CHICAGO — Colliers has arranged the sale of seven retail properties and one industrial building in metro Chicago for $10.5 million. The sale represents the first part of a multi-phased transaction that encompasses 22 retail properties, three land sites and one industrial building. Peter Block and Rachel Patten of Colliers represented the seller, a family office. Indianapolis-based Arnold Meyer & Co. was the buyer. Block expects to close on the remaining properties in the portfolio this summer.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Matthews Real Estate Investment Services has negotiated the sale of a portfolio of medical office buildings throughout metro Kansas City for an undisclosed price. Known as the Sabates Eye Centers Portfolio, the portfolio features five properties with 13 suites totaling 76,826 square feet and is 90 percent leased. Rahul Chhajed and Michael Moreno of Matthews represented the undisclosed seller. A private family office based in Ohio was the buyer.
DARIEN, ILL. — Mid-America Real Estate Corp. has brokered the sale of Darien Shopping Center in the western Chicago suburb of Darien for an undisclosed price. The 46,582-square-foot retail center is fully leased to tenants such as American Freight, Concentra Urgent Care, Chuck E. Cheese and World Star Nails & Spa. Jewel-Osco shadow anchors the property. Emily Gadomski and Rick Drogosz of Mid-America represented the private seller. The asset sold to a local private buyer.
YPSILANTI, MICH. — MC Driving School has signed a 2,322-square-foot retail lease at Arbor Square Plaza in Ypsilanti. The tenant will take the space formerly occupied by Weight Watchers at the center, which is located at the southeast corner of Carpenter and Ellsworth roads. Michael Murphy and Tjader Gerdom of Gerdom Realty & Investment represented the landlord, Verus Development Group.
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Inquirer has opened a new, 36,500-square-foot office at 100 S. Independence Mall West in the Old City district. Locally based architecture firm Meyer designed the office, which can accommodate 200 people and represents a consolidated physical footprint. The newspaper employs about 400 people who will utilize the space on a rotating basis and work in “neighborhood” spaces that support individual departments like news, marketing, human resources and administration. Newmark represented the Inquirer in its site selection and lease negotiations. Keystone Property Groups owns the building.
WOODBRIDGE, N.J. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $11 million sale of a gas station and convenience mart in the Northern New Jersey community of Woodbridge. The property totals 4,453 square feet and is net leased to QuickChek. Justin Natalizio and Eric Anton of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which were limited liability companies that requested anonymity, in the transaction. John Horowitz of Marcus & Millichap assisted in closing the deal as the broker of record.
NEW YORK CITY — MillerKnoll, a family of home décor and furnishing brands, has signed a 15,331-square-foot office lease at 251 Park Avenue South in Manhattan’s Gramercy neighborhood. The 16-story building was originally constructed in 1909. Justin Royce of Cushman & Wakefield represented MillerKnoll in the lease negotiations. Andrew Wiener and Robert Fisher internally represented the landlord, The Feil Organization, which acquired the asset in 2015 and implemented a capital improvement program. Combined with its ground-floor retail space, MillerKnoll now occupies about 60,000 square feet at 251 Park Avenue South.
WEBSTER, N.Y. — The Coca-Cola Co. has announced plans to develop a $650 million production facility for its dairy brand Fairlife in the Central New York community of Webster, just west of Rochester. The 745,000-square-foot facility will source from local milk co-operatives to produce its line of dairy-based beverages before distributing them to retailers across the Northeast U.S. The company expects to break ground on the project this fall, subject to final approvals and due diligence, with the facility slated for operation by the fourth quarter of 2025. The development is expected to create up to 250 new jobs upon completion. “This decision by Fairlife to expand their operations in Monroe County marks the next chapter in New York’s agricultural success story,” says New York Governor, Kathy Hochul. “New York’s dairy industry serves as a crucial economic engine for our state, and this $650 million investment from Fairlife will create jobs and drive economic impact, particularly in the Finger Lakes.” Empire State Development will provide up to $21 million in assistance for the project through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program in exchange for job creation commitments. Monroe County is also expected to apply for a $20 million Capital Grant …
By Adam Connor, Colliers When the pandemic hit in 2020, most of the media jumped to write articles about the downfall of retail properties and how shoppers were going to get all their goods flown from drones from their Amazon overlords. The reality is that every day, normal people shop at grocery stores, go work out at the gym, and buy lunch or dinner somewhere. Now that 2020 is far behind us, the 2023 retail landscape in the Milwaukee region looks much different. Most of the retail space, including the mid-box and big-box vacancies, have been backfilled and, as a result, owners saw healthy rent growth in their assets. With the lack of construction over the past five to seven years, retailers are now competing for high quality space and paying a premium in rent to be located there. With only 134,000 square feet under construction and a 12-month absorption of 660,000 square feet, quality space is in high demand. Asking rents are up 7 percent to $14.80 since the second quarter of 2020 and vacancy is down to 5 percent. Development The Milwaukee area has some large development projects that are underway, including Fiserv moving its corporate headquarters back …
With office vacancy rates in the District of Columbia at 20 percent and climbing, officials believe that converting office buildings to residential space is an important component of revitalizing downtown Washington. These complex projects pose both practical and administerial challenges, however. For developers, one important consideration of such a redevelopment is its real estate tax implications. High hopes District leaders announced earlier this year that they hope to add 15,000 residents to the central business district over the next five years – an ambitious goal. The hope is that bringing residents to live downtown will create a more vibrant neighborhood where people live, work, and dine. The stark reality is that the District of Columbia has one of the lowest return-to-office rates in the country. Actual occupancy in the D.C. metro was only 43 percent in mid-April and drops below 25 percent on Fridays, according to Kastle Systems, which tracks office occupancy. Workers simply aren’t returning to Downtown D.C. While residential conversions may be one piece of the puzzle in addressing D.C.’s downtown woes, converting an office building into a residential property is no small feat. Here are a few important factors relating to real estate taxes to keep in …
