LOCKPORT, ILL. — DFS Inc., a food and grains supplier, has signed a 62,598-square-foot lease at 355 Corporate Center building No. 2 in Lockport, Ill., about 35 miles southwest of Chicago. The new lease puts Panattoni Development Company’s 228,690-square-foot speculative building at 100 percent occupancy and marks the completion of Phase I, which consisted of two light industrial buildings. UPS leased the first building in its entirety immediately upon completion, and Illinois Industrial Tool took 166,092 square feet in the second building in August. Panattoni recently broke ground on Phase II of the project, a 300,158-square-foot building scheduled for completion in spring 2017. Mark Barbato and Adam Stokes of Nicolson, Porter & List represented Panattoni in the lease transaction with DFS.
ST. LOUIS — McGrath & Associates has completed construction of the $1.9 million expansion and renovation of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women international headquarters in St. Louis. The 4,200-square-foot, two-story expansion connects to Pi Beta Phi’s international headquarters building on Town and Country Commons Drive in West St. Louis County, which McGrath built in 2002. The expansion includes an enlarged break room, conference room and mailroom on the first floor, and office space and expanded archives on the second floor. HKW was the architect.
WOODBURY, MINN. — The City of Woodbury, a suburb of St. Paul, has selected general contractor RJM Construction to renovate its city council chambers. Beginning in December, RJM will install new finishes in the chambers, including increasing the size of an adjacent conference room used for city workshops and meetings. The city also plans to add security and make improvements to the audio, visual and lighting systems. The project team also includes Welsh Architecture.
CHICAGO — Mesa West Capital has provided a joint venture led by local development firm Sterling Bay with $82.6 million in debt to recapitalize 121 West Wacker Drive, a 41-story office building in downtown Chicago’s Central Loop. The financing included a first mortgage loan originated out of Mesa West’s open-ended Mesa West Core Lending Fund, and mezzanine debt provided by Pearlmark Real Estate on behalf of Pearlmark Mezzanine Realty Partners, IV, LP. The office tower recently underwent an extensive renovation, including a new lobby and retail level, updated building systems and a new tenant amenity floor overlooking the Chicago River.
SCHAUMBURG, ILL. — Ryan Companies US, Inc. is converting a former Dominick’s grocery store into an Art Van Furniture store in Schaumburg, a northwest suburb of Chicago. Dominick’s closed its operations in the Chicago area in 2013. The facility has been vacant since then. Ryan is undertaking a comprehensive renovation and modernization of the 72,000-square-foot facility, located at 1293 E. Higgins Road. The new Art Van Furniture store, the tenth in metro Chicago, will open later this fall.
BIG RAPIDS, MICH. — NAI Wisinski of West Michigan has brokered the sale of Sattler Square, a 95,000-square-foot shopping center in Big Rapids, to a Cincinnati-based buyer. Sattler Square is located at 754 Perry Ave., between U.S. 131 and the campus of Ferris State University. The center, which is currently 96 percent occupied, is anchored by Tractor Supply and Big Lots and includes well-known brands such as Maurice’s, GNC, rue21 and H&R Block. NAI brokers Russ Bono and Cameron Timmer represented both the seller and buyer in the transaction.
AUBURN HILLS, MICH. — Colliers International has arranged a 35,000-square-foot industrial lease for Faurecia Interior Systems in Auburn Hills, about 33 miles north of Detroit. The manufacturing facility, located at 2325 Featherstone Road, will serve as a “pilot plant” for Faurecia, a Tier 1 automotive supplier whose North American headquarters is nearby. The property was previously occupied by Martinrea International Inc. as a warehouse for the manufacturing of automotive parts. Broker Michael Bennett of Colliers represented the tenant in the transaction.
UNIVERSITY CITY, MO. — Urban Sprouts, a local child development center, has acquired an office and warehouse space for $405,000 in University City, an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis. The property is located at 6757 Olive Blvd. The site was the former manufacturing space for McCarthy Spice & Blends. Renovation of the new Urban Sprouts building will take place in two phases and is slated for completion by August 2017. The first $2.2 million phase will include 11 classrooms with two art studio study rooms plus an interactive kitchen for cooking. The second $1.1 million phase will include classrooms for college-level courses that Urban Sprouts will host for St. Louis Community College. Additional renovations include a natural play area, as well as an outdoor garden. Brendan O’Brien of Hilliker Corp. represented the seller, Edward and Margaret McCarthy, in the transaction. Rome West Realty’s agent Susan Sauer represented the buyer.
WHEELING, ILL. — Lynmark Group is scheduled to break ground on Wheeling Town Center, a mixed-use development in Wheeling, this fall. The development will feature a 300-unit luxury apartment building with a modern amenity package and facilities and 100,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and entertainment venues. The apartment building will offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, a parking garage, courtyard, pool, bocce court, a fire pit, barbecue grills, a covered gazebo bar, putting green, pergola covered dining, lounge areas, and fitness and yoga rooms. The retail portion will be anchored a 40,000-square-foot, 10-screen CMX theater, which is a high-end, dine-in movie theater. Callison/RTKL is serving as lead designer and William A. Randolph is serving as general contractor for the project.
LEE’S SUMMIT, MO. — Parrot Properties and Block & Company have received approval by the Lee’s Summit City Council for the previously announced Village at View High, a mixed-use development in Lee’s Summit. The city council approved a conceptual development plan and a change in zoning classification for the site to change it from district single-family residential to district planned mixed use. Situated on 71 acres, the $225 million development will feature 310 apartments, a 13-acre seniors housing facility, a 250,000 square feet of retail space, more than 100,000 square feet of office/medical space and entertainment and dining options. The project team includes Realtors, Engineering & Solutions, Sullivan Law, TranSystems, Hirst & Associates Architects, Bushyhead LLC, Boothe Architects and Humphrey, Farrington & McClain PC.