BENSALEM, PA. — Locally based developer J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc. has acquired the former Suez Water Technologies & Solutions Campus, a 46-acre industrial development in Bensalem, located in Bucks County. The namesake tenant will continue to lease 93,000 square feet of space at the 12-building campus, while RLS USA Inc., a former subsidiary of General Electric, will lease 20,000 square feet of R&D space. J.G. Petrucci will demolish and redevelop the remainder of the campus. Jon Mikula, Chad Orcutt and Michael Lachs of JLL arranged $13 million in acquisition financing for the deal on behalf of J.G. Petrucci.
HOOKSETT, N.H. — Horvath & Tremblay, an investment sales brokerage firm serving New England, has negotiated the $14.9 million sale of a two-unit retail condo in Hooksett, located just outside Manchester in Merrimack County. The property consists of a 153,430-square-foot building that was built on 25.2 acres in 2007 and is now occupied by Walmart and a 139,790-square-foot building that was constructed on 17 acres in 2008. The original occupant of the smaller of the two buildings, Lowe’s Home Improvement, has subleased the space to Bass Pro Shops since 2013. Bob Horvath of Horvath & Tremblay represented the buyer and seller, both of which requested anonymity, in the transaction.
Hines, Cresset Real Estate Partners Break Ground on 1.1 MSF Industrial Project in Whiteland, Indiana
WHITELAND, IND. — Hines and Cresset Real Estate Partners have broken ground on Whiteland 65 Logistics Center, a 1.1 million-square-foot industrial project in suburban Indianapolis. The development will feature a cross-dock configuration, a clear height of 40 feet and outdoor amenity areas. Located off I-65 and Whiteland Road, the project is situated within the south submarket of Indianapolis. The site is within a 30-minute drive of the Indianapolis International Airport. Cushman & Wakefield will market the project for lease. Completion is slated for the second quarter of 2022. This is the first Indianapolis-area logistics property for Dallas-based Hines.
GOLDEN VALLEY, MINN. — Colliers MSP has brokered the $44.7 million sale of Hello Apartments in Golden Valley, a western suburb of Minneapolis. Constructed in 2017, the Class A apartment complex features 172 units. Amenities include a rooftop deck, pool and volleyball court. Ted Bickel, Jeff Budish, Lauren Panzer and Lacey O’Connor of Colliers represented the seller, Continental Property Group. Utah-based Peak Capital Partners was the buyer.
OLATHE, KAN. — 1A Auto has signed a long-term lease renewal for 347,689 square feet of industrial space at Building B within Olathe’s I-35 Logistics Park. Founded in 1999, 1A Auto is an auto parts supplier that caters to consumers completing their own auto repairs. Mark Long and John Faur of Newmark Zimmer represented the tenant in the lease transaction. Kevin Wilkerson of JLL represented the undisclosed landlord.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA — Metro Crossing Shopping Center in Council Bluffs has sold for an undisclosed price. The property spans 309,811 square feet. It was 96 percent occupied at the time of sale by 57 tenants, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, PetSmart, Kohl’s, Hobby Lobby, Old Navy and TJ Maxx. Ember Grummons of Investors Realty represented the buyer, Bridge 33 Capital. CBRE represented the seller, a partnership between Walton Street Capital and Pine Tree Commercial.
CINCINNATI — Lument has provided a $17.4 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Ivy Hills Apartments in Cincinnati. Originally built in 1996, the multifamily property includes 164 units across 31 buildings. The occupancy rate was 92.3 percent as of March 2021. Steven Cox of Lument originated the 12-year loan, which features a fixed interest rate, five years of interest-only payments and a 30-year amortization schedule. The undisclosed borrower acquired the asset in early 2020 and has since invested approximately $1.8 million to renovate 60 units. The borrower plans to spend an additional $1.7 million throughout 2021 to renovate 50 more units.
The work-from-home model that became the “new normal” for most office workers in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has stymied leasing activity and altered tenant strategies. Many space users have opted for short-term leases in response to the uncertainty triggered by the virus. According to JLL, U.S. office leasing volume in 2020 totaled 125.6 million square feet, down 47 percent from the prior year. Of the lease renewals inked in the fourth quarter, 43 percent were for five years or less. As a result, the average deal term dropped to 6.7 years for leases larger than 20,000 square feet, well below the pre-COVID average of 8.5 years. While office owners remain bullish on the idea that the workforce will return to physical buildings, many questions remain regarding timelines and capacities. In the meantime, landlords are steadfast in their attempt to keep the lines of communication open with tenants and ensure their properties are as safe and welcoming as possible. REBusinessOnline spoke with owners across the Midwest to gauge their pandemic responses and outlook on what’s to come. Health, safety protocols Daniel Cooper, partner with real estate investment manager 90 North Real Estate Partners LLP in Chicago, says …
LOUISVILLE, KY., WINTER PARK, FLA., AND TOLDEO, OHIO — In a massive blockbuster deal for seniors housing, the seventh-largest operator of seniors housing in the United States (Atria Senior Living) will acquire the third-largest (Holiday Retirement), with the largest owner in the country (Welltower) buying up a large portfolio of the affected assets. Atria, a privately held seniors housing operator based in Louisville, has agreed to buy the operations business of Winter Park-based Holiday Retirement. Meanwhile, Toledo-based REIT Welltower (NYSE: WELL) will buy the 86 properties that Holiday owns and self-manages for slightly less than $1.6 billion. Holiday currently manages 240 communities in 43 states, largely in the independent living sector. The combined company will employ more than 19,000 staffers to serve over 45,000 residents. The new firm will manage 447 communities across 45 states and seven Canadian provinces. The newly combined entity will be the second-largest seniors housing operator in the country, behind only Brookdale Senior Living. After the transaction, Atria will manage more than 250 “nearly identical” communities and higher end properties such as the recently opened Atria Newport Beach in Southern California, as well as luxury urban properties that Atria is co-developing in a joint venture with …
By Lev Mavashev, founder and principal, Alpha Realty Last year in 2020 and even now well into 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has many New York City property owners feeling like deer in headlights. Should I push forward? Take a step back? Or should I just freeze and brace for impact from the worst disaster to strike the world in living memory? While little is certain in these uncertain times, for New York’s multifamily owners considering their future beyond 2021, values might drastically be impacted by the following factors. Rising Property Taxes New York will never move forward unless its real estate industry moves forward. Next to finance and, increasingly, big tech, the industry is the biggest driver of the state economy, and its 12-month enforced hiatus has cost the state $1.6 billion in lost tax revenue. The state can’t just print money to make up that shortfall, so it is doing one of the only things that is certain in life: issuing taxes. From hikes in property taxes to capital gains, personal income to corporate tax, both the city and state are creating a clear roadmap to recouping what’s been lost. Property taxes will definitely be going up for the …