The Boston office market continues to see established out-of-market tech users from a diverse group of industries take large blocks of space. In the Seaport District, Aptiv, a division of the car technology company Delphi Technologies, took 93,000 sq. ft. at 100 Northern Avenue. In the central business district, Spotify, a digital music service company, opened its first Boston location and leased 73,000 sq. ft. at Center Plaza. Verizon’s Oath, the digital publishing arm of the company, inked a 440,000 sq. ft. lease at North Station’s The Hub. And Bose, a consumer electronic products company, recently took the remaining available space at Boston Landing, bringing its leasing total to 145,000 sq. ft. at the project. The diversity of this new crop of tech entrants into the market solidifies the strength of Boston’s growing technology cluster. Innovators aplenty In a city once dominated by financial service and insurance firms, Boston is now home to a world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem. This is important as established companies across industries race to innovate in the digital age. The juxtaposition of Fortune 500 companies such as Optum and Amazon next door to newly funded and rapidly expanding home-grown startups such as Draft Kings and Toast makes …
LOWELL, MASS. — CBRE/New England has arranged the sale of Cabot Crossing, a 252-unit garden-style multifamily community in Lowell, for an undisclosed price. The property was built between 1987 and 1988 and comprises seven three-story buildings as well as a clubhouse and management office. The unit mix includes 28 studio, 131 one-bedroom and 56 two-bedroom apartments. Simon Butler and Biria St. John of CBRE/New England represented the seller, a joint venture between Taurus Investment Holdings and PhilMor Real Estate Investments, in the transaction. The buyer was Cabot Crossing Apartments Property Owner LLC, an affiliate of JRK Property Holdings.
CONCORD, MASS. — Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors has arranged the sale of a skilled nursing facility in Concord, a northwestern suburb of Boston. The facility was out of operation, after management challenges and a growing list of deferred capital expenditures forced its closing. The undisclosed seller sold the property to a substance abuse rehabilitation provider, which will renovate the property to serve that function. The price was not disclosed. Steve Thomes led the transaction for Blueprint.
BRAINTREE, MASS. — Cornerstone Realty Capital has arranged a $14.3 million loan to refinance a 72-unit apartment complex in Braintree. The property consists of six buildings, each with in-unit laundry and a private balcony or patio. The borrower, True North Capital Partners, plans to update the property with full bathroom, kitchen and electrical upgrades. Community updates will include a grilling station, sports court and playground. Cornerstone secured a full-term fixed-rate financing structure through an undisclosed lender with 36 months of interest-only payments followed by 30-year amortization schedule.
EASTHAM, MASS. — Penrose has broken ground on Village at Nauset Green in Eastham. The $23 million project will consist of 65 affordable and workforce housing units spread across more than 11 acres. The property will accommodate individuals and families with a range of incomes, including 11 units serving households earning up to 30 percent of the area median income (AMI) and 39 units serving households earning up to 60 percent of AMI. The remaining units will be Workforce units for families set at rents equal to 90 percent of AMI. Pennrose Management Co. will provide on-site management and maintenance, as well as supportive services geared toward both senior and family populations. Amenities include a community room, community garden and a pocket park at the front of the site to be used by all residents of Eastham and users of the nearby Cape Cod Rail Trail. Funding for the project included $10 million over 10 years in federal low-income housing tax credits and $4.375 million in state tax credits over five years from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. A $10.2 million construction loan was provided by Bank of America and a $4.4 million permanent first mortgage …
BOSTON — AWH Partners has acquired a three-property Holiday Inn portfolio in Boston. The properties include the Holiday Inn & Suites Boston – Peabody, Holiday Inn & Suites Marlborough and the Holiday Inn Boston-Dedham Hotel and Conference Center. The sales price was not disclosed. Spire Hospitality, AWH’s hospitality management company, will manage the properties. The hotels have a combined 555 guest rooms as well as 8,000 square feet of event and meeting space.
The Greater Boston industrial market is busier than ever. Supply for quality warehouse and flex space is limited and the demand is at an unprecedented high. As a result, we have seen rents soar, achieving upwards of $7 to $7.50 Triple Net rent along I-495, and $9 to $11 Triple Net rent along Route 128, notable increases from just a few years ago. To coin a well-known quote from the 1989 film Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come,” and both investors and tenants continue flocking to the industrial real estate market in the Commonwealth, in some cases making their first appearance in Massachusetts, or in others looking to expand their presence here. Along with the usual suspects, we are seeing plenty of non-traditional industrial buyer groups as well as users who are now seeing the value in the region and asset class. While developers have experienced tremendous success to date with speculative builds, there are undoubtedly some potential risks on the horizon. Tenants are looking for clear heights exceeding 30 feet with as many loading docks as possible, a first-class inventory type that is far from common or plentiful in our marketplace. To accommodate changing tenant …
CLINTON, MASS. — Cornerstone Realty Capital has arranged a $1.9 million loan to refinance a mixed-use property in Clinton. The property consists of 16 apartments and two commercial spaces. The commercial spaces average approximately 2,300 square feet and include wood flooring and brick exterior. Patrick Brady of Cornerstone secured a fixed-rate loan with a 30-year amortization schedule for the undisclosed borrower through a correspondent lender.
BOSTON — A joint venture between Allianz Real Estate, Beacon Capital Partners and the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management (PRIM) Board has acquired 53 State Street, a 1.2 million-square-foot office property in Boston’s Financial District. The sales price was $845 million. The Class A property, known locally as Exchange Place, comprises the historic Boston Stock Exchange building that was completed in 1891 and a 40-story office tower that was built in 1985. The building also features ground-floor retail space. The seller of 53 State Street, which was 93 percent leased at the time of sale, was not disclosed. The property features a seven-story, glass-enclosed atrium and an outdoor arcade with seating areas along Congress Street. Amenities include a rooftop deck, fitness center and conferencing facilities. “Allianz recognizes this acquisition is a unique opportunity to expand into Boston and to continue to diversify our investors’ portfolio,” says Christoph Donner, CEO of Allianz Real Estate. “Our real estate portfolio includes some of the top office buildings in the U.S., and this investment is consistent with our overall strategy to generate strong returns from Class A properties,” adds Michael Trotsky, executive director and chief investment officer of Mass PRIM. Allianz Real Estate is …
BELLINGHAM, MASS. — CBRE/New England has negotiated the $25 million sale of a 210,700-square-foot distribution facility in Bellingham. Located at 190 Mechanic St., the property was built in 2006 and features 32-foot clear heights, T5 motion-sensor lighting and ESFR sprinkler systems. The building is fully leased to three tenants. Chris Skeffington, John Lashar and Roy Sandeman of CBRE/New England represented the seller, Guggenheim Real Estate. The buyer was TH Real Estate.