MARION, OHIO — Greystone has provided a $6.5 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Professional Park Apartments in Marion, about 50 miles north of Columbus. The 100-unit multifamily property is situated on seven acres and features a mix of garden- and townhome-style units. Jason Yuen of Greystone originated the 10-year loan, which features a 30-year amortization. The West 5 Group was the borrower.
CINCINNATI — Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., has expanded free COVID-19 testing sites to Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, joining existing sites in Kentucky and Tennessee. Kroger pharmacists will be able to initiate the lab order and observe self-administered testing where allowable by law. For the testing, patients remain in their cars and use self-administered nasal swabs. Testing services are provided at no cost to all priority groups, including healthcare workers, first responders and symptomatic individuals. Kroger Health testing sites are generally located off-site at closed schools, businesses or public grounds. Additionally, the company will begin piloting site-specific testing for Kroger associates in Michigan and Colorado.
CINCINNATI — Zamir Equities LLC, a private equity investment firm based in New York City, has acquired Columbia Plaza, a 538,437-square-foot office building in downtown Cincinnati. The 29-story tower is located at 250 E. 5th St. near the entertainment districts of Newport and Covington, as well as The Banks, the home stadium of the Cincinnati Bengals and Reds. The building was constructed in 1984. Columbia Plaza’s amenities include a fitness center with classes, a 3,000-square-foot tenant lounge, conference facilities, outdoor plaza, cafe, dry cleaning, car washing and detailing, art gallery and transportation services. The property also features a 494-space underground parking garage. The location in Cincinnati’s central business district offers convenient access to Interstates 71 and 75. The seller, New York City-based HighBrook Investors, acquired the property in 2015 and invested approximately $10 million in capital improvements during its ownership. Renovations included expansion of the lobby to 10,000 square feet, upgrading the building’s outdoor space and parking garage and renovations to the bathrooms and other common areas. At the time of sale, the property was approximately 76 percent leased. Western & Southern Financial Group anchor the tower with a 540,000-square-foot office lease across the top seven floors. The company moved into …
AKRON, OHIO — Burns & McDonnell has signed a lease to occupy the entire third floor of a new speculative office building within White Pond Crossing in Akron. The engineering, architecture and construction firm will occupy 14,940 square feet upon completion of the 45,000-square-foot building this summer. White Pond Crossing currently consists of six buildings totaling 67,900 square feet. Stacy Tramonte of NAI Pleasant Valley brokered the lease transaction. Tramonte handles all leasing for the new spec building.
CINCINNATI AND CLEVELAND — Fifth Third Bank NA and Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital LLC have formed a new strategic relationship for multifamily financing. The arrangement brings together two institutions that are committed to providing affordable multifamily housing. Cleveland-based Bellwether Enterprise’s wide capabilities with government lending programs, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA and USDA, will provide long-term agency financing for Fifth Third’s clients. Cincinnati-based Fifth Third will gain access to Bellwether Enterprise’s diverse permanent lender platform, which also includes correspondent relationships with life insurance companies in addition to agencies. Fifth Third will also be able to invest in new market tax credits, low-income housing tax credits, workforce housing equity and other products offered by Bellwether Enterprise’s parent company, Enterprise Community Investment Inc. The relationship will enable Bellwether Enterprise to leverage Fifth Third’s short-term and construction lending products, as well as treasury management, capital markets and investment solutions. Fifth Third Acquisition Holdings LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third, made a minority equity investment in Bellwether Enterprise as part of the relationship. Beekman Advisors advised Bellwether Enterprise on negotiation and execution of the transaction.
DAYTON, OHIO — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of Needmore Road Self Storage, a 61,750-square-foot self-storage facility in Dayton. The sales price was undisclosed. Jeffrey Herrmann and Sean Delaney of Marcus & Millichap marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a limited liability company. The team also secured and represented the buyer, a limited liability company.
Columbus continues to be a powerhouse in the industrial market of the Midwest. Fueling this growth are its strategic logistics location as well as being the Ohio state capital and home to eight colleges and universities in central Ohio. Job creation in Columbus remains ahead of Ohio with employment expanding nearly 22 percent since 2010, twice the state’s rate of expansion. The region’s largest employers include The Ohio State University, OhioHealth, JP Morgan Chase and Nationwide Mutual Services. These companies employ nearly 100,000 in central Ohio. Columbus is also one of the hottest housing markets in the nation, with overall median sales prices increasing 7.6 percent over 2018 and sellers receiving, on average, 98.7 percent of the last list price at sale. Columbus has a greater access to the U.S. market within a 10-hour drive than any other major metropolitan area in the country. The area has access to 46 percent of the U.S. population within a 10-hour truck drive. This proximity continues to attract large corporations to the area, including Amazon, Facebook, Google and Walmart, who are all occupying new distribution and data centers in the region. The market’s industrial vacancy rate of 5 percent at the end of …
OAKWOOD VILLAGE, OHIO — Nichols Paper & Supply Co. has signed a 45,000-square-foot industrial lease in Oakwood Village, a southern suburb of Cleveland. The paper company is relocating its Cleveland distribution center to Oakwood Village. David Hexter and Jeffrey Calig of NAI Pleasant Valley represented the tenant in the lease transaction. The landlord was not disclosed.
CINCINNATI — Kroger will limit the number of customers to 50 percent of the international building code’s calculated capacity to allow for proper social distancing in every store. The standard building capacity for a grocery store is one person per 60 square feet. Under Kroger’s new reduced capacity limits that begin today, April 7, the number will be one person per 120 square feet. Cincinnati-based Kroger will monitor the number of customers by using QueVision technology, which already provides a count of the customers entering and exiting stores. Kroger’s new customer capacity limits joins other measures the retailer has established over the last few weeks to promote social distancing, including the addition of plexiglass partitions and floor decals. Kroger is also encouraging associates to wear protective masks and gloves. All locations are expected to have these supplies by the end of the week.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Washington Prime Group, in partnership with the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship and members of the University of Chicago faculty, has launched the Open for Small Business initiative to address the unprecedented business closures resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. In order to address the issues small businesses face concerning near-term cash flow, Open for Small Business has provided a lease modification as well as other relevant templates that enable the deferral of payments until these local entrepreneurs get back on their feet. Open for Small Business is also hosting educational webinars about how to access U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loans as well as public and nonprofit agency programs. Columbus-based retail REIT Washington Prime Group hosted its first webinar this past week and more than 300 small business owners participated. The IJ Clinic on Entrepreneurship provides free legal assistance, support and advocacy for low-income entrepreneurs in Chicago.