PHILADELPHIA — California-based Ensemble Real Estate Investments has acquired a trio of life sciences buildings within Philadelphia’s Navy Yard for $83 million. The properties total 366,803 square feet and are occupied by WuXi Advanced Therapies Inc. Ensemble, which has five offices across the country, now owns five life sciences buildings totaling approximately 550,000 square feet within the Navy Yard. The seller(s) was not disclosed.
WAYNE, N.J. — JLL has negotiated the sale of 1 Corporate Drive, an 18,000-square-foot office property located in the Northern New Jersey city of Wayne. The building is situated on 2.7 acres. Frank Recine and Derek DeMartino of JLL represented the seller, USAlliance Financial Federal Credit Union, in the transaction. Philip J. Kreizer & Associates represented the buyer, Retina Center of New Jersey.
QUAKERTOWN, PA. — NAI Summit has arranged the sale of a 7,945-square-foot office building in Quakertown, located in between Philadelphia and Allentown in the Lehigh Valley region. Mike Adams and Mark Magasich of NAI Summit represented the seller, Heather-Jo Inc., in the transaction. Jim Dietrick of Remax represented the buyer, JLKM Property Management.
NEW YORK CITY — SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLG), a locally based developer and Manhattan’s largest office owner, has opened One Vanderbilt. The $3.3 billion office tower is located across the street from Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan. Designed by Kohn Pederson Fox Associates, One Vanderbilt spans 1.7 million square feet. Rising 77 stories and 1,401 feet, it is the tallest commercial building in the Midtown area. CBRE is the leasing agent for One Vanderbilt. SL Green developed the building in partnership with Houston-based Hines and the National Pension Service of Korea, according to the New York Post. The local media outlet also reports that One Vanderbilt is currently 67 percent leased to companies such as TD Securities, Carlyle Group and KPS Capital Partners. SL Green will occupy 70,000 square feet at the building for its new headquarters. Move-ins are scheduled to begin before the end of the year. Asking rents range from $125 to $300 per square foot. SL Green began assembling various tracts on the block between 42nd and 43rd streets and Madison and Vanderbilt avenues for the project more than 20 years ago, the Post reports. As part of the project, SL Green also made …
NEW YORK CITY — Century 21, a New York City-based department store chain with a 60-year operating history, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The retailer will soon begin the process of ceasing operations and will close all 13 of its stores, which are located in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida. The decision follows nonpayment by Century 21’s insurance providers of $175 million due under policies put in place to protect against losses stemming from business interruption such as those experienced as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEW YORK CITY — Locally based developer The Kalikow Group will begin leasing The Sidney, a 68-unit multifamily building located in 2415 Church Ave. in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. Developed in partnership with WRS Associates and The Ishay Group, The Sidney is named after Sidney Kalikow, the patriarch of the family-owned development group. Units are available in studio, one- and two-bedroom formats. Amenities include coworking space, a tenant lounge, game room, rooftop terrace, package room and a fitness center. The project is almost entirely complete, with the first units expected to be available for occupancy in late September or early October.
LOUISVILLE, KY. — Papa John’s International (NASDAQ: PZZA) has signed a store development agreement that will allow the Louisville-based pizza chain to open 49 new stores in the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey areas between 2021 and 2028. Franchisee HB Restaurant Group, which currently owns and operates 43 Papa John’s locations in the mid-Atlantic, will also own and operate the new stores.
BRANFORD, CONN. — Locally based brokerage firm Pearce Commercial Real Estate has arranged the sale of a 26,000-square-foot industrial facility in Branford for $1.4 million. Carl Russell of Pearce Commercial represented the seller, IBE LLC, in the transaction. Michael Richetelli of Colonial Properties represented the buyer, MAMSCO Construction Supply LLC.
LEVITTOWN, PA. — Colliers International has negotiated a 17,000-square-foot industrial lease at 61 Runway Road in Levittown, located in Bucks County. The property was built in 2012 and features 17- to 19-foot clear heights and both tailgate and drive-in loading doors. Jim Scott of Colliers represented the landlord in the lease negotiations. The tenant was HIAB Crane, a provider of hydraulic load handling equipment.
By Christine Beechan, area vice president, Morgan Properties If there’s one certainty about the unusual year that is 2020, it’s that COVID-19 has significantly impacted every industry across the globe. For apartment owners and operators, we’ve entered uncharted territory in terms of changing renter demands, unconventional leasing methods and new operational procedures. Consequently, it’s especially important right now for apartment professionals to understand the complexities of the current state of the market and where it’s heading. As 2021 is fast approaching, here are three key trends we can expect to see in the Philadelphia multifamily market for the remainder of 2020 and into the new year. Demand Remains Stable When the pandemic initially hit, we noticed a decrease in leasing because Pennsylvania was under strict orders to shelter-in-place. Because of this uncertainty, people wanted to see how the pandemic would shake out and ultimately decided to stay put, affecting markets across the nation. However, as those restrictions were lifted and the economy started to stabilize, we noticed people felt more comfortable moving into new units, which is typical during the summer season prior to school commencing. Unlike most cities, both urban and suburban parts of Philadelphia have seen accelerated growth …
