BURBANK, CALIF. — The Switch has subleased 24,700 square feet of space at KCETLink’s facilities at The Pointe in Burbank. The Switch will serve as the outsourced provider of all broadcast origination, master control and technical services to KCET and Link TV. The outsourcing decision comes after KCETLink Media Group received $63 million in auction proceeds. The deal includes the acquisition of the master control assets, production (studio and remote) facilities and certain satellite transmission assets. JLL’s Carl Muhlstein and Nicole Mihalka represented KCETLink in the sublease.
PHILADELPHIA — JLL’s Capital Markets team has secured $96 million in financing for a partnership between Taconic Capital Advisors and Cohen Equities. Provided by Deutsche Bank and Square Mile, the financing package will be used for the acquisition and rehabilitation of 801 Market Street, a 695,130-square-foot office tower in Philadelphia’s Market East submarket. Adam Schwartz, Aaron Appel, Jonathan Schwartz and Chad Orcutt of JLL arranged the financing for the borrowers.
BETHESDA, MD. — AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets has acquired a majority stake in Montgomery Tower, a 367,000-square-foot office building in Bethesda, for $139.8 million. The firm acquired the interest from a joint venture between Rockpoint and MRP Realty, which will retain its ownership interest and continue to manage the property as AXA’s new joint venture partner. The 12-story, LEED Gold-certified building was constructed in 1980 and was recently renovated. Amenities include an updated lobby, breakout areas, conference center, 4,000-square-foot fitness center, modernized elevators, outdoor seating terrace, electric car charging stations and bike storage. Located six miles north of Washington, D.C., the asset is one block from the WMATA Bethesda Metro Station.
STERLING HEIGHTS, MICH. — Bernard Financial Group has arranged a $2.9 million loan for the refinancing of a 37,321-square-foot office building in Sterling Heights. David Dismondy of Bernard Financial arranged the loan for the borrower, Roncelli Investment Co. LLC. General contractor Roncelli Inc. occupies the property, which is located at 6471 Metro Parkway. Symetra Life Insurance Co. provided the loan.
CYPRESS, TEXAS — Ready Capital Structured Finance has closed a $4.7 million loan for the acquisition, renovation and stabilization of a 61,896-square-foot office building located in the Houston metro of Cypress. The non-recourse, interest-only loan features a 36-month term with two extension options. The undisclosed borrower will use a portion of the loan proceeds to renovate the lobby and bathrooms of the property, as well as to upgrade its landscaping.
ALAMEDA, CALIF. — Kairos Power has leased 55,757 square feet of office space at West Tower 9 in Alameda. The office is located at 707 W. Tower Ave. West Tower 9 is a 1940s hanger/manufacturing building undergoing refurbishment on the former Naval Air Station at Alameda Point. The building is part of the Alameda Point revitalization, which includes a 68-acre, $500 million mixed-use development. Kairos Power is an energy technology and engineering company based in Oakland, Calif. Marc Ward and Elisa Konik of Cushman & Wakefield represented Kairos. The firm’s Ted Anderson, John McManus and Andrew Schmieder represented the landlord, Ernst Development, in this transaction.
IRVINE, CALIF. — Home-based business company Home Franchise Concepts has leased 38,094 square feet of office space in Irvine. The Class A space will allow the company to expand its Orange County headquarters. The new office is located at 19000 MacArthur Blvd. The company is relocating from 25,000 square feet at 1927 N. Glassell St. in the City of Orange. It will occupy the new office in April 2018. Jason Ward and Greg Brown of Cushman & Wakefield represented the landlord, C.M. Stratplan.
HOUSTON — HFF has arranged the sale of and acquisition financing for a 162,336-square-foot office building located at 2100 W. Loop S. in Houston’s Galleria neighborhood. The 16-story property was renovated in 2014 and was 88 percent leased at the time of sale. Dan Miller and Martin Hogan of HFF represented the seller, a partnership between California-based Buchanan Street Partners and Minnesota-based CarVal Investors, and procured the buyer, Houston-based Elite Street Capital. Matt Kafka and Michael Johnson of HFF led the debt placement for the borrower, securing a five-year loan through Greystone that carries a fixed 4.25 percent interest rate.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — New York-based investment firm Somera Road Inc. has purchased a 142,000-square-foot, Class B office property located at 4000 S. IH 35 Frontage Road in Austin in an all-cash transaction. The property offers a café and a parking ratio of 7.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet. Beginning in the first quarter of 2018, Somera Road will undertake capital improvements to transform the property into a Class A asset.
BETHESDA, MD. — The Donohoe Cos. and USAA Real Estate have acquired 7101 Wisconsin Ave., a 230,904-square-foot office building in Bethesda, a suburb of Washington, D.C. HFF marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a joint venture between Brandywine Realty Trust and Allstate Investments, and procured the buyers. The Washington Business Journal reports the asset sold for $105.7 million. Situated a quarter-mile from the Bethesda Metrorail Station, 7101 Wisconsin was renovated in 2015 with an updated entrance, new lobby and updated conference facility and common areas. At the time of sale, the property was 97 percent leased to tenants including The Donohoe Cos. and Miller & Long Co. Inc.