Boston is known for its top-notch universities that spawn world-class technology, pharmaceutical and bio firms, not to mention its leading money management and financial services base. These factors support one of the most vibrant office, residential and retail markets in the nation. Often overlooked, Boston’s industrial market may not be as glamorous as gleaming new office and multifamily projects rising along the waterfront, but its steady performance and strong recovery are impressive nonetheless. Vacancy in Boston’s 117 million-square-foot industrial market declined 1 percent between the second quarter of 2013 and mid-2014, from 13.2 percent to 12.1 percent. A paucity of new construction and deliveries suggests further vacancy declines. Only 41,000 square feet of industrial product has been delivered through midyear, and 76,000 square feet was under construction at that point. Looking ahead slightly, the industrial market is on track to absorb approximately 1.4 million square feet in 2014, with 680,000 square feet of absorption recorded through June. This total would exceed 2011 and 2012 totals but trail 2013’s 1.8 million square feet of net absorption. Boston’s Bread & Butter and E-commerce High land values and competition from markets such as Central and Northern New Jersey, which can serve broader populations …
GROTON, CONN. — CBRE/New England’s Capital Markets team has brokered the sale and arranged financing for The Ledges, a multifamily community located in Groton. The 339-unit asset traded hands for $48.3 million. Built in 2005, the community consists of one single-story leasing center and 14 garden-style apartment buildings offering a mix of 148 one-bedroom units, 155 two-bedroom units and 36 three-bedroom townhomes with an average unit size of 1,022 square feet. Unit amenities include fully equipped kitchens, in-unit washer and dryers and more than eight-foot ceilings throughout. Community amenities include a clubhouse with a resort-style outdoor swimming pool with sundeck, resident lounge with gas fireplace and partial kitchen with built-in bar area, billiards rooms with pool table, business center, conference room, two fitness centers with bathrooms and showers, picnic areas with barbeque grills and a children’s playground, as well as walking trails and a Fit-Trail with 12 exercise stations. Simon Butler, Biria St. John and Mike Stone of CBRE/NE represented the seller, LCOR Groton Apartment LLC, an affiliate of LCOR, and procured the undisclosed buyer. Mike Riccio, Susan Larkin and Anna Pfau of CBRE Debt & Structured Finance team placed $39.21 million in acquisition financing for The Ledges.
NEW YORK CITY — Alpha Realty has brokered the sale of 306 Fifth Avenue, a residential building located in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. The six-story building sold for $8.3 million. Built in 2002, the 16,525-square-foot building features 10 residential apartments and one commercial unit. Additionally, there is a 421(a) tax abatement in effect on the property until 2025. Lev Mavashev of Alpha Realty represented the seller, the original developers, and the buyer, a Manhattan-based investor, in the off-market transaction. The transaction achieved a 19.8x rent roll multiple and a cap rate of 4.8 percent.
PITTSBURGH — Oxford Development Corp. has acquired Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South, located at 164 Fort Couch Road in Pittsburgh’s South Hills area. Situated on 5.4 acres, the 179-room hotel sold for $6.1 million. The hotel features 13 suites, 13 extended-stay suites, an outdoor pool, fitness center, business center and 15,000 square feet of meeting space throughout 10 rooms. HFF marketed the property on behalf of the SageCrest Liquidating Trust, which was represented by its liquidating trustee, Jack Huber, and portfolio director Christopher Brown, both of SOLIC Capital LLC. Denny Meikleham, Mark Popovich and Alan Suzuki of HFF represented the seller in the transaction.
NEW YORK CITY — New York City-based HAP Investments LLC is developing a new project at 284 Wadsworth Ave. in Washington Heights. Known as HAP 4.1, the six-story, 11,000-square-foot development will offer 10 one- and two-bedroom apartments and basement space. The project team will employ Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) wall system for building construction. HAP has selected Design AIDD Architecture to design the project. HAP is currently developing 11 other projects in Upper Manhattan and Chelsea as well as one in Jersey City, N.J.
FORT LEE, N.J. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of an absolute triple-net ground lease at 2035 Lemoine Ave. in Fort Lee. The asset, which features a 6,000-square-foot net-leased property, sold for $990,000. Michael Lombardi and Marco Capozzoli of Marcus & Millichap’s New Jersey office listed the property on behalf of the seller, a private investor. Greg Babaian of Marcus & Millichap’s New Jersey office represented the buyer, a private investor, in the transaction.
NEW YORK CITY — Emerald Creek Capital has provided a $23 million acquisition loan for the purchase of a development site in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Located at 50 Clinton St., the development site is zoned R7A and has approved plans for a seven-story condominium building offering 37 residential units and grade-level retail. The borrower is DHA Capital, a New York City-based development firm.
NEW YORK CITY — The CPEX Industrial sales team has brokered the sale of a warehouse building located at 74 Kent Street in Brooklyn. Leeds United Construction Group LLC purchased the building for $7.5 million or $420 per square foot in an all-cash transaction. Leeds plans to convert the building into a combination of office and retail space. The three-story, 17,845-square-foot property was delivered vacant. Jacob Tzfanya and Christopher Burti of CPEX represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of an apartment building located at 14-20 Park St. in Jersey City’s Bergen-Lafayette section. The asset sold for $3.6 million or $189,000 per unit. The four-story, 19-unit apartment building underwent an extensive renovation in 2009. Steven Matovski and Umar Sheikh of Marcus & Millichap brokered the transaction. The names of the seller and buyer were not disclosed.
NEW YORK CITY — Eastern Consolidated and Cresa New York have arranged the $52.9 million sale of a residential and retail property located at 110-112 Greenwich St. in Lower Manhattan. Built in 1929 and last altered in 1998, the 66,530-square-foot property features 60 free-market apartments, corner retail space and 30,000 square feet of additional development rights. Peter Hauspurg, David Schechtman, Lipa Lieberman, Abie Kassin of Eastern Consolidated, along with Mark Jaccom and Elyse Schindler-Candella of Cresa New York, represented the buyer, Hersel Torkian of the BHT Corp., and the seller, 110 Greenwich Street Associates, in the transaction.