NEW YORK CITY — Marriott has opened a 130-room hotel at 111 E. 24th St. in Midtown Manhattan under that will be operated under the hospitality giant’s SpringHill Suites brand. According to Crain’s New York, McSam Hotel Group developed the property. Gene Kaufman Architect designed the 12-story hotel, which offers amenities such as a breakfast dining room, laundry, fitness center and dry cleaning service.
AGAWAM, MASS. — San Diego-based Cardinal Industrial has purchased a 128,500-square-foot industrial building in Agawam, located outside of Springfield. Nicholas Morizio of Colliers represented Cardinal Industrial in the transaction. The representative of the seller, The Grossman Cos., was not disclosed. At the time of sale, the building was fully leased to TW Metals and OMG Inc.
CHICAGO — Google has announced plans to acquire the James R. Thompson Center, an iconic office building located at 100 W. Randolph St. in Chicago’s Central Loop, following renovations. The 1.2 million-square-foot property occupies a full city block. Google plans to begin moving into the building in 2026. The 17-story Thompson Center is the only building in the city of Chicago where six L Train lines converge, connecting to Chicago’s South, West and North sides — a key point of attraction for Google, which is seeking to create an office environment that suits the future needs of its growing workforce that features a hybrid of in-office and from-home employees. In December of last year, the State of Illinois agreed to sell the Thompson Center to JRTC Holdings, a group led by developer Michael Reschke of Prime Group, for $70 million in an upfront cash transaction. Under terms of the deal, the state initially agreed to buy back a third of the property following renovations for $148 million. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a new agreement for the building yesterday morning, in which JRTC will acquire the Thompson Center for $105 million with $30 million paid upfront in cash. As part of …
By Ryan Nierman, Ph.D. and Bradley Meloche, Colliers The tumultuous events of the last two years have brought uncertainty into many aspects of Detroit’s office market. Even as companies emphasize their eagerness to return to the office, many questions remain regarding space designs, required square footage and buildout requirements. Tenant selectivity With increasing vacancy rates and negative net absorption throughout the metro Detroit office market, real estate experts are witnessing tenants becoming more selective in property occupancy. The result has been a slowing demand for Class B and C office product. Tenants have begun targeting Class A assets with improved visibility, signage, modernized color schemes, numerous amenities and flexible floorplan designs. As the need for larger office footprints goes down in reaction to post-COVID considerations, tenants have become willing to pay increased per-square-foot rents, for at or below preexisting rental budgets, due to decreased size requirements. The need for tenants to target Class A facilities has been compounded by the so-called “Great Resignation,” as employees are willing to demand more from their employers. As a result, employers know that a failure to invest in a more modern and amenitized workspace may result in poor employee retention and future talent recruitment. …
By Michael Brumley, Project Executive, Kiewit Building Group AT The pandemic sent ripple effects throughout the construction industry. Along the way, it also heavily influenced and impacted the way employees in the workforce now operate and interact. With COVID prompting a shift in remote work, many are wondering if it’s beneficial to go back to the office full-time, adopt a hybrid approach or forgo investing in office space altogether. There are many justifications for investing in office space when you consider variables like productivity, industry-specific jobs or trades, and overall employee satisfaction and benefits. The distinction is you need to invest in spaces that are successful for employers and employees alike. It’s All About the Benefits The pandemic proved work can be done anywhere as long as Wi-Fi is available. So, how can companies entice employees to work at an office once the investments have been poured into developing the physical space? According to a survey from McKinsey on consumer interest and purchasing power, 79 percent of respondents said they believe wellness is important while 42 percent consider it a top priority. Consumers in each market studied reported a substantial increase in the prioritization of wellness over the past two to three …
DALLAS — A partnership between two locally based firm, Mintwood Real Estate and Woods Capital, will undertake a multifamily conversion project at Santander Tower in downtown Dallas. The project will redevelop multiple floors of the 1.4 million-square-foot office building at 1601 Elm St. into 228 multifamily units, including communal amenity spaces. Units will come in one- and two-bedroom floor plans, and amenities will include a pool, fitness center and other gathering and meeting spaces. Dallas-based architect WDG designed the multifamily units and indoor amenities, and Swoon provided interior design services. TBG Partners designed the exterior amenities. Adolfson & Peterson Construction is serving as the general contractor. Completion is scheduled for fall 2023.
WILMER, TEXAS — Griffin Partners, a Houston-based private equity real estate firm, has broken ground on Port 45, a 567,516-square-foot industrial development in the southern Dallas suburb of Wilmer. Port 45 will comprise two rear-load buildings that will sit on a 40-acre site along Interstate 45. Buildings will feature 32- to 36-foot clear heights, 130- to 135-foot truck court depths, roughly 350 tenant parking spaces and 192 trailer parking spaces. Project partners include Pacheco Koch Civil Engineering, design firm Alliance Architecture, general contractor Harvey Builders and leasing agent JLL. A tentative completion date was not disclosed.
SAN ANTONIO — Walker & Dunlop has arranged $85.7 million in debt and equity financing for the recapitalization of Bulverde Oaks, a 440-unit apartment community located on the north side of San Antonio. The breakdown of debt versus equity within the capital stack was not disclosed. According to Apartments.com, the property offers one- and two-bedroom units ranging in size from 629 to 1,283 square feet. Residences are furnished with stainless steel appliances, individual washers and dryers and private balconies/terraces. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, clubhouse and event space. Sean Reimer, Sean Bastian and Triston Stegall of Walker & Dunlop placed the loan through Bank OZK on behalf of the borrower, U.S. Living, and secured the preferred equity investment from Mount Auburn Multifamily.
SAN ANTONIO — A partnership between California-based DB Capital Management and Sabal Financial Group has acquired Villas of Henderson Pass, a 228-unit multifamily property located on the north side of San Antonio. Built in 1986, the property offers a mix of one- and two-bedroom units across 20 two- and three-story buildings. The asset was 98 percent occupied at the time of sale. The new ownership plans to upgrade the unit interiors, building exteriors and amenity spaces and to rebrand the property as Summit Henderson Pass. The seller was not disclosed.
DALLAS — Harwood International has purchased The Luminary, a 169,000-square-foot office building in Dallas. Built in 2019 by Crescent Real Estate, The Luminary is located at the nexus of the company’s Harwood District, the downtown area, the arts district and the Victory Park mixed-use development. Architecture firm Corgan designed the building and serves as its anchor tenant alongside advertising agency Lerma. The Luminary was 67 percent leased at the time of sale. David Roehm and Christopher Cauthen internally negotiated the deal for Harwood. Morgan Staub of Harwood secured acquisition financing through an undisclosed lender.