NORTHVALE, N.J. — CBRE has brokered the $17.9 million sale of an industrial property in Northvale, a northern suburb of New York City. Built in 1970, the 207,000-square-foot property features 18-foot ceiling heights, 20 loading docks and 17,178 square feet of office space. Elli Klapper and Charles Berger of CBRE represented the buyer, Treetop Development, in the transaction. Kevin Dudley, Geoffrey Schubert and Justin Passaretti, also with CBRE, represented the seller, Vale 521 LLC.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — Nauset Construction has completed Ten Essex, a 46-unit multifamily and retail property in Cambridge. Developed by 3MJ Realty LLC, the building offers three studios, 10 one-bedroom units, 19 two-bedroom units and 14 three-bedroom units. Five of the apartments have been designated as affordable housing. Additionally, the property houses 3,000 square feet of retail space and a parking garage. Golden Architects of Quincy, Perkins Eastman and Mark Boyes-Watson Architects collaboratively designed the project.
BEIJING — China-based Anbang Insurance Group Co. has agreed to sell a luxury U.S. hotel portfolio for more than $5.8 billion, according to several media outlets. Mirae Asset Global Investments, part of a South Korean financial services company, has agreed to acquire the 15 properties. The portfolio includes high-end hotels such as Essex House in Manhattan, Westin St. Francis in San Francisco and InterContinental hotels in Chicago and Miami. Anbang acquired the hotels in 2016 by purchasing then-owner Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. from Blackstone Group for approximately $6.5 billion. Anbang was making major waves that year, during which it also severely complicated Marriott International’s attempt to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Anbang started a bidding war that increased the final offer by nearly $2 billion before Anbang backed out. At the time, Chinese insurers and other investors were scooping up U.S. real estate, taking advantage of new rules enabling them to invest more easily abroad, according to the Wall Street Journal. That era ended when Chinese authorities seized control of Anbang and later sentenced Chairman Wu Xiaohui to 18 years in prison. He was convicted by a Chinese court for orchestrating a $12 billion fraud. In readying the …
Robust employment and population growth are fueling Philadelphia’s renaissance and propelling the region’s office sector to new heights. The lack of new office construction over the past decade has driven rents to record levels and is creating value-add acquisition opportunities throughout the region. With a tight labor market and talent acquisition at a premium, companies want to lease state-of-the-art workspaces that attract future employees. Key features of these spaces include access to public transit and surrounding retail and restaurant options. Limited availabilities within this product type are driving rents for quality space, as well as the development pipeline for new office buildings. However, after years of little construction, several proposed office buildings in both downtown and the suburbs are close to breaking ground and creating the next crop of new office inventory for the region. Record Rents In the second quarter of 2019, average asking rents for office properties in downtown Philadelphia hit a record $31.33 per square foot, a 20 percent increase over the past five years. This growth has been driven by out-of-town investors acquiring buildings and raising rents, as well as by growing demand for downtown office space, both from new in-bound demand and organic growth from …
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — Bulfinch Cos. has negotiated three medical office leases totaling 134,816 square feet in Building 400-500 at the Cambridge Discovery Park (CDP) life sciences development in Cambridge. Arbor Biotechnologies, a genetic research firm, leased 36,171 square feet on the fifth floor. Kintai Therapeutics signed a deal for 72,296 square feet on the third and fourth floors. Simcere Innovation Inc., a medical research and development firm, has inked a lease for 26,349 square feet on the second floor. The three leases bring the building’s occupancy to 88 percent. The full CDP center offers 400,000 square feet of office and lab space across three buildings, which are still under development.
MASS. and N.H. — Novaya Real Estate Ventures has acquired a nine-property industrial portfolio totaling 700,000 square feet, in Billerica and Wilmington, Massachusetts, as well as Londonderry, New Hampshire. The properties feature 18- to 20-foot clear heights and can accommodate warehouse, manufacturing and research uses. Torin Taylor, Matt Adams, Rory Walsh, Rich Ruggiero and Ross Gaudet of Newmark Knight Frank represented Novaya in the transaction. Wakefield Investments was the seller.
BENSALEM, PA. — JLL has arranged the sale of Bensalem Square, a 70,378-square-foot retail center in Bensalem, a northeastern suburb of Philadelphia. Redner’s Markets grocery store anchors the property. The center also houses tenants in the restaurant, service and medical sectors. Chris Munley, James Galbally and Colin Behr of JLL represented the seller, Brixmor Property Group, in the transaction. LS Property Investment was the buyer.
NEW YORK CITY — The U.S. Census Bureau has signed a 10,000-square-foot office lease at the Mink Building in West Harlem. Janus is currently redeveloping the asset and several adjacent properties as part of its 1.1 million-square-foot Manhattanville Factory District mixed-use project. The Mink Building and two other buildings in the project are complete, and Janus is currently constructing the Taystee Lab Building, which is slated for completion by the end of 2020.
BOSTON — Cornerstone Realty Capital has arranged a $8.5 million construction loan for the Residences at Hyde Park Station, a 24-unit multifamily property in Boston. The property will consist of 24 two-bedroom units, one 300-square-foot commercial space, a common area roof deck and a parking garage. The permanent financing carries a fixed interest rate, an 85 percent loan-to-cost structure, a seven-year term and a 30-year amortization schedule. The lender and construction schedule were undisclosed.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — HCP Inc. (NYSE: HCP), a healthcare and seniors housing REIT, has agreed to acquire a 224,000-square-foot life sciences building in the Cambridge submarket of Boston for $332.5 million. The Davis Cos. and Invesco Real Estate are selling the LEED Gold-certified property, which is located at 35 CambridgePark Drive. Known as Alewife Research Center, 35 CambridgePark Drive is fully leased to five life sciences firms. The leases have a weighted average term exceeding 10 years. The recently delivered property offers more than 10,000 square feet of amenity space, including a lobby with dedicated collaboration spaces, a full-service restaurant, fitness center, lockers, bike storage and green space with outdoor seating. The transit-oriented property is located two miles from Harvard University and directly across the street from the MBTA Alewife Red Line station and bus terminal. “With the acquisition, we’re pleased to report that in less than two years we have expanded our presence in the Boston life science market to more than 1.3 million square feet and at a very compelling blended yield,” says Scott Brinker, executive vice president and chief investment officer of HCP. HCP expects to close the acquisition in December. The REIT also recently purchased the …