NEWVILLE, PA. — Metro Philadelphia-based investment and development firm Exeter Property Group has purchased a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center located at 3419 Ritner Highway in Newville, located west of Harrisburg, for $85 million. The property is situated on 85.3 acres just off Interstate 81 and features a 60-foot loading bay, a 200-foot truck court, 249 automobile parking spaces and 243 trailer parking spaces. Gerry Blinebury, Gary Gabriel and Adam Campbell of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, Artemis Real Estate Property, in the transaction. The asset was constructed on a speculative basis and is currently vacant.
Pennsylvania
BETHLEHEM, PA. — Walker & Dunlop has provided a $25 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Bethlehem Fields Apartments a multifamily community located in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley region. The property features one- and two-bedroom apartments and townhomes for a total of 216 residences. John Banas, Kris Wood, John Wilson and Rhett Saltiel of Walker & Dunlop originated the 10-year, fixed-rate loan, which was also structured with three years of interest-only payments. The borrower was Pennsylvania-based Boyd Wilson.
BURNHAM, PA. — JLL has arranged an undisclosed amount of acquisition financing for Greater Lewistown Plaza, a 185,282-square-foot, grocery-anchored shopping center located in the Central Pennsylvania town of Burnham. Grocer Weis is the anchor tenant at the 22-acre property, and other users include CVS, Dunham Sports, Goodwill and Rent-a-Center. Michael Klein and Claudia Steeb of JLL arranged the fixed-rate loan through AmeriServ Financial. The borrower, Logan GL Holdings LLC, plans to implement a capital improvement program.
ABINGTON, PA. — Mediplex Property Group has delivered a 20,000-square-foot medical office building in Abington, located north of Philadelphia. The two-story building is fully leased to Abington Neurological Associates, LabCorp, Wink Optical & Eyecare and RMA-Jefferson Health. Pennsylvania-based firms Linn Architects and Axis Construction Management served as the architect and construction manager of the project, respectively. Bryn Mawr Trust Corp. provided construction financing.
PITTSBURGH — ACRES Capital Corp. has provided a $33 million loan for the construction and stabilization of a 161-unit multifamily project located at 5803 Centre Ave. in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The property will house 6,000 square feet of retail space and offer amenities such as a fitness center with a yoga studio, coworking office space with indoor and outdoor workstations and a self-checkout convenience mart. The borrower, Colorado-based Charles Street Investment Partners, expects to complete the project in the third quarter of 2022.
CHALFONT, PA. — Binswanger has brokered the sale of a 151,220-square-foot industrial building located at 90 Hamilton St. in Chalfont, about 30 miles north of Philadelphia. The sales price was approximately $6 million. The property sits on 13.7 acres and features 23-foot clear heights and 6,000 square feet of office space. Chris Pennington and Tim Pennington of Binswanger represented the seller, specialty gifts maker Harriet Carter, in the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed.
MONTGOMERYVILLE, PA. — Binswanger Commercial Real Estate Services has arranged the sale of a 171,646-square-foot industrial property located at 425 Stump Road in Montgomeryville, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The sales price was $8.5 million. Built on 9.8 acres in 1970, the property features 12 dock-high doors, 16-foot clear heights and 20,000 square feet of office space. Chris Pennington and Tim Pennington of Binswanger represented the seller, specialty gift maker Harriet Carter, in the transaction.
By Taylor Williams What a difference a year makes. Around this time in 2019, the Philadelphia retail market was experiencing something of a Renaissance. Driven by forward-thinking projects in chic neighborhoods, such as Fashion District Philadelphia, as well as the delivery of new phases of retail at destinations like Schuylkill Yards and the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the market was embracing new users, customers and spaces alike. The evolution of Philly’s retail market at this time inevitably bred winners and losers. Six months later, the onset of a global pandemic would give rise to political policies that crushed capacities and foot traffic for retailers and restaurants. Add in a healthy dose of elevated online shopping, and the result was a one-two punch that was simply too much for some retailers to survive. Such is the scene playing out today in the City of Brotherly Love. But real estate professionals are quick to point out that the demise of some retailers was unavoidable before COVID-19 came around, and that ultimately the city’s strong demographics will usher its retail market through the recession. “We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that pre-COVID, several categories of retailers were not thriving or were irrelevant or …
PENNSAUKEN, N.J. — Binswanger Commercial Real Estate Services has brokered the sale of two industrial properties in the Philadelphia suburb of Pennsauken, New Jersey, for $18 million. The first property is a 189,498-square-foot facility located at 9130 Griffith Morgan Lane that includes 16,000 square feet of office space and sold for $7.4 million. The second property was built on 13.5 acres in 1997, totals 201,000 square feet and features 28- to 32-foot clear heights. That property sold for roughly $10.6 million. Simmons Pet Food formerly owned both assets. Kenover Marketing and KB Furniture respectively purchased the first and second properties. Chris Pennington of Binswanger brokered the deals.
YORK, PA. — ROCK Commercial Real Estate has negotiated a 14,479-square-foot office lease at Susquehanna Commerce Center, a 260,000-square-foot office complex in York. The property houses tenants such as Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and Wells Fargo Financial Advisors and offers an onsite parking garage and a café. David Bode of ROCK Commercial represented the landlord in the transaction. The tenant was Dentsply International Inc., a provider of dental equipment.