ROCKDALE, TEXAS — Industrial development firm Xebec has announced plans for Sandow Lakes, the mixed-use redevelopment of a 33,000-acre industrial park formerly occupied by aluminum manufacturer Alcoa in Rockdale, roughly 25 miles outside of Austin. Built in the early 1950s, the property — which spans 50 square miles — was home to the largest aluminum foundry in the world for decades until it closed its doors in 2008, according to reports from D Magazine. Phase I of the redevelopment, dubbed the Advanced Manufacturing Logistix Campus at Sandow Lakes, will ultimately comprise 35 million square feet of industrial space, including build-to-suit space with flexible clear heights and bay spacing. Development of the first phase of the project began last fall with first move-ins slated to begin in the third quarter of 2026. Xebec will target distribution and manufacturing tenants, including cold storage users, in this initial phase. Further plans for the development include the addition of residential, retail, office and hospitality space connected by a series of lakes. A timeline for the development in full was not announced. The property is located in the Texas Triangle, a region of the state that includes its five largest cities — Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort …
Mixed-Use
Cronheim Hotel Capital Arranges $18.2M Acquisition Loan for Aloft Hotel in Newport, Kentucky
by John Nelson
NEWPORT, KY. — Cronheim Hotel Capital has arranged an $18.2 million acquisition loan for Aloft Newport, a hotel in the Cincinnati suburb of Newport. Built in 2017, the hotel is situated adjacent to the Newport on the Levee, a mixed-use development now owned by Atlanta-based Jamestown. The Aloft Newport is located directly across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati via a pedestrian bridge. Cronheim Hotel Capital arranged the loan through a regional bank on behalf of the locally based borrower, Rolling Hills Hospitality. The new owner plans to invest in capital improvements to improve hotel room interiors after the acquisition closes.
Toro Development Breaks Ground on $560M Medley Mixed-Use Campus in Johns Creek, Georgia
by John Nelson
JOHNS CREEK, GA. — Toro Development has officially broken ground on Medley, a $560 million mixed-use development spanning 43 acres in Johns Creek, an affluent northern suburb of Atlanta. Toro plans to hold a grand opening for the development on Oct. 29, 2026. The project is situated at the corner of McGinnis Ferry Road and Johns Creek Parkway, which formerly housed offices for State Farm Insurance. Plans for Medley call for 150,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space; a 175-room hotel; 110,000 square feet of offices; 750 apartments; 133 townhomes built by Empire Communities; and a 25,000-square-foot plaza. Toro obtained construction financing for the project in November and announced a new round of retail leasing at the development in December. Medley represents an important component of the city of Johns Creek’s 192-acre town center vision, according to Toro.
PITTSBURGH — Locally based developer Piatt Cos. has unveiled plans for The Esplanade, a $600 million, 1.7 million-square-foot mixed-use project in Pittsburgh. The site, which formerly supported industrial uses, spans 15 acres along the Ohio River on the city’s north side. Residential plans for The Esplanade currently call for more than 400 apartments, 20 percent of which will be reserved as affordable housing, as well as 105 condominium units. In addition, the development will feature roughly 8 acres of public green space, a 225-room hotel with meeting and event space and retail and entertainment uses such as an aquarium, grocery store, museum, splash park, walking trails, public art installations and a Ferris wheel. According to multiple local news sources, including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Piatt Cos. received approval in November from the City Planning Commission for the project, which is expected to generate $75.3 million in annual economic impact for the region, as well as to support the creation of more than 7,000 jobs.
Report: Los Angeles City Council Approves $1B Redevelopment of Television City Studios
by Katie Sloan
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council approved plans for the $1 billion redevelopment of Television City studios at 7800 Beverly Blvd. on Tuesday, according to reports by the Los Angeles Times. The landmark property was designed by architect William Pereira and developed in 1952. The studios have since been home to TV programs including “The Carol Burnett Show,” “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Good Times” and “All in the Family.” The redevelopment project is headed by Hackman Capital Partners, which acquired the property from CBS in 2018 for $750 million. Multiple plans for the site have been submitted over the course of the past two years due to pushback from the local community, according to the LA Times. Owners of nearby establishments including A.F. Gilmore Co. of the Original Farmers Market and Grove LLC — which owns The Grove shopping center developed by Rick Caruso — have sided with neighborhood groups against the project claiming it was too big and would make local traffic significantly worse, according to the newspaper. In response to these requests, Hackman worked with the city council to produce the recently approved plans for the project, which include the removal of 15-story, 150,000-square-foot office tower …
IPA Negotiates $35.6M Sale of Home Ranch Commons Medical, Retail Center in Yorba Linda, California
by Amy Works
YORBA LINDA, CALIF. — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap, has arranged the sale of Home Ranch Commons, a mixed-use medical and retail property in Yorba Linda. Greenbridge Partners sold the asset to Optimus Properties LLC for $35.6 million. Tom Lagos, Mark DeGiorgio, Jose Carrazana and Patrick Toomey of IPA represented the seller in the transaction. Built in 1984 and renovated in 2018, the 60,737-square-foot Home Ranch Commons is co-anchored by UCI Health and Kiddie Academy. Additional tenants at the property include Blue Agave, YL Family Chiropractic, Bodhi Leaf Trading Co., Coder School and Torkian Aesthetic Center.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Cottonwood Group, a real estate private equity firm with offices in Boston, Los Angeles and New York, has provided $284 million in financing for EastVillage, a 425-acre mixed-use development that is underway in East Austin. The senior bridge loan supports the recapitalization of a 312-unit multifamily property known as The Vaughan; an under-construction mixed-use multifamily and retail complex known as The Janis; 19 entitled land parcels; and the remaining unsold luxury units at The Linden Residences. Buffalo-based Reger Holdings is the master developer of EastVillage, which also recently added several new retailers to its tenant roster. Newmark arranged the debt.
CARFAX Signs 87,000 SF Office Lease at Metro DC’s Reston Station for New Corporate Headquarters
by John Nelson
RESTON, VA. — CARFAX, an automobile history reporting platform based in Centreville, Va., has signed an 87,000-square-foot office lease at Reston Station, a mixed-use development about 20 miles west of Washington, D.C. CARFAX will occupy three floors of the office building at 1906 Reston Metro Plaza, which will serve as the company’s new corporate headquarters. The landlord, Comstock Holding Cos. Inc., says CARFAX plans to move into its new space by the end of the year. Reston Station spans 90 acres near the Wiehle-Reston East Station on Metro’s Silver Line features more than 500 residential units, shops, restaurants and offices for companies including Google, ICF International and Spotify.
PFLUGERVILLE, TEXAS — General contractors Swinerton and Byrne Construction Services have broken ground on a mixed-use project in downtown Pflugerville, a northern suburb of Austin. Known as Pflugerville Downtown East, the development will feature a four-story, 104,000-square-foot city hall building that will house various public service departments, as well as a three-story, 140,000-square-foot recreation center that will also have 10,500 square feet of retail space. The project will also include an outdoor civic plaza. Completion is slated for fall 2026.
HUNTSVILLE, ALA. — WSS Development has delivered 2020 at Providence, a $100 million mixed-use community in Huntsville. The property features 360 upscale apartments with 12 different floor plans with monthly rental rates ranging from $1,530 to $4,890, according to Apartments.com. Amenities include a rooftop pool and lounge, fitness center, sky room, onsite coworking and conference rooms, resident courtyard and a game room with a golf simulator. Additionally, 2020 at Providence features approximately 23,000 square feet of retail space leased to tenants including Starbucks, Society Salon, Providence Wine Bar, Dolce Amore Italian Restaurant, Whitt’s Frozen Custard, Cajun Roux and Loona’s Breakfast & Lunch Café.