COLUMBUS AND MAINEVILLE, OHIO — The Dowd Cos. has arranged the sale-leaseback of two Children of America schools in Ohio for $6.9 million. The properties at 8360 N. High St. in Columbus and 8261 Rivers Bend Drive in Mainesville total 21,949 square feet. Children of America is a childcare operator headquartered in Delray Beach, Fla. The company maintains more than 65 locations in 15 states with 13 new schools in development. John Dowd and Theresa Johnson of Dowd Cos. represented Children of America in the sale. The all-cash buyer completed a 1031 exchange. The transaction represented a cap rate of 7 percent.
OVERLAND PARK, KAN. — Technology solutions company SnapIT Solutions has signed a 5,894-square-foot office lease at Financial Plaza III in Overland Park. Owned by Group RMC and located at 6900 College Blvd., Financial Plaza III features amenities such as onsite food service, conferencing facilities, covered parking and more. Anné Erickson of JLL represented SnapIT.
DETROIT — The Herrick Co. has acquired a 21-story office tower at 2025 Woodward Ave. in downtown Detroit for $150 million. Locally based architecture firm Neumann Smith designed the 421,481-square-foot building, which was delivered in fall 2022 and acts as a headquarters for Huntington National Bank’s (NASDAQ: HBAN) commercial division. The bank fully occupies the property on a triple-net-lease basis. The building features ground-floor retail space, including a Huntington Bank branch; 10 floors of structured parking; a cafe; and a rooftop terrace with space for movies or sporting events to be projected on the side of the tower. The deal is the largest building acquisition to close in Detroit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. The seller was not disclosed. Huntington acquired TCF Financial Corp. in 2020 for $22 billion. The combined company operates more than 1,000 branches in 11 states. The bank’s stock price closed at $11.42 per share on Wed. June 7, down from $13.10 one year ago. The Herrick Co. is a national real estate investment firm that has completed more than $6 billion in transactions. The company focuses on acquiring single-tenant buildings net leased to office, industrial and retail users, …
By Mark Stern, JLL Chicago’s multifamily sector currently enjoys strong market fundamentals highlighted by healthy occupancy rates and continued rental rate growth. The current core apartment rents average over $4 per square foot, which is higher than previous peak pricing. After the pandemic, rental rates between late 2021 to 2022 recorded 10 to 15 percent growth, which is substantially ahead of the historical norms. Currently, the Chicago rental market is experiencing more stable rent growth in the 3 to 4 percent range. Chicago remains one of the most affordable major markets to rent an apartment when looking at the current average effective rents as a percentage of median household income. This affordability will allow owners to continue to push rental rates in the future. One of the major factors leading to strong operating fundamentals in the Chicago market is the lack of new supply. The supply in Chicago is currently 1 percent of the inventory, which is quite low in comparison to other markets where there could be as much as 10 to 12 percent of the inventory under construction. In the city, there are just over 7,000 units under construction slated for delivery between 2023 and 2024. The majority …
FLINT, MICH. — General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) has unveiled plans to invest more than $1 billion in two of its manufacturing facilities in Flint — Flint Assembly and Flint Metal Center. The investments will be utilized to prepare the plants for the production of internal combustion engine (ICE) heavy-duty trucks. At Flint Assembly, GM will invest $788 million for a body shop building expansion, general assembly conveyor expansion and new tooling and equipment. At Flint Metal Center, GM will invest $233 million for new stamping dies as well as press refurbishments and new equipment. GM has announced more than $1.7 billion in investments for Flint-area operations in 2023.
CHICAGO — Related Midwest has opened The Row Fulton Market, a 300-unit luxury apartment tower located at 164 N. Peoria St. in Chicago’s Fulton Market District. Designed by Morris Adjmi Architects, the building rises 43 stories. Units range from 617 to 1,933 square feet. A select number of premium penthouse residences on floors 42 and 43 range from 2,358 to 3,418 square feet. Monthly rents start at $2,705. The penthouses start at $15,250 per month. Twenty percent of the units are designated as affordable housing. The Row features 22,600 square feet of amenity spaces, including an entertainment suite, gathering room, workspace options, fitness center, wellness studio and children’s play area. MAWD designed the interiors. The sixth floor features a 13,800-square-foot landscaped deck with a pool, grilling kitchens, fire pits and hammocks. The Row offers a range of services, including a 24-hour concierge, door attendant, move-in coordination, housekeeping and dog-walking services. Residents also have access to valet dry cleaning, package service, bike storage and 144 parking spaces, 12 of which are electric vehicle charging stations.
SKOKIE, ILL. — JLL Capital Markets has brokered the $11.5 million sale of a 123,519-square-foot retail and industrial building in Skokie. Built in 1976 and renovated in 2013, the property is located at 3450 W. Touhy Ave. XSport Fitness is the anchor tenant at the fully occupied building. Other tenants include Skokie Cash & Carry and Howard Packaging. The property features three interior docks, four drive-in doors, an 84-space parking garage and a clear height of 30 feet. Michael Nieder of JLL represented the seller, CenterPoint Properties Trust. Skokie-based Bernard Capital Investment Partners was the buyer.
BEAVERCREEK, OHIO — Two new tenants have opened at The Greene Town Center in Beavercreek, an eastern suburb of Dayton. Off Par Golf & Social and Taste of Belgium join the more than 100 stores and restaurants at The Greene. Off Par Golf & Social is an indoor golf simulator facility and event venue that totals 5,800 square feet. There are seven state-of-the-art simulators as well as a full-service bar that offers local restaurant food options. Taste of Belgium is a dining concept from a Cincinnati-based restaurant group that specializes in Belgium-inspired cuisine. The menu features traditional dishes such as waffles, frites and mussels. The 3,800-square-foot restaurant also offers a full-service bar. Developed in 2006 by Olshan Properties, The Greene totals 1.1 million square feet.
EVANSTON, ILL. — Restaurant group Etta Collective has signed a 6,808-square-foot lease to occupy the entire ground-floor retail space at Evanston Labs in Evanston. Slated for completion in spring 2024, Evanston Labs will bring 177,575 square feet of Class A life sciences space to Chicago’s North Shore submarket. Etta plans to open its neighborhood eatery in summer 2024. The 10-story building is situated steps away from Northwestern University. Each floorplate is designed to accommodate both single- and multi-tenant users. There will also be a floor dedicated to lab-ready suites ranging in size from 5,000 to 9,000 square feet. Tenants will also have access to a penthouse amenity center with a boardroom, bar and lounge, outdoor terrace and health and wellness center. ESG Architects is the project architect, CRB is the lab planning group and Power Construction Co. is the general contractor. Dan Lyne and Brandon Green of CBRE are marketing the space for lease on behalf of ownership, Trammell Crow Co. David Burden of Colliers represented Etta.
JOLIET, ILL. — Peak Construction Corp. has broken ground on a 677,000-square-foot industrial build-to-suit project within the Rock Run Crossings Business Park in Joliet. IDI Logistics is the developer and Ecolab is the tenant. Completion is slated for the second quarter of 2024. Ecolab is a sustainability company that offers water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. The project team also includes architect Ware Malcomb and civil engineer Jacob & Hefner Associates Inc.