BURLINGTON, MASS. — GI Partners, an investment firm with four offices across the country, has acquired a 164,000-square-foot life sciences building in Burlington, a northern suburb of Boston. in GI Partners acquired the asset as part of a life sciences portfolio sale that included a 103,000-square-foot building in Boston’s Seaport District, as well as a 152,000-square-foot building near Raleigh, N.C. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. The new ownership plans to implement a value-add plan.
NANUET, N.Y. — IDB Bank has provided a $19 million loan for the refinancing of a 220,000-square-foot retail property located north of New York City. The property, which formerly housed a Macy’s but is now anchored by home improvement retailer At Home, sits adjacent to Shops at Nanuet, an outdoor lifestyle center owned by Simon Property Group. Chris Kramer, Dustin Stolly and Jordan Roeschlaub of Newmark placed the loan with IDB Bank on behalf of the borrower, a partnership between Metropolitan Realty Associates and New York-based private equity firm Angelo Gordon that acquired the asset in 2018.
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Colliers has negotiated a 16,500-square-foot office lease extension and expansion at Headquarters Plaza in the Northern New Jersey community of Morristown. The tenant, PLT Health Solutions, develops and markets organic ingredients for the food industry and is expanding by 6,500 square feet. Samuel Horowitz, Chris Hovanec and Ray Iodice of Colliers represented PLT Health Solutions, which has been a tenant at Headquarters Plaza for 30 years, in the lease negotiations. Robert Donnelly and Benjamin Brenner of Cushman & Wakefield represented the undisclosed landlord.
By: Jamie Rash, Regional Director, Keystone Development + Investment Talk about a spark. When Spark Therapeutics announced plans at the end of last year to develop a $575 million gene therapy manufacturing plant in Philadelphia, it ignited the city’s evolution into a destination for the largest, most innovative life sciences firms in the world. Over $1 billion in venture capital (VC) investment is pouring into more than 50 Philadelphia life sciences companies that employ some 20,000 people, generating unprecedented demand for lab space. Supply is limited — even with 1 million square feet of lab space in development — and this supply shortage is driving some developers to capitalize on the demand by converting existing building stock. Moving Beyond Meds & Eds Philadelphia is a long-reputed “meds and eds” city, meaning it’s home to anchor institutions of higher learning and world-leading medical facilities that are known for innovation and opportunity. These institutions are major drivers of economic growth throughout the city. Previously, much of the activity in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology occurred in labs in suburban office parks and sprawling corporate campuses. In 2017, the city celebrated two cutting-edge, FDA-approved gene and cell therapies to treat specific types of cancer and …
NEW YORK CITY — A&E Real Estate has acquired Cunningham Heights at Queens Village, an apartment community that consists of 1,056 units across 22 buildings in the borough’s Jamaica neighborhood, for $130 million. Originally built in 1951, the property also includes 623 parking spaces across 25 onsite garages. According to Apartments.com, Cunningham Heights offers studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Jack Bick of Charatan Realty represented A&E Real Estate and the undisclosed seller in the transaction. Signature Bank provided acquisition financing. The property was 99 percent occupied at the time of sale.
PRINCETON, N.J. — JLL has brokered the sale of West Windsor Commons, a two-building, 302,000-square-foot office complex in Princeton. The property was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Bristol Myers Squibb and Merrill Lynch/Bank of America. Amenities include a courtyard, fitness center and a cafeteria. Jose Cruz, Kevin O’Hearn, Michael Oliver, Steve Simonelli, Alexander Alfier, David Stifelman and Jason Benson of JLL represented the seller, a partnership between insurance companies John Hancock Financial and Manulife, in the transaction. The team also procured the undisclosed buyer.
PITTSBURGH — Hodges Ward Elliott (HWE), an Atlanta-based hospitality brokerage firm, has arranged the sale of the 119-room Home2 Suites Pittsburgh McCandless hotel. Built in 2013, Home2 Suites Pittsburgh McCandless offers an indoor pool, fitness center, business center and complimentary breakfast. The property was sold as part of the disposition of a portfolio of three hotels totaling 376 rooms, with the other two assets being located in Portland and Eugene, Ore. Syracuse-based Widewaters Hotels developed and sold the properties to Atlanta-based Peachtree Hotel Group for an undisclosed price.
BOSTON — GI Partners, an investment firm with four offices across the country, has acquired a 103,000-square-foot life sciences building located at 51 Melcher St. in Boston’s Seaport District. The nine-story building was originally constructed in 1915 and renovated in 2013. GI Partners acquired the asset as part of a life sciences portfolio sale that included a 164,000-square-foot building in nearby Burlington, as well as a 152,000-square-foot building near Raleigh, N.C. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
PEABODY, MASS. — Boutique fitness operator Gymja Warrior has signed a 11,345-square-foot retail lease at Route One Marketplace in Peabody, a northeastern suburb of Boston. Other tenants at the fully leased center include Bradford Carpet One, Namco, Crossfit 128 and Mass Bay Hockey Center. Don Mace of locally based brokerage and advisory firm KeyPoint Partners represented the undisclosed landlord in the lease negotiations.
BOSTON — MassDevelopment has issued $53.6 million in tax-exempt bond financing to Washington Pine LLC for the construction of a five-story, 202-unit complex in Boston. Located at 3368 Washington St., the building will house 140 units of supportive housing for individuals transitioning out of homelessness, and the remaining 62 units will be affordable apartments. All residential units will be managed by The Community Builders Inc., while long-term support for all formerly homeless residents will be provided by homeless services provider Pine Street Inn. The project will feature 24/7 front desk security, spaces for resident gatherings, fitness rooms, laundry rooms, a parking garage, two plazas and bike repair and storage. Construction is slated for completion by late 2023. Barings LLC was the corporate bond purchaser.