CINCINNATI — The Global Operations Center has opened at The Banks mixed-use development in Cincinnati. More than 2,000 employees will work in the 12-story, 338,000-square-foot tower. The main entrance will be at the corner of Second and Rosa Parks streets. The new building is located in Phase II of The Banks, and includes 19,000 square feet of street-level retail space. Taste of Belgium and Pies & Pints are under construction and will open in the coming weeks. Next door, the Radius at The Banks apartment community is also now open. GE has signed a 15-year lease with Carter and Nicol Investment Co., co-owners of the building. PNC Financial Services led the construction financing for the project, and Brasfield & Gorrie oversaw construction along with Cincinnati-based Jostin Construction. RJTR is the architect and CBRE will manage the property.
SWANSEA, ILL. — Southwestern Illinois Development Authority (SWIDA), in partnership with Bywater Development Group and Bi-State Development (BSD), is developing a $10.5 million seniors housing project adjacent to the Swansea MetroLink station in Swansea, Ill. The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) in Chicago approved the transit-oriented development project on Sept. 16. The new development, Metro Landing of Swansea, will feature a three-story building with 62 one- and two-bedroom apartments for older adults. Located adjacent to the Swansea MetroLink Station, residents can reach restaurants, retail and entertainment via mass transit. Construction will begin next summer and is scheduled for completion in late summer 2018.
SAN ANTONIO — Electra America and Robbins Property Associates have acquired Vantage at Alamo Ranch, a 288-unit apartment complex in San Antonio. The JV bought the asset from Vantage Communities and will rebrand it as Verandas at Alamo. With this acquisition, Electra/Robbins’ Texas portfolio now includes over 7,000 apartment units in cities including San Antonio, Houston and Dallas. Constructed in 2015, Vantage at Alamo is located at 6831 Alamo Parkway and features one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The project totals 240,916 square feet. Community amenities include swimming pools, a fitness center, on-site maintenance, gated access, business center, picnic area, pet park and high-speed Internet. The property is 87 percent occupied. Unit amenities include nine-foot ceilings, balconies/patios, hardwood floors, walk-in closets and granite countertops.
FREDERICK, MD. — Wagman Construction has completed construction of The Lodge at Willow Ponds, a new independent living expansion on the Willow Ponds continuing care retirement community (CCRC) campus in Frederick, approximately 50 miles west of Baltimore. Homewood Retirement Centers of the United Church of Christ owns the CCRC, which is located on over 100 acres. The $50 million expansion project added a four-story, 277,000-square-foot building totaling 150 apartments and patio homes. An additional 50 units may be added in the future. Noelker and Hull served as lead architect and designer on the project. Wagman is a construction firm with offices in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Homewood is a faith-based operator with communities throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland.
TAMPA, FLA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $30 million sale of a four-property apartment portfolio in Tampa. The properties include the 70-unit Palm River Apartments, the 122-unit Laurel Chase, the 228-unit Rivertree Landing and the 232-unit Puritan Place. Michael Donaldson and Nicholas Meoli of Marcus & Millichap’s Tampa office represented the seller and procured the buyer.
MARIETTA, GA. — Emma Capital Investments Inc. has purchased two apartment communities in Marietta, a northern suburb of Atlanta, for a combined $15.7 million. The two properties include the 144-unit Somerpoint Apartments located at 1788 Austell Road and the 100-unit Brix on Beech located at 16 Beech Road S.E. Emma Capital plans to invest in upgrades for the two properties. This is Emma Capital’s 17th and 18th acquisitions in the United States and brings its total units acquired to date to approximately 4,000.
CHATSWORTH, CALIF. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $72.5 million sale of Waterstone Apartment Homes, a 348-unit multifamily community located in Chatsworth, roughly 30 miles outside Los Angeles. The property was built in 1971 at 9901 Lurline Ave. The community is located one block south of the 615,400-square-foot Westfield Topanga shopping mall and approximately one mile away from the Chatsworth Metrolink station. Waterstone offers studio, one- and two-bedroom units with community amenities including lighted tennis courts; barbecue and picnic area with fire pit; clubhouse with billiards; a fitness center; pool and hot tub; and laundry facilities. Greg Harris, Ron Harris, Kevin Green, Joseph Grabiec and Paul Darrow of Marcus & Millichap’s IPA division represented the seller and procured the buyer in the transaction. Both parties were undisclosed. “The acquisition gives the new ownership the ability to complete a strategic renovation in a market where there is a significant affordability gap to home ownership, and strong demand for high-end rental housing,” says Green. — Katie Sloan
SEATTLE — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged $145 million in acquisition financing for Merrill Gardens, which will use the funds to purchase a 456-unit seniors housing portfolio on the West Coast. Merrill Gardens, a seniors housing owner-operator based in Seattle, already operates the four communities that it will now own, along with a joint venture partner that was not named. The portfolio includes properties in the high-barrier-to-entry markets of Orange County, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and downtown Seattle. The properties acquired are Merrill Gardens of Huntington Beach, Merrill Gardens at Lafayette, Merrill Gardens at Campbell, and Merrill Gardens at First Hill. The communities offer independent living, assisted living and memory care. Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors, acting on behalf of an institutional investor, provided the $145 million in long-term financing. The Cushman & Wakefield team, which arranged both the loan and the transaction, included Richard Swartz, managing director; Jay Wagner, managing director; Aaron Rosenzweig, senior director; Michael Kane, senior director; and Timothy Hosmer, director.
COLUMBUS, WILLOUGHBY OHIO — Hunt Mortgage Group has provided two Fannie Mae loans totaling $18.8 million to refinance two multifamily properties located in Ohio. The properties include: The Ridge at Taylor Station in Columbus — Hunt Mortgage Group provided a $6 million Fannie Mae loan facility to refinance the property. Perry-Sycamore LP sponsors the borrower. The borrower acquired Ridge at Taylor Station in 2000 and the loan features a 10-year term, 30-year amortization period and a 9.5-year yield maintenance period. Built in 1974, the property was renovated by the current owners in 2004 and 2015. The property is a 192-unit garden-style multifamily facility comprised of eight three-story residential buildings, plus a standalone leasing office. Property amenities include an outdoor picnic area, pool, playground and a basketball court. Fox Run Apartments in Willoughby — Hunt Mortgage Group provided a $12.8 million Fannie Mae loan to refinance the property, a 192-unit garden-style apartment complex. The property is comprised of 12 two-story apartment buildings. Friedman Properties Ltd., an Ohio limited liability company, is the borrower. The transaction is structured with a 10-year term with 9.5 years of yield maintenance and a 30-year amortization schedule. Fox Run Apartments was constructed between 1986 and 1997 …
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Watercrest Senior Living has opened Watercrest of San Jose, a 90-unit assisted living and memory care community in Jacksonville. The 79,000-square-foot, resort-style property offers 66 units of assisted living and 24 memory care apartments. Situated on the banks of Goodby’s Creek, the property features a signature spa (Spa W), wine bistro and multiple dining venues. Watercrest of San Jose will be co-owned by Starling Senior Living.