NEW YORK CITY — Newmark Group Inc., a division of New York City-based real estate firm Newmark Knight Frank (NKF), has acquired Harper Dennis Hobbs Holdings Ltd. (HDH), a London-based firm specializing in retail acquisitions. NKF operates numerous offices across the United States, and the acquisition of the HDH opens opportunities to service European tenants seeking access to North American consumers. More than 50 employees, including 30 brokers and staff, will join Newmark Group as a result of the acquisition, though the firm will continue to operate as Harper Dennis Hobbs.
NEW YORK CITY — CIM Group has provided a $120 million construction loan for the redevelopment of 685 Fifth Avenue, a 115,330-square-foot multifamily and retail property in Manhattan. The borrower, a partnership of developer-owners SHVO, Bilgili Group and Deutsche Finance, will redevelop and rebrand the residences as 69 Mandarin Oriental and will construct 10 additional floors for the tower. Originally built in 1928, the 20-story building was the former headquarters of Gucci, and current retail tenants include apparel and accessory retailers Coach, Stuart Weitzman and Tag Heuer. Construction is slated for completion in 2021.
NEW YORK CITY — Munich Reinsurance America Inc. has agreed to purchase 330 Madison Ave., a 39-story, 852,000-square-foot office tower in Manhattan. The building was originally constructed in 1963 and was renovated in 2012 to include a new glass curtainwall façade, upgraded lobby and updated systems that achieved LEED Gold certification. The asset is located adjacent to Grand Central Station and near the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. The sales price was not disclosed, although multiple news outlets reported the negotiations were in the range of $850 million to $900 million. At the time of the agreement, the building was 95 percent occupied by tenants including Guggenheim Partners, JLL and HSBC. “We are glad to invest in the United States, given the U.S. share of [the buyer’s] insurance portfolio,” says Hans-Joachim Barkmann, managing director of MEAG, which advised the buyer in the transaction. “The overall American real estate market is also currently outperforming continental Europe, especially Midtown Manhattan, which is really unique in the world in terms of status and prospects.” CBRE represented the seller, which was undisclosed, though several outlets report the seller was Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Based in Princeton, N.J., Munich Reinsurance America is the …
WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. — A partnership between Metro Storage LLC and Fremont Realty Capital has opened a 689-unit self-storage facility in West Hampton Beach on the eastern part of Long Island. The two-story facility, located at 105 Old Riverhead Road, offers 77,000 rentable square feet of climate-controlled space and features interior loading bays, elevators, security and a retail office. Metro Storage opened a 785-unit facility in Line Lexington, Pennsylvania at approximately the same time. The Westhampton Beach property is Metro’s 5th self-storage facility in New York
NEW YORK CITY — Trinity Place Holdings and TF Cornerstone have entered into a joint venture agreement to acquire 250 North 10th Street, a 234-unit luxury apartment building in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. The six-story, 150,000-square-foot building features a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units and amenities such as a roof deck and fitness center. LCOR Inc. and the California State Teachers Retirement System developed the property in 2014 and sold it to Nuveen Real Estate in May 2015 for $169 million. A JLL team represented Nuveen Real Estate in the December 2019 acquisition agreement. The deal is expected to close by February 2020.
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Cushman & Wakefield has brokered the sale of The Jefferson at Farmingdale Plaza, a 154-unit multifamily community located in the western Long Island city of Farmingdale. Built in 2015, the property features two three-story buildings at 148 South Front St., adjacent to the Farmingdale LIRR rail station. Amenities include a health club with a yoga studio and aerobics center, business lounge, billiards room and a media center with a movie theater. The property also features 20,000 square feet of retail space leased to tenants including Starbucks, TAO Asian Bistro and Eastern Breeze spa. Kevin Donner and Brian Whitmer led the Cushman & Wakefield team that represented the seller, a joint venture between H.I.G. Realty Partners and JPI Cos. The team also procured the buyer, Fairfield Properties. The sales price was undisclosed.
WEST BABYLON, N.Y. — German grocer Lidl has opened a 36,000-square-foot store at Hubbards Commons, a 65,970-square-foot shopping center in West Babylon on the western part of Long Island. Lidl will offer produce, meat, freshly baked goods and an array of household products. Hubbards Commons is located along Sunrise Highway, which connects Long Island to New York City. The property is now 98 percent leased to tenants including Walgreens, Orangetheory Fitness and Subway. ShopOne is the landlord of Hubbards Commons.
The Collective to Build $150M Co-Living, Student Housing Project in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg District
NEW YORK CITY — The Collective, a multifamily developer based in London, has unveiled plans to build a $150 million co-living project located at 292 N. 8th St. in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. Co-living is defined as a type of residential development that is a hybrid between apartment housing and hotels. Known as North 8th, the development will feature 242 units, 97 of which are designed for students attending local universities. The remaining 127 studio units are designed for nightly and monthly stays. At full capacity, North 8th is expected to house 321 occupants. “North 8th will be the first project of its kind for New York City,” says Reza Merchant, founder and CEO of The Collective. “It will bring community of all ages together in one holistic environment, designed to promote an intergenerational exchange of knowledge through shared amenities and dynamic programming.” North 8th is The Collective’s fourth co-living project in New York City, joining The Collective Paper Factory that opened in November in Queens’ Long Island City. The Collective has two other Brooklyn projects in the pipeline: 555 Broadway and 1215 Fulton St. All three of The Collective’s Brooklyn projects are expected to open in 2022. The Collective collaborated …
NEW YORK CITY — Flex and meeting-space provider Convene has opened a 73,000-square-foot event venue at Brookfield Place, an office and retail center in Manhattan. Commonly referred to as the World Financial Center, Brookfield Place is situated across the street from the World Trade Center and houses numerous retail, restaurant and entertainment tenants. Convene’s new event space is located at 225 Liberty St., backfills the vacant Saks Fifth Avenue store and contains two large event spaces with capacity for 500 people each, as well as a coffee shop and café. Brookfield Properties is the landlord.
NEW YORK CITY — Ariel Property Advisors has brokered the $3.3 million sale of 99-103 Grove Street, a 16,500-square-foot development site in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. The site is zoned for residential construction and offers close access to several transportation nodes, including the J, L and M subway lines. The Buren café and Sunrise Sunset wine bar are also located nearby. Sean Kelly, Shimon Shkury and David Khukhashvili of Ariel represented the seller, Brookland Capital, in the transaction. The team also procured the buyer, which was undisclosed.