The greater Boston retail market experienced a substantial rise in the vacancy rate to 9.5 percent through June 2018, reflecting an 11.3 percent increase in unoccupied space, compared to a level of 8.6 percent in 2017. At the same time, total inventory ended the year at 196 million square feet, a gain of 1 percent, nearly the same square footage as the increase in vacant space. This resulted in a nominal negative absorption rate of only 21,900 square feet. A considerable number of large format store closings and chain liquidations were responsible for the disappointing outcome, which could have been even worse without a significant number of retail conversions to non-retail space cushioning the impact. The retailer gaining the most retail space in the region was Wegmans, adding a two-level store at Natick Mall and a second unit at the redeveloped Meadow Glen in Medford. In second place was 7-Eleven, completing its brand conversion from Tedeschi Food Shops, which it acquired in 2015. Market Basket rounded out the top three, adding new stores in Lynn and Fall River. By number of new units, 7-Eleven added 68, the most of any retailer. Metro PCS was a distant second, adding 16 stores …
NATICK, MASS. — Online home goods retailer Wayfair Inc. has announced plans to open its first full-service store at the Natick Mall in Natick. At the Wayfair store, service and home-design experts will be available to consult shoppers on home décor, furniture and other products. Customers can purchase an assortment of home décor products, as well as place orders for home deliveries. The location, which is slated to open in the fall, will be 3,700 square feet. The Boston-based company generates roughly $7 billion in annual revenue from online purchases.
BOSTON — HFF has brokered the sale of a three-property hotel portfolio in Boston. The sales price was undisclosed. The 433-room portfolio includes the DoubleTree by Hilton Boston – Milford, the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Boston – Rockland, and the Hilton Garden Inn Plymouth. All three hotels are located within 40 miles of Boston. Denny Meikleham, Alan Suzuki and Matthew Enright of HFF represented the seller, Linchris Hotel Corp., in the transaction. The buyer was Jamsan Hotel Management.
LITTLETON, MASS. — Nauset Construction, a locally based general contractor, will soon begin construction of a 60,000-square-foot office project in Littleton, about 35 miles west of Boston, that will serve as the new headquarters for Workers Credit Union. Designed by Maugel Architects, the project will renovate the existing 44,000-square-foot structure and deliver an additional 16,000 square feet of Class A space. Amenities will include a conference room, café, outdoor dining patio and a fitness center.
LYNN, MASS. — Cornerstone Realty Capital has arranged a $3.4 million loan to refinance a 27-unit multifamily building in Lynn. The four-story property was recently renovated and consists of a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units. Andrew Saccone of Cornerstone secured the fixed-rate, nonrecourse financing with a 30-year amortization schedule on behalf of the undisclosed borrower. The lender was Greystone.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — Urban Spaces has broken ground on Kendall East, a four-story, 136-unit, mixed-use development in the Kendall Square neighborhood of Cambridge. The project is located at 99-119 1st St., 18 Hurley St. and 29 Charles St. Designed by architectural firm Perkins Eastman, the development will also include 15,000 square feet of retail as well as 23 parking spaces. Construction is slated for completion in 2020.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — The SilverBrick Group has completed the renovation of SilverBrick Square in Springfield. Located at 122 Chestnut St., the 120,000-square-foot building is a former YMCA property. The newly renovated, 99-unit apartment community now includes new finishes in units and common areas as well as a new fitness center. Emerald Creek Capital provided an $8 million bridge loan to SilverBrick Group for the renovations. Terms of the loan were not disclosed.
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. — Cornerstone Realty Capital has arranged a $2.7 million acquisition loan for a 12,980-square-foot retail building in Marlborough. Located in Middlesex County, the property currently houses four tenants with Starbucks as its anchor. Spaces at the property range from 1,500 to 7,466 square feet. Cornerstone delivered a fixed-rate financing structure with a 30-year amortization schedule to the undisclosed borrower. The lender was a local community bank.
STONEHAM, MASS. — CBRE has arranged the sale of Mave Apartments, a 298-unit apartment community in Stoneham. The sales price was undisclosed. The community opened in 2017 and completed construction in 2018. Amenities include a clubhouse, pool, fitness center, outdoor pavilion area and numerous grilling stations. Simon Butler and Biria St. John of CBRE represented the seller, Fairfield Stoneham Limited Partnership, in the transaction. The buyer was Stoneham Mave LLC.
MEDFORD, MASS. — Burgess Properties has arranged the $25 million sale of a 287,570-square-foot industrial facility in Medford. Located at 970 Fellsway, the seven-acre property was the former longtime home of Medford Self Storage. Steve Nohrden of Burgess Properties represented both the buyer, The Davis Cos., and the seller, Fellsway Realty, in the transaction. The Davis Cos. plans to invest capital into the multi-tenanted facility, which dates back to the early 1900s.