FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. — Full-service commercial real estate firm Friedman Real Estate has launched a new subsidiary for commercial mortgage banking called SF Capital. Veteran commercial mortgage professional Matt Shane has partnered with Friedman to launch the new firm, which specializes in debt and equity placement, loan servicing and advisory. SF Capital connects property owners with sources of capital, including life insurance companies, balance sheet lenders, CMBS lenders, bridge lenders, banks and credit unions. “By combining the expertise of the SF Capital team with the experienced team and resources at Friedman, we are able to add exceptional value for investors seeking sources of capital,” says Shane.
ROCHESTER, MINN. — Ruth’s Chris Steak House is opening at the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester. The location marks the second in Minnesota for Ruth’s Chris following one in downtown Minneapolis. The 7,800-square-foot restaurant will feature outdoor seating, a full bar and private dining area. Kraus-Anderson Construction has begun demolition of the Grand Grill in the hotel lobby to make way for Ruth’s Chris. Construction of the steakhouse is scheduled to begin late this summer and be completed in early 2024. Kahler Hospitality Group recently renovated the 600-room hotel. The four-year renovation project was one of the most extensive renovations ever completed at the hotel, which was originally constructed in 1921. Darci Fenske of Paramark Real Estate Services represented Kahler Hospitality Group in the lease with Ruth’s Chris.
ELGIN, ILL. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $2.1 million sale of a 10,500-square-foot retail property in Elgin. Advance Auto Parts is the anchor tenant at the fully leased center, which is located at 1881 Larkin Ave. Adrian Mendoza, Austin Weisenbeck and Sean Sharko of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a limited liability company. The team also procured the buyer, an East Coast-based limited liability company completing a 1031 exchange.
WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MICH. — Knock Twice Speakeasy has opened in West Bloomfield Township, a northwest suburb of Detroit. Eric Banks and Rachele Downs of Dominion Real Estate Advisors represented the landlord, Hariram Properties Inc., in the five-year lease for 5,383 square feet. The space was formerly home to Lark restaurant and later Sizzle and Spice Indian Cuisine. Knock Twice has invested $250,000 in its space, which features an outdoor patio, cigar lounge and VIP area.
By Jaime Bertsche and Lara Keene, Mid-America Real Estate Positive signs for retail real estate abound across many Chicago neighborhoods and high streets, with physical stores demonstrating their necessity coming out of the pandemic. Both of us live and work in the city of Chicago, so it’s particularly heartening to see favorable trends and leasing activity throughout our city of neighborhoods. It may surprise some to know that Chicago has been No. 1 in corporate expansions for the last nine years, with 441 major business expansions and relocations in 2021. Chicago employment has grown by 75,000 since the start of 2022 and ranks third in the U.S., according to World Business Chicago. Google is investing in the city and purchased the 17-story, 1.2 million-square-foot Thompson Center in the Loop with plans to use the building as a second Chicago headquarters. Kellogg announced it will move a spinoff company to Chicago for a new headquarters in the city. Some of the economic changes we saw in the market in the second half of last year affected retailers’ expansion plans. Inflation and interest rates challenged retailers to maintain their customer base, keep their own costs in line, and adapt to higher …
ALGONQUIN, ILL. — A joint venture between Chicago-based real estate developer Hubbard Street Group and athletic club owner and operator College Park Athletic Clubs is building Pickle Haus, a pickleball-themed sports and entertainment center in the Chicago suburb of Algonquin. The project will breathe new life into a vacant retail property. Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. each of the last three years, according to the developers. Construction is currently underway on the 41,000-square-foot project, and completion is slated for November. Pickle Haus will feature 12 indoor pickleball courts, three golf simulators, a bar and event space and an outdoor patio. Sheamus Feeley of Family Is Food designed the restaurant and bar portion, including a custom menu. Hubbard Street Group has owned the vacant building since 2018. It was originally developed in 2008 for Dania Furniture. Prior to the pandemic, the building was leased to a national fitness center chain. However, the chain filed for bankruptcy and never occupied the building. The project team also includes Harken Interior Design, Hirsch MPG, William A. Randolph Construction, Greenberg Traurig and Phlox Partners.
MINNEAPOLIS — Lupe Development Partners and Wall Cos. are moving forward with the development of Snelling Yards, a campus of both senior living and affordable housing. The latest plans call for a 90-unit affordable housing community with mostly three- and four-bedroom units. The project is a joint venture with Ecumen, whose adjacent affordable seniors housing development, The Hillock, is now fully leased. Once the affordable housing building is completed, the two properties will be joined by a green common space and outdoor playground. Lupe and Wall received $900,000 in funding through Hennepin County’s Affordable Housing Incentive Fund. The project site is a former City of Minneapolis Public Works storage area. Construction is expected to begin next year.
BRANSON, MO. — Drever Partners has received a $15.7 million loan for the refinancing of The Penleigh-Branson Row in Branson. The property was formerly a hotel and was converted into 325 micro apartment units. The community leased up in nine months. Franklin Templeton provided the CMBS loan, which features a 10-year term and a 60 percent loan-to-value ratio. CoreVest Finance, a real estate investment lender and division of Redwood Trust Inc., provided the original financing and construction loan for the multifamily renovation. Drever Partners is now raising capital for The Penleigh-Live Oak, a project that will convert the former 143-room Hall of Fame Motel into 138 micro apartments. The property will adjoin The Penleigh-Branson Row.
MAHOMET, ILL. — American Street Capital (ASC) has arranged a $3.9 million loan for the refinancing of a 160-unit multifamily property in Mahomet, about 10 miles northwest of Champaign. The community was built in 1972 and recently renovated. There are eight buildings consisting of a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The asset was more than 95 percent leased at the time of the loan closing. Igor Zhizhin of ASC arranged the agency loan, which features a 10-year term, fixed interest rate and five years of interest-only payments.
TOLEDO, OHIO — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of a 3,720-square-foot retail building in Toledo for $2.2 million. The property is home to Starbucks and Verizon. Both tenants have occupied the building since it was constructed in 2007. Suzanne Sharbek, Christopher Jackson, Erin Patton, Craig Fuller and Scott Wiles of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a limited liability company. The all-cash buyer was a 1031 exchange investor based in California.