ALBANY, N.Y. — Two regions in the state of New York are expected to begin Phase II of the state’s reopening plan this week following improved conditions amid the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, according to a statement issued by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday. The regions in question are Western New York and the Capital Region, which includes the state capital of Albany. Phase II includes the reopening of office-based jobs, real estate construction and services, barbershops, salons and expanded retail services. Five regions in Upstate New York — the Finger Lakes, North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central New York and Southern Tier regions — were permitted to begin Phase II on Friday. New York City is expected to enter Phase 1 on June 8. The requirements to reopen a region include a 14-day decline in hospitalizations and hospitalized deaths, fewer than two new hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, as well as several other requirements related to hospital capacity and testing availability. As of June 1, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 370,000 cases of the COVID-19 in New York and nearly 29,000 deaths.
SOUTH AMBOY, N.J. — Cronheim Mortgage has arranged a $32 acquisition loan for Bayside Cove Apartments, a 127-unit Class A multifamily complex in South Amboy, a southwestern suburb of New York City. The borrower was an undisclosed private investor. A local bank provided the seven-year loan, which carries two years of interest-only payments and a fixed interest rate of 3.3 percent. Located at 100 Celecki Drive, the complex was constructed in 2018 and features one- and two-bedroom floor plans.
NEW YORK CITY — Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has opened a new 15,000-square-foot outpatient medical center at the Hudson Yards mixed-use development in Manhattan. The space is located within 31 Hudson Yards, a 72-story building that also houses the Equinox Hotel and an Equinox fitness club. The facility will be staffed by physicians and surgeons specializing in hand and upper extremity, spine, joint replacement and pain management. Related Cos. is the developer and owner of Hudson Yards.
NEW YORK CITY — Cushman & Wakefield has negotiated a 7,400-square-foot office lease for Australian pension fund AustralianSuper in the Plaza District of Manhattan. AustralianSuper leased the entire 20th floor of 527 Madison Avenue, an approximately 240,000-square-foot office building that was constructed in 1986. Jim Frederick and Gordon Hough of Cushman & Wakefield represented the landlord, Mitsui Fudosan America Inc., in the lease negotiations. Paul Amrich, Neil King and Georgina Cook of CBRE represented AustralianSuper.
NEW YORK CITY — Avison Young has brokered the $4.5 million sale of a four-unit multifamily property in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. Located at 198 Prince St., the 5,000-square-foot property was constructed in 1900 and includes ground-floor space for retail or office uses. Brandon Polakoff of Avison Young represented the seller, a private owner, in the transaction. The buyer was undisclosed.
The impact of COVID-19 has forced retailers, restaurants and service providers in the Northeast to improve their digital channels and adapt social distancing policies to continue serving customers. With retailers struggling to pay rent, landlords could find mutual benefit in reaching a compromise with existing tenants before temporary closures become permanent. Unfortunately, for many small businesses the virus has activated a Darwinian battle of the fittest among retailers with primarily physical channels. Meanwhile, e-commerce giants like Amazon are thriving in market conditions tailored to their already digital-focused business plans. Grocery stores and pharmacies have also found themselves to be arguably the most essential of services during the outbreak, as many have struggled to keep fresh food, toilet paper and other supplies on their shelves. But even after medical professionals and politicians give the “all clear” to reopen the economy completely, it is still unclear when consumers will feel comfortable returning to their favorite stores and restaurants. Northeast Real Estate Business recently caught up with three real estate professionals to gain their insights into how the virus has impacted their local markets. Below are edited responses from Ronald Dickerman, president and founder of Madison International Realty, which provides equity capital to …
CANTON, MASS. — Service Properties Trust (SPT), a Massachusetts-based REIT, has sold a 674,143-square-foot industrial property in Canton, a southern suburb of Boston. The sales price was $51 million. The property is located at 555 Turnpike St. and was constructed in 1962. SPT purchased the property as part of a net-lease portfolio acquisition in September 2019. The buyer was undisclosed.
WORCESTER, MASS. — Chinese biomanufacturing company WuXi Biologics will develop a $60 million office project in Worcester, approximately 45 miles west of Boston. The 107,000-square-foot building will anchor a 46-acre master-planned biomanufacturing campus called The Reactory, a 470,000-square-foot redevelopment of a site formerly occupied by Worcester State Hospital. Worcester Business Development Corp. (WBDC) sold the 7-acre parcel of land to WuXi for $1.5 million. Brian Cohen, Chris McCauley and Colin Coughlin of CBRE represented WuXi Biologics in the transaction. Jim Umphrey and Drew Higgins represented WBDC. WuXi expects the facility to be operable in 2020.
NEW YORK CITY — Naftali Group LLC has acquired a 94,500-square-foot waterfront development site at 470 Kent Ave. in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Certified Lumber formerly leased an existing building on the site, which will be demolished for the redevelopment of a residential or mixed-use project. The property, which overlooks the East River, is located near the Brooklyn Navy Yard mixed-use district and offers convenient access to the East River Ferry terminal and Marcy Avenue train station. Brendan Maddigan and Stephen Palmese of JLL represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction, along with Robert Burton of Cushman & Wakefield. The sales price was undisclosed.
BETHLEHEM, PA. — MillPress Imports, a supplier of extra virgin olive oil, has signed a 10,000-square-foot industrial lease in Bethlehem, an eastern suburb of Allentown. The space is located within 2198 Industrial Drive, a 101,508-square-foot Class B industrial property constructed in 1982. The tenant is headquartered at a nearby building also owned by the same landlord and will use the new space for overflow storage. Other tenants include Cooper Electric, PolyOne Corp. and IDI Distributors.