HENRY COUNTY, GA. — Geosam Capital, a family-owned residential and commercial real estate development firm, has received final zoning and development agreement approval from the Henry County Board of Commissioners for The Grove. The nearly 1,300-acre master-planned community will feature more than 6,000 residential units and 2 million square feet of commercial and retail space, as well as 150 acres of greenspace, 35 pocket parks and eight miles of trails. Geosam Capital plans to build The Grove across multiple phases, beginning with road improvements from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), water and wastewater upgrades and the first residential lots. The construction timeline was not released. The development will be situated 22 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and near EchoPark Speedway.
WICHITA, KAN. — Industrial Realty Group LLC (IRG) and Provider Real Estate Partners LLC (PREP) have acquired Towne West Square Mall, a 650,000-square-foot shopping mall in southwest Wichita. The partnership plans to redevelop the 60-acre property into a multi-tenant campus called Wichita Business Park. “The City of Wichita is thrilled to have new ownership of this property and is excited about the redevelopment plan proposed by IRG and PREP,” says Wichita Mayor Lily Wu. After nearly 44 years in operation, Towne West Square Mall closed its doors officially over the July 4 weekend. The last three businesses to remain operating at the mall include Dillard’s and JC Penney, which were the mall’s original department store anchors, and locally owned and operated Boulevard Theatres, according to local media outlets. IRG and PREP plan on redeveloping the property through a conversion of the former mall and department store space. The team will expand the former mall’s retail and commercial uses to offer modern office, light industrial, advanced manufacturing, research-and-development and flex spaces. In May, Wichita’s Planning Commission and City Council approved a zoning overlay that will help facilitate the redevelopment of Towne West Square Mall. “We are confident in Wichita Business Park’s …
DALLAS — Kaizen Development Partners has begun work on Chalk Hill, a mixed-use redevelopment project in Uptown Dallas. Kaizen is now demolishing all structures on the 2.3-acre site at the corner of Wolf and North Harwood streets, which previously served as the home of North Texas Public Broadcasting. Plans for Chalk Hill include over 400,000 square feet of Class A office space, a 217-key luxury hotel that will be developed in partnership with HN Capital Partners, 61 luxury condos and multiple food-and-beverage options. BOKA Powell is designing Chalk Hill, and Balfour Beatty is serving as the general contractor. JLL is leasing the office space.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Avison Young has secured a $26 million bridge loan for the refinancing of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Innovation Hub, a 122,000-square-foot newly renovated mixed-use development located across the street from the university. Bayview Commercial Mortgage Finance provided the five-year loan to repay the existing construction loan and fund future capital needs. Hal Kempson of Avison Young represented the developer, Grubb Properties. Situated at the corner of 136 E. Rosemary St. and 137 E. Franklin St., the Innovation Hub features office and retail space and is part of the Carolina Economic Development Strategy that aims to retain and attract innovation-driven businesses and talent. Recent renovations at the property have featured the installation of oversized windows, a fresh exterior to match the neighboring buildings and a new lobby at the 136 East Rosemary office building, as well as parking deck improvements. Tenants at the Innovation Hub include Innovate Carolina, Launch Chapel Hill and BioLabs. Hillman Duncan and Taylor McCuiston of JLL lead leasing efforts for the property on behalf of Grubb Properties.
MIAMI — Indianapolis-based mall giant Simon Property Group has acquired the remaining interest of the retail and parking component at Brickell City Centre, a 5.4 million-square-foot mixed-use development in downtown Miami. Swire Properties Inc. sold the majority 75 percent stake in the property’s 500,000-square-foot retail portion for $512 million, according to several media outlets. Simon had previously owned a 25 percent, non-managing interest in The Shops at Brickell City Centre. Following the transaction, Simon is now the sole owner and manager of the property’s retail and entertainment component. Completed in 2016, The Shops at Brickell City Centre comprises four four-story buildings across three city blocks. Anchored by SAKS Fifth Avenue, additional retail tenants at the center include Apple, Chanel Fragrance & Beauty Boutique, Coach, lululemon, Sephora, Zara and Nike. The property also features a multi-level food hall and entertainment venues including CMX and PuttShack.
SPRINGFIELD, VA. — PREIT has closed on a $150 million loan for Springfield Town Center, a mixed-use redevelopment of the former Springfield Mall in Northern Virginia. The property includes more than 1 million square feet of retail space, including a 32,000-square-foot LEGO Discovery Center that opened in 2023. Other tenants include Build-A-Bear, Burger King, Chuy’s, Dave & Buster’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Finish Line, Five Below, H&M, Hot Topic, JC Penney, LA Fitness, Macy’s, Maggiano’s, Nordstrom Rack, Regal Cinema, Sephora, Toys “R” Us and Target, among others. Springfield Town Center will also include a 460-unit apartment community that is underway, along with a hotel and public park. The property will also house another 400 apartments that are in the planning stages and expanded parking that will have skybridge connectivity between the development’s various components. Goldman Sachs and Barclays Bank were the lead lenders for the five-year loan, which features interest-only payments and a fixed interest rate of 7.1 percent. With the new financing, PREIT expects to realize more than $5.1 million in annual interest savings.
SAN DIEGO — Juniper Ridge Partners has acquired Bay Bridge Center in San Diego from Jon and Donna Stockholm Trust for $10.4 million. Located at 1943-1995 Main St., Bay Bridge Center offers 38,300 square feet of mixed-use flex space. The five-building, multi-tenant asset is situated on 2.1 acres in San Diego’s Harbor/Downtown submarket. At the time of sale, Bay Bridge Center was fully leased to six tenants, including San Diego County Schools and Wrensilva, a high-end audio manufacturer. The property features 400 feet of frontage on Main Street and Harbor Drive, secure yard areas and proximity to a San Diego Trolley stop with immediate access to Interstate 5. Chris Holder, Mark Lewkowitz and Will Holder of Colliers represented the buyer and seller in the deal.
DURHAM, N.C. — Foundry Commercial has facilitated the acquisition and rezoning of a 95-acre tract in Durham for the development of Brickworks, a planned mixed-use development. The Durham City Council approved the rezoning ordinance in January, which will transform a former brick factory into a residential and commercial area. Charlotte-based SpaceCraft will serve as the master developer for the project. David Batten and Geoff Loftin of APG Advisors represented the seller in the transaction. Upon completion of the project, Brickworks will include 1,880 residential units and 49,500 square feet of commercial space. Construction of the multiphase project is expected to take place over a five-year period. One-third of the site is slated for Phase I of Brickworks, which will include a combination of apartments, townhomes and retail space. Homes will range from studio units to three-bedroom layouts, with 5 percent of the residences set aside for families earning 60 percent or less of the area median income (AMI). Public spaces like sports fields, biking and walking trails and preserved woodlands and wetlands will also be accessible at the development.
NEW YORK CITY — The New York City Planning Commission has approved the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan (MSMX), a rezoning initiative that could ultimately facilitate the creation of as many as 9,700 new residences across a 42-block section of Midtown Manhattan. The MSMX plan covers four areas centered around Herald and Greeley Square, located between West 23rd and West 40th streets, as well as Fifth and Eighth avenues. The area today is largely defined by commercial and industrial uses, with current land-use rules restricting new housing development. Midtown South is currently home to more than 7,000 businesses, 135,000 jobs and various public transportation hubs, but the neighborhood has struggled to rebound in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as hybrid work schedules have become more entrenched. In addition to these commercial vacancies, the submarket is subject to restrictive zoning rules that limit opportunities for New Yorkers to live near their jobs. “For far too long, outdated zoning policies have limited the potential of this well-resourced area to help address New York City’s urgent housing needs,” says Rachel Fee, executive director of the New York Housing Conference, nonprofit affordable housing policy and advocacy organization. “In the midst of a dire housing crisis, …
AVENTURA, FLA. — Seritage Growth Properties, a REIT created by Sears Holdings in 2015, has signed leases with 17 new tenants at Esplanade at Aventura, its 215,000-square-foot mixed-use development located in the northeastern Miami suburb of Aventura. Retail and restaurant concepts including The Salty Donut, If So, Chip City and The Shade Store recently opened at the property, while Tremble, Bank of America and Hästens will open this summer. Pura Vida Miami, Salt & Straw, Starbucks Coffee, Wairua Beauty and Next Health are expected to open this fall. Additional stores that will be arriving later in the year include 7th Avenue, Lola + The Boys, The Keys Co. and Anatomy Fitness. Lastly, Feulard Aesthetic Lab plans to open in spring 2026. The new tenants will occupy approximately 55,000 square feet at the development. Completed in 2023 and located adjacent to Aventura Mall, Esplanade at Aventura features more than 40 retail, dining and entertainment options, including Pinstripes and The LEGO Store. The project also includes healthcare tenants like One Medical and CCRM Fertility, as well as coworking operator Industrious.