MARIETTA, PA. — New Jersey-based Goldcrest Properties has acquired a 172-unit apartment complex in Marietta, located southeast of Harrisburg, for $39 million. The property was built in 2020 and offers a clubhouse, fitness center and onsite laundry facilities. Aaron Jungreis and Michelle Jungreis of New York-based Rosewood Realty Group represented Goldcrest Properties as well as the seller, Inch & Co., in the transaction.
PHILADELPHIA — Spark Therapeutics, a locally based firm that devises and delivers gene therapy solutions, will open a 500,000-square-foot life sciences facility in Philadelphia’s University City neighborhood, a project that represents a $575 million capital investment. The facility will be part of a 1 million-square-foot campus at the intersection of 30th and Chestnut streets. Spark Therapeutics has entered into a 99-year ground lease with Drexel University to develop the project. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022.
PALMYRA, PA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $18.1 million sale of Shadow Stone Village, a 188-unit manufactured housing community in Palmyra, an eastern suburb of Harrisburg. Glenn Esterson, Dylan Hellberg, Parker Kelly and Ryan Brands of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a partnership, in the transaction and procured a limited liability company as the buyer. Both parties requested anonymity. Sean Beuche of Marcus & Millichap assisted in closing the deal as the broker of record. Shadow Stone Village was fully occupied at the time of sale and offers a gym, library and community center.
PHILADELPHIA — Stan Johnson Co., an Oklahoma-based brokerage firm specializing in net-leased retail assets, has negotiated the $10.8 million sale of a 12,485-square-foot retail condo in Philadelphia that is leased to CVS. The store is housed within a 62-unit multifamily building known as Shirt Corner that is located in the Old City District. Brandon Duff, Austin Duff, Matt Spangenberg and Mack Wolfgram of Stan Johnson Co. represented the seller, a Chicago-based private investor, in the transaction. The buyer was a 1031 exchange investor from Indiana.
EASTON, PA. — Global logistics operator Realterm has acquired a 307,290-square-foot warehouse that is located at 3747 Hecktown Road in the Lehigh Valley city of Easton. Built on 28.5 acres in 1986 and expanded in 2017, the single-tenant property features 32 loading positions, 56 trailer parking stalls, 370 car parking spaces and 4,800 square feet of freezer space. The property was fully leased at the time of sale. John Plower, Ryan Cottone, Zach Maguire and Jeff Lockard of JLL brokered the deal on behalf of Realterm. The seller was not disclosed.
CHERRYVILLE, PA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of Cherryville Self Storage, a 404-unit facility located about 10 miles north of Allentown in the Lehigh Valley. Built on five acres in the late 1990s, the property consists of 89 climate-controlled units and 315 non-climate-controlled units across 58,075 net rentable square feet of space. Nathan Coe, Brett Hatcher and Gabriel Coe of Marcus & Millichap represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. Sean Beuche of Marcus & Millichap assisted in closing the deal as the broker of record. Additional terms of sale were not disclosed.
PHILADELPHIA — Wharton Industrial, an investment arm of New York-based Wharton Equity Partners, has acquired a portfolio of seven industrial properties totaling roughly 450,000 square feet in the Philadelphia area. Four of the properties are located in the Pennsylvania markets of Croydon, Boothwyn and Reading. The other three are located in the Southern New Jersey communities of Marlton, Moorestown and Pennsauken. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
By Gary Holloway Jr, president, GMH Communities The COVID-19 pandemic served as an accelerator for transforming the Philadelphia multifamily market. Overnight, property owners and managers had to quickly adapt and find new ways to serve their residents while prioritizing their safety and following all of the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As we head into 2022, the pandemic will continue to influence what prospective tenants expect from their apartment communities. Here are three opportunities that multifamily owners should consider as the industry continues to grow and evolve in Philadelphia. WFH is Here to Stay Working from home is not a new trend. However, the pandemic thrust countless residents into remote work situations without warning. This sudden shift in work routines has prompted multifamily developers to rethink which amenities they need to provide now that remote and hybrid work is the norm. At GMH Communities, we are actively growing our amenity offerings to enhance the work-from-home experience. At The Yards at Malvern, one of our newest properties that is located in the suburb of Malvern, residents have access to a robust business center with multiple small and large conference rooms with a Zoom conference room, …
NORTH WALES, PA. — JLL has negotiated the $55 million sale of Montgomery Mall, a 1.1 million-square-foot regional shopping and dining destination in North Wales, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. Wegman’s, Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Dick’s Sporting Goods are the anchor tenants at the 105-acre property, which opened in 1973, was renovated in 2014 and was 73 percent leased at the time of sale. Other tenants include H&M, Forever 21, American Eagle, Bath & Body Works and Outback Steakhouse. David Monahan, Jim Galbally, Chris Munley, Cameron Pittman, Colin Behr and Akhil Patel of JLL represented the seller, an undisclosed CMBS trust, in the transaction. New York-based Kohan Retail Investment Group purchased Montgomery Mall for an undisclosed price.
PHILADELPHIA — Gattuso Development Partners has broken ground on a 130,000-square-foot flex project at The Philadelphia Navy Yard that will be marketed to industrial and life sciences users. Designed by SITIO Architects, the property will feature a clear height of 30 feet, 14 loading bays and 360 parking spaces. Completion is slated for the fourth quarter. Citizens Bank provided construction financing for the project, with Boston-based The Baupost Group contributing joint venture equity. Ryan Ade and Brett Segal arranged and structured the debt and equity financing.