NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — The Community Builders, a nonprofit multifamily developer, has broken ground on Stirlingside Residences, a 53-unit affordable housing project in the Central New Jersey community of New Brunswick. Stirlingside Residences will feature 13 three-bedroom units, 30 two-bedroom residences and 10 one-bedroom apartments, with six units set aside for families and individuals who previously experienced homelessness. The majority (47) of the units are reserved for households earning 60 percent or less of the area median income. Amenities will include a community room, fitness room and onsite laundry facilities. Delivery is scheduled for mid-2025.
BOSTON — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $5.3 million sale of a 20-unit workforce housing building in the Dorchester area of Boston. The four-story building at 820-828 Blue Hill Ave. offers one-, two- and three-bedroom units across 21,410 square feet of space. Information on specific income restrictions was not disclosed. Evan Griffith and Tony Pepdjonovic of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which requested anonymity, in the transaction.
WESTFORD, MASS. — Locally based investment firm Empire Management has purchased a 28,000-square-foot industrial flex building in Acton, a northwestern suburb of Boston, for $5.1 million. The building at 364 Littleton Road, which according to LoopNet Inc. was constructed in 1998, was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Alpha Graphics, National Roofing Co. and ADVG Digital. The seller was Ryan Development. Bernard Gibbons of ABG Commercial Realty brokered the deal.
WESTPORT, CONN. — Locally based brokerage firm Choyce Peterson has negotiated the sale of a 32,000-square-foot industrial building in the southern coastal Connecticut city of Westport. According to LoopNet Inc., the building at 315 Post Road W rises three stories and was constructed in 1978. Scott Peterson and Charlene O’Connell represented the seller, a local family partnership, in the transaction. The buyer was an affiliate of Stamford-based investment firm American Bailey Corp.
With elevated prices on everything from land to debt financing, insurance, building materials and labor, developers face an uphill climb attempting to pencil out multifamily projects at a profit. That’s why in 2024, developers are opting for practical and convenient amenities over luxury and choosing builder-friendly suburban locations over complex urban sites. And with diminishing room to raise rents on market-rate apartments, many investors and developers are shifting their attention to affordable and workforce housing, where incentives offset some expenses and, ideally, help position projects to deliver positive returns. “Market-rate developers in our region are starting to change their model to embrace more of an affordable product,” confirms Chad Riddle, Atlanta branch manager at Bohler. “Unfortunately, that puts them behind the eight ball because they may not know the tricks of the trade and they are competing with affordable housing developers that already know the business and are thriving.” There is no single strategy to pencil out a profitable multifamily project, but developers are achieving success by sticking to proven, cost-effective design elements and amenities, avoiding costly missteps and cutting down unnecessary spending throughout the development process. Drawing on affordable housing specialists and other in-house experts, Bohler helps clients avoid …
NEW YORK CITY — Locally based investment firm Williams Equities has received a $155 million CMBS loan for the refinancing of 28-40 West 23rd Street, a 578,105-square-foot mixed-use property in Manhattan. The two-building complex, which originally housed the Ladies Mile department store, is located between Fifth and Sixth avenues in the Flatiron District. Home Depot serves as the property’s longtime retail anchor tenant and recently signed a renewal. Office tenants include digital credit card company Ramp and Estee Lauder brand Aramis. Citi Real Estate Funding provided the five-year loan, and Williams Equities will use a portion of the proceeds to fund capital improvements.
NEW YORK CITY — Harbor Group International has completed the $128 million renovation of an office building located at 51 W. 52nd Ave. in Midtown Manhattan. The building now features updated lobbies and tenant amenities, including a fitness center, lounges and conference facilities, as well as new elevators and furniture. Vocon and MdeAS Architects served as the project architects. Harbor Group acquired the 38-story, 900,000-square-foot building, which houses the headquarters of CBS, in late 2021. The owner also has its 25,000-square-foot headquarters office on the 19th floor of the building.
WOBURN, MASS. —Mesa West Capital has provided an $81 million loan for the refinancing of Emblem 120, a 289-unit apartment complex in the northern Boston suburb of Woburn. Developed by a joint venture between Toll Brothers and Carlyle Group in 2022, Emblem 120 rises six stories and offers studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Amenities include a central courtyard, work-from-home space, rooftop terrace and lounge, pool with cabanas and a fitness center. The property also includes 9,390 square feet of street-level retail space. David Douvadjian, Timothy O’Donnell and David Douvadjian Jr. of Newmark arranged the debt through an undisclosed direct lender on behalf of the joint venture.
NEW YORK CITY — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $13.2 million sale of a 76-unit apartment building in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. The six-story building at 34-50 28th St. was originally constructed in 1930, according to StreetEasy.com. Units come in studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans. Louis Zarif, Shaun Riney and Sean Fopeano of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which were private investors that requested anonymity, in the transaction.
STAMFORD, CONN. — Berkadia has arranged the sale of an 85-unit seniors housing complex in Stamford, approximately 30 miles northeast of Manhattan. The unnamed facility offers assisted living and memory care services. Mike Garbers, Cody Tremper, Dave Fasano and Ross Sanders of Berkadia represented the seller, a publicly traded REIT. The undisclosed buyer is based in New England.