FARGO, N.D. — Amazon.com Inc. has unveiled plans to open its first fulfillment center in the state of North Dakota in Fargo. Amazon expects to break ground next year and create 500 full-time jobs upon completion of the 1 million-square-foot facility. Employees will pack and ship large customer purchases such as sports equipment, patio furniture, fishing rods, pet food, kayaks, bicycles and other household goods. Ryan Cos. will develop the facility. Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $239 million in North Dakota, including infrastructure and compensation to employees in the state.
WENTZVILLE, MO. — Cambridge Air Solutions has signed a 68,605-square-foot industrial lease at 1290 Interstate Drive in Wentzville within metro St. Louis. Houston-based SparrowHawk LLC owns the 420,000-square-foot building in a joint venture with American National Insurance Co. Cambridge is a manufacturer and distributor of HVAC systems. This is the second location in the St. Louis area for Cambridge. Its headquarters is located at 760 Long Road Crossing Drive in Chesterfield. Christopher Schmidt of JLL represented Cambridge in the new lease. David Branding and Patrick Reilly of JLL represented ownership. Domash Designsource is the architect for Cambridge’s new space. G.S.&S. Construction will complete the buildout.
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Secondary Midwest Markets: Investor Refuge or Flavor of the Month?
More than a few column inches in multifamily media this year were dedicated to the implications of coronavirus on the housing preferences of renter households. Many theorize that the pandemic is leading householders to reexamine their attachment to urban life and consider suburban alternatives that offer larger floor plans, better schools, free parking and unit access without an elevator ride. Available data suggest there is something to this notion. Occupancy and rent in core urban neighborhoods in the primary markets have declined, substantially in the highest-cost cities. Suburban performance, by contrast, is strengthening. What is less certain is whether the same phenomenon is working to the benefit of secondary markets as well as big city suburbs. The jury is still out but investors already have stepped up acquisitions in the Sunbelt growth markets to exploit the opportunity — Austin and Phoenix were among the nine most active property markets in the third quarter, and Raleigh and Charlotte were just a step behind – but what of the staid and stable Midwest? Columbus, Indianapolis and Kansas City (the “Midwest Three”) stand out among Midwest cities as the secondary markets most likely to attract gateway city refugees. Each offers renters most of …
By Addison Fairchild, Baird Holm At its onset nearly nine months ago, the novel coronavirus forced federal, state and local leaders to consider measures necessary to prevent the virus’s inevitable spread. Those leaders imposed measures they calculated to balance minimizing the spread and harm of coronavirus to the national and local economies. Whether those measures were effective in achieving those goals is a question for another day. However, now that coronavirus is currently a part of daily life, businesses have been considering what measures they must take. Like political leaders, they must also consider balancing the potential liability they may face for the spread of the coronavirus or other illness, the harm to their patrons and clients, and the harm to their bottom lines. Commercial landlords are not exempt from considering the coronavirus or other pandemics in future leasing. It is unlikely a court would find a commercial landlord liable for the spread of a pandemic in their leased properties, except in rare circumstances. However, tenants may require landlords to provide upgrades to properties to ensure the safety of the leased premises. This article considers whether landlords may be liable for the spread of a pandemic in their leased premises. …
CHICAGO — A joint venture between Oxford Capital Group LLC and Quadrum Global has sold Essex on the Park, a 56-story, 479-unit apartment tower that it developed and opened on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue in 2019. A West Coast-based investment firm purchased the asset for an undisclosed price. The Oxford-Quadrum venture retains ownership of the adjacent Hotel Essex, which continues to be managed by Oxford Hotels & Resorts LLC. Essex on the Park is the luxury apartment portion of a larger mixed-use development that includes Hotel Essex. Residents of Essex on the Park have convenient access to hotel amenities and services, including Grant Park Bistro and SX Sky Bar. Amenities in the apartment tower include an indoor pool, fitness center, yoga studio, party room, cocktail lounge, game room and private conference room. JLL acted as advisor to Oxford and Quadrum, and also arranged acquisition financing on behalf of the buyer.
HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. — The first two tenants have signed leases at Bell Works Chicagoland in Hoffman Estates. CPA Group Advisors is the first office tenant and Fairgrounds Craft Coffee and Tea is the first retail tenant. Bell Works Chicagoland is the redevelopment of the 1.6 million-square-foot former AT&T headquarters from developer Somerset Development. Fairgrounds will operate a kiosk at Bell Works beginning in December with plans to open a permanent location with a full cocktail bar in early 2022. Boutique full-service accounting firm CPA Advisors will occupy one of the property’s “ready-to-wear” office spaces. These pre-built office suites offer immediate occupancy for small- to medium-sized businesses. The $200 million Bell Works Chicagoland mirrors Somerset’s Bell Works New Jersey. Plans call for 1.2 million square feet of office space; 60,000 square feet of conference facilities, storage and amenities; and 60,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space. Despite COVID-19, interior renovations remain on schedule and construction is slated for completion this week. Colliers International and The Garibaldi Group are the leasing teams marketing office space at the property.
URBANDALE, IOWA — DealPoint Merrill LLC has acquired a 103,906-square-foot former Kmart shopping center in Urbandale near Des Moines. The property sits on 12 acres near I-35 and I-235. DealPoint Merrill plans to redevelop the asset into a 131,000-square-foot project with two outparcels. DealPoint Merrill’s CEO David Frank negotiated the transaction and President Sterling McGregor handled the due diligence and financing. The seller and purchase price were undisclosed.
STERLING HEIGHTS, MICH. — Quantum Mold & Engineering has expanded to Sterling Heights with the purchase of a 36,779-square-foot industrial building at 6300 Sterling Drive North in suburban Detroit. The prototype and production plastic injection molding company currently operates out of multiple properties in the area. The new facility will help the company consolidate operations and expand services. Jason Capitani of L. Mason Capitani CORFAC International represented Quantum in the sale. The seller and purchase price were undisclosed.
CHICAGO — Cawley Chicago has brokered the sale of an 18,000-square-foot warehouse located at 3228 S. Wood St. in Chicago for an undisclosed price. Situated near I-55 between Pilsen and the stockyards corridors, the facility sits on 1.5 acres. The property also includes office space and a securely fenced lot. Frank Melchert and Stevan Arandjelovic of Cawley represented the seller, SES Equipment Services, and procured the buyer, Taylor Excavating & Construction Inc.
CHICAGO — Cushman & Wakefield has secured $55.8 million in acquisition financing for the Regent O’Hare Industrial Portfolio in Elk Grove Village. CIBC provided the financing on behalf of the borrowers, Investcorp International Realty Inc. and Brennan Investment Group. Regent O’Hare includes eight industrial buildings totaling 955,460 square feet. The portfolio is 92 percent leased by roughly 55 tenants. Jeff Altenau, Gideon Gil and Zach Yarnoff of JLL represented the borrowers. Loan terms were not disclosed.