DENVER — Essex Financial Group has secured $32 million in financing for the purchase of 2nd & Josephine, a 105,253-square-foot mixed-use property in Denver. Comprising four buildings, the development was fully leased at the time of sale. Bank of America anchors the property, which features retail and office space, as well as 260 parking spaces. Paul Donahue, Cooper Williams, Nate Schneider and Andrea Mehlem of Essex arranged the seven-year, fixed-rate loan through an undisclosed life insurance company on behalf of the buyer.
Mixed-Use
CBRE Negotiates Four New Leases at Queen City Quarter Mixed-Use Redevelopment in Uptown Charlotte
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CBRE has arranged four new leases for retailers and restaurants to join Queen City Quarter, a mixed-use redevelopment of the former EpiCentre property in Uptown Charlotte. The multi-level, 302,324-square-foot development is located along College Street and houses World of Beer, Mortimer’s Café & Pub and Bowlero, all of which recently renewed their leases. The new tenants joining Queen City Quarter’s tenant roster include Portal 123, a rotating Instagram museum and immersive art experience; Nostalgia Hollow Co., a locally based coffeeshop and home goods retailer; Cajun Market, a fast-casual Cajun-Creole restaurant; and Super Icy Brothers, a frozen dessert shop. All four concepts plan to open in the second or third quarter. Kaitlyn Fitch, Kivett Williams and Katherine Southard of CBRE handled the lease negotiations on behalf of the landlord, an entity doing business as 210 East Trade Street Holdings LLC. In addition to the leases, CBRE will begin the previously announced renovations and improvements to the property in late spring. Most of the work will be in the property’s 15,462-square-foot plaza and include replacing the pavers along the walkways and installing benches with planters in the main common area. The building’s interior façades on all levels, in addition to …
BALTIMORE — Harbor Stone Advisors has brokered the $5 million sale of Astor Court, a mixed-use property located at 2440 St. Paul St. in Baltimore’s Old Goucher neighborhood. Built in 1930 and renovated in 2006, the property features 26 one-bedroom apartments, 10 two-bedroom units and four commercial spaces on the ground level leased to Subway, State of the Art Hair Studio, Maryland Healthcare Clinics and Charles Village Community Benefits District. Community amenities include controlled building access, an elevator, 24-hour fitness center, community multipurpose room with kitchen, shared workspace, private courtyard, bicycle storage and a laundry facility. A small parking lot adjacent to Astor Court was included in the sale. Justin Verner, Brooks Healy and Tom Wohlgemuth of Harbor Stone represented the seller, an entity doing business as Astor Court LLC that is led by investor Michael Rock, in the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed.
BOSTON — Berkeley Investments has received approval from the Boston Planning & Development Agency to move forward with development of its 176 Lincoln mixed-use project in Boston’s Allston neighborhood. Plans call for Class A lab and R&D space, offices and apartment units. Designed by CBT, 176 Lincoln will be built on a five-acre site with two acres of landscaped open space. The two main commercial buildings will include 720,000 square feet of lab, R&D and office space. The project will also include onsite housing, including 252 apartment units with 10 live-work units for artists. The project will be situated within immediate proximity to Harvard’s recently completed Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Harvard Business School and the recent expansion of Harvard academic and cultural facilities such as the Harvard Innovation Labs. The expanding Harvard presence in Allston is establishing a new cluster for innovation and research in greater Boston, according to Berkeley. “With its location adjacent to Harvard’s growing Allston campus and its introduction of state-of-the-art, Class A lab space, 176 Lincoln will be an important addition to the rapidly growing life sciences, medical, academic research and corporate corridor stretching through Boston and into Cambridge,” says Young Park, …
Whole Foods to Anchor $1B Mixed-Use Development in Downtown Greenville, South Carolina
by John Nelson
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Whole Foods Market has signed on to anchor Greenville County Square, a $1 billion mixed-use redevelopment project in downtown Greenville. Atlanta-based RocaPoint Partners is the developer behind the 3.5 million-square-foot live-work-play destination, which will modernize and activate 40 acres along University Ridge. The Austin, Texas-based grocer will occupy a standalone building designed by MVA Architects. Whole Foods is the first tenant announced, and RocaPoint is currently pursuing other credit-worthy retailers and restaurants to join the development. “Whole Foods Market will add to the development’s lively charm and represents the quality of the tenants we’re targeting to drive economic growth while simultaneously answering public interest at Greenville County Square,” says Patrick Leonard, principal of RocaPoint. The developer says that Greenville County Square will serve as a connective hub to the city’s outdoor-oriented attractions, namely Falls Park and the new Cancer Survivor’s Park. Additionally, the project is expected to connect with the historic Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 22-mile walking and biking path that runs along the Reedy River and connects Greenville to Travelers Rest, S.C. “This redevelopment is positioned to be the ideal walkable environment for residents and visitors with a strategic blend of office, hotels, residential, restaurant, entertainment and …
13th Floor, Key International Break Ground on First Phase of 747-Unit Multifamily Project in Delray Beach, Florida
by John Nelson
DELRAY BEACH, FLA. — 13th Floor Investments and Key International, in partnership with CDS International Holdings and Wexford Capital, have broken ground on the first phase of a multifamily project at the Parks at Delray, a 50-acre mixed-use development located along Congress Avenue in Delray Beach. Upon completion, the residential component will total 747 units across a mix of townhomes and three- and five-story apartment buildings. Phase I, which is scheduled for delivery in 2024 and 2025, will comprise 420 units, with Phase II including 327 units. Apartments will range in size from 580 to 1,400 square feet in one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. The townhomes will feature three-bedroom layouts and span between 1,670 and 1,770 square feet. Amenities will include a clubhouse, gym, pool, social room and parks and green spaces. ANF Group is serving as the general contractor on the project, which was designed by MSA Architects. Parks at Del Ray will also feature 40,000 square feet of grocery-anchored retail space and 68,000 square feet of office space.
DURHAM, N.C. — Publix Super Markets has opened a 46,791-square-foot store at Marketplace at Ellis Crossing, a 30-acre mixed-use development underway in Durham. Located at the northeast corner of Ellis Road and Watchorn Street, the project marks the fourth North Carolina development for Thompson Thrift. Other tenants at the property, which features an additional 25,000 square feet of retail space, include Chipotle and First National Bank, which is scheduled to open in 2024. Sheetz, Heartland Dental, Lee Nails and It’s a Southern Thing Kitchen & Bar are also expected to open at the development this summer.
Massage Studio, Brewery Sign Leases Totaling 5,000 SF at Oakhurst Commons in Charlotte
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two tenants have signed leases at Oakhurst Commons, a 135,000-square-foot adaptive reuse project currently underway in Charlotte. Massage studio Mood House will lease 3,000 square feet, marking the brand’s second Charlotte location. Additionally, Pop the Top Craft Beer will open a 2,000-square-foot brewery with outdoor patio space. A joint venture between MDH Partners and Parkside Partners acquired the property — located at 4000 Monroe Road and formerly home to a five-building office, warehouse and lab facility — in 2021. Upon completion, the development will include 120,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of retail space. Alex Mann of Thrift Commercial Real Estate Services handles leasing for the project.
Fox Corp. Plans $1.5B Expansion to Historic Fox Studio Lot in Los Angeles, Including New Office Towers
by John Nelson
LOS ANGELES — Fox Corp. has submitted plans to the City of Los Angeles to expand the historic Fox Studio Lot as part of a project known as “The FOX FUTURE Studio Lot Project.” The plan is expected to cost approximately $1.5 billion and generate $9 million in annual tax revenues. The Fox Studio Lot currently comprises 1.8 million square feet across 96 buildings. The FOX FUTURE Studio Lot Project would add 1.6 million square feet of new development, including nine new soundstages, as well as production facilities and a 24-story media campus office building. The media campus office is intended to receive LEED Platinum certification and will feature shared and private offices designed for film and TV production. Fox is seeking a development partner to construct a 35-story building toward the northeast section of the Fox Studio lot that will directly connect to the studio lot and the Century City subway station, but will function as independent office space. This building will also be designed with LEED Platinum certification in mind. Plans also call for upgrades to existing facilities, a historic preservation plan for key buildings, seismic retrofits of older buildings and a renovation of Fox Sports Studio A. “The Fox …
Walker & Dunlop Arranges $51M Construction Financing for City Hall, Affordable Housing Project in South Florida
by John Nelson
OAKLAND PARK, FLA. — Walker & Dunlop has arranged $51 million in construction financing for Sky Building, a mixed-use development located in the South Florida city of Oakland Park. The borrower, locally based NRI Investments, previously signed a development agreement, lease agreement and purchase and sale agreement for the 2.1- acre site with the City of Oakland Park. Sky Building will house 136 affordable and workforce units, which are connected by a skybridge to the City of Oakland Park’s new City Hall, alongside roughly 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The site is within an opportunity zone approximately three miles north of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Jeremy Pino, Livingston Hessam, Carl Passmore, Kyle Miller, David Strange and Keith Melton of Walker & Dunlop arranged the financing via senior construction lenders and debt and equity funds. The financing was underwritten at 80 percent loan-to-cost and is non-recourse through the capital stack, according to Walker & Dunlop. The construction timeline for Sky Building was not disclosed.