AUSTIN, TEXAS — Design and construction firm The Beck Group has signed a 10,400-square-foot office lease at Centro, a mixed-use development in Austin that is owned by locally based investment firm Riverside Resources. Taylor McHargue and Jay Lamy of AQUILA Commercial represented The Beck Group, which plans to take occupancy by the end of the year, in the lease negotiations. Riverside Resources was self-represented.
HOOKSETT, N.H. — Boston-based developer Port One Cos. is underway on construction of Granite Woods Commerce Center, a 500,000-square-foot speculative industrial project located at 47 Hackett Hill Road in the southern New Hampshire city of Hooksett. The property will feature a clear height of 36 feet, 403 parking stalls, 86 trailer parking stalls, 67 loading docks with 53 future dock positions, two drive-in doors and build-to-suit office space. Completion is slated for early next year. Newmark has been retained to market the property for lease.
HACKENSACK, N.J. — Locally based developer Garden Communities has opened The Jefferson, a 377-unit apartment community located outside of New York City in Hackensack. Designed by Minno & Wasko Architects & Planners, The Jefferson features one- and two- bedroom units ranging in size from 735 to 1,598 square feet, with most residences offering private balconies/patios. Communal amenities include a pool, fitness center, business center, private bowling alley, a billiards and entertainment room, golf simulator, children’s playroom, outdoor grilling and dining areas and a dog park. Rents start at $2,490 per month for a one-bedroom apartment.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Community Preservation Partners (CPP) has acquired Ellicott Park Townhomes, a 220-unit affordable housing complex in downtown Buffalo. Built in 1967, the property consists of one-, two- and three-bedroom units that are reserved for households earning 60 percent or less of the area median income. The seller and sales price were not disclosed, but CPP plans to implement a $14.2 million capital improvement program that will be part of a total investment consideration of $54.7 million.
CHICAGO — Knickpoint Ventures has topped off construction of The Fields Studios, Chicago’s first purpose-built film studio. Project costs total $250 million, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. Completion is slated for the first quarter of 2024. Plans call for nine sound stages totaling 132,000 square feet and more than 350,000 square feet of creative and production offices. The project is part of the larger redevelopment of the 1.5 million-square-foot, former Marshall Fields warehouse on the city’s Northwest side. Gov. J.B. Pritzker introduced a development subsidy to spur the growth of additional sound stage infrastructure such as The Fields Studios. In March, he signed a 10-year extension of the state’s long-standing production tax credit for filmmakers. At capacity, The Fields Studios is expected to impact the local economy by driving nearly 12,000 production-related jobs with about $1.3 billion of economic impact in its first five years. The Marshall Fields warehouse was originally built in 1928. In addition to the film studio component, the redevelopment project also includes retail, residential and office space. Cermak Fresh Market is already operating onsite and 123 new apartment units have opened.
MASON, OHIO — Senior Living Investment Brokerage (SLIB) has brokered the sale of The Landing of Long Cove, an 81-unit assisted living and memory care community in Mason, about 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati. The sales price was undisclosed. Built in 2011, the property features 61 assisted living units and 20 memory care units. Daniel Geraghty and Bradley Clousing of SLIB brokered the sale. According to SLIB, the seller was interested in focusing its attention on communities that more closely align with its current footprint, while the buyer, a Midwest-based owner-operator, was looking to add to its existing footprint throughout the region. The buyer plans to make renovations to the community.
WENTZVILLE, MO. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $5 million sale of Heritage Townhomes, a 40-unit multifamily property in the western St. Louis suburb of Wentzville. The seller, a private investor, acquired the property in October 2019 and installed new flooring, kitchen appliances and upgrades to the bathrooms. The improvements resulted in a $200 per unit average increase in value over three years, according to Marcus & Millichap’s Ben Margalski, one of the brokers on the transaction. Margalski and colleague Aaron Kuroiwa represented the seller as well as the buyer, a private investor completing a 1031 exchange.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — In a sale-leaseback transaction, Alterra Real Estate Advisors has acquired a 62,000-square-foot office and retail building in Columbus for $3.1 million. Constructed in 1986, the property is 85 percent occupied. The lobby and common areas were recently renovated, but Alterra plans to make additional improvements for energy efficiency such as LED lighting. The seller, Auto Owners Life Insurance Co., remains a tenant in the building. Some of the other tenants include BHM CPA Group, J Gilberts restaurant and Salon Lofts. Rob Sullivan of Kemba Financial Credit Union provided acquisition financing. Alterra will handle leasing and management of the building.
MINNEAPOLIS — Transwestern Real Estate Services has negotiated two office lease renewals for two separate wealth management companies at SPS Tower in Minneapolis. CAPTRUST signed a five-year renewal for its 6,800-square-foot space. Frank Sherwood of CBRE represented the firm. Strong Tower Wealth Management renewed its 3,500-square-foot lease for 15 months. John Lorence of CBRE represented the company. Jim Montez and Reed Christianson of Transwestern represented ownership, Sumitomo, in both leases. SPS Tower rises 31 stories and totals 655,070 square feet. The building features the Turf Club, the largest green space in the Minneapolis central business district, according to Transwestern. SPS Tower is currently 90 percent leased.
NEW YORK CITY — Locally based brokerage firm GFI Realty has arranged the $4.1 million sale of a 29-unit multifamily building located at 1342 St. Lawrence Ave. in the Soundview neighborhood of The Bronx. Built in 1928, the five-story building houses 23 one-bedroom units and six two-bedroom units.Zachary Fuchs of GFI Realty represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which were private investors, in the transaction.