By Traci Kapsalis, JLL It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic turned every office market across the globe upside down. In the process, quality of life, health and well-being have become top priorities for office workers, as well as a push for hybrid and flexible working models. To understand and support these evolving expectations, local governments, employers and landlords are working together to identify and shape their new future of work. In fact, new research from JLL reports that the next three years will be a critical phase for commercial real estate strategy, representing a crucial window of opportunity that will determine how successful companies (and cities) will be in adapting to rapid changes. At the crossroads of America, the Indianapolis market is well on its way to a reimagined office environment. Here are three demonstrable signs. 1. Flight to quality dominates the office market Leasing activity for Class A office properties is strong in Indianapolis. According to a recent report, activity in this sector is reaching new heights as it achieved 248,000 square feet of occupancy growth in the second quarter — the highest in a single quarter in over four years — and hit record-high rents of almost …
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DALLAS — JLL has negotiated the sale of a 1,252-unit self-storage facility located at 2500 Lone Star Drive in West Dallas. The three-story facility features 117,503 net rentable square feet of climate-controlled space and was 50 percent occupied at the time of sale. Austin-based CSW Development sold the property to Charlotte-based Madison Capital for an undisclosed price. Brian Somoza, Steve Mellon, Matthew Wheeler, Adam Roossien and Jake Kinnear of JLL brokered the deal. The new ownership intends to rebrand the property as a Go Store It facility.
HOUSTON — Fort Worth-based investment firm Fort Capital has acquired a portfolio of 28 Class B industrial buildings totaling 673,679 square feet in Houston. Known as The West Houston & Gemini Portfolio, the buildings are located throughout various infill submarkets and had a collective occupancy rate of 84 percent at the time of sale. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
TEXAS — Colliers Mortgage has arranged an $11.8 million bridge loan for the acquisition of three skilled nursing facilities in Texas. The facilities, the names and locations of which were not disclosed, total 358 beds. The loan carries a three-year term with two 12-month extensions and an interest-only payment period. The undisclosed borrower will use a portion of the proceeds to fund renovations. Nick Skarich, Steven Marx, Corley Audorff and Josh Williams led the transaction for Colliers Mortgage.
FRESNO, TEXAS — Primo Fitness, a California-based provider of exercise equipment, has purchased a 71,438-square-foot industrial building located at 701 Sycamore Drive in Fresno, a southern suburb of Houston. Jason Scholtz and Barkley Peschel of Colliers represented the seller, Lemark Investments, in the transaction. Haley Golden, Blair Golden and Lilly Golden of Evergreen Commercial Realty represented Primo Fitness.
PHILADELPHIA — Locally based developer Exeter Property Group is nearing completion of an adaptive reuse project that converted a former church at 1701 Race St. in Philadelphia’s Logan Square neighborhood into a 271-unit multifamily tower. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, the 23-story building is known as One Cathedral Square and houses studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, as well as ground-floor retail space. Amenities include a fitness center, rooftop kitchen and lounge, coworking spaces and Amazon package lockers. Leasing began this summer, and rents start at roughly $1,700 per month for a studio apartment.
Joint Venture Begins Construction on 502-Unit Multifamily Project in Lakewood Ranch, Florida
by John Nelson
LAKEWOOD RANCH, FLA. — A joint venture between Ryan Cos. US Inc., PGIM Real Estate and ParkSprings Development has begun construction on Renata at Lakewood Ranch, a 502-unit multifamily project within the 33,000-acre master-planned Lakewood Ranch community, which is located between Sarasota and Tampa. The project, which will span 37 acres, is slated for completion in 2024, with preleasing to start next year. Renata at Lakewood Ranch will consist of a series of four-story walk-up apartment buildings comprising a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans with an average unit size of approximately 985 square feet. Amenities will include resort-style pool, spinning room, yoga room, free weights, bar games, a golf simulator, putting green, dog spa and dog park, lawn sports, multiple barbecue areas, walking trail around the property’s central lake, sand volleyball courts, conference and office rooms for remote workers and a private beach. Ryan and ParkSprings are co-developers, and Ryan is the general contractor. PGIM Real Estate is the equity partner on the deal, and Wells Fargo is providing debt financing. Renata at Lakewood Ranch is Ryan’s third project within Lakewood Ranch.
Housing Trust Group, AM Affordable Housing Break Ground on $44M Seniors Housing Project in Miami
by John Nelson
MIAMI — Housing Trust Group (HTG) and AM Affordable Housing have broken ground on Tucker Tower, a $44 million affordable housing community in Miami for seniors aged 62 and older. Located at 9940 W. Hibiscus St. in the city’s Perrine neighborhood, the eight-story property’s apartments will be reserved for income-qualifying residents who earn at or below 25, 30 and 60 percent of area median income (AMI), with rents ranging from $457 to $1,317 per month. Amenities will include a fitness center, business center with computer stations, swimming pool, pet grooming station, lighted pathways along accessible routes and a library. The property is scheduled to deliver in early 2024. The project team for Tucker Tower includes general contractor BDI Construction; engineer HSQ Group LLC; architect Corwil Architects; landscaper Witkin Hults; and interior designer B. Pila Design Studio. Tucker Tower is the fifth affordable housing collaboration between HTG and AM Affordable Housing, a nonprofit developer founded by former NBA player Alonzo Mourning. Capital sources for Tucker Tower include $28.4 million in 9 percent Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity syndicated through Raymond James and purchased by Bank of America; a $30 million construction loan from Bank of America; a $9.5 million …
Champion Acquires Village at Wake Forest Student Housing Portfolio in Winston-Salem for $43M
by John Nelson
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Champion Real Estate Co. has purchased Villages at Wake Forest, a 75-unit portfolio comprising single-family homes and duplexes located across the street from Wake Forest University. Scott Clifton and Stewart Hayes of JLL represented Champion and the undisclosed seller in the $43 million transaction. Located at 961 Palm Drive in Winston-Salem, the 62-parcel portfolio, which will be rebranded as Victory at Wake Forest, is Champion’s first student housing community in North Carolina. The buyer plans to fully furnish all units and lease by the bed.
Northwood Investors Adds Two New Concepts to Metropolitan Shopping Center in Midtown Charlotte
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Northwood Investors LLC has added two new tenants to Metropolitan, a mixed-use development and lifestyle shopping center located in Midtown Charlotte. The new concepts include Yuliya’s Ice Cream, a locally based, woman-owned ice cream company founded by Belarusian immigrant Yuliya Shvinhelskaya. The eatery will open at Metropolitan, its first brick-and-mortar shop, in early 2023. The other concept is Removery, the largest specialized provider of tattoo removal services. The company operates nearly 100 locations. Other newcomers to Metropolitan include European Wax Center, Open Rice and Clean Your Dirty Face. In addition to new tenants, Northwood Investors is unveiling the refresh of Metropolitan’s exterior that includes new signage, enhanced lighting along the bike path, colorful banners along Charlottetowne Avenue and South Kings Drive, metal and fabric garage screens and vertical wood and warmer colors throughout. Other upcoming renovations include updated landscaping and interior furnishings.