MONTVALE, N.J. — New Jersey-based developer S. Hekemian Group has completed Workplace North Market, a 52,000-square-foot office and retail project in the Northern New Jersey community of Montvale. The four-story building consists of 40,500 square feet of office space and 11,500 square feet of retail space. Law firm Beattie Padovano LLC has preleased 20,000 square feet at Workplace North Market as the anchor tenant.
HAMBURG, PA. — Colliers International has negotiated the sale of a 37,840-square-foot retail center located at 552 State St. in the Lehigh Valley city of Hamburg. Pennsylvania-based grocer Weis Markets anchors the center. Scott Horner and Derek Zerfass of Colliers represented the seller, private investor Linda King, in the transaction. The duo also procured the buyer, Sar & Co.
WEST HARTFORD, CONN. — Blue Back Capital Partners LLC, a joint venture between Greenwich, Conn.-based Charter Realty & Development Corp. and Miami-based Rialto Capital, has acquired Blue Back Square, a 450,000-square-foot mixed-use property in West Hartford. The property was built in 2006 and includes 215,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space, as well as 200,000 square feet of office and medical office space. Retail anchor tenants include Crate & Barrel, Cinepolis Cinemas, West Elm and Barnes & Noble. The seller was Starwood Retail Partners, which purchased the property in 2013. Chris Angelone, Zach Nitsche, Nat Heald, Dave Monahan and Sean O’Neill of JLL represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction.
NEW YORK CITY — Fleet Financial Group has received approval from the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals for Eastern Emerald, a 350,178-square-foot hotel and multifamily project that will be located in the Corona neighborhood of Queens. The 25-story building will span a full city block and rise 372 feet. Distinct uses will include approximately 175,000 square feet of residential space, 149,500 square feet of hotel space and 25,000 square feet of retail space. London-based SASI Studio is designing the project in conjunction with architect of record Fleet Architects PC. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer, and completion is slated for 2024.
BURLINGTON, N.J. — Lee & Associates has negotiated a 486,812-square-foot industrial lease at 1950 River Road in Burlington. The property sits on 43 acres and features a clear height of 36 feet, 86 external loading docks and parking for 264 vehicles and 103 trailers. Tony Rod, Brian Knowles, Patrick Lafferty II and Andrew Landolfi of Lee & Associates represented the landlord, Boston-based TA Realty, in the negotiations for the full-building lease. Scott Mertz of NAI Mertz represented the tenant, LC Logistics Services Inc.
NEW YORK CITY — Emerald Creek Capital has provided a $55 million bridge loan for the historic Tammany Hall building in the Union Square area of Manhattan. The 73,113-square-foot building recently underwent an $85 million capital improvement program. Jeff Seidler of Emerald Creek originated the financing. Egor Petrov of Estreich & Co. served as the financial intermediary on behalf of the borrower, a subsidiary of Reading International Inc., which will use the proceeds to refinance existing debt and fund tenant improvements.
BETHANY BEACH, DEL. — Savills Inc. has brokered the sale of a 100-room Holiday Inn Express hotel in the coastal Delaware town of Bethany Beach. The hotel, which is located two blocks from the beach, is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) family of brands and offers a business center and a 1,400-square-foot conference space. Marc Magazine and Tom Baker of Savills represented the seller, a partnership between two entities doing business as Bethany Boardwalk Group LLC and Bethany Beach Ocean Inn LLC, in the transaction. The buyer was EOS Acquisitions LLC.
By Pierre Debbas, Esq., partner at Romer Debbas LLP While headlines have primarily focused on impacts to small businesses, contrary to popular belief, large retailers and national chains have not been immune to the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurant and hotel chains, movie theaters, gyms and other experiential retailers have shuttered locations across the country. Just this past July, legacy retailer Neiman Marcus closed its Hudson Yards location due to heavy COVID-19 impacts. The big box retailer also faced store closures in other locations, such as Florida and Washington, due to a high loss of revenue. These large, vacant retail spaces have created problems, especially in markets ike Manhattan. While there are some moves in play, such as Home Depot taking over the Bed Bath & Beyond’s midtown location, or Target setting sights on the former 86th Street outpost of Barnes & Noble, the reality of vacant spaces – large and small – is apparent throughout the city’s prime retail hubs. When looking forward, landlords will have to consider subdivisions and repurposing of big box spaces to make leasing viable, potentially making way for smaller-concept retailers and the return of mom-and-pop shops. Essentially, the question remains: What is the true absorption rate …
NEW YORK CITY — St. Francis College, a private Catholic educational institution, will relocate its campus from Brooklyn Heights to The Wheeler, Tishman Speyer’s new building that is situated atop a former Macy’s department store in downtown Brooklyn. Under the terms of the 30-year lease, St. Francis College will occupy 255,091 square feet across the fifth, sixth and seventh floors beginning in September 2022.
BETHANY BEACH, DEL. — Savills Inc. has arranged the sale of the 112-room Bethany Beach Ocean Suites Residence Inn, part of the Marriott family of brands, in coastal Delaware. The oceanfront hotel offers resort-like suites, a full-service spa and five meeting rooms. Marc Magazine and Tom Baker of Savills represented the seller, a partnership by entities doing business as Bethany Boardwalk Group LLC and Bethany Beach Ocean Inn LLC, in the transaction. The buyer was EOS Acquisitions LLC.