It’s safe to say office space design has been transformed over the past two years in large part due to COVID-19 and the work-from-home experience. It has changed for now, the foreseeable future and maybe forever. Though many people are still working from home, others have returned to the office, even if only for a few days a week, and many of the office spaces are looking entirely different. While this may be happening in other markets, it is a trend we are seeing in the Milwaukee office market. The idea of the design and aesthetic of the office has changed. Current trends in office design are focusing on safety and comfort, while also creating a sense of home at the office. Tenants are being more thoughtful about their space layout and design. Instead of trying to fit as many people as possible into the space, tenants are occupying roughly the same size, or even slightly smaller spaces, but focusing on making those spaces more welcoming to help ease those workers coming back into the office, as well as recruiting new employees. Bring home into the office This design trend has the goal to provide comfort and safety at every …
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University of Maryland Medical Center Breaks Ground on $219M Healthcare Tower in Baltimore
by John Nelson
BALTIMORE — The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) has broken ground on the Roslyn and Leonard Stoler Center for Advanced Medicine, a nine-story patient care tower located on the UMMC campus at 22 S. Greene St. in downtown Baltimore. The facility will serve as the new entrance to the UMMC and house the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC). The $219 million development is expected to be completed in mid-2025. The project, which will more than double the cancer center’s footprint, will feature 198,000 square feet of new space and 42,000 square feet of renovated space. UMMC is funding the tower with $100 million from the state of Maryland, along with private donations and UMMC capital funds. UMMC has raised more than $51 million from 130 donors as part of UMMC’s Building for Life Campaign to fund the project. Clark Construction will serve as general contractor for the project, which is estimated to be wrap up in 32 months.
Mesa West Provides $135M Acquisition Loan for Sophia at Abacoa Apartments in South Florida
by John Nelson
JUPITER, FLA. — Mesa West Capital has provided a $135 million acquisition loan for The Sophia at Abacoa, a 390-unit multifamily community in Jupiter. Matt Williams and James Maynard of Newmark arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower, Berkshire Residential Investments. Located in the Abacoa neighborhood, Sophia at Abacoa was built in 2002 and offers a variety of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans housed in low-rise residential buildings on a 22-acre site. The property features a wide variety of amenities including a clubhouse, fitness center, two resort-style pools, dog park, sand volleyball court, outdoor grilling areas with picnic tables and a car detailing station. The property also benefits from being within walking distance of downtown Abacoa, which features shopping, dining and entertainment options. The Sophia at Abacoa is also near Roger Dean Stadium, the spring training facility for the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals, in addition to 16 golf and country clubs in Jupiter. With the loan for Berkshire, Mesa West Capital has originated over $550 million in first mortgage and mezzanine debt in Florida over the past 12 months.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Avison Young has brokered the $35 million sale of a 300,000-square-foot industrial facility located at 10800 Withers Cove Park Drive in southwest Charlotte. Built in 2000, the property was fully leased at the time of sale to Essendant, a national wholesale distributor of office supplies. The facility features a concrete tilt-wall construction, cross-dock loading, an ESFR sprinkler system and available land for future expansion opportunities or excess trailer parking. Tom Tropeano, Chris Loyd and Chris Skibinski of Avison Young’s Charlotte industrial team represented the private seller in the transaction. The buyer and seller were not disclosed.
DALE CITY, VA. — Sterling Organization has sold Cheshire Station, a Safeway-anchored shopping center in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Dale City. Haverford Properties, an investment firm based in Philadelphia, purchased the 105,054-square-foot shopping center for $29.1 million. Cheshire Station’s tenant roster includes Petco, AutoZone, GNC, Sprint, Starbucks Coffee, Sherwin-Williams and a Virginia ABC liquor store. CBRE brokered the transaction. Sterling sold the property along with Market at Opitz, another shopping center in Northern Virginia, for a combined sales price of $58.4 million. Sterling currently owns and manages approximately 70 properties throughout the United States spanning 11.4 million square feet and approaching $2.4 billion in value.
Legacy South, Patterson Close Construction Financing for Rowan Townhomes in Metro Nashville
by John Nelson
ANTIOCH, TENN. — Legacy South, with the assistance of its capital advisor Patterson Real Estate Advisory Group, closed on equity and debt construction financing for The Rowan, an 80-unit rental townhome community in the south Nashville suburb of Antioch. Patterson arranged an undisclosed amount of joint venture equity financing with TriGate Capital and debt financing through Hancock Whitney. Upon completion, The Rowan will be spread across 16 different buildings with an average unit size of 1,575 square feet, and each unit will contain three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms. Situated near I-24, I-40, I-65 and Route 254, the property offers easy access to Nashville’s primary job centers, including Nashville International Airport and downtown Nashville.
ROWLETT, TEXAS — Locally based developer Zale Properties will build The View at Sapphire Bay, a 394-unit lakefront multifamily project that will be located in Rowlett, a northeastern suburb of Dallas. Units will be available in one-, two- and three-bedroom formats and will have an average size of 941 square feet. Interiors will be furnished with stainless steel appliances, quartz/granite countertops, full-size washers and dryers and private balconies. Amenities will include a pool, coworking space, game rooms, fitness center, pet spa, garden courtyard and kitchen and a landscaped picnic area. Completion is slated for May 2024. John Brownlee and Wilson Bauer of JLL arranged $58.3 million in fixed-rate construction financing through Principal Global Investors on behalf of Zale Properties.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — New York-based investment firm Clarion Partners has acquired a 354-unit apartment community located at the entrance to The Domain in North Austin. Completed earlier this year, Modera Domain offers studio, one- and two-bedroom units with an average size of 846 square feet. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, outdoor grilling and dining areas, dog park and a resident lounge, as well as coworking and private workspaces. Patton Jones and Andrew Dickson of Newmark represented the seller, a joint venture between Mill Creek Residential and PGIM, in the transaction.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Car parts manufacturer Westin Automotive Products has signed 128,400-square-foot industrial lease renewal at Railhead Industrial Park, a 633-acre development in Fort Worth. The rail-served park is located on the city’s north side. Reid Bassinger of Lee & Associates represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. Matt Carthey and George Jennings of Holt Lunsford Commercial represented the landlord, James Campbell Co.
WOODWAY, TEXAS — Dallas-based brokerage firm SHOP Cos. has negotiated the sale of Crossroads West Shopping Center, a 36,864-square-foot retail center in Woodway, a suburb of Waco. The property is situated adjacent to an H-E-B grocery store and was approximately 97 percent leased at the time of sale. Tim Axilrod of SHOP Cos. represented the seller, a Texas-based limited liability company, in the transaction. The buyer and sales price were not disclosed.