SAN ANTONIO — Los Angeles-based investment firm BH Properties has acquired the Navarro Building and Garage, a 10-story commercial property in San Antonio’s RiverWalk area that consists of 100,000 square feet of office space above a 605-space parking structure. The building was originally constructed in 1968 to provide parking for the San Antonio World’s Fair and was vacant at the time of sale. BH Properties is planning a capital improvement program to completely transform the office component into institutional quality Class A space designed either for multi- or single-tenant uses. Planned improvements include refurbishing of balconies, redesigning of public spaces such as lobbies and restrooms and installing of new lighting throughout. BH also plans to modernize the parking systems in the garage with new access controls and EV charging stations.
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HOUSTON — New York City-based Ariel Property Advisors has arranged a $14 million acquisition loan for a 140,000-square-foot office building in the Clear Lake submarket of Houston. Eli Weisblum of Ariel Property Advisors placed the loan five-year loan, which was structured with a 4.25 percent interest rate and a 30-year amortization schedule, through an undisclosed lender. The property was fully leased at the time of the loan closing. The borrower was also not disclosed.
BOSTON — Newmark has arranged the $1.5 billion recapitalization of 401 Park Drive and 201 Brookline Ave. in Boston’s Fenway submarket. The 1.5 million-square-foot campus sits on nearly nine acres. Concurrent with the financing transaction, Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. acquired a majority stake in the campus. The seller is a joint venture between institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Global Alternatives and Samuels & Associates. Boston-based Samuels will retain a minority interest in the campus and continue to operate, lease and lead development activities for the property in conjunction with the new majority owner. The asset at 401 Park Drive is an existing 973,145-square-foot office and retail tower. It is currently 93 percent occupied. The second property, 201 Brookline Ave., is a 510,116-square-foot laboratory and office tower that is currently under construction. It is 17 percent pre-leased with tenants expected to take occupancy in 2022. There is also potential for an additional phase of commercial development at the site. Located next to an MBTA Green Line station, the campus incorporates a recently created 1.1-acre park that provides direct access to new retailers Time Out Market and Trillium Brewing Co. The park also features an ice-skating rink in the winter. …
NAPERVILLE, ILL. — Franklin Partners has executed leases totaling roughly 164,388 square feet at The Shuman, a five-story office building in Naperville. Franklin completed an extensive renovation of the property in September 2019. To date, lease signings include Brown & Brown Insurance, Derick Dermatology, Philadelphia Insurance, 3WON, Securitas Electronic Security Inc., SkyBridge, Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Inc. and CIMC Capital, as well as two undisclosed tenants. There are 150,000 square feet remaining available for lease.
Nuveen, Norges Bank Complete $18M Renovation of Franklin Square Office Building in D.C.
by John Nelson
WASHINGTON, D.C — Nuveen and joint venture partner Norges Bank Investment Management have completed the $18 million renovation of the Franklin Square office building at 1300 Eye St. NW in Washington, D.C. Will Stern, Eli Barnes, Lauryn Harris and Alston Offutt of Avison Young have been the leasing representatives for the 485,000-square-foot building for over 15 years. Washington, D.C.-based architecture firm Hickok Cole designed the renovation, which began in 2020. Some of the new features to the building involve the three-story glass entrance and include contemporary lighting and glass, soft-seating collaboration areas, new modern artwork, an in-lobby barista-operated café and lounge, additional modern security measures, new elevator cabs and elevator mechanical systems. Additional renovations include a 10,000-square-foot conference facility, six conference rooms, breakout areas, a catering kitchen, a 5,000-square-foot fitness facility, an onsite fitness trainer providing classes for building tenants and a bicycle room with bike maintenance stations, lockers, towel service and changing rooms. The building is LEED Gold-certified and features advanced air filtration via the building’s VAV HVAC system using MERV 15 air filters. An events/hospitality manager will be onsite to oversee the new facilities and help coordinate tenant events. The building also features a new mobile app that …
RICHMOND, VA. — T-Mobile U.S. Inc. has opened a 131,000-square-foot customer care center at White Oak Village, a mixed-use development in Richmond. Aston Capital converted a vacant, former Sam’s Club at White Oak Village into new Class A office space for T-Mobile. The Bellevue, Wash.-based mobile phone carrier is relocating approximately 500 employees from Richmond’s Short Pump area to the building with plans to eventually grow the staff to over 1,000. Charlotte-based Aston Capital acquired the White Oak Village building in February 2020 through an affiliate company, AC Richmond. The company then made renovations to the property, including a new exterior facade and renovated parking and landscaping. The firm also added employee amenities including exercise rooms, gaming room, onsite café and mother’s room. The $30 million project, which is adjacent to more than 900,000 square feet of retail, offices, restaurants and hotels at White Oak Village, was completed in October 2020. Since 2015, Aston Capital has repurposed over 500,000 square feet of former retail properties. Frampton Construction was the general contractor on the conversion and interior upfit, Timmons Group provided civil engineering services and McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture and JPC Architects were the architects on the project.
IRVING, TEXAS — CHRISTUS Health, a faith-based healthcare provider, will develop a new 400,000-square-foot corporate office building that will be located on a 4.2-acre parcel within Irving’s Las Colinas district. BOKA Powell is designing the building, which is expected to be complete in 2023 and will include outdoor patios, conference rooms and large areas for collaboration. Fidelis Healthcare Partners represented CHRISTUS Health in its site selection and pre-development planning. CHRISTUS Health, which is already headquartered in Irving, has a real estate footprint comprising almost 350 services and facilities, including more than 60 hospitals and long-term care facilities and 175 clinics and outpatient centers.
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — Ampacet Corp., a manufacturer of masterbatches, an additive used for coloring plastics, has signed a 35,000-square-foot office lease renewal in the northern New York City suburb of Tarrytown. Jamie Schwartz internally represented the landlord, GHP Office Realty LLC, an affiliate of Houlihan-Parnes Realtors LLC, in the negotiations for the seven-year renewal. The deal brings the property, which GHP acquired in 2017, to full occupancy.
SCHAUMBURG, ILL. — The Equitable Funds has acquired Remington Office Court, a four-building, single-story office campus in Schaumburg. The purchase price was undisclosed. Located on Remington Road, the property totals 83,370 square feet. Upon acquisition, it was approximately 90 percent leased. Tenants enjoy direct entrances from the outdoors, dedicated HVAC systems, operable windows and private restrooms, features that are desirable as a result of COVID-19, according to the buyer. NAI Hiffman will serve as leasing agent. One Story LLC, a property management firm formed by principals of The Equitable Funds, will manage the asset. The acquisition is in line with the firm’s strategy of acquiring, owning and managing single-story office properties throughout Chicagoland. Jonathan Berger and Josh Silvergalde established The Equitable Funds in 1999 and has since completed more than $100 million of real estate acquisitions and dispositions.
Walker & Dunlop Arranges $61.3M Acquisition Loan for Bank of America Tower in Downtown Jacksonville
by John Nelson
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Walker & Dunlop Inc. has arranged $61.3 million in financing for the acquisition of Bank of America Tower, a 44-story office building located at 50 N Laura St. in downtown Jacksonville. Adam Schwartz, Aaron Appel, Keith Kurland, Jonathan Schwartz, Michael Ianno, Sean Bastian and Ian Hawk of Walker & Dunlop arranged the financing for the buyer, Group RMC. Prime Finance provided the three-year, interest-only bridge loan, which features a low floating interest rate. Bank of America Tower is the only LEED-certified office tower in Jacksonville, according to Walker & Dunlop, and features views of the St. Johns River. The Class A high-rise building features over 662,241 rentable square feet, a five-story annex with an additional 35,881 square feet, as well as 900 parking spaces. In addition to a new HVAC system, recent upgrades have been made to the property’s amenities, lighting systems, security systems, elevator modernization, and refurbishment of all the common areas and lobby. Group RMC bought the tower from Hertz Investment Group, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record.