WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Nations Foundation has signed an 85,000-square-foot office lease, located at 1750 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Washington, D.C. The foundation, which currently operates in two locations, will expand and consolidate its operations in its new location in January 2014. Tina Weaver of CBRE Group represented the tenant in the lease transaction. Brendan Owen of Vornado represented the landlord.
CHICAGO — Staffing firm Creative Circle has signed a lease for 7,128 square feet of office space on the 14th floor of 330 N. Wabash in Chicago. The initial term of the lease spans more than five years and begins March 1, 2013. With the Creative Circle lease, 330 North Wabash is 89 percent leased. The building, which is owned by a joint venture between subsidiaries of Prime Group Realty Trust, is currently undergoing a renovation that include a new fire safety system, restrooms and elevator cab upgrades. Allen Rogoway of Cresa Partners Chicago and Carlo Brignardello of Cresa Partners Los Angeles represented the tenant in the transaction. PGRT was self-represented by Seven Baron.
HOUSTON — Behringer Harvard REIT has plans to develop the 332,000-square-foot Two BriarLake Plaza, a 12-story office tower that will be located on a 1.5-acre site at the corner of West Sam Houston Parkway and Briar Forest Drive in Houston's Westchase District. The office building will be located on top of a seven-level parking structure. The office tower is 50 percent pre-leased to Samsung Engineering and is designed to LEED Core and Shell certification. The office tower will feature a deli, fitness center and conference center. Lucian Bukowski and Garrold Parratt of Jones Lang LaSalle represented Samsung in the lease transaction. Brian McMackin and Clint Bawcom of Cassidy Turley represented Behringer Harvard. HPT Management Services will manage the office property and Cassidy Turley will provide leasing services. Construction is slated for a first quarter 2014 completion.
HOUSTON — Q10 Kinghorn, Driver, Hough & Co. has arranged $11.9 million in first mortgage refinancing for a 12-story Wells Fargo office building, located along the Southwest Freeway in Houston. Travis Fite of Q10's Houston office arranged the 10-year loan with a 30-year amortization schedule through Prudential Mortgage Capital.
HARRISON, N.Y. — Life Time Fitness has purchased One Gannett Drive, a 232,000-square-foot office and distribution building in Harrison that was formerly a Gannett printing press operation. Life Time, which operates 105 health clubs across the U.S., plans to raze the building and construct a fitness facility on the 24-acre site. At more than 200,000 square feet, it will be one of Life Time's largest facilities. Kenneth Lundberg of NAI Hanson and Carl Silbergleit and Ellen Benedak of NAI Friedland represented LTF Real Estate Co. — trading as Life Time Fitness — in the transaction. Jeffrey Dunne, William Cuddy, Steven Bardsley and Kevin Langtry of CBRE Group represented the seller, Gannett Satellite Information Network Inc.
PHOENIX – Spectrum Labs has leased 25,569 square feet of lab office space at the Southbank Business Park in Phoenix. It is located at 2801 S. 35th Street. The veterinary solutions company will use the space for lab testing. Spectrum Labs was represented by Jeff Conrad of Lee & Associates Arizona. The landlord, Hannay Real Estate Advisors, was represented by CBRE’s Bill Bayless.
PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. — UDSS Investments has acquired the 21,906-square-foot third floor of the Atria in Pembroke Pines Professional Plaza, Phase II, located at 18501 Pines Blvd. in Pembroke Pines, from 1st United Bank of Boca Raton for $2.22 million. The buyer plans to occupy a portion of the space and rent out the rest. Michael Scarpino and Jennifer Scarpino of NAI Rauch Weaver Norfleet Kurtz & Co. represented the seller in the transaction. Peter Medina of True Quest Realty represented the buyer.
LINCOLNSHIRE, ILL. — An affiliate of Cole Real Estate Investments has purchased Sysmex Corporate Center, a 162,739-square-foot office property in Lincolnshire, for $49.7 million. The Class A facility is fully occupied and triple-net leased to Sysmex American Inc., for its North and South American headquarters. The company develops and sells clinical laboratory equipment. Jeff Bramson, Jaime Fink and Mark Katz led the HFF team that represented the sellers, Bridge Development Co. and Globe Corp., in the transaction.
HOUSTON — Brookhollow Central I, a 200,812-square-foot office property located at 2800 North Loop W. in Houston, has plans to undergo an $11 million renovation. Ziegler Cooper Architects will design the project to LEED Gold standards and Turner Construction will serve as the general contractor. The renovation will include expanding a two-story lobby and adding new entrances from Loop 610 and the parking garage. Construction is slated for a late 2012 completion. Parmenter Realty Partners is the owner of the 12-story, Class A office building, and Chip Colvill, Michael Anderson and Win Haggard Jr. of Colvill Office Properties will continue to handle the property's leasing.
HOUSTON — Construction has begun the second phase of BLVD Place, a mixed-use development located in Houston's Uptown District. This phase of BLVD Place will contain approximately 211,000 square feet of retail and office space. The development is 60 percent pre-leased and will include a 48,500-square-foot Whole Foods and Frost Bank will occupy 53,000 square feet. W.S. Bellows Construction Corp. is the general contractor for Phase II and Comerica Bank, Wells Fargo, Whitney Bank and Cadence Bank are providing construction financing. San Francisco-based Stockbridge Capital Group served as the equity investment advisor, AECOM's Los Angeles office designed the project and Walter P. Moore served as the civil engineer. The transaction was closed at Stewart Title Co. Bill Boyer and Charles Gordon of CBRE Group, along with Scott Gardner of SRS Realty, represented Frost Bank in its lease transaction. Chip Colvill of Colvill Office Properties and Elise Weatherall of Wulfe & Co. represented the owner.