NORMAL, ILL. — An affiliate of Phoenix Investors has unveiled plans to build Phase II of the North Normal Industrial Park in Normal near Bloomington. The 500,000-square-foot addition will be built on 30 acres of land at 301 W. Kerrick Road. In June, Phoenix acquired the partially completed Phase I, which consists of 500,000 square feet that is leased to electric vehicle company Rivian. Phoenix expects to complete construction of Phase I in early 2021 and Rivian plans to take occupancy in March. Plans for Phase II include a clear height of 32 feet and 50 exterior docks. The space will be easily divisible for two users. The City of Normal approved tax-increment financing for the project.
MINNEAPOLIS — Mortgage banking company Merchants Capital has provided more than $21.5 million in debt financing for The Bessemer at Seward Commons, a 128-unit apartment community currently under construction in Minneapolis. Located at 2200 Snelling Avenue, the transit-oriented development will include a clubroom, fitness center, outdoor terrace, dog run, package system, pet wash station and bicycle storage. The property is part of a larger development known as Seward Commons, which includes four separate housing developments. Merchants secured the 30-month construction loan on behalf of the co-developers, Schafer Richardson, Seward Redesign and Noor Cos. The City of Minneapolis awarded $5.4 million in tax-increment financing over a 26-year period. The project also received environmental clean-up funds from Hennepin County, Metropolitan Council and MN Department of Employment and Economic Development. A timeline for completion was not disclosed.
PEORIA, ILL. — Triad Real Estate Partners has brokered the sale of Dunlap Falls in Peoria for $16.8 million. The 180-unit apartment complex was built in 1997. The property underwent a $4.2 million renovation in 2019 that included a new clubhouse and fitness center along with upgrades made to nearly 150 units. A Massachusetts-based portfolio owner sold the asset to a Chicago-based owner and operator.
LANSING, MICH. — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has extended its order restricting indoor social gatherings and group activities by 12 days through Dec. 20. The department says the extension will enable it to determine the full impact of the Thanksgiving holiday on the spread of COVID-19 across the state. Under the order, residents are urged to avoid indoor gatherings, with only two households gathering inside at any given time. Bars and restaurants must remain closed for dine-in service, but can remain open for outdoor dining, carryout and delivery. Gyms are open for individual exercise with mandatory masking, but casinos, movie theaters and group exercise classes remain closed. Professional and college sports meeting “extraordinary standards for risk mitigation” may continue without spectators. Colleges, universities and high schools will continue with remote learning. There will be no in-person classes. MDHHS will monitor the percentage of hospital beds with COVID-19 patients, the number of COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate when determining whether to reopen at the end of the 12 days. Last week, a federal judge in West Michigan refused to block the state health department’s ban on indoor dining in restaurants and bars. The Michigan Restaurant …
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Milhaus and Ryan Cos. have begun development of a $34.6 million apartment project in Kansas City. The 263-unit project is within the larger mixed-use development known as The Glade. Amenities will include a dog park, clubhouse, fitness center, pool and walking trail. The apartment property will offer studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units priced from $1,100 per month. Milhaus and Ryan are co-developers while Ryan is also serving as general contractor. Other project partners include Davidson Architecture & Engineering, Helix, Taliaferro & Browne Inc., Landworks Studio, Apex Engineers Inc. and Lankford/Fender + Associates. A timeline for completion was not disclosed.
PORTAGE, MICH. — Meridian Design Build has completed construction of a 320,988-square-foot package sortation and distribution center in Portage within Southwest Michigan. Scannell Properties was the developer. The facility is a build-to-suit for an undisclosed provider of global shipping and information services. The building sits on 37.4 acres at 6701 Portage Road. The facility features 87 loading docks, eight drive-in doors and 10,441 square feet of office space. Precept LLC provided both architectural and structural design services while Paradigm Design handled the civil engineering work.
CHICAGO — Essex Realty Group Inc. has arranged the sale of a pair of apartment buildings in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood for a combined $14.4 million. The buildings, 640 and 656 W. Wrightwood Ave., had been owned by the same entities for more than 50 years. A local investor purchased the 640 property for $5.9 million while a separate local investor bought the 656 property for $8.5 million. The two assets total 107 units. Doug Imber, Kate Varde, Clay Maxfield and Jaimie Steinher of Essex represented the undisclosed sellers. Jim Darrow, Jordan Gottlieb and Jordan Multack of Essex represented the buyers.
PEWAUKEE, WIS. — The Boulder Group has negotiated the $4.7 million sale of a property net leased to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Pewaukee, about 20 miles west of Milwaukee. The newly constructed, 11,736-square-foot building is located at 1215 George Towne Drive. The Children’s Hospital lease expires in 2028. Jimmy Goodman and John Feeney of Boulder represented the buyer, a New York-based firm completing a 1031 exchange. A local real estate firm was the seller.
CHICAGO — Parkside Realty Inc. has opened Fulton East, a 12-story, next-generation office building in Chicago’s Fulton Market District. The speculative project features high-tech features for employee health, hygiene, safety and wellness such as hands-free elevators, a state-of-the-art air and surface disinfection system, open-air terraces and a rooftop park. The 90,000-square-foot development also features retail space and is located at 215 N. Peoria St. Each floor offers 10,605 square feet with a private outdoor terrace. The building’s top floors feature a multi-level penthouse office suite. An 8,000-square-foot rooftop park offers tenants additional outdoor space. Chicago-based Clayco and its in-house architect Lamar Johnson Collaborative served as builder and designer. Chicago-based interior designer Holly Hunt designed the building’s lobby.
INDIANAPOLIS — Newmark has brokered the sale of The Avenue, a 358-bed student housing property near Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). The asset features one-, two- and four-bedroom units with a variety of floor plans. The property sits on 3.4 acres directly adjacent to the northern edge of campus. Ryan Lang, Jack Brett and Debbie Corson of Newmark represented the seller, Preiss Cos., in a partnership with Investcorp. Atlanta-based Student Quarters was the buyer. IUPUI is a core campus of Indiana University that also offers Purdue University degrees. It is the result of a 1969 merger between Purdue Indianapolis Extension Center and Indiana University Indianapolis.