Property Type

How Service Retail Is Stabilizing Houston’s Shopping Centers

by Taylor Williams April 28, 2026

By Jason Baker, principal at Baker Katz If you’re only following the national headlines, retail real estate can seem like it’s still defined by store closures and disruption. That’s still part of the story, but on the ground in Houston, the picture is more balanced. Fundamentals remain strong and occupancy remains high across the market. Even as new projects reach completion and new space comes on line, demand continues to keep pace. When space becomes available, it doesn’t sit for long — often with multiple deals competing for a single vacancy. What’s changing is what types of retailers are taking the space. That shift is just as important as the strength of the market. Service-oriented retail, in particular, is emerging as a stabilizing force in Houston. From Goods to Services According to recent data compiled by CoStar Group and analyzed by The Wall Street Journal, for the first time, service-oriented tenants now occupy more retail space nationally than traditional goods-based retailers. In Houston, that trend is clear in leasing activity. A significant share of the leasing activity today is driven by service categories such as health and wellness, medical, med spas, fitness, beauty and pet care. These are the tenants …

April 28, 2026

Features Retail

Inside the Shifting World of Retail Construction

by Abby Cox April 28, 2026

Let’s get down to brass tacks: there’s not a lot of new retail space being built. What is getting developed reflects a fundamental shift in how retail functions. At the same time, construction itself is becoming more strategic and tech enabled. Developers and contractors are leveraging data, artificial intelligence (AI) and flexible design approaches to better predict demand, reduce risk and adapt spaces for multiple tenants or uses over time. The result is a sector that is leaner, more intentional and increasingly focused on creating places people want to visit. The Big Picture: How the Market Has Changed Retail construction has shifted significantly from the pre-pandemic era to today, shaped by higher material costs, disrupted supply chains and evolving consumer demand. Before 2020, projects benefitted from relatively stable pricing, predictable timelines and a strong emphasis on in-person shopping environments. Since then, inflation and global supply chain volatiltiy have driven up the cost of key materials, while also extending lead times and forcing developers to plan more conservatively. Carolyn Shames, CEO and president of Shames Construction, shared an anecdote about two identical Walmarts that were built by her company — one before the COVID-19 pandemic and one after. The difference in price …

April 28, 2026

Acquisitions Loans Multifamily Texas

Knightvest Capital Acquires 389-Unit Apartment Building in Uptown Dallas

by Taylor Williams April 27, 2026

DALLAS — Locally based investment firm Knightvest Capital has acquired Ardan West Village, a 389-unit apartment building in Uptown Dallas. Ardan West Village is a 23-story building that was constructed in 2018 and houses 284 one-bedroom units with an average size of 801 square feet and 105 two-bedroom apartments with an average size of 1,312 square feet. Residences are furnished with stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, wood-style flooring, floor-to-ceiling windows and individual washers and dryers. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, coworking lounge, private conference room and a pet spa. Joey Tumminello, Drew Kile, Michael Ware, Taylor Hill and Cameron Purse of IPA represented the seller, Mill Creek Residential, which operated the property on behalf of institutional investors, in the transaction. The team also procured Knightvest as the buyer. Mark Brandenburg of JLL arranged an undisclosed amount of floating-rate acquisition financing for the deal through Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies.

April 27, 2026

Acquisitions Office Texas

Bradford Arranges Sale of 260,796 SF Office Building in Irving

by Taylor Williams April 27, 2026

IRVING, TEXAS — Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services has arranged the sale of MacArthur Ridge II, a 260,796-square-foot office building in Irving. MacArthur Ridge II is a six-story building that was constructed on a 7.5-acre site in 1999 by CalSTRS and subsequently sold to Hines. Amenities include a conference center, fitness facility and deli/lounge space. Richmond Collinsworth and Jared Laake of Bradford represented the seller, Grupo Haddad, which has owned the building since 2013, in the off-market transaction. The buyer, the City of Irving, plans to house its fire and police departments within MacArthur Ridge II.

April 27, 2026

Georgia Industrial Loans Southeast

JLL Arranges $35.7M in Financing for Seven-Building Industrial Complex in Atlanta

by Abby Cox April 27, 2026

ATLANTA — JLL Capital Markets has arranged $35.7 million in financing for a seven-building shallow-bay industrial complex totaling 397,959 square feet in northeast Atlanta. Melissa Rose, Bobby Norwood, Nicole Diaz and Preston Bacon of JLL secured the loan through Synovus Bank on behalf of the borrower, Miami-based COFE Properties. Dubbed the Atlanta Small Bay Portfolio, the buildings range in size from 45,000 to 77,000 square feet, with an average tenant suite size of 8,650 square feet. The complex was 83.6 percent leased at the time of financing to 35 tenants spanning wholesale and distribution, specialty trades, logistics, construction and home improvement industries. In addition, the buildings feature 18- to 22-foot clear heights and flexible rear configurations with dock-high and drive-in capabilities designed for multi-tenant occupancy. COFE Properties plans to implement a capital improvements program with renovations such as building enhancements, site work and tenant space upgrades.

April 27, 2026

Acquisitions Multifamily Southeast Virginia

Berkadia Negotiates $17.7M Sale of Ivy Gates Townhome Community in Petersburg, Virginia

by Abby Cox April 27, 2026

PETERSBURG, VA. — Berkadia has negotiated the $17.7 million sale of Ivy Gates, a 120-unit townhome community located in Petersburg, roughly 24 miles south of Richmond. Drew White, Carter Wood, Matt Straughan and Cole Carns of Berkadia represented the seller, Lakewood, N.J.-based Greencove Group, in the transaction. CCM, an investment company in Sterling, Va., acquired Ivy Gates. Herndon, Va.-based SYM Properties is managing the property. Built in 1973, Ivy Gates features two-and three-bedroom townhomes ranging in size from 1,369 to 1,677 square feet. Select townhomes feature finished basements with full bathrooms and wood-burning fireplaces. Community amenities include a swimming pool with a sundeck, community lawn, playground and pet-friendly outdoor areas. The property also benefits from proximity to major retail and entertainment destinations such as the 800,000-square-foot Southpark Mall in Colonial Heights and the 190-acre Old Towne Petersburg historic district.

April 27, 2026

Acquisitions Retail Texas

JLL Negotiates Sale of 105,869 SF Shopping Center in Southeast Houston

by Taylor Williams April 27, 2026

HOUSTON — JLL has negotiated the sale of Fairmont Preston Plaza, a 105,869-square-foot shopping center in southeast Houston. Built in 1974 and renovated in 2016, Fairmont Preston Plaza was 89 percent leased at the time of sale. Planet Fitness and Cosmic Air anchor the center via a 26,000-square-foot gym and a 24,000-square-foot trampoline park, respectively. Other tenants include Dollar Tree and 7Brew Coffee. Ryan West, John Indelli, Zamar Salas and Max Myers of JLL represented the seller, Mission Shore Management, in the deal. Matt Moake with HighStreet Net Lease Group represented the buyer.

April 27, 2026

Acquisitions Florida Retail Southeast

Marcus & Millichap Brokers $8.4M Sale of Retail Center in Metro Jacksonville

by Abby Cox April 27, 2026

MIDDLEBURG, FLA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $8.4 million sale of a 17,400-square-foot retail center located in Middleburg, roughly 26 miles southwest of downtown Jacksonville. Situated at 1690 Jeremiah St. within the Clay Town Center mixed-use development, the retail property is fully leased to a mix of eight tenants including Mattress Warehouse, Firehouse Subs, Domino’s Pizza and Wingstop. The center was built in 2025 on approximately 3.2 acres. Zack House, Mark Ruble and Chris Lind of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a Delaware-based limited liability company, and procured the buyer, a New York-based limited liability company. Both parties requested anonymity. Ryan Nee was Marcus & Millichap’s broker of record in Florida.

April 27, 2026

Build-to-Rent Development Single-Family Rental South Carolina Southeast

Henderson Park, GRP Break Ground on 266-Unit Build-to-Rent Community in Hardeeville, South Carolina

by Abby Cox April 27, 2026

HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — Henderson Park, an international private equity real estate firm, and Green Room Partners (GRP), a Charleston-based real estate development and investment firm, has broken ground on The Bower, a 266-unit build-to-rent community located in Hardeeville, about 17 miles north of Savannah. Situated off US-278 in the state’s Lowcountry region, the community will include amenities such as a centrally located clubhouse with a library, coworking space, community kitchen, lounge and fitness center. Outdoor amenities will include a swimming pool, kitchen and bar, cabana, grilling stations, pickleball courts, a putting green, fire pit and dog park, as well as an interconnected walking trail system. The amenity space will be completed by July 2027, while the first residences at The Bower are expected to deliver in November 2027.

April 27, 2026

Leasing Activity Retail Texas

EōS Fitness to Open 51,000 SF Gym in The Colony, Texas

by Taylor Williams April 27, 2026

THE COLONY, TEXAS — EōS Fitness will open a 51,000-square-foot gym in The Colony, a northern suburb of Dallas. The locally based operator will backfill reconfigured spaces previously occupied by Big Lots and Texas Family Fitness at The Colony Marketplace shopping center. Segovia Partners represented EōS Fitness in the lease negotiations. The locally based landlord, Harkinson Dewan, was self-represented.

April 27, 2026

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