JOLIET, ILL. — Lion Electric Co., a Canadian manufacturer of all-electric buses and trucks, has unveiled plans to build its first-ever U.S. manufacturing facility in Joliet. A minimum of $70 million will be invested to build a new facility dedicated to producing electric vehicles. The 900,000-square-foot project is expected to come online in the second half of 2022. Annual production capacity is estimated at 20,000 zero-emission vehicles per year, creating at least 745 jobs for Illinoisans. Lion is known for its production of electric school buses. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity worked with the state’s public-private economic development partner, Intersect Illinois, to put together a site selection process that involved both virtual and in-person site visits, economic analysis and coordination with local officials and utilities. Lion has qualified for the state’s EDGE incentive program, a tool to support companies making large-scale capital investments that lead to significant job creation.
MCKINNEY, TEXAS — Developer Craig International has unveiled plans for District 121, a $250 million mixed-use project that will be located on 17.5 acres next to the Craig Ranch master-planned community in McKinney. Phase I of the project consists of a 200,000-square-foot office building by Kaizen Development that is currently under construction, as well as 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, an 800-space parking garage and green space known as The Commons. District 121 will eventually include 520,000 square feet of office space and a hotel. SHOP Cos. has been tapped to lease the retail and restaurant space.
NORMAN, OKLA. — Lambert, a hospitality development and management firm, has broken ground on the NOUN Hotel, a boutique property that will be situated near the University of Oklahoma’s campus in the downtown area. The hotel will 92 guestrooms, including two 900-square-foot suites, as well as a banquet room and several bars with indoor and outdoor seating. Completion is slated for summer 2022.
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — New Jersey-based Sharbell Development Corp. has broken ground on Downtown Nexton, an urban-inspired mixed-use development in Summerville. Downtown Nexton will be situated on nearly 100 acres between Sigma Drive and Brighton Park Boulevard, about 24 miles away from Charleston. Upon completion, Downtown Nexton will provide retail, dining, hospitality, residential, service, office and commercial options. The first phase of the Downtown Nexton project is slated to be completed in 2022 and will include multifamily residences, a mixed-use building with loft apartments above ground-level retail and several outparcels. In addition, Phase I will feature various walking trails, pocket parks and two ponds with walking trails on the north and south sides of the development. Downtown Nexton will offer over 110,000 square feet of both for-sale and rental office space within several two-story office buildings. The buildings will feature parking, multiple entry points, green space and Nexton’s GigaFi internet services. CBRE’s Charleston office will market the office component for lease. The project will also include three apartment parcels, each with their own amenity packages. One of these parcels is intended to be an age-restricted (55-plus) upscale rental community. Additionally, some of the mixed-use buildings will include upper-floor lofts. Amenities for …
NEWPORT, N.J. — The LeFrak Organization, a family-owned development firm, has begun leasing The Beach, a 336-unit multifamily community in Newport, located across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan. Designed by HLW Architects, the waterfront property offers studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units with private terraces or balconies. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, coworking lounge, dog park, package lockers, children’s play area, library, game room and a rooftop lounge with a wet bar. Rents start at $2,450 per month for a studio apartment.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. — The Latigo Group, a residential developer based in Los Angeles, is nearing completion of The Pomelo, a new, seven-story mid-rise multifamily community in Miami Gardens. The property will feature 259 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, all with modern finishes. Designed by local interior designer Moniomo, The Pomelo will feature keyless entry, smart thermostats, custom kitchen cabinetry and quartz counters. Community amenities will include a pool, pool deck, clubhouse, fitness center, yoga and spin studio and a business center. Units are priced between $1,595 and $2,590 per month, based on room-count and layout particulars, with square footages spanning from 714 to 1,127 square feet. Latigo chose Greystar to manage the property, which is set to open this summer.
LOS ANGELES — Aedis Real Estate Group and C.W. Driver Cos. have broken ground on Hope on Hyde Park, an affordable transitional housing community in Los Angeles. The development is supported by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and Brilliant Corners, a nonprofit. Situated along the Crenshaw Corridor, the five-story property will offer 98 studio and one-bedroom modular units, ranging in size from 400 square feet to 480 square feet, for residents experiencing chronic homelessness. Units will feature modern design, hardwood flooring, contemporary furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows. Community amenities will include a central courtyard, outdoor community space, on-site parking for social services staff, bike storage for residents, residential and support services and ground-floor retail space, as well as access to the new K Line, an 8.5-mile light rail that connects the Crenshaw district to Leimert Park, Inglewood and the Los Angeles International Airport. KTGY is serving as architect for the project, which is slated for completion in summer 2022.
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. — The Breeden Co., a locally based real estate development firm, has broken ground on The Pinnacle on 31st Street, a $66 million multifamily project situated on 2.3 acres in Virginia Beach. The Pinnacle on 31st Street will offer 240 one-, two- and three-bedroom luxury apartments, including several penthouse layouts. Units will range in size from 775 to 1,391 square feet and will be available in early 2023. Community amenities will include a clubhouse with a resort-style lobby, coworking spaces, 24-hour fitness center, multiple rooftop lounges, rooftop dog park, pool with a lazy river and multiple lounge areas. Breeden Construction will serve as general contractor on the project. The Breeden Co.’s property management division will operate The Pinnacle on 31st Street once construction is complete.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Frampton Construction Co. LLC, a full-service construction firm, has completed work on The Quin, a five-story office building located at 1940 Algonquin Road in Charleston. White Point is the developer for the project, and JLL is handling the leasing of the building. The Quin is a 110,000-square-foot, Class A property that sits on a four-acre site and features a four-story, 125,748-square-foot parking deck with approximately 300 spaces. Located at Meeting Street and Algonquin Road, The Quin is the first phase of a larger, 10-acre mixed-use development. One of the first tenants for the property is Interior Elements. Designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, the building is constructed of structural steel with exterior finishes of glass, brick, stucco, metal panels and canopies. The parking deck was constructed of pre-cast concrete and features mesh paneling on the two visible sides. The building’s ground floor includes retail space, shower facilities and offices. The top four floors each comprise 22,000 square feet of office space. Additionally, a bike repair center sits at the base of the parking deck, and a public courtyard amenity area featuring a ping pong table, putting green and outdoor seating sits between the office building and parking …
DALLAS — Private developers and twin brothers Blake and Brandon Shirk are nearing completion of the SOVA Hotel in downtown Dallas. The boutique hotel will incorporate elements from all over the world, with guests staying in 39 micro rooms that feature elements representing 50 different countries and cultures. Construction began in late October 2020.