PHILADELPHIA — Atlanta-based developer Portman has acquired 169 acres in West Philadelphia for the construction of I-76 Trade Center, an industrial park that will ultimately total approximately 1.9 million square feet. To be developed in two phases, I-76 Trade Center will be a three-building campus, with vertical construction of Phase I scheduled to begin in the fall. Phase I will feature a 636,120-square-foot building that is slated for an August 2024 delivery. Phase II will include a 1.1 million square-foot-facility and a 154,440-square-foot building. Portman expects to have substantially completed the project by the first quarter of 2025.
Pennsylvania
DENVER AND PHILADELPHIA — Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT) and KSL Capital Partners LLC have entered a definitive merger agreement under which affiliates of KSL will acquire all the outstanding common shares of Hersha for $10 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.4 billion. Philadelphia-based Hersha is a self-advised real estate investment trust in the hospitality sector, owning and operating luxury and lifestyle hotels in coastal gateway and resort markets. The company’s 25 hotels total 3,811 rooms and are located in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, South Florida and California. KSL is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. In addition to its Denver headquarters, the firm also maintains offices in New York City, Stamford, Conn., and London. The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 60 percent over Hersha’s closing share price on Friday, Aug. 25, the last full trading day prior to the announcement. Upon completion, Hersha will no longer be publicly traded. “Hersha and its team have built an impressive, curated portfolio of experiential luxury and lifestyle hotels and resorts in strategic markets,” says Marty Newburger, partner at …
UPPER MOUNT BETHEL, PA. — Developer River Pointe Logistics has provided updated plans for River Pointe Commerce Park, an industrial project located in the Lehigh Valley city of Upper Mount Bethel. The development team has received conditional preliminary approval for subdivision, infrastructure improvements and land development plans for three lots within the 800-acre site. River Pointe now expects to break ground on the initial phase of construction, which will center around a 375,000-square-foot building, in the fourth quarter. To date, River Pointe has invested over $8 million in design, engineering, geotechnical, and impact analysis, including traffic, environmental and economic analysis.
YORK, PA. — A partnership between Los Angeles-based PCCP LLC and MRP Industrial has broken ground on Expressway Commerce Center, a 674,000-square-foot speculative project that will be located west of Philadelphia in York. The development will consist of a 271,000 and 403,000-square-foot building, both of which will have rear-load configurations, 36-foot clear heights and combined parking for 563 cars and 175 trailers. Construction is slated for a third-quarter 2024 completion.
GLASSPORT, PA. — Michigan-based brokerage firm Friedman Real Estate has negotiated the sale of a 14,560-square-foot, single-tenant retail building in Glassport, a southern suburb of Pittsburgh. Rite Aid occupies the building, which is located at 210 Ninth St. Steven Silverman and Ryan Wilner of Friedman Real Estate represented the seller in the transaction. Additional terms of sale were not disclosed.
MOUNT POCONO, PA. — Newland Capital Group will develop Mount Pocono Commerce Center, a 1.2 million-square-foot industrial project that will be located roughly midway between Scranton and Allentown in eastern Pennsylvania. The project is a build-to-suit for an undisclosed third-party logistics group and will feature a clear height of 40 feet, 196 loading docks, four drive-in doors, 384 trailer stalls and 200-foot truck court depths. David Pelaia and Chad Morgan of JLL arranged a senior construction loan through Axos Bank and mezzanine financing from Fidelity Investments, as well as joint venture equity from an undisclosed partner, for the project. A tentative completion date was not disclosed.
PITTSBURGH — Champion Container Corp., a New Jersey-based distributor of packaging containers, has signed a 44,569-square-foot industrial lease at The River Avenue Distribution & Technology District in Pittsburgh. The tenant is consolidating two smaller distribution hubs within Building 8 at the development, the site of which was the original H.J. Heinz manufacturing campus. Michael Stuart of CBRE represented Champion Container Corp. in the transaction. Golden East Investors owns the property.
PHILADELPHIA — Colliers has arranged a $27.1 million construction loan for a 124-unit multifamily project that will be located at 933 Canal St. in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood. The project carries a total price tag of $34 million and will include two commercial spaces. Bob Beckman of Colliers arranged the loan through Boston-based UC Funds on behalf of the borrower, locally based development and investment firm GY Properties.
BUCKS COUNTY, PA. — JLL has arranged a $114 million construction loan for Lower Bucks Logistics Hub, an 814,567-square-foot speculative industrial project in Bucks County. The address of the site was not disclosed, but the development’s two buildings will be located at I-295, with one building on either side of Route 213 in Middletown Township, New Jersey. The buildings will have rear-load and cross-deck configurations, clear heights of 40 feet, six total drive-in doors and over 800 car and trailer parking spaces. Mike Pagniucci led the JLL team that originated the financing through Mesa West Capital on behalf of the borrower, Foxfield LLC. A construction timeline was not disclosed.
PHILADELPHIA — Locally based investment firm Alliance HP has sold The Philadelphia Infill Industrial Portfolio, a collection of three industrial properties totaling 122,373 square feet in Philadelphia. The sales price was $24.7 million. The portfolio was fully leased at the time of sale and features clear heights between 17 and 22 feet, 14 loading doors, five drive-in doors and 163 parking spaces. The buildings are all located within a 2.5-mile radius of Philadelphia International Airport. John Plower, Ryan Cottone, Larry Maister and Kyle Lockard of JLL represented Alliance HP in the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed.