LOWELL, MASS. — Regional brokerage firm Northeast Private Client Group (NEPCG) has negotiated the $12.8 million sale of Willard Street Apartments, a 72-unit multifamily complex in Lowell, a northern suburb of Boston. The three-building property houses three studios, 24 one-bedroom units and 45 two-bedroom apartments. Francis Saenz, Drew Kirkland, Jim Casey, Brad Carlson and Brett Curtis represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which requested anonymity, in the transaction. The new ownership plans to implement a value-add program.
Massachusetts
EVERETT, MASS. — A partnership between two locally based developers, RISE and btcRE, will build a 46-unit multifamily project at 52 School St. in Everett, a northern suburb of Boston. The four-story building will feature a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units, and seven residences will be reserved for renters earning 80 percent or less of the area median income. Needham Bank provided financing for the construction of the project, which is scheduled to begin in the third quarter.
SOMERVILLE, MASS. — The Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) has broken ground on Phase I of Clarendon Hill, a multifamily redevelopment project in the northern Boston suburb of Somerville that will add 168 affordable housing units to the local supply. The entire development, which is located on Powder House Boulevard, will ultimately consist of 591 units. Phase I will feature 41 one-bedroom apartments, 121 two-bedroom residences and six three-bedroom units that will be reserved for residents earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income. Bank of America provided construction financing for the project, which is being developed in partnership with the Somerville Community Corp. and the Somerville Housing Authority. Phase I is slated for a fall 2024 completion. Clarendon Hill was originally built in 1948 as a residence for veterans returning from WWII. MassHousing also provided financing to fund renovations and preserve the property’s affordability status.
DEDHAM, MASS. — JLL has arranged a $190 million loan for the refinancing of Legacy Place, a 675,000-square-foot shopping center in Dedham, a southwestern suburb of Boston. Whole Foods Market, The Apple Store, L.L. Bean and Showcase Cinemas anchor the center, which was built in phases between 2008 and 2009 and renovated between 2020 and 2022. Other tenants include Nike, Athleta, Industrious, Shake Shack, Lululemon, Sephora, Sweetgreen and Yard House. The property sits on a 37-acre site at the corner of I-95 and U.S. Route 1 within a trade area that totals more than 1.3 million people. A syndicate of lenders consisting of Wells Fargo and Truist provided the financing to the borrower, a partnership between Boston-based WS Development and Nuveen Real Estate. Brett Paulsrud, Henry Schaffer, Hugh Doherty, Chris Angelone and Zach Nitsche of JLL arranged the debt. Specific loan terms were not disclosed. According to the capital markets team that worked on the deal, Whole Foods is the most highly trafficked store in Massachusetts for the Austin-based grocer, and Legacy Place as a whole is the most visited lifestyle center in New England. “This transaction further proves that in spite of macroeconomic headwinds, large-format retail properties in premier …
EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS. — New York City-based ShopOne Centers REIT Inc. has acquired Heritage Park Plaza, a 117,337-square-foot retail property in East Longmeadow, located in Hampden County in western Massachusetts. Grocer Stop & Shop anchors the property, which was 98 percent leased at the time of sale. Other tenants at Heritage Park Plaza include Petco, orangetheory Fitness, Panera Bread, Dollar Tree, Pure Barre, 99 Restaurant & Pub and H & R Block. ShopOne Centers acquired the asset in a joint venture with Pantheon Group and an undisclosed institutional investor. The seller was also not disclosed.
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, MASS. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $7 million sale of a 48,000-square-foot industrial property in North Attleborough, located outside of Providence in the southern part of the Bay State. The property was built on seven acres in 2006 and features clear heights of 19 to 21 feet, 16 drive-in doors and 68 car parking spots. At the time of sale, the property was leased to tenants such as Tri-Alpha Gymnastics, Fastenal Co., Autopart International and Red Herring Motion Picture Lighting Inc. Harrison Klein and James Manning of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which were private investors that requested anonymity, in the transaction.
BURLINGTON, MASS. — Newmark has arranged a 7,397-square-foot office and life sciences lease in Burlington, a northwestern suburb of Boston. The tenant, medical imaging services provider UII America Inc., has committed to leasing space at Blue Sky Center, a 158-acre campus. Matt Malatesta, Tyler McGrail, Michael Frisoli and Margaret Fee of Newmark represented the owner, Nordblom Co., in the lease negotiations. Malatesta and Dave Townsend, also with Newmark, represented the tenant. Amenities at Blue Sky Center include a fitness center, café, basketball court, gaming area and a golf simulator.
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. — Pharmaceutical giant Moderna Inc. has acquired a newly constructed biomanufacturing facility totaling 140,000 square feet in the Boston suburb of Marlborough for $91 million. Oxford Properties Group sold the speculative property, which is located at 149 Hayes Memorial Drive. Oxford originally acquired the vacant, 24-acre site in 2021 and developed it into a two-story, purpose-built biomanufacturing facility. The development features a clear height of 36 feet, four loading docks and multiple freight elevators. The facility is scheduled to open in late 2024 after undergoing substantial build-out for Moderna, which plans to generate more than 200 new jobs in Marlborough by 2026. “While initially developed with a plan to lease the asset and hold for the long term, Moderna’s unsolicited offer to acquire the property allowed us to expedite our business plan execution,” says Chad Remis, Oxford’s North America executive vice president. Oxford’s biomanufacturing portfolio in North America totals 1.4 million square feet with an additional development pipeline of roughly 600,000 square feet. Its largest concentration of facilities is in the Boston region. The Boston metro area ended 2022 with $6.7 billion in life sciences venture capital funding, according to Oxford. “Boston continues to be an unparalleled market …
BOSTON — Simmons University has opened an 80,000-square-foot science center and renovated library as part of the second phase of the One Simmons project at its Boston campus. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, the science center houses over 22,000 square feet of lab space, including a new 30-bed nursing and health science simulation center. The reimagined library features 14,000 square feet of new study and collaborative learning space. Developed in partnership with Skanska International, One Simmons is a three-phase project that includes a residential redevelopment component.
BURLINGTON, MASS. — Newmark has arranged a 47,578-square-foot office and life sciences lease in Burlington, a northwestern suburb of Boston. The tenant, metals processor Nth Cycle Inc., has committed to leasing space at Blue Sky Center, a 158-acre campus. Matt Malatesta, Tyler McGrail, Michael Frisoli and Margaret Fee of Newmark represented the owner, Nordblom Co., in the lease negotiations. Nick Amarante and Mekae Hyde of Hughes Marino represented the tenant. Amenities at Blue Sky Center include a fitness center, café, basketball court, gaming area and a golf simulator.