ST. LOUIS — An investor group, led by Mark Nelson of Nelson McBride Development and Nelson Grumney of Neland Investment Management, has purchased a portfolio of five industrial buildings in St. Louis County for $10.9 million. Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust Inc. was the seller. Totaling 474,000 square feet, the office/warehouse, distribution and light manufacturing buildings are located in the mid-county area and Hazelwood, Mo. The buildings range in size from 44,100 square feet to 145,000 square feet. The investor group is planning to invest approximately $250,000 in building and site enhancements at the properties, which were developed in the 1970s. Lead tenants in the buildings include Waters of America LLC, Demar Logistics Inc., Roha and Superior Pool Products. Nelson McBride will manage the buildings.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — In a joint venture deal, the Community Development Trust (CDT) and The Millenia Cos. have acquired Kensington Heights Apartments in Kansas City. The nine-story apartment complex includes 126 units and serves low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities. Kensington Heights Apartments is located near Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 40, and is approximately 10 minutes from downtown Kansas City. The complex serves residents who earn 60 percent of the area median income. The equity investment totaled $1.8 million, and CDT and Millenia will complete $580,000 of capital improvements to ensure the apartments are maintained as high-quality affordable housing for elderly and disabled residents. CDT is a national investor in affordable housing. Millenia is a Cleveland-based real estate company specializing in the acquisition, rehabilitation and management of affordable and market rate properties.
CHESTERFIELD, MO. — Knoebel Construction Inc. has moved its headquarters from Fenton, Mo. to Chesterfield in St. Louis County. The new location at 18333 Wings Corporate Drive more than doubles Knoebel Construction’s space to 9,688 square feet. The new headquarters features 18 offices organized into two wings for project management and accounting/administrative staff. The building also includes three conference rooms, a team engagement area, a full kitchen and 2,500 square feet of warehouse space. Daniel Hayes of NAI DESCO brokered the transaction. Knoebel Construction is a full-service general contractor specializing in retail development, restaurant, grocery and retail construction.
The St. Louis industrial market is in the midst of historic development and deal making. As witnessed in many markets, “big bombers” — industrial facilities 500,000 square feet and larger — are coming out of the ground at a record pace. Better still, they are being leased and pre-leased at a record pace. By all accounts, the driver here is the new e-commerce phenomenon with major players like Amazon taking nearly 1.5 million square feet in the Metro East submarket. The two major developments in this submarket are Gateway Commerce Center, developed by TriStar, and the adjacent Lakeview Commerce Center, developed by Panattoni. In addition to Amazon, Gateway Commerce Center boosts a host of big box users such as P&G, Unilever and Saddle Creek Corp, the latter of which took 673,137 square feet last year at the Center. Tri-Star is in the process of completing two additional buildings in the Center: Gateway East 520 containing 520,000 square feet, and Gateway East 624 containing 624,000 square feet. In neighboring Lakeview Commerce Center, Amazon occupies additional space along with World Wide Technologies, occupying 769,500 square feet in the Center. Analyzing the data Let’s drill down further and let the numbers speak for …
Kansas City’s central business district (CBD) has received a great deal of media attention over the past two years for good reason. With over 3,000 new residential units delivered, the new KC Streetcar and the national trend of Millennials moving to urban areas, there has been plenty of momentum for the area and much discussion of the “live-work-play” environment. After a long period of decline, the urban core of Kansas City is experiencing a powerful revitalization. In all the excitement surrounding the CBD, however, another trend may be getting overlooked. Through the first three quarters of 2016, absorption in the CBD (the Downtown, Crossroads and Crown Center submarkets) was more or less flat after accounting for the conversion of office space to residential use and a unique listing in the Crown Center complex. Meanwhile, the suburban office market posted 580,000 square feet of positive absorption during the same period. Yes, Kansas City is in the process of rediscovering and reinventing the CBD, but the performance of the suburban market remains strong. Construction Boom The first indicator that tenants are still attracted to key suburban submarkets is the number of recent construction projects. Earlier this year, Burns & McDonnell completed a …
ST. CHARLES, MO. — Olivino has signed a 1,585-square-foot lease at The Streets of St. Charles near St. Louis. Olivino is a specialty shop and tasting bar offering olive oils, balsamic vinegars and more cooking items. Other recent additions to the 27-acre mixed-use property include Orangetheory Fitness, Think Pink Nail & Spa and Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. Construction on the new Drury Hotel is underway, with completion slated for summer 2017. Additional tenants will be announced in the coming months.
OVERLAND, MO. — Operation Food Search has moved to its new headquarters in Overland, about 15 miles northwest of St. Louis. The 67,000-square-foot building is located at 1644 Lotsie Blvd and will serve as the hunger relief organization’s food distribution center. The property was formerly a window factory that had been vacant for years. OFS purchased the building for $2.3 million and invested an additional $2.5 million in renovations. A fundraising campaign began in January of this year. PARIC Corp. served as the project’s general contractor, and M + H Architects was the building’s architectural firm. OFS was previously located in a 25,000-square-foot building at 6282 Olive Blvd in University City.
ST. LOUIS — Dwight Capital has provided an $8.6 million loan for the refinancing of The Gotham Apartments in St. Louis. The property consists of 72 apartment units and is located at the corner of Delmar Boulevard and Hamilton Avenue. The 40-year loan was financed through HUD’s 223(a)(7) program at an interest rate of 3.3 percent. The Gotham Buildings LLC was the borrower. Keith Hoffman and Josh Sasouness of Dwight Capital originated the loan.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Flex Build has finished the renovation of Watts Mill Shopping Center in Kansas City. The 40,000-square-foot center, located at 103rd Street and State Line Road, has tenant spaces ranging from 1,400 square feet to 11,933 square feet. Current tenants include Jasper’s Italian restaurant, Ugly Joe’s Bar & Grill, Goodyear Tires and more. The renovation included a new façade, parking lot, LED lighting, landscaping elements and a remodeled sign. Mirason Properties LLC is the longtime owner of the center, while Block & Co. Inc. is handling management and leasing.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), plans to build a 762,000-square-foot distribution center within Skyport Industrial Park in Kansas City. Development costs are estimated at $110 million. The 71-acre facility will be situated at 108th Street and North Congress near Kansas City International Airport and I-29. CVS Pharmacy expects to break ground on the project in January and begin operations in 2018. The new distribution center will support the service and fulfillment needs of more than 370 CVS Pharmacy stores throughout the Midwest. The new distribution center is expected to create more than 360 new jobs, as well as up to 100 additional jobs that will be outsourced to local businesses. The Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) worked closely with CVS Pharmacy in bringing the new distribution center to the Kansas City region. Other key members responsible for attracting CVS Pharmacy include the State of Missouri, The Missouri Partnership, Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City, Platte County Economic Development Council, Cushman & Wakefield, NorthPoint Development, KCP&L, Port KC, Metropolitan Community College, Focus Workforces, IMKO Workforce Solutions, QPS Employment Group, Full Employment Council, Missouri Division of Workforce Development, UPS, Scarbrough …