The pandemic has done a lot to the office sector, not the least of which is convince employees they don’t need to sit in a cubicle eight hours a day, five days a week. Turns out, unsurprisingly, many people appreciate the freedom and flexibility that comes with working from home. The average U.S. office vacancy rate was 18.6 percent in the first quarter of 2023, according to Cushman & Wakefield. This was 5.9 percentage points higher than fourth-quarter 2019. Three California regions are also listed on the “Bottom 10 Performers of 2022” list (according to vacancy rate) put out by the National Association of Realtors. These include San Rafael (19.3 percent vacancy), San Francisco (16.4 percent) and Los Angeles (14.4 percent). Yet, leases are still getting signed, particularly at urban mixed-use projects throughout the state. Sean Slater, senior principal in RDC’s San Diego office, thinks this type of environment is a no-brainer for companies looking to bring employees back to the office. “Office workers want choice, especially with the current work-from-anywhere trend,” he says. “For a long time, suburban office parks have lacked choice of food and beverage, a diverse population of tenants, and a meaningful connection to their community. …
Mixed-Use
McBride Cohen Receives Financing for First Phase of 3.2 MSF Mixed-Use Project in Tempe, Arizona
by Jeff Shaw
TEMPE, ARIZ. — The McBride Cohen Co. has received a $53.2 million mezzanine loan to develop the first phase of South Pier at Tempe Town Lake, a waterfront mixed-use project in Tempe. South Pier is a seven-phase project that will span 18 acres and 3.2 million square feet along the southern shoreline of Tempe Town Lake. The first phase of South Pier will consist of 724 multifamily units across three towers, as well as parking garage with 850 spaces, 280 spaces of surface parking and 26,500 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. Construction on the first phase began in January and is slated for completion by spring 2026. The Davis Experience is the architect for the project and Clayco is the general contractor. At full build-out, South Pier will offer 18 total buildings, including thousands of housing units, 600,000 square feet of high-rise office space, two hotels and South Pier Isle, an entertainment district providing dining, retail, night life and entertainment venues. South Pier Isle also includes the Arizona Amazing Wheel, an 80-meter-tall observation wheel. The development site is located adjacent to the main campus of Arizona State University. Pearlmark originated the mezzanine loan on behalf of Pearlmark Mezzanine Realty …
CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. — A joint venture between Miami-based Key International and 13th Floor Investments has acquired a 4.2-acre site in Coral Springs for $8 million, with plans to develop a mixed-use project at the property. Plans for the development include 377 residential units, 11,525 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a 629-space parking garage. A construction timeline was not disclosed. Roberto Susi of Axiom Capital Partners represented the joint venture in the acquisition.
NEW YORK CITY — Douglaston Development has started construction of a $320 million multifamily project in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The 474,000-square-foot development is located at 1057 Atlantic Ave. in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Upon completion, the community will rise 17 stories and offer 456 units of mixed-income housing. The units, 137 of which will be affordable housing, will be offered in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations. A partnership between BEB Capital and Totem began assembling the site in 2019. Douglaston recently acquired the site for $66 million from the partnership, retaining both parties as co-developers for the project. TerraCRG brokered the transaction. Shared amenities will include a fitness center, lounge, golf simulator, game room, screening room, children’s playroom and a landscaped rooftop deck with views of Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline. In addition to the residential portion of the community, the development will also feature 31,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Greystone Capital Advisors arranged funding for the project, which includes $185 million in construction financing placed through Wells Fargo Bank, M&T Bank and BankUnited. Funds managed by Ares Real Estate have also acquired preferred interest in the development, which is slated for completion in late 2025. New …
MIAMI — Newmark has arranged a $91 million loan for the refinancing of Wynwood 27 & 28, a mixed-use project currently underway in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami. Upon completion, the development will feature 52,000 square feet of office space, 33,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, 152 residential units and 232 parking spaces. Jordan Roeschlaub, Dustin Stolly, Christopher Kramer, Nick Scribani and Danny Matz of Newmark secured the financing through Valley National Bank and Israel Discount Bank on behalf of the borrowers, Kushner Cos. and Block Capital Group.
HUNT VALLEY, MD. — St. John Properties has purchased a 17-acre parcel at the corner of York Road and Wight Avenue in Hunt Valley, about 18 miles north of Baltimore. The locally based developer purchased the land from Noxema for an undisclosed price. Jay Wellschlager of JLL represented the seller in the transaction, and Sean Doordan and Alex Lyons represented St. John Properties internally. On the site, St. John Properties plans to build Hunt Valley Exchange, a 110,000-square-foot mixed-use complex that will feature flex and research-and-development buildings, inline shops and restaurants and retail pad sites. Construction is expected to commence immediately.
Sprouts to Open 23,000 SF Grocery Store at Aster & Links in Downtown Sarasota, Florida
by John Nelson
SARASOTA, FLA. — Sprouts Farmers Market has signed a 23,000-square-foot retail lease at Aster & Links, a mixed-use development underway in downtown Sarasota. The developer, Belpointe PREP LLC, is a publicly traded qualified opportunity fund based in Greenwich, Conn. Aster & Links is a Main Street-style development that comprises two high-rise buildings that will rise seven and 10 stories. The 424-unit property will include one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom townhome-style penthouses, as well 900 parking spaces consisting of garage and surface parking. Amenities will include a clubroom, fitness room, center courtyard with heated saltwater pool and rooftop amenities including a community room and a private dining area for private events, as well as outdoor grills and seating. Leasing at Aster & Links is anticipated to begin in the first half of 2024. The target opening date for Sprouts was not disclosed.
HIALEAH, FLA. — Codina Partners has acquired the former Sears site at Westland Mall in Hialeah for an undisclosed price. The 15-acre parcel has been vacant since February 2020. The locally based buyer, following the closure of the sale, formed a joint venture with Westland Mall owner, Centennial, to redevelop the site and add a mixed-use concept with a residential component. Centennial acquired Westland Mall from Starwood Capital in 2021. The shopping center consists of more than 300,000 square feet of retail space that is anchored by Macy’s, JC Penney and the former Sears site. The construction timeline of the mixed-use redevelopment was not disclosed.
CHICAGO — Knickpoint Ventures has topped off construction of The Fields Studios, Chicago’s first purpose-built film studio. Project costs total $250 million, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. Completion is slated for the first quarter of 2024. Plans call for nine sound stages totaling 132,000 square feet and more than 350,000 square feet of creative and production offices. The project is part of the larger redevelopment of the 1.5 million-square-foot, former Marshall Fields warehouse on the city’s Northwest side. Gov. J.B. Pritzker introduced a development subsidy to spur the growth of additional sound stage infrastructure such as The Fields Studios. In March, he signed a 10-year extension of the state’s long-standing production tax credit for filmmakers. At capacity, The Fields Studios is expected to impact the local economy by driving nearly 12,000 production-related jobs with about $1.3 billion of economic impact in its first five years. The Marshall Fields warehouse was originally built in 1928. In addition to the film studio component, the redevelopment project also includes retail, residential and office space. Cermak Fresh Market is already operating onsite and 123 new apartment units have opened.
Lincoln Property Co., Webb to Build 18-Acre Mixed-Use Project in Downtown Lexington, Kentucky
by John Nelson
LEXINGTON, KY. — Lincoln Property Co. (LPC) and The Webb Cos. plan to develop an 18-acre mixed-use development in downtown Lexington. The site is situated across from Rupp Arena, the home arena for the University of Kentucky Wildcats men’s and women’s basketball teams. LPC and Webb signed a long-term ground lease with the landowner, Lexington Center Corp., after a competitive request for proposal (RFP) process. The duo’s plan for the site includes apartments, stores, restaurants, a hotel and offices, among other uses. The project’s name and construction timeline were not revealed.