MONROE, CONN. — Urstadt Biddle, a publicly traded REIT based in Connecticut, has sold a 10,100-square-foot retail property in Monroe for $3.6 million. The deal closed at a capitalization rate of 6.9 percent. Tenants at the property, which Urstadt Biddle acquired in 2007, include Starbucks Coffee and M&T Bank. The buyer was an undisclosed, locally based investor.
FRAMINGHAM, MASS. — An affiliate of DSF Group, an investment firm with offices in Boston and Washington, D.C., has acquired Jefferson Hills Apartments, a 1,020-unit multifamily community in the western Boston suburb of Framingham. The property is situated on 27 acres and consists of four six-story apartment buildings and a clubhouse. The unit mix comprises 180 studio units, 551 one-bedroom apartments and 289 two-bedroom residences. Unit features include stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, walk-in closets and private balconies. Communal amenities include a pool with a sundeck, fitness center, turf soccer field, basketball and tennis courts, a dog park, internet café, business center, game room and a children’s play area. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
PHILADELPHIA — JLL’s Capital Markets group has arranged an undisclosed amount of permanent financing on behalf of Alliance Partners HSP, which owns the leasehold interest in the SoNo commercial building in Philadelphia. Located at 456 N. Fifth St., the 186,000-square-foot former warehouse property was fully leased at the time of the loan closing to tenants such as Yards Brewing Co. (70,000 square feet), the City of Philadelphia Archives Dept. (68,000 square feet) and Target (48,000 square feet). Tristate Capital Bank provided the loan to Alliance, which acquired the property in 2015 and recently completed its redevelopment in 2017. Chad Orcutt of JLL placed the debt.
BENSALEM, PA. — NAI Mertz has negotiated the sale of a 7,140-square-foot building in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, located northeast of Philadelphia. The property is located along the Bristol Pike and includes office, retail and industrial space. Joe Sternberg, Adam Lashner and Jeffrey Licht of NAI Mertz represented the seller, Medimpex Holdings LLC, in the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed.
NEW YORK CITY — Cushman & Wakefield has brokered the $3.2 million sale of 37-55 61st St., a 6,200-square-foot industrial asset in the Woodside neighborhood of Queens. The building includes office space. Stephen Preuss and Rani Bendary of Cushman & Wakefield handled the transaction on behalf of the buyer and seller, both of which were private investors. The site allows for future expansion of an additional 9,600 square feet.
NEW YORK CITY — ACT Commodities Inc., a commodities brokerage firm, has expanded its office lease at 437 Madison Avenue in Manhattan by 4,805 square feet, raising the size of its footprint at the property to 17,750 square feet. The 40-story, 850,000-square-foot building was recently renovated to the tune of $60 million. Frank Doyle, David Kleiner, Cynthia Wasserberger, Hayley Shoener and Harlan Webster of JLL represented the landlord, The William Kaufman Organization (WKO), in the lease negotiations along with Michael Lenchner of Sage Realty Corp., the leasing and management division of WKO. Craig Lemle of Savills represented the tenant.
Shifting consumer preferences for convenience and variety have become key drivers for brick-and-mortar retail. And when it comes to creating co-tenancies that drive traffic to retail properties, dining, personal services and fitness are among today’s most desirable categories. Fortunately, they also are among the sector’s most active space users in today’s market. Strong restaurant demand among brands new to, and expanding in, the regional market continues unabated, and year-to-date activity reflects a new level of diversity. From national brands to regional chains like café and bakery Dulce De Leche to expanding local mom-and-pop businesses, these tenants are serving as “internet-proof” placemakers for the retail properties they occupy. And many tenants are looking to step up the dining experience with outdoor seating, revolving menus and entertainment, among other offerings that spark return visits. The same holds true for personal services, where boutique concepts have become sought-after shopping center additions. Again, diversity is a common theme, with activity involving traditional salons as well as specialized concepts like Sport Clips, which caters to men and boys, and local businesses that offer makeup services, waxing and other niche beauty treatments. We also are watching with interest the emergence of brands offering coworking space for …
CLIFTON HEIGHTS, PA. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged the sale of a 718-unit self-storage facility in Clifton Heights, a western suburb of Philadelphia. The property comprises 82,116 rentable square feet with 590 climate-controlled units and 128 non-climate-controlled units. Units range from 18 to 320 square feet. Mike Mele, Robert Bloch and Noah Obuchowski of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, an affiliate of Vertical Fields Capital LLC, in the transaction. The buyer and sales price were not disclosed. CubeSmart has been retained as a third-party manager. More than 200,000 people with an average household income in excess of $80,000 live within a three-mile radius of the property.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A partnership between BNE Real Estate Group, Hoboken Brownstone Co. and McKinney Properties has opened The Enclave, a 260-unit multifamily community in Jersey City. Designed by local architecture firm Minno & Wasko, The Enclave features studio, one- and two-bedroom units with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, in-home washers and dryers and private balconies in select units. Amenities include a rooftop terrace with a pool, private grilling areas and an outdoor bar, as well as a dog run and spa, multiple entertainment lounges, a game room, coworking space, fitness center and a children’s play area. Residents can also enjoy certain services, such as concierge, package handling, pet care and bike storage.
WOODLAND PARK, N.J. — Mountain Development Corp. (MDC) will reposition 5 Garret Mountain Plaza, a 101,880-square-foot office building in Woodland Park, located in the northern part of the Garden State. The freestanding property is situated on Interstate 80 and is part of a 30-acre campus. MDC will undertake a full renovation, including upgrades to HVAC systems and the introduction of new amenities like a rooftop deck and surrounding walking trails. Newmark Knight Frank will handle leasing of the property following completion of the project, a timeline for which was not disclosed.