CHICAGO — JLL Capital Markets has arranged a $153 million loan for the refinancing of 123 North Wacker, a 33-story office tower in Chicago’s central business district. The 550,000-square-foot building is situated in the West Loop submarket. The property has undergone more than $33 million in capital improvements over the past few years, including a reimagined lobby, a new tenant lounge and barista bar. Additional amenities include a conference center, fitness center, bike room and private rooftop terrace. The occupancy rate was not disclosed, but the property is home to 36 tenants. Keith Largay and Lucas Borges of JLL arranged the five-year, floating-rate bridge loan on behalf of the borrower, LaSalle Investment Management’s Income & Growth Fund Series. Mesa West Capital provided a $37 million mezzanine loan. LaSalle has owned the building since early 2017.
Illinois
CHICAGO — Frontline Real Estate Partners LLC, Carr Realty Advisors LLC and Stillwater Advisory Group Inc. have formed a new joint venture known as Frontline Real Estate Partners- Shopping Mall and Lifestyle Division. The venture will provide its clients with receivership, property and asset management, and leasing and disposition services for malls and lifestyle centers. “We have all seen the downturn of malls in recent years, with low occupancy levels and retailers going into bankruptcy. The pandemic expedited that even more,” says Matthew Tarshis, principal of Frontline. “We felt the urgency to form this new joint venture to provide real estate solutions for the distressed portion of this niche asset class.” Tarshis is joined by Joey Carr of Carr Realty and Chris Facas of Stillwater. All three real estate firms are based in Chicago.
EAST PEORIA, ILL. — Slumberland Furniture will open a new store at the former Gordmans space at The Levee District in East Peoria. The regional furniture retailer will occupy 50,221 square feet and will become an anchor tenant at the development. Slumberland offers a large selection of mattresses, bedding, living room furniture, recliners, tables, bedroom furniture, home entertainment and desks. Owned and managed by Cullinan Properties Ltd., The Levee District spans more than 86 acres with 650,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, as well as office, hotel and civic components.
WHEELING, ILL. — Marcus & Millichap has negotiated the sale of Creekside Plaza in Wheeling for $2 million. The 31,460-square-foot retail center is located at 200-300 McHenry Road. Some of the tenants include a beauty salon, dry cleaners and dentist office. Adrian Mendoza, Austin Weisenbeck and Sean Sharko of Marcus & Millichap marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a limited liability company. The team also secured and represented the buyer, a Chicago-based 1031 exchange investor.
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Morgan Properties, Olayan America Acquire 14,414-Unit Apartment Portfolio Across Midwest, Southeast for $1.7B
KING OF PRUSSIA, PA. — Morgan Properties and Olayan America have acquired a portfolio of 48 apartment communities totaling 14,414 units in 11 states for $1.7 billion. STAR Real Estate Ventures, a joint venture between El-Ad National Properties LLC and Yellowstone Portfolio Trust, was the seller. The portfolio, named the North Star Portfolio, consists of Class B assets in Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Maryland. On average, the communities total 300 units each and date to 1985. “While most of our competitors remain defensive and on the sidelines, Morgan Properties continues to play offense. North Star was right in our wheelhouse given the barriers to entry and we pounced on the opportunity to secure it,” says Jonathan Morgan, president of Morgan Properties. “The North Star investment speaks to the strength of our partnership with Morgan Properties and our continued confidence in the multifamily sector,” says Erik Horvat, managing director and head of real estate at Olayan America. The buyers plan to invest an additional $100 million for enhancements and amenity upgrades at the properties. With the North Star acquisition, Morgan and Olayan entered five new states, including Florida, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana and …
CHICAGO — J.C. Anderson has completed an office buildout for Ascend Technologies LLC at 200 W. Adams St. in Chicago. Ascend relocated from 222 W. Adams St. The company was created in March 2020 after private equity firm M/C Partners acquired both West Monroe Partners’ managed services division and Gratia Inc. The new office space features open areas, private offices, boardrooms, a lounge and café. Garnett provided architectural services.
ORLAND PARK, ILL. — Quantum Real Estate Advisors Inc. has brokered the sale of a single-tenant property occupied by Arby’s in Orland Park for nearly $1.4 million. The building is located at 15765 S. Harlem Ave. Dan Waszak and Zack Hilgendorf of Quantum represented the seller, a California-based development group that redeveloped the former Taco Bell space. A California-based private investor was the buyer.
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, ILL. — Premier Design + Build Group is nearing completion of a two-building industrial development in Elk Grove Village. Seefried Industrial Properties is the developer. The project is located at 202-228 E. Devon Ave. near Chicago O’Hare International Airport and several major highways. Building 1 spans 79,290 square feet while Building 2 totals 83,052 square feet. Each of the buildings will feature two drive-in doors, 12 dock doors and ESFR systems. The project team included Harris Architects Inc. and civil engineer Jacob & Hefner. Premier expects to complete construction by March 1.
ITASCA, ILL. — J.C. Anderson is completing a 55,000-square-foot office buildout for Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America Inc. at 250 E. Devon Ave. in Itasca. The health and wellness company is relocating from 1300 N. Arlington Heights Road, also in Itasca. Scheduled for completion in March, the new space will feature a culinary kitchen with video capabilities for hosting virtual demonstrations. It will also house laboratory space for research and development activities. Shive-Hattery served as architect and JLL provided project management services.
ROMEOVILLE, ILL. — Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W) has announced plans for a 1.2 million-square-foot fulfillment center on a 60-acre tract in Romeoville, located along the Interstate 55 corridor about 30 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin this spring with a projected opening date of mid-2022. The Boston-based online furniture retailer anticipates hiring about 250 people on a full-time basis at the facility, with that figure expected to grow to as many as 500 positions over time. The new facility will be located on Renwick Road near the Lewis University Airport. As part of the development, the Village of Romeoville partnered with Illinois State Sen. John Connor to secure funding for a road extension from Airport Road to Renwick Road. “Our new fulfillment center in Romeoville will enable us to further scale our shopping experience to meet the needs of our rapidly growing customer base in the greater Chicago region and across the U.S.,” says Thomas Netzer, COO of Wayfair. “Online retail continues to be the dominant force in the market today,” adds Romeoville Mayor John Noak. “Facilities such as this are large property and sales tax generators, which provide additional funding to our …