PITTSBURGH — CBRE has arranged a 20,000-square-foot office lease for the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh at Warner Centre, located at 332 Fifth Ave. in downtown Pittsburgh. The agency will occupy the entire fourth floor of the building. CBRE’s Christopher Koch, leasing agent for Warner Centre, negotiated the lease on behalf of the building’s owner, JJ Operating Inc., a family-owned real estate investment and management company based in New York City. The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, plans to occupy Warner Centre this summer. The move will provide the agency with the efficiency of operating on a single floor versus multiple floors at its existing Wood Street location. Warner Centre is situated in the center of downtown Pittsburgh, located next to the newly completed Point Park Playhouse. The landlord recently made improvements to the lobby of Warner Centre and plans to make upgrades to the elevators beginning this year. The mission of the Urban League is to enable African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity and power, and civil rights. The HUD-certified housing counseling agency offers a wide variety of programs.
PITTSBURGH, PA. — CBRE has arranged an office lease for Kennametal Inc. at an office tower in Pittsburgh’s central business district. Located at 525 William Penn Place, the 900,000-square-foot, 41-story office property is owned by investment group FAC 525. The tower is Pittsburgh’s fourth-largest office building in the CBD. Major capital improvements are nearing completion as part of a rebranding and redevelopment initiative at the property, including a complete lobby renovation, fitness center and reserved tenant parking.CBRE represented FAC 525 in the deal. Avison Young represented Kennametal in the lease transaction, the size of which was not disclosed.
LEHIGH VALLEY, PA. — One Wall Partners has acquired a portfolio of 996 rental apartments in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania for an undisclosed price. The portfolio, which is currently 98 percent occupied, features garden-style complexes as well as a rental townhome community. Amenities include outdoor pools, fitness centers and clubhouses. One Wall Partners plans to spend more than $500,000 on energy efficient upgrades and deferred maintenance on the properties. One Wall Partners was represented in-house, in the transaction. The undisclosed seller was represented by CBRE.
CANONSBURG, PA. — BHI and Contemporary Healthcare Capital have arranged $9.5 million in acquisition financing for a 118-bed skilled nursing facility. The property is located in Canonsburg, approximately 18 miles southwest of downtown Pittsburgh. The borrower is Townview Realty LLC. BHI provided a $7.9 million senior loan that includes a $600,000 line of credit. The lender also has guaranteed a $2.1 million earnout feature based on pre-determined performance metrics. Contemporary Healthcare provided the $1.6 million mezzanine portion of the financing. Proceeds of the loans were used for the acquisition and operation of the facility, as well as to pay customary closing costs. This was the first joint loan transaction between BHI and CHC.
PHILADELPHIA — Colliers International, in conjunction with Max Spann Auctioneers, has negotiated the $6.5 million sale of an industrial facility in the Nicetown-Tioga section of Philadelphia. Located at 2450 Hunting Park Ave., the property is the former home of metal fabricator Budd Co. The site has been vacant for more than a decade. The property is comprised of six buildings totaling 1,871,911 square feet. Rich Weitzman of Colliers represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. The buyer was New York-based private equity and development firm Plymouth Group.
PHILADELPHIA — Comcast Spectator and partner The Cordish Cos. have unveiled plans to build a $50 million Esports Arena in South Philadelphia. The sports facility will serve as the home arena for the Philadelphia Fusion of the international Overwatch League. The arena will be constructed near the city’s other major sports stadiums. The 60,000-square-foot building will include seating for 3,500 and will contain 10,000 square feet set aside for training facilities and team offices. Construction is expected to begin this summer and be completed in 2021. Kansas City-based firm Populous will serve as lead architect.
PHILADELPHIA — Arbor Realty Trust has arranged a $6.4 million loan to refinance a 39-unit multifamily property in Philadelphia. Located at 1555 S. 15th St., the property was built in 2018 and includes a shared backyard as well as gourmet-style kitchens. Jared Stein of Arbor’s New York City office secured the seven-year, fixed-rate DUS loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower. The lender was Fannie Mae. Terms of financing include two years of interest-only payments.
The combined greater Philadelphia industrial markets closed 2018 with 718,266 square feet of positive absorption, according to research from NKF. Year-over-year, overall vacancy declined 20 basis points to 5.5 percent, while warehouse vacancy increased 140 basis points to 6.3 percent. 3.4 million square feet delivered over the past twelve months with 2.3 million square feet designated as warehouse space. The Southeastern Pennsylvania industrial market closed the year with a total of 264,511 square feet in negative absorption. Year-over-year, total vacancy for all property types increased 70 basis points to 6.2 percent. Philadelphia County accounted for a majority of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s occupancy gains, closing the year with 854,488 square feet of positive absorption. This was largely due to significant gains in occupancy that occurred in the first quarter. During the first three months of the year, Dependable Distribution moved into 332,640 square feet at 9801 Blue Grass Road and 185,000 square feet at 11200 Roosevelt Boulevard. In addition, Rainbow moved into 365,000 square feet at 2951 Grant Avenue, also in the first quarter. The negative absorption in the Southeastern Pennsylvania suburban market is not a sign that demand has slowed, quite the opposite. Ecommerce and distribution companies are aggressively seeking high-bay …
BETHLEHEM, PA. — Markward Group has arranged the $2.2 million sale of an eight-acre development site in Bethlehem. The property is located at 4700-4720 Bath Pike. Matt Macdonald of Markward Group represented the seller, the Kunsman Family, in the transaction. The buyer was Columbia Wegman Hanover LLC., which plans to develop a senior living community on the property.
KING OF PRUSSIA, PA. — Morgan Properties, a Pennsylvania-based investment and management firm, has acquired a portfolio of 10 apartment communities totaling 4,130 units in the metro areas of Philadelphia and Northern Virginia. The sales price was not disclosed, but The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the portfolio fetched a price of $890.5 million. The Philadelphia assets consist of seven properties totaling 2,346 units, which makes the transaction the largest multifamily acquisition in the city’s history. Two communities, Stonegate at Devon and Villas at Bryn Mawr, account for 947 units. The remaining five properties are located in the suburban submarkets of Conshohocken, West Chester, Downington, Jeffersonville and Bensalem. The portfolio’s Northern Virginia assets comprise three communities and 1,784 units. The bulk of those residences (1,387) are housed within a single property — Mount Vernon Square in Alexandria — while the other two are located in Fairfax and Sterling, both near Dulles International Airport. Morgan Properties, which is based in King of Prussia, Pa., will invest a combined $20 million in renovations and upgrades to the 10 Class B properties. Capital improvement plans will focus on both unit interiors and amenity spaces. “This acquisition is a game-changer for our organization,” says principal Jason …