ATLANTA — Airbnb plans to open a technical hub in Atlanta by the end of 2021. The company did not disclose what area of Atlanta that it is going to occupy. The San Francisco-based lodging company originally made plans to open the hub in 2019 but had to stop development due to travel restrictions and the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, Airbnb had to let 25 percent of its team go. Now that travel is picking up again, Airbnb has decided to move forward with its East Coast expansion. Airbnb anticipates the hub will be home to one of its product developments teams and will become the regional base for hundreds of technical and non-technical roles over time. Atlanta was the city that Airbnb choose due to many factors, including strong educational infrastructure and supporting communities of color. If any economic incentives or credits are associated with the East Coast hub location, Airbnb plans to donate them back to Atlanta for community impact initiatives.
Georgia
GAINESVILLE, GA. — Cottrell, a locally based trailer manufacturer, will build a second manufacturing facility in Gainesville valued at $125 million. The 500,000-square-foot facility will serve as the Cottrell’s North Campus, adjacent to its existing South Campus in Hall County. Cottrell, which specializes in manufacturing trailers that haul cars (or auto haulers), opened its first facility in 1973 at 2125 Candler Road in Gainesville. The company expects land development and facility construction to take 24 to 30 months to complete and plans to break ground during the third quarter of 2021. Certain aspects of production will be transferred to the new North Campus facility when complete, while the existing buildings of the South Campus will be used to support future business growth. Cottrell currently employs more than 1,000 people at its Gainesville facility, and it is looking to hire more after the second facility is built. Kristi Brigman of Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) represented the Global Commerce Division on this project in partnership with the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, the City of Gainesville and Jackson EMC.
BRASELTON, GA. — Lee & Associates’ Atlanta office has arranged a 589,680-square-foot industrial lease at Park 85 Business Park in Braselton. Billy Snowden, Rick Tumlin and Mike Sutter of Lee & Associates represented the tenant, California-based Comptree Inc., in the lease transaction. Bob Currie, Brad Pope and Reed Davis of JLL represented the landlord, Los Angeles-based CBRE Global Investors. The newly built facility is located at 1380 Jesse Cronic Road in Atlanta’s I-85 Northeast submarket. This is the third Atlanta facility for Comptree, which specializes in the acquisition and distribution of furniture, outdoor accessories and printer media. The company supports e-commerce via websites Meritline and ABCink.
Dwight Capital Provides $40.5M in HUD Financing for Walton Westside Apartments in Atlanta
by John Nelson
ATLANTA — Dwight Capital has provided $40.5 million in HUD financing for Walton Westside, a 254-unit apartment community located at 790 Huff Road NW in Atlanta’s West Midtown. Built in 2014, Walton Westside has one residential building and one garage building. Community amenities include a rooftop patio with a gazebo, swimming pool, dog park, coffee shop and an outdoor fireplace. The property is located 15 miles from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Walton Westside is Energy-Star-certified, thus qualifying for HUD’s Green Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) reduction, which was set at 25 basis points. Brandon Baksh and Karnveer Bal of Dwight Capital originated the loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower. Dwight Capital LLC is a commercial real estate finance company based in New York.
America’s Realty, Partners Purchase River Exchange Shopping Center in Lawrenceville, Georgia for $19.3M
by John Nelson
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. — America’s Realty LCC, a Baltimore-based investment group, and investment partners Borough Equities and Dragon Fly Investments have purchased River Exchange, a 263,651-square-foot shopping center in Lawrenceville. The property is anchored by Kroger, which recently extended its lease by five years. John Tennant and Bryan Belk of Franklin Street represented the local owner, Monarch Investments, in the $19.3 million disposition. Marc Tropp of Eastern Union Funding arranged acquisition financing on behalf of the buyer. In addition to Kroger, River Exchange’s tenants include Goodwill, Farmers Home Furniture, Metro by T-Mobile, Citi Trends, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Hertz, Cato and One Main Financial, as well as a Kroger fuel center. River Exchange is located at 2100 Riverside Parkway about 29 miles from downtown Atlanta in Gwinnett County.
ATLANTA — Berkadia has brokered the $7.8 million sale of Arbor Gardens, a 102-unit multifamily property in Atlanta. Matthew White, Paul Vetter, Andrew Mays and Judy MacManus of Berkadia’s Atlanta office led the transaction on behalf of the seller, a joint venture between Atlantica and Auerbach Funds. Arbor Gardens sold to White Mountain Management, and the sales price equals to $76,471 per unit. The property was 99 percent occupied at the time of the sale. Built in 1973, Arbor Gardens is located at 5503 Riverdale Road in the Atlanta portion of Clayton County. The property is 3.4 miles south of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The community’s amenities include a swimming pool, playground, sports court and community garden. Atlantica is a real estate firm based in Atlanta, Auerbach Funds is a real estate private equity firm based in New York and White Mountain Management is an independent investment firm based in New Jersey.
Middle Street, PCCP Break Ground on 323-Unit Apartment Community in Atlanta’s Grant Park District
by John Nelson
ATLANTA — Middle Street Partners and equity partner Pacific Coast Capital Partners (PCCP) have broken ground on a 323-unit apartment community in Atlanta’s Grant Park district. Middle Street expects to finish the property in 2023, with the first residences available in November 2022. Brock Hudgins Architects is spearheading design, and J.M. Wilkerson Construction Co. is the general contractor. Middle Street Partners, a Charleston-based real estate investment and development company, paid $6.9 million for the land. The property is located on the Atlanta BeltLine’s expanding Southside Trail at 1015 Boulevard SE. The six-story apartment community will feature a combination of studio, one- and two- bedroom units with an average of 729 square feet. The property will also have 5,000 square feet of direct BeltLine frontage retail and commercial space, as well as an underground parking garage. In line with the City of Atlanta’s Inclusionary Zoning policy, 15 percent of the homes will be available at 80 percent area median income (AMI). The unnamed property’s units will feature designer cabinetry and lighting, quartz countertops, stainless steel and gas appliances, island sinks and top-control dishwashers, along with dedicated office spaces designed with new work-from-home policies in mind. Community amenities include a 24-hour fitness …
Duke Realty Signs Ashley Furniture to 336,960 SF Lease Extension in East Point, Georgia
by John Nelson
EAST POINT, GA. — Duke Realty’s Atlanta office has acquired a larger space at Camp Creek Business Center in East Point and signed a lease extension and expansion with Ashley Furniture Industries LLC, a current tenant at the park. Ashley Furniture will be the sole occupant of the 336,960-square-foot facility located at 4505 N. Commerce Drive. Jeff Maris of Ashley Furniture explained why the furniture company decided to move. “Four years ago, we found the space at Camp Creek Business Center and our needs were met. In 2020, as we experienced increased demand and company growth, Duke Realty was able to help us find additional space very quickly and with limited disruption,” said Maris. Duke Realty’s Camp Creek development in East Point is 98 percent leased to tenants including FedEx, Amazon, Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Home Depot. Duke Realty is an industrial-only property REIT based in Indianapolis.
SMYRNA, GA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $9.5 million sale of the 71,273-square-foot Promenade Shopping Center in Atlanta. Tim Giambrone of Marcus & Millichap’s The Giambrone Group represented both the buyer and the seller in the transaction. The undisclosed buyer was a private investor located in Central Florida, and the seller was Charles Lotz, a Tennessee-based developer who originally built the center in 1983. Promenade Shopping Center is located at 930 Cobb Parkway S., just north of the Interstate-285 and Interstate-75 exchange. Best Buy is a shadow anchor for the center. Promenade’s tenants include Scalini’s Italian Restaurant, West Marine, Juicy Crab, Chow King and T-Mobile, as well as a Bruster’s outparcel. The Giambrone Group of Marcus & Millichap is a real estate investment brokerage based in Atlanta.
ATLANTA — Chicken Salad Chick, a Southern-inspired, fast-casual chicken salad restaurant chain, will relocate its headquarters from Auburn, Ala., to Atlanta. The move is slated to take place during the first quarter. Chicken Salad Chick’s new office will be located in the city’s Vinings district at the Overlook II building, which is situated at 2839 Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta. The company’s new office is 21 miles north of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Scott Deviney, president and CEO of Chicken Salad Chick, says the company’s decision to move to Atlanta is the next step in its growth model. “This relocation positions Chicken Salad Chick to scale at an accelerated rate and meet aggressive growth goals, while allowing us to broaden our vision for the future,” says Deviney. “We’ve seen increased interest from Atlanta’s diverse and talented workforce, and the city’s airport allows us swift access to prospective vendors and a growing pool of interested franchisees.” Chicken Salad Chick isn’t the first restaurant chain to target Atlanta in order to grow. In September, Papa John’s announced it was moving its regional headquarters to Atlanta. The pizza giant chose The Battery Atlanta for its new offices. The new headquarters will house …