DETROIT — PACE Loan Group has provided a $3.3 million C-PACE loan for the renovation of the Samaritan Center in Detroit. The four-building business complex features more than 525,000 square feet. The loan covers 60 percent of the energy-efficiency project’s $5.5 million renovation, which will update the main building and is expected to reduce annual repair expenses and utility costs. Redeveloped from a former hospital, Samaritan Center was founded to help spur redevelopment on the east side of Detroit and is owned by SER Metro-Detroit. At least 65 percent of the space is leased to nonprofits, which aim to promote education and physical and mental well-being in the community. Currently, the property is used for medical services, senior living, education, social services and office space. The C-PACE proceeds will be used to finance qualifying energy-efficiency improvements, including LED lighting, HVAC, chillers and boilers, upgraded building control systems and new elevators. These improvements are expected to save $328,370 annually in energy costs and reduce annual maintenance costs by $250,000. SER Metro-Detroit also received a $2 million grant from the State of Michigan to update the building façade, replace large sections of the roof and rebuild air handlers.
Midwest
DES MOINES, IOWA — Woda Cooper Cos. Inc. has broken ground on Alley Landing, a 40-unit affordable housing community in Des Moines. The property at 2701 Douglas Ave. will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom units for residents earning up 60 percent of the area median income. Eight units will be set aside as Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), with rental assistance for households experiencing homelessness, with a veteran priority. Amenities will include a multipurpose room with kitchenette, manager’s office, supportive services office, dog park and playground. The City of Des Moines provided a HOME loan, an American Rescue Plan Act loan and housing vouchers to provide rental assistance for the PSH units. The Iowa Finance Authority provided a second HOME loan and allocated housing tax credits. Bank of America is providing a construction loan and an equity investment in exchange for the tax credits. Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust is providing the first permanent mortgage. Families Forward will provide supportive services for the PSH units. Amvets Post #2 and the local VA Community Resource & Referral Center will provide housing referrals for veterans experiencing homelessness. Hooker DeJong Inc. is the project architect, and Woda Construction Inc. is the general contractor. Woda …
NEW ALBANY, OHIO — Flagship Healthcare Properties has acquired a 14,416-square-foot ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in New Albany, about 15 miles northeast of Columbus. The purchase price was undisclosed. Built in 2003, the property at 6520 W. Campus Oval is fully leased to Central Ohio Surgical Institute, which is majority owned by nonprofit healthcare system OhioHealth. The ASC features five operating rooms and offers multiple surgical specialties, including ENT, plastics, orthopedics, gynecology, dentistry and gastroenterology. The property is situated within the 9,000-acre New Albany International Business Park. Flagship utilized its private real estate investment trust, Flagship Healthcare Trust, for the acquisition. Flagship will provide property management and asset management services for the ASC. Fifth Third Bank provided acquisition financing. Nick Myeres of Zeustra represented the undisclosed sellers.
By John Dickerson, OMNE Partners Omaha continues to be strong economically. The Omaha-area population is nearing the 1 million mark, and Omaha has been rated in the top 10 of cities to move to. Unemployment is less than 3 percent compared with about 4 percent nationally, and employment growth is about 2 percent per year. In commercial real estate, business news generally says that Omaha is doing better than larger cities in the U.S. Of the key sectors, industrial has performed very well. Leasing pace Per CoStar information, Omaha’s vacancy rate is 3 percent. The total industrial square footage is 108 million square feet, and there is approximately 4 million square feet under construction. A large share of construction is due to Google, Facebook and other large users adding facilities. About 1.7 million square feet has been absorbed in the last year. Currently, per market information gathered from Crexi listings, there is approximately 2.6 million square feet available for lease in Douglas and Sarpy counties. (See chart for a breakdown by property types.) One other thing to note is that in the 139 properties with space for lease, there appears to be only 20 spaces for lease with 2,000 square …
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Dual Appraisal Methods Improve Opportunities to Get Fair Taxation for Seniors Housing Properties
by John Nelson
By Phil Brusk and Caleb Vahcic of Siegel Jennings Co. L.P.A. The seniors housing sector can’t seem to catch a break. Owners grappling with staffing shortages and other operational hardships lingering from the pandemic are facing new challenges related to debt and spiraling costs. High interest rates and loan maturations loom over the industry, with $19 billion in loans coming due within the next 24 months, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s “H1 2024 Market Trends and Investor Survey” on senior living and care. Factors driving high costs include wage pressures, inflation and — incredibly — rising property taxes. Despite operational challenges and declining occupancy at many facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, property tax relief for seniors housing was mixed. Many assessors resisted downward adjustments to taxable values, maintaining that recovery was around the corner. Now, seniors housing operators face property tax assessments that equal or exceed pre-pandemic levels. As in the hospitality sector, most seniors housing owners understand that their operating properties include more value components than real property alone. In evaluating whether a tax assessment is reasonable and fair, however, owners need to realize that how an assessor addresses their real estate, personal property and intangible assets can drastically …
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — Microsoft Corp. has acquired 274 acres in Dorr, a southern suburb of Grand Rapids, for an undisclosed price. The property is located at 4400 144th Ave. and 14th Street. Matt Wickstra, Shawn O’Brien and Julie O’Brien of Colliers represented Microsoft in the transaction. Colliers also represented Microsoft in its purchase of 316 acres at 76th Street SE in Caledonia, bringing the company’s total holdings in the region to nearly 590 acres.
CHESTERFIELD, MO. — Keystone Construction Co. has broken ground on the new $60 million CarShield Sportsplex AAA Hockey & Futbol facility in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield. Completion is slated for January 2026. The indoor and outdoor sports facility will accommodate the growing CarShield AAA Hockey & Futbol clubs, which serve more than 500 kids and 45 teams in metro St. Louis. The 325,000-square-foot project will be situated on 33 acres at 530 N. Eatherton Road. The development will include four indoor turf soccer fields, two indoor ice rinks, team locker rooms, a pro shop, training and fitness spaces, a restaurant, bar, concessions and classrooms. Outside, there will be three turf soccer fields, concessions, a dining patio and children’s playground. The project team includes civil engineer Stock & Associates and architect Gray Design Group.
LIBERTY, MO. — Colliers has arranged the recapitalization of a 467,708-square-foot industrial asset in Liberty, a northeast suburb of Kansas City. The Class A heavy manufacturing facility is located in Heartland Meadows Industrial Park. Alex Cantu and Alex Davenport of Colliers arranged the joint venture between the property’s developer, Becknell Industrial, and investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing. LMV Automotive Systems, a division of Magna International Inc., has fully occupied the property since its completion in February 2023. The building features a clear height of 32 feet, 61 docks, 12,892 square feet of office space and 494 auto parking spaces.
MINNEAPOLIS — Gamer Packaging has signed a 20,192-square-foot office lease at Fifth Street Towers in Minneapolis. The full-service packaging company is moving its headquarters to the entire 19th floor of 100 S. Fifth St., the companion tower to 150 S. Fifth St. Reed Christianson and Trinette Wacker of Transwestern Real Estate Services handle leasing for the 1 million-square-foot office complex, which features amenities such as Sculpt Fitness, Connect Lounge and Sphere Bar + Restaurant. Gamer Packaging is currently designing its new headquarters and expects to take occupancy in the second half of 2026. Tad Jellison, John Lorence and Blake Hastings of CBRE represented Gamer Packaging.
JOLIET, ILL. — The Boulder Group has brokered the $2.1 million sale of a 3,500-square-foot retail property net leased to Sherwin-Williams in Joliet. The single-tenant building is located along Plainfield Road. Randy Blankstein and Jimmy Goodman of Boulder represented the seller, a Midwest-based real estate company. The buyer was a Southeast-based real estate investor. There are over eight years remaining on the lease with three five-year renewal options. The lease features 10 percent rental escalations every five years.