Monday, July 14, 2025
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AcquisitionsIllinoisLoansMidwestOffice

Forman Capital Provides $6.8M Acquisition Loan for Distressed Office Asset in Metro Chicago

by Kristin Harlow

OAK BROOK, ILL. — Forman Capital has provided a $6.8 million loan for the acquisition of a distressed office asset in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook. Butterfield Office Plaza is a four-building office campus totaling 308,921 rentable square feet. The borrower, 2625 Butterfield LLC, is led by investor and developer Mitch Goltz, who acquired the property in a distressed sale and has a business plan to stabilize, reposition and redevelop key components of the campus. The developer will consolidate all tenants into two buildings totaling 95,511 square feet and redevelop the other two buildings. Once tenant consolidation is completed, the operating buildings are estimated to be around 57 percent leased. Brett Forman, Ben Jacobson, Scott Mehlman, Ty Regnier and Cam Fleury represented Forman Capital on an internal basis.

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DevelopmentIowaMidwestRetail

Crunch Fitness Opens 60,000 SF Facility in Des Moines

by Kristin Harlow

DES MOINES, IOWA — Fitness Ventures LLC, the second largest Crunch Fitness franchisee, has opened its 60th Crunch Fitness with a new 60,000-square-foot facility in Des Moines. Located at 1200 E. Army Post Road, the new club is the company’s second Crunch location in Iowa. Built as a 3.0 Crunch model, the Des Moines location represents a $5 million investment. The club features cardio and strength equipment, a group fitness studio, dry saunas, performance turf, HydroMassage, tanning and the HIITZone. Fitness Ventures has partnered with Meaningful Partners, a private equity firm that invested in the company in 2024. The partnership has helped accelerate growth through a mix of new club development, mergers and acquisitions. Fitness Ventures is on pace to reach 75 clubs by the end of the year. The company plans to open 20 new locations annually.

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AcquisitionsIndustrialMichiganMidwest

Friedman Real Estate Arranges $2.6M Sale of Industrial Property in Farmington Hills, Michigan

by Kristin Harlow

FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. — Friedman Real Estate has arranged the sale of a 28,640-square-foot industrial property in the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills for $2.6 million. The facility is located at 24450 Indoplex Circle. Phil Konopitski of Friedman represented the undisclosed buyer.

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ElmTree-Funds
AcquisitionsCompany NewsMissouriNew YorkTop Stories

BlackRock to Acquire Net-Lease Industrial Investor ElmTree Funds

by Hayden Spiess

NEW YORK CITY AND ST. LOUIS — New York City-based investment manager BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) has announced plans to acquire net-lease real estate investment firm ElmTree Funds. BlackRock has entered into a definitive agreement with ElmTree, which has $7.3 billion in total assets under management as of March 31. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Established in 2011 and based in St. Louis, ElmTree owns and operates real estate properties, with a focus on single-tenant, build-to-suit industrial assets. ElmTree’s portfolio includes investments in 122 properties across 31 states.  Additionally, ElmTree’s portfolio includes six office locations. BlackRock’s upfront consideration will be paid primarily in stock, with the potential for additional consideration subject to ElmTree Funds’ performance over the next five years. Additional financial details were not disclosed. Upon closing of the deal, ElmTree will be integrated into Private Financing Solutions (PFS), a new platform created through BlackRock’s combination with HPS Investment Partners. (BlackRock completed its acquisition of investment firm HPS earlier this month.)  “The net lease market is estimated at $1 trillion, and our continued belief in the industrial build-to-suit model is rooted in the mission-critical …

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DevelopmentMidwestMultifamilyWisconsin

Continental, Three Leaf Open 267-Unit Westrock Residences in Hartland, Wisconsin

by Kristin Harlow

HARTLAND, WIS. — Continental Properties and Three Leaf Partners have opened Westrock Residences, a 267-unit townhome and apartment property in the Milwaukee suburb of Hartland. The community offers one-, two- and three-bedroom stacked flat apartments as well as two- and three-bedroom, two-story townhome-style residences. Amenities include a resort-style pool, clubhouse, fitness center, golf simulator, dog run, playground and more than two miles of walking paths. Monthly rents start at $1,890, according to the property’s website.

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AcquisitionsIllinoisIndustrialLoansMidwest

Byline Bank Provides $17M for Acquisition of Two Chicagoland Industrial Properties

by Kristin Harlow

ALSIP, ILL. — Byline Bank has provided $17 million for the acquisition and future capital improvement of two industrial properties located at 5750 W. 118th St. and 11700 S. Central Ave. in Alsip. TradeLane Properties was the borrower. The manufacturing facility on 118th Street totals 366,869 square feet and was built between 1996 and 2000. It features exterior dock doors, existing bridge cranes, 480 expandable parking stalls and active multi-track rail service via Indiana Harbor Belt. TradeLane plans to reposition the asset by replacing the roof, paving, exterior and interior painting, landscaping and preparing the office space for lease. The second property is an 84,376-square-foot distribution center that is fully leased and situated on 4.5 acres. Constructed in 1990, the building features a 4,500-square-foot office space, 15 exterior dock-high doors, a drive-in door and 26 auto parking stalls. The acquisition marks the 14th transaction between Byline and TradeLane in the last five years.

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AcquisitionsIndustrialMidwestWisconsin

ERMCO Acquires 158,000 SF Industrial Facility in Bristol, Wisconsin

by Kristin Harlow

BRISTOL, WIS. — Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative Inc. (ERMCO) has acquired a 158,000-square-foot industrial facility at Bristol Business Park in southern Wisconsin. ERMCO began leasing the property in May 2024 to prepare for operational readiness and officially commenced operations in April 2025. The site, located in Building 4, features a clear height of 32 feet, 30 expandable dock doors, 215 parking spaces and 4,000 amps of power. ERMCO continues to invest in advanced manufacturing to support the evolving needs of the energy sector. The Bristol facility will serve as the company’s dedicated amorphous hub, reinforcing its commitment to delivering high-efficiency transformer solutions that support grid modernization and long-term reliability. ERMCO now has two domestic sources of electrical steel (amorphous and grain-oriented). Sean Kropke and Keith Puritz of Cushman & Wakefield represented ERMCO in the sale.

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AcquisitionsIndianaMidwestRetail

Marcus & Millichap Arranges $4.6M Sale of Retail Center in Columbus, Indiana

by Kristin Harlow

COLUMBUS, IND. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $4.6 million sale of Holiday Center, a 26-unit retail center in Columbus, about 45 miles south of Indianapolis. The fully leased property totals 59,117 square feet across four buildings. Forest Bender and Joseph DiSalvo of Marcus & Millichap represented the Indiana-based seller. The new ownership plans to enhance income through strategic leasing and explore potential outlot development, according to Bender.

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AcquisitionsIllinoisMidwestMultifamily

Kiser Group Brokers $2.6M Sale of Chicago Apartment Building

by Kristin Harlow

CHICAGO — Kiser Group has brokered the $2.6 million sale of a 36-unit apartment building located at 5201 W. Washington Blvd. in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. The property was fully leased at the time of sale, with one recently filled vacancy. The asset received a full mechanical and cosmetic renovation, including individual furnaces and new plumbing and electrical systems. Noah Clark and Jack Petrando of Kiser represented the buyer and seller, neither of which were disclosed.

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IllinoisMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsOffice

Spec Suites Surge, Investors Buy Office Again in Chicago

by Kristin Harlow

By Ben Azulay, Bradford Allen As summer approaches, I’m noticing Chicago’s downtown buzzing with renewed energy, and new signs that the Loop’s office market is heating up as well. In fact, research by my firm, Bradford Allen, suggests a Chicago office market nearing its bottom and poised for recovery.  Improved leasing activity, strategic landlord adaptations and discounted sales are reshaping downtown Chicago’s market, particularly in high-demand submarkets like the West Loop and Fulton Market. Client certainty Office tenants in downtown Chicago are demonstrating increased confidence about their space needs, as reflected in significant expansion deals and long-term commitments. In fact, office expansions drove at least five of the 10 largest leases signed during the first quarter, including Stripe more than doubling its footprint at 350 N. Orleans from 45,000 to 89,000 square feet and Blue Owl’s second expansion at 150 N. Riverside from 27,000 square feet to 54,000 square feet.  Large new leases included BP renewing 240,000 square feet at the CME Center, and Goldman Ismail signing a 43,000-square-foot deal at 191 N. Wacker. Leasing volume totaled 1.7 million square feet, up from 1.3 million square feet year-over-year, with the West Loop alone securing 916,760 square feet of leasing activity.  …

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