NEW YORK CITY — Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO) has sold The Center Building, a 470,000-square-foot office building located in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, for $173 million. The eight-story building, which includes ground-floor retail space, was originally constructed in 1914 as an assembly plant and service center for Ford’s Model T vehicle. Today, the building is home to five city agencies, as well as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Locally based development and investment firm 60 Guilders purchased the asset for an undisclosed price. Eastdil Secured provided financial advisory services to Vornado.
NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between multifamily owner-operator Asland Capital Partners and locally based investment firm Pembroke Residential Holdings has received $100 million in financing for the development of a 154-unit affordable housing project in the Soundview neighborhood of The Bronx. Residences will be reserved for renters age 62 and above with income levels that represent various percentages of the area median income. In addition, 30 percent of the units will be set aside for seniors who were formerly homeless. Completion of the 14-story building is scheduled for fall 2024. The $100 million construction loan was procured through a combination of both taxable and tax-exempt bonds issued by the New York State Housing Finance Agency, with credit enhancement in an equal amount provided by Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs is also providing tax credit equity for the development.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Highwoods Properties Inc. plans to purchase 650 South Tryon at Legacy Union, an 18-story office tower in Uptown Charlotte that is anchored by Big 4 accounting firm Deloitte. The Raleigh-based REIT plans to acquire the 367,000-square-foot, LEED Gold-certified tower for $203 million, which includes $3.9 million of capital expenditures to boost occupancy of the tower. The property was 78 percent leased at the time of the transaction, which is expected to close in the third quarter. The seller was not disclosed but the developer, Lincoln Harris, delivered the property in late 2020. The tower represented Phase II of the Legacy Union mixed-use campus and is connected to the 33-story Bank of America Tower, which Highwoods also owns. Additionally, Highwoods has agreed to acquire a development site in Charlotte’s South End district for $27 million. The parcel at 1426 S. Tryon St. is tentatively planned for a mixed-use property comprising 300,000 square feet of office space and 250 apartments. The seller of the site was also not disclosed.
NEW YORK CITY — Northwood Investors has completed the renovation of 1180 Avenue of the Americas, a 398,937-square-foot office building in Midtown Manhattan. The project involved renovating the building’s main entrance, lobby and façade and revamping the amenity center, which now houses a 3,500-square-foot terrace and two conference rooms and lounges. Northwood also upgraded the elevator and mechanical systems and added speculative office suites. Gensler designed the capital improvement program. Cushman & Wakefield leases the building.
MIAMI — Cushman & Wakefield has brokered the $56.7 million sale of a pair of office buildings in downtown Miami totaling more than 300,000 square feet. A partnership between Triple Double Real Estate and Stonerock Capital Partners purchased the portfolio from an undisclosed seller. Mike Davis, Dominic Montazemi, Miguel Alcivar, Adam Spies, Rick Brugge and Rick Colon of Cushman & Wakefield represented both parties in the transaction. The properties include a 12-story building at 200 S.E. 1st St. and a 26-story tower at 44 W. Flagler St. The buildings are about a quarter-mile from one another and were a combined 59 percent leased at the time of sale, giving value-add opportunities to the new owners.
TAMPA, FLA. — CP Capital US has formed a joint venture with Crescent Communities to develop Novel Independence Park, a 277-unit, Class A multifamily project in Tampa. The community will be part of Independence Park, a 44-acre, mixed-use development that was recently rezoned to accommodate the project, as well as future phases that include office, retail and townhomes. Charlotte-based Crescent Communities purchased the site from Independence Park master developer Highwoods Properties Inc. Situated in Tampa’s Westshore district, the developers plan to break ground this month and deliver the first units in the third quarter of 2023, with construction expected to be completed in early 2024. Truist provided construction financing for the project. Design partners include architecture firm Dwell Design Studio, landscape architect LandDesign, civil engineer Haiff Associates and interior designer Vignette Interior Design. CBG Construction will serve as the general contractor.
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Chicago-based general contractor Summit Design + Build has kicked off construction on Stadium Lofts South, a 69,000-square-foot multifamily project in the Charlotte suburb of Kannapolis. Once complete, the project will overlook the baseball stadium of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, a Minor League Baseball team and Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The seven-story building will have two floors of retail/office space and five floors of apartments totaling 43 units. The building will feature a lobby, fitness center, club room, balconies and a parking garage. The project is expected to wrap up in spring 2023. The project team includes developer Lansing Melbourne Group and architect Built Form. Stadium Lofts South marks the first construction project for Summit Design + Build in North Carolina.
FAIRFIELD, N.J. — BNE Real Estate has begun leasing The Kingsley, a 99-unit apartment complex in the Northern New Jersey community of Fairfield. Designed by Minno & Wasko Architects & Planners, the property features one- and two-bedroom units with stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, tile backsplashes and individual washers and dryers. Private balconies and patios are available in select residences. Amenities include a pool, game room and a card room, as well as indoor and outdoor lounges, Amazon package lockers and a fitness center. Rents start at roughly $2,300 per month for a one-bedroom unit.
WEST CHESTER, PA. — Colliers has arranged the sale of a 120,000-square-foot retail property in West Chester, a western suburb of Philadelphia, that houses a dealership for Mercedes-Benz. The property sits on 10 acres along U.S. Route 202. Virginia-based Capital Automotive sold the property to Piazza Auto Group for an undisclosed price. Rich Weitzman of Colliers brokered the deal in conjunction with CBRE.
NASHVILLE, TENN. — JLL has arranged the sale of Stocking 51, a five-building adaptive reuse campus in Nashville’s The Nations neighborhood. The buyer, an institutional investor advised by Stockbridge, purchased the property, which was originally built in 1927 as the Belle Meade Hosiery Mill. Richard Reid, Ryan Clutter and Huston Green of JLL, along with Trent Yates of Sagemont Real Estate, represented the seller, Vintage South Development, and procured the buyer. The sales price was not disclosed. Situated on a 6.2-acre site, the property is now roughly two-thirds creative office space and one-thirds retail space. The property was fully leased at the time of sale to coworking providers, tech and financial services firms, interior designers, restaurants and fitness users.