VERNON HILLS, ILL. – Dallas-based real estate firm Centennial has revealed plans to expand on its Hawthorn 2.0 redevelopment of Hawthorn Mall, a super-regional shopping center in Vernon Hills, a northern suburb of Chicago. Built in 1973, the mall currently houses over 120 retailers. Centennial first announced the redevelopment of Hawthorn Mall in 2019, which included new retail and dining options, luxury multifamily housing and indoor/outdoor gathering spaces. The expanded plans nearly triple the new development at the property and include 162 units of seniors housing, a 25,000-square-foot grocery store and 109,000 square feet of open-air retail. The center started its redevelopment with the 2020 unveiling of Center Park, a 15,190 square-foot outdoor space in the mall’s former Center Court. Center Park features both lawn games and soft furnishings. The expanded plan calls for the relocation of 250 apartments to create a larger outdoor public plaza to increase pedestrian access to the mall and a new main entrance for the shopping center. Hawthorn 2.0 will also create more retail, restaurant and entertainment space surrounding the exterior of the Hawthorn Row integrated streetscape. “The expansion of our Hawthorn 2.0 plans enhances the original vision we had for the center as a …
Development
Can you dig it? Possibly, but site civil engineers can help determine if construction can rock on without running into rocky situations. Thorough site civil due diligence is the foundation for developing a project with minimal delays. Keeping land development projects moving forward — especially during construction — requires highly informed due diligence processes and expertise when it comes to approvals and plans. Site civil engineering design with constructability in mind can support general contractors while streamlining the overall bidding and construction process. But what are best practices when it comes to ensuring a successful project? REBusinessOnline spoke to two experts who specialize in high-quality construction documents: Benjamin Plumb, P.E. project manager, and Keith Simpson, director of engineering, work for Bohler, a land development consulting and technical design company. You Never Know What You’ll Find Before You Dig — However, These Tips Can Help Uncertainty is part of any development project, but Simpson outlines two scenarios that make up the majority of the challenges he sees: 1. Existing underground utilities that are not reflected in plans. 2. Soils that differ from what was expected from the geotechnical report. In some cases, slowdowns are unavoidable and will cause delays, but due diligence can …
Alchemy Properties South, New Valley Realty to Build Residential Tower in Downtown Raleigh
by John Nelson
RALEIGH, N.C. — Alchemy Properties South, in partnership with New Valley Realty, has purchased two properties located in Raleigh for a combined $16 million. The site of the properties, which include a vacant lot at 303 S. Dawson St. and an adjacent retail building at 217 W. Martin St., will be redeveloped as a luxury residential building to feature up to 40 stories and 450 rental and condominium units. Morris Adjmi Architects and JDavis Architects will design the new building. Maxim Capital Group provided financing for the transaction. No construction timeline was disclosed.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — A partnership between High Street Residential, MSD Partners and River Street Partners has broken ground on 700 River, a 43-story apartment tower in Austin’s Rainey Street District. The 500-foot building will house 377 units in a mix of studio to three-bedroom residences, as well as several penthouses and 3,400 square feet of retail space. In addition, 700 River will feature more than 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space. HKS is the project architect, and DPR Construction is the general contractor. Completion is slated for late 2024.
BRYAN AND COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — The Jenkins Organization, a Houston-based owner-operator, has opened Great Escapes RV Resorts Bryan College Station, an 87-acre development in Central Texas. In addition to 334 sites, the development houses 64 cabins, a clubhouse with multiple games, two pools, pickleball courts, a fitness center and laundry facilities.
WESLACO, TEXAS — Glazer’s Beer & Beverage will open a 250,000-square-foot distribution center in the Rio Grande Valley city of Weslaco. The wholesale alcoholic beverage distributor will be the anchor tenant of Mid Valley International Industrial Park, a 122-acre master-planned development on which the Weslaco Economic Development Corp. recently broke ground. The move is expected to add about 200 new jobs to the local economy.
NEWARK, N.J. — A public-private partnership between RISE: A Real Estate Co. and the New Jersey Institute of Technology has completed Maple Hall, a 548-bed student housing project located on the university’s Newark campus. The eight-story development includes a game room, an outdoor terrace, full kitchens, private and group study rooms, a creative studio, an outdoor kitchen and onsite parking. The community also features 2,145 square feet of retail space. RISE will provide ongoing property management at Maple Hall, which opened before the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. The development team for the project included Niles Bolton Associates, Netta Architects, Terminal Construction, T&M Associates, Langan Engineering and RBC Capital Markets.
BOSTON — South Carolina-based developer Greystar has completed a 126-unit multifamily project at 212 Stuart St. in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. Designed by Sasaki and Höweler + Yoon, the 19-story building houses 1,200 square feet of retail space. Units come in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom formats and range in size from 500 to 2,100 square feet. Amenities include a fitness center with a yoga studio, outdoor dining and entertainment space, library and a rooftop terrace. Rents start at roughly $4,000 per month for a studio apartment.
HOUSTON — Locally based investment and development firm Midway has unveiled plans for Watermark District at Woodcreek, a 70-acre mixed-use development that will be located at the site of the former ConocoPhillips headquarters campus in West Houston. Once completed, Watermark will house 650,000 square feet of Class A office space, with a focus on natural light and flexible floor plans. The development will also include retail and restaurant space and boutique hotels. Midway also plans to modernize the existing 100,000-square-foot wellness and fitness facility. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2023. Midway also intends to repurpose a portion of the site’s existing infrastructure, which includes 16 three-story office pavilions connected by bridges over ponds and grassy areas. Repurposing existing buildings contributes to Midway’s intention toward environmental sustainability in the project. To that end, the firm has partnered with 374Water to introduce an integrated wastewater management system to the development. Wastewater, along with food wastes, will be processed and recovered as clean water, energy and minerals. Plans for infrastructural upgrades also include a new urban grid system. Architect Kevin Roche designed the property in 1978 for Conoco with an aesthetic emulating that of a Japanese fishing village. …
ARLINGTON, VA. — Chevy Chase, Md.-based developer JBG Smith has filed plans with the City of Arlington to develop a mixed-use project within the 36-acre Riverhouse district. The project would preserve three existing multifamily buildings while also adding three mid-rise apartment complexes with more than 1,000 units, as well as 185 seniors housing residences, 265 townhomes and 164 for-sale condos. In addition, the project would feature 30,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and more than seven acres of public parks and green spaces that would be connected by trails and paths. Lastly, JBG Smith would invest in infrastructural improvements throughout the district and commission public art installations. The development team is engaging in the communal outreach phase of the project while it awaits the completion of the permitting and approvals process.