Following a similar move in June and July, the Fed implemented its third consecutive interest rate hike of 75 basis points in mid-September. This is the biggest three-month interest rate swing since 1994. What does this all mean for investors in the small balance lending (SBL) segment of the multifamily sector? The combination of rising interest rates, inflation and market uncertainty tempts borrowers to sit on the sidelines until conditions improve. Turbulent markets also limit financing options, as many lenders and capital sources tend to become cautious and pull back. But the need for capital transcends market cycles and seasoned multifamily investors know that rate hikes are nothing new. We’ve been here before with interest rates of nearly 7 percent in the 2000s and a record high of nearly 20 percent in the 1980s. The business of real estate investing never stops. New acquisition opportunities arise as distressed owners are forced to sell, cap rates settle to more conservative levels and the market shifts in the buyer’s favor. All things considered, now is the time to seek new investment opportunities. In fact, Warren Buffett once offered the timeless advice that it is wise for investors to be “fearful when others …
Development
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Sandstone Properties Receives $28M Loan for Multifamily/Hotel Project in Woodland Hills, California
by Amy Works
WOODLAND HILLS, CALIF. — Los Angeles-based Sandstone Properties has received a $28 million loan to refinance an existing loan and to fund the pre-development of a 35-story multifamily property and four-story hotel conversion at 6400 Canoga Ave. in downtown Woodland Hills. Parkview Financial provided the loan. The 4.7-acre redevelopment site currently consists of a three-story, 128,586-square-foot, Class B, multi-tenant office building and 457 surface and structured parking spaces. Sandstone acquired the site in February 2018 and has since obtained entitlements to develop a 35-story, 650-unit apartment building on the location of the existing parking structure. Additionally, the entitlements allow for the 10,000-square-foot expansion of the existing office building and its conversion to a four-story, 240-key luxury hotel. The project team includes WATG as architect and EDG Design as interior designer. A general contractor has not yet been named.
St. John Properties Breaks Ground on 140,768 SF Office Building in Pleasant Grove, Utah
by Amy Works
PLEASANT GROVE, UTAH — St. John Properties has broken ground for Valley Grove III, a five-story Class A office building in Pleasant Grove. Once complete, the facility will bring the company’s commercial real estate portfolio in Utah to more than 1 million square feet. The 140,768-square-foot property will be the 22nd building at St. John Properties’ Valley Grove, which includes office, flex/R&D, restaurant and retail space. St. John Properties first started development at Valley Grove in 2017.
GEORGETOWN, TEXAS — Locally based firm Novak Brothers Development Group has broken ground on Rise510, a 301-unit multifamily project located in the northern Austin suburb of Georgetown. The community will be situated on a 12-acre parcel within the 164-acre Wolf Lakes Village master-planned development. Amenities will include a pool, fitness center, hiking trails and a one-acre community park. Completion is slated for summer 2024.
COPPELL, TEXAS — Vari has opened a 180,000-square-foot space in Coppell, located in the northern-central part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The majority of Vari’s workforce will operate out of an 80,000-square-foot space within the building, and Cushman & Wakefield is marketing the remaining 100,000 square feet for lease. BOKA Powell designed the facility, with Corgan handling interior design and Adolfson & Peterson serving as the general contractor.
LA PORTE, IND. — Flaherty & Collins Properties has opened The Banks, a $35 million luxury apartment complex in La Porte, a city in Northwest Indiana. A grand opening event will take place this Thursday, Oct. 6. The Banks features 194 units with 5,000 square feet of retail space. Amenities include a pool, outdoor courtyard, bark park, fitness center and bike storage. Lake City Bank served as construction lender and Foss was the tax credit purchaser. The tax credit was for remediating a brownfield site. The La Porte Redevelopment Commission supported the development with tax-increment financing. Flaherty & Collins Construction served as general contractor. Construction began in September 2020. Monthly rents have not been released.
RIDGEVILLE, S.C. — Portman Industrial has broken ground on Phase II of Campus 4 within Camp Hall Commerce Park in Ridgeville, a suburb of Charleston. The second phase comprises a 1.1 million-square-foot industrial facility situated on 110.6 acres near the Port of Charleston and adjacent to Volvo Cars’ manufacturing plant. The cross-dock facility will feature tilt-up concrete walls, a structural steel frame, TPO roof, 40-foot clear heights, 215 dock doors, four drive-in doors, 759 car spaces and 851 trailer spaces. The design-build team includes general contractor Frampton Construction, architect McMillan Pazdan Smith and civil engineer Thomas & Hutton. Lee Allen and Kevin Ross of JLL’s Charleston office are handling leasing for the project. Phase II is set for a summer 2023 delivery. Phase I, which comprises three buildings spanning 940,000 square feet, is currently under construction and is more than 60 percent preleased.
HANOVER, N.H. — Dartmouth College will develop a residence hall for undergraduate students on the north end of the institution’s campus in Hanover. The community will feature 128 apartment-style units with a total of 400 beds. The project is set to include indoor and outdoor common areas, fitness facilities and shuttle service to campus. Further details, including a timeline for construction and potential partnership with a private developer, were not announced.
BSD Capital to Redevelop 148,857 SF Former Sears Department Store and Automotive Center in Ocala, Florida
by John Nelson
OCALA, FLA. — BSD Capital recently purchased a former Sears department store and Sears Automotive Center in Ocala spanning 148,857 square feet. An affiliate of Seritage Growth Properties, the spun-off REIT from Sears Holding Corp., sold the buildings at a private auction for $3.2 million. Louie Granteed of Tobin Real Estate represented BSD Capital in the acquisition and is leading leasing efforts for the new owner’s redevelopment that will convert the property to a retail and entertainment destination. Granteed says that prospective tenants for the redevelopment include grocers, big-box retailers and entertainment operators. Located on 12 acres near I-75, the former Sears once served as an anchor to Paddock Mall, an enclosed regional mall that is still open and operating with tenants including Belk, Macy’s, JCPenney and more than 90 specialty stores.
CHICAGO — The Habitat Co. and joint venture partner Diversified Real Estate Capital LLC have broken ground on Cassidy on Canal, a 33-story luxury apartment tower in Chicago’s Fulton River District. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, the 375-foot glass tower will feature 343 units. The project site at 350 N. Canal St. was formerly home to the Cassidy Tire building. The developers plan to integrate some of the property’s original bricks into the new development. “To honor the location’s rich history, it was important to us to bring this neighborhood a new development that stands out through its forward-looking design and modern conveniences, yet also pays homage to the site’s legacy by keeping the Cassidy family name,” says Matt Fiascone, president of Habitat. Cassidy on Canal will feature a variety of studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans along with 1,313 square feet of ground-floor retail space and parking for 123 cars. The property’s fifth floor will feature amenities such as a fitness center, game room, coworking center, spa, pool, grilling areas and dining areas. First move-ins are scheduled for spring 2024. McHugh Construction is the general contractor. Development costs were not disclosed. Cassidy on Canal is one of several major …