ST. CHARLES, ILL. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $4.1 million sale of a 31,650-square-foot retail property in St. Charles, a far west suburb of Chicago. Located at 300 S. 2nd St., the building was formerly home to Blue Goose Market, which closed in March 2022. The buyer, a developer, plans to redevelop the asset into a national-branded grocery store. The property was originally built in 2008. Austin Weisenbeck and Sean Sharko of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a limited liability company, and the buyer.
HOWARD LAKE, MINN. — Contegrity Group Inc. has broken ground on the Howard Lake Library in central Minnesota. Designed by BKV Group, the 7,000-square-foot project marks the first net-zero library in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, according to the architect. Completion is slated for the end of 2024. The new facility will replace the current two-story building located a few blocks away where the library has operated since 1979. As a net-zero energy building, the library will generate energy onsite using clean renewable resources in a quantity equal to or greater than the total amount of energy consumed. The many sustainable net-zero features include highly insulated foundations, walls and roofs; building and window placement for passive solar gain; and rooftop-mounted photovoltaics as the source of the property’s renewable energy. The project’s design and construction also comply with Minnesota’s statewide B3 Sustainable Building Guidelines, which establish sustainability goals for site, water, energy, indoor environmental quality, materials and construction. Minneapolis-based Precipitate provided net-zero consulting services. The new Howard Lake Library will include dedicated book collection areas for adults, teens and children, reservable study rooms, a community room available for library use and public rental, and a story time room for children’s programming. …
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — West Michigan Transport, a freight brokerage headquartered in Holland, Mich., is opening a new office in Grand Rapids. The 10,000-square-foot office is scheduled to open in September. West Michigan Transport says the expansion to Grand Rapids comes in response to the increasing demand for logistics solutions. The company plans to hire 100 individuals, ranging from entry-level sales and operational roles to experienced account managers. Hillary Taatjes Woznick of NAI Wisinski of West Michigan represented the tenant, while colleagues Mary Anne Wisinski-Rosely and Jason Makowski represented the undisclosed landlord.
CLAWSON, MICH. — Dominion Real Estate Advisors has arranged the sale of a 9,673-square-foot auto repair shop in Clawson, a northern suburb of Detroit. The sales price was undisclosed. The property is located at 650 N. Rochester Road. Barry Landau of Dominion represented the seller, Kimberly Tire & Wheel, and the buyer, XCEL Collision LLC.
WHITESTOWN, IND. — Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK) has signed a 369,449-square-foot industrial lease renewal at Anson8A within the AllPoints at Anson industrial park in Whitestown, a northern suburb of Indianapolis. The property is situated near the I-65 logistics corridor. Jimmy Cohoat and Jason Speckman of Colliers represented the landlord, CBRE Investment Management.
CHICAGO — Cicero Construction Group is completing a 4,000-square-foot renovation at Chicago’s historic Windermere House. The space will serve as the future home of Dawn, a southern brunch restaurant slated to open in September. The renovation will completely transform the space, which was formerly home to Piccolo Mondo restaurant. Plans call for a new commercial-grade kitchen with a revamped layout. The dining room will undergo a gut renovation to accommodate seating for 61 guests, and the bar area will be expanded. Cicero will also demolish the former interior; install new drywall, finishes, masonry and woodwork; upgrade the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; and replace the flooring and lighting. The restaurateur behind Dawn is Racquel Fields, who runs the Caribbean-inspired 14 Parish a few blocks away.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA — Meristem Crop Performance Group LLC has inked a 42,810-square-foot industrial lease at 2101 S. 35th St. in Council Bluffs. The property is situated near I-29. Meristem is looking to expand its operations into metro Omaha. Kevin Stratman and Sydney Weller of Investors Realty represented the landlord, V & R Joint Venture.
SOUTH ELGIN, ILL. — Lee & Associates of Illinois has negotiated the $2.7 million sale of a 21,627-square-foot truck maintenance facility in South Elgin. The property at 1790 Gilpen Ave. features 20 drive-in doors and 1,904 square feet of office space. Kenneth Franzese and John Cassidy of Lee & Associates represented the seller, Rock Investment Group LLC. John Joyce of Lee & Associates represented the buyer, Nomad Investment Group LLC.
NEW BUFFALO, MICH. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $1.8 million sale of the Bliss Point Inn hotel in New Buffalo, which is located just north of the Indiana state border and along Lake Michigan. Located at 11539 O’Brien Court, the property includes 90 rooms. Ebrahim Valliani and Michael Klar of Marcus & Millichap represented the buyer and seller, both private investors. Chris Gomes and Allan Miller of Marcus & Millichap were also listed on the deal as supporting brokers. Steve Chaben, the broker of record in Michigan, assisted in closing the transaction.
DEKALB, ILL. — The Kraft Heinz Co. plans to invest more than $400 million in an automated consumer packaged goods (CPG) distribution center in DeKalb, approximately 60 miles west of Chicago. The facility, which will be located along I-88 with national railway access, will total 775,000 square feet, making it one of the largest automatic distribution centers in North America, according to the company. The facility’s design includes a 24/7 automated storage and retrieval system, which will distribute more than 60 percent of Kraft Heinz’s foodservice products and approximately 30 percent of all dry goods. Kraft Heinz also expects the facility to contribute to the company’s broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. More specifically, the company plans to implement sustainable technology to reduce the waste produced at the facility and minimize its overall environmental impact. Kraft Heinz says the plant will generate more than 150 jobs in the region. “As we continue on our journey to lead the future of food, our talented North America teams and collaborative external partners are innovating at a rapid pace to expand our supply chain capabilities,” says Carlos Abrams-Rivera, executive vice president and president of North America at Kraft Heinz. “The DeKalb distribution center …