ROSLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. — A joint venture between New Jersey-based developer The Hampshire Cos. and Blumenfeld Development Group has begun construction on a 691-unit self-storage facility in Roslyn Heights, located on Long Island. Extra Space Storage will manage the property, the site of which formerly housed a manufacturing plant. The facility, which will be the 44th property developed by Hampshire Cos. for Extra Space Storage in the eastern part of the country, is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2022.
NEW YORK CITY — Chicago-based real estate consulting firm Project Management Advisors Inc. (PMA) has signed a lease for approximately 5,000 square feet in the Empire State Building. The new office — the company’s seventh across the country — will bring together PMA’s existing New York staff and the team from LPE Management Services, which PMA recently acquired. The office is scheduled to before the end of the month.
NEW YORK CITY — WHP Global, the parent company of Toys ‘R’ Us, has entered into an agreement with Macy’s (NYSE: M) to open more than 400 toy stores within the department store chain’s existing locations across the country in 2022. In addition to physical merchandise, the new stores will feature interactive experiences and activation centers to enhance the experience for both children and parents. The Wayne, New Jersey-based toy retailer originally announced its intent to close or sell off all of its 700-plus U.S. stores in 2018. New York City-based WHP Global acquired the controlling stake of TruKids Inc., the former owner of Toys ‘R’ Us, in March with plans to reopen some stores.
NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between Mega Development, operator Lantern Organization and the New York City Department of Housing & Preservation will develop Timbale Terrace, a 330-unit affordable housing community in East Harlem. The centerpiece of the community will be a 16,000-square-foot music and arts center that will be operated by the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance. As part of that partnership, adult residents at Timbale Terrace will have access to music-based vocational training, while children can enjoy arts and music education and afterschool programs. Information about income restrictions and a construction timeline was not disclosed.
NEW YORK CITY — Locally based general contractor Omnibuild has begun the gut renovation of 122 Fifth Avenue, a 300,000-square-foot office building in Manhattan’s Union Square neighborhood. Project partners include developer/owner Bromley Cos. and STUDIOS Architecture. The project will upgrade the existing building’s MEP systems and elevators and install a rooftop pavilion with green space and seating areas. In addition, the development team will add a new 10-story structure along 17th Street.
ATHENS, GA. AND NEW YORK CITY — Athens-based Landmark Properties and New York-based Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust Inc. (BREIT) have formed a joint venture partnership in order to recapitalize and acquire eight student housing properties totaling 5,416 beds across the United States. TSB Capital Advisors acted as financial advisor to both Landmark Properties and BREIT in the $784 million deal. The sellers and the locations of the eight student housing properties were not disclosed. Blackstone completed the transaction because the company was looking to grow its student housing portfolio. Jacob Werner of Blackstone said the eight properties are at leading colleges that have rising enrollments. Landmark Properties is a student housing developer and owner-operator with $7.7 billion of properties under management currently. With this most recent student housing transaction, Landmark’s portfolio includes 79 student housing communities. The firm unveiled plans in July to develop three new student housing projects with a total of 2,544 beds across three states.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A joint venture led by locally based development and investment firm Rose Associates Inc. has received $181.9 million in financing for a multifamily redevelopment project in White Plains, a northern suburb of New York City. Los Angeles-based Pacific Western Bank provided a $134.5 million senior construction loan for the project. New York City-based Square Mile Capital contributed a $47.4 million preferred equity investment to round out the capital stack. The joint venture, the other members of which were not disclosed, will convert a vacant office building located at 440 Hamilton Ave. into a 13-story, 255-unit apartment community that will be known as The Lofts. This building will include 3,400 square feet of retail space. The development team also plans to construct a seven-story, 213-unit multifamily family building on the site from the ground up. The final piece of construction will be a six-story, 575-space parking garage. The development will feature a suite of Class A amenities that includes a pool and a fitness center. Of the development’s 468 total units, 8 percent (approximately 37 residences) will be earmarked as affordable housing. Specific income restrictions for these units were not disclosed. A construction timeline for the groundbreaking …
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Houlihan-Parnes Realtors LLC has arranged a $19.4 million loan for the refinancing of a 602-unit multifamily portfolio in the Binghamton area. The portfolio consists of 13 properties that range in size from eight to 144 units and include both garden-style suburban communities and urban buildings. The nonrecourse loan was structured with a fixed interest rate of 2.98 percent for five years. The undisclosed borrower intends to use a portion of the proceeds to fund capital improvements. Ed Graf and Ted Sannella led the transaction for Houlihan-Parnes.
HICKSVILLE, N.Y. — Simone Development Cos. has sold the 15-acre site of the former Rubber Co. of American Polymer Corp. manufacturing plant in the Long Island community of Hicksville. The facility was originally constructed in 1945 to produce plastics and latex and in subsequent years has been owned by various manufacturers, including Occidental Chemical Corp, Sybron Corp. and Bayer Corp. Paul Leone of CBRE represented the buyer, a fund backed by Brookfield Asset Management, in the transaction. Jim MacDonald negotiated the sale on an internal basis for Simone Development. The new ownership plans to develop a warehouse/distribution center on the site.
NEW YORK CITY — Avison Young has debuted its new space for its New York City office on the third and fourth floors of 530 Fifth Avenue, a 26-story building in Midtown Manhattan. Global architecture firm Vocon designed the new office, and Avison Young’s project management team oversaw construction. The industrial-themed space features an open layout, exposed ceiling piping, a green wall in the reception area and both assigned desks and private offices. RXR Realty owns the building, which was originally constructed in 1957.