ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA. — Summit Contracting Group has started construction on Antigua Apartments, a $22.6 million multifamily community located in St. Augustine. The project team includes Atlanta-based developer Catalyst Development Partners and Dallas-based architect Humphreys & Partners Architects. The 249-unit community will be located adjacent to Antigua on Anastasia Island, a master-planned mixed-use development that Catalyst is also developing. Antigua Apartments will feature a resort-style pool, outdoor kitchen with grilling stations, clubhouse with media lounge, coworking spaces, dog grooming spa, dog park, fitness center and green spaces. The development team plans to wrap up construction on the community in summer 2019.
TAMPA, FLA. — Aztec Group Inc. has arranged a $5.9 million loan for the acquisition of Westshore Center, a 77,000-square-foot office building located at 405 N. Reo St. in Tampa’s Westshore submarket. Jason Shapiro and Sean Harrington of Aztec Group arranged the seven-year, fixed-rate loan on behalf of the borrower, Reo Center Tampa LLC. The company, which acquired the property for $9.5 million, is led by Allen de Olazarra, who is also chairman and CEO of Commercial Florida Properties and Equitable Real Estate Partners. The three-story building features 25,000-square-foot floor plates, a two-story parking deck and an on-site café. The new ownership plans to renovate and reposition the property.
ORLANDO, FLA. — HFF has arranged the $39.2 million sale of Resource Square One and Three, a two-building office portfolio in Orlando. The buildings are located at 13501 Ingenuity Drive and 12001 Research Parkway within Orlando’s Central Florida Research Park, which is adjacent to the University of Central Florida. Hermen Rodriguez, Ike Ojala, Tracey Goo and Anthony Frogameni of HFF arranged the transaction on behalf of the sellers, an affiliate of Banyan Street Capital and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management LP. The HFF team also procured the buyer, an affiliate of TerraCap Management LLC. The three-story Resource Square One totals 91,667 square feet and was built in 1999. Resource Square Three spans five stories and totals 152,882 square feet. The property was constructed in 2003. Collectively, the portfolio was 84.9 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as General Dynamics, AVNET, Cisco Systems and Raytheon.
SARASOTA, FLA. — JLL has secured a 281,276-square-foot lease for Windward Design Group, a manufacturer of outdoor furniture, at an industrial facility in Sarasota. Located at 2150 Whitfield Ave., the property will allow Windward Design Group to expand and consolidate its seven locations into one manufacturing and distribution facility. The property was initially built in 1967 and expanded upon in stages beginning in 1990 specifically for outdoor furniture manufacturing. The building includes 18,000 square feet of office and showroom space and 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Approximately 65,0000 square feet of the warehouse is air-conditioned. Gary Godsey and Scott Altieri of JLL negotiated the lease with the property’s landlord, Daylion, on behalf of Windward Design Group. Originally known as Royal Patio Manufacturing, the company produces over 35 collections, a full line of replacement cushions and employs more than 130 people.
BOYNTON BEACH, FLA. — American Landmark has acquired High Ridge Landing, a 184-unit multifamily community in Palm Beach County’s Boynton Beach. The sales price was not disclosed, but the South Florida Business Journal reports High Ridge Housing LLC, an affiliate of Eastwind Development, sold the property for $41.9 million, or $227,717 per unit. Mitch Sinberg, Matt Robbins, Bob Falese, Matt Cullison and Wes Moczul of Berkadia arranged a 10-year Freddie Mac loan on behalf of American Landmark. Built in 2017, High Ridge Landing features a mix of one- to three-bedroom units with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, walk-in closets, private balconies and detached garages. Community amenities include a yoga and spin studio, swimming pool, electric car charging stations, fitness center and a business center. American Landmark will invest $500,000 in additional upgrades at the property, including improvements to the clubhouse, improving the pool area with a grill space and new furniture, adding a Wi-Fi café, upgrades to the fitness center and landscaping.
MIAMI BEACH AND BAY HARBOR ISLANDS, FLA. — Berkadia has arranged a $20.4 million bridge loan for the refinancing of five apartment communities located in South Florida’s Miami Beach and Bay Harbor Island. Charles Foschini, Christopher Apone and Shannon Wilson of Berkadia arranged the two-year, floating-rate loan through LoanCore Capital Funding Corp. LLC on behalf of the borrower, Boardwalk Properties. The properties included in the 108-unit portfolio are: 1600 and 1606 W. Ave. in Miami Beach; 9200, 9270, 10150 and 10190 E. Bay Harbor Drive in Bay Harbor Islands, and 1075 101st St., also in Bay Harbor Islands.
MIAMI — Doral, Fla.-based Biscayne Bay Brewing Co. has unveiled plans to open a second location at the Old United States Post Office and Courthouse building in downtown Miami. Originally constructed in the early 1900s, the building was designated a historical site in 1989. The new brewery will occupy 6,500 square feet on the third floor of the building, where The Miami Weather Bureau Office was once located. Post Office Development LLC, managed by Daniel Peña, is overseeing the redevelopment of the building. Peña, a principal of Stambul Construction Co., led the restoration of the Eurostars Langford Hotel — previously Miami National Bank. Biscayne Bay will open its new location at the building this winter. The brewery’s flagship facility is located at 8000 N.W. 25th St. in Doral.
Economic growth in Tampa Bay continues at an impressive pace, driven by strong population and employment growth over the past several years. The unemployment rate has steadily declined, dropping 110 basis points from December 2016 to a current 3.4 percent, and the strong pace of job growth continues with a rise in non-farm employment of 35,000 new jobs during the trailing 12-month period ending December 2017. As a result, leasing activity has increased, rental rates continue to show incremental growth and there is a strong likelihood of new speculative office construction in the coming year. Major corporations continue to reaffirm their confidence in Tampa with significant announcements of planned corporate expansions by MetLife, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), AAA and USAA during the second half of 2017. In fact, the Tampa Bay metropolitan area ranked as one of the top 20 “U.S. Markets to Watch” for overall real estate prospects in the Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2018 report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land Institute. Investment Activity Many investors who in years past were seeking opportunities in gateway markets are now turning their attention to secondary markets like the Tampa Bay area in search of higher yields. There were several …
DELRAY BEACH, FLA. — The City of Delray Beach has unanimously approved Hudson Holdings LLC’s plan for the development of Midtown Delray Beach, a 400,000-square-foot mixed-use development. The $135 million project will span parts of four city blocks in Delray Beach and will feature retail, restaurant, office and residential space, as well as a hotel. Approved by city commissioners at 5-0, the development will include eight restored historic structures that will be revived under the guidance of the Delray Beach Historic Preservation Board. In addition, Midtown Delray Beach will feature a public courtyard that will serve as a central meeting place in downtown Delray. Historic preservation architect Rick Gonzales is designing the project. A construction timeline was not disclosed.
SARASOTA, FLA. — Passco. Cos. has purchased Springs at Bee Ridge, a 360-unit, Class A apartment community located at 5900 Wilkinson Road in Sarasota. The Irvine, Calif.-based company purchased the newly constructed property from the developer, Continental Properties, for $77.5 million. Jamie May of JBM Institutional Multifamily Advisors represented both parties in the transaction, and Chris Black and Caleb Marten of KeyBank Real Estate Capital arranged acquisition financing. Passco plans to rebrand the community as Longitude 82°. This acquisition brings the privately held company’s Florida portfolio to nine properties totaling more than 2,700 units, including an asset in Estero named Longitude 81° that the company also purchased from Continental Properties. Amenities at Longitude 82° include a saltwater swimming pool with a sun deck, poolside kitchen, grills and a firepit; 24-hour fitness center; resident clubhouse and lounge; conference room; coffee bar and catering kitchen; two leash-free dog parks; pet grooming station; car wash area and gated entry.