MILWAUKEE — Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. plans to build a new $300 million office tower at its downtown Milwaukee campus. The company is currently seeking a reported $48 million in city financing for the project. The financing would come in the form of a tax incremental financing district. The 840,000-square-foot tower is planned at the site of the company's current office building at North Cass and East Mason streets. Last year, the company said it would demolish the 500,000-square-foot building, which currently houses 1,100 employees, due to significant maintenance costs. Northwestern says the new building will have the capacity for as many as 1,700 employees.
OAKBROOK TERRACE, ILL. — NAI Hiffman has been selected to lease and manage One Parkview Plaza, a 263,912-square-foot, Class A office building at 17 W. 110 22nd St. in Oakbrook Terrace. A major tenant, Invesco, plans to move to the property in 2013, and approximately 125,140 square feet is currently available for lease. The building includes a deli, sundry shop, 24-hour manned security, an ATM and a health club that features basketball and racquetball courts.
NEW YORK CITY — Cresa will serve as project manager for a plan to redevelop 821 United Nations Plaza in New York. The project, which will begin next month, will demolish the existing structure and erect a modern facility that reflects Turkish art, culture and architecture. The facility, known as the Turkevi Center, will serve the Republic of Turkey's Consulate General and Permanent Mission to the United States. The center will consist of offices and diplomatic residences for permanent staff and visitors. Cresa will also serve as the owner's representative. During the construction process, the UN Mission and Consulate will be relocated to temporary space until the project is complete.
IRVING — Red River Asset Management has purchased Imperial Square, a five-building office complex located at 2401-2477 Gateway Drive in Irving. The property is 68 percent leased to tenants such as Verizon Wireless and the GSA. The complex totals 129,000 square feet. Larry McCorkle, Bo Bond and John Alvarado (now with CBRE) represented the seller, Rushmore Imperial Square, in the transaction. New York-based Angelic Real Estate arranged acquisition financing through Viewpoint Bank. Bruce Stern of Red River is teaming up with Jon Altschuler and Katie Chu of Altschuler and Co. to market the property for leasing.
PLANO — Dallas-based Winzer Corp. has awarded Alliance Architects the bid to design a new 139,000-square-foot office/distribution facility, which will be located at the corner of Plano Parkway and North Star Road in Plano. The build-to-suit facility will feature painted tilt wall panels, ribbon windows with a metal canopy, a freestanding entrance wall, two-story glass curtainwall and a two-story open-air lobby. Pacheco Koch Consulting Engineers is providing civil engineering design services, Hunt & Joiner Consulting Structural Engineers is providing structural design services, Belle Firma is providing landscape design services, Weeks Robinson Properties is the developer, Transwestern assisted Winzer in the site selection, Panattoni Construction is providing general contracting services and Pritchard Associates is serving as the construction manager.
LOS ANGELES – A 38,667-square-foot office building that is fully occupied by Aptium Oncology, a subsidiary of AstraZeneca, has sold to Beverly Quest LLC for $14.3 million. The trophy-class building is located at 8201 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles. Beverly Quest was represented by Steven Rayan of South Park Group. The seller, Aptium Oncology, was represented by Martin McDermott of Avison Young’s West Los Angeles office.
PHOENIX – Whispering Wind Corporate Center, a two-building, 75,050-square-foot office complex in Phoenix, has sold to New World Real Estate Investments I, LLC for $12.2 million. It is located at 2205 and 2225 W. Whispering Wind Drive. The complex is now fully occupied. New World was represented by Denver-based brokers, while the seller, affiliates of the Mack Company, was represented by Barry Gabel and Mindy Korth of CBRE’s Phoenix office.
PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. — The two-building, 77,209-square-foot Herald Plaza office complex has traded for $9 million in Pembroke Pines. A joint venture between Grover & Corlew LLC, a boutique real estate investment and management firm, and Creek Real Estate Partners LLC, a commercial real estate fund, purchased the office property from Coconut Creek, Fla.-based Butters Group and Boca Raton, Fla.-based Milhous Group. Scott O’Donnell, Jeffrey Kelly, Dominic Montazemi, Marty Busekrus and Miguel Alcivar of CBRE brokered the transaction. Grover & Corlew LLC is led by Mark Corlew, former Stiles Corp. acquisitions chief, and his partner Anuj Grover, a lawyer, accountant and real estate operator.
RALEIGH, N.C. — New Boston Fund Inc., a private equity real estate investment, development and management firm, has commenced major renovations at Carolina Place, a Class A office building in Raleigh. The five-story, 99,181-square-foot office property is undergoing renovations to its lobby and common areas including the complete removal and replacement of the glass curtain wall and entry doors to the lobby. The remainder of the lobby will be entirely gutted and replaced with new flooring, walls, trim and lighting in a modern design. The restrooms and elevators are also being gutted and completely updated. LS3P is the renovation architect and Riley Lewis General Contractors is the general contractor. The renovations are scheduled for completion by the end of this year.
NEW YORK CITY — SL Green has acquired the non-performing mortgage on 315 Park Avenue South in Manhattan, a 20-story office tower primarily leased to Credit Suisse Group. The 320,000-square-foot property is located on the northwest corner of Park Avenue South and 24th Street. According to media reports, a $219 million mortgage matured on the property in June and the owner was unable to refinance.