By Brian Leonard and Mark Volkman Tides are changing throughout the U.S. as companies work to confront COVID-19 and its implications on the national supply chain. Changing consumer preferences are forcing businesses to reevaluate their current supply chain and diversify their sources of supply. Since COVID-19, retailers across the country have experienced a 54 percent increase in online sales. This shows the value shoppers place on convenience and accessibility — the only missing factor from online shopping is the immediacy of a physical store. As a result, 51 percent of global retailers now offer same-day shipping to available areas, and 65 percent plan to offer same-day delivery services within a year. These factors, combined with the expectations of a “next normal,” will require fulfillment centers to be positioned close to customers to ensure timely deliveries. And finding a well-equipped, centrally located space can be a challenge. Luckily for investors, the Cincinnati market is emerging as a destination for warehouse and fulfillment centers. Cincinnati is nationally recognized for its accessibility to major markets, talented workforce and plentiful intermodal properties. Because of these reasons, major retailers like Wayfair and Hayneedle are dominating the market, making larger footprints harder to come by. Here …
Midwest
MINNEAPOLIS — Target (NYSE: TGT) reported a 24.3 percent increase in total digital and in-store sales during the second quarter compared with the same period a year ago, the highest quarterly growth in the Minneapolis-based discount retailer’s history. Same-store sales grew by 10.9 percent during the quarter, while digital sales experienced a whopping 195 percent growth year over year. CNBC reports that during a call with reporters, Target CEO Brian Cornell stated that the volume of sales fulfilled by the company’s curbside pickup program grew by more than 70 percent, and that the company’s digital customer base expanded by some 10 million shoppers. Target’s stock price opened at $148.50 per share on Wednesday, Aug. 19, up 12 percent from the previous day and up 72 percent from $86.23 per share a year ago.
Heitman Architects, McShane Complete Bystronic’s 163,350 SF North American Headquarters in Metro Chicago
by Amy Works
HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. — Heitman Architects Design, serving as architect/designer, and McShane Construction Co., serving as general contractor, have completed the development of a North American headquarters facility for Swiss-based Bystronic Inc. The tenant is a high-tech manufacturer of high-quality machines and systems for processing sheet metal and other flat materials for laser cutting, bending and automation. Bystronic is relocating from nearby Elgin to the 163,350-square-foot property, which includes 30,400 square feet of office space, 67,750 square feet of production space, 35,000 square feet of warehouse space and a 30,200-square-foot showroom. Designed and organized around the visitor experience, the facility features a catwalk that bisects the showroom and the manufacturing floor, stacking hospitality rooms that overlook the showroom and a large central conference room perched off the catwalk. Construction of the property began in fall 2018.
NexGen Hotels to Develop 107-Room Home2 Suites by Hilton Near O’Hare International Airport
by Amy Works
DES PLAINES, ILL. — NexGen Hotels, serving as general contractor and developer, has unveiled plans for a $16 million Home2 Suites by Hilton, with a scheduled groundbreaking in April 2021. The 63,000-square-foot hotel will be located at 1700 S. Higgins Road in Des Plaines, approximately four miles from O’Hare International Airport. Slated for completion in summer 2022, the five-story hotel will feature 107 suites with fully equipped kitchens, designed for both short-term and extended-stay guests. The property will include outdoor lounge and patio areas, an indoor saltwater pool and Spin2 Cycle, a combination fitness and laundry facility. Alpharetta, Ga.-based Origination Design is serving as architect and St. Louis-based Genuine Hospitality Group will manage the hotel. The hotel is NexGen’s first Home2 Suites by Hilton-branded property.
Berkadia Arranges $11.2M Loan for Chateau Du Mont Multifamily Property in Bridgeton, Missouri
by Amy Works
BRIDGETON, MO. — Berkadia has secured $11.2 million in financing for Chateau Du Mont, a garden-style apartment property located in Bridgeton. The borrower is New York-based David Stern Management. Robert Lipson and Pat Garlich of Berkadia’s New York and St. Louis offices, respectively, arranged the financing through Fannie Mae. The 12-year loan features a fixed interest rate and a 30-year amortization schedule. The specific use of the funds was not disclosed. Located at 12100 Monter Drive, Chateau Du Mont features 120 apartments. The property was built in 1970 and offers convenient access to the intersection of interstates 70 and 270.
Optima Signature Luxury Apartment Tower in Chicago Converts Office Suites to Student E-Learning Space
by Amy Works
CHICAGO — Optima Signature, a luxury office tower in Chicago, is now offering its on-site office suites as e-learning spaces for residents and non-residents alike. Designed by David Hovey Sr. and completed in 2017, Optima Signature is a 490-unit Class A residential tower located at 220 E. Illinois St. Located on the 57-story building’s second and seventh floors, the study suites are furnished with five to seven workstations, a mini-fridge, built-in cabinetry and window treatments, Wi-Fi access, professional cleaning and a curated selected of building amenities, including outdoor lounge areas. The suites are available for rent, ranging from $1,800 to $2,400 per month.
CHICAGO — TLC Management has purchased Ravenswood Terrace Apartments, a multifamily property located at 1801 W. Argyle St. on Chicago’s North Side, for $46 million. Built in 2014 by Chicago-based Belgravia Group, the 150-unit property was recapitalized in 2016 when Washington, D.C.-based The Carlyle Group acquired a majority interest in the asset. The community features a clubhouse, fitness center, rooftop deck, community garden and courtyards. The property is 7.5 miles north of downtown Chicago and approximately 2.5 miles north of Wrigley Field. Bill Baumann of Monarch Realty Partners represented the buyer in the deal, which represents the highest value multifamily transaction in the Ravenswood neighborhood, according to CoStar.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis-based Magid HTL Forecast Tracker has released its predictions for the upcoming 12 months for the hotel industry. The forecast suggests the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a 29 percent decline in annual hotel occupancy. The results will be a projected approximately $75 billion revenue loss for the industry. The estimate is according to the Magid HTL Forecast Tracker and Horwath HTL, a global hotel, tourism and leisure consulting brand. The forecasted decline is driven by the disappearance of business and leisure travel coupled with a projected 22 percent decline in consumer sentiment for attending meetings or conferences over the next 12 months. “The forecast shows the continuing significant impact COVID is having on hotel occupancy,” says Rich Garlick, vice president and strategy consultant for Magid. “Currently, the forecast suggests a 39 percent decline in occupancy for the next month. If the average occupancy at this time of the year (summer) is 70 percent, this would put current occupancy around 43 percent.” The most recent wave of research, conducted July 29 to August 2, shows that 71 percent of consumers expect to next stay in a hotel 24 months from now — a result that …
CINCINNATI — Asia Capital Realty Estate (ACRE) has provided $68.5 million of floating-rate debt to refinance City Club Apartments. The loan, which was underwritten with a loan-to-value ratio of 63.4 percent, has a two-year term and two single-year extension options. Located at 309 Vine St. in Cincinnati, City Club Apartments is a mixed-use property featuring 294 apartments and penthouses, 31,928 square feet of office space and 17,498 square feet of retail space. The sponsor acquired the property in 2016 as a vacant office building and recently repositioned the asset into a Class A mixed-use apartment community. At the time the financing closed, 90 percent of the multifamily units were leased, 100 percent of the retail space was leased and 67 percent of the office space was occupied. Chicago-based Draper and Kramer brokered the transaction.
JACKSON, MICH. — Senior Living Investment Brokerage (SLIB) has arranged the sale of RidgeCrest Health Campus, an assisted living and skilled nursing community in Jackson, approximately 75 miles west of downtown Detroit. Built in 2010, the community features 50 skilled nursing beds and 40 assisted living units. Totaling 54,696 square feet, the property was more than 90 percent occupied at the time of sale despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The seller was a regional owner-operator with communities across Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky. The buyer was a Michigan-based company looking to grow its portfolio within the state. Ryan Saul of Senior Living Investment Brokerage (SLIB) facilitated the sale. The price was not disclosed.