EAST ST. LOUIS AND EDWARDSVILLE, ILL., AND CREVE COEUR AND WASHINGTON, MO. — L3 Corp. has arranged four leases totaling 32,391 square feet of retail space in Illinois and Missouri. In East St. Louis, Menyoun Jordan d/b/a Balloons R Us leased 2,150 square feet of retail space at State Street Shopping Center. L3 Corp. represented the landlord, State Street Shopping Center LLC, in the deal. In Edwardsville, Ross Dress for Less inked a deal for 25,000 square feet of retail space at Dierbergs Edwardsville Crossing from GCE Outparcels LLC. L3 Corp. represented the tenant in the transaction. In the third deal, BARRESTL2 LLC d/b/a barre3 leased 2,241 square feet of space at Heritage Place in Creve Coeur from Ramco-Gershenson Properties LP. Kevin Shapiro of L3 Corp. represented the tenant. In the final transaction, Sterling Inc. d/b/a/ Kay Jewelers signed a deal for 3,000 square feet of space at Phoenix Center II in Washington from PC II Vertical LLC. L3 Corp. represented the tenant and landlord in the deal.
BROOKLYN CENTER, MINN. — Cushman & Wakefield NorthMarq, on behalf of landlord The AtWater Group, has arranged the lease of 9,800 square feet of office space at Concorde Executive Center in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis. United Food and Commercial Workers will move into the space by Nov. 1. With this lease, the six-story property’s occupancy rate is 67 percent. Aaron Barnard of Cushman & Wakefield Northmarq represented The AtWater Group in the deal.
From Cleveland to Cincinnati, speculative Class A office development is on the rise in Ohio for the first time in at least five years. Primarily occurring in the suburbs, 3 to 4 million square feet of spec development is driven by a lack of office space as well as pent-up demand for new space with an urban feel that contains retail and multifamily components. Most spec office development reflects the demands of both Millennials and Baby Boomers. These significant population groups seek to locate in live-work-play neighborhoods that offer cool office and residential spaces, walkability and common green spaces. Because these components are important to Millennials — now the largest share of the American workforce — they have become important for companies in their efforts to recruit the best and the brightest. Quality talent is more of a factor than cost. In competing for talent, these companies must look for and include such office amenities as game rooms, outdoor patios and walking trails. Not only are the retail and residential components to an office project important, but companies are also expressing genuine interest in branding, signage opportunities, naming rights and modern amenities. Cost of financing guides developers in Cleveland While downtown …
JOILET, ILL. — Hillwood, a Perot company, has acquired an 84.8-acre land site in Joliet for an undisclosed price. The company plans to develop Joliet Logistics Park, a 992,640-square-foot distribution center, on the site. With easy access to I-80 and I-55 and close proximity to BNSF and Union Pacific intermodal operations, the new spec facility will feature 36-foot clear heights, a cross-dock configuration, an ESFR fire protection system, 116 trailer parking spaces with an additional 150 remote spaces, and up to 222 auto space with another 310 available for future expansion. The park, which will have the capacity to expand to 1.5 million square feet, is slated for completion in mid-2017. FCL Builders will serve as the general contractor, and Traci Payette and John Suerth of CBRE will be leasing agents for the project.
STRONGSVILLE, OHIO — Meridian Design Build has started construction on a speculative flex building at 14700 Foltz Parkway in Strongsville. Situated on 21.8 acres, the multi-tenant building will feature 28 loading docks, two drive-in doors and 164 auto parking stalls. Additionally, the design of the building includes a thermoplastic polyolefin roof and LED lighting. The site also includes space for a future 195,137-square-foot building. The project developer is Scannell Properties. Precept Design is providing architectural services and Weber Engineering Services is providing civil engineering work.
CINCINNATI — KeyBank has provided a $3.9 million construction loan for the Sheakley Center for Youth in Cincinnati. The property will consist of a shelter unit and a housing unit. The shelter unit will contain 27,708 square feet of commercial space, including a day shelter, a 28-bed night shelter and street outreach offices and social services rooms, while the housing unit will include 39 studio and one-bedroom apartments. Greg Kiger of KeyBank’s Community Development Lending and Investment team arranged the financing for the undisclosed borrower.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Block & Company Realtors has brokered the sale of Wornall Plaza, a shopping center located at 7960-7970 Wornall Road in Kansas City. Solar Success acquired the property from Wornall Plaza 91 LLC for $2.1 million The 13,320-square-foot center is fully occupied by Sherwin-Williams Paints, Papa John’s Pizza, 9Round Boxing, Cricket Wireless and 5th Avenue Cleaners. Dimitri Rodopoulous of Block & Company represented the seller in the transaction.
NOVI, MICH. — Friedman Integrated Real Estate Solutions has arranged the sale of a 2.8-acre industrial lot located on Heslip Drive in Novi. Alpha Industries sold the site to M.J.W. Investments for an undisclosed price. Phil Konopitski of Friedman represented the seller in the transaction.
CLEVELAND — BGL Real Estate Advisors has arranged the development financing for Weston Inc. The loans will be used toward the historical conversion of the Standard Building in downtown Cleveland. The $81 million financing consists of senior construction debt, subordinated bridge debt, municipal city and state agency debt, federal and state historic tax credit equity and Weston Inc. GP equity. The Huntington National Bank, Fifth Third Bank, First Commonwealth Bank, Peoples Bank and Cleveland Development Advisors, as well as Ohio Water Development Authority and Ohio Development Services Agency, contributed capital to the transaction. Additionally, Piper Jaffray, Port of Cleveland, RSM US LLP and Stonehenge Capital were involved with the capital lease and historic tax credit equity structuring and syndication. Originally built in the 1920s for Standard Bank, the building will be converted from office space into market-rate apartments and first-floor retail space.
VILLAGE OF SOMERS, WIS. — First Industrial Realty Trust has signed a long-term tenant for its first building at First Park 94, a 601,439-square-foot industrial facility located in Village of Somers. The cross-docked facility features 36-foot clear heights, 185-foot truck courts, ample trailer parking, extensive dock-high loading, skylighting and an ESFR sprinkler system. The name of the tenant was not disclosed. Additionally, First Industrial is breaking ground for the second building at the park. The second building will total approximately 600,000 square feet with expandability. Upon completion, First Park 94 will accommodate 4.6 million square feet of development, including build-to-suits ranging from 150,000 square feet to 2 million square feet. The site is accessible to Interstate 94 from three four-way interchanges and offers frontage along the Canadian Pacific Railway with potential rail access. Whit Heitman, Sam Badger and Brad Weiner of NAI Hiffman, Roger Siegel of Dickman Co. and Tony Haning of JLL assisted with the lease transaction.