Focus on the Midwest Amid a global pandemic and its economic repercussions, the American Midwest has remained a place of comparative stability — and opportunity. Wide-open spaces and lower costs of living attract businesses and workers alike. Warehouses, distribution centers and transportation corridors bustle thanks to shifting supply chains and surges in deliveries. Educated workforces and leading universities and research centers nourish hubs in tech and life sciences. In short, there’s a lot in “flyover country” for the multifamily industry to like in 2021. An overview follows of the region stretching from Minnesota to Ohio and from Michigan to Kentucky. Why is the Midwest a good value for multifamily investors today and why is it well positioned for the post-COVID-19 recovery? Read on to learn more. Beneath-the-Radar Metropolitan Areas Blossom Even before COVID-19, Midwestern cities have been attracting people and businesses. Across industries, the Midwest hosts some of America’s largest employers: Kroger (Cincinnati), Salesforce (Indianapolis), Cardinal Health, Nationwide Insurance, Honda of America (Columbus), as well as Target, U.S. Bancorp, General Mills, 3M and Medtronic (all in Minneapolis-St. Paul). Thirteen companies in the Fortune 1000 have set up shop in Milwaukee, and 15 have operations in Columbus. The region has much …
Midwest
EVANSVILLE, IND. AND CHICAGO — Old National Bancorp (Nasdaq: ONB) and First Midwest Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq: FMBI) have entered into a definitive merger agreement valued at $6.5 billion. The two Midwest institutions operate retail bank branches under the Old National Bank and First Midwest Bank brands, respectively. The all-stock transaction is expected to close late this year or early 2022 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and shareholder approvals. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the merger agreement. The “merger of equals” arrangement will allow the banks to compete against other banks and lenders in the Midwest for new business, as well as give both organizations the ability to scale and retain their existing personnel and client base. The combined company will be the sixth-largest bank with headquarters in the Midwest. The transaction calls for First Midwest stockholders to receive 1.1336 shares of Old National common stock for each share of First Midwest common stock they own. Following completion of the transaction, former First Midwest stockholders are expected to collectively represent approximately 44 percent of the combined company. This values First Midwest currently at $2.5 billion, according to Market Watch. The combined assets …
MILWAUKEE — Hunt Capital Partners has arranged $13.1 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity for the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of an old school in Milwaukee dating back to 1902. Developer Royal Capital Group plans to create 82 multifamily units known as the Phillis Wheatley Apartments. Of the units, 67 will be set aside for households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income. Amenities will include a business center, community room, fitness center, theater room and onsite management. Supportive service providers will include the Milwaukee County Veterans’ Services Office and Lutheran Social Services. Chase Bank is the primary lender on the project, providing a $15.4 million construction loan and a $3.6 million permanent loan. Chase is also extending a tax-increment financing loan for $1 million. Other financing mechanisms include HOME funds and the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Program. Hunt Capital Partners syndicated the tax credits through its proprietary fund, Hunt Capital Fund Tax Credit Fund 26. The former Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, located in the Lindley Heights neighborhood of Central Milwaukee, has sat vacant since 2005.
NEW ALBANY, OHIO — Alterra Real Estate Advisors has sold an 83,000-square-foot office building in New Albany to OhioHealth for $9.7 million. The property is located at 5150 E. Dublin Granville Road within suburban Columbus. The building was constructed in 1999 and renovated in 2007. OhioHealth, central Ohio’s largest hospital system, plans to redevelop the building into its New Albany Medical Campus at a project cost of roughly $36 million. The campus will enable the health system to expand its services and offer urgent care, primary care, various specialties, lab and imaging and an onsite retail pharmacy.
LEAWOOD, KAN. — Seven retailers have joined the tenant lineup at Park Place Village, a 484,002-square-foot office and retail property in Leawood. The new tenants include day spa MassageLuXe, local Italian restaurant Plate, Thai restaurant Bamboo Penny’s, ice cream shop Ice Cream Bae, island-themed coffee shop and bar Outta the Blue, menswear company Moda Domani and custom-designed jeweler Moshiri Jewelry. Matt Rau of CBRE represented the owner, KBS, in the seven lease transactions, which range in size from 803 to 5,972 square feet. The 10-building Park Place Village, located at 11549 Ash St., was completed in 2013.
CHICAGO — SVN Chicago Commercial has negotiated the sale of a 44-unit multifamily building in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood for $4.9 million. The property is located at 4611 S. Drexel Blvd. Jeff Baasch of SVN brokered the sale. ShainRealty Capital, a Los Angeles-based privately owned real estate investment firm, purchased the property from the undisclosed seller. The acquisition marks ShainRealty’s ninth purchase on Chicago’s South Side.
ROCHESTER, MINN. — Upland Real Estate Group has brokered the sale of a Sleep Number-occupied retail property in Rochester for $2.4 million. Sleep Number relocated from Apache Mall in 2018 to this 3,000-square-foot, freestanding store at 2257 Commerce Drive NW. Deborah Vannelli, Keith Sturm and Amanda Leathers of Upland represented the 1031 exchange buyer in the acquisition of the net-leased property. Tom Gommels of Marchs & Millichap represented the seller, a limited liability company.
DEERFIELD, ILL. — Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) has completed a full renovation of the office campus for Horizon Therapeutics in Deerfield, a northern suburb of Chicago. The U.S. headquarters for the Ireland-based biopharmaceutical company spans more than 650,000 square feet on 70 acres. Horizon purchased it in early 2020. LJC completed the renovation project in 10 months. Horizon tasked LJC with creating a space that reflected its refreshed brand. The company also sought out amenities for employee retention and recruiting, as well as flexible space for collaboration. New amenities include a coffee shop, full-service cafeteria, tech pub, multipurpose training center, fitness center, game lounge, outdoor terrace and pantries on each floor.
ANTIGO, BURLINGTON, MANITOWOC AND KENOSHA, WIS. — Greystone has provided $35 million in HUD-insured loans for the refinancing of a five-property, 558-bed skilled nursing portfolio across Southeast Wisconsin. The facilities are located in Antigo, Burlington, Manitowoc and Kenosha. Each of the nonrecourse loans features a fixed interest rate and is fully amortized over 30 years. The loans refinance the existing debt on the properties, which were purchased in 2017. The undisclosed borrower plans to continue ongoing property improvements. Fred Levine of Greystone originated the loans.
DETROIT — The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has selected Detroit as a winner of its Choice Neighborhoods grant program, which will enable the city to bring more than 500 new units of affordable housing to the Corktown area. Detroit, which was one of five cities selected nationally, will receive a $30 million HUD grant, the largest amount offered under the Choice program. The grant is supported by $1 billion in leverage commitments from grant partners, including Ford’s new $740 million mobility campus and other economic development initiatives in Corktown. The Corktown neighborhood, which is experiencing escalating rents as a result of new development, is now on track to receive $200 million invested in 840 units over the next six years. At least 60 percent, or 504 units, will be set aside as “deeply affordable housing,” according to the city. Of the units, 40 percent will serve households earning between 30 and 80 percent of area median income (AMI); 20 percent will serve households making up to 30 percent of AMI; and 20 percent will serve households earning 80 to 120 percent of AMI. The remaining 20 percent of the units will be rented at market rate.