campus divided into two areas: 250 acres dedicated to innovation and 750 acres for industrial and logistics facilities. HRP expects The Bellwether District to augment the life sciences and research infrastructure in nearby University City and to bring supply chain logistics and advanced manufacturing to the site, which is located near Philadelphia International Airport and The Port of Philadelphia. “When our team arrived here in Philadelphia, we did not see a former refinery — we saw what I believe to be the most strategic piece of real estate east of the Mississippi, if not in the entire United States,” says Roberto Perez, CEO of HRP. HRP projects that the development of The Bellwether District will create 19,000 direct permanent jobs and nearly 28,000 direct construction jobs over a 10- to 15-year timeline. The groundbreaking marks the first phase of …

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The effects of sweeping macroeconomic forces in recent years are now manifesting themselves in industrial projects in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW). And while the market still enjoys healthy fundamentals and tenant demand, the product being delivered now comes with a new look, functionality and set of requirements from end users.  To some degree, this paradigm shift in how industrial properties are conceived, designed and constructed stems from major economic factors and trends that are beyond the ability of architects, contractors and developers to control. To start with the obvious, interest rates are now five times what they were 18 months ago. When hikes of that magnitude are enacted so expeditiously, real estate professionals of all walks are impacted, even if it’s in an indirect manner.  “Demand for industrial space is there; if developers are building, the rents are probably there to cover those costs,” says Mike Williams, vice president of preconstruction at Dallas-based Talley Riggins Construction Group. “But for developers that are trying to form a team to get enough equity to get a loan — those deals aren’t working anymore with these rates. So paying extra close attention to who your clients are and their funding sources has been the …

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CYPRESS, TEXAS — A partnership between Trammell Crow Co. and Clarion Partners has completed a 521,600-square-foot industrial project in the northwestern Houston suburb of Cypress. The building is the fourth structure within Weiser Business Park and was delivered as part of the second phase of development. Building 4 features 36-foot clear heights and is more than 50 percent leased to Western Post, a provider of warehouse management services and logistics solutions. Phase I of Weiser Business Park added 557,490 square feet of space across three buildings that is now 61 percent leased. Seeberger Architecture designed the project, with construction handled by A&F General Contractors. Lee & Associates is the leasing agent.

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus of Millichap, has arranged $63 million in financing for a project that will convert two historic buildings in downtown Oklahoma City into a 265-unit apartment complex. The buildings were originally constructed in the early 1920s, and the new complex will be the known as The Harlow. Amenities will include a fitness center, game room, pet spa, coffee shop, coworking space, conference rooms, movie theater, bowling lanes and group meeting space. Todd McNeill and Sunny Sajnani of IPA arranged the financing, which included a $40.3 million senior construction loan and an undisclosed amount of federal and state historic tax credit equity. The borrower was Gardner Tanenbaum. A construction timeline was not disclosed.

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SAN ANTONIO — General contractor Hensel Phelps has broken ground on a 37,000-square-foot ground loading facility at San Antonio International Airport. Designed by Page and Luis Vidal + Architects, the $62 million facility is part of a larger expansion project at the airport that includes a new 17-gate terminal. The facility, which will connect to Terminal A, will support five of the new gates and will house two levels of passenger seating, additional food and retail options, electronic charging stations, workstation areas and a lactation room. Completion is slated for early 2025.

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ENFIELD, CONN. — Regional developer WinStanley Enterprises has acquired a 135-acre industrial development site in Enfield, located near the Connecticut-Massachusetts border. The site is fully approved for the development of a two-building, 600,000-square-foot complex that will be known as Metro Park North. Specifically, the development will feature a 500,225-square-foot distribution facility and a 100,125-square-foot flex building. WinStanley expects to start construction in early to mid-2024, contingent upon securing tenant interest. Phil Gagnon and Nick Morizio of Colliers represented the seller and buyer in the land deal. Colliers will also handle leasing of the development.

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YONKERS, N.Y. — New York City-based Simone Development Cos. has purchased One Executive Boulevard, a 133,768-square-foot office building located north of Manhattan in Yonkers, with plans to convert the building into a healthcare facility. The four-story building sits on a 6.7-acre site that is located within a quarter mile of nearly 900,000 square feet of existing medical real estate. Robert Martin Co. sold the property for an undisclosed price.

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LAKE ZURICH, ILL. — PREMIER Design + Build Group has completed an 88,000-square-foot headquarters facility for Alpha Tekniko in Lake Zurich, a northwest suburb of Chicago. Alpha Tekniko is a contract manufacturer serving the healthcare industry. The firm designs, develops and produces sophisticated support surfaces, including high-tech mattresses, cushions and pads to fit an array of medical equipment like hospital beds, operating room tables and wheelchairs. The company launched in 2008 and continued to outgrow its spaces. In March 2022, the founders purchased land at 1400 Rose Road in Lake Zurich and selected PREMIER to manage design and build services for a permanent home. Construction began in October 2022. The new facility is primarily designed for manufacturing operations with some additional space devoted to offices. The building features eight dock positions and two drive-in doors. The new headquarters is fully solar powered with 444 solar panels. Additional sustainable features include high-efficiency rooftop HVAC units, high R-value precast concrete panels that increase insulating effectiveness, special emissions towers for air purification, motion-sensitive lighting and VOC-free paints. Project partners included Cornerstone Architects Ltd. and civil engineer SpaceCo.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The RMR Group has completed the redevelopment of 20 Mass, a mixed-use building located at 20 Massachusetts Ave. in Washington, D.C. Office Properties Income Trust, an affiliate REIT of RMR Group, owns 20 Mass. The former government office building now houses the 274-room Royal Sonesta Washington, D.C. Capitol Hill hotel, which includes the new 200-seat French restaurant Bistro Du Jour; 183,000 square feet of upper-level office space; a 14,500-square-foot penthouse amenity space; and 13,800 square feet of retail space. The LEED Gold-certified property also features a new glass curtain wall façade and a 10-story atrium. The design-build team includes general contractor DPR Construction and architect Leo A. Daly. CBRE is the exclusive office leasing broker at 20 Mass, and JLL is responsible for retail leasing.

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ATLANTA — A joint venture between StreetLights Residential and PGIM Real Estate has welcomed first move-ins at The Hadley, a 300-unit luxury apartment community located at 5th and Juniper streets in Midtown Atlanta. The ownership plans to fully complete the property this fall. Situated near Tech Square and two MARTA stations, The Hadley offers studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans ranging in size from 511 to 1,713 square feet. Monthly rental rates range from $1,871 to $6,106, according to Apartments.com. Interiors include Latch Smart Home keyless entry, built-in Sonos speakers and Nest thermostats. Amenities include a private bar and lounge on the eighth floor, pool, coworking space, ground-level bar, fitness center, pet spa, covered dog park, coffee bar and a gated parking garage. StreetLights Creative Studio served as the architect and interior designer for The Hadley.

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