ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. — JLL has arranged a $48 million construction loan for the third phase of Riverwalk, a project that will add 240 luxury rental units to the local supply of Elmwood Park, located in Bergen County. The previous phases of the Riverwalk master-planned community featured 158 units within two buildings that were constructed between 2012 and 2014, as well as retail, office and medical office space. The third phase will also include amenities such as a fitness center, business center, pool and clubhouse. Thomas Didio and Thomas Didio Jr. of JLL arranged the financing through Investors Bank and Provident Bank. Leasing is expected to begin in 18 to 24 months.
Development
CHICAGO — KBS has begun a $22 million renovation project at Accenture Tower, a 40-story office building in downtown Chicago. Planned upgrades include a new lobby, conference center, tenant lounge and an outdoor deck with a fire pit and bar area. Chicago-based GREC Architects designed the renovation plans. In addition to the building upgrades, KBS is adding 90,000 square feet of spec suites, which involves building out tenant suites without a committed tenant. Originally built in 1987, Accenture Tower spans nearly 1.5 million square feet. It features a 14,000-square-foot fitness center and more than 20 dining options. Its first two levels feature 80,000 square feet of retail space. Commercial real estate owner KBS is working with Leonardo Cos. on the planned upgrades. Wendy Katz and Matt Lerner of Stream Realty are the leasing agents for the property.
GREENFIELD, IND. — Muesing Management Co. Inc. will develop Preserve at Blue Road, a 348-unit workforce housing property in the metro Indianapolis community of Greenfield. Project plans call for 19 buildings on 28 acres. Units will range in size from 541 to 1,400 square feet. Amenities will include a pool, outdoor kitchen, fitness center, dog park, clubhouse and walking trails. Mortgage banking company Merchants Capital provided financing for the project. A timeline for construction was not disclosed.
CHICAGO — James McHugh Construction Co. and Crea Construction have completed interior renovations to more than 150 units at Prairie Shores, a five-tower apartment complex in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. Located on 20 acres at 2801-3001 S. Martin Luther King Drive, Prairie Shores includes a total of 1,675 units and is undergoing a multi-phase renovation. The property was developed from 1957 to 1961. Golub & Co. and Farpoint Development, along with Goldman Sachs, purchased the asset in 2019. McHugh and Crea are overseeing the installation of new appliances, countertops, flooring, plumbing, fixtures and lighting, as well as electrical system upgrades and painting. Designed by Evanston, Ill.-based Kaufman & O’Neil, the renovated units feature white cabinetry and granite countertops in the kitchens as well as more open floor plans.
BELLEVUE, WASH. — Skanska has announced a $476 million investment in The Eight, a previously announced, 25-story office tower at the intersection of Northeast 8th Street and 108th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue. The project is Skanska’s sixth development in the Greater Seattle area and its second project in Bellevue since starting operations in the region in 2011. Construction is slated to begin in June, with completion scheduled for fourth-quarter 2023. The investment includes a construction contract worth approximately $270 million. The 540,000-square-foot development will include a 3,190-square-foot private rooftop deck, seven alternating indoor/outdoor exterior balconies, 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and four levels of below-grade parking with valet services and electric-car charging stations.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — A partnership between Chicago-based Magellan Development Group, BLG Capital Advisors, Geolo Capital and Wanxiang America Real Estate Group has begun leasing Sienna at The Thompson, a 331-unit apartment complex in Austin. The residences will be located on floors 15 through 31 of the 212-room Thompson Hotel building that is under construction in downtown Austin. Units will feature studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans and will be furnished with quartz countertops and backsplashes, stainless steel appliances and kitchen islands. Residents will have access to indoor and outdoor amenities that will be shared with hotel guests, including a pool, fitness center, business lounge, rooftop deck, 24-hour concierge services and a dog run. The building will also house multiple food and beverage concepts and a four-story underground parking garage. The average rent is $2,636 per month, and move-ins are expected to begin in late summer.
UPPER MARLBORO, MD. — Phillips Realty Capital has secured $58 million in debt and equity financing for the construction of St. Joseph Apartments, a four-story, 268-unit multifamily project in Upper Marlboro. Mark Remington and Alec Jenkins of Phillips Realty arranged a $45.1 million construction loan through United Bank on behalf of the borrower, Varsity Investment Group. Additionally, Remington and Jenkins sourced a $12.8 million preferred equity investment by FCP. St. Joseph Apartments will be located one mile from the Largo Metro Station and near Woodmore Town Center, which has a Wegmans, Costco and Best Buy. Phillips Realty Capital is Bethesda, Md.-based commercial real estate finance firm. Varsity Investment Group is a commercial real estate development company specializing in student housing, market-rate, mixed-use and retail development. United Bank is a community bank and subsidiary of United Bankshares Inc.
MINNEAPOLIS — CBRE has arranged a $165 million joint venture partnership between United Properties and PCCP for the development of an 11-building industrial portfolio. The properties will total 1.4 million square feet across the Minneapolis, Denver and Austin markets. The joint venture has the potential to carry into a second phase of development with an additional 18 buildings totaling 2.3 million square feet, according to CBRE. Judd Welliver, Sonja Dusil, Ryan Watts, Bentley Smith and Tom Holtz of CBRE Minneapolis led the team that arranged the partnership on behalf of United Properties, which is based in Minneapolis. PCCP, formerly known as Pacific Coast Capital Partners, is an investment manager with offices in New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and Los Angeles.
WHITESTOWN, IND. — Milhaus and partner Humphreys Capital have broken ground on Milhaus Whitestown, a $40 million apartment community in Whitestown, about 15 miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis. Located at 7279 S. Indianapolis Road, the project will include 240 units, 440 surface parking spaces and 40 garage parking spaces. Amenities will include an 8,600-square-foot clubhouse, fitness center, pool, dog park, pickleball court and outdoor lounge. The project team includes CSO as architect, HWC Engineering as engineer and Mitsch Design as interior designer. Completion is slated for May 2022.
FREDERICK, MD. — Matan will open a U.S. manufacturing facility in Frederick for the digital diagnostics company, Ellume. Once fully operational, the facility will have the capacity to produce 19 million Ellume COVID-19 Home Tests per month. The facility is on track to begin limited operation in the second half of 2021, and will be Ellume’s first U.S. located facility. The Ellume COVID-19 Home Test was the first rapid COVID-19 self-test to be granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for both asymptomatic and symptomatic use without a prescription. In February, Ellume announced a $231.8 million investment from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to accelerate production of its COVID-19 home tests. The agreement provided funding to support the establishment of Ellume’s first U.S. manufacturing facility. As part of this agreement, Ellume will provide 8.5 million COVID-19 home tests to the U.S. government by end of the year. Ellume’s U.S. operation will include two manufacturing facilities totaling more than 180,000 square feet that Matan Progress Labs is developing. Matan, a Washington, D.C.-based commercial real estate development firm, says the company will deliver the first two buildings in …