By Chris Armer, Hoefer Welker People who call the Kansas City metropolitan area home know it’s a desirable place to live. From the robust job market and vibrant arts scene to its rich history and, of course, stellar sports teams, the Kansas City metro area attracts a diverse group of people. Kansas City is evolving and so are its housing needs. In recent years, the demand for multifamily development in Kansas City has grown, driven by a range of factors. Mass retirements and flexible work arrangements are shifting priorities, while the housing shortage and rising interest rates are sending prospective homeowners on the search for attractive alternatives. The multifamily housing trend stands to gain momentum, creating a space for discerning real estate and architecture firms with development expertise to pave the way in an evolving housing market. The great shuffle Much has been said about the Great Resignation, but the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t only affect young and midlife workers who left their jobs to pursue higher-paying and more meaningful employment. It also hastened the Great Retirement, a massive wave of baby boomers leaving the workforce, many of them earlier than planned. Now those homeowners are selling their suburban single-family …
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GEORGETOWN, TEXAS — Chicago-based developer Molto Properties has broken ground on Blue Springs Business Park, a 604,064-square-foot industrial project in the northern Austin suburb of Georgetown. Blue Springs Business Park will consist of three cross-dock and rear-load buildings ranging in size from 124,914 to 310,366 square feet. The structures will be situated on a 43-acre site less than half a mile from I-35. Building features will include 32- to 36-foot clear heights, 180- to 210-foot truck court depths, ESFR sprinkler systems and combined parking for 580 cars and 90 trailers. Burton Construction is the general contractor for the project, which is slated for a second-quarter 2023 completion. Transwestern has been tapped to lease the development, which is Molto Properties’ first in Central Texas.
Toyota Announces $2.5B Expansion, 350 New Jobs at North Carolina Battery Manufacturing Plant
by John Nelson
LIBERTY, N.C. — Automotive giant Toyota Motor Corp. has announced an additional investment of $2.5 billion in its newest North American facility, Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC) in Liberty. This investment adds capacity to support battery electric vehicle (BEV) battery production and will add 350 jobs, bringing the total employment at the campus to approximately 2,100 and the total investment to $3.8 billion. Scheduled to begin production in 2025, the new facility will produce batteries for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and BEVs.
Walton Street Capital Originates $69.8M Acquisition Loan for Metro Raleigh Apartment Community
by John Nelson
CARY, N.C. — An affiliate of Walton Street Capital LLC has originated a $69.8 million acquisition loan for Aventura Crossroads, a 344-unit apartment community located at 1010 Legacy Village Drive in Cary, a suburb of Raleigh. The borrower is a partnership between The Bainbridge Cos. and Virtus Real Estate Capital. Built in 2009, Aventura Crossroads was 98 percent occupied at the time of sale. The garden-style community features one-, two- and three-bedroom units averaging 1,154 square feet. Amenities include a recently renovated clubhouse, upgraded fitness center, pet spa and an outdoor pool. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
Berkadia Arranges $57.5M Construction Loan for Multifamily Project in Miami’s Allapattah Neighborhood
by John Nelson
MIAMI — Berkadia has arranged a $57.5 million construction loan for Fourteen Residences Allapattah, a 237-unit apartment community located within an opportunity zone at 1470 N.W. 36th St. in downtown Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood. Charles Foschini, Chris Apone and Shannon Wilson of Berkadia’s Miami office secured the financing on behalf of the borrower, Neology Life Development Group, a residential and commercial real estate firm led by Lissette Calderon. Jeff Rosenfeld and Sean Robertson originated the 24-month loan, which features two extension options, internally for the lender, Churchill Real Estate. Upon completion in early 2024, Fourteen Allapattah Residences will consist of a 14-story building with 180 apartment units connected via a pool deck to a five-story building with 57 apartments. The property will be situated within walking distance from the Allapattah Miami Metrorail Station, Rubell Museum and SuperBlue, an immersive art museum. The community will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 450 to 900 square feet. Amenities will include original artwork, a multipurpose lobby, media lounges and living rooms, rooftop pool and clubhouse, poolside cabanas, coworking spaces, conference rooms, outdoor movie screen, an indoor and outdoor fitness and wellness center, dog park with dog wash area, bike storage, virtual concierge …
HOUSTON — Harmony Public Schools, a charter program focused on the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines, will open an 160,000-square-foot Houston campus for students in grades pre-K through 12. The campus will be located within CityPlace, a mixed-use development that is led by New York-based Coventry Development Corp. The 60,000-squuare-foot campus for pre-K and elementary students is scheduled to open in advance of the 2024-2025 academic year, and the 100,000-square-foot middle and high school campus should come on line in time for the 2026-2027 school year.
NEWPORT, KY. — BC Wood Properties, a value-add shopping center investment firm based in Lexington, Ky., has purchased two retail centers in Newport, a suburb of Cincinnati. The adjacent assets, Newport Shopping Center and Newport Plaza, total 429,399 square feet. Newport Shopping Center’s tenant roster includes Newport Racing & Gaming, Crunch Fitness, Family Dollar, Dollar General, Cricket Wireless, H&R Block and GNC. Newport Plaza’s tenants include Fresh Thyme, Planet Fitness, Ace Hardware and Dollar Tree. Both centers also house several locally based stores and restaurants. BC Wood acquired the centers via its investment vehicle BC Wood Real Estate Fund III. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. With this acquisition, BC Wood now owns and operates 10 shopping centers in Kentucky.
TROY, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of Trojan Self Storage, a 580-unit facility in Troy, located south of Waco in Central Texas. The facility spans 87,480 net rentable square feet. Brandon Karr of Marcus & Millichap represented the buyer and seller, both of which were private investors that requested anonymity, in the transaction.
LPC Southeast Negotiates 90,000 SF of Leases at NorthWinds Office Park in Alpharetta, Georgia
by John Nelson
ALPHARETTA, GA. — Lincoln Property Co. Southeast (LPC Southeast) has negotiated several new leases, lease expansions and extensions at NorthWinds Office Park in Alpharetta totaling more than 90,000 square feet. Hunter Henritze, Michael Howell, Caroline Fisher and Robert deGolian of LPC Southeast represented the landlord, The Brookdale Group, in the lease negotiations. The tenants for these lease deals at the 1 million-square-foot, seven-building office park include: • Deposco (extending by 11,025 square feet); • Campbell & Brannon (extending by 17,425 square feet); • US Orthopedic Partners (new 10,445-square-foot lease); • Goldman Sachs (expansion/extension of 7,579 square feet); • Hanover Insurance Co. (new 7,119-square-foot lease); • Homrich Berg (new 6,992-square-foot lease); • Weissman P.C. (6,991-square-foot lease extension); • REP Perimeter Holdings (extended by 6,803 square feet); • CBIZ (6,514-square-foot lease extension); • Instant Financial (4,151 lease extension/expansion); • Adair & Baker (2,896-square-foot extension); and • H Clay Moore & Associates Inc. (new 2,762-square-foot lease) NorthWinds is located about 26 miles north of Atlanta and within one mile from Avalon and Ga. Highway 400. In addition to offices, the campus includes two hotels, two banks, nine restaurants, two complimentary fitness facilities, a daycare and learning facility and six free conference and training …
AUSTIN, TEXAS — CBRE has negotiated a 45,496-square-foot office headquarters lease in southwest Austin for Epicor Software, a provider of technology solutions for the manufacturing, distribution and retail sectors. Nate Stricklen and John Gump of CBRE represented the tenant, which took occupancy of its new space within the Las Cimas office complex in July, in the lease negotiations. Kevin Granger and Brian Liverman of Cushman & Wakefield represented the landlord, Boston-based Rockpoint.