INDIANAPOLIS — The Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation is expanding its real estate mentorship program to Indiana. Headquartered in the north suburbs of Chicago, the foundation’s mentorship program has worked with more than 2,200 college and university students and over 100 professionals. Students can now request mentorships from more than 50 industry leaders in the greater Indianapolis area at no cost to the student, college or university. Students will select their mentor, based on their interests and availability, to schedule a full-day job shadow experience. The mentors are experts in brokerage, capital/financial markets, development, investment and management. Luke Lonneman of JLL, Ralph Shiley of Scannell Properties and John Snell of Snell Real Estate Evaluation Co. serve as the leadership of the Eisenberg Foundation’s Indiana Mentorship Advisory Committee and will oversee the program. The expansion of the mentorship program into Indiana can be attributed in part to the success and growth of other programs hosted by the foundation. Last spring, university teams from Indiana University in Bloomington, University of Indiana in Indianapolis and University of Notre Dame participated in the Eisenberg Foundation’s Annual Real Estate Challenge, a case competition. Additionally, as many as 30 students from Indiana college and universities typically participate …
SKOKIE, ILL. — Draper and Kramer Inc. has arranged a $99.6 million loan on behalf of Fairbourne Properties for the acquisition of Village Crossing, a 724,400-square-foot shopping center on the border between Skokie and Niles. Built in 1988, the grocery-anchored property includes Jewel-Osco, AMC and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Bill Barry and Bill Stewart of Draper and Kramer’s Commercial Finance Group arranged the loan. In addition to funding the acquisition, the loan will be used for tenant improvements and leasing commission costs for new leasing at the property.
LOMBARD AND NAPERVILLE, ILL. — Northmarq has arranged the sales of two Chicagoland multifamily properties for a combined $67.3 million. The assets include Westmore Apartments, a 230-unit property in Lombard, and Whispering Trails, a 120-unit property in Naperville. Westmore Apartments was built in 1968 and is 98 percent occupied. Ownership invested more than $3.7 million in capital improvements over the past decade. Whispering Trails was built in 1985. Ownership invested nearly $2.2 million in capital improvements. Parker Stewart, Dominic Martinez, Alex Malzone and Jake Lamb of Northmarq represented the seller, Axiom Properties Inc. B & A Property Group LLC purchased Westmore Apartments for $46 million, while FPA Multifamily bought Whispering Trails for $21.3 million.
WEST LIBERTY, OHIO — Industrial Property Brokers (IPB) has negotiated the sale of an 80,500-square-foot industrial facility in West Liberty, about 50 miles northeast of Dayton. Vicente Torns Ohio Corp., an international manufacturer, purchased the property, which sits on 7.2 acres and is zoned for heavy manufacturing. Vicente Torns plans to invest $21 million in the facility and create 108 new jobs. The project will establish the company’s first U.S. manufacturing facility, where it will produce copper and aluminum wires used in electric transformers. With more than 100 years of manufacturing experience, Vicente Torns operates facilities in Spain, Slovakia, Italy, Morocco, India and France, serving customers across the energy, electric vehicle and railway industries. The West Liberty property features 78,000 square feet of warehouse space, 2,500 square feet of office space, three dock doors and three drive-in doors. Tim Echemann and Conrad Echemann of IPB brokered the deal.
SCHAUMBURG, ILL. — UrbanStreet Group has announced two retail leases for Veridian’s shopping, dining and entertainment district in Schaumburg. Entertainment concept Your Third Spot and Chicago-area breakfast and lunch restaurant Buttermilk Cafe will open storefronts in the project’s first phase. Veridian is the redevelopment of the former Motorola factory and office campus. Your Third Spot will open its first Chicago-area location at Veridian and its second location nationally, following one in Atlanta. The competitive socializing venue pairs dining and craft beverages with games and activities. Buttermilk Cafe is known for its stuffed breakfast biscuits, pancakes, burgers and all-day breakfast menu. The restaurant operates in Geneva, Naperville, Vernon Hills, Wilmette and Downers Grove. The Veridian location will total 4,000 square feet. Construction on Veridian’s first retail phase includes The Fresh Market, a 26,000-square-foot grocery anchor that is on track to open in early 2027. The 321 apartments above the retail space are slated to open next spring. The district’s parking deck and public road network are both complete. Mason Retail Group is leading retail leasing for Veridian. In 2015, Motorola announced it would relocate its headquarters to downtown Chicago. UrbanStreet Group bought the Schaumburg property in 2016 and spent the next …
KANSAS CITY, MO. — The Kansas City Royals have selected a construction team for the development of the club’s new $3 billion mixed-use village in downtown Kansas City, which will be anchored by a new 34,000-seat, open-air ballpark. The 85-acre district will be located within the city’s Crown Center neighborhood on the corporate campus of Hallmark Cards, which is a partner with the Royals on the overall development. The Royals have selected a joint venture between Minnesota-based Mortenson and Kansas City-based McCownGordon to serve as the construction manager at risk on the nearly 1.3 million-square-foot stadium. JE Dunn, also headquartered in Kansas City, will serve as a construction partner on the surrounding mixed-use district. Upon completion, which is expected in advance of the Royals’ opening day game in 2030, the mixed-use village will be the largest sports-anchored downtown development in baseball and the largest economic development project in the history of Kansas City, according to the Royals. “We’re proud to bring these outstanding construction companies together to build a world-class ballpark that will be seamlessly integrated with a best-in-class mixed-use development,” says Brooks Sherman, president of real estate and development for the Royals. “We have always said this is about …
DES PLAINES, ILL. — Seefried Industrial Properties has completed demolition and is underway on a three-building, 520,000-square-foot industrial development in Des Plaines. The project is a redevelopment of approximately 35 acres at the Northeast corner of Algonquin and Mount Prospect roads in the O’Hare submarket. It will transform three functionally obsolete office buildings into a modern industrial park. The three buildings, totaling 106,000, 152,000 and 260,000 square feet, are being built on a speculative basis. Premier Design + Build Group is the general contractor, SPACECO is the civil engineer and Harris Architects is the architect. Jason Lev, Jimmy Kowalczyk and John Suerth of CBRE are marketing the property for lease. Completion is slated for the second quarter of 2027.
JOLIET, ILL. — Cullinan Properties has secured more than 500,000 square feet of executed deals current or coming to Rock Run Collection, including naming five additional national and regional retail tenants alongside the previously announced Dick’s House of Sport. The announcement was made as the developer broke ground for the retail components at the 310-acre, 1.3 million-square-foot project in Joliet. The newly named retail tenants to open in 2027 include Five Below, Maurices, Spencer’s, Buckle and Milano Nail Salon. Additional tenants will be released soon. The retail portion is adjacent to the new Hollywood Casino Joliet and The View apartment complex. The 120,000-square-foot Dick’s House of Sport is the first to be built from the ground up in the Chicagoland area.
PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WIS. — Avison Young has brokered the sale of a 200,696-square-foot food production facility located within LakeView Corporate Park in Pleasant Prairie. Royal Oak Realty Trust, a New York-based real estate investment trust, acquired the property. Erik Foster and Mike Wilson of Avison Young represented the seller, EQT Real Estate. Constructed in 2017, the facility is fully leased to a national bakery products supplier.
ST. PAUL, MINN. — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has selected River Park Plaza in St. Paul for its new headquarters. The organization has signed a lease for 109,228 square feet across three floors plus space in the basement for a total of 124,520 rentable square feet. DNR will be relocating its headquarters from 500 Lafayette Road in St. Paul, where it has been based since 1985. The transaction represents one of the largest office leases completed in the Twin Cities in recent years. SARA Investment Real Estate owns River Park Plaza, which totals 330,000 square feet. Suntide Commercial Realty handles management and leasing for the property. Jeff Hart, Kevin Peck and Jim Kenney of Suntide represented the landlord in the lease with DNR, which expects to take occupancy in June 2027. At that point, the building will be 94 percent occupied.