DUBUQUE, IOWA — SVN has brokered the sale of Hillcrest Apartments in Dubuque for $5 million. The 108-unit affordable housing property is located at 3290 Hillcrest Road in eastern Iowa. Reid Bennett and Cody Doran of SVN | Chicago Commercial represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. The buyer was an affordable housing developer and owner.
DURANGO, COLO. — NE Development has received $32.8 million in construction and permanent financing for the 194-unit Rocket Apartments in Durango. The community is located at 150 Confluence Ave. Rocket Apartments contains seven garden-style, walk-up buildings on eight acres. The property will also contain a clubhouse and other high-end community amenities. Love Funding Senior Director Leonard Lucas secured the financing through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 221(d)(4) loan insurance program.
MIDLAND, TEXAS — NorthMarq Capital has arranged a $15.8 million refinancing of The Azure, a 156-unit affordable housing property in the West Texas city of Midland. The property offers amenities such as a business center, resident clubhouse, pool and fitness center. Carl Pankratz of NorthMarq Capital secured the 10-year Freddie Mac loan, which features a 30-year amortization schedule. The borrower was not disclosed.
ELGIN, ROCKFORD AND DIXON, ILL. — Interra Realty has brokered the sale of a three-property multifamily portfolio in Illinois for $4 million. James Clough of Interra represented the buyer, Vijulima LLC, and the undisclosed seller. The historic buildings include: Center City Apartments in Elgin; Old City Hall in Rockford; and Nachusa House in Dixon. Located at 156 Division St., Center City Apartments consists of 45 units designated for seniors. Built in 1925 as the Douglas Hotel, the property was later abandoned and left vacant in 1982. It was saved from demolition when the property was redeveloped as senior housing in 1993. Old City Hall in Rockford consists of 31 apartment units. Built in 1904 as Rockford’s City Hall, the property later housed the Rockford Police Department and two jails and was redeveloped in 1994. Nachusa House is a 36-unit affordable seniors housing property. Built in 1853, the property was continuously operated as a hotel until 1988 and later redeveloped in 1998. Throughout its history, the hotel hosted notable guests such as Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt.
HOLT, MICH. — Greystone has provided a $2.3 million Freddie Mac loan for the refinancing of Whispering Pines in Holt, 10 miles south of Lansing. The property features 104 apartment units. Cary Belovicz, Austin Hull and John Marr of Greystone originated the 10-year loan, which features a fixed rate.
THORNTON, COLO. — Pathfinder Partners has acquired the 140-unit Quail Ridge Apartments in Thornton for $22 million. The community is located at 501 E. 102nd Ave. Pathfinder plans to renovate and rebrand the community, as well as upgrade its amenity package. Built in 1985, Quail Ridge is situated on 6.2 acres. The community includes a one-story leasing office and clubhouse, along with a variety of amenities, including covered parking, swimming pool, spa, business center, basketball court and fitness center. Shane Ozment and Terrance Hunt of ARA Newmark brokered the transaction. Brian Eisendrath and Cameron Chalfant of CBRE Capital Markets arranged debt financing.
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Griffis/Blessing has purchased the 152-unit Western Hills apartments in Colorado Springs for $21 million. The community is located at 810 Western Drive. The site is near the Colorado Springs Airport in an area seeing more than $100 million in new development. Community amenities include a clubhouse, business center, 24-hour fitness center, heated outdoor pool, playground, basketball court and café/lounge area. Prior to the sale, Western Hills had begun capital improvements, including replacement of windows, appliances, countertops, cabinets, flooring and landscaping. CBRE’s Dan Woodward, David Potarf, Matt Barnett and Jake Young, along with Colorado Multifamily Investment Properties, represented the seller, Evergreen Real Estate, in this transaction. Brady O’Donnell of CBRE Capital Markets, Debt & Structured Finance arranged the FMAC financing.
DURHAM, N.C. — Alliance Residential Co. has acquired the former Crown Park Hotel in Durham, with plans to convert the building into a 342-unit apartment community. Karl Hudson of Foundry Commercial arranged the transaction on behalf of Alliance. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. Alliance will begin construction on the community, named Broadstone Durham, next year. The project will feature studio, one- and two-bedroom units, including several two-story brownstones. The community will also feature a three-story glass entry “jewel box,” inspired by the nearby Durham Performing Arts Center. Broadstone Durham will be located within walking distance to American Tobacco, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Main Street and the Brightleaf District.
Being part of a community is an important factor when renters choose a building to call home. According to a National Apartment Association’s report entitled “Adding Value in the Age of Amenities Wars,” a sense of community is what’s behind five of the top 10 amenities added or upgraded in apartments since 2014. Including clubhouses, common areas for socializing and fitness and business centers — the community aspect of apartment living is a huge draw. As property managers, we are constantly challenged to ‘Keep up with the Joneses’ when it comes to offering the latest and greatest amenities. So much so that figuring out how to creatively “add” space to make room for new amenities when updating older buildings has become a top priority. However, while extensive amenities are considered basic requirements for today’s renters, it doesn’t matter how great the amenities are if the building doesn’t have a heart and soul that resonates with residents. To foster that sense of community, there are three best practices in property management to keep in mind: communication, connection and comradery. Make Communication Easy Technology has provided residents the ability to communicate with property management at their convenience. Gone are the days of …
RICHARDSON, TEXAS — Kansas-based development firm WaterWalk has broken ground on WaterWalk Richardson, a four-story, 153-unit multifamily property at 2210 N. Glenville Drive in the northeastern Dallas metro of Richardson. The property will offer the services and amenities of an upscale hotel, such as a coffee bar, media room and lobby. Wichita-based The Law Co. is serving as general contractor on the project, and Dallas-based Woolpert is the architect and civil engineer. The expected completion date is November 2018.
