TEMPE, ARIZ. – SmartStop Self Storage has acquired a 350-unit self-storage facility in Tempe for $4.4 million. The facility is located at 3803 South Priest Drive. It is currently 89 percent occupied. The facility was built in 2005. SmartStop owns five other facilities in the Phoenix area. The new facility will be managed by and rebranded under the SmartStop flag.
WESTON, FLA. — CBRE has arranged a long-term 230,600-square-foot industrial lease in Weston. The tenant, Gold Coast Freightways, originally occupied half of the Class A distribution center but will now lease the entire facility. Tom O’Loughlin and Larry Genet of CBRE represented the landlord, Clarion Partners, in the lease transaction. Luis Marquez of the Casal Group represented Gold Coast Freightways, a less-than-truck-load carrier based in Miami.
PHOENIX – A 94,885-square-foot distribution building in Phoenix has sold to Cohen Asset Management for $5.1 million. The building is located at 2021 E. Jones Ave. It is situated southwest of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Cohen was represented by Matt McDougall of Lee & Associates. The seller, Michael Lewis Company, was represented by DTZ’s Andy Cloud.
SKOKIE, ILL. — Darwin Realty & Development Corp. has arranged a 44,288-square-foot industrial lease at 3712 Jarvis Ave. in Skokie. CenterPoint Properties leased the space, which is within an 89,441-square-foot building, to Eco-Brite Linens, a company that specializes in laundering linens for assisted living facilities. David Conroy and Tim Gallagher of Cawley Chicago represented the tenant in its 10-year lease. Dan Prendergast of Darwin Realty represented the landlord.
WEST ALLIS, WIS. — DTZ Barry has brokered the sale of a 69,820-square-foot distribution center in West Allias. 1650 S. 108th St. LLC purchased the industrial property, which is located at 1650 S.108th St., from DDP LLC. Jim Young and Kurt Van Dyke of DTZ Barry brokered the transaction. Investor 1650 S. 108th St. will lease the property to Hajoca Corp., a privately held distributor of plumbing, heating and industrial supplies.
TANNERSVILLE, PA. — Michael Baxter & Associates Commercial Real Estate has arranged the sale of the former Pocono Record printing facility in Tannersville. DMC Properties PA LLC, an affiliate of Durr Mechanical Construction purchased the 25,000-square-foot property for $1.2 million. Michael Baxter of Michael Baxter & Associates represented the seller, Dow Jones, in the transaction. John Schilp of NAI James E. Hanson represented the buyer.
Throughout the economic recovery, real estate has been investors’ preferred asset class in the Cincinnati region and across the United States. Although the Federal Reserve is likely to raise short-term interest rates in June or September, demand for commercial real estate is expected to remain strong as long as the recovering economy continues to create new demand for commercial space. According to Real Capital Analytics, 2014 finally saw total U.S. sales volume and property prices (at the aggregate level) reach pre-recession levels. In fact, Real Capital Analytics reports that excluding portfolio sales, activity was higher in 2014 than in 2007. Investment Sales Surge Metro Cincinnati’s property and portfolio sales in 2014 totaled more than $2.3 billion across all major real estate sectors, a 53 percent increase over 2013. It was, by far, the strongest year for investment activity in recent memory, with significant increases across all property types. For the second straight year, retail sales transactions led the way locally among all property types. Retail sales volume in 2014 exceeded $600 million, $370 million of which occurred in the fourth quarter. Office property and portfolio sales in Cincinnati totaled nearly $580 million in 2014. This figure was a 162 percent …
MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS — Trammell Crow Co. and partner Artis REIT have acquired two land tracts totaling 127 acres in Missouri City. The partnership plans to develop a new, Class A industrial business park called Park 8Ninety, which will accommodate more than 1.7 million square feet of build-to-suit or speculative office/warehouse, distribution and manufacturing space. Construction on the first phase of Park 8Ninety, which will include three buildings totaling over 330,000 square feet of industrial space, is expected to begin in Summer 2015, with completion scheduled for Spring 2016. The property is located at the south corner of U.S. Highway 90A and Beltway 8 (Sam Houston Parkway), 20 miles southwest of downtown Houston. Barney Van Huss represented the seller, Ellis Management, which sold a 75-acre parcel. Ron Dagley of The Betz Cos. represented a local investment group, which sold an adjacent 52-acre parcel. Bo Pettit and Alexander Reilly of Boyd Commercial LLC/CORFAC International represented Trammell Crow Co. and Artis REIT in the acquisition.
HOUSTON — McCarthy Building Cos., and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) have broken ground on the METRO Harrisburg Overpass project located in Houston’s East End. The project will be the final piece of METRO’s Green Line, which travels through downtown to the Magnolia Transit Center. The $27 million project will involve construction of a 2,400-linear-foot grade separation at the Houston Belt and Terminal (HBT) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) railroad tracks located west of Hughes Road. It will include a bridge structure with aesthetic architectural features, two 16-foot wide vehicular traffic lanes, a 26-foot LRT guideway located in the center of the bridge structure, and two five-foot wide emergency walkways on each side of the bridge. The overpass is set to be complete in 12 months.
ROCHESTER HILLS, MICH. — Colliers International has arranged the sale of a 29,504-square-foot industrial building located at Rochester Industrial Court in Rochester Hills. Peter E. Kepic, Peter J. Kepic and Ryan Brittain of Colliers International represented the buyer, Gantz LLC. The seller is a private entity. Gantz purchased the property as an investment and has awarded Colliers International the right to lease the building once renovations are complete.