NEW YORK CITY AND AUSTIN, TEXAS — Blackstone Inc. (NYSE: BX) has agreed to acquire American Campus Communities (NYSE: ACC) in a deal valued at $12.8 billion, including the assumption of debt. ACC is the largest publicly traded owner, manager and developer of student housing in the United States. Blackstone plans to take the company private through Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust Inc. and Blackstone Property Partners, which unlike its traditional private-equity funds can hold properties as long-term investments, according to media sources. This move comes as the price of public equity has been more expensive than private institutional capital over the past few years, according to Bill Bayless, co-founder and CEO of ACC, in a letter to employees. During that time, many of the private players in the sector were able to acquire and develop more aggressively than the cost of public equities permitted. The purchase price represents a premium of 22 percent against ACC’s 90-day, volume-weighted average share price as of April 18, and a 30 percent premium over the company’s closing stock price on Feb. 16, the day prior to ACC disclosing an indication of willingness from Blackstone to acquire the Austin-based firm. This transaction marks Blackstone’s largest investment …
Property Type
By Taylor Williams Industrial brokers and developers throughout New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania are flush with tenant demand, but the frenetic pace and frequency at which revenues and costs change in this market has introduced a whole new set of operating challenges. In terms of the supply side of the market, developers of industrial product, like those of every other property type, have been squeezed by supply chain disruption. Prices and lead times for ordering key materials change radically and often without warning. Developers who try to circumvent these obstacles by ordering way earlier than normal in the process now run an increased risk of having to take delivery of supplies without having all permits and sources of construction financing in place. Such a misfire in timing can create lags in delivery, potentially alienating tenants needing turnkey space and generating additional short-term costs via storage of the materials before construction begins. In addition, misaligning these timelines can spook potential investors that want the certainty of knowing that a project is moving forward. “We’re buying supplies a year in advance and trying to sync up deliveries of those materials with when we expect to have full project approval,” says Peter Polt, …
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — Indianapolis-based partners Citimark Inc. and Pure Development Inc., along with Charleston-based NCP Capital LLC, have plans to build Coastal Crossroads, a $200 million industrial project in Summerville. Coastal Crossroads will include more than 2.5 million square feet of new industrial distribution and manufacturing space. The project is a 180-acre master planned industrial park with speculative and build-to-suit opportunities. Additionally, about 1 million square feet of space will be available in early 2023 for leasing. Located on Strathmore Road along Interstate 26, the project will be situated within 30 miles or less of three South Carolina Ports Authority terminals. The industrial park will also be 21.1 miles from Charleston International Airport and about 20 miles from downtown Charleston. Bob Barrineau, Tim Raber and Brendan Redeyoff of CBRE will handle leasing and marketing efforts for Coastal Crossroads.
KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — NorthPoint Development has broken ground on Piedmont Commerce Center, a 1.5 million-square-foot industrial park in Kernersville, about 10.6 miles from Winston-Salem. Construction is slated to be complete between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. The expected development cost is $129 million. Piedmont Commerce Center will be a four-building industrial park located at Macy Grove Road and Salem Parkway. The buildings will range from 246,489 square feet to 669,081 square feet. The project will bring 800 full-time jobs to the area, according to NorthPoint. NAI Piedmont Triad is handling the marketing and leasing for Piedmont Commerce Center.
AUBURN, ALA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of the Auburn Summit Portfolio, three apartment communities with a total of 187 units in Auburn. Josh Jacobs, Andrew Jacobs, Matthew Prozzillo and Benjamin Skinner of Marcus & Millichap represented the undisclosed seller and procured the Utah-based buyer in the transaction. The sales price was $19 million, or about $101,500 per unit. The Auburn Summit Portfolio includes the following: • The Summit at Glenn is a 72-unit multifamily property located at 516 E. Glenn Ave. that was built in 1974. • The Summit at Dean is a 54-unit multifamily property located at 555 N. Dean Road that was built in 1977. • The Summit on Ross is a 60-unit multifamily property located at 650 N. Ross St. that was built in 1964. The properties are locally managed assets located less than two miles from Auburn University.
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — Greystone has provided a $16.6 million Fannie Mae loan to refinance Renaissance Apartments in Leon County, a 168-unit multifamily property in Tallahassee. Kyle Jemtrud of Greystone originated the financing on behalf of the borrower, Pax Properties LLC. The financing, which is a permanent takeout of a Greystone bridge loan, carries a 10-year term and a 30-year amortization period, with a low, fixed interest rate and six years of interest-only payments. Built in 1974, Renaissance Apartments in Leon County is a garden-style community with 13 buildings. The property offers one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans. Community amenities include an onsite pool, community center and laundry facilities. The property was 95 percent occupied at the time of sale. Located at 2959 Apalachee Parkway, the apartment community is situated 11 miles from the Tallahassee International Airport and 3.8 miles from Florida State University.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The total amount of commercial and multifamily loans that mortgage bankers closed in 2021 at $683.2 billion was 55 percent higher than the $441.5 billion reported in 2020, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s 2021 Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Annual Origination Volume Summation. Multifamily mortgage lending took the lead last year at $376 billion, followed by loans for office buildings, industrial properties, retail, hotel/motel and healthcare properties. Depositories, such as banks, were the leading capital source for mortgage banker originated loans in 2021, responsible for $157 billion of the total. Private label commercial mortgage backed security (CMBS) saw the second-highest volume at $141 billion, followed by government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, life insurance companies and pension funds and investor-driven lenders. MBA estimates that total commercial real estate mortgage lending — including activity from small and mid-sized lenders not tracked by MBA — totaled $890.6 billion in 2021, a 45 percent increase over 2020 at $614 billion and a 25 percent increase over the previous annual record of $713 billion in 2019. “Improving property fundamentals and strong price appreciation drove borrowing and lending backed by commercial and multifamily properties to new highs in …
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — A partnership between Phoenix-based developer Creation Real Estate and J.P. Morgan Global Alternatives has broken ground on a 532,535-square-foot industrial project in Fort Worth. The site is located just off Interstate 820 and offers high visibility from that loop. The development will consist of three buildings — two rear-load and one front-load — with clear heights ranging from 32 to 36 feet. LGE Design Build is the architect and general contractor for the project. Holt Lunsford Commercial has been tapped as the leasing agent. Completion is slated for the second quarter of 2023.
ELMENDORF, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of a 232,406-square-foot office and industrial campus located in the southeastern San Antonio suburb of Elmendorf. Built in 2012, the property consists of 11 buildings on a 108-acre site. At the time of sale, the campus, which includes outdoor storage space, was fully leased to oilfield services company Weatherford International (NASDAQ: WFRD). Patrick Doherty, David Houston and James Stewart of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, Atlanta-based Stonemont Financial Group, in the transaction and procured the undisclosed buyer.
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS — Flournoy Development Group, in partnership with Westport Capital, has broken ground on Neuhaus, a 225-unit multifamily project located on the northern outskirts of Houston in The Woodlands. The property will comprise two midrise buildings that will house one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Amenities will include a pool, fitness center, dog park and outdoor grilling and dining areas. HEDK is the project architect, and Strategic Construction is the general contractor. Completion is slated for early 2023.