LEVITTOWN, PA. — Colliers International has negotiated a 17,000-square-foot industrial lease at 61 Runway Road in Levittown, located in Bucks County. The property was built in 2012 and features 17- to 19-foot clear heights and both tailgate and drive-in loading doors. Jim Scott of Colliers represented the landlord in the lease negotiations. The tenant was HIAB Crane, a provider of hydraulic load handling equipment.
By Christine Beechan, area vice president, Morgan Properties If there’s one certainty about the unusual year that is 2020, it’s that COVID-19 has significantly impacted every industry across the globe. For apartment owners and operators, we’ve entered uncharted territory in terms of changing renter demands, unconventional leasing methods and new operational procedures. Consequently, it’s especially important right now for apartment professionals to understand the complexities of the current state of the market and where it’s heading. As 2021 is fast approaching, here are three key trends we can expect to see in the Philadelphia multifamily market for the remainder of 2020 and into the new year. Demand Remains Stable When the pandemic initially hit, we noticed a decrease in leasing because Pennsylvania was under strict orders to shelter-in-place. Because of this uncertainty, people wanted to see how the pandemic would shake out and ultimately decided to stay put, affecting markets across the nation. However, as those restrictions were lifted and the economy started to stabilize, we noticed people felt more comfortable moving into new units, which is typical during the summer season prior to school commencing. Unlike most cities, both urban and suburban parts of Philadelphia have seen accelerated growth …
PHILADELPHIA — JLL has provided a Freddie Mac loan of an undisclosed amount for the refinancing of Yardley Crossing and RiverQuick Apartments, two adjacent multifamily assets totaling 235 units in Philadelphia. Yardley Crossing consists of 196 units in one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. RiverQuick Apartments totals 39 units in one- and two-bedroom formats. Ryan Ade, Jamie Leachman and Travis Hess of JLL arranged the 10-year, fixed-rate loan on behalf of the borrower, Relative Properties LLC.
BRISTOL, PA. — Black Bear Sports Group, an owner of 18 sports facilities around the country, has acquired the Grundy Ice Arena in Bristol, about 20 miles north of Philadelphia. The arena, which frequently hosts youth hockey camps and tournaments throughout the year, features two ice sheets, an athletic training gym, café and a pro shop.
PITTSBURGH — Dollar Bank, a regional lender serving Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, has signed a 76,000-square-foot lease for its new office headquarters in Pittsburgh. The company will relocate from Gateway Center to a building located at 20 Stanwix St., which offers amenities such as a fitness center, conferencing facility and indoor and outdoor tenant lounges. Under the terms of the 16-year lease, Dollar Bank will occupy four floors and a ground-floor reception suite beginning in the first quarter of next year.
ALLENTOWN, PA. — NAI Summit has negotiated an 8,400-square-foot, long-term industrial lease at 1032-1036 N. Irving St. in Allentown. The property recently received more than $100,000 in capital improvements and now houses an office and a showroom in addition to warehouse space. Jay Haines of NAI Summit represented the tenant, JJC Flooring LLC, and the undisclosed landlord in the lease negotiations.
HARRISBURG, PA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of a 4,495-square-foot retail property net leased to Panera Bread in Harrisburg. The store is located on an outparcel of High Point Commons, a 324,000-square-foot power center that houses retailers such as Orangetheory Fitness, Petco and Verizon Wireless. Jim Shiebler, James Garner and James Medefind of Marcus & Millichap represented the buyer, a private investor, in the transaction. Sean Beuche of Marcus & Millichap also assisted with the deal.
JENKINS TOWNSHIP, PA. — Ball Corp. plans to invest $360 million to acquire Interstate Distribution Center in Jenkins Township and retrofit the facility as an aluminum beverage packaging plant. The asset comprises nearly 1.1 million square feet and Ball will employ 230 employees at the plant when it begins production, which is slated for mid-2021. According to local newspaper Times Leader, the property is located at 140 Industrial Drive, between Interstates 81 and 476 and eight miles north of downtown Wilkes-Barre. Endurance Real Estate Group built the asset in 2019. The property features 40-foot clear heights, 108 loading docks, two drive-in doors, 421 car parking spaces and 129 trailer parking spaces. “Ball Corp. has a longstanding presence in the international marketplace, and Pennsylvania is pleased with the company’s commitment to expand its manufacturing facilities in the northeast,” says Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. The project will generate more than $16 million in new employment payroll annually, according to the governor’s office. The state’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) offered up to $2 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project (RACP) funding to be distributed upon the creation of the new jobs, as well as $400,000 in funding for workforce development …
ALLENTOWN, PA. — NAI Summit has brokered the sale of a 4,113-square-foot retail building located at 2071 SW 31st St. in Allentown. Sarah Finney-Miller of NAI Summit represented the seller, LEAD 112 LLC, in the transaction. The buyer, 3030 Lehigh Street, plans to renovate the property and convert it into an automotive service center.
By Tom Weitzel, managing director, JLL The Philadelphia office market at the moment is running in place, which is to say that there is certainly energy being expended, but it is going nowhere fast. Tenants and landlords alike are partnering with real estate experts to navigate this challenging time. However, while office users evaluate businesses and study workforces, the benefit of making a decision has not yet outweighed the downside of making a wrong decision, so most users are adopting a “wait-and-see” approach. Tenant Perspective Tenants are finding it challenging to make long-term decisions about their office spaces given the lack of clarity in the future. Business leaders and executives are tasked with considering factors such as health and safety, productivity, profitability and overall employee morale on a daily basis as they evaluate their physical office space usage during COVID-19. Throughout the region, executives continue to balance health and safety concerns with operational needs as they advance office re-entry plans. They are also assessing the current productivity of their employees compared to that at the beginning of the pandemic. Many companies that we have spoken with have cited declining productivity and creativity from their employees. At the same time, these …