CHICAGO — MoLo Solutions, a third-party logistics company within the transportation industry, has signed a 93,710-square-foot office lease at 167 N. Green St. in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood. MoLo connects clients with truck drivers and other shipping solutions. The company plans to expand significantly over the next few years. The property features a meeting area, onsite parking, gym, rooftop garden and NBA-sized basketball court. Kayla Beljan of MB Real Estate represented MoLo in the lease. Paige O’Neil and Annie Aldrich of Shapack Partners represented the undisclosed landlord.
MOUNT PROSPECT, ILL. — Interra Realty has negotiated the $5.5 million sale of 1050-1110 N. Wheeling Road in Mount Prospect, a northwest suburb of Chicago. The property consists of three buildings and 42 units. Built in 1965, the apartment property was 95 percent leased at the time of sale. Craig Martin of Interra represented the seller, Chicago-based 29th Street Capital, as well as the private buyer. The seller had extensively updated units with vinyl plank flooring, stone countertops, stainless steel appliances and new windows. The buyer plans to make additional minor enhancements.
MUNCIE, IND. AND FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. — Muncie-based First Merchants Corp. (NASDAQ: FRME) and Farmington Hills-based Level One Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: LEVL) have signed a definitive merger agreement by which Level One will merge into First Merchants in a stock and cash transaction valued at approximately $323.5 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2022. The combined company, conducting its banking business as First Merchants Bank, expects to complete its system integration during the third quarter of 2022. First Merchants will have assets of roughly $17.6 billion and will remain the second largest financial holding company headquartered in Indiana. The combined company will operate 122 banking offices across Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois.
CHICAGO — Union Investment Real Estate has purchased 59-65 E. Oak St., a one-block stretch of high-end retail space in Chicago. The purchase price was $120 million, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. The price represents the largest amount paid for any retail asset sold in Chicago since 2016, according to CBRE. Keely Polczynski of CBRE Capital Markets represented both the buyer and the seller, Jenel Real Estate, which acquired two separate parcels in 2016, demolished them and rebuilt a 32,000-square-foot building that now houses high-end retailers Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, Moncler and Le Colonial. Based in Germany, Union Investment is an international investment manager specializing in open-ended real estate funds for private and institutional investors.
MINNEAPOLIS — Kraus-Anderson has broken ground on North Loop Green, a mixed-use development in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis. Hines, along with partners AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust and Marquee Development, are the developers. Plans call for 350,000 square feet of office space, 350 residential units, 100 hospitality units and 17,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. A key feature of the project will be The Green, a one-acre green space that will host community events. The project architect, ESG Architects, plans to move its office to the development. Completion is slated for spring 2024. Brent Robertson of JLL will lead leasing efforts for the office component.
OAK CREEK, WIS. — Northmarq has provided $12.2 million in construction takeout financing for the recently completed first phase of Residences at Oak View in Oak Creek, just south of Milwaukee. The build-for-rent community, located at 10730 S. Howell Ave., includes 42 rental homes. Residents have access to a clubhouse with a fitness center, game room, community room and outdoor pool. The property was fully pre-leased within two months of the first home delivery and achieved occupancy stabilization within five months. Construction on a 41-home second phase is currently underway, with completion slated for summer 2022. Brett Hood of Northmarq arranged the 10-year loan, which features five years of interest-only payments followed by a 30-year amortization schedule. Northmarq originated the financing for the borrower, ModHomes, through its status as a Freddie Mac Optigo lender.
CARBONDALE, ILL. — Friedman Real Estate has brokered the sale of University Village in Carbondale for an undisclosed price. The 269-unit apartment community, situated on nearly 17 acres, is located about a mile from Southern Illinois University. Below-market rents at the property, built in 1973, present a value-add opportunity for the undisclosed buyer. Rich Deptula and Kellen Duggan of Friedman advised both parties in the transaction.
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Demographic, Economic Trends Likely to Sustain Build-For-Rent Sector’s Growth
Institutional investors have been increasingly interested in the build-for-rent (BFR) space over the last five years. But the pandemic poured gasoline on an asset class that offers tenants space, privacy and the flexibility of renting. Now that COVID appears to be receding in some areas, can the BFR sector maintain its growth? Paul Garner, director at Walker & Dunlop, believes that demographic and economic trends will maintain the demand for BFR, especially in the Sun Belt states, for the near future. Opportunities for Growth and a Focus on the Sun Belt Garner sees the most potential for BFR growth in suburban areas — particularly those located 15 to 20 minutes outside of a metropolitan statistical area. The economic growth and increasing populations of nearby cities determine whether suburban BFR setups will attract tenants. According to Garner, the dedicated BFR/single-family rental (SFR) team at Walker & Dunlop has started to see a lot of action similar to what they saw on the West Coast (especially in Arizona) four or five years ago. He notes, “BFR properties are becoming increasingly popular all throughout the Sun Belt states, especially Florida and the Carolinas. There’s a potential in this area to get land very, …
A common question Chicago office brokers are hearing from clients these days is, “When is the best time to start negotiating with my landlord?” In fact, it is also a question brokers are asking themselves, contemplating when they should advise their clients to get into the market. The truth is: 1) it’s very hard to say, and 2) it depends on the situation. Let’s explore what we do know. This is a historically tenant-favorable office market. Vacancy rates have increased from 13.8 percent to start 2021 up to 17.7 percent currently. Concessions are far over-weighted with construction allowances and free rent packages 20 to 30 percent higher than they were pre-pandemic, and landlords are being more flexible on term lengths allowing tenants three- or five-year leases despite offering full buildouts. On the other side of the coin, gross rental rates (base rent plus real estate taxes and building operating expenses) have not declined. In fact, in the last quarter they increased from $42.34 to $42.57 per square foot. The trends and market conditions surrounding concession packages and rental rates haven’t really changed in the last 12 months or so. The above touches on what the market is doing, but what …
ROGERS, MINN. — MDH Partners has purchased Rogers Logistics Center for an undisclosed price. The 285,582-square-foot industrial facility is located at 20000 S. Diamond Lake Road in Rogers, a northwest suburb of Minneapolis. Constructed in 2004, Rogers Logistics Center features a clear height of 32 feet, 33 exterior docks and 215 car parking spaces. Developed as a build-to-suit for Archway Marketing Services Inc., the property has been fully occupied since completion. Archway’s current lease runs through January 2026. Judd Welliver and Bentley Smith of CBRE represented the undisclosed seller. The acquisition marks the first purchase in Minnesota for Atlanta-based MDH. Houston Hawley of MDH led the acquisition on behalf of the firm.