JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Merritt Properties has fully leased the second phase of Imeson Landing Business Park, an industrial park in Jacksonville that will span nearly 400,000 square feet upon completion. The first two phases of Imeson Landing house 24 tenants whose spaces range from 3,000 to 30,000 square feet in size. Merritt is planning to soon launch Phase III, which will add 120,000 square feet of new industrial space to the park along Zoo Parkway.
Development
Continental Realty Corp. Sells Parcel at Fort Myers Shopping Center, Buyer Plans New EoS Fitness Location
by John Nelson
FORT MYERS, FLA. — Baltimore-based Continental Realty Corp. has sold a 2.2-acre outparcel at the Shoppes at Pelican Preserve, a 79,970-square-foot shopping center located at 10580 Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers that is anchored by Winn-Dixie. The buyer, Barclay Group, purchased the land for $2.2 million. The firm plans to develop a 42,000-square-foot freestanding building on the site that will be fully occupied by EoS Fitness. Barclay Group expects to deliver the new property by 2026. Blake Dickinson of Continental Realty Corp., as well as Bob Pekol and Jessica McEvoy of LQ Commercial Fort Myers, represented the seller in the land deal. Tyler McRae of SRS Real Estate Partners represented the buyer. EoS Fitness currently operates 13 gyms in Florida. Barclay Group has delivered 30 sites for the fitness concept across six states.
CELINA, TEXAS — The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) will open a new, 105,000-square-foot store in the North Texas city of Celina. The address was not disclosed, but local news outlet WFAA reports that the store will be located at the northwest corner of Ownsby Parkway and Preston Road, across from a future Lowe’s Home Improvement store and next to a planned Costco. The Atlanta-based home improvement retailer expects to obtain a certificate of occupancy by the end of July 2026 and to commence operations shortly thereafter.
Driftwood Capital Secures $37.9M in Construction Financing for Element by Westin Mission Valley in San Diego
by Amy Works
SAN DIEGO — Driftwood Capital has obtained $37.9 million in construction financing for the development of Element by Westin Mission Valley, an extended stay hotel in San Diego’s Mission Valley neighborhood. Upon completion, the hotel will feature 148 suite-style rooms, more than 5,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a fitness center, courtyard, lobby bar and lounge and a restaurant. Situated on 1.5 acres, The Element by Westin Mission Valley is slated for completion by the end of 2026. Driftwood Capital currently owns the adjacent hotel, Marriott Mission Valley, which was purchased in 2019 with the adjacent development parcel with the plans to renovate the existing property and later develop an extended-stay hotel that would benefit from Marriott’s amenities, resort-style pool and parking. Jordan Ray, Jamie Matheny, Steven Buchwald and Rachael Krawiecki of IPA Capital Markets secured the financing from Fifth Third Bank for the sponsor, a vertically integrated commercial real estate investment, development and lending platform specializing in hospitality properties.
CHICAGO — Evergreen Real Estate Group and nonprofit Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA) have completed Encuentro Square Apartments in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. The duo developed the project in partnership with the Chicago Department of Housing, the Department of Planning and Development and the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA). The $67.5 million development comprises two buildings at the western terminus of The 606 trail, an area that has experienced housing costs soar in recent years. The units are designated for families and individuals with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income. Managed by Evergreen, Encuentro Square is nearly fully leased. In Spanish, “encuentro” means the act of coming together. Leopardo Cos. and All Construction were the general contractors. Designed by Canopy, the buildings feature rounded corners with orange paneling. The orange panels are meant to mimic the migration pattern of the monarch butterfly. Floor plans range from one- to three-bedroom units. Fifty-five of the homes benefit from long-term project-based rental assistance administered by the CHA, of which 44 are family-sized units with at least two bedrooms. Amenities include a community room, teaching kitchen, children’s playroom, private courtyard, resident lounges, laundry rooms and bike storage. A new …
NEW YORK CITY — Locally based development and investment firm Slate Property Group has begun leasing The Welz, a 162-unit apartment complex in Brooklyn. Designed by Aufgang Architects with interior design by Alchemy, the 19-story building is located in the Williamsburg area and offers studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Roughly 30 percent (49) of the residences are reserved for renters earning between 60 and 130 percent of the area median income, and residents also have access to a rooftop deck with grilling stations, a fitness center and package lockers. Slate developed the property in partnership with local real estate private equity firm Avenue Realty Capital. Rents start at $3,175 per month for a studio apartment.
FISHERS, IND. — AC Hotels by Marriott has committed to opening its first Indiana location at The Union at Fishers District in the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers. Thompson Thrift is the master developer of Fishers District. Local hotelier Dora Hospitality will own and operate the 135-room hotel. Seated on top of approximately 15,000 square feet of retail space, the property will feature meeting space, fitness equipment and European-inspired beverage and food offerings in the AC Lounge and AC Kitchen. The Union is one of five developments within the Fishers District. In addition to the AC Hotel, the mixed-use development will incorporate approximately 57,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space, 251 luxury apartment units and 70,000 square feet of Class A office space. Construction of The Union is expected to begin this quarter. Thompson Thrift is actively negotiating leases on the remaining 30 percent of retail space and has signed leases with restaurants such as Piedra, Niku Sushi, Kitchen Social, Everbowl and Racha Thai. Thompson Thrift began work on the Fishers District in 2015. Once completed the $750 million development will span 123 acres with an array of multifamily, townhome, hotel, office, dining, shopping and entertainment options.
WENTZVILLE, MO. — A Block & Co. Inc. Realtors-headed investment group comprised of investors from Kansas City and St. Louis has purchased 18 acres of land at Wentzville Parkway and Will Ron Drive in Wentzville, a suburb of St. Louis. Wentzville Parkway serves as a major commercial corridor and is located near General Motors’ $2 billion manufacturing campus and Mercy’s new $650 million hospital. The development plan calls for a retail project, with over 10 acres available for ground lease or build-to-suit opportunities. Zach Albrecht and David Block of Block & Co., along with Eddie Cherry of Manor Real Estate will co-list the development. The trio also negotiated the sale on behalf of the buyer, while Danny Wappelhorst of Cissell Mueller represented the undisclosed seller.
IRVING, TEXAS — Locally based developer Rosewood Property Co. has broken ground on The Gilman, a 370-unit multifamily project in Irving. The Gilman will be situated on a 6.8-acre site in the Las Colinas district, and the development will feature studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units that will range in size from 615 to 1,460 square feet. Amenities will include a pool, fitness center, dog park, clubroom, coworking lounge, courtyards and a sky lounge. Hensley, Lamkin, Rachel Inc. is designing the project, and Blackland Partners is serving as the general contractor. Completion is slated for early 2027.
HOUSTON — Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) will open a 250,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Houston. Apple plans to use its new Houston facility, which is expected to come on line in 2026, to manufacture servers that support the company’s artificial intelligence projects and programs. The development of the facility represents part of a larger initiative in which the Silicon Valley-based tech giant has pledged to invest $500 billion in U.S. innovation and technological infrastructure, creating about 20,000 new jobs in the process. That initiative also calls for the creation of a training academy in Michigan.