ATLANTA AND NEW YORK CITY — Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust Inc. (BREIT) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Preferred Apartment Communities Inc. (PAC) for approximately $5.8 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, BREIT will acquire all outstanding shares of PAC’s common stock for $25 per share in an all-cash transaction. PAC’s portfolio includes 44 multifamily communities totaling approximately 12,000 units concentrated largely in Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Charlotte and Nashville, as well as 54 grocery-anchored retail assets comprising roughly 6 million square feet in Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville and Raleigh. BREIT will also acquire PAC’s two Sun Belt office properties and 10 mezzanine/preferred equity investments collateralized by new or under-construction multifamily assets. “Investing using BREIT’s perpetual capital will enable us to be long-term owners of these vibrant communities,” says Jacob Werner, co-head of Americas acquisitions for BREIT. “The company’s grocery-anchored retail portfolio performance has also been strong and resilient, and we believe these types of necessity-oriented assets located in areas with growing populations are well positioned for continued growth.” Joel Murphy, PAC’s chairman and CEO, says the transaction is an excellent outcome for shareholders and the culmination of efforts over the past few years to simplify and …
New York
NEW YORK CITY — New York City-based investment management firm Clarion Partners has provided a $415 million mezzanine loan for the refinancing of a national portfolio of 110 industrial buildings totaling 15.7 million square feet. The portfolio consists of properties in 15 markets, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, Baltimore and Atlanta. At the time of the loan closing, the portfolio was approximately 93 percent leased to a roster of 300-plus tenants. The borrower was Blackstone.
NEW YORK CITY — JLL has arranged a $49 million loan for the acquisition of a two-acre industrial development site in Brooklyn. The borrower, a partnership between Turnbridge Equities and Dune Real Estate Partners LP, plans to develop an 80,000-square-foot facility at the site using a portion of the proceeds from this loan. The project will also include 92,000 square feet of covered and rooftop parking space. Christopher Peck and Peter Rotchford of JLL arranged the loan through Starwood Property Trust.
UTICA, N.Y. — CBRE and Newmark have brokered the sale of Deerfield Place, a 156-unit apartment complex located in the upstate New York community of Utica. The property was built in 2016 and offers amenities such as a pool, resident lounge, fitness center, conference room and a dog park. Jeff Dunne and Eric Apfel of CBRE, in conjunction with Gene Pride and Jamie Thelwell of Newmark, represented the seller, New York-based United Group of Cos., in the transaction. The quartet also procured the buyer, an undisclosed, publicly traded REIT.
NEW YORK CITY — Bentex Group, a consortium of companies that provides electronics, pet supplies and home décor products, has signed a 48,881-square-foot office lease at 34 W. 33rd St. in Manhattan. The 12-story building was originally constructed in 1908. David Levy and Brett Maslin of Adams & Co. represented the landlord, Arcade Building Associates, in the lease negotiations. Michael Beyda of Benchmark Properties represented the tenant.
NEW YORK CITY — Locally based direct lender Ready Capital has closed a $16.5 million loan for the acquisition, renovation and stabilization of an 81-unit multifamily property in the Murray Hill submarket of New York City. The nonrecourse, interest-only loan carried a 36-month term, floating interest rate and two extension options. Upon acquisition, the undisclosed sponsor will execute a sale-leaseback of the ground and implement a capital improvement plan to renovate units and upgrade common areas.
YAPHANK, N.Y. — Chelsea Senior Living has completed an assisted living and memory care expansion project at The Chelsea at Brookhaven, located in the Long Island hamlet of Yaphank. The number of units was not disclosed. While the community’s independent living portion has been open for the past two years, the assisted living and memory care building next door recently received licensing approval from the state.
NEW YORK CITY— Hobby Lobby will open a 42,768-square-foot store within a former Babies ‘R’ Us store at The Crossing, a strip center that is part of Staten Island Mall. The store, which is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2023, will be the Oklahoma-based retailer’s first in New York City. Brian Katz and Daniel DePasquale of Katz & Associates, along with Graeme Keith of The Keith Corp., represented Hobby Lobby in its site selection and lease negotiations. Alex Varon represented the landlord, Brookfield Properties, on an internal basis.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Harrison Street has acquired a majority ownership interest in APEX, a student housing community located across the street from the Rochester Institute of Technology in upstate New York. The seller, Michaels, has retained a 2 percent ownership in the property and will continue to oversee operations. The community offers one-, two-, four- and five-bedroom units. Shared amenities include an e-sports arena, outdoor fire pits, a virtual reality studio, electric car charging stations, dual hot tubs, ingenuity labs and a pet spa.
NEW YORK CITY — Locally based developer The Moinian Group has broken ground on The Hudson Arts Building, a 200,000-square-foot speculative office project in Manhattan. The project was originally announced in February 2020, but construction was delayed, making it Manhattan’s first office building to be developed on a speculative basis since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Designed by Studios Architecture, the 10-story building will be located across the street from the Hudson River in the Chelsea neighborhood. The building will offer a lounge area, fitness center, dog park, dedicated bicycle room and shower area and 15,250 square feet of outdoor amenity space, including a 12,400-square-foot rooftop terrace. The development team expects the first tenants to be able to take occupancy by early 2024. JLL will market the property for lease.