CHICAGO — The Habitat Company has received approval from the city’s planning commission to develop a $200 million mixed-use project in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), Sinai Health System, Cinespace Chicago Film Studios and the city of Chicago are serving as development partners for the 10-acre project. Known as Ogden Commons, the development will offer hundreds of mixed-income rental housing units in addition to approximately 120,000 square feet of retail and commercial space. The project will be situated on the site of the former CHA Lawndale development. Ogden Commons will be developed in multiple phases, with the first phase comprised of 45,000 square feet of commercial space, 15,000 square feet of retail space and a portion of the planned residences. Construction on the commercial space is expected to begin during the second quarter of 2019 with the residential work to follow. The entire development is slated for completion in 2021, at which time Cinespace and Sinai will occupy a significant portion of the commercial space, expanding on their current locations on Ogden Avenue across from the Ogden Commons site.
Mixed-Use
LOS ANGELES — Nadel Architects has announced that construction is underway on Jordan Downs Plaza, a $48 million mixed-use development in Los Angeles. Designed for Primestor Development, the overall $5 billion project will bring 115,000 square feet of retail and dining space to the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Slated for completion in summer 2019, Jordan Downs Plaza will feature an open-air shopping and dining space, as well as a full-service supermarket, financial institutions, a fitness center, sit-down restaurants, cafés and a variety of local and national retailers. The revitalization project is situated on 10 acres and will be a “community living room” gathering-style plaza for the 34,000 area residents. The Nadel Architect team includes Greg Lyon, David Anderson, Keith Martinez and Andrew Wolff.
BEND, ORE. — Compass Commercial Real Estate Services has arranged the sale of Deschutes Business Center, located at 20332-20370 Empire Ave. in Bend. An undisclosed buyer acquired the property for $6.1 million. Situated on 5.5 acres, the asset features 54,508 square feet of mixed-use space. Robert Raimondi, Russell Huntamer and Paul Weaver of Compass Commercial Real Estate, along with John Keba of Compass Commercial Asset & Property Management, represented the undisclosed seller. Weaver, Gardner Williams and Peter May of Compass Commercial represented the buyer.
NEW YORK CITY — Cushman & Wakefield has brokered the $10.5 million sale of a three-story, mixed-use property in Long Island City. Located at 44-61 11th St., the 18,500-square-foot property includes retail and office space and is fully leased to four separate tenants. Stephen Preuss of Cushman & Wakefield represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. The buyer was also undisclosed.
HOUSTON — Houston-based design/build firm Allegro Builders has broken ground on 841 Yale, an 8,400-square-foot mixed-use project in The Heights neighborhood of Houston. The three-story property, which is slated for a third-quarter 2019 delivery, will be marketed to office and restaurant users. Heritage Texas Properties will manage 841 Yale.
Youngwoo & Associates Breaks Ground on 235,000 SF Mixed-Use Project in Washington Heights
by David Cohen
NEW YORK CITY — Youngwoo & Associates has broken ground on the Radio Tower & Hotel, a 235,000-square-foot, mixed-use property in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. The 22-story building will include 155,000 square feet of office space, a 221-room boutique hotel and 8,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The property is located on Amsterdam Avenue between 180th and 181st Streets. Youngwoo & Associates acquired the site, which was formerly a gas station, in 2013.
ORLAND PARK, ILL. — Structured Development LLC has been selected to develop the final phase of the downtown Main Street Triangle project in Orland Park. Structured will complete the five remaining parcels comprising approximately nine acres within the 27-acre Triangle master plan. The project will include retail, office, hospitality and entertainment space. Completion is slated for 2021. The Triangle currently houses Ninety7Fifty, a 295-unit mixed-use rental community; the University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care, a 110,000-square-foot medical office building; a 500-space public parking structure; and Crescent Park, a landscaped green space.
StonebridgeCarras to Develop Virginia Tech’s $1B Campus in Alexandria, Near Amazon Headquarters
by John Nelson
ALEXANDRIA, VA. — StonebridgeCarras has been selected to build the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, a $1 billion, 1 million-square-foot, technology-focused campus in Alexandria, less than two miles from Amazon’s HQ2 future site. Virginia Tech and the State of Virginia will each put forth $250 million to the new campus. Further funds are expected to come via private philanthropy, industry partnerships and other revenue streams. The new campus will be situated in River Landing, a newly branded neighborhood encompassing parts of Pentagon City and Crystal City in Arlington and Potomac Yard in nearby Alexandria. The land is owned by investment firm Blackstone Group LP. The campus will include 300,000 square feet of academic space and research and development facilities, 250,000 square feet of partner space dedicated to startups and corporate facilities, 350,000 square feet of housing space for students and faculty and 100,000 square feet of retail and support spaces. An expected date of completion was not disclosed, but Virginia Tech officials say the first 100 master’s program students will enroll next year in a temporary space. The school also announced Bethesda, Md.-based StonebridgeCarras and the City of Alexandria have agreed to expedite construction.
EDENS, Crescent Break Ground on Retail, Residential Development in Atlanta’s Upper Westside
by John Nelson
ATLANTA — EDENS and Crescent Communities have broken ground on Phase II of Moores Mill, a mixed-use development in Atlanta’s Upper Westside neighborhood. Charlotte-based Crescent Communities, a multifamily developer, will build 345 units across three buildings over five acres called NOVEL Upper Westside. The complex will total 300,000 square feet and offer one- , two- and three-bedroom options. Amenities are set to include a fitness center, pool, courtyard, refined rooftop lounge and a dog park. EDENS, a national retail real estate owner, will develop 15,000 square feet of retail. The Columbia, S.C.-based developer built the 45,000-square-foot Publix in Phase I of Moores Mill and has invested in green space renovation at nearby Sara Gonzalez Park. Completion of Phase II is expected in 2020.
SAN LEANDRO, CALIF. — Newmark Knight Frank has arranged the sale of Westgate Center, a grocery-anchored mixed-use retail center located at 1933 Davis St. in San Leandro. SKB and WHI Real Estate Partners sold the property to a New York-based global private equity firm for an undisclosed price. The 586,407-square-foot property features a 361,132-square-foot retail component and 225,275 square feet of flex office and prototyping space. Walmart, Home Depot, Ross Dress for Less, Burlington and Dollar Tree are tenants at the retail portion. The second-floor flex space, branded as Gate510, offers an environment for entrepreneurs and creators to collaborate, invent, work and manufacture. Nicholas Bicardo, Brandon Rogoff and Grant Lammersen of NKF represented the seller in the deal.