STRATFORD, CONN. — Locally based brokerage firm Angel Commercial has negotiated the $7.2 million sale of two adjacent development sites at 1255 and 1297 West Broad Street in Stratford, located in southern Connecticut’s Fairfield County. The lots are part of a 14-acre assemblage that is zoned and approved for the construction of a 231,000-square-foot industrial facility that will feature clear heights of 36 to 39 feet, two drive-in doors and 232 parking spaces. Boston-based GFI Partners purchased the land and is developing the facility. Jon Angel of Angel Commercial brokered the land deal, the seller in which was not disclosed. Construction is slated for a second-quarter 2024 completion.
NEW YORK CITY — Investment and advisory firm Flexpoint Ford will open a 19,522-square-foot office at One Vanderbilt, a 77-story, 1.7 million-square-foot tower in Midtown Manhattan that was developed by locally based real estate giant SL Green. Architect SPECTOR Cos. designed Flexpoint Ford’s space. Cresa and Clune Construction Co. handled the build-out. The project is nearing completion, though a formal opening date was not disclosed.
DAVIE, FLA. — El-Ad National Properties, a subsidiary of Elad Group based in Boca Raton, has released plans for a 2.8 million-square-foot mixed-use project in Davie, 24 miles north of Miami. The Town of Davie has approved the development. The project, called The District in Davie, is expected to cost approximately $1 billion, according to El-Ad. At full build-out, the property will comprise 1,256 apartment units across five high-rise buildings, as well as 36,000 square feet of ground-floor restaurant and retail space. Each building will range from 20 to 24 stories and offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Community amenities at The District in Davie will include pools, fitness centers with spas, dog parks, coworking space, game lounges, children’s play areas and rooftop lounges. Individual units will offer keyless entry, Wi-Fi connectivity and smart thermostats. Approximately 1.1 million square feet of access controlled onsite parking will also be available. Planned green elements for the community include electric vehicle charging stations, bicycle storage areas and LED lighting fixtures. Located at 4801-4999 S. State Road 7 on the southwest corner of Griffin Road and State Road 7 in Broward County, the complex is near Fort Lauderdale and Miami’s urban core. …
From a leasing and rental rate perspective, the outlook couldn’t be brighter in the student housing space. Yardi’s National Student Housing Report saw 96.6 percent of beds leased and an annual rent growth of 4.1 percent for the fall 2022 preleasing season at its ‘Yardi 200’ universities. These numbers are, for obvious reasons, a boon for the industry at large — particularly following several abnormal years surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. But it isn’t all sunshine and roses where higher rental rates are concerned. Raising the price to live in your properties is a delicate balance, and while there are many inherent benefits to owners and operators, there are also a number of issues that need to be considered — chiefly as it relates to a higher level of expectations from both students and parents. Levels On The Rise The industry’s performance ahead of the fall 2022 semester was nothing short of robust, and Casey Petersen, chief operating officer of PeakMade Real Estate, anticipates rent growth going into the 2023-2024 academic year to be even stronger. “We’ve budgeted for higher rent growth this year, and based on current velocity, we expect to significantly outperform,” he says. This experience is not unique to PeakMade; …
— By Melissa Molyneaux, Executive Vice President, Colliers — The Northern Nevada market has seen continued positive net absorption, slowed investment sales and a sizeable increase in available sublease space in recent months. Local tenants with smaller footprints have been the driving force behind leasing activity and the market’s positive net absorption, with most new leases signed in 2022 being 5,000 square feet and less. Meanwhile, national and corporate tenants reevaluating their space needs have brought much of the available sublease space to the market in significantly larger blocks. Uncertainty surrounding interest rates has slowed investment sales, although pricing remains healthy. With investors putting a pause on new acquisitions, owner-user purchase activity may increase as tenants seize new occupancy opportunities. New construction starts have been minimal, although redevelopment/renovation projects remain prevalent. Two new developments that have broken ground include the Kimpton, a premier Class A high rise in downtown Reno, and Renown South Meadows, a specialty care center with about 40,000 square feet available for third-party providers. Each development represents continued demand from client-facing occupiers and healthcare providers in the region. In 2022, there were 30 companies that either expanded in or relocated to Northern Nevada, according to the Economic Development Authority of Western …
MIAMI — South Florida-based developers BH3 Management and Merrimac Ventures have acquired development rights for a 10.7-acre site on Watson Island, an island within Miami city limits. The land is owned by the City of Miami and fronts Biscayne Bay midway between downtown Miami and Miami Beach. Alex Zylberglait of Marcus & Millichap brokered the transaction. A site plan is already approved, combining hotel, retail and residential uses alongside new public space and a waterfront promenade. While the plan will be modernized, BH3 Management and Merrimac Ventures intend to develop within the same footprint and density allowances that voters approved in 2019. Initial site work at the property, including utility and infrastructure improvements, will soon get underway following the transfer of an existing City of Miami lease to the co-developers.
SAN DIEGO — Northmarq has arranged a $51.2 million loan for Rose Canyon Business Park, a 232,863-square-foot industrial asset in San Diego. Built in 1976, the multi-tenant industrial park is located at 4901-4907 Morena Blvd., just north of downtown San Diego. Northmarq arranged the two-year loan, which features extension options, through its relationship with an undisclosed bridge lender. The floating-rate loan enables the unnamed sponsor to carry out its value-add business plan over the next three years at Rose Canyon Business Park.
AURORA, COLO. — Bellwether Enterprise (BWE) has secured $43.1 million to fund the new construction of 15 Sable Apartments, an affordable housing community in Aurora. Developed by DBG Properties and Featherstone Development, the community will be a four-story apartment complex situated on a walkable, transit-oriented site. BWE provided tax-exempt and taxable loans through its BWE Private Placement platform. The loan features an 18-year term with 40-year amortization schedule, and interest-only payments for the first six years from closing. Anthea Martin in BWE’s Denver office originated the loan through a private placement on behalf of the borrowers. The project was made possible through the support of the City of Aurora; a property tax abatement partnership with Aurora Housing Authority; a private activity bond allocation from Colorado Housing and Finance Authority; a subordinate loan from Colorado Department of Local Affairs Division of Housing; a tax credit equity investment from Arizona-based Affordable Housing Partners; and a sale of property by the Regional Transportation District.
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Chartwell Hospitality has sold the 119-room Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel in Colorado Springs for $29 million. The buyer was ARA US Hospitality Trust. The hotel is situated at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near the Fort Carson military base and the Broadmoor Convention Center and Resort. The pet-friendly hotel features a 24-hour business center, meeting space, indoor heated pool and a combined fitness and laundry center.
SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Mag Mile Capital has arranged a $20 million cash-out senior mortgage in connection with the financing of a light industrial flex property located at 355 E. Trimble Road in San Jose. The 96,780-square-foot property is owned by 355 Trimble Owner, an entity affiliated with Chicago-based Highlands REIT, which has owned the property debt-free since acquiring it as part of a spinoff in 2016. Highlands and global tech hardware manufacturer Veeco executed a 16-year lease at the research-and-development property in January 2021, which included one year of rent abatement to complete a substantial tenant buildout.