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From Hype to Hyperscalers: NAI Global Discusses Trends for Data Centers

by Sarah Daniels

Data centers have exploded in importance over the last year and a half. Kevin Goeller, principal, NAI KLNB, has over 21 years of experience in the field of data center development, sales and leasing, but says that, lately, exponential change is driving demand in this asset class. He spoke to REBusinessOnline about the booming need and limiting factors for data centers. REBusiness: Tell us about the sudden, increased demand for data centers. What amount of this demand is due to the pandemic driving people to work from home? What amount of the demand is here to stay? Goeller: Prior to the pandemic, we were already in an upward curve because of the added disciplines of 5G and edge data centers contributing to the already competitive growth of the hyperscalers and multitenant data centers. Data center development didn’t have the interest from institutional investors that it does today; these assets were just starting to get these institutions to chase them as a real estate discipline. Fast forward to the pandemic, which added Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other video conferencing and work-from-home needs. These put additional pressure on an already pressurized discipline, an asset class already trying to adapt and grow. REBusiness: …

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IllinoisMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsRetail

Chicago Market Experiences Surge in Retail Sales as COVID Restrictions Loosen

by Kristin Harlow

By Chris Irwin, Colliers International As we begin to lower our masks, breathe fresh air and see smiles on everyone’s faces, there are strong signs that better than pre-COVID retail activity in Chicago is here.  With the expanded vaccine rollout, a decrease in unemployment plus the added boost of stimulus checks, the surge in retail sales in the city and surrounding areas has been measurable. The demand for retail space increased in fourth-quarter 2020 and first-quarter 2021 significantly, with the first quarter recording a 650,000-square-foot increase in overall absorption, which pushed the trailing 12-month absorption back to positive territory — and its highest level since 2017. Increased leasing activity continued to drive new demand as net absorption totaled almost 1 million square feet in the first quarter. Vacancy in Chicago retail has flattened and currently is holding at 6.1 percent over the past year compared with a rate of 5.1 percent nationally. Leasing activity was driven by the expansion of essential retailers throughout the first quarter, similar to first-quarter activity levels registered in 2017, 2018 and 2019.  However, the most important step toward recovery happened June 11 when the State of Illinois moved its Coronavirus response from Phase 4 to …

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MidwestOhioRetail

Retail REIT Phillips Edison & Co. Files for IPO

by Kristin Harlow

CINCINNATI — Phillips Edison & Co. Inc. (PECO), an internally managed REIT, has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer 17 million shares of its common stock to the public. The Cincinnati-based shopping center owner also intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2.5 million shares of its common stock. The initial public offering (IPO) price is expected to be between $28 and $31 per share. Adjusting for the one-for-three reverse stock split that was executed on July 2, the IPO price would be expected to be between $9.33 and $10.33 per share. PECO expects to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “PECO.” The company says it will use the net proceeds from the proposed offering to pay off its $375 million unsecured term loan, fund external growth with property acquisitions and fund other general corporate uses. As of March 31, PECO owned equity interests in 300 shopping centers comprising 31 million square feet across 31 states.

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DevelopmentIllinoisIndustrialMidwest

Bridge Industrial to Build 1.5 MSF Industrial Park in Melrose Park, Illinois

by Kristin Harlow

MELROSE PARK, ILL. — Bridge Industrial has acquired a former Navistar manufacturing site in Melrose Park for the development of Bridge Point Melrose Park, a 1.5 million-square-foot industrial park. Navistar sold the 86-acre site to the Chicago-based developer. Plans call for three Class A, speculative buildings, two of which will each span 415,918 square feet. The third building will measure 707,953 square feet. The facilities will feature clear heights ranging from 36 to 40 feet, 130-foot truck courts, a total of 234 exterior docks, eight drive-in doors, 1,481 car stalls and 282 trailer stalls. Completion is slated for mid-2023. Dan McGillicuddy of JLL represented Navistar in the sale.

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Affordable HousingDevelopmentMidwestMinnesotaMultifamily

Kraus-Anderson Breaks Ground on $39.2M Affordable Housing Project in Rochester, Minnesota

by Kristin Harlow

ROCHESTER, MINN. — The Rochester office of Kraus-Anderson has broken ground on Bryk on Broadway, a $39.2 million affordable housing project in Rochester’s Destination Medical Center district. Owners Dirk Erickson and John and Marcia Bouquet are developing the property located at the corner of Civic Center Drive and North Broadway. Designed by ISG, the project will feature 180 units, 7,500 square feet of commercial and retail space and 140 parking stalls. The six-story development will include a fifth-floor community room with an outdoor terrace, lounge and fitness center. Completion is slated for late 2022. Of the 180 units, 54 will be offered at 50 percent of the area median income (AMI), 18 will be offered at 60 percent AMI and 108 will be offered at 80 percent AMI. NorthMarq arranged a $31.2 million construction loan for the project through a credit union. “The name Bryk came to us as a metaphor for something strong,” says Dirk Erickson, owner and developer. “Brick buildings are meant to last and our mission is ‘building a strong community.’ We want to provide a high-quality living experience for our tenants and hope to set a new standard in affordable housing, hence building a strong foundation …

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AcquisitionsIndustrialKansasMidwest

Newmark Zimmer Brokers Sale of 1.1 MSF Distribution Center in Gardner, Kansas

by Kristin Harlow

GARDNER, KAN. — Newmark Zimmer has brokered the sale of a 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center in Gardner, about 30 miles southwest of Kansas City. The sales price was undisclosed. Located at 17150 Mercury St., the 72-acre property is one of the largest distribution facilities in metro Kansas City, according to Newmark Zimmer. It is fully leased to outdoor recreation company Coleman Co. Inc., which has occupied the facility since 2009. Mark Long, John Hassler and Jim Linn of Newmark Zimmer brokered the transaction, further details of which were undisclosed.

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DevelopmentIndustrialMidwestOhio

Kroger, KNAPP to Modernize Great Lakes Distribution Center in Ohio

by Kristin Harlow

DELAWARE, OHIO — The Kroger Co. and KNAPP have unveiled plans to modernize and expand the grocer’s Great Lakes Distribution Center in Delaware, about 30 miles north of Columbus. The property opened in 2003 and currently services 115 Kroger stores in central and northwest Ohio as well as southeast Michigan and the Ohio River Valley region. Plans call for the addition of modern technology and a 130,000-square-foot expansion. KNAPP provides logistics solutions and specialized software for production and distribution. “The expansion of the facility is part of the ongoing transformation of our supply chain network, and this project will more than double our capacity while delivering innovation and scalability that can grow with demand,” says Tony Lucchino, Kroger’s vice president of supply chain and network strategy.

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IllinoisLoansMidwestOfficeTop Stories

JLL Arranges $296M Refinancing for Trophy Office Tower in Chicago’s River North

by Kristin Harlow

CHICAGO — JLL’s Capital Markets group has arranged a $296 million loan for the refinancing of 321 N. Clark, a 936,240-square-foot trophy office tower in Chicago’s River North submarket. The 35-story property was originally built in 1987 and underwent an $85 million renovation in 2019. The office tower offers a riverfront location and is served by a variety of public transportation options. Amenities include a fitness center, tenant lounge, conference center, parking garage and bike parking. Lettuce Entertain You operates a restaurant and event space at the property. Tenants include the American Bar Association and Foley & Lardner. “As today’s work environment continues to stress the importance of a healthy work-life balance, 321 N. Clark stands at the core of the city’s business and cultural districts, setting a standard for excellence to which all other office properties are compared,” says Keith Largay, senior managing director with JLL. Largay, along with Danny Kaufman and Michael Halbach of JLL, represented the borrower, a joint venture partnership between Hines, American Realty Advisors (ARA) and Diversified Real Estate Capital LLC. The team placed the five-year, floating-rate loan with Nuveen Real Estate. Dallas-based Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm that oversees …

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DevelopmentMichiganMidwestMultifamily

City Club Apartments Completes 18-Story Redevelopment Project in Detroit

by Kristin Harlow

DETROIT — City Club Apartments LLC has opened City Club Apartments Lafayette Park, an 18-story redevelopment project in Detroit. Formerly named Elmwood Park Plaza, the apartment property was built in the early 1970s and included a Detroit Public Library branch. The library remains a tenant today. The original building was developed by the father and uncle of current City Club Apartments CEO Jonathan Holtzman. Located at 750 Chene St. in the newly renamed Rivertown District, the property features 202 apartment and penthouse units, 20 percent of which are designated as affordable. Amenities include a lobby lounge, club room, fitness center, outdoor terrace, heated pool, business center, sky lounge and dog park. Monthly rents start at $1,065.

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IllinoisMidwestRetail

Walgreens Reports Uptick in Sales, Plans to Make Technology Investments

by Kristin Harlow

DEERFIELD, ILL. — Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA), the company behind pharmacy retailers Walgreens and Duane Reade, predicts a 10 percent increase in adjusted earnings per share this fiscal year. The Deerfield-based firm’s new CEO, Roz Brewer, says she plans to make investments in the coming months, including digital automation and technology efforts. Additionally, Walgreens and VillageMD have agreed to open hundreds of doctor offices in drugstores, which will span around 3,300 square feet each.  VillageMD says it will find staff members and operate these clinics, and over the next five years, the company plans to open doctor offices in 500 to 700 stores. Walgreens reported an uptick in total sales for its fiscal third quarter, which ended May 31. The pharmacy brand attributed the rise in sales to the COVID-19 vaccine shots, in which at least 55 percent of the U.S. population has gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, as of Sunday, July 4. The company says it has given more than 25 million COVID-19 shots, and that the COVID vaccines peaked in the third quarter. Based on data from financial technology company Refinitiv, Walgreens saw a $1.51 adjusted in earnings per share versus the $1.17 …

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