MERIDEN, CONN. — Capital Funding Group (CFG), a Baltimore-based lender, has provided a $2.8 million bridge-to-HUD loan for the refinancing of Meriden Mill, a 43-unit multifamily property in Meriden, about 20 miles south of Hartford. The owner and borrower, Manhattan Five Realty, will use a portion of the proceeds to fund future renovations. Gary Sever of CFG handled the transaction through HUD’s 223(f) refinance program, which is used to refinance market-rate multifamily properties.
GREENWICH, CONN. — CBRE has arranged the $67 million sale of a retail and office property in Greenwich, located about 30 miles north of New York City. The 62,850-square-foot property is located at 200 Greenwich Ave. on a retail corridor that also includes Tiffany, Gucci and Vineyard Vines. Jeffrey Dunne, David Gavin, Jeremy Neuer and Travis Langer of CBRE represented the landlord, 200 Greenwich Avenue LLC, in the transaction, and procured the buyer, Kensico Properties.
BURLINGTON, N.J. — National Realty & Development Corp. (NRDC) has signed three new retail tenants totaling 58,000 square feet at the Liberty Square Center in Burlington, a city located southwest of Trenton. The shopping center owned by NRDC is anchored by a Walmart, Marshalls and HomeGoods. Planet Fitness will open a 25,000-square-foot location at the property. Ross Dress for Less will move into a 22,000 square-foot portion of a former Toys ‘R’ Us location. Five Below will occupy the remaining 11,000 square feet of the former Toys ‘R’ Us location.
SALEM, MASS. — Bell Partners Inc., a North Carolina-based property investment and management company, has purchased Vinnin Square Apartment Homes, a 148-unit multifamily property in Salem, a city located northeast of Boston. The property, which will be renamed Bell North Shore, comprises two five-story buildings, 16 townhomes and two additional buildings containing six units each. Amenities include a fitness center, walking trails, tennis courts and a pool. The seller and sales price were undisclosed.
NEW YORK CITY — Avison Young has negotiated a 3,200-square-foot retail lease in Manhattan for an affiliate of Associated Supermarkets. The space, which was formerly occupied by a Payless ShoeSource, will be converted into a supermarket and includes an additional 800-square-foot basement. The lease term is 15 years. Todd Korren of Avison Young represented the property landlord, Dynamic Broadway Corp., in the lease negotiations. Maria Fernandez of Avison Young represented the tenant.
NEW YORK CITY — Australian restaurant Ruby’s Café has signed a 1,450-square-foot retail lease in Manhattan. The property is Ruby’s Café’s third location in Manhattan, and the company plans to install a garage-door storefront ahead of its opening in fall 2019. Daniyel Cohen of Winick Realty Group represented Ruby’s Café in the lease negotiations. Benjamin Birnbaum and Andrew Taub of Newmark Knight Frank represented the landlord, HUBBNYC.
Driven by activity in the office sector, commercial real estate in Manhattan is having one of its best years on record. The overwhelming demand for Manhattan office space has led to a surge in office-using employment and an accelerated pace of construction. In addition, the success and appeal of the new Hudson Yards project has breathed new life into the borough’s office market, with developers unable to keep up with the demand. The continued expansion in the technology and coworking sectors is reshaping the market. Companies are willing to pay a premium to snag office space that attracts top-tier, tech-savvy talent. This trend has caused office asking rents to rise to record levels. By The Numbers CBRE data shows that average asking rents for Midtown Manhattan office space reached $88 per square foot in the second quarter of 2019, 9.1 percent higher than the previous year. Class A office space commands even more, surpassing the $100 per square foot mark in desirable submarkets like Hudson Yards, Times Square or the Plaza District. The Midtown vacancy rate decreased 10 basis points to 12.2 percent, the lowest in 18 years, according to CBRE, while the past quarter saw 14.7 million square feet …
EXTON, PA. — Wolfson Group Inc., a Pennsylvania-based developer, has broken ground on Ashbridge, a 420,000-square-foot multifamily property in Exton, about 30 miles west of Philadelphia. The property comprises six buildings with 410 total units, including one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. The newly renovated Ashbridge House mansion, also on the property, will be utilized for amenities including a fitness center, lounge and event space. The architect is Philadelphia-based Bernardon. Bozzuto Group will manage the property, which is slated to open in spring 2020.
BAY SHORE, N.Y. — Eagle Rock Apartments has purchased Fairfield Courtyard at Bay Shore, a 232-unit workforce housing property in Bay Shore, a city located on Long Island. The sale included an arrangement in which Eagle Rock swapped its 80-unit Long Island property, The Preserve, with the seller for ownership of Fairfield Courtyard. Jeffrey Dunne, Gene Pride and Eric Apfel of CBRE represented the seller, an affiliate of Fairfield Properties, in the transaction, and also procured Eagle Rock as the buyer.
LODI, N.J. — CBRE has arranged the $53 million sale of a retail property in Lodi, just west of New York City. The property contains a 132,000-square-foot space that is triple-net leased to Home Depot store through January 2029. Jeffrey Dunne, David Gavin, Jeremy Neuer and Travis Langer of CBRE represented the owner in the transaction. The undisclosed buyer acquired the property via 1031 exchange.