CLINTON, MASS. — The Stubblebine Co., a locally based brokerage firm, has negotiated an 84,029-square-foot industrial lease at 100 Adams Road in Clinton, located north of Worcester. The property spans 355,000 square feet on a 20-acre tract and features a clear height of 32 feet. David Stubblebine, James Stubblebine, Alan Ringuette and David Skinner of The Stubblebine Co. represented the landlord, a partnership between private equity firm Marcus Partners and investment firm Northbridge Partners, in the lease negotiations. James Lipscomb and Joe Fabiano of CBRE represented the tenant, Tighe Warehousing & Distribution Inc.
LAWRENCE, MASS. — Berkadia has arranged the $95 million sale of the Merrimack Valley Portfolio, a duo of multifamily buildings totaling 372 units in Lawrence, located north of Boston. The portfolio consists of Mill 240, a 217-unit complex that was renovated in 2019; and Washington Mills, a 155-unit property that was renovated in 2007. Both properties include amenities such as dog parks, fitness centers, yoga studios, business centers and outdoor theaters complete with fire pits and bocce ball courts. Jennifer Athas and Matt Olson of Berkadia represented the seller, an entity comprised of two locally based limited partnerships, in the transaction. The buyer was Boston-based Berkeley Investments Inc.
SALEM AND WILMINGTON, MASS. — Eastern Union has provided $31 million in financing for a pair of skilled nursing facilities totaling 265 beds in Massachusetts. The first property is a 123-bed facility in Salem, and the second is a 142-bed clinic in Wilmington. The overall package was structured with limited recourse, a three-year term, an 85 percent loan-to-value ratio and a floating interest rate. Proceeds will be used to refinance existing debt and fund capital improvements. Nachum Soroka and Jacob Shonland of Eastern Union handled the transaction. The borrower was not disclosed.
BOSTON — Illinois-based general contractor Cicero Construction Group has completed the renovation of the Staypineapple Boston, a 56-room boutique hotel in the city’s South End neighborhood. The project included a rebranding of the hotel, formerly known as the Chandler Inn, as part of Seattle-based Staypineapple chain, which purchased the property in February 2018. Renovations delivered upgraded beds and bathrooms to rooms, as well as new flooring, paint, wall coverings and other interior improvements to the lobby, hallways and common areas.
ANDOVER, MASS. — Tampa-based SkyView Advisors has arranged the sale of a 470-unit self-storage facility located at 17 Dundee Park Drive in Andover, a northern suburb of Boston. The property is situated on 1.5 acres and spans 65,836 net rentable square feet. Richard Riddle and Ryan Clark of SkyView Advisors represented the seller in the transaction. Additional terms of sale were not disclosed.
By Brian Pinch, managing director, Newmark On a national level, the industrial market continues to perform well amidst the coronavirus-induced market correction that has impacted other asset classes. Industrial fundamentals ended 2020 on solid footing, with outsized demand, rising rents and a healthy supply pipeline. Despite the impacts of COVID-19, key logistics hubs like Los Angeles and the Inland Empire are doing well, as are smaller metros like Boston. The continued shift towards e-commerce and online shopping, as well as a greater emphasis on strong distribution networks and supply chains, are driving activity within tertiary markets as well. Combined with sustained cap rate compression, such positive fundamentals have led to increased investor interest in the industrial asset class. Capital that was previously allocated for other property types is now flowing into the industrial market, and low interest rates are giving buyers increased purchasing power. As a result, pricing for industrial product continues to climb across many metros, including greater Boston. In fact, greater Boston’s industrial market maintains one of the most dynamic investment landscapes in the country, as historically tight vacancies and rapidly rising rents attract record levels of capital. Though the metro-wide vacancy rate is below 6 percent — …
BOSTON — MC Real Estate Partners LLC, in partnership with an undisclosed capital source, has purchased a 76,000-square-foot historic office building located at 110 Chauncy St. in downtown Boston. The property was originally built in the 1890s and will serve as the new headquarters for global design firm Sasaki, which has signed a 64,000-square-foot lease. MC Real Estate will work with Sasaki to redesign and renovate the space, which will house approximately 250 employees.
BOSTON — Locally based design firm Finegold Alexander Architects has unveiled the new design and renovation of the Eliot Innovation School in Boston. The school is part of a three-building campus in the city’s North End neighborhood and will serve students in grades 5-8. The building formerly served as an FDA testing facility and an office property before its latest conversion to a school. Construction of the $15 million project was completed in September 2019, but the coronavirus outbreak delayed the school’s opening.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — Pennsylvania-based Hersha Hospitality Trust has sold the 112-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites Boston, located at 250 Monsignor O’Brien Highway in Cambridge. Cyrus Vazifdar, Jay Morrow, Michael Tormey and Alex Yiankes of Hodges Ward Elliott (HWE) represented Hersha Hospitality in the transaction. Additionally, HWE’s capital markets team sourced acquisition financing for the undisclosed buyer.
WILMINGTON, MASS. — Lowe’s Home Improvement (NYSE: LOW) has signed a 178,757-square-foot industrial lease at 613 Main St. in the northern Boston suburb of Wilmington. Tony Coskren, Ed Jarosz, Richard Ruggiero, Torin Taylor, Rick Schuhwerk, Brian Pinch and Lizzie Kusbit of Newmark represented the landlord, a joint venture between The Seyon Group and Connecticut-based Wheelock Street Capital, in the lease negotiations. The name and representative of the tenant were not disclosed.