NEWPORT, R.I. — E4H Environments for Health Architecture has started a $12.5 million renovation on the emergency department of Newport Hospital in Newport. The five-phase renovation and expansion is slated for completion in September 2019. Once completed, the new 21,000-square-foot emergency department will provide 35 total treatment areas including a rapid treatment area with six exam rooms. Other features of the renovated emergency department will include an open reception desk and waiting area, expanded staff lounge and conference room and energy-efficient LED lighting with dimming controls for occupants.
The office sector in Rhode Island’s commercial real estate market has seen a strong carryover and positive momentum from 2017, into 2018, which we continue to enjoy today. The market has seen positive absorption in most areas and with little speculative development on the horizon, lease rates are being affected accordingly. It’s safe to say, it is no longer a Tenant’s market. In Providence, vacancy rates are hovering in the 12 percent range, down from 16.5 percent just a few years ago. Recent projects include the redevelopment of South Street Landing, a $230 million dollar renovation of the former Narragansett Electric power station which is now home to the URI/CCRI Nursing School as well as some of the administrative offices of Brown University. Just a block away, construction is underway for the 191,000-square-foot Providence Innovation Center. This will be occupied by the Brown University School of Professional Studies, Johnson & Johnson and the Cambridge Innovation Center. The redevelopment of 75 Fountain Street, a 160,000-square-foot building, once fully occupied by the Providence Journal, has also enjoyed positive absorption. The redevelopment by Nordblom Company and Cornish Associates has attracted companies such as Tufts Healthcare, GE Digital and Virgin Pulse to join the Providence …
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — CBRE New England has brokered the $3.4 million sale of a single-story, 50,664-square-foot office building in East Providence. Located on nearly eight acres at 20 Risho Ave., the property includes 283 parking spaces. John Cregan of CBRE represented the seller, the Maurice Mizrahi and Sophie Mizrahi Trust, in the transaction. Fox Paw Properties purchased the property. Currently two tenants occupy 13,164 square feet at the building. The buyer plans to renovate the property and occupy the remaining space.
NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. — CBRE has brokered the $1.7 million sale of 1635 Mineral Spring Ave., a two-story, 20,694-square-foot medical office facility in North Providence. The property, which is 80 percent leased, was built in 1976 and renovated in 2016. Located on a two-acre lot, the property includes 82 parking spaces. John Cregan of CBRE represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. The buyer was Arkland LLC.
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — WinnCos. and Omni Development Corp. have broken ground on a $42 million redevelopment of Prospect Heights Apartments, an affordable housing property in Pawtucket. Built in 1942, Prospect Heights qualified for Federal Historic Tax Credits after being placed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2016. The project will rehabilitate 292 units spread across 35 buildings and add 20 new units of housing on the 21-acre site. A joint venture between WinnDevelopment and Omni Development acquired the ground lease for the property from the Pawtucket Housing Authority in June 2017. Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. provided tax-exempt bond financing for the construction and permanent loans, the Low Income Housing Tax Credits and separate bridge financing for the project.
RICHMOND, R.I. — HFF has negotiated the sale of 22 Kingstown Road, a 60,488-square-foot shopping center in Richmond. The property includes a Super Stop & Shop grocery store, Super Stop & Shop Fuel Center and a 5,000-square-foot Anytime Fitness. HFF represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction and procured the institutional buyer. The shopping center serves the surrounding communities of Narragansett, Block Island and Charlestown.
NEWPORT, R.I. — NKF Capital Markets has orchestrated the sale of the Newport Grand Casino in Newport for $10.1 million. NKF represented the seller, Twin River Management Group, in the transaction. The buyer was Carpionato Group. Initially serving as an arena for jai alai, Newport Grand added slot machines in 1992 and was renovated in 2008 to add space for a full casino. The property will continue to operate as the Newport Grand Casino until the gaming facility relocates to Tiverton, Rhode Island later this year. The buyer plans to redevelop the 23.5-acre site into a mixed-use project.
WARREN, R.I. — Sitar Realty Co. has arranged the sale of a 451-unit, climate controlled self-storage facility located at 130 Franklin St. in Warren. The purchase price for the 63,000-square-foot property was $7.4 million. Warren is located approximately 13 miles southeast of Providence. Storage Acquisition Group purchased the property from Warren Self Storage. William Sitar Jr. and John Cranley of Sitar Realty represented the buyer in the transaction.
LINCOLN, R.I. — CBRE New England has negotiated the sale of Albion Crossing, a 280,982-square-foot flex building in Lincoln. The sales price was not disclosed. CBRE represented the seller in the transaction, Albion Crossing LLC. The buyer was an affiliate of FoxRock Properties LLC. Located at One Albion Road in Lincoln, the property was originally developed as the global headquarters for A.T. Cross Co., a manufacturer of high-quality ballpoint and fountain pens. In 2007, Cross sold the building and it was converted to a mixed-use flex office building. Current tenants include United Natural Foods, Zebra Technologies, Granite Telecommunications and Vicor Technologies Inc.
TIVERTON, R.I. — EagleBridge Capital has provided $6.4 million in financing for CVS Plaza in Tiverton, a shopping center anchored by a freestanding 13,500-square-foot CVS Pharmacy. Other tenants in the shopping center located at 500 Main Road include The Saconnet River Grille and an Allstate insurance agency. The term of the loan is 10 years with a 30 year amortization. Ted M. Sidel and Brian D. Sheehan of EagleBridge Capital arranged the financing provided by a CMBS lender. The law firm of DarrowEverett represented the undisclosed borrower in closing the loan.