JOLIET, ILL. — Principle Construction Corp. has broken ground on an $11 million service center in Joliet for Highway Transport, a company that transports liquid chemicals. The 17,730-square-foot service center, located on nearly 23 acres, will double the size of Highway Transport’s current facility in Joliet where it has operated for two decades. The new facility will feature a tank wash, maintenance shop, conference room, multiple offices and amenities for drivers such as a break room, Wi-Fi access and showers. The property will include parking for tanker trucks from the company’s fleet of more than 400 trucks. Partners in Design Architects is the project architect. Completion is slated for spring 2022.
ELGIN, ILL. — CA Health and Science Trust Inc. (CAHST) has acquired a 95,000-square-foot medical office building in Elgin for an undisclosed price. A publicly traded REIT was the seller. The four-story property is home to tenants such as Derick Dermatology, Suburban Orthopedics and Northwestern Medicine. The building is located at 1600 Randall Road near I-90 and is adjacent to Advocate Sherman Hospital. The latest investment from CAHST is part of an equity commitment of up to $245 million from partners Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP, Monarch Alternative Capital LP and CA Ventures for the acquisition, development and renovation of medical office and life sciences buildings.
CHICAGO — MoLo Solutions, a third-party logistics company within the transportation industry, has signed a 93,710-square-foot office lease at 167 N. Green St. in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood. MoLo connects clients with truck drivers and other shipping solutions. The company plans to expand significantly over the next few years. The property features a meeting area, onsite parking, gym, rooftop garden and NBA-sized basketball court. Kayla Beljan of MB Real Estate represented MoLo in the lease. Paige O’Neil and Annie Aldrich of Shapack Partners represented the undisclosed landlord.
MOUNT PROSPECT, ILL. — Interra Realty has negotiated the $5.5 million sale of 1050-1110 N. Wheeling Road in Mount Prospect, a northwest suburb of Chicago. The property consists of three buildings and 42 units. Built in 1965, the apartment property was 95 percent leased at the time of sale. Craig Martin of Interra represented the seller, Chicago-based 29th Street Capital, as well as the private buyer. The seller had extensively updated units with vinyl plank flooring, stone countertops, stainless steel appliances and new windows. The buyer plans to make additional minor enhancements.
CHICAGO — Union Investment Real Estate has purchased 59-65 E. Oak St., a one-block stretch of high-end retail space in Chicago. The purchase price was $120 million, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. The price represents the largest amount paid for any retail asset sold in Chicago since 2016, according to CBRE. Keely Polczynski of CBRE Capital Markets represented both the buyer and the seller, Jenel Real Estate, which acquired two separate parcels in 2016, demolished them and rebuilt a 32,000-square-foot building that now houses high-end retailers Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, Moncler and Le Colonial. Based in Germany, Union Investment is an international investment manager specializing in open-ended real estate funds for private and institutional investors.
CARBONDALE, ILL. — Friedman Real Estate has brokered the sale of University Village in Carbondale for an undisclosed price. The 269-unit apartment community, situated on nearly 17 acres, is located about a mile from Southern Illinois University. Below-market rents at the property, built in 1973, present a value-add opportunity for the undisclosed buyer. Rich Deptula and Kellen Duggan of Friedman advised both parties in the transaction.
A common question Chicago office brokers are hearing from clients these days is, “When is the best time to start negotiating with my landlord?” In fact, it is also a question brokers are asking themselves, contemplating when they should advise their clients to get into the market. The truth is: 1) it’s very hard to say, and 2) it depends on the situation. Let’s explore what we do know. This is a historically tenant-favorable office market. Vacancy rates have increased from 13.8 percent to start 2021 up to 17.7 percent currently. Concessions are far over-weighted with construction allowances and free rent packages 20 to 30 percent higher than they were pre-pandemic, and landlords are being more flexible on term lengths allowing tenants three- or five-year leases despite offering full buildouts. On the other side of the coin, gross rental rates (base rent plus real estate taxes and building operating expenses) have not declined. In fact, in the last quarter they increased from $42.34 to $42.57 per square foot. The trends and market conditions surrounding concession packages and rental rates haven’t really changed in the last 12 months or so. The above touches on what the market is doing, but what …
PONTOON BEACH, ILL. — Contegra Construction Co. has completed the third distribution center at NorthPoint Development’s Gateway Tradeport in Pontoon Beach, about 13 miles northwest of St. Louis. Contegra is now building a 1 million-square-foot facility at the development that will be the largest speculative distribution center in the St. Louis area, according to the general contractor. With the completion of the 624,000-square-foot Gateway Tradeport III, the 600-acre Gateway Tradeport is now home to more than 1.7 million square feet of distribution space, all of which was built by Contegra. Building III features a clear height of 40 feet, 64 dock doors and parking for 181 trailers. Building IV is slated for completion in 2022.
LOMBARD, ILL. — Marcus & Millichap has negotiated the $10.2 million sale of Oak Creek Center in Lombard, a western suburb of Chicago. The 79,462-square-foot industrial facility is located on Oak Creek Drive. Tenants include Home Depot and Kia Motors. Peter Doughty of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a private investor. He also secured and represented the buyer, a private investor. Frank Montalto and Dean Giannakopoulos of Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. arranged acquisition financing on behalf of the buyer.
LANSING, ILL. — Skender and its joint venture partner Ashlaur Construction have broken ground on Torrence Place, an affordable housing and health clinic project in Lansing, located about 25 miles south of the Chicago Loop. Full Circle Communities is the developer. The three-story project will include 48 affordable and accessible units for veterans and people with disabilities. It will also include a 3,000-square-foot health clinic on the ground floor to be operated by Christian Community Health Center. Residents will have access to supportive services, a fitness area, computer lab and communal kitchen. The project team includes architect Cordogan, Clark & Associates and CAGE Civil Engineering.