BALA CYNWYD, PA. — LCB Senior Living has completed The Residence at Bala Cynwyd, an adaptive reuse project located northwest of Philadelphia. The number of units was not disclosed. Built in the 1850s as Benjamin Schofield’s West Manayunk Woolen Mills, the property eventually became known as Lee’s Shoddy Mill, named after the heavy fabric created from recycled wool and cotton. The Residence at Bala Cynwyd offers independent living, personal care and memory care accommodations. Units are available in studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans.
LOWELL, MASS. — Regional brokerage firm Northeast Private Client Group (NEPCG) has negotiated the $12.8 million sale of Willard Street Apartments, a 72-unit multifamily complex in Lowell, a northern suburb of Boston. The three-building property houses three studios, 24 one-bedroom units and 45 two-bedroom apartments. Francis Saenz, Drew Kirkland, Jim Casey, Brad Carlson and Brett Curtis represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which requested anonymity, in the transaction. The new ownership plans to implement a value-add program.
NEW YORK CITY — West Publishing Corp. has signed a five-year, 46,105-square-foot office lease extension at 3 Times Square in Midtown Manhattan. The company will occupy the entire 17th floor and a portion of the 18th floor at the 885,000-square-foot building, which was originally constructed in 2001 as the headquarters for Reuters and recently underwent a capital improvement program. Mitchell Konsker, Dan Turkewitz and Christine Tong of JLL represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. Tom Keating represented the landlord, locally based investment firm Rudin, on an internal basis.
EVERETT, MASS. — A partnership between two locally based developers, RISE and btcRE, will build a 46-unit multifamily project at 52 School St. in Everett, a northern suburb of Boston. The four-story building will feature a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units, and seven residences will be reserved for renters earning 80 percent or less of the area median income. Needham Bank provided financing for the construction of the project, which is scheduled to begin in the third quarter.
DETROIT — The Herrick Co. has acquired a 21-story office tower at 2025 Woodward Ave. in downtown Detroit for $150 million. Locally based architecture firm Neumann Smith designed the 421,481-square-foot building, which was delivered in fall 2022 and acts as a headquarters for Huntington National Bank’s (NASDAQ: HBAN) commercial division. The bank fully occupies the property on a triple-net-lease basis. The building features ground-floor retail space, including a Huntington Bank branch; 10 floors of structured parking; a cafe; and a rooftop terrace with space for movies or sporting events to be projected on the side of the tower. The deal is the largest building acquisition to close in Detroit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. The seller was not disclosed. Huntington acquired TCF Financial Corp. in 2020 for $22 billion. The combined company operates more than 1,000 branches in 11 states. The bank’s stock price closed at $11.42 per share on Wed. June 7, down from $13.10 one year ago. The Herrick Co. is a national real estate investment firm that has completed more than $6 billion in transactions. The company focuses on acquiring single-tenant buildings net leased to office, industrial and retail users, …
By Mark Stern, JLL Chicago’s multifamily sector currently enjoys strong market fundamentals highlighted by healthy occupancy rates and continued rental rate growth. The current core apartment rents average over $4 per square foot, which is higher than previous peak pricing. After the pandemic, rental rates between late 2021 to 2022 recorded 10 to 15 percent growth, which is substantially ahead of the historical norms. Currently, the Chicago rental market is experiencing more stable rent growth in the 3 to 4 percent range. Chicago remains one of the most affordable major markets to rent an apartment when looking at the current average effective rents as a percentage of median household income. This affordability will allow owners to continue to push rental rates in the future. One of the major factors leading to strong operating fundamentals in the Chicago market is the lack of new supply. The supply in Chicago is currently 1 percent of the inventory, which is quite low in comparison to other markets where there could be as much as 10 to 12 percent of the inventory under construction. In the city, there are just over 7,000 units under construction slated for delivery between 2023 and 2024. The majority …
When comparing this year’s retail investment sales market to last year’s, the main difference is the dramatic increase in the cost of capital. Naturally, this has led to a decrease in transaction activity and a disconnect between buyers and sellers. Over the past year, the Federal Reserve has raised the federal funds rate nine times for a total of 475 basis points to tame inflation. These actions have led to a sharp rise in commercial mortgage rates, which have a significant impact on pricing. The average mortgage rate on loans closed in the fourth quarter of 2022 across all commercial real estate asset classes was 5.3 percent, according to CBRE, up from 3.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021. Additionally, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), 2023 represents the largest year in bank failures in terms of total assets since 2008. In March, the FDIC took the reins at two regional banks, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, after massive bank runs. “Many would-be sellers are on the sidelines due to the downward pressure on pricing, leading to lower transaction velocity,” says Matt Hazelton, senior director with JLL Capital Markets in Minneapolis. “Property values have decreased about …
SANTA ANA, CALIF. — Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors has brokered the $36.5 million sale of Bristol Place, a 61,454-square-foot retail center located in Santa Ana. Built in 1968, the property was renovated in 2019 and was 89 percent occupied at the time of sale. Matt Burnett, Kevin Fryman and Ed Hanley of Hanley represented the seller, a joint venture between an affiliate of Cadence Capital Investments and Oakwood Real Estate Partners. Ron Duong of Marcus & Millichap represented the buyer, a California-based private investor.
EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. — Diamond Realty Holdings has purchased an industrial flex/office building in El Segundo for $6 million. The property is located at the intersection of Lairport Street and East Mariposa Avenue. A long-term tenant currently occupies 2,400 square feet of the main, 14,400-square-foot structure. The remaining 12,000 square feet is available for lease and fully divisible. The new ownership plans to complete interior and exterior renovations to improve the façade and access to the site, as well as create open flex industrial space that can accommodate a variety of uses. CBRE’s Bob Healey, John Lane, Richard Melbye and Jane Healey represented both the buyer and the undisclosed seller in the transaction.
SALT LAKE CITY — CBRE has arranged leases for four new tenants at a 22-story, Class A office building in Salt Lake City. The building is located at 222 South Main St. and is now fully occupied. The new tenants include UMB Bank, global law firm Greenberg Traurig, CBRE itself and HKS Architects. CBRE’s Scott Wilmarth and Nadia Letey represented the landlord, KBS, in the lease transactions.