HAMILTON, OHIO — NorthMarq Capital has arranged a $10.2 million loan for the refinancing of Vora Technology Park in Hamilton, located in the Cincinnati metro area. The office property spans 365,000 square feet. Susan Branscome and Noah Juran of NorthMarq arranged the 10-year loan, which features a 20-year amortization schedule. First Financial Bank provided the loan. The undisclosed borrower purchased the property in 2005.
ST. PAUL, MINN. — CBRE Multifamily has brokered the sale of Community Plaza in St. Paul for $4.2 million. The 30-unit rental townhome property is located at 709 Central Ave. near the Green Line light rail. The property features two- and three-bedroom townhome units with complete basements. Robert Lockman, Ted Abramson and Laura Hanneman of CBRE represented the seller, Community Plaza LP, an entity related to Sherman Associates. St. Paul-based CommonBond Communities was the buyer.
TOLEDO, OHIO — The Cooper Commercial Investment Group has negotiated the sale of the Jesse James Plaza, a 35,850-square-foot retail center in Toledo, for $2.9 million. Examples of tenants include Safelite Autoglass, Wings & Grill and Reynolds Laundromat. The Kansas-based buyer purchased the property for 96 percent of the list price. Bob Havasi and Dan Cooper of Cooper Commercial represented the seller, a private investment group out of Ohio.
DEERFIELD, ILL. — The merger between Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA) and Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) has been terminated. Instead, Walgreens will purchase 2,186 stores and three distribution centers from Rite Aid for $5.2 billion. The previous merger agreement was unveiled in October 2015. In December 2016, Fred’s Pharmacy signed an agreement with Walgreens and Rite Aid to purchase 865 stores. Both of these agreements have been terminated, and Walgreens will pay Rite Aid the $325 million termination fee. Deerfield-based Walgreens will begin acquiring stores and related assets on a phased basis over a period of approximately six months, and intends to convert acquired stores to the Walgreens brand over time. Walgreens expects synergies from the new transaction to be in excess of $400 million.
MICHIGAN — Greystone has provided 13 HUD-insured loans totaling $79 million for the refinancing of The Altman Cos.’ multifamily portfolio in Michigan. The loans feature long-term, fixed-rate financing. The 13 properties are a blend of market rate and Section 8 housing units. The buildings are located throughout the state, from the Upper Peninsula to Roseville, about 18 miles north of Detroit. In addition to The Altman Cos.-owned properties, the refinanced portfolio includes one property owned by a private real estate group and two affordable housing communities, Charter Square and Green Hill apartments, which are owned by The Boys & Girls Club Non-Profit Housing Corp., with the proceeds going to The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing.
DETROIT — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of Orchestra Place in Detroit for an undisclosed price. The five-story, 153,2790-square-foot office building is located at 3663 Woodward Ave. next to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra building. Built in 1997, the property is within walking distance of Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center. John Godwin of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a Detroit-area non-profit. He also procured the buyer, a regional investment group.
WOODRIDGE, ILL. — Conor Commercial Real Estate has completed development of a 145,200-square-foot industrial building in Woodridge, a suburb of Chicago. The building, located in the Union Pointe industrial business park, was developed as a build-to-suit for AMS Mechanical Systems Inc. (AMS). The new corporate headquarters features a 31,000-square-foot, two-story office component with a lobby, conference rooms and an employee break room. The remainder of the building supports the firm’s warehouse and manufacturing requirements with 32-foot clear heights, five dock doors, seven drive-in doors and an ESFR sprinkler system. AMS is a full-service mechanical contracting firm serving the chemical, food, process, manufacturing and power industries. McShane Construction Co. and Ware Malcomb served as the design/build construction team for the project. Chris Gary of NAI Hiffman represented AMS in the pre-sale agreement. Brian Carroll and Jim Cummings of Newmark Knight Frank represented Conor Commercial.
CHICAGO — Kiser Group has brokered the sale of a multifamily portfolio in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood for $4.7 million. The portfolio consists of five buildings located at 8016 S. Evans Ave.; 7942 S. Champlain Ave.; 7953 S. Saint Lawrence Ave.; 7851 S. Indiana Ave.; and 8157 S. Martin Luther King Drive. The buildings feature a unit mix of 13 studios, 59 one-bedroom and 21 two-bedroom units, as well as four retail spaces. Noah Birk and Aaron Sklar of Kiser Group brokered the transaction. An out-of-state investor purchased the portfolio from a local owner that managed the properties over the last 15 years.
While recently visiting a local Starbucks, I noticed an employee behind the counter with a tattoo in the shape of California. I decided to ask the barista if she was from the Golden State, and indeed she was. I asked what brought her to Des Moines, thinking she would say family or a love interest, but I was wrong. She had read and heard so much positive press about the Des Moines area that she decided to give it a shot. She started applying for jobs online and landed one with Wells Fargo, the largest employer in Des Moines. Working at Starbucks was her second gig. I asked if she lived in the suburbs. She replied, “Nope, I live downtown and work in the suburbs.” Population surge This anecdotal story is pretty common these days. Young people are flocking to Des Moines like never before. I have lived in Des Moines nearly 40 years, and never have I seen the growth we are currently experiencing. Much of it has to do with the quality of life. We don’t yet have a rush hour — we call it rush minutes. The cost of living is reasonable, and young people stand a …
TROY, MICH. — Hayman Co. has acquired the Troy Officentre in Troy for $55 million. The 732,000-square-foot, five-building office property is located along East Big Beaver Road about 22 miles north of Detroit. Hayman Co. will manage and lease the building, as well as serve as construction manager for the nearly $10 million building enhancements, signage improvements and exterior property upgrades. Planned improvements to the property include new elevators, roof replacements, upgrades to the parking deck and landscaping enhancements. The company is also planning additional amenities, including a dog day care and food and beverage options. The complex is 83 percent occupied and home to tenants such as J.D. Power & Associates, St. John Providence, Urban Fulfillment Services, General Physics Corp. and Dialog Direct. A subsidiary of Osprey S.A. Ltd. was the seller.
