CARY, ILL. — Premier Commercial Realty has arranged the $4.3 million sale of an industrial and retail portfolio in Cary. The properties include a 32,000-square-foot, multi-tenant industrial building at 615 Industrial Drive; a 36,000-square-foot, multi-tenant industrial building at 700 Industrial Drive; and a 15,000-square-foot retail property at 395 Cary Algonquin Road. All of the properties were fully leased at the time of sale. Three individual investors purchased the assets. Bruce Kaplan and Kevin Kaplan of Premier represented the sellers on all three transactions.
Entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria Acquires Former McDonald’s Headquarters Campus in Oak Brook, Illinois
OAK BROOK, ILL. — Entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria has purchased the former McDonald’s global headquarters campus in Oak Brook for an undisclosed price. The co-founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products will assume ownership of the 80-acre site, which includes the McDonald’s former office building, Hamburger University training facility and the Hyatt-branded and managed hotel, The Hyatt Lodge. McDonald’s relocated its global headquarters to downtown Chicago last summer. McDonald’s had been the sole occupant of the campus since its completion in 1988. Designed by architect Dirk Lohan, the campus is situated in a wooded setting with two lakes. The property includes a 331,630-square-foot office building and a 130,484-square-foot training facility, which is connected by a covered passageway to The Hyatt Lodge. The 218-room hotel will remain open. Scott Miller and Lindsey Fahey of JLL represented McDonald’s in the sale. Perry Higa of NAI Hiffman represented the buyer. Future plans for the site have not been disclosed.
More than 50 years ago, I was witness to the birth of a new building type in Chicago’s suburbs — the great sprawling corporate campus. From Motorola and McDonald’s to Ameritech and Sears, some of the most influential brands in the world started taking root in Chicago’s bucolic suburbs as they looked to consolidate business divisions under one large roof and to provide a stimulating work environment away from the hustle and bustle of the inner city. Today, many of these corporate meccas sit vacant due to the rise in telecommuting and a shift in workforce demographics. The simple version of the narrative is that instead of people chasing the jobs, firms are now chasing the talent. And for the moment, many employees prefer to live and work in the city. While some suburbs are strongly associated with the companies who previously occupied those campuses, there is another story to tell in terms of the opportunities change can bring to these properties and their surrounding communities. As the architect who designed two of these campuses, the AT&T (né Ameritech) corporate campus in Hoffman Estates in 1989 and McDonald’s global headquarters in Oak Brook starting in 1978, I have repeatedly been …
CHICAGO — Waterton has received a $171.2 million loan for the refinancing of North Harbor Tower in Chicago’s Lakeshore East neighborhood. The 600-unit apartment building is located at 175 N. Harbor Drive adjacent to the six-acre Lakeshore East Park. Originally constructed in 1988, the 55-story tower comprises a mix of floor plans averaging 958 square feet. Community amenities include an indoor swimming pool, outdoor sundeck, 24-hour fitness center, party room and library. Stephen Skok, Stella Pappas and Gregory Napper of HFF arranged the seven-year, fixed-rate loan through Freddie Mac’s green advantage program. Waterton committed to reducing energy or water by at least 30 percent, with a minimum 15 percent in energy savings.
ROCKFORD, ILL. — Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors has brokered the sale of a retail building shadow-anchored by Walmart in Rockford for an undisclosed price. The three-tenant property is home to Aspen Dental, Sleep Number and Fastsigns. Built in 2008, the 9,000-square-foot building is situated on one acre at 7310 Walton St. Jeff Lefko and Bill Asher of Hanley represented the seller, Texas-based N3 Real Estate. Ronald Shunia of BOSC Realty Advisors represented the buyer, a California-based private investor. The cap rate was 7.23 percent.
DES PLAINES, ILL. — Seefried Industrial Properties, along with a European capital partner, has purchased a 3.9-acre site in Des Plaines with plans to develop a 72,000-square-foot warehouse on a speculative basis. The project will feature a clear height of 30 feet, 15 dock doors, two drive-in doors and parking for 86 cars. Located on Wolf Road, the property will have convenient access to I-90. Construction is set to begin in October with completion slated for the second quarter of 2020.
CHICAGO — Summit Design + Build LLC has completed the interior build-out of the new office for Golden State Foods in Chicago’s West Loop. The company, a supplier to the quick-service restaurant and retail industries, moved its regional operations from an office in Oak Brook following McDonald’s move. Golden State Foods now occupies 4,300 square feet on the fifth floor of an office building located at 322 S. Green St. The space includes a conference room, commercial test kitchen, customer experience area and guest lounge. Ware Malcomb served as the project architect and Cushman & Wakefield was the owner’s representative.
ROCK ISLAND, ILL. — Berkadia has secured $34.2 million in construction-to-permanent rehabilitation financing for a two-property multifamily portfolio in Rock Island. The properties include Heather Ridge and Century Woods. Renovation plans call for new flooring, windows, heating and cooling systems, cabinets, countertops and appliances. Rick Price, Gemma Geldmacher, Mark Vogel and Dan Geuther of Berkadia originated the two HUD 221(d)(4) loans on behalf of Cleveland-based Millennia Cos. The financing features a 40-year term and a 90 percent loan-to-value ratio.
CHICAGO — Play2Day, a childcare service for infants and toddlers ranging in age from 2 months to 5 years old, will open at Lincoln Common in Chicago. The 1,510-square-foot location is expected to open in the third quarter of this year. Play2Day joins the growing roster of Lincoln Common retailers, including Equinox, Velvet Taco, Philz Coffee, Athletico, Compass and Kohler Waters Spa. Developed by Hines and McCaffery, Lincoln Common features 100,000 square feet of retail space, 538 apartment units, 40 condominium units, a five-story office building, 850-stall parking garage, 156-room senior living community and more than an acre of open space.
ITASCA, ILL. — Hamilton Partners has completed the renovation of its Hamilton Lakes Business Park in Itasca. The property is home to more than 3.5 million square feet of office space. In April, Hamilton completed renovations of 500 Park and One Pierce Place, which comprise approximately 1 million square feet. Balfour Pacific and Hamilton invested more than $7 million in both buildings. At One Pierce Place, Hamilton renovated the front entrance and lower lobby, adding a Wi-Fi lounge and conference center. At 500 Park, the renovation included an update to the entrance and lobby as well as the lower-level concourse level. Tenants now have access to a Wi-Fi lounge and a patio overlooking the walking path. Farmers Fridge and Foodsby have been added to increase food options. Hamilton also made updates to 555 Pierce, 333 Pierce and 150 Pierce, which now features a shared office space.