DETROIT — Tiberina Group, an Italian automotive supplier, has purchased 10 acres of land at the former American Axle manufacturing site in Detroit with plans to build a manufacturing facility. The sellers, Industrial Commercial Properties LLC and Industrial Realty Group LLC, originally acquired the property in 2014 from American Axle, which leased back the buildings on a long-term basis. W. Emery Matthews of Real Estate Interests LLC represented Tiberina in the sale. The size of the plant or production plans have not been disclosed.
MINNEAPOLIS — Ackerberg has begun development of MN46, a 54-unit micro apartment community in Minneapolis. The project is a joint venture with Left Lane Corp., Hayes Harlow, Twin Cities Home Rental and Trew Capital. Units will range from 390 to 410 square feet for studios, 420 to 650 square feet for one-bedroom units and 760 to 905 square feet for two-bedroom units. The property will also feature 1,835 square feet of first-floor retail space. Amenities will include a fifth-floor community room, patio, bike lobby, package room and covered parking. Completion is slated for May 2020. Collage Architects and Yellow Tree Construction Services make up the project team. Monthly rents will start in the low $1,000s. “We continue to remain very bullish on micro units as a niche,” says Sean Sweeney, founder of Hayes Harlow. “The lack of new apartment product in the area was also a big factor in our decision to develop this site.” The name of the property stems from its location at the intersection of Minnehaha Avenue and 46th Street.
DETROIT — Full Lotus Yoga has leased 2,650 square feet on the third floor of 6505 Woodward Ave., a mixed-use building owned by The Barbat Organization in Detroit. Purchased in December 2017, the property is undergoing a renovation and will be home to Lake Trust Credit Union. A restaurant space is available for lease. The second floor will likely include office space. This is Full Lotus Yoga’s second location, following its initial studio that opened in June 2013. Jeanne Gross of Farbman Group represented the tenant in the lease transaction. Dan Callaway of Farbman Group represented the landlord. The studio is slated to open this fall.
More than 50 years ago, I was witness to the birth of a new building type in Chicago’s suburbs — the great sprawling corporate campus. From Motorola and McDonald’s to Ameritech and Sears, some of the most influential brands in the world started taking root in Chicago’s bucolic suburbs as they looked to consolidate business divisions under one large roof and to provide a stimulating work environment away from the hustle and bustle of the inner city. Today, many of these corporate meccas sit vacant due to the rise in telecommuting and a shift in workforce demographics. The simple version of the narrative is that instead of people chasing the jobs, firms are now chasing the talent. And for the moment, many employees prefer to live and work in the city. While some suburbs are strongly associated with the companies who previously occupied those campuses, there is another story to tell in terms of the opportunities change can bring to these properties and their surrounding communities. As the architect who designed two of these campuses, the AT&T (né Ameritech) corporate campus in Hoffman Estates in 1989 and McDonald’s global headquarters in Oak Brook starting in 1978, I have repeatedly been …
CHICAGO — Waterton has received a $171.2 million loan for the refinancing of North Harbor Tower in Chicago’s Lakeshore East neighborhood. The 600-unit apartment building is located at 175 N. Harbor Drive adjacent to the six-acre Lakeshore East Park. Originally constructed in 1988, the 55-story tower comprises a mix of floor plans averaging 958 square feet. Community amenities include an indoor swimming pool, outdoor sundeck, 24-hour fitness center, party room and library. Stephen Skok, Stella Pappas and Gregory Napper of HFF arranged the seven-year, fixed-rate loan through Freddie Mac’s green advantage program. Waterton committed to reducing energy or water by at least 30 percent, with a minimum 15 percent in energy savings.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Platform Ventures has acquired Plaza Vista, a 253,720-square-foot Class A office tower in Kansas City, for $118.2 million. Completed in 2013, the 10-story property is fully leased and anchored by law firm Polsinelli. Retail tenants include Jax Fish House, JJ’s and The Monarch Cocktail Bar and Lounge. The building is situated at 900 W. 48th St. within the Country Club Plaza submarket of Kansas City. Mark Katz, Danny Kaufman and Peter Merrion of HFF represented the seller, which is managed by an affiliate of EverWest Real Estate Investors. The team also procured the buyer.
KANSAS CITY, KAN. — Brinkmann Constructors has broken ground on a new dual-branded hotel in north Kansas City. The hotel will feature the brands Aloft and Element, both of which are owned by Starwood. KMG Hotels is developing the 135,000-square-foot project, which will consist of approximately 100 rooms connected to a 15,000-square-foot convention center. The project is within the One North development. Completion is slated for September 2020. US Bank is providing financing. Hoefer Wysocki is the project architect.
ROCKFORD, ILL. — Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors has brokered the sale of a retail building shadow-anchored by Walmart in Rockford for an undisclosed price. The three-tenant property is home to Aspen Dental, Sleep Number and Fastsigns. Built in 2008, the 9,000-square-foot building is situated on one acre at 7310 Walton St. Jeff Lefko and Bill Asher of Hanley represented the seller, Texas-based N3 Real Estate. Ronald Shunia of BOSC Realty Advisors represented the buyer, a California-based private investor. The cap rate was 7.23 percent.
DAYTON, OHIO — Reichle Klein Group has arranged the sale of an 86,640-square-foot industrial building in Dayton for $1 million. The property is located at 535 E. Third St. Ryan Miller of Reichle Klein represented the buyer, Northbrook, Ill.-based Platform III-Third LLC. The seller, 535 Dayton LLC, was not actively marketing the building and was self-represented in the transaction.
OLATHE, KAN. — Hunt Midwest, in partnership with Senior Living Group, has opened Benton House of Olathe, an assisted living and memory care community in Olathe. This is the partnership’s ninth Benton House community in metro Kansas City. Benton House of Olathe features 55 studio and one-bedroom units. The single-story, 52,000-square-foot building is situated on 4.4 acres. The Beacon Neighborhood is a secured area dedicated to residents in need of additional memory care services and support. Monthly rental rates start at $3,000.