New Jersey and New York City employers have been expanding their ranks this year, allowing New Jersey residents to recognize new opportunities as economic growth in both areas continues to pick up steam. In Northern New Jersey, employment growth continues to follow a positive course as companies in New York City are attracted to the region’s lower operating costs and highly educated workforce. This year, companies are on track to add 29,000 employees, representing a year-over-year expansion of 1.4 percent. This will be the largest gain in jobs created since 2000. Job creation has been highest in the leisure and hospitality industry, as well as education and health services sectors, where 12,200 new jobs were created in the first half of the year. Newly employed professionals in search of affordable housing are opting for rentals in Northern New Jersey, where average rents can be half the cost of the greater New York City area. As a result of this growing demand for Northern New Jersey rentals, developers have expanded the pipeline of multifamily projects to more than 12,000 apartments with completions scheduled through 2017. Developers are on track to deliver over 7,900 apartments this year, representing the widest pipeline and …
For Newark, New Jersey, the well-documented trend toward urbanism and the emergence of creative solutions that position older properties to serve modern needs are creating strong momentum. At a time when leasing activity is ticking upward across the city’s diverse tenant base, it also is becoming clear that Newark’s superior data capacity positions the city to become a hub for tech start-ups and, ultimately, a national hub for the tech sector. For Millennials, Old is “In” According to new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, it is estimated that about 53.5 million millennials (adults aged 18 to 34) are part of the U.S. workforce today. Companies run by or interested in attracting millennials — whether focused on technology or any other sector — are gravitating to 24/7 downtown or urban locations. And they are seeking smart, collaborative work spaces. The result? Old is “in” — at least when it comes to tenant preferences for office space. At The Berger Organization, we are stripping antiquated fit-outs and tapping into the popularity of exposed ductwork, open floor plans and loft-inspired architectural elements. The resulting environments speak to modern desires and individual company cultures, while paying homage to their urban …
NEW YORK CITY — Jamestown LP, a national real estate investment and management company, has acquired a 49 percent joint venture stake in ownership of two office properties in Manhattan for an undisclosed sum. Under the new partnership agreement, George Comfort & Sons and Loeb Partners Realty will together retain a majority interest in the assets. The properties include 63 Madison Avenue, a 15-story, 870,000-square-foot office building that is fully occupied by notable tenants such as New York Life and CBS; and 200 Madison Avenue, a 26-story, 750,000-square-foot office building that is 99 percent leased to 20 tenants, including Philips-Van Heusen, Roche BoBois and Greater New York Mutual Insurance. Doug Harmon, Adam Spies, Adam Doneger and Josh King of Eastdil Secured provided financial advice for the transaction.
MIDDLETOWN, CONN. — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap, has arranged the sale of a two-property multifamily portfolio located in the Westlake District of Middletown. The 650-unit portfolio sold for $92.5 million, or $142,000 per unit. The portfolio includes Madison Chestnut Hill, which was built in 1986 and features 314 apartments, and the 336-unit Madison Northwoods, which was also built in 1986. Both properties offer a variety of community amenities, including clubhouses, billiards rooms, libraries, tennis courts, swimming pools and fitness centers. Victor Nolletti, Steve Witten, Still Hunter and Eric Pentore of IPA represented the seller, Chestnut Hill and Northwoods Apartments Associates LLC, and procured the buyer, Gateway Realty Holdings LTD.
PARAMUS, N.J. — NorthMarq Capital has arranged $49.4 million of floating-rate financing for a 244,000-square-foot, four-property retail portfolio on Route 17 in Paramus. The borrower, Advanced Realty, will use the loan proceeds for acquisition of the assets and a funding facility for re-tenanting and redevelopment costs. Three of the buildings are located at 289-317 Route 17 South. The properties are occupied by PGA Tour Superstore and P.C. Richard & Son. Located at 60 Route 17 North, the fourth property is a 75,000-square-foot power center occupied by DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse and PetSmart. Gregory Nalbandian of NorthMarq secured the loan through Natixis Real Estate Capital for the borrower.
PHILADELPHIA — Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) Capital Markets has arranged the sale of the SOKO Lofts development site, located at 1300-1354 N. Second St. in Philadelphia’s South Kensington neighborhood. Canus Corp. sold the property to The Klein Company for an undisclosed sum. Scheduled to begin construction later this year, the fully approved development will feature 320 apartments. Brett Segal, Mike Margolis, Dave Dolan and Jeff Mack of NGKF represented the seller in the transaction.
NEW YORK CITY — Eastern Consolidated has brokered the sale of a mixed-use property located at 86-90 Bushwick Ave., aka 811 Grand St., in Brooklyn’s East Williamsburg neighborhood. The property sold for $9 million, or $445 per square foot. The four-story building features 12 rent-regulated residential units and four retail units. The apartment units are a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Eskor Edem of Eastern Consolidated represented the seller, a longtime owner, while Jonathan Schwartz, also of Eastern Consolidated, represented the buyer, a local investor, in the transaction.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — WinnDevelopment has closed on the financing to acquire and renovate an affordable housing property in Jersey City. The $40.2 million acquisition and rehabilitation project will deliver interior and exterior upgrades to Brunswick Estates, a 131-unit income-restricted community. The townhouse-style property features 14 clusters of buildings with apartments ranging from two to five bedrooms, as well as a central building. The public-private partners in the project include The City of Jersey City, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, Citi Community Capital, The Richman Group Affordable Housing Corp., New Jersey Community Capital, Boston Community Capital and Greater Bergen Community Action Inc. Additionally, New York City-based Dane PCG brokered the deal. WinnDevelopment is the development arm of WinnCompanies.
NEW YORK CITY — Cignature Realty Associates has brokered the sale of a residential building located at 4300 Broadway in Upper Manhattan. Quantum Equities sold the property to Sugar Hill Capital Partners for $21.6 million. Built in 1955, the six-story, elevator-serviced building features 54 residential units and a 6,000-square-foot vacant retail space. The rent-regulated building features a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. Lazer Sternhell and Peter Vanderpool of Cignature Realty Associates represented both parties in the off-market transaction.
HAVERHILL, MASS. — KeyBank Real Estate Capital has provided $17 million in Fannie Mae financing for Pine Brook Place, a garden-style apartment complex in Haverhill. Built in 1971, the property features 240 residential units. Loan proceeds will be used to refinance the property. Dirk Falardeau of Key’s Commercial Mortgage Group arranged the loan for the undisclosed borrower.