DETROIT — The Kresge Foundation has administered grants totaling $2 million to 17 nonprofits for projects to revitalize neighborhoods across Detroit. This final round of grants in the pilot program, known as Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit, brings the foundation’s grant total to $5 million over the past three years. The new grants will fund, for example, the creation of a new community hub on Grand River Avenue in the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood and conversion of a blighted five-block stretch of the Morningside neighborhood into an agricultural greenway. The grants support renovation of an abandoned duplex into an art center in central Detroit and a southwest Detroit program to promote the conversion of vacant second floors of commercial buildings into residential spaces. In addition to the creation of community gathering spots, green spaces and conversion of abandoned properties to new uses, the initiative seeks to make neighborhood streets and sidewalks more walkable. Kresge’s support for these shovel-ready projects ranges from $75,000 to $150,000 each. The latest grants were chosen from nearly 70 applications.
PLAINFIELD, IND. — Sun Development & Management has broken ground on a new Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel in Plainfield near the Indianapolis International Airport. The 175-suite hotel is located at 6089 Clarks Creek Road and is slated for completion in spring 2018. Amenities will include complimentary breakfast, an indoor pool, on-site restaurant and convention center.
EAST TROY, WIS. — Binswanger has brokered the sale of a 132,000-square-foot industrial building in East Troy, approximately 37 miles southwest of Milwaukee. The property is located at 2061 Young St. Wisconsin Oven Corp., a manufacturer of industrial ovens and heating equipment, purchased the building. Constructed in 1970, the facility features 25-foot clear heights, multiple cranes, 4,000 square feet of office space, two drive-in doors and one rail door. Zach Binswanger of Binswanger and Wade Micoley of Micoley.com represented the seller, Plymouth Tube Co.
CHICAGO — Ascend Real Estate Group and Intercontinental Real Estate Corp. have opened Niche 905, a 202-unit luxury apartment tower in Chicago’s Near North Side. The 18-story property is located at 905 N. Orleans St. A grand opening celebration took place on April 13. The tower features convertible, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 576 to 1,518 square feet. Rents start at $2,000. CORT Furniture furnished the convertible studio model, while Stanton Interior Concepts designed the one- and two-bedroom models. Amenities include 24-hour concierge service, pool, skydeck, grilling stations, fitness center, yoga studio and entertainment suite. Niche 905 also features 1,750 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a lobby with workstations.
TROY, MICH. — Colliers International will handle leasing at The Centennial, a prominent office property in the Troy skyline. The 306,000-square-foot, 15-story building is located at 100 E. Big Beaver Road. The ownership has made numerous upgrades to the building systems and elevators, and has initiated a multimillion-dollar upgrade of the common areas. Amenities include a new conference center, building deli, tenant lounge, and co-working facility. The common area amenities will be available for tenants of the building as well as to rent for members of the community. Tenant spaces available for lease range from 2,500 to 175,000 square feet. Gary Grochowski and Bryan Barnas of Colliers will oversee the leasing.
LISLE, ILL. — First Western Properties Inc. has brokered the sale of 2 Woodland Corporate Center in Lisle, about 25 miles west of Chicago, for $4.7 million. The 56,000-square-foot office building is located at 4951 Indiana Ave. The property is 100 percent leased to two investment-grade tenants. Bradford Dessy of First Western Properties represented the out-of-state buyer. Jason St. John of Greenstone Partners represented the undisclosed seller.
BLACKLICK, OHIO — Marcus & Millichap has negotiated the sale of a 10,000-square-foot industrial property net leased to Sunbelt Rentals in Blacklick, about 14 miles east of Columbus. The facility sits on 3.8 acres at North Reynoldsburg New Albany Road. The building was constructed as a build-to-suit for Sunbelt, an equipment rental company with over 550 locations in North America. David Houston, Patrick Doherty and Scott A. Ryan of Marcus & Millichap marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a limited liability company. The team also secured the buyer, an out-of-state private partnership. Michael Glass acted as the broker of record in closing the transaction.
CANTON, OHIO — NAI Spring has arranged an 8,000-square-foot industrial lease for Pretec Directional Drillings in Canton. The facility will serve as the Ohio location for the Eau Claire, Wis.-based company’s pipeline drilling functions. The facility is located at 1808 Kimball Road Southeast. Bryce Custer of NAI Spring represented both the tenant and undisclosed landlord in the lease transaction.
The Milwaukee-area apartment market wasn’t the only real estate sector to benefit from continued job growth and household formation in 2016. The optimistic employment outlook, together with an influx of millennials who, according to Gallup, are spending more on nonessentials, has benefitted the local retail market as well. It’s a trend that we expect to continue in 2017. Filling a retail void A market that historically has been largely underserved in terms of new retail development has essentially reversed its standing, with approximately 1.6 million square feet delivered in the last two years alone, according to CoStar Group. A more diversified economy less susceptible to the highs and lows of other markets, taken together with Milwaukee’s public-private partnerships and lower real estate taxes compared with neighboring states, has created a pro-development environment that appeals to retailers and developers alike. Known for its older stock of shopping centers, the region has seen a surge in redevelopment activity, particularly in the suburbs, where previously underutilized assets are being rebranded and reimagined. In November 2016, HSA Commercial acquired the 217,346-square-foot Brookfield Fashion Center in Brookfield, just west of Brookfield Square Mall. Built in 1986, the center houses stalwart tenants that have been retained …
BLOOMINGTON, ILL. — Stage Equity Partners has acquired The Center for Outpatient Medicine (TCOM) in Bloomington for $14.5 million. The 45,150-square-foot multi-specialty outpatient surgical center is located at 2502 East Empire St. The property is 100 percent leased to TCOM, which is majority owned by Advocate Health Care and Carle Clinic as well as 18 physicians. Stage purchased the asset from the physician owners of TCOM in a sale-leaseback transaction. MB Financial provided the financing.