Midwest

WHEATON, ILL. — FPA Multifamily LLC has acquired Wheaton Center, a 758-unit apartment property in the western Chicago suburb of Wheaton. The purchase price was not disclosed. Wheaton Center consists of six buildings, including two 20-story towers and four mid-rise buildings. Units average 927 square feet. Community amenities include a resort-style pool with cabanas, a fitness center, community room, conference room, pet spa, bark park and playground. The property was most recently renovated in 2017. Marty O’Connell, Sean Fogarty, Wick Kirby and Kevin Girard of HFF represented the seller, a joint venture between Draper and Kramer Inc. and Edge Principal Advisors LLC, which had purchased the property for $44.4 million in 2014, according to the Chicago Tribune.

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SHAWNEE, KAN. — Timberland Partners has purchased The Retreat of Shawnee for an undisclosed price. The 342-unit multifamily property, originally built in 1984, consists of one- and two-bedroom floor plans. Amenities include a pool, fitness center and clubhouse. Timberland will undertake a $2.6 million improvement plan to renovate units and amenities. Jeff Stingley of CBRE represented the undisclosed seller. This is the seventh and final purchase for Timberland Partners Fund VI.

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WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — The Boulder Group has arranged the sale of a single-tenant property net leased to BioLife Plasma in West Des Moines. The newly constructed building is located at 6380 Village View Drive. BioLife Plasma has approximately 14 years remaining on its lease. Randy Blankstein and Jimmy Goodman of Boulder represented the seller, a Midwest-based investment fund. A West Coast-based real estate fund was the buyer, which also purchased a BioLife Plasma property in Mount Juliet, Tenn.

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CHICAGO — Away Travel has signed a 1,200-square-foot retail lease at the corner of State and Cedar streets in Chicago. The travel and lifestyle brand offers high-quality luggage at affordable prices. Expected to open in time for the holiday shopping season, this will be the seventh retail storefront for Away Travel. The brand originally started as an online-only concept. Founded by two Warby Parker alumni, Away Travel will be located adjacent to a Warby Parker store. Janika Brenner and Adam Secher of Baum Realty Group LLC, along with Peter Block of Colliers International, represented the undisclosed landlord in the lease transaction. Jason Trombley of JLL represented Away Travel.

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CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Institutional, private and foreign investors all continue to pour capital into the industrial sector in the Midwest and nationwide, confirming there is still “plenty of runway left,” according to the 2018 Industrial Investor Sentiment Report from Real Capital Markets (RCM) and SIOR. The steady flow of capital and positive momentum within the sector comes despite looming threats from rising interest rates, tariffs and a diminishing supply of quality assets. “The industrial market and those who invest in it have enjoyed an incredible, long run because of its ability to adapt to the needs of specific users and subsectors, and embrace the ongoing evolution of the global economy,” says Tina Lichens, COO of Carlsbad, Calif.-based RCM. “Given this performance and consistency, we have every reason to believe there is plenty of runway left.” RCM and SIOR compiled the study through a survey of RCM principals, SIOR members and subsequent interviews with key industry leaders. Year-over-year comparisons Questions in the survey tracked participants’ perceptions of investment activity, pricing and cap rates. Notably, more than 48 percent of respondents believe that industrial activity will remain at or about the current level. One year ago, that figure was 43 percent. More …

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Columbus is a city on the rise. While that’s not exactly a new development, the fact that the arc of commercial development continues to bend up in Ohio’s capital city is noteworthy — and the pace of growth is impressive, to say the least. Columbus is the gateway market for the state of Ohio, with an impressive civic and economic resume. The counties making up the greater Columbus region have not only added approximately 160,000 jobs since 2010, they have brought in more than $8 billion in capital investments during that time. Columbus is home to The Ohio State University (OSU), one of the largest and most influential public universities in the nation; a long and expanding list of headquarters of national brands and businesses; and Columbus boasts a combination of arts, culture and commercial creativity that has led some to refer to it as the “Austin of the Midwest.” Downtown’s Arena District, home to the city’s professional hockey team the Columbus Blue Jackets, is the standard bearer for large-scale urban infill projects. The new Grandview Yard development brought additional mixed-use horsepower to the city. Retail expansions Easton Town Center is the major retail destination in Columbus, located in the …

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BIG RAPIDS, MICH. — Spectra Student Living has broken ground on Eight Thirty Water Tower, a $17 million community near Ferris State University in Big Rapids. Slated to open in August 2019, the student housing property will include 318 beds within 120 units. Floor plans will consist of one-, two- and four-bedroom units. Amenities will include a clubhouse, resident lounge and YouTube room. Spectra will manage the property in partnership with Athens, Ga.-based Landmark Properties. More than 14,730 students are enrolled at Ferris State University.

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OMAHA — Flywheel, a web hosting company, has leased 66,000 square feet within the Millwork Commons development in Omaha for its new headquarters. Millwork Commons is a $300 million mixed-use development spearheaded by Black Dog Management. Flywheel will be the anchor tenant and will occupy 1.5 floors at the property by summer 2020. Currently, Flywheel employs a team of more than 200 people with offices in Omaha, Australia and Europe. Barry Zoob and Chris Mensinger of Colliers International represented Flywheel in the lease transaction.

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NORTH AURORA, ILL. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of Randall Road Self Storage, a 640-unit self-storage facility in North Aurora. The sales price was not disclosed. The facility, located at 1051 Kettle Ave., encompasses a total of 76,696 rentable square feet. Sean Delaney and Michael Mele of Marcus & Millichap marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a limited liability company. The team also secured the buyer, Merit Hill Capital.

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