When the pandemic engulfed the world last year, few analysts predicted that the multifamily sector would flourish and thrive so well. Most suspected that the sector would be on life support. Yet, despite a year-long national eviction moratorium, there hasn’t been a better time to be a big apartment-building landlord. Multifamily-property values have increased 13 percent since before the pandemic and more money is being invested now in apartment buildings than in any other type of commercial real estate. How did this happen and what explains this? Lee & Associates’ research will delve into why the multifamily sector, contrary to past predictions and present-day misperceptions, is flourishing as never before. 1. Measured on an annual basis, national asking rents rose 10.3 percent in August. That marked the first double-digit increase in the more than 20 years the data of 13 million professionally managed apartments has been collected, and in several cities, the rent increases were much more significant than the national figure.[1] August rents rose more than 20 percent year-over-year in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Tampa. Similarly, monthly rents were up more than 20 percent in comparable markets such as Boise, Idaho and Naples, Florida. 2. Multiple factors explain this …
Leasing Activity
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — Accessories retailer Party City will relocate its corporate headquarters to 100 Tice Boulevard, a 208,911-square-foot office building located in the Northern New Jersey community of Woodcliff Lake. The company is consolidating its current headquarters offices in Rockaway and Elmsford, New York, into one location beginning next year. Ben Brenner of Cushman & Wakefield and Harlan Hollander of Savills represented Party City in the lease negotiations. Joe Sarno Sr., Jon Meisel and Jeff Babikian of CBRE represented the landlord, Signature Acquisitions.
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — Northwell Health, New York State’s largest health provider and private employer, has signed eight lease renewals totaling 32,413 square feet for an additional 10 years in Lake Success, located in Nassau County on Long Island. The practices of Northwell, which include primary care, gastroenterology and pulmonary disease, are spread among multiple floors at 2001 Marcus Avenue, a 214,000-square-foot medical office building. Kevin Driscoll represented the landlord, The Feil Organization, in the lease negotiations on an internal basis. Tom Ruggiero and Brian Palumbo provided in-house legal counsel to Feil, while David Leno provided counsel to Northwell Health on an internal basis.
CHICAGO — The Motion Agency has signed a 19,681-square-foot office lease at the Reid Murdoch Building located at 325 N. LaSalle Drive in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The creative communications agency had been a subtenant in the space since summer 2018. Built in 1913, the property spans 325,000 square feet. Dougal Jeppe of Colliers Chicago represented the tenant in the lease transaction. Landlord information was not provided.
NORWICH, CONN. — Solar Seal, a manufacturer of insulated glass units, has signed a 201,000-square-foot industrial lease at 40 Wisconsin Ave. in Norwich, located in Connecticut’s New London County. According to LoopNet Inc., the property was built on 25 acres in 1980 and features a clear height of 28 feet. Nicholas Morizio and Sean Kumnick of Colliers represented the tenant and the landlord, an affiliate of Massachusetts-based Grossman Cos., in the lease negotiations.
KBS Signs Three Tenants, Completes Renovations at 175,262 SF McEwen Building in Metro Nashville
by John Nelson
FRANKLIN, TENN. — KBS has signed three new tenants at The McEwen Building, a 175,262-square-foot office and retail property in Franklin, about 21.5 miles south of Nashville. Together the three tenants occupy 66,611 square feet. One of the new tenants, Kaiser Aluminum Corp., a global aluminum supplier, has committed to 27,356 square feet of office space. Kaiser will be relocating its corporate functions from Foothill Ranch, Calif. American Renal Associates LLC, a Massachusetts-based dialysis clinic operator, signed a 26,695-square-foot lease. Lastly, an undisclosed financial institution based locally signed a lease for 12,560 square feet, which includes 1,290 square feet for retail and 11,270 square feet of first-floor office space. The lease transaction occurred after KBS made investments to the property, including the completion of 24,130 square feet of built-out spec suite space and upgrades to the first and second floor lobbies, restrooms, coffee bar and café. Blake Newton of Cushman & Wakefield represented KBS in the recent leasing transactions. Rick Sherburne, Wesley Sherburne and Taylor Hillenmeyer of CBRE represented Kaiser Aluminum Corp., Tom Hooper of JLL represented American Renal Associates and Shane Douglas of Colliers represented the local financial institution in the negotiation of the leases. KBS also completed a …
GOODLETTSVILLE, TENN. — Dollar General (NYSE: DG) has unveiled plans to open approximately 1,000 new Popshelf stores by the end of fiscal year 2025, including roughly 100 stores in fiscal year 2022. Each Popshelf store spans approximately 9,000 square feet and offers seasonal and home décor, health and beauty products, cleaning supplies and party goods. The target customer is primarily female, lives in the suburbs and maintains an annual household income ranging from $50,000 to $125,000, according to the retailer. Dollar General, which is based in Goodlettsville near Nashville, debuted the Popshelf concept last fall and opened its first two stores in Tennessee in October 2020. At the end of its fiscal third quarter, Dollar General operated 30 Popshelf stores in six states and 14 store-within-a-store formats, which combine the offerings of Popshelf with DG Market, a larger footprint store that focuses on groceries. By February 2022, Popshelf is on track for 50 stores, as well as up to 25 store-within-a-store formats. “Throughout Popshelf’s first year, we’ve been very pleased by the customer demand for the concept’s on-trend merchandise, price points and shopping experience,” says Emily Taylor, Dollar General’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. “Popshelf is an integral …
OVERLAND PARK, KAN. — Global payment solutions company EML has signed a lease to relocate its North American corporate headquarters to Aspiria in Overland Park. The company signed an 11,773-square-foot office lease and will occupy space on the fourth floor of Building 6100. The tenant is working with Aspiria’s owner, Occidental Management, to update the space. Occupancy is slated for April 2022. Chad Stafford and Hunter Johnson of Occidental and RC Jensen and Bryan Johnson of Colliers handled the lease transaction. Occidental plans to develop the 60 acres surrounding the Aspiria campus. Plans call for 1 million square feet of Class A office space, 380,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a 120-room hotel and 600 multifamily units. Design planning for the long-term project has begun.
HOUSTON — Locally based provider UT Physicians has signed a 139,243-square-foot healthcare lease at Bellaire Station, a 389,826-square-foot medical office building in Houston’s Bellaire submarket. Lisa Bovermann of Transwestern represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. Justin Brasell, Doug Little and Ashley Cassel, also with Transwestern, represented the landlord, Capital Commercial Investments Inc. The property was recently converted from an office to a medical office use.
STAMFORD, CONN. — Digital Currency Group, which invests in bitcoin and other blockchain technology companies, has signed a 90,000-square-foot office lease in Stamford. The company will occupy two floors at Shippan Landing, a 17-acre, six-building waterfront office campus that is owned by a joint venture between an affiliate of Rubenstein Partners LP and George Comfort & Sons. The lease term is 12 years, and Digital Currency Group plans to relocate from 250 Park Avenue in Manhattan in late 2022. Michael Mathias of Savills represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. Trip Hoffman, Mike Norris and Adam Klimek of Cushman & Wakefield, along with internal agents Peter Duncan and Dana Pike, represented ownership.