AUSTIN, TEXAS — Austin-based Inspire Development has begun construction of Pearson Ranch, a $2 billion, 156-acre mixed use project located just off State Highway 45 in northwest Austin. The master plan for the project includes 48 acres of land for a corporate campus, including 2.6 million square feet of office space. Upon completion, the mixed-use property will also include approximately 200,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and community/cultural spaces; two hotels; thousands of residential units; and 30 acres of parks and green space. Phase I of Pearson Ranch will center on The Eden, an apartment community that will feature 306 one-, two- and three-bedroom units that will range in size from 672 to 1,511 square feet. Residences will be furnished with technology such as smart locks and thermostats, gas appliances, built-in kitchen islands with quartz countertops and in-unit washers and dryers. Residents will have access to amenities such as a fitness center, rooftop deck, coworking lounge, golf simulator, dog spa, community gardens, a three-acre park and a pool area with barbeque grills, day beds, cabanas and a bocce ball court. The general contractor for The Eden is NRP Group. The project’s architect is Austin-based Davies Collaborative. Vertical construction on The …
Mixed-Use
SKOKIE, ILL. — Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is underway on the redevelopment of the Westfield Old Orchard shopping mall in Skokie. Plans call for retail, apartments, restaurants, gourmet markets, health and wellness amenities and entertainment space. The project will also include a park and event space designed as the center’s focal point and social gathering space. The multi-phase project began earlier this fall with the modernization of the existing shopping center, starting with enhancements to the common areas as well as the opening of new restaurants, health and wellness components and retailers such as Bloomies and Louis Vuitton as well as the return of Barnes & Noble. Redevelopment will continue in 2023 with the former Lord & Taylor space, which will be completely reimagined. Development of the new residences, eateries, wellness facilities and outdoor amenities is expected to begin in 2024 and open in phases starting in 2026. Westfield Old Orchard originally opened in 1956.
Berkadia Arranges $77.5M Refinancing for Loudoun Station Mixed-Use Development in Ashburn, Virginia
by John Nelson
ASHBURN, VA. — Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC has arranged a $77.5 million loan for the refinancing of the second phase of Loudoun Station, a 1 million-square-foot mixed-use development in Ashburn. Patrick McGlohn, Miles Drinkwalter and Joyce Connolly of Berkadia arranged the 10-year, fixed-rate loan on behalf of the borrower, an affiliate of Comstock Holding Cos. Inc. Phase II of Loudoun Station comprises the BLVD Gramercy East and BLVD Flats apartment buildings, as well as ground-floor retail space and structured parking. Comstock is planning another 1.5 million square feet of real estate at Loudoun Station in future phases.
Miami Worldcenter Associates, CIM Deliver 80,000 SF Retail Building, Future Home of Bowlero and Sports & Social
by John Nelson
MIAMI — Miami Worldcenter Associates and partner CIM Group have delivered Block F-East, an 80,000-square-foot “jewel box” retail building within the $4 billion Miami Worldcenter campus in downtown Miami. The standalone, glass-encased building marks one of the last retail components to be delivered as part of the 27-acre mixed-use development. The building, which will be home to Bowlero and the recently announced Sports & Social, will feature an open-air rooftop restaurant overlooking Miami Worldcenter’s World Square public plaza and park. Block F-East is located at the confluence of the 7th Street Promenade and World Paseo open-air retail pedestrian streets. The site is directly west of Miami Worldcenter’s upcoming citizenM boutique hotel and north of the completed luxury apartment tower Bezel Miami. In addition to the jewel box’s tenants, other retailers at Miami Worldcenter include Sephora (now open), lululemon athletica, Savage x Fenty, Ray-Ban, Posman Books and Lucid Motors, as well as dining and entertainment concepts such as Brasserie Laurel (now open), El Vecino and Chicago’s Maple & Ash and etta restaurants.
WILMINGTON, N.C. — A joint venture between an affiliate of The Beach Co. and Swain & Associates plans to develop Center Point, a mixed-use project adjacent to Mayfaire Town Center in Wilmington. Phase I of the campus will include 351 apartments, 45,655 square feet of retail space and 6,941 square feet of live/work space. The co-developers have tapped Charlie Coyne and Matt Larson of CBRE|Raleigh to lease the retail component of Center Point, which will be located across from Landfall Shopping Center and The Forum. A construction timeline was not disclosed.
NEW YORK CITY — JLL has arranged the $825 million sale of three Upper East Side multifamily properties totaling 858 units. The properties include 29,275 square feet of commercial space and are part of a larger, five-property portfolio. Solow Building Co. sold the assets to GO Partners, a partnership between Black Spruce Management and Orbach Affordable Housing. Local developer RXR, along with Macquarie Capital Principal Finance and the Qatar Investment Authority, contributed a $261 million preferred equity investment to the deal. Sheldon H. Solow, a New York City real estate developer and investor, originally developed the portfolio. The properties included in the sale are the 234-unit One Sutton Place, located at 420 E. 61st St.; the 209-unit Two Sutton Place, located at 1113 York Ave., which includes 2,000 square feet of commercial space; and One East River Place, located at 525 E. 72nd St. and includes 27,275 square feet of commercial space. The average unit size at the properties is 989 square feet. Additionally, the portfolio offers some of the few black glass facade residential buildings within Manhattan. The 408-unit property 685 1st Ave. was the first asset to close within the larger portfolio, with JLL representing the seller. An …
CLEVELAND — A partnership between Detroit-based developer Bedrock and the City of Cleveland has unveiled plans for the Cuyahoga Riverfront, an initiative that will feature 3.5 million square feet of new development and adaptive reuse projects across 35 acres of publicly and privately owned waterfront land. According to multiple news outlets including The Plain Dealer and Spectrum News, the project is valued at $3.5 billion. Preliminary plans for the site call for the addition of approximately 2,000 residential units, 850,000 square feet of office space and 12 acres of open public space, as well as hospitality, retail and restaurant uses. The development team is targeting a 15- to 20-year timeline for full buildout and transformation of the site. In addition, Bedrock partnered with Sherwin-Williams Co. to acquire Landmark Office Towers and the Breen Technology Center. Specific plans regarding the future use of these buildings were not immediately disclosed. The development team — which includes master architect David Adjaye, local firm Osborn Engineering and urban planning firm MKSK — views the site as a natural connective bridge between the Cuyahoga River and downtown Cleveland. Adjaye spent the last several months in Cleveland cultivating a plan to make that vision a reality. …
SJC Ventures Tops Out Second Phase of $750M Interlock Mixed-Use Development in Atlanta
by John Nelson
ATLANTA — SJC Ventures has topped out the second phase of The Interlock, a $750 million mixed-use project located in Atlanta’s West Midtown district. The second phase, built by Choate Construction and anchored by a 42,000-square-foot Publix, features 275,000 square feet of commercial space and 670 units of student housing for Georgia Tech students. Construction on the second phase began in May 2021. Additionally, four new retailers have inked leases at The Interlock. Pinky Promise Champagne Bar, The X Pot — a Korean barbecue and hot pot restaurant, City Nails and GoodVets will join the tenant lineup. Previously announced tenants include Starbucks Coffee, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, Salon Lofts and Five Guys. Stream Realty Partners is managing leasing for the office space at the development on behalf of SJC Ventures.
University of Tampa Breaks Ground on Multipurpose Building, Including 600-Bed Residence Hall
by John Nelson
TAMPA, FLA. — The University of Tampa has broken ground on a 10-story, 460,000-square-foot multipurpose building that will be the largest facility on campus when completed in 2024. The property will feature a 600-bed residence hall, 37 faculty offices, five classrooms, study rooms, study lounge designated for military veterans, a ground-level Starbucks, four levels of parking and spaces dedicated for the school’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Institute for Sales Excellence and the International Programs Office. Additionally, students living in the building will have access to a 9,000-square-foot “sky park.” The design-build team includes Baker Barrios Architects and KWJ Architects. The University of Tampa has an estimated student enrollment of 10,600 for the current academic year, which is the 91-year-old university’s largest student body to date.
Joint Venture Acquires Last Parcel Within Miami Worldcenter Campus for $17.5M, Plans Residential Tower
by John Nelson
MIAMI — A joint venture between Aria Development Group and Merrimac Ventures has purchased the last available parcel within the 27-acre Miami Worldcenter campus, a $4 billion mixed-use development by Miami Worldcenter Associates. The site, located one block from Brightline Miami Central at 33-55 N.W. 6th St., is known as The Miami Link. Jack Lowell, Cecillia Estevez and Mika Mattingly of Colliers represented the buyer in the transaction. The seller, International Longshoreman Association, sold the 24,000-square-foot site for $17.5 million. The labor union has owned the site for more than 45 years and previously operated a 5,130-square-foot building on the parcel. The buyer also recently acquired an adjacent site at 600 N.E. 1st Ave. to bring the total assemblage to 34,000 square feet. Aria and Merrimac are currently planning to develop 600 Miami Worldcenter, a condominium project comprising more than 600 for-sale residences. OneWorld Properties is leading sales for the project on behalf of the developers.