Eastern Pennsylvania’s industrial markets continue to thrive due to low vacancy rates, increased barriers to entry, demand by occupiers and the institutional capital community’s ever-increasing appetite for industrial product. While the specific submarkets have unique nuances associated with the local economic drivers, highway networks, taxation, and labor base, the overall demand by tenants and the capital community alike is driven by elementary economic rules of supply versus demand met by supply chain demand drivers. In a world that is buying a higher percentage of its goods online each and every year, this geography offers the unique ability to reach almost half of the U.S. population within a one-day truck drive and better one-day or two-day delivery service from the two major providers, UPS and FedEx. This thriving market is technically four distinct submarkets inclusive of the Lehigh Valley, Northeastern, Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania. For those less familiar with the nomenclature of this geography, it’s easiest to think of the Lehigh Valley as the general vicinity of Easton through Bethlehem and Allentown and along I-78 past Hamburg. Central Pennsylvania is the region inclusive of Harrisburg, York, Carlisle, Chambersburg, Greencastle and Lancaster. Northeastern Pennsylvania is the combination of the MSAs including Pottsville, …
Pennsylvania
Cronheim Mortgage Secures $117.5M Financing for Madison Farms Mixed-Use Development in Pennsylvania
by Katie Sloan
BETHLEHEM, PA. — Cronheim Mortgage has secured $117.5 million in permanent and construction financing for Madison Farms, a mixed-use development in Bethlehem, located north of Philadelphia and west of New York City. The development, upon completion, will feature 152,000 square feet of retail anchored by a 67,400-square-foot ShopRite; a two-story, Class A medical office building occupied by the Lehigh Valley Health Network; and 570 luxury one- and two-bedroom residential units across 15 buildings. Tenants at the property’s retail center include Starbucks Coffee, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Provident Bank, Pure Barre, Pet Valu and Supercuts. The residential property features a 6,500-square-foot clubhouse with a billiards room, multimedia center, fitness center, golf simulator and business center, as well as an outdoor deck with a pool, barbecues and fire pits. The financing — provided by American General Life Insurance Co. — consists of two separate loans placed on behalf of Madison Farms Retail and Madison Farms Residential with 20-year terms and 30-year amortization schedules. For Madison Farms Retail, Cronheim arranged $32 million in permanent financing. For Madison Farms Residential, the company secured an $85.5 million credit facility with two years of interest-only payments. This loan provides permanent financing for the 294-unit first phase of residential development, …
ALTOONA, PA. — PREIT has sold Logan Valley Mall, a regional mall located in Altoona for $33.2 million. Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Sears anchor the property, which is home to tenants including AMC Theatres, Victoria’s Secret, Old Navy, Maurices, GNC and GameStop. The buyer in the transaction was undisclosed.
DUNCANSVILLE, PA. — CBRE has brokered the sale of Holliday Towne Center, a community shopping center located at 221 Glimcher Drive in Duncansville. RPAI sold the 83,122-square-foot property to Equity Investment Group for an undisclosed price. At the time of sale, the center was 81 percent occupied. Tenants include a 54,322-square-foot Martin’s Food, Dollar Tree, Domino’s Pizza and Holiday Hair. Brad Nathanson, Adam Rosenzweig, Kyle Prawdzik and John Colussi of CBRE represented the seller and identified the buyer in the transaction.
HOLLIDAYSBURG, PA. — Presbyterian Senior Living recently held a dedication for Inglenook at Presbyterian Village, a 41-unit expansion at Presbyterian Village at Hollidaysburg, approximately 90 miles east of Pittsburgh. The new building will add to the property’s existing 31 independent living, 43 assisted living and 67 skilled nursing units. Albarano Construction began work on the property in January 2016.
PHILADELPHIA — Meridian Capital Group has arranged $5.5 million in financing for the refinance of a 31-unit multifamily building in Philadelphia’s Olde Kensington neighborhood on behalf of Rock Construction and Development. The seven-year loan, provided by a local savings bank, features a fixed rate of 3.75 percent and a five-year extension option. Sam Grunberger and Barry Lefkowitz of Meridian negotiated the transaction. The property, located at 1216 North Fifth Street, is a newly constructed four-story building that was leased up within 12 weeks. Each unit features hardwood floors, spacious rooms, a modern kitchen and stainless steel appliances, an in-unit washer and dryer, and a private balcony. Community amenities include a shared rooftop with panoramic views of the city, a fitness room, and a 20-car parking garage.
EASTON, PA. — Duke Realty Corp. has leased its recently delivered 628,475-square-foot bulk warehouse at 33 Logistics Park in Easton to a national third-party logistics company. The building, 1611, was delivered in early July. Dave Saltzman and Brian Knowles with Lee & Associates represented the tenant. Matt Bremner and Cait English with Duke Realty, along with listing agents Bill Wolf and Sean Bleiler, both with CBRE, represented Duke Realty in the transaction. Duke has also begun construction on a 1 million-square-foot spec industrial building in 33 Logistics Park, which is located on the east side of the Lehigh Valley just off Route 33. It is slated for delivery in April 2018. In addition to 36-foot clear height, the cross-dock building will feature LED lights, 120 fully equipped dock doors, four drive-in doors and parking for 245 trailers and 472 automobiles. The building, 1620, will be Duke’s third in 33 Logistics Park. It is located adjacent to building 1611 and a 1.1 million-square-foot, fully leased bulk warehouse that the company delivered in 2016.
TELFORD, PA. — HJ Sims has completed a $32.1 million refinancing of Lutheran Community at Telford (LCT), a continuing care retirement community in Telford, approximately 35 miles north of Philadelphia. The financing enables LCT to reduce interest rates and debt service, extend the duration of the bank credit commitment on its financing, and raise capital to provide $2 million of initial funding for a planned expansion project. Of $35.4 million of total debt, LCT had approximately $19.3 million of outstanding fixed-rate and variable-rate bonds from 2007. With interest rates near historic lows, Sims analyzed refunding this debt along with the potential benefits of refinancing or modifying LCT’s other outstanding bank debt. LCT opted to pursue bank financing for the transaction.
PENNSYLVANIA — Happy Home Communities (HHC), the mobile home park and RV park investment arm of Los Angeles-based Gelt Inc., has acquired a mobile home park portfolio in central and northeast Pennsylvania for $13 million. HHC acquired the three-property 439-space portfolio from Horizon Land Company. Jonathon McClellan of Marcus & Millichap brokered both sides of the transaction. The company plans to bring in affordable manufactured homes to fill approximately 48 empty lots and will upgrade common areas and add amenities, including playgrounds, to the properties over the next 36 months. A. Hunter Property Management, a firm focused on the management of manufactured housing communities throughout Pennsylvania, has been retained to take over management responsibilities for the portfolio, which includes: Birchwood Village Estates, a 209-space, 26.26-acre mobile home park located at 1946 Wyoming Avenue in Exeter. It is currently 82 percent occupied. Timberend Mobile Home Community, a 153-space, 70.6-acre mobile home park located at 528 Ruben Lehrer Road in Muncy just outside of Williamsport. It is currently 85 percent occupied. Wedgewood Mobile Homes Community, a 77-space, 19.16-acre mobile home park located at 23 Minton Drive in Selinsgrove. It is currently 90 percent occupied.
PHILADELPHIA —Morris Iron & Steel Co. has acquired a 58.12-acre industrial waterfront site and a 13-acre site in Philadelphia. The properties are located at 7777 State Road and 7777R State Road. Morris Iron & Steel is a family-owned, fourth-generation company that has operated since 1938. The company serves the scrap metal and recycling needs of the eastern part of Pennsylvania and plans to use 10 acres of the land for barge loading. Chris Pennington of Binswanger represented the buyer in the acquisition. Binswanger has also been hired to lease the additional acreage, which offers barge access.