DANBURY, CONN. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $12 million sale of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Danbury, located in southern Connecticut’s Fairfield County. Built on 2.5 acres in 2001 and renovated in 2024, the four-story hotel offers 79 rooms and suites and amenities such as a pool and a fitness center. Jerry Swon of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which were private investors that requested anonymity, in the transaction.
By Scott Olson As I look back over the last 12 months since my August 2025 Cedar Rapids update, the resilience of this city to adapt despite high interest rates, tariffs and a Middle East conflict is second to none. Our city council priorities have remained unchanged: • Housing options and affordability • Strengthen and stabilize neighborhoods • Clean and safe city • Recreational and cultural amenities • Homelessness • Flood control system The economic growth highlighted in this report is matched by city efforts in all the priority areas. Our current national rankings reflect these successes: • No. 3 Best Place to Live in the Midwest (SpaceWise, 2026) • No. 3 City with the Most Affordable Rent (WalletHub, 2026) • No. 5 Midwest City for a Peaceful Retirement (lnvestopedia, 2026) • No. 11 Most Affordable Small City to Buy a Home (WalletHub, 2026) • No. 16 Best City to Buy a House in America (Niche.com, 2026) • No. 19 Safest City in Americas (WalletHub, 2026) — ranked across key dimensions, including home and community safety and natural disaster risk and financial safety • No. 22 Best Run City in the U.S. (WalletHub, 2025) • No. 30 City with the …
PHILADELPHIA — Independence Realty Trust Inc. (NYSE: IRT) and Centerspace (NYSE: CSR) have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which the two companies will combine in an all-stock transaction valued at $8.1 billion, including debt. The combined multifamily REIT will own and operate 163 properties totaling 44,354 units across 17 states. According to Scott Schaeffer, chairman and CEO of IRT, the deal will pair IRT’s Sun Belt portfolio with Centerspace’s Midwest and Mountain West communities. He also cites greater efficiencies across a larger operating base and an expanded value-add renovation program. The combined company is expected to have a pro forma equity market capitalization of approximately $5 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, Centerspace shareholders will receive 3.8 shares of IRT common stock for each share of Centerspace common stock owned. Upon closing, IRT stockholders will own approximately 78 percent of the combined company’s equity, while Centerspace shareholders will own roughly 22 percent. IRT’s management team will continue to lead the combined company. Schaeffer will serve as chairman and CEO, and James Sebra will serve as president and CFO. Upon completion of the merger, the …
HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS — A partnership between two investment firms, Dallas-based CrestMarc and Chicago-based Midloch Investment Partners, has acquired The Forum at Sam Houston, a 294-unit apartment complex located about 70 miles north of Houston in Huntsville. The property also functions as student housing for enrollees at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). Built in 2010, The Forum at Sam Houston features a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units with an average size of 800 square feet. Amenities include a pool, sand volleyball court, basketball court, clubhouse and study lounge, fitness center, bark park, complimentary Starbucks Coffee bar and private shuttle to the SHSU campus. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
CHANNELVIEW, TEXAS — Lightstone Capital, the debt financing arm of New York City-based Lightstone Group, has provided a loan of an undisclosed amount for an industrial building in Channelview, an eastern suburb of Houston. According to LoopNet Inc., the building at 300 S. Sheldon Road was built in 2003 and totals 180,000 square feet. Elias Haddad led the transaction for Lightstone, which closed the deal in conjunction with two other debt originations for multifamily properties in Southern California that totaled $70 million across all three loans. The borrower was not disclosed.
SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS — Newmark has negotiated the sale of Cornerstone Plaza, a 51,664-square-foot shopping center in Southlake. Cook Children’s Medical Center anchors the two-building center, which was built in 2002 and was fully leased at the time of sale. Conor Lalor, Kyle Minter and Justin Shepherd of Newmark represented the seller, Woodside Health, an Ohio-based private equity firm specializing in healthcare real estate, in the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed.
MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of Brazos Lake Shopping Center, a 9,920-square-foot retail strip center in Missouri City, a southwestern suburb of Houston. Anchored by Excel Urgent Care, the center was built on 1.2 acres in 2009 and features three suites. Joseph Jaques, Alex Wolansky, Gus Lagos and Ron Hebert of Marcus & Millichap represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. The buyer and sales price were also not disclosed.
SHREWSBURY, MASS. — Industrial Commercial Properties (ICP) has acquired a 680,000-square-foot industrial campus in Shrewsbury, located in Worcester County. The development at 65 Chestnut St. consists of two buildings that were built in the 1980s. According to LoopNet Inc., the buildings feature clear heights of roughly 21.5 to 28.5 feet. In addition, the campus has the electrical capacity to support up to 15 megawatts of power. ICP plans to reposition the campus to support manufacturing usage and has already received zoning approval for that initiative. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Colliers has brokered the $13.6 million sale of a portfolio of two medical office buildings totaling 55,680 square feet in Toms River, located near the Jersey Shore. The buildings at 1-3 Plaza Drive total 37,621 and 18,059 square feet, respectively, and had a combined occupancy rate of 98 percent at the time of sale. Tenants include Physicians Surgicenter, University Radiology Group and Astera Cancer Care. Jacklene Chesler, Patrick Norris and Brittany Leventoff of Colliers represented the seller, New Jersey-based Horizon Equities, in the transaction. The buyer was undisclosed.
KENT, WASH. — Cowboy Space, an aerospace and advanced manufacturing firm, has leased a 291,035-square-foot facility at 7650 S. 228th St. in Kent, a suburb 20 minutes south of Seattle, from CenterPoint. Thad Mallory and Taylor Hoff of Newmark represented the landlord in the transaction. Cowboy Space will transform the asset into a specialized advanced manufacturing operation supporting space and rocket development, adding approximately 300 jobs to the region’s aerospace industry. The project will include significant tenant and landlord-funded capital improvements, including new office construction, power and ventilation upgrades, enhanced security measures and flooring improvements. Most recently occupied by Costco, the property was originally developed as a distribution facility.
