NEW YORK CITY — Chicago-based real estate consulting firm Project Management Advisors Inc. (PMA) has signed a lease for approximately 5,000 square feet in the Empire State Building. The new office — the company’s seventh across the country — will bring together PMA’s existing New York staff and the team from LPE Management Services, which PMA recently acquired. The office is scheduled to before the end of the month.
EAST GREENWICH, N.J. — CRG, the real estate development and investment arm of Clayco, has sold two speculative industrial facilities located in East Greenwich for $107.7 million. The portfolio includes The Cubes at Huff Lane, a 283,040-square-foot building, and The Cubes at Harmony Road, a 252,750-square-foot building, both located in the East Greenwich Logistics Center about 20 miles southwest of Philadelphia. The buyer was Carson, Calif.-based Watson Land Co. JLL both brokered the sale and the leasing process for both fully occupied facilities. John Plower, Ryan Cottone, Zach Maguire, Paul Torosian, Dean Torosian and Nate Demetsky of JLL represented the seller in the transaction. CRG developed both buildings in a joint venture partnership with Pacific Coast Capital Partners LLC, completing them in September 2020. Lamar Johnson Collaborative designed the facilities, which feature 36-foot clear heights and early suppression fast response fire sprinkler systems. The Cubes at Huff Lane features 43 loading doors, 187 parking spaces and 60 trailer stalls, while The Cubes at Harmony Road — which is leased to a global e-commerce fulfillment company — includes 38 loading doors, 208 parking spaces and 79 trailer stalls. CRG develops its industrial buildings under The Cubes brand, which prioritizes core national markets …
PORTLAND, MAINE — Apple Hospitality REIT Inc. (NYSE: APLE) has acquired the 178-room AC Hotel by Marriott in Portland for $66.8 million, or roughly $375,000 per room. The property, which opened in summer 2018, is located within the city’s historic district near its cruise ship terminals. Amenities include a fitness center and two food and beverage concepts. The seller was not disclosed. Following this acquisition, the Apple Hospitality portfolio now includes 213 hotels with approximately 27,800 guest rooms across 35 states.
WATERTOWN, MASS. — Two locally based firms, The Davis Cos. and Boston Development Group, have broken ground on a 224,000-square-foot life sciences project in the western Boston suburb of Watertown. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, the project marks Phase I of a larger campus that will ultimately include 450,000 square feet of space across two buildings. The first building will offer six private tenant spaces and amenities such as a fitness center, bike storage room and retail/café space. Completion is slated for mid-2023.
MAHWAH, N.J. — CBRE has negotiated the $15.6 million sale of an 84,280-square-foot manufacturing facility in Mahwah, located in the northernmost part of the state. The property was fully leased to Nobel Biocare, a provider of dental implant products, at the time of sale. Jeffrey Dunne, Jeremy Neuer, Steve Bardsley, David Gavin, Travis Langer and Zach McHale of CBRE represented the seller, AVR Realty, in the transaction. The team also procured the buyer, Urbana Partners, an investment firm based in South America.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — JLL has arranged a $13 million loan for the refinancing of Esjay Apartments, a 40-unit multifamily complex in Jersey City. The mid-rise building features one- and two-bedroom units with an average size of 680 square feet. Amenities include a fitness center, two rooftop terraces with grilling stations and a package handling room. Matthew Pizzolato of JLL arranged the 10-year, fixed-rate loan through Nationwide on behalf of the borrower, Point Capital Development LLC.
MAINE — The Knapp-Stahler Seniors Housing Group of Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of an unnamed continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in central Maine. The site of the 121,677-square-foot property spans an entire city block, totaling 3.6 acres. The occupancy rate has consistently been over 90 percent, according to the brokers. The sales price was $10.2 million, but details on the buyer and seller were not disclosed. The lead agent for this transaction was Jim Knapp.
By Phil Ross, CPA, accounting & audit partner, Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP After nearly 15 months of shutdowns and restrictions, New York City has taken a major step forward. Seventy percent of the city’s residents are now vaccinated, and restrictions significantly reduced across the area’s commercial spaces, from offices and retail to dining and hospitality. Mask mandates have been lifted and the hum of the metro area’s business districts is growing loud again. With an expected increase in demand for building upgrades and repositioning services to meet new market needs, as well as new projects across housing, infrastructure and healthcare, the construction sector is poised to see a more robust pipeline. During the pandemic slowdown, construction firms were understandably more focused on the short term. But with the market back on the upswing, now is the time to refocus on long-term goals and strategies. A major part of this is ensuring you have an internal organizational pipeline to continue growth well into the future and maintain your firm’s legacy of success. This is just as important as creating a business development strategy and building up a backlog of projects. Transitioning a construction business for the next generation and beyond …
NEW YORK CITY — WHP Global, the parent company of Toys ‘R’ Us, has entered into an agreement with Macy’s (NYSE: M) to open more than 400 toy stores within the department store chain’s existing locations across the country in 2022. In addition to physical merchandise, the new stores will feature interactive experiences and activation centers to enhance the experience for both children and parents. The Wayne, New Jersey-based toy retailer originally announced its intent to close or sell off all of its 700-plus U.S. stores in 2018. New York City-based WHP Global acquired the controlling stake of TruKids Inc., the former owner of Toys ‘R’ Us, in March with plans to reopen some stores.
PHILADELPHIA — Paramount Realty Services has sold Northeast Town Center, a 500,000-square-foot retail power center located at 4600 Roosevelt Blvd. in northeast Philadelphia. Walmart and Home Depot anchor the property, which was originally built in 1996. Other tenants include Old Navy, Ross Dress for Less, DD’s Discount, PetSmart, Pep Boys and Dollar Tree. Brad Nathanson of Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap, brokered the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed.