Property Type

By Andy Gutman, Farbman Group Detroit’s office market, like many other large cities across the Midwest, has experienced many shifts — specifically in the office sector. Despite the challenges Detroit has seen over the past few years, the city has also shown great resilience. As companies continue to reconsider and revise their office needs, and workspaces evolve, Detroit is well positioned to capitalize on office occupancy in 2025 thanks to its historical assets, as well as opportunities in the city that are ripe for redevelopment. Tech, transportation and tenacity One of the city’s strengths in the office sector is its potential to rebound faster than many other Midwest cities. Unlike other markets that are overbuilt with more pain coming in the form of downsizing, such as Chicago, Detroit has avoided oversupply and isn’t overburdened with soaring vacancy rates. The city’s office market vacancy rate has slowly declined over the last several quarters — a positive sign for the local market. Detroit has also benefitted from steady and incremental growth, particularly by incubation, innovation and technology-focused tenants. It’s these types of tenants who have assisted in revitalizing the city’s urban core. The market is also characterized by a higher proportion of …

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Exploration-Park-Houston

HOUSTON — ACMI Properties, the development arm of the American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation, will develop Exploration Park, a 1.5 million-square-foot build-to-suit industrial park in southeast Houston. The site spans 207 acres on NASA’s Johnson Space Center campus. Plans for Exploration Park currently call for as many as 22 buildings ranging in size from 15,000 to 500,000 square feet with 24- to 30-foot clear heights and rear- or side-load configurations. Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter and to be complete late 2026. JLL has been tapped as the leasing agent.

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Valley-Ranch-Convention-Center

NEW CANEY, TEXAS — The East Montgomery County Improvement District (EMCID) is underway on construction of a 210,000-square-foot convention center within the Valley Ranch master-planned development in New Caney, a northeastern suburb of Houston. The facility will feature a 55,000-square-foot ballroom/exhibit hall, nearly 20,000 square feet of meeting space and approximately 25,000 square feet of pre-function and lobby space and outdoor courtyards. Plans also call for an attached 813-space parking garage and connection to a full-service hotel. Completion is slated for fall 2026. Signorelli Co. is the master developer of Valley Ranch and previously owned the land on which the facility will be located.

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NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS — Merlin Entertainments, an operator based in the United Kingdom, has opened a theme park in North Richland Hills, a suburb of Fort Worth, that is dedicated to children’s character Peppa Pig. The site formerly housed a Mountasia Family Fun Center, and the new park features multiple rides, interactive attractions, themed playscapes and shows. Merlin Entertainments, which also operates facilities for concepts including Legoland and Sea Life Aquariums, has a licensing agreement with toymaker Hasbro, which owns the intellectual property rights to Peppa Pig and associated characters. Merlin Entertainments announced the concept in spring 2023.

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HOUSTON — CDC Houston, a subsidiary of Coventry Development Corp., has begun the renovation of the 128-room Residence Inn Houston City Place hotel. Built on 3.3 acres in 2015, the hotel is located within the 2,000-acre City Place master-planned community on the city’s north side. Suites feature full kitchens and separate living, working and sleeping areas. Amenities include an event space, a sport court, outdoor pool, onsite laundry facilities and a convenience store. Arkansas-based Julian Builders is leading design and construction of the project, which is expected to be complete in the second quarter.

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AUSTIN, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of an 86-room hotel in North Austin. The Best Western Plus Executive Residency Austin — Round Rock was built on 2.7 acres in 2019 and offers amenities such as a pool, fitness center and onsite laundry facilities. Chris Gomes of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller in the transaction and procured the buyer with support from Allan Miller of Marcus & Millichap. Both parties requested anonymity.

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NEW YORK CITY — Merchants Capital has funded $316 million in financing for the second phase of Alafia, a project in the East New York area of Brooklyn that will add 634 affordable and supportive housing units to the local supply. The borrower is a partnership between RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc., L+M Development Partners and Apex Building Group. The financing package, which includes both construction and permanent debt as well as equity, comprises: Phase II of Alafia will consist of two 14-story residential buildings that will house studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that will be restricted for households earning between 40 and 70 percent of the area median income. A portion of those residences will be specifically reserved for individuals who were either formerly incarcerated or homeless. Amenities will include a fitness center, children’s playroom, community rooms and outdoor courtyards. Phase II will also feature 22,000 square feet of community and retail space. Construction began in December and is expected to be complete in summer 2027.

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1200-Monticello-St.-Brockton

BROCKTON, MASS. — MassHousing has provided $29.7 million in financing for the construction of a 94-unit affordable housing project in Brockton, a southern suburb of Boston. The borrower, nonprofit owner-operator NeighborWorks Housing Solutions, is redeveloping a former industrial site at 1200 Monticello St. into a five-story building with 31 one-bedroom and 63 two-bedroom units. Of the 94 units, 14 will be restricted to households earning up to 30 percent of the area median income (AMI); 65 apartments will be earmarked for renters earning 60 percent or less of AMI; and 15 residences will be restricted to households earning 80 percent or less of AMI. Amenities will include a fitness center and a community room, and the building will also house 1,473 square feet of commercial space. Utile Inc. and NEI General Contracting are handling design and construction of the project, respectively. Completion is slated for fall 2026.

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GREENVILLE, S.C. — Flournoy Development Group has broken ground on District South, a 365-unit apartment development located on a 21-acre site in Greenville. The property will include five four-story apartment buildings, 12 townhome buildings, three carriage home buildings and 13 retail spaces. Amenities will include a grab-and-go market, lounge, fitness and wellness center, resort-style swimming pool with a courtyard, outdoor entertainment areas, dog park and an indoor pet spa. The project team for District South includes architect Dynamik Design, general contractor McShane Construction and civil engineer Gray Engineering. Flournoy Properties Group will manage the apartment property. The construction timeline was not released.

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — Advantage Capital has closed the financing for the second phase of Kindlewood, a $68 million affordable housing redevelopment and expansion in Charlottesville. Phase II, which broke ground last month, will add 100 new units, half of which are replacement units for existing residents and the rest are new affordable housing units. The second phase will also include a new learning center, community center and the headquarters for Piedmont Housing Alliance, a partner in Kindlewood’s development team. National Housing Trust is also a development partner for Kindlewood. The last tranche of financing was $9.6 million in state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) in connection with the Virginia Housing Opportunity Tax Credit (HOTC) program. The development team expects to deliver the second phase in fall 2026.

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