WEEHAWKEN, N.J. — Roseland, a subsidiary of Mack-Cali Realty Corp., is developing two dual-branded Marriott hotels at Port Imperial, the company’s $3 billion mixed-use, master-planned waterfront development in Weehawken. Roseland and its partner, XSS Hotels, secured approximately $94 million in financing for a syndicated construction loan led by Fifth Third Bank, with additional syndicated lending institutions, including Santandar and Investors Savings Bank. Featuring a 210-key Renaissance hotel and a 154-key Residence Inn, the project will feature meeting and function space for 450 guests and a 15,000-square-foot deck off the sixth floor sky lobby offering views of Manhattan. The two hotels will be built on top of the 850-space Port Imperial parking garage with 17,000 square feet of ground-level retail space next to the New York Waterway ferry terminal. Expected to create more than 100 permanent full-time jobs, the hotels are slated for completion by the end of 2017.
PLAINSBORO, N.J. — HFF has arranged the sale of The Crest at Princeton Meadows, a 704-unit, garden-style apartment community located at 3217 Ravens Crest Dr. in Plainsboro. A joint venture between Harbor Group International and Azure Partners acquired the property for an undisclosed price. Situated on 40 acres, the property consists of 37 two- and three-story residential buildings housing one- and two-bedroom units averaging 830 square feet each. Community amenities include an outdoor swimming pool with sundeck, barbecue grills, tennis courts, volleyball court, putting green and playground. Jose Cruz, Kevin O’Hearn, Michael Oliver, Steve Simonelli and Andrew Scandalios of HFF represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A joint venture between affiliates of Claremont Properties Inc. and The Hampshire Companies is developing a mixed-use project at the intersection of New Jersey State Highway Route 440 and Stegman Boulevard in Jersey City. The 22-acre urban redevelopment will feature ground-level retail space, including a ShopRite, an LA Fitness, a performing arts center and residential space. The partnership appointed Silbert Realty & Management Co. Inc. as the exclusive marketing and leasing agent for combined Blocks 3 & 2, which will feature approximately 22,000 square feet of ground-level retail, commercial and restaurant space with on-site and metered parking. The first phase (Block 3), which is slated for spring construction, will be a five-story building with 163 apartments and 10,000 square feet of ground-level retail, commercial and restaurant space available for lease. The estimated delivery of the commercial space is April 2017.
CHESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. — HFF has arranged $14 million in refinancing for The Streets of Chester Shopping Center, a lifestyle retail center in Chester Township. The firm worked on behalf of the borrower, CPP Streets of Chester, to place the 10-year fixed-rate loan with Natixis Real Estate Capital Inc. The borrower plans to use the loan proceeds to retire existing debt previously arranged by HFF. Completed in 2006, the 104,682-square-foot property is tenanted by J.Crew, White House/Black Market, Chicos, Talbots, Ann Taylor, J.Jill, Jos. A. Bank, Charming Charlie, Olympia Sports, Country Casuals and Plow and Hearth. Jon Mikula of HFF arranged the financing.
OLD BRIDGE, N.J. — Franchisees David Ezekiel and Abraham Ezekiel are breaking ground on the new $5 million Primrose School of Old Bridge, located on Route 9 near the intersection of Route 9 and Spring Valley Road in Old Bridge, in early November. The 12,300-square-foot school, which will create approximately 50 new jobs, will provide early education and care schools for children ages six weeks to six years old and offer after-school care for children up to age 12. Primrose School of Old Bridge will be the fifth Primrose school in New Jersey.
EAST ORANGE, N.J. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged $43.5 million in financing for a pair of adjacent residential and mixed-use properties located at 141 and 315 South Harrison Street in East Orange, on behalf of Blackstone 360, the properties’ owner. George Gnad, Jessica Ke and Michael Winters of Cushman & Wakefield secured the financing from Amboy Bank. The Capital Services team arranged a $19.5 million-term loan for the 105-unit high-rise residential building located at 141 South Harrison, and an additional $24 million construction loan for a proposed seven-story project of 150 high-end luxury rental residential units above the current 30,000 square feet of ground-level commercial space located at 315 South Harrison.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Margules Properties Inc. has purchased five mixed-use buildings in Jersey City for $8.5 million. The company — which owns and manages more than 1 million square feet of development rights in the city’s Journal Square neighborhood — plans to upgrade the buildings to make them more appealing to new retail tenants and millennials looking for apartments near the PATH train. Two of the buildings form a triangle bound by Montgomery Avenue, Orchard Street and Jordan Avenue, in the McGinley Square section of Jersey City. They include a gut-renovated, five-story walk-up building at 52 Orchard Street, with 12 apartments and three stores, and 685 Montgomery Avenue, a three-story mixed-use building with three stores and five apartments. The other buildings include 70 Tonnele Avenue, a 17-unit apartment building; 142 Monticello Avenue, a corner three-story townhouse building with 2,500 square feet of retail space on the first floor and two units with two bedrooms each on the two upper floors; and 2175 JFKennedy Boulevard, a one-story vacant commercial building.
BAYONNE, N.J. — Castle Lanterra Properties (CLP) has purchased Alexan CityView, a 544-unit apartment community situated on 7.4 acres along the waterfront in Bayonne for $147.5 million from a joint venture between an investment fund and a large property manager. Jones Lang LaSalle arranged the transaction. The new owner will rename the property Harbor Pointe and plans property upgrades, including updates to the clubhouse and an expansion of the gym. The LEED Silver-certified property, which was built in 2010, features a 9,000-square-foot clubhouse, fitness studio, indoor basketball half-court, children’s playroom, a resort-style saltwater pool, and a seven-story parking garage. It was at 91 percent occupancy at the time of sale.
ROCKAWAY, N.J. — Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) has represented owner Lexington Realty Trust in the leasing of its property at 333 Mount Hope Ave. in Rockaway. The three-story, 92,000-square-foot building is now occupied entirely by Atlantic Health System. The 12-year lease was brokered by David Simson, Jamie Drummond and Tim Greiner of NGKF. Bryn Cinque of Colliers International represented the tenant. Atlantic Health System initially leased 64,000 square feet at the property but outgrew the space and chose to expand.
LODI, N.J. — Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP (HFF) has arranged the $12 million sale of Essex Square, a 16,000-square-foot retail strip center located within the Route 17 retail corridor in of Lodi, a suburb of New York City. Chris Munley, Kevin O’Hearn and Jose Cruz of HFF represented the seller, ARC Properties Inc. Capstone Realty Group advised the buyer, Pako Realty Corp., and facilitated a 1031 tax exchange of the center that was acquired in an all-cash transaction. Essex Square is a 100-percent-occupied, regional retail strip center leased to national and regional tenants, including Capital One Bank, 7-Eleven, MedExpress, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, Rita’s, Muscle Maker Grill and Great Clips. The two-building property is located at 184 Essex Street.