ORLANDO, FLA. — A partnership between Landmark Properties and W5 Group LLC has broken ground on The Retreat East, a 602-bed student housing community that will serve student at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando. The cottage-style community will comprise 138 units that are expected to open in August 2021. Communal amenities will include a pool, poolside jumbotron, golf simulator, clubhouse, study lounge and a fitness center. Athens, Ga.-based Landmark will manage the property upon completion. The Retreat at Orlando will be situated at 12151 E. Colonial Drive, two miles south of UCF’s campus and 13 miles east of downtown Orlando. Miami Beach, Fla.-based W5 Group entered into the partnership through its new student housing investment initiative.
DOUGLASVILLE, GA. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged $46.9 million in construction financing for Sweetwater Vista, a planned 300-unit multifamily complex in Douglasville. The borrower, Vista Realty Partners, is developing the property to include nine three- and four-story buildings. The asset will be situated on Riverside Parkway, 15 miles west of downtown Atlanta. Communal amenities will include a fitness center, pool, clubhouse, grilling area and a resident lounge. Michael Ryan, Brian Linnihan, Richard Henry and Blake Cohen of Cushman & Wakefield arranged preferred equity through Nationwide Insurance Co. and senior financing through Synovus Bank. Flournoy Construction is the general contractor, and Niles Bolton Associates is the architect. Vista Realty Partners expects to open the community in late 2021.
By Taylor Williams The sudden merging of a healthy pipeline of multifamily product in Texas with a global pandemic that has caused a drastic increase in working from home is forcing apartment builders and designers to get exceedingly creative with all facets of their projects. Unit interiors and common areas of apartment buildings must now provide makeshift workspaces for adults across a wide range of industries, as well as for the preexisting members of the gig economy and for children who have been forced to engage in virtual learning. Working from home is just one of many lifestyle changes that COVID-19 has brought about in the last six months. Multifamily developers and architects are tasked with trying to judge the staying power of these changes and to find balances between implementing features that promote safety and wellness without busting their budgets. “We know we have to adapt to COVID-19 and be proactive,” says Yewande Fapohunda, senior vice president at High Street Residential, the residential subsidiary of Trammell Crow Co. “Lifestyles and behaviors are rapidly changing, and though we don’t know how long they’ll last, we have to think short- and long-term with our reactions.” It’s a tricky process to say …
SHEBOYGAN, WIS. — George Smith Partners has secured a $31.5 million loan for the construction of The Oscar, a 240-unit workforce housing project in Sheboygan. Green Street Real Estate Ventures was the borrower. Kyle Howerton of George Smith Partners sourced the debt through Colliers Funding. BMO Harris is the equity partner for the project. Construction is slated for completion in the third quarter of 2021.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Zovest Capital has acquired Chapel Hill Apartments in Kansas City for an undisclosed price. The 56-unit apartment community features floor plans that average 1,067 square feet. The value-add property was 96 percent occupied at the time of sale. Max Helgeson, Michael Spero and Jeff Stingley of CBRE represented the private seller. Ben Weddington of CBRE arranged acquisition financing on behalf of the buyer through Freddie Mac.
RESTON, VA. — EYA Development LLC has broken ground on The Townhomes at Reston Station in Reston. The project will comprise 300 apartment units, 20,000 square feet of retail space and 115 townhomes available for purchase. The development spans nine acres and will be delivered in two phases, with Phase I scheduled to deliver in early 2021. The site is located at 1860 Michael Faraday Drive, two blocks from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station on the Silver Line and 21 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. Scott Kasprowicz sold the land to the Bethesda, Md.-based developer.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Locally based general contractor KWA Construction has topped out Phase II of Columbia Renaissance Square in Fort Worth. The latest phase will add 123 seniors housing units to the local supply. Designed by JHP Architecture and developed by Columbia Residential, the property will feature a 95,015-square-foot building with units that are reserved for renters aged 62 and older. Amenities will include a catering kitchen, computer center with Wi-Fi, fitness center, central laundry facility and a theater for movie screenings. Completion of Phase II is slated for December.
FATE, TEXAS — Private equity firm Gardner Capital has partnered with the City of Fate, located northeast of Dallas, to develop Gala at Fate, a 185-unit affordable seniors housing community. The city will lease the land to Gardner Capital, with plans for long-term ownership by the public-private partnership. CREA and Citibank are additional financial partners for the project, with Citibank providing both construction and permanent financing. Treymore Construction is the general contractor for Gala at Fate, which is expected to be complete in January 2022.
GOODYEAR, ARIZ. — Housing Trust Group (HTG) has closed on financing to begin construction of Aviva – Goodyear, an apartment development in Goodyear. The property will be HTG’s second Aviva multifamily community that embraces eco-friendly, luxury living with an array of wellness-oriented amenities. With the first apartments slated for delivery in September 2021, the $71 million Aviva – Goodyear will feature 288 luxury apartment residences in a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts with open floor plans; kitchens featuring quartz and granite countertops and stainless steel appliances; nine-foot ceilings with vaulted ceilings on upper floors; walk-in closets; wide-plank flooring; and private patios with storage. Located at 4175 N. Falcon Drive, the gated community will offer two swimming pools with spas surrounded by cabana beds, chaise lounge chairs, fire pits and outdoor games. A 10,000-square-foot clubhouse will offer a media and game room, billiards table and co-working spaces with private conference rooms. Also, Aviva – Goodyear will feature a health and wellness center including smart cardio machines, free weights, boxing and a yoga/spin studio with a 24/7 virtual trainer, a playground with covered seating areas, basketball court and a dog park with covered seating and a dog agility course. Slated …
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — Marcus & Millichap has directed the sale of 2647 6th Street, a 24-unit multifamily property located in Santa Monica. A private investor sold the asset to another private investor for $8 million in an all-cash transaction. David O’Keefe and Steve Bogoyevac of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller and buyer in the deal. Built in 1968, the building was converted to condominiums via Tenant Ownership Rights Charter Amendment (TORCA), but is currently operating as an apartment building. The property features four studios, 19 one-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units.