WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — Thompson Thrift has sold Watermark at Jordan Creek, a 176-unit apartment community in West Des Moines. The sales price and buyer were undisclosed. Completed in 2015 and located at 6455 Galleria Drive, the Class A property consists of four-story buildings with detached garages. Amenities include a resident social lounge, heated pool and spa, clubhouse, fitness center, dog park and community grilling areas. The community was 94 percent leased at the time of sale.
INDIANAPOLIS — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of a 70-room Comfort Suites hotel in Indianapolis for $7.1 million. Built in 2009, the three-story hotel is located near I-465 and the Indianapolis International Airport. Amenities include a business center, fitness center, indoor pool and complimentary breakfast. Scott Havericak and Robert Hunter of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, Vinsar Hotels LLC. The duo also procured the buyer, Singh Estate LLC.
MILWAUKEE — Mosaic Construction LLC has completed a renovation project for flexible workspace provider Expansive at 790 N. Milwaukee St. in downtown Milwaukee. This latest project follows five other renovations that Mosaic has completed for Expansive in downtown Chicago. At Expansive Milwaukee, Cathedral Square, Mosaic converted a roughly 4,500-square-foot, second-floor office space into four individual Club Suites, which are speculative suites with private offices and glass-enclosed conference rooms. Mosaic also installed new HVAC, flooring, glass walls and lighting fixtures. The six-story office building is located between the Milwaukee River and Milwaukee Bay, adjacent to Cathedral Square Park.
Prospective investors can finance acquisitions even when equity is scarce, explains Michael Klein, CEO and founding principal of Freedom Financial Funds. “The scarcity of equity is an old phenomenon; it’s a relatively new phenomenon that made equity plentiful. For most of history, it was hard work to find equity. However, even in a tight market, if there’s a compelling case for a project to result in success and there are multiple ways of protecting the equity and the debt, that deal will get done.” This is the outlook Klein brings to the 2023 MBA Commercial/Multifamily Finance Convention & Expo. Klein’s company, Freedom Financial Funds, LLC is a private REIT based in Los Angeles and operating in the western United States. The REIT specializes in providing capital to real estate professionals adding value to projects. Debt, Equity and Protecting Value Klein explains that with any type of financing, whether it be debt or equity, it is key to have a compelling story and facts to indicate that the borrower is going to provide a fair amount of value. “Protecting the investor from potential downside risks is an essential part of financing,” explains Klein. This sort of forethought requires thorough due diligence …
OHIO, MICHIGAN AND TENNESSEE — Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solutions, has received a $2.5 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO). The loan will help finance the construction of three new lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facilities in Warren, Ohio; Lansing, Mich.; and Spring Hill, Tenn. JLL assisted the DOE in the credit risk evaluation of the project structure, including the allocation of risk, the strength of construction, supply and purchase contracts. JLL also negotiated the loan terms and conditions. The construction projects are expected to create more than 11,000 jobs. The three new facilities will manage battery cell production to respond to the growing U.S. consumer demand for electric vehicles. The transaction marks LPO’s first closed loan exclusively for a battery cell manufacturing project under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program. In October, the federal government launched the American Battery Materials Initiative to grow the end-to-end battery supply chain alongside $2.8 billion in grants from the DOE.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — JRW Realty has negotiated the sale of Walnut Creek Plaza in Columbus for an undisclosed price. An 86,608-square-foot Giant Eagle grocery store anchors the 115,777-square-foot shopping center. There are also 13 additional retail and healthcare tenants. Nathan Webb of JRW Realty sourced the buyer, one of JRW’s exclusive institutional buyers. CBRE represented the undisclosed seller.
DETROIT — Colliers has brokered the sale of the historic Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) building in Detroit for an undisclosed price. The 24,000-square-foot property is located at 1942 Grand River Ave. Newgar LLC sold the asset to Joe Barbat of Barbat Holdings. Benji Rosenzweig and Ben Hubert of Colliers represented both parties in the transaction. The building currently houses a restaurant, office and event space. The buyer intends to convert the property into strictly event space with a new steakhouse on the ground floor to replace the old Parks & Rec Diner and Republic Tavern restaurants. The GAR building opened in 1901 as a place for the city’s Civil War veterans to gather. The GAR is a nationwide organization founded in 1866.
SUNSET HILLS, MO. — In April, Kadean Construction will move its St. Louis office from Fenton to Sunset Hills. The contractor will occupy roughly 10,500 square feet within Laumeier Office Park Building 4 after an approximately $1.2 million renovation and buildout is completed. Kadean’s architecture team is leading the design of the new space with assistance from eddy Design Group. The move comes as Kadean’s office staff has grown from 20 employees to 36 over the past 15 months. The new office will feature conference rooms, training areas and collaboration space. Kadean is also finalizing a lease for roughly 4,600 square feet of warehouse space in the Westport area to relocate and accommodate its expanding storage needs. Kadean also has an office in Kansas City. Total company employment now stands at 85. The construction firm has grown from $85.2 million in revenue in 2019 to an estimated $340 million in 2022.
CHICAGO — Interra Realty has arranged the sale of a 42-unit apartment building located at 4070 N. Kenmore Ave. in Chicago’s Buena Park neighborhood for $5.2 million. All of the units are studios and were recently renovated. Originally constructed in 1929, the property was fully occupied at the time of sale. Joe Smazal of Interra represented the private local seller as well as the buyer, a local private investor. As part of the transaction, the buyer assumed the existing loan on the asset.
CHICAGO — Tishman Speyer has secured lease renewals with Katten and Chubb at 525 West Monroe Street in Chicago’s West Loop. Law firm Katten was among the first companies to commit to the 25-story office building upon its completion in 1983. Katten will maintain its headquarters across 204,000 square feet. As part of the lease negotiation, Tishman Speyer will create two new outdoor terraces for Katten’s exclusive use. Chubb, a publicly traded property and casualty insurance company, has been based at the office property for more than two decades. The firm signed a lease for 92,032 square feet and will consolidate its local workforce from three downtown Chicago offices into a newly designed space. Tishman Speyer is finalizing a major renovation of 525 West Monroe, including a new outdoor plaza, entrances and lobby. Designed by Michaelis Boyd Associates and MDEAS, the hospitality-inspired lobby incorporates a variety of seating areas for gathering, working and dining. Tishman Speyer is also introducing The Foyer, an all-day café concept created in partnership with Infuse Hospitality. The Foyer, which will include a bar and table service plus outdoor seating, will serve breakfast and lunch, grab-and-go offerings, craft coffee and curated cocktails to building occupants and …