WATERTOWN, MASS. — A partnership between two locally based firms, Davis Cos. and Boston Development Group, has topped out a 224,000-square-foot life sciences building located at 66 Galen St. in the western Boston suburb of Watertown. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, the project marks Phase I of a 450,000-square-foot campus that will comprise two buildings and multiple acres of open green space. The first building will house six tenant spaces, a fitness center, rooftop terrace, underground parking and ground-floor retail space. Completion is slated for 2023.
Life Sciences
PHILADELPHIA — An affiliate of the Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association (TIAA) has provided a $265.2 million loan for a life sciences expansion project in Philadelphia. The Curtis is a 12-story, 912,245-square-foot building in the Center City District that originally housed a publishing operation and now features lab, office and research and development space. The borrower, Keystone Development + Investment, purchased the historic building in 2014 and has subsequently converted portions of the leasable space to support life sciences usage. Proceeds from this loan will enable Keystone to continue that initiative with the conversion of 200,000 square feet of additional space within The Curtis. A portion of the proceeds will also be used to fund infrastructure upgrades and leasing costs. Current tenants at The Curtis include BioLabs, IMVAXM Vivodyne and Aro Biotherapeutics.
SOMERVILLE, MASS. — JLL has arranged a $230 million construction loan for 15 McGrath Highway, a 262,000-square-foot life sciences project that will be located in the northern Boston suburb of Somerville. The nine-story, transit-served facility will include commercial space and below-grade parking. Completion is slated for late 2024. Brett Paulsrud, Henry Schaffer and Mike Shepard of JLL arranged the nonrecourse loan on behalf of the borrower, a partnership between DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners, Leggat McCall Properties and Deutsche Finance America. Oxford Properties Group provided the financing.
Breakthrough Properties Plans 164,000 SF Life Sciences Redevelopment Campus in Boulder, Colorado
by John Nelson
BOULDER, COLO. — Breakthrough Properties, a developer of life sciences real estate backed by a joint venture of Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital, has acquired a 9.3-acre, four-building campus in Boulder. The company plans to transform the campus into a 164,000-square-foot office, lab and flex development named Boulder 38 by Breakthrough. Located at the intersection of 38th Street and Arapahoe Avenue, the campus is one mile from Jennie Smith Caruthers Biotechnology Building, a 400,000-square-foot research and technology facility at the University of Colorado Boulder. Research conducted at the university and the surrounding ecosystem has established Boulder as a regional bioscience hub. According to CBRE market report data, the Boulder life sciences market has maintained approximately 1 million square feet of active life science requirements over the past 18 months. “Boulder has succeeded in cultivating a unique ecosystem propelled by leading research and academic institutions, creative residents and premier outdoor recreational amenities,” says Paul DeMartini, senior managing director of Tishman Speyer. “We are excited by this opportunity to create a world-class research campus that will serve as a magnet for life sciences innovation and talent.” The acquisition and redevelopment of Boulder 38 is being capitalized by the Breakthrough Life Science Property …
RALEIGH, N.C. — Targan, a locally based research-and-development firm serving the poultry industry, has leased 100,000 square feet at Midtown BioCenter, a life sciences conversion project in Raleigh’s Midtown district. Situated at the intersection of Six Forks and Wake Forest roads, the property was formerly a Kroger grocery store. The developer and landlord, East West Partners, plans to deliver the project in spring 2023. Upon completion, Midtown BioCenter will feature lab and biomanufacturing space, as well as office space. The project team includes general contractor ARCO Design/Build and lead architect Redline Design Group. Brad Corsmeier and Lee Clyburn of CBRE|Raleigh represented East West Partners in the lease deal. Kathryn Lawn and Deborah Boucher of Cushman & Wakefield represented Targan.
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Lee & Associates’ Second-Quarter 2022 Economic Rundown by Sector
Rising interest rates, inflation and general economic uncertainty altered the patterns and outlooks for the industrial, office, retail and multifamily sectors across the United States. As Lee & Associates’ recent Q2 2022 North America Market Report reveals, certain sectors like industrial and multifamily, that were white hot last year, have begun to cool slightly. Meanwhile, retail is making historic gains in the face of decreasing interest in ecommerce. The full Lee & Associates report is available (with further breakdowns of factors like vacancy rates, market rents, inventory square footage and cap rates by city) here. The analysis below provides an overview of four major commercial real estate sectors alongside economic factors impacting each. Industrial Overview: Record Low Supply, Rent Growth Demand for industrial space eased slightly from its record-setting growth of last year but remained strong through for the first half of 2022 as annualized rent growth moved into double digits and the overall vacancy rate fell to 3.9 percent, a record low. Net absorption through June totaled 192.2 million square feet. It was the second highest two-quarter total on record and more than the 170 million square feet of tenant growth for all of 2019. It was exceeded only by 297.8 …
LOWELL, MASS. — Boutique brokerage firm Peak Real Estate Partners has negotiated the sale of a 62,000-square-foot office and lab building located at 75 Technology Drive in the northern Boston suburb of Lowell. Jumbo Capital sold the property to Boston-based Rhino Capital Advisors for an undisclosed price. Anthony Biette of Peak Real Estate brokered the deal on behalf of both parties. Northmarq arranged acquisition financing through Cambridge Savings Bank. The building was fully leased at the time of sale.
LOWELL, MASS. — Boutique brokerage firm Peak Real Estate Partners has negotiated the sale of a 62,000-square-foot office and lab building located at 75 Technology Drive in the northern Boston suburb of Lowell. Jumbo Capital sold the property to Boston-based Rhino Capital Advisors for an undisclosed price. Anthony Biette of Peak Real Estate brokered the deal on behalf of both parties. Northmarq arranged acquisition financing through Cambridge Savings Bank. The building was fully leased at the time of sale.
Syndicated Equities Trades Johns Hopkins Laboratory Building in Laurel, Maryland for $53M
by John Nelson
LAUREL, MD. — Syndicated Equities, a private real estate investment firm based in Chicago, has sold the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel. An unnamed, Florida-based investor purchased the building for $53 million in a 1031 exchange. The property is situated within Montpelier Research Park near Johns Hopkins University’s Laurel campus. Syndicated Equities purchased the property in January 2011 in a joint venture with Middleton Partners, which is also based in Chicago. During its ownership, Syndicated Equities executed two long-term leases and made significant improvements to the asset, including installing new roofs.
Syndicated Equities Trades Johns Hopkins Laboratory Building in Laurel, Maryland for $53M
by John Nelson
LAUREL, MD. — Syndicated Equities, a private real estate investment firm based in Chicago, has sold the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel. An unnamed, Florida-based investor purchased the property for $53 million in a 1031 exchange. Syndicated Equities purchased the laboratory facility in January 2011 in a joint venture with Middleton Partners, which is also based in Chicago. During its ownership, Syndicated Equities executed two long-term leases and made significant improvements to the asset, including installing a new roof.