LIBERTYVILLE, ILL. — Principle Construction Corp. has broken ground on a new 126,611-square-foot warehouse and office building for Pharma Logistics Ltd. in Libertyville. The property will be situated at 1801 N. Butterfield Road. The build-to-suit will include eight docks, one drive-in door, 188 car parking spaces and a clear height of 30 feet. The warehouse portion will be 108,985 square feet, while the office portion will be 17,626 square feet. The pharmaceutical company is expanding from its current locations in Mundelein and Libertyville. Harris Architects provided design services for the project. A timeline for completion was not disclosed.
CINCINNATI — NorthMarq has arranged a $5 million loan for the refinancing of Lytle Tower, a 115-unit multifamily property in Cincinnati. The 12-story building, located at 405 Broadway St., features studios, one-bedroom units and one-bedroom penthouses. Amenities include a resident lounge, fitness center, on-site restaurant and in-unit laundry. Noah Juran of NorthMarq arranged the 20-year loan, which features a 30-year amortization schedule. A life insurance company provided the loan.
GRAIN VALLEY, MO. — Bellomy & Co. has brokered the sale of Spare Garage Storage in Grain Valley, an eastern suburb of Kansas City. The sales price was not disclosed. The self-storage facility sits on 3.2 acres and includes 204 non-climate-controlled units. The property spans 39,700 square feet. Bill Bellomy and Michael Johnson of Bellomy & Co. represented the seller, Mid Central Title Inc. The team also procured the buyer, Kaup Properties LLC.
CHICAGO — Skender has completed construction of Chicago’s newest Hyatt House extended-stay hotel. The 14-story, 167,000-square-foot property is located in the heart of Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood at 105 N. May St. Amenities include an indoor pool, bar and lounge and green roof features. The hotel also includes a third-floor lobby and first-floor retail space. The pool, workout center and lounge are situated on the 14th floor. The 200 guest rooms are on floors four through 13. Sterling Bay developed the hotel. Eckenhoff Saunders Architects served as the project architect.
MONROE, OHIO — The Kroger Co. and Ocado, a dedicated online grocery retailer, have broken ground on their first customer fulfillment center. Cincinnati-based Kroger is investing $55 million to build the property, which will be situated in the southwest Ohio city of Monroe. The automated warehouse facility will have digital and robotic capabilities and will span 335,000 square feet. The model will be replicated in other locations, as Kroger plans to build 20 such facilities. To date, two additional sites have been selected in the central Florida and Mid-Atlantic regions. The Ohio facility is expected to generate more than 400 new jobs. Ryan Cos. US Inc. is designing and building the property. In May 2018, Kroger and UK-based Ocado announced their partnership in order to provide online ordering, automated fulfillment and home delivery capabilities.
FRANKLIN, OHIO — Modula, an Italian company that manufactures automated storage systems, has purchased the former Dayton Daily News building in Franklin along I-75. An affiliate of Capital Environmental Risk Transfer Alliance sold the property for nearly $13.2 million, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. Cox Media Group Ohio previously owned and occupied the 252,000-square-foot building. The company used the facility for the printing of all of its local newspapers. Cox Media Group Ohio announced in July 2017 that company newspapers would be printed at an Indianapolis production facility under an agreement with Gannett Publishing Services. Modula received a Job Creation Tax Credit from the state of Ohio totaling 1.52 percent for seven years. Modula plans to create 100 new jobs at the facility. In partnership with the European American Chamber of Commerce, the project represents ongoing efforts by REDI Cincinnati to attract foreign investment to the greater Cincinnati region. Modula’s investment in southwest Ohio will be its second location in the United States. Chuck Ackerman, Bill Keefer and Todd Cochran of Colliers International brokered the transaction.
PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WIS. — Lee & Associates has negotiated the sale of a 196,400-square-foot, speculative industrial building within LakeView Corporate Park in Pleasant Prairie for an undisclosed price. The newly completed building features 20 exterior docks and four drive-in doors. Tom Boyle of Lee & Associates represented the buyer, Scannell Properties. John Sharpe of Lee & Associates represented the seller, Lakeview Industrial Development, which is a joint venture between Hunzinger Construction Co. and Wangard Partners. Sharpe and Boyle have been retained by the new owner to market the property for lease.
INDIANAPOLIS — BNSF Logistics has signed a 13,105-square-foot office lease at 141 E. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. Crown Property Management owns the historic building, which dates back to 1913. First-floor tenants at the property include Crown Wine & Spirits and Punch Burger. Kevin O’Donnell of Newmark Knight Frank represented BNSF in the lease transaction. BNSF had outgrown its former office space in Indianapolis, which spans 2,500 square feet.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has selected the Kansas City region for the relocation of the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue cites affordability, easy commutes and quality of life for the site selection process. “The Kansas City region has proven itself to be a hub for all things agriculture and is a booming city in America’s heartland,” he says. “There is already a significant presence of USDA and federal government employees in the region, including the Kansas City Ag Bank Federal Reserve.” In August, USDA had announced that it would undertake the relocations largely to attract and retain staff. The organization says it has been difficult to recruit employees to the Washington, D.C. area given the high cost of living and long commutes. While 90 percent of USDA employees are located outside of the D.C. area, ERS and NIFA are the only USDA agencies that don’t have representation outside of the national capital region. Out of NIFA’s 315 positions, 294 will relocate while 21 will stay in D.C. Of the 329 ERS positions, 253 will relocate while 76 will stay in D.C. …
GLENVIEW, ILL. — Mid-America Real Estate Corp. has arranged the sale of Glen Gate, a 102,961-square-foot shopping center in Glenview, about 15 miles northwest of Chicago. Mariano’s Fresh Market anchors the fully leased property. Other tenants include AT&T, Hair Cuttery, Bentley’s Pet Stuff, Glenview Bank & Trust and For Eyes. The shopping center is situated at the northeast corner of Waukegan and Golf roads. Joe Girardi and Ben Wineman of Mid-America represented the seller, a client of LaSalle Investment Management. Dallas-based Invesco Real Estate purchased the asset for an undisclosed price.