PHILADELPHIA — A partnership between Pennrose and the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. (PCDC) has broken ground on 800 Vine Senior, a 51-unit seniors housing complex. The five-story project is being constructed at the site of a former parking lot and will house studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Six residences will be reserved for renters earning 20 percent or less of the area median income (AMI), and 20 units will be earmarked for households earning 50 percent or less of AMI. The remaining 25 units will be rented to seniors earning 60 percent or less of AMI. Amenities will include a community room, courtyard and onsite laundry facilities. Completion is slated for summer 2024.
PITTSBURGH — Community Preservation Partners (CPP) has acquired Allegheny Commons, a 136-unit affordable housing complex in Pittsburgh’s North Shore neighborhood. The 20-building property was originally built in 1973. The majority (112) of the units are covered under a project-based Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract. Additionally, the project includes units that are reserved for households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income. CPP plans to undertake $11.3 million in capital improvements to the property, including upgrades to unit interiors, common areas and building exteriors.
PHILADELPHIA — Breakthrough Properties, which is a joint venture between New York City-based Tishman Speyer and biotechnology investment firm Bellco Capital, has received a $130 million construction loan for a life sciences project in Philadelphia. The site at 2300 Market St. in the Center City District is adjacent to both the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University and will house an eight-story, 223,000-square-foot building. Amenities will include a café and lounge, fitness center and elevated terraces. D2 Capital Advisors arranged the loan through Corebridge Financial on behalf of Breakthrough Properties. Construction of the building shell is expected to be complete by next summer, at which point tenant build-outs will commence.
DUNCANNON, PA. — New Jersey-based brokerage firm The Kislak Co. Inc. has negotiated the $3 million sale of a property in Duncannon, a northern suburb of Harrisburg, that consists of 31 residential units and 47 self-storage units. Arbor Manor Apartments & Storage was originally built on 5.5 acres in 1980. Matt Wolf of Kislak represented the buyer and seller, both of which requested anonymity, in the transaction.
GLEN MILLS, PA. — Chicago-based investment firm Waterton has acquired The Point at Glen Mills, a 230-unit apartment community located on the western outskirts of Philadelphia. Built in 2016, the property comprises five four-story buildings on a 13.6-acre site. Units come in one- and two-bedroom floor plans, and amenities include a fitness center, leasing office, conference facility and a catering kitchen. Waterton plans to implement a value-add program and rebrand the property as Heights at Glen Mills. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
YORK, PA. — Seniors housing owner-operator IntegraCare has opened The Residence at Fitz Farm, a 130-unit community in York. The 124,000-square-foot facility sits on a 16.5-acre site that was previously part of a family farm. The property houses 68 independent living units, 42 assisted living residences and 20 memory care units. Amenities include multiple onsite dining venues, fitness and therapy areas, a beer rathskeller, theater, hair salon, library, card room and various outdoor green spaces. IntegraCare developed The Residence at Fitz Farm in partnership with Indianapolis-based Avenue Development.
HARRISBURG, PA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $4.7 million sale of Brandywine Plaza, a 44,241-square-foot shopping center located in Harrisburg. The property was fully leased to 21 tenants at the time of sale. Craig Dunkle and Mher Vartanian of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller. Dunkle and Vartanian also secured the buyer, an undisclosed developer.
By Taylor Williams “Numbers never lie; they simply tell different stories depending on the math of the tellers.” Mexican-American poet Luis Alberto Urrea may not have been talking about commercial real estate development and investment when he wrote that line, but the implications of that statement are undeniably applicable to those fields. The use of numerical projections in commercial development and investment is different from employing sabermetrics in sports or using predictive analytics to diagnose illnesses in medicine. Hard costs are what they are, and the formulas that developers and investors rely on to make critical decisions tend to be well-established in their rigidity, even if their inputs can and do change. Respecting the time-tested veracity of these formulas can make the difference between coasting through a down cycle or being crushed by it. Yet this is a world in which complex equations, algorithms and computations increasingly influence key business decisions. And so the ability to accurately forecast, control and manipulate numerical inputs is beyond valuable. Underwriting represents the piece of the real estate development or acquisition process in which these numerical details are shoved under the microscope and relentlessly finagled in hopes of keeping a development or deal alive. …
CONSHOHOCKEN, PA. — David’s Bridal LLC and some of its subsidiaries have filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Both the brand’s nearly 300 physical stores, as well as its online platforms, will remain open and operational, according to the company. The Conshohocken-based retailer is seeking customary “first-day” relief authorizations from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey to continue payment of employee wages and benefits, maintain certain customer programs and honor vendor obligations. The company had previously filed for bankruptcy in November 2018 and re-emerged under new ownership in early 2019. The retailer’s current ownership group comprises lenders led by global investment manager Oaktree Capital Management. Also in 2019, Brookfield Asset Management acquired a majority stake in Oaktree Capital Management. David’s Bridal has retained Gordon Brothers to assist with inventory sales. The company will also continue to evaluate its physical footprint and explore the sale of some or all of its assets. “Our business continues to be challenged by the post-COVID environment and uncertain economic conditions, leading us to take this step to identify a buyer who can continue to operate our business going forward,” says James Marcum, CEO of David’s …
PHILADELPHIA — Home healthcare provider 365 Health Services has signed a 3,175-square-foot lease at The Poplar, an office and residential development in downtown Philadelphia. Colin McHale of Beacon Real Estate represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. Matthew Guerrieri and Jeffrey Tertel of Newmark represented the landlord, Post Brothers.