MUNCIE, IND. AND FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. — Muncie-based First Merchants Corp. (NASDAQ: FRME) and Farmington Hills-based Level One Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: LEVL) have signed a definitive merger agreement by which Level One will merge into First Merchants in a stock and cash transaction valued at approximately $323.5 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2022. The combined company, conducting its banking business as First Merchants Bank, expects to complete its system integration during the third quarter of 2022. First Merchants will have assets of roughly $17.6 billion and will remain the second largest financial holding company headquartered in Indiana. The combined company will operate 122 banking offices across Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois.
CHICAGO — Union Investment Real Estate has purchased 59-65 E. Oak St., a one-block stretch of high-end retail space in Chicago. The purchase price was $120 million, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. The price represents the largest amount paid for any retail asset sold in Chicago since 2016, according to CBRE. Keely Polczynski of CBRE Capital Markets represented both the buyer and the seller, Jenel Real Estate, which acquired two separate parcels in 2016, demolished them and rebuilt a 32,000-square-foot building that now houses high-end retailers Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, Moncler and Le Colonial. Based in Germany, Union Investment is an international investment manager specializing in open-ended real estate funds for private and institutional investors.
MINNEAPOLIS — Kraus-Anderson has broken ground on North Loop Green, a mixed-use development in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis. Hines, along with partners AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust and Marquee Development, are the developers. Plans call for 350,000 square feet of office space, 350 residential units, 100 hospitality units and 17,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. A key feature of the project will be The Green, a one-acre green space that will host community events. The project architect, ESG Architects, plans to move its office to the development. Completion is slated for spring 2024. Brent Robertson of JLL will lead leasing efforts for the office component.
OAK CREEK, WIS. — Northmarq has provided $12.2 million in construction takeout financing for the recently completed first phase of Residences at Oak View in Oak Creek, just south of Milwaukee. The build-for-rent community, located at 10730 S. Howell Ave., includes 42 rental homes. Residents have access to a clubhouse with a fitness center, game room, community room and outdoor pool. The property was fully pre-leased within two months of the first home delivery and achieved occupancy stabilization within five months. Construction on a 41-home second phase is currently underway, with completion slated for summer 2022. Brett Hood of Northmarq arranged the 10-year loan, which features five years of interest-only payments followed by a 30-year amortization schedule. Northmarq originated the financing for the borrower, ModHomes, through its status as a Freddie Mac Optigo lender.
CARBONDALE, ILL. — Friedman Real Estate has brokered the sale of University Village in Carbondale for an undisclosed price. The 269-unit apartment community, situated on nearly 17 acres, is located about a mile from Southern Illinois University. Below-market rents at the property, built in 1973, present a value-add opportunity for the undisclosed buyer. Rich Deptula and Kellen Duggan of Friedman advised both parties in the transaction.
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Demographic, Economic Trends Likely to Sustain Build-For-Rent Sector’s Growth
Institutional investors have been increasingly interested in the build-for-rent (BFR) space over the last five years. But the pandemic poured gasoline on an asset class that offers tenants space, privacy and the flexibility of renting. Now that COVID appears to be receding in some areas, can the BFR sector maintain its growth? Paul Garner, director at Walker & Dunlop, believes that demographic and economic trends will maintain the demand for BFR, especially in the Sun Belt states, for the near future. Opportunities for Growth and a Focus on the Sun Belt Garner sees the most potential for BFR growth in suburban areas — particularly those located 15 to 20 minutes outside of a metropolitan statistical area. The economic growth and increasing populations of nearby cities determine whether suburban BFR setups will attract tenants. According to Garner, the dedicated BFR/single-family rental (SFR) team at Walker & Dunlop has started to see a lot of action similar to what they saw on the West Coast (especially in Arizona) four or five years ago. He notes, “BFR properties are becoming increasingly popular all throughout the Sun Belt states, especially Florida and the Carolinas. There’s a potential in this area to get land very, …
CONSHOHOCKEN, PA. — EQT Exeter has sold a portfolio of 328 industrial properties for $6.8 billion on behalf of its private real estate funds, EQT Exeter Industrial Value Fund IV and related investment vehicles. The properties span 70.5 million square feet across the state of New York; Dallas; Atlanta; Chicago; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tenn.; Indianapolis; Columbus, Ohio; and Louisville, Ky. The portfolio consists primarily of logistics properties serving major corporations, including facilities for big box regional distribution, e-commerce fulfillment and last-mile distribution. EQT Exeter — which was formed earlier this year when Swedish private equity firm EQT AB acquired Exeter Property Group for $1.9 billion — assembled the portfolio through a mix of development and acquisitions. The company developed 15 million square feet of the portfolio, with 7 million square feet still under construction, and acquired the balance through 100 transactions over the course of the past three years. The portfolio was 95 percent occupied at the time of sale. The buyer — an undisclosed group led by an Asian sovereign-wealth fund, according to reports by The Wall Street Journal — was procured by Eastdil Secured. EQT Exeter will continue to operate and manage the properties as part of the transaction. …
A common question Chicago office brokers are hearing from clients these days is, “When is the best time to start negotiating with my landlord?” In fact, it is also a question brokers are asking themselves, contemplating when they should advise their clients to get into the market. The truth is: 1) it’s very hard to say, and 2) it depends on the situation. Let’s explore what we do know. This is a historically tenant-favorable office market. Vacancy rates have increased from 13.8 percent to start 2021 up to 17.7 percent currently. Concessions are far over-weighted with construction allowances and free rent packages 20 to 30 percent higher than they were pre-pandemic, and landlords are being more flexible on term lengths allowing tenants three- or five-year leases despite offering full buildouts. On the other side of the coin, gross rental rates (base rent plus real estate taxes and building operating expenses) have not declined. In fact, in the last quarter they increased from $42.34 to $42.57 per square foot. The trends and market conditions surrounding concession packages and rental rates haven’t really changed in the last 12 months or so. The above touches on what the market is doing, but what …
HOUSTON — Locally based owner-operator American Liberty Hospitality has opened a dual-branded hotel at 6840 Almeda Road on the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus in Houston. The combined Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites by Hilton total 300 rooms and include a pool, fitness center, business center, dog run and 3,600 square feet of shared meeting and event space. Project partners included Houston-based design firm MCS Architects, general contractor Arch-Con Corp. and construction lenders Amegy Bank and United Missouri Bank.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Berkadia Institutional Solutions, a partnership between Berkadia and the apartment brokerage of Moran & Co., has arranged the sale of three multifamily properties in West Palm Beach: Windward at the Villages, The Royal St. George and Village Place. The three properties have a combined 622 units and were sold for a total of $132.5 million. Jaret Turkell, Roberto Pesant, Omar Morales and Jose Mota of Berkadia’s Miami office completed the sale on behalf of the seller, Massachusetts-based Northland Investment Corp. Pennsylvania-based Morgan Properties was the buyer. T.J. Piper of Berkadia’s Philadelphia office secured a bridge loan for the three properties. Located at 1441 Brandywine Road, Windward at the Villages is a 196-unit property that offers one- and two-bedroom floorplans. The units feature private balconies and in-unit washers and dryers. Community amenities include a swimming pool, fitness center, tennis court and a playground. The Royal St. George is a 224-unit property located at 1651 Brandywine Road. The property features one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans with in-unit washers and dryers, walk-in closets and private patios or balconies. Community amenities include a swimming pool, fitness center, picnic area and a dog park. Lastly, Village Place is a 202-unit …