OAK BROOK, ILL. — DesignPac, a subsidiary of 1-800-Flowers.com Inc., has inked a long-term lease for 17,447 square feet of flex office space at 2100 Swift Drive in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook. Corey Chase of Newmark represented the tenant, which is a provider of gourmet gift baskets and sets for major retailers across North America. The new space will support the company’s multifaceted operations, including its design studio and showroom, product packaging and light manufacturing. Experimental Holdings owns the three-story, 58,010-square-foot property, which underwent a significant renovation in 2017. Ownership is adding an overhead door to the first floor to create a flex space that will enable the tenant to efficiently move products in and out of the facility. Patrick Kiefer and Dan O’Neill of NAI Hiffman represented the landlord.
Midwest
By Chris Collins, Marcus & Millichap The Minneapolis–St. Paul apartment market is currently experiencing a transformation, shaped by shifting economic conditions, changing demographics and evolving public policy. Having strong fundamentals in past multifamily housing development, the Twin Cities have entered a period of recalibration. After years of record-breaking development numbers, the construction pipeline has slowed dramatically, while demand remains across the metro. Like many markets, the Twin Cities face affordability challenges, aging populations and regulatory uncertainty. A major factor of the current market is the sharp decrease in new apartment construction. Following a peak in multifamily housing permits of more than 15,000 in 2022, the Twin Cities saw a sharp decline to just 7,400 from April 2024 to March 2025. This steep reduction is largely driven by public policy such as rent control, operating costs and rising construction costs, which now average in the low to mid-$300,000 per unit, while the market value of newly built apartments hovers near $250,000. As a result, many developers find it financially unfeasible to break ground on new projects without substantial public subsidies. The construction pipeline has declined by more than 50 percent from its peak, and the number of units under construction will …
MADISON, WIS. — CRG has broken ground on Chapter Mifflin, a six-story, 516-bed student housing community in Madison’s Mifflin District adjacent to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. CRG assembled a 1.5-acre site of 12 contiguous parcels along West Washington Avenue and West Mifflin Street for the project and rezoned them for higher-density residential. Chapter Mifflin will offer 162 fully furnished units. Completion is slated for the 2027-28 academic year, with preleasing expected to commence in summer 2026. Currently home to a mix of single-family residences and duplexes operating as student housing, the project site is a half mile from the Memorial Library and four blocks from the retail and entertainment offerings along the State Street corridor. Chapter Mifflin will offer a range of studio through five-bedroom units. Amenities will include a fitness center, study areas, outdoor courtyards, a fifth-floor terrace and secure parking garage. Lamar Johnson Collaborative, a subsidiary of CRG’s parent company Clayco, designed the project, which will feature a public pedestrian connection. Wisconsin-based CG Schmidt will serve as general contractor. CRG worked with Alder Mike Verveer; Madison’s Department of Planning, Community & Economic Development; Capitol Neighborhoods Inc.; and other local stakeholders on the project.
CLEVELAND — The NRP Group has completed The Collins, a 316-unit luxury apartment development on the Scranton Peninsula in Cleveland. The development transforms a long-underutilized waterfront site. Designed by BKV Group, the project spans more than 7 acres and comprises two five-story apartment buildings and three townhome buildings. Apartment units range from studios to three-bedroom layouts. Townhomes include private entry, rooftop balconies and two-car garages. Indoor amenities include a fitness center, resident clubhouse, conference room, private breakout pods and a pet spa. A fifth-floor lounge provides views of the Cuyahoga River and city skyline. Outdoor amenities include a resort-style pool, firepits, grilling stations and an event plaza. The development connects to the Towpath Trail, with free onsite bike rentals available for residents. Dollar Bank served as the construction lender. The Ohio Department of Development provided funds through its Brownfield Remediation and State Opportunity Zone Programs. The Ohio Water Development Authority provided gap financing as well. The City of Cleveland provided tax abatement and tax-increment financing. Monthly rents start around $1,505, according to the property’s website. Residents can earn two months of free rent by moving in prior to Nov. 1.
WATERLOO, IOWA — TVS Supply Chain Solutions has opened its new 225,113-square-foot, build-to-suit facility in Waterloo. Developed in partnership with ElmTree Funds and Ryan Cos. US Inc., the project features 6,800 square feet of office space, a driver’s lounge, 30 loading dock doors and two drive-in doors. TVS’s first Iowa facility is in Iowa City. Ryan is also building another 225,000-square-foot property for TVS in Davenport that is scheduled for completion in October. Ryan served as developer and builder of the Waterloo facility, and Ryan A+E Inc., Ryan’s design studio, served as the architect. ElmTree served as facility owner and financier.
NEW ALBANY, OHIO — Cushman & Wakefield has brokered the sale of a 170,000-square-foot office campus located at 8111 Smith’s Mill Road in New Albany near Columbus. EOG Resources Inc., one of the largest crude oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States, was the buyer. The campus will house EOG Resources’ new Columbus division, adding support for the company’s Utica Shale asset development close to its operations in the region. The LEED Gold-certified building offers office, training and lab facilities along with modern amenities. Randy Stephens and W. Allan Meadors of Cushman & Wakefield represented EOG Resources in the transaction. The company plans to open the new office later this year.
PLAINFIELD, IND. — Chicago-based HSA Commercial Real Estate has inked a new 68,486-square-foot industrial lease with home furnishings retailer Ashley DSG at Gateway Industrial V in Plainfield near the Indianapolis International Airport. The deal returns the 262,758-square-foot building in HSA’s Gateway Business Park to full occupancy. Memphis, Tenn.-based Ashley DSG maintains 166 locations in the United States and Canada. The company will use its space at Gateway V to warehouse and distribute home furnishings. The lease is a relocation and expansion from the company’s existing location in the Indianapolis area. HSA oversaw tenant improvements, including racking and upgrades to the truck dock area. Developed on a speculative basis and delivered in 2019, Gateway V features a clear height of 32 feet, 30 truck docks, four drive-in doors, 185 parking stalls and 70 trailer positions. The warehouse is also home to auto glass distributor Mygrant Glass Co., Paris-based aerospace firm Safran Nacelles and transplant solutions provider LifeNet. Tom Niessink of Niessink Commercial Real Estate represented Ashley DSG in the lease. Terry Busch and Jared Scaringe of CBRE represented ownership.
CHICAGO — Related Midwest and CRG have broken ground on the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park (IQMP), the first phase of Quantum Shore Chicago, a 440-acre, master-planned technology and innovation district along the Chicago lakefront. The project is located on the former U.S. Steel South Works site at 8080 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive in the South Chicago neighborhood. The co-developers are receiving financing from funds managed by Blue Owl Capital on both the land acquisition and vertical development of facilities for IQMP’s anchor tenant, PsiQuantum, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based company with a mission “to build and deploy the world’s first useful quantum computers.” Quantum computing utilizes quantum mechanics to solve complex problems such as climate, energy and defense challenges faster than traditional computers. Created through a public-private partnership with State of Illinois and federal agencies, IQMP will occupy 128 acres on the southern end of the development site. In addition to PsiQuantum’s 80,700-square-foot office and research facility — the first of several buildings the firm will eventually occupy — the campus will include a cryoplant (a facility that uses extremely low temperatures to produce gases like liquid helium and nitrogen for high-tech applications) and equipment labs, as well as …
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Berkadia has arranged the sale of Ashton Court, a 41-unit multifamily property built in 1960, and Ashton Place, a 37-unit community constructed in 1961, in Kansas City. Michael Spero, Niko Vrentas and Simon Rodewald of Berkadia represented the seller, Shawnee, Kan.-based Landmark Realty. Kansas City-based G1 Real Estate was the buyer. Additionally, the Berkadia team negotiated the sale of The Marseilles Apartments, a 28-unit property in Fairway, Kan. A private Missouri-based partnership sold the asset to Northfield, Ill.-based QMR Partners LLC. Built in 1971, the community offers a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units as well as a swimming pool and structured parking garage.
BROOKLYN PARK, MINN. — CBRE has negotiated the sale and acquisition financing for 610 Business Center, a 78,215-square-foot warehouse in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park. Water Street Partners sold the asset to i3 Investors. Located at 9300 Winnetka Ave., 610 Business Center offers convenient access to I-94 via Highway 610. The facility was fully leased to Southern Graphics Systems and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity at the time of sale. CBRE’s Bentley Smith, Judd Welliver, Zach Graham, Ryan Bain, Joe Horrigan and Michael Caprile represented the seller. CBRE’s Billy Mork, Mike Vannelli and Joel Torborg arranged a fixed-rate loan with interest-only payments for the full term on behalf of the buyer.