HAZLETON, PA. — Kansas City-based NorthPoint Development will build a 1 million-square-foot industrial project in Hazleton, located roughly midway between Allentown and Scranton in Luzerne County. The building will feature a clear height of 40 feet, 100 docks, four drive-in doors and parking for 839 cars and 360 trailers. The design team includes studioNorth Architecture and designBLD. Peak Construction Corp. is the general contractor. Completion is slated for the first quarter of 2025.
PHILADELPHIA — Greystone has provided a $20 million Freddie Mac loan for the refinancing of Ray Philly, a 110-unit apartment building in the city’s South Kensington area. The newly constructed building houses studio, one- and two-bedroom units and amenities such as a fitness center, rooftop garden and a coworking lounge with a kitchen. Steven Vainer of Greystone originated the loan, which carries a five-year term, fixed interest rate and a 30-year amortization schedule. The borrower is a partnership between Ray, a family office that specializes in multifamily development, and Six Acre Capital.
PHILADELPHIA AND LANCASTER, PA. — Fulton Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: FULT), a regional lender based in Lancaster, has acquired Philadelphia-based Republic First Bank via an auction overseen by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC). On Friday, April 26, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking & Securities seized control of Republic First, closing the bank and appointing the FDIC as receivers. The transfer of ownership of “substantially all” of Republic First’s assets and deposits to Fulton Financial represents a move to protect customer funds, according to the FDIC. Some of the driving forces behind the collapse of Republic First appear to mirror those of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, two regional lenders that went under in March 2023. Those factors include losses on bond holdings that had diminished in value amid rising interest rates, as well as exposure to high-risk loans that are collateralized by commercial and office properties, many of which have struggled to recoup occupancy and cash flows post-pandemic. Relatively speaking, however, Republic First is a much smaller player than Silicon Valley and Signature. At the time of its collapse in late March 2023, Silicon Valley Bank had approximately $110 billion in assets, $56 billion in consumer and business deposits …
PHILADELPHIA — Los Angeles-based Thorofare Capital has provided a $13 million loan for the refinancing of a portfolio of five industrial buildings totaling 118,509 square feet in Philadelphia. Four of the buildings are contiguous, and the fifth is located less than a mile down the street. David Perlman, Edward Prosser, Henry Johnson and Chris DeLuca of Thorofare Capital originated the loan on behalf of the borrower, New York City-based investment firm Thor Equities Group.
ASTON, PA. — Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners has provided $6.2 million in equity for a 100,000-square-foot industrial project that will be located at 48 Chichester Ave. in Aston, a western suburb of Philadelphia. According to LoopNet Inc., the project will feature a clear height of 36 feet, 10 exterior dock doors and 2,500 square feet of office space. The name of the developer was not disclosed.
PHILADELPHIA — Marquis Health Consulting Services has completed Phase I of a renovation project at Roosevelt Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood of Philadelphia. The 240-bed skilled nursing facility provides post-hospital care, short-term rehab and long-term residential care. A centerpiece of the renovation to date is the addition of a 3,600-square-foot rehab therapy gym and the incorporation of a spacious activities of daily living suite. Renovation highlights also include modernized dining area and lounges, as well as updates to resident rooms and nurses’ stations.
CENTER VALLEY, PA. — Five Guys Burgers & Fries will open a 2,407-square-foot restaurant at Promenade Saucon Valley in Center Valley, an unincorporated area located about 50 miles north of Philadelphia. The center was formerly known as The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley. Scheduled to open this fall, the restaurant will be situated between the stores of European Wax Center and uBreakiFix. Five Guys’ portfolio currently includes more than 1,700 restaurants globally.
LANGHORNE, PA. — Locally based brokerage firm Roddy Inc. has negotiated a 20,160-square-foot industrial lease at 181 Wheeler Court in Langhorne, a northeastern suburb of Philadelphia. The 100,055-square-foot building sits on 7.4 acres near I-95, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the New Jersey Turnpike. Sean Durkin of Roddy Inc. represented the tenant, Vintage Imports, in the lease negotiations. Andrew McGhee of Colliers represented the landlord, an affiliate of Los Angeles-based Ares Management Corp.
PITTSBURGH — JLL has brokered the sale of the 127-room Hyatt Place Pittsburgh Airport Robinson Mall hotel. The hotel offers an indoor pool, fitness center and onsite dining options, as well as proximity to destinations such as Acrisure Stadium, the Pittsburgh Zoo, Settlers Cabin Park, S&T Bank Music Park, PPG Arena and the Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens. Philip White led the JLL team that represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which requested anonymity, in the transaction.
HORSHAM, PA. — New Jersey-based investment firm First National Realty Partners (FNRP) has acquired Elements Horsham, a 50,353-square-foot retail property located about 25 miles north of Philadelphia. The property was 94 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Starbucks, MaGerk’s Pub & Grill, Aqua-Tots Swim School, TruMark Financial and Charles Schwab. James Galbally, Patrick Higgins, Chris Munley and Colin Behr of JLL represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction.