AUBURN HILLS, MICH. — Bernard Financial Group has arranged $2 million in permanent financing for a 21,256-square-foot office property in Auburn Hills. Dennis Bernard and Joshua Bernard arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower, Auburn Office Center LLC. StanCorp Life Insurance Co. provided the loan, terms of which were undisclosed.
OMAHA, NEB. — Mutual of Omaha has broken ground on a 44-story office tower that will act as the company’s headquarters in downtown Omaha. At 677 feet, the building will rise 43 feet above the city’s current tallest building, First National Bank Tower. The 800,000-square-foot development will include a street-level lobby with conference space and an “experience center” spotlighting the company’s history, brand and impact on customers and the community; a sky lobby, welcoming associates from the planned 2,200-stall parking structure; food and wellness services, a fitness center and flexible meeting spaces on the 16th through 20th floors; and conference facilities with a two-story atrium on the 44th floor. Despite the skyscraper’s record-breaking height, the building will be less than half the square footage of the company’s current 1.7 million-square-foot headquarters in Omaha’s Midtown neighborhood. This shift in design is to support flexible work arrangements, including in-person, remote and hybrid models. “As a customer-focused company, we worked closely with our design team to create a headquarters that is appropriately sized, adaptable to ways of working that may emerge in the future and able to serve our policyholders in an effective and efficient manner,” says CEO James Blackledge. Mutual of Omaha’s …
By Scott Dunwoody, Cushman & Wakefield It’s not too much of a stretch to say that St. Louis’ life sciences sector dates back to Lewis & Clark’s Corps of Discovery and all the scientific findings revealed upon their return to the city in 1806. More than two centuries later, St. Louis remains at the forefront of life sciences. The region is a center of plant science research and a cornerstone of global agriculture technology, with institutions such as Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) and St. Louis University playing critical roles in the biotech and medical fields. These factors translate into significant economic development benefits for the region and a positive impact on the area’s commercial real estate market. St. Louis is home to the largest concentration of plant scientist PhDs in the world. All that talent supports and drives more than 750 plant and medical science organizations across the region, including large employers such as Bayer (formerly Monsanto), Bunge, Benson Hill, IFF, Novus and Pfizer, and has led to significant investments throughout the region. What’s more, St. Louis ranks No. 14 nationally in National Institutes of Health funding, having secured more than $3.3 billion in the past five years. …
CHICAGO — McHugh Construction has broken ground on a 48,000-square-foot space that will house FlyOver, a new flying ride attraction at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Expected to open in spring 2024, FlyOver replaces Navy Pier’s longtime IMAX theater, located near the Centennial Wheel on the west end of the pier. The attraction will provide guests with the feeling of flight as they hang suspended from moving seats with their feet dangling below. The ride will also feature films projected on a 65-foot wrap-around screen that will showcase Chicago as well as iconic landscapes from around the globe. The attraction will provide a multi-sensory experience, complete with mist, wind and scents. FlyOver, from global attractions and hospitality company Pursuit, will be the first ride of its kind in Chicago. The experience will be similar to FlyOver attractions in Las Vegas, Canada and Iceland. Chicago-based Epstein is the architect. Project costs are estimated at $13 million.
CHICAGO, ALGONQUIN AND SWANSEA, ILL. — IWG has unveiled plans to open four new flexible workspaces in Illinois. The new locations include a Spaces center and an HQ center in Chicago as well as Regus centers in Algonquin and Swansea. All four locations will offer IWG’s full suite of facilities, including private offices, coworking and collaboration spaces, meeting rooms and a host of tech services. IWG says the new Illinois locations reflect the growing demand for flexible workspaces in large cities and smaller communities alike. IWG is opening the vast majority of its new locations in partnership with commercial real estate owners, developers and franchisee investors.
CHICAGO — CBRE has negotiated the sale of a 20,000-square-foot office building in Chicago’s West Loop for an undisclosed price. Located at 1218 W. Adams St., the property served as the Chicago headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America’s Pathway to Adventure Council since 1995. Tom Svoboda and Phil DeBoer of CBRE represented the seller, the Boy Scouts of America’s Pathway to Adventure Council. The buyer, Kensington School, plans to redevelop the building. Svoboda also represented the Boy Scouts in purchasing an 8,200-square-foot office suite at 1100 W. Washington Blvd. in Chicago’s West Loop.
MINNEAPOLIS — Northmarq has arranged a $9.5 million agency loan for the refinancing of Isles East and West, an 85-unit apartment complex in Minneapolis. Originally built in 1922, the property rises three stories and features laundry facilities, a courtyard and car charging stations. Mike Padilla of Northmarq arranged the five-year, fixed-rate loan, which features three years of interest-only payments and a 30-year amortization schedule. The borrower was undisclosed.
FISHERS, IND. — The Klink Group of Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of Pine Creek Shoppes in the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers for $3.3 million. Constructed in 2000, the retail center is located at 8958 E. 96th St. Tenants include H&R Block, Nail Bar, Bailey & Wood Mortgage and Moon Face & Body Studio. Jordan Klink of the brokerage represented the seller, Vamoz LTD, a private investor based in New York. Matthew Ferguson and Pete Alveal of Premier Commercial procured the buyer, NOC Pine Creek LLC, an Indianapolis-based limited liability company.
CHICAGO — Interra Realty has negotiated the sale of a 36-unit, transit-oriented multifamily property in Chicago’s Fulton River district for $11 million. Located at 851 W. Grand Ave., the building features seven studios, 20 one-bedroom units and nine two-bedroom units. Amenities include a bike room, dry-cleaning pickup, tenant storage, a package room and onsite parking. Constructed in 2017, the property was 95 percent leased at the time of sale. The building is situated one block from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Grand Blue Line station and is also in proximity to several CTA bus routes. David Goss, Jon Morgan and Harrison Pinkus of Interra represented the seller, Monroe Residential Partners. Brad Feldman of Interra represented the buyer, a local private investor.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Becknell Industrial is underway on the development of Winchester 527, a 527,023-square-foot speculative industrial building in Columbus. The property will feature a clear height of 40 feet, roughly 2,000 square feet of office space, 436 auto parking spaces and 150 trailer parking spaces. Lee & Associates is marketing the project for lease. Completion is slated for later this year.