MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, ILLINOIS AND IOWA — Saudi Arabia-based Arbah Capital and Chicago-based Brennan Investment Group have acquired a five-property industrial portfolio across four Midwest states. JLL Capital Markets arranged the joint venture partnership between the two companies as well as $22.9 million in debt financing for the acquisition. The portfolio spans more than 557,000 square feet and includes light industrial and flex space in Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa. The properties include: 5460 Executive Parkway in Grand Rapids, Mich.; 1865 Industrial Drive in Grand Haven, Mich.; 7550 49th Ave. in New Hope, Minn.; 4050 Ryan Road in Gurnee, Ill.; and 1100 E. LeClaire Road in Eldridge, Iowa. Four of the five properties are single-tenant assets. The portfolio is 97.5 percent leased to tenants in the automotive, manufacturing and telecommunications industries. Claudio Sgobba, Christopher Carroll, David Berglund, Matthew Schoenfeldt and Doug Childers of JLL arranged the partnership and financing. Wintrust Bank provided the five-year, floating-rate loan. The seller was undisclosed.
LEWIS CENTER, OHIO — Trilogy Real Estate Group, a Chicago-based real estate investment, property management and development firm, has purchased The Mirada in the Columbus suburb of Lewis Center for an undisclosed price. The 256-unit apartment community, built in 2018, spans 224,635 square feet on nine acres. It features studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans and was 95 percent leased at the time of acquisition. Amenities include a pool, grilling area, sand volleyball court, clubroom, game area and fitness center. The seller was undisclosed.
BENSENVILLE AND SCHAUMBURG, ILL. — Venture One Real Estate, through its acquisition fund VK Industrial V LP, has acquired a four-building industrial portfolio spanning 126,086 square feet in the suburban Chicago communities of Bensenville and Schaumburg. The purchase price was not disclosed. The properties are located at 401 Eastern Ave., 501 Eastern Ave. and 1231 Ellis St. in Bensenville and 635 Remington Road in Schaumburg. The Bensenville properties are all single- Stenant buildings and are fully leased. The Schaumburg facility is home to multiple tenants and is currently 82 percent leased. Venture One plans to make improvements to the Schaumburg building’s 9,507-square-foot vacant space. Eric Fischer of Cushman & Wakefield represented the undisclosed seller. VK Industrial V LP is a partnership between Venture One and Kovitz Investment Group.
DETROIT — The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit has moved its indoor and outdoor show to Sept. 28 through Oct. 9, 2021. The show had been planned for summer 2021. NAIAS will remain a fall show going forward and show dates have been secured with the venue, TCF Center, for the next three years. The move comes after the Los Angeles Auto Show recently rescheduled its November event for May 2021. NAIAS organizers secured dates toward the end of the month to be mindful of the new IAA show in Munich, which is scheduled for the first full week in September. NAIAS officials say they plan to expand the show’s marketing reach, drawing additional visitors from beyond the region and state. “Our responsibility as an auto show is to host a global stage for current products as well as mobility innovations of tomorrow,” says Rod Alberts, NAIAS executive director. “September is an excellent time of year for new product, and at the same time, alleviates the challenges a now crowded spring auto show calendar presents for auto show stakeholders.” NAIAS is now in its 32nd year as an international event.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — VanTrust Real Estate has broken ground on a 1 million-square-foot speculative warehouse near the Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus. VanTrust will build the project on land that it acquired from K-Nova LLC earlier this year. The master-planned industrial park will be known as Rickenbacker Exchange at Commercial Point and encompasses more than 900 acres of shovel-ready logistics and manufacturing ground. VanTrust says it can accommodate an additional 1.2 million square feet of warehouse space at the site. Jack Tzagournis of Fortress Real Estate Cos. assisted K-Nova in the sale. Pepper Ohio, a subsidiary of Pepper Construction Group, will lead construction. RED Architecture designed the building. Michael Linder of Colliers International has been retained as listing agent.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Herman & Kittle Properties Inc. has opened Riverside Trail, a $50.6 million affordable housing property in Columbus. The community’s 248 units are available to residents who earn at or below 60 percent of the area median income. Located on Chatterton Road, the project features one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom layouts that range from 809 to 1,453 square feet. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, game room, dog park and outdoor grilling area.
VERNON HILLS, ILL. — Wool Finance Partners has arranged a $6.2 million loan for the construction of a 95,245-square-foot speculative industrial building at Corporate Woods Business Park in Vernon Hills. The borrower, Forest Edge TH LLC, will acquire and demolish a vacant 48,100-square-foot office building at the site. Martin Siegel of Wool arranged the loan with a Chicago-based bank. The three-year loan features a floating rate starting at 3.5 percent. The project is led by Cary Goldman of Timber Hill Group and Jim Woldenberg. Brett Kroner of Cushman & Wakefield will serve as leasing agent and Premier Design + Build Group is the general contractor. A timeline for construction was not disclosed.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — LemonShark Poké & Makai Grill is opening its first Ohio restaurant at Easton Town Center in Columbus. The Hawaiian-themed establishment, which offers sushi, hibachi-style grilled meats and seafood, is scheduled to open in late fall. A staple of Hawaiian cuisine, Poké incorporates variations of marinated seafood typically over sticky rice with vegetables and sauces. Guests at the restaurant will also enjoy a bar and island-themed drinks. Developed by The Georgetown Co., L Brands and Steiner + Associates, Easton Town Center is a component of the larger Easton, a 1,300-acre mixed-use destination.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to highlight the importance of strong tenant-landlord relationships, particularly in the retail sector. Tyler Enders, co-owner of local Kansas City shop Made in KC, works with roughly 10 different landlords and has experienced a variety of different approaches to the COVID-19 conversation. “Some local landlords have been very communicative and have come to us with a creative solution. Others have been responding late and are bogged down,” said Enders. “Ultimately, we’ll continue to look at vibrant centers, but we’re going to care way more about who owns it than we have in the past.” Enders’ comments are indicative of the importance of relationships in today’s marketplace. Enders joined a panel of retail experts Wednesday, Sept. 16 for a webinar entitled “Greater Kansas City Retail Outlook” hosted by Heartland Real Estate Business and Shopping Center Business. Fellow panelists included David Block, principal and president of Block & Co.; Erin Johnston, vice president of retail brokerage for Copaken Brooks Commercial Real Estate; Dan Lowe, managing partner for Legacy Development; and Andy Crimmins, founding partner of Crossroads Retail Group. David Waters, partner with Lathrop GPM, moderated the discussion. Block said that his firm has …
DEARBORN, MICH. — Ford Motor Co. has broken ground on an electric vehicle center at the historic Rouge Center in Dearborn where it will build the all-electric F-150 by mid-2022. Upon completion, the new 500,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the Rouge Center will add 300 jobs and is part of a $700 million investment in building the all-new lineup of F-150 pickup trucks, including the first-ever F-150 PowerBoost hybrid. The new jobs will support battery assembly and production of the F-150 PowerBoost hybrid and fully electric F-150. Including investments for Bronco and Ranger at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., announced last year, Ford plans to invest more than $1.45 billion and create approximately 3,000 jobs over the next three years in Michigan alone. “We are proud to once again build and innovate for the future here at the Rouge with the debut of our all-new F-150 and the construction of a modern new manufacturing center to build the first-ever all-electric F-150,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor. Co., in a press release. “This year’s COVID-19 crisis made it clear why it is so important for companies like Ford to help keep our U.S. manufacturing base strong and …