DURHAM, N.C. — Durhamite Holdings, a locally based, privately owned real estate investment group, plans to renovate and rebrand SouthCourt, a 139,282-square-foot office building in Durham. Planned renovations include a fully redesigned main lobby, exterior improvements, a multipurpose room for tenant events and meetings and a new amenity complex featuring a hotel-style lounge, game room, collaboration space and a kitchen and bar. Durhamite also plans to revitalize the building’s outdoor seating areas and create access to Joe Van Gogh Café on the ground level. The property, rebranded as Durhamite SouthCourt, will also house Orenge South Durham, a 17,000-square-foot coworking space with private offices. Dennis Hurley of JLL is leading the leasing efforts at Durhamite SouthCourt, which will soon welcome two new tenants: RVE and Gameday Men’s Health.
North Carolina
Tariffs Make ‘Challenging Deals Even More Challenging’ for Economic Development Officials, Says InterFace Panel
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tariffs are at the forefront of the U.S. economic landscape as they impact costs and timelines for a multitude of industries. For the industrial real estate sector, developers and tenants alike are monitoring the severity at which tariffs can complicate their everyday business activity, thus economic development officials are playing a crucial role in helping companies mitigate those costs and delays. “A lot of our business comes down to reducing risks for companies,” said Melissa Smith, senior vice president of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. “There’s a lot of scrambling due to tariffs. They make already challenging deals even more challenging. We have to be ready to help [companies] navigate through these challenges so that they can make a successful decision.” Editor’s note: InterFace Conference Group, a division of France Media Inc., produces networking and educational conferences for commercial real estate executives. To sign up for email announcements about specific events, visit www.interfaceconferencegroup.com/subscribe. Smith’s comments came on the opening night of InterFace I-85 Industrial Corridor, a two-day networking and information event held at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown hotel on May 19-20. Brian Young, senior director of Cushman & Wakefield’s Greenville office, moderated the discussion called …
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Coinbase, a digital currency wallet and platform for merchants and consumers, has leased 58,600 square feet of space at 110 East, a 23-story, Class A office building located in Charlotte’s South End district. Coinbase will occupy the 18th and 19th floors at 110 East to serve as the cryptocurrency exchange’s “Center of Excellence,” which will house 130 employees. Conor Brennan of JLL represented Coinbase in the lease transaction. Jennifer Kurz, John Hannon and Rhea Greene with Trinity Partners represented the landlord, Shorenstein. Other tenants at 110 East include SouthState Bank, Humana and Iberian Pig, a Spanish tapas restaurant.
Competition for Labor, Land Is Reshaping the I-85 Industrial Corridor, According to InterFace Panelists
by Abby Cox
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Stretching from Alabama to Atlanta, through the Carolinas and into Virginia, the I-85 corridor has long been a backbone of industrial growth in the Southeastern United States. Once celebrated as a magnet for logistic hubs, manufacturing plants and warehouse developments, this valuable category of real estate is now showing signs of strain. Editor’s note: InterFace Conference Group, a division of France Media Inc., produces networking and educational conferences for commercial real estate executives. To sign up for email announcements about specific events, visit www.interfaceconferencegroup.com/subscribe. During the COVID-19 pandemic, industrial real estate, especially warehouses and distribution centers, saw a dramatic surge in demand due to a rise in e-commerce, inventory stockpiling due to supply chain issues and lower interest rates. Fast forward five years later, the industrial market is now experiencing a slowdown due to new pressures that are reversing or slowing down many of those trends. “People are concerned about making a decision today without knowing what’s going to happen tomorrow,” said John Coleman, senior vice president of Graham &. Co. Coleman specializes in representing both tenants and landlords across the Birmingham and Montgomery industrial markets in Alabama. Coleman’s comments came while on stage during the closing panel at InterFace …
RICHMOND COUNTY, N.C. — Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has announced plans to develop a new, $10 billion cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) innovation campus in Richmond County, roughly 80 miles east of Charlotte. According to the Seattle-based company, this marks one of the largest capital investment announcements in the history of the state. Upon completion, the campus will house data centers with computer servers, data storage drives, networking equipment and other technology infrastructure used for cloud computing capabilities and generative AI. The project will be situated at one of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina’s Selectsite Readiness Program sites, which are designed to accommodate industries like AI and advanced manufacturing. Specific details about the site and construction timelines were not released. Amazon reports that the investment will create at least 500 new jobs, adding to the more than 192,000 tech professionals already in the state, as well as thousands of jobs in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center supply chain. “Amazon’s $10 billion investment in North Carolina underscores our commitment to driving innovation and advancing the future of cloud computing and AI technologies,” says David Zapolsky, chief global affairs and legal officer with Amazon. “This investment will position North Carolina …
HIGH POINT, N.C. — FrostPoint Capital, a privately held real estate investment and management firm based in West Palm Beach, Fla., has purchased a 33,455-square-foot retail center in High Point, a city in North Carolina’s Triad region. Berkeley Capital Advisors brokered the transaction. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. The unanchored shopping center is located at 1800 N. Main St., about a mile west of High Point University. The property’s tenant roster includes Company’s Coming, 98 Asian Bistro, Tea Time Boba Tea Lounge, Hair Kutts Salon, Still Waters Spa, TL Fitness and Q’s Corner. FrostPoint Capital is planning an extensive redevelopment that will pay tribute to the site’s former occupant, Lyles Chevrolet. This transaction marks FrostPoint Capital’s 14th acquisition in the Southeast and first in North Carolina.
UNC Health Pardee Breaks Ground on 39,000 SF Adaptive Reuse Clinic in Downtown Brevard, North Carolina
by John Nelson
BREVARD, N.C. — UNC Health Pardee, a health system managed by UNC Health that operates hospitals and clinics in Western North Carolina, has broken ground on a 39,000-square-foot adaptive reuse project in downtown Brevard. The developers behind the project include Riddle Development LLC, Layr LL and Osprey Capital. The team acquired the property, a 1960s-era retail strip center, for $2.6 million. Medalist Capital and United Community Bank are providing construction financing for the redevelopment, which is anticipated to cost $15 million in renovations. Upon completion, the new medical office building will feature 48 exam rooms for primary care services, a retail pharmacy, specialty rotation services, a 50-person conference and community room and a 300-person waiting room and event space. UNC Health Pardee plans to take occupancy in January.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CenterSquare Investment Management has acquired Gold Hill Commerce Park, an 11,835-square-foot retail strip center located in Charlotte. Built in 2000, the center is situated roughly 11 miles from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The property was fully leased to tenants including Marco’s Pizza, UrgentVet, Select Physical Therapy and Allen Tate Realty at the time of sale. This transaction marks CenterSquare’s 20th acquisition in the Southeast. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
Berkadia Brokers $43.8M Sale of Highline North Apartments in Asheville, North Carolina
by John Nelson
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Berkadia has brokered the $43.8 million sale of Highline North, a 168-unit apartment community located at 602 Highline Drive in Asheville. The seller, North Carolina-based Carlisle Residential Properties, delivered the property in 2023. Caleb Troop, Thomas Colaiezzi and Matt Robertson of Berkadia represented the seller in the transaction. Jeremy Lynch and Jake Adoni of Berkadia’s Philadelphia office originated a Freddie Mac acquisition loan on behalf of the buyer, Greenville-based Graycliff Capital. Highline North features one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as three-bedroom townhomes, with units ranging in size from 822 to more than 1,500 square feet. Amenities include a fitness center with cardio and weight lifting equipment; clubhouse featuring a TV lounge, wet bar and shuffleboard; pet spa and park; salt-water swimming pool; Amazon package lockers; detached garages; and electric vehicle charging stations.
NEWTON, N.C. — JLL Capital Markets has arranged the sale of Corning Hickory, a 265,000-square-foot manufacturing facility located within the Trivium Corporate Center in Newton, about 43 miles northwest of Charlotte. Constructed in 2022, the build-to-suit facility is fully leased to Corning Inc., a multinational technology company that specializes in glass and ceramics science and optical physics. Pete Pittroff, Jason DeWitt, Dave Andrews, Michael Scarnato, Zach Lloyd and Allan Parrott of JLL’s Capital Markets team represented the seller, Atlanta-based Stonemont Financial Group, in the transaction. PRP Real Estate Investment Management purchased the property for an undisclosed price. Situated on 30 acres, the facility features 32-foot clear heights, ESPR fire suppression, LED lighting, a climate-controlled interior, two 4,000-amp switchboards, 83 car parking spaces and 56 trailer parking spaces. The property also offers an additional 83,000 square feet for options to expand.