EAST POINT, GA. — Atlanta-based Mynd Match Development Group LLC has plans to develop The Commons, a $111 million mixed-use project in downtown East Point, about 7.3 miles south of downtown Atlanta. Last month, the East Point City Council voted to enter a development agreement with Mynd Match for the project. The development will sit on a nine-acre site and feature commercial, retail, residential, greenspace and public art. The project team includes TVS as the architect and urban planner and Choate Construction as the general contractor. Additionally, CoRErep will oversee commercial leasing; Baker Tilly will be in charge of project financial structuring; and Honigman is the project counsel. The project will create more than 1,500 jobs, according to Mynd Match. The construction timeline was not disclosed.
Development
COVINGTON, GA. — A joint venture between Atlanta-based Woodvale LLC and Chicago-based Timber Hill Group has secured an undisclosed amount of construction financing and recapitalization for the expansion of Cinelease Studios – Three Ring, a TV and film production media campus in Covington. Eastdil Secured arranged the financing through Los Angeles-based CIM Group. Pattillo Construction Corp. is the general contractor for the project. The development cost was not disclosed. CIM Group provided a $72 million loan for the development. The loan will be used for the recapitalization of existing Phase I operations and the construction of Phase II. Phase I of the Cinelease Studios was completed in October 2020, with the construction of its second phase slated to start in the first quarter of 2022. Phase I included 233,000 square feet across six sound stages. The project was fully occupied within a month of completion to three production companies: Lionsgate Films, Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media. Phase II will span 336,800 square feet, including 144,000 square feet of sound stages, 92,800 square feet of mill space, 70,000 square feet of office space and 30,000 square feet of third-party vendor storage spread across 90 acres. Amenities will include eight sound stages …
DALLAS — Billingsley Co. will develop a 234,395-square-foot, build-to-suit warehouse in North Dallas for Sherwood Bedding, a mattress manufacturer that is owned by Tempur Sealy. The property will be located within the 1,700-acre Austin Ranch master-planned community. Construction of the new building is scheduled to begin in February and to be complete in March 2023. Damian Rivera of ESRP represented Sherwood Bedding in the negotiations for the 10-year lease. George Billingsley represented the developer on an internal basis.
MRA Group Acquires Life Sciences Campus in Wilmington, Delaware, Begins $500M Redevelopment
by Katie Sloan
WILMINGTON, DEL. — MRA Group has acquired Chestnut Run Lab Campus, a 163-acre life sciences and manufacturing campus in Wilmington, from industrial engineering firm DuPont for an undisclosed price. MRA Group is underway on a $500 million redevelopment of the property, which is being rebranded the Chestnut Run Innovation & Science Park (CRISP). Located at 984 Centre Road, the development is currently home to 780,000 square feet of lab, research and advanced manufacturing space. Redevelopment plans for the campus include the addition of a hotel, fitness center, conference space, an outdoor amphitheater and restaurant space. The first renovated building is set to be delivered in late summer 2022. DuPont will continue to lease 190,000 square feet located across two buildings at the property. “We are excited to be back in Delaware with such an incredible opportunity,” says Lawrence Stuardi, founder and CEO of MRA Group. “Our vision for CRISP will set a new standard for innovative campus redevelopment in the region, as we believe it will become Delaware’s leading biotechnology and science hub.” Delaware has the fourth-highest concentration of science, engineering and health employees with doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in the nation, according to MRA. The CRISP campus marks …
HARRISON, N.J. — Urby, a joint venture between Ironstate Development and Brookfield Properties, has begun leasing its namesake multifamily property in the Northern New Jersey community of Harrison. The community consists of 381 units with studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Amenities include a pool, community garden, grilling areas, fitness center with a basketball court, rentable chef’s kitchen, dog run and an onsite café. Dutch architectural firm Concrete designed the community. Rents start at $1,935 per month for a studio apartment.
HUNT VALLEY, MD. — Merritt Properties has completed the speculative redevelopment of Schilling Green III, a 98,640-square-foot office building in Hunt Valley, about 17.9 miles north of Baltimore. Merritt aims for the project to achieve LEED Silver certification and fully open by late February 2022. Located at 226 Schilling Circle, Schilling Green III is a three-story office building that features a community lounge, outdoor patio and surface parking. The property was formerly home to McCormick & Co., a Hunt Valley, Md.-based spice and seasoning company. Now, University of Maryland Orthopaedics has signed on as the building’s first tenant and will move into 16,800 square feet of first-floor space for the use of medical offices, 16 exam rooms and a physical therapy center. The medical practice is relocating from Timonium, a city north of Baltimore. The Schilling Green III project completes Merritt’s Class A campus development at Schilling, which includes neighboring properties Schilling Green I and Schilling Green II. Schilling Green I and II are both LEED Platinum-certified buildings. The Schilling Green business park provides amenities such as an onsite fitness center, community lounge and an outdoor courtyard.
Public-Private Partnership Underway on 1,055-Bed Residence Hall at University of Washington Bothell
by Amy Works
BOTHELL, WASH. — Construction is underway on a 1,055-bed residence hall at the University of Washington Bothell. The community is being developed through a public-private partnership (P3) between the university, Capstone Development Partners and Harrison Street. The 300,000-square-foot development will replace Husky Village, an existing on-campus student housing community in Bothell, which is situated roughly 15 miles outside Seattle. The project will include three six-story residential buildings offering suites and apartments for both undergraduate and graduate students. The development will also include a 15,000-square-foot dining facility and 20,000 square feet of office space for university services and administration. Construction began in October on Phase I of the project, which is scheduled for completion in February 2023. Phase II of the development is set for delivery in August 2024. The community was designed by Mahlum Architects and is being constructed by Anderson Construction. Capstone Management Partners will operate and manage the community in coordination with the university upon completion. Capstone and Harrison Street have previously partnered on five P3 developments, including projects with Seattle University, the University of Chicago, Arizona State University Polytechnic, Cornish College of the Arts and the University of South Florida.
HOUSTON — A partnership between locally based developer Avera Cos. and AEW Capital Management will build Champions Park, a 242,021-square-foot industrial project that will be located in northwest Houston. The property will be situated on 14 acres and will feature 36-foot clear heights, ample car and trailer storage and build-to-suit office space. Completion is slated for the fourth quarter of next year. Cushman & Wakefield is leasing the development.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA. — GMH Communities, in partnership with AEW Capital Management, has broken ground on Caswell at Runnymeade, a 249-unit apartment community in Newtown Square, located about 15 miles west of Philadelphia. Units will come in one-, two- and three-bedroom formats and range in size from 805 to 1,623 square feet. Residences will feature private balconies/patios, stainless steel appliances, walk-in closets and energy-efficient appliances. Amenities will include a pool, outdoor grilling areas, a fitness center, movie theater, golf simulator, clubrooms, coworking space and a lounge area. Preleasing is scheduled to begin next winter, with full completion of the project slated for spring 2023.
FORT MONMOUTH, N.J. — A joint venture between New Jersey-based Somerset Development and PulteGroup will undertake a multifamily redevelopment project at the Lodging Area, a 15-acre site in Fort Monmouth, located in the central coastal part of the Garden State. The Lodging Area currently houses eight buildings, two of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, that will be repurposed into 36 affordable housing units. The development team will demolish the other six buildings to develop 144 townhomes. Including infrastructure such as a waterfront walkway, the project represents a total capital investment of about $30 million and is expected to generate more than 200 new construction jobs.