PONTIAC, MICH. — The Paslin Co. has signed a 113,742-square-foot industrial lease at 660 S. Blvd. East in Pontiac. Founded in 1937, the company is a full-service design-build organization serving the global automotive industry. Phil Konopitski of Friedman Real Estate represented the tenant in the lease. The landlord was undisclosed.
Midwest
PLATTE CITY, MO. — Developer VanTrust Real Estate LLC has broken ground on Platte International Commerce Center, a 2.4 million-square-foot industrial development in Platte City, a northern suburb of Kansas City. The project will consist of three Class A buildings. The first speculative building will total 748,833 square feet and is slated for completion in May 2024. The site features immediate access to I-29 and I-435. Phillip Algrim and Kevin Wilkerson of JLL are marketing the project for lease. The project team includes Whiting Turner Contracting Co., Olsson Engineers and M+H Architects.
MICHIGAN — Prestige Storage, in partnership with Peaceable Street Capital, has acquired a 12-property self-storage portfolio in western Michigan for an undisclosed price. The portfolio totals 490,302 square feet with 2,956 units. The properties are located in Muskegon, Fruitport, Spring Lake, Kent City and West Olive. The facilities, which feature a mix of climate-controlled and non-climate-controlled units, will be rebranded to Prestige Storage. The buyer intends to expand the properties, with initial plans calling for the addition of more than 100 parking spaces for boats, RVs and trucks. Columbus, Ohio-based Prestige maintains a portfolio of more than 50 properties in seven states totaling 2.4 million rentable square feet.
BROOKFIELD, WIS. — Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital (BWE) has arranged a $6.2 million loan for the acquisition of Shoppes of Brookfield Commons, a retail center in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield. The two-building property totals 42,356 square feet. At the time of loan closing, the asset was 54 percent leased. Ryan Morris of BWE arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower, CapRock Real Estate. Ameritas Investment Partners provided the three-year loan, which features a fixed interest rate along with $1 million of future funding for capital improvements and leasing efforts.
CHICAGO — Kiser Group has brokered the sale of 701 S State in Chicago’s Loop for $6 million. The building features 36 apartment units as well as a bar on the first floor. The residences are renovated studio apartments, all of which are occupied. Kiser Group’s Birk | Sklar team represented the seller, Nicholas Vranas, who had owned the building for over 40 years. A local restaurant operator purchased the asset. According to Kiser, the buyer was drawn to the property because of its 4 a.m. liquor license, which was transferred upon sale.
MOUNT PROSPECT, ILL. — Big Fish Hospitality has unveiled plans to open a new restaurant named The Prospect in suburban Chicago. The upscale eatery will be situated at 20West, a luxury apartment building located at 20 W. Northwest Highway in Mount Prospect. Big Fish expects to begin construction on the two-story restaurant this summer, with a soft opening planned for late fall and a grand opening toward the end of the year. Chef Mauro Berruti and General Manager Garrett Supples will lead The Prospect. Nicholas & Associates, which completed construction of 20West on behalf of developer Wingspan Development Group, will oversee the build-out of the restaurant space. The Prospect will be able to accommodate 90 to 100 people on the first floor and 50 to 75 people on the second level. A full bar will be situated on each level. The upstairs area will also serve as private event space.
By Eric Rose and Erick Tjarks, Cresa The Omaha office market proved to be somewhat insular from the effects of the many factors the real estate industry has experienced since 2020 (COVID-19, the hybrid work-from-home model, discussions of impending recession to name a few). Although down year-over-year, which given the recent interest rate hikes is expected, market sales volume remains above-average over the surveyed period going back to 2007. Though, this transaction volume dropped precipitously in the second half of 2022 and has continued to be slow in early 2023. However, the local market has seen pockets of increased activity, as Northwest Omaha saw heightened transactional volume, with Midtown Omaha, downtown Council Bluffs and suburban West Dodge following suit. As showcased above, market cap rates have largely accounted for interest rate hikes and are currently stable but subject to future interest rate increases. These statistics all point to a stable market, with fundamental performance on solid footing. However, it should be noted that, according to CoStar, 2022 is only the second year on record when demolitions outpaced gross deliveries, with only 93,000 square feet of net deliveries Omaha ranked in the bottom 10 of the top 60 office markets …
On the April 12 episode of “The Most Insightful Hour in CRE” webcast, Willy Walker, CEO of Walker & Dunlop, spoke to renowned economist Dr. Peter Linneman, founding principal of Linneman Associates, about pressing issues facing the economy, pandemic repercussions, market predictions and much more. The discussion began by diving into the economy and real estate market in its current state of flux, with many challenges facing both investors and developers. Walker outlines the unease created by the recent Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank crises. “One of the data points announced by the Fed is that since the crisis, bank lending in the United States has gone down by $110 billion over the two weeks since the Silicon Valley Bank collapse. Banks borrowed $160 billion in the two-week window prior. There’s a big drive toward liquidity; and yet there’s no new liquidity going out into the market.” “There’s 4.4 trillion dollars of commercial real estate (CRE) loans outstanding across all lending sources — CMBS, life insurance companies, banks, etc.,” continues Walker. “About half of that is non-multifamily properties. Banks hold about 40 percent of total outstanding loans on commercial properties.” If banks were to pull back from holding 40 percent …
MARYSVILLE, OHIO — Walker & Dunlop has arranged $69.5 million in construction financing for a 1.3 million-square-foot industrial facility in the Columbus suburb of Marysville. The property is a build-to-suit for Scotts Lawn Care, a full-service landscaping company specializing in commercial and residential lawn services. The project site at 12575 Industrial Parkway is minutes away from Scotts’ national headquarters. Chad Kiner and AJ Mangan of Walker & Dunlop arranged the financing on behalf of the developer, Crawford Hoying. Centennial Bank was the lender.
CLAYTON, MO. — Midas Enterprises has completed a $47 million Residence Inn by Marriott hotel in the St. Louis suburb of Clayton. The project is the first new hotel to open in the city in 30 years, according to Midas. The extended-stay hotel rises 12 stories with 170 rooms. The development includes a second-floor lounge and ballrooms, 3,300 square feet of second-level meeting space with an outdoor terrace and bar, complimentary breakfast, a 1,500-square-foot fitness center and guest laundry. Investors included Hermann Cos. and Peoples Bank. The project team included SSC Engineering, CECO Concrete Construction Inc. and Castle Contracting LLC. Midas deployed all four of its divisions — Midas Capital, Midas Construction, Midas Hospitality and Midas Development — to complete the project.