SARASOTA, FLA. — Boston-based Wilder has purchased Shoppes at Palmers Ranch, a newly built shopping center in Sarasota totaling 65,417 square feet. WMG Development sold the Publix-anchored center to Wilder and two undisclosed, long-term investment partners for an undisclosed price. Brad Peterson of Colliers represented the seller in the transaction, while Donald Jennewein of Colliers arranged acquisition financing on behalf of Wilder. In addition to the Publix anchor and a Publix Liquors store, Shoppes at Palmers Ranch was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants including Dental Care at Palmer Ranch, Sherwin-Williams, Wellness Animal Hospital, Ann Volcano Nail Lounge and Fuji Sushi Steakhouse.
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ODESSA, FLA. — SRS Real Estate Partners has brokered the $14.3 million ground lease sale of a newly built retail property in Odessa, a suburb of Tampa. Lowe’s Home Improvement occupies the 137,554-square-foot property on a 20-year absolute net ground lease. The freestanding store is situated on a nearly 12-acre site at 2317 Gunn Highway. Matthew Mousavi and Patrick Luther of SRS represented the California-based buyer, a private trust that paid for the store in all cash, in the transaction. Patrick Wagor of Atlantic Capital Partners represented the seller, a privately held development firm. Both parties requested anonymity.
CLARKSVILLE, TENN. — Oakley Group, a multifamily investment firm based in Birmingham, Ala., has purchased Pro Park, a 96-unit apartment community located at 850 Professional Park Drive in Clarksville. The three-building, newly built property is situated on a 4.4-acre site roughly 46 miles northwest of Nashville. Developer Bert Singletary sold the community to Oakley Group for an undisclosed price, and Synovus Bank provided an undisclosed amount of acquisition financing for the purchase. The new owner has selected locally based NextGen Properties to operate Pro Park, which is being rebranded to The Oakley at Pro Park. Completed in 2024, the property offers one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 879 to 1,200 square feet in size, as well as a clubhouse, fitness center swimming pool, 20 garages and 64 storage units. The community was 63 percent occupied at the time of sale.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has increased the multifamily loan purchase caps for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for their 2025 production. The two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) will each have caps of $73 billion, or $146 billion combined, which is a 4 percent increase from the 2024 caps of $70 billion apiece. Bob Broeksmit, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), says that the move to increase the cap is fitting due to recent moves by the Federal Reserve, which has twice reduced the federal funds rate in recent months. “The 4 percent increase in the multifamily loan purchase caps to $73 billion for each GSE is appropriate, given the slightly improved market conditions and lending activity that’s expected next year due to the slow decline in interest rates,” says Broeksmit. The FHFA will continue to exclude multifamily loans that finance workforce housing communities from the 2025 cap and require the GSEs to have at least 50 percent of their multifamily originations finance “mission-driven” affordable housing. The FHFA will continue to monitor the multifamily mortgage market and “maintains the ability to raise the caps further if necessary to support liquidity in the market.” If …
High Street Residential Completes 34-Story Flora Multifamily Tower in Chicago’s Fulton Market
by Katie Sloan
CHICAGO — High Street Residential, the residential subsidiary of Trammell Crow Co., has completed Flora, a multifamily tower rising 34 stories in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood. The community offers 368 luxury units in a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations alongside penthouse units with condominium-like finishes. Interior amenities include a clubroom, golf and game simulator room, fitness center and yoga studio, private dining space with a chef’s kitchen, dedicated work-from-home areas and a sound recording booth. Flora also features an outdoor amenity deck on the second floor with grilling stations, outdoor televisions and fire pits; a rooftop swimming pool with cabanas; and a dog run and pet washing station. The ground floor is home to 5,118 square feet of retail space, which will be occupied by a restaurant concept by celebrity chef Joe Flamm via local restaurant group Day Off Group. Slated to open in 2025, the restaurant’s name and concept will be announced at a later date. Andrew Becker of Canvas represented High Street Residential in leasing negotiations. The community is part of Trammell Crow’s larger Fulton Park Campus, which includes two existing research and development properties at 400 N. Aberdeen St. and 1375 W. Fulton Market. …
By Ben Reinberg, CEO, Alliance Consolidated Group of Cos. In late September, Texas-based software company Dell became one of the latest major companies to announce a full return-to-office (RTO) mandate. In a leaked memo to employees, Bill Scannell, the company president, wrote, “As we enter a new AI world, in-person human interaction will be more important than ever.” Just a few weeks later, Amazon announced a full RTO policy. And over the summer, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, informed employees that remote team members would not be eligible for promotions. These RTO announcements from major organizations have dotted the web for years following the pandemic, leading many investors to hope for a slow-but-steady march back to busy office buildings and revitalized downtowns throughout the Lone Star State. The actual data, however, tells a much different story. Reports on Texas’ commercial real estate markets indicate that nearly a quarter of all office space is vacant nearly four years after the pandemic. According to CommercialEdge, Dallas’ office vacancy rate is 22.9 percent, and Austin’s is 27.8 percent. Workforce trends reflect a similar situation. Austin was named the No. 1 metro for remote workers in 2023 by Coworking Mag, with nearly a …
By Brian G. Cafferty, partner at GoldMark Partners LLP A popular restaurant can be a significant draw to a shopping center. However, according to a study published by Ohio State University, approximately 60 percent of restaurants fail in their first year, and 80 percent fail before the end of their fifth year. These statistics underscore the importance of landlords being protected in the likely event of a restaurant tenant’s failure. A well-crafted restaurant lease should address the following key items to minimize a landlord’s liability: Secure More Than Just Rent To protect the landlord’s investment and minimize potential losses, the landlord should secure a security deposit of at least two months rent. Additionally, the tenant should grant the landlord a security interest in all of the tenant’s accounts receivables, equipment (including machinery, furniture and trade fixtures) and inventory under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). Keeping the Kitchen (and Lease) Running Clean The lease should require the tenant to contract with a third party for essential maintenance tasks, including grease removal, pest control and regular vent and hood cleaning. The frequency of the hood cleaning will depend on the type of restaurant, but quarterly cleaning is a good rule of …
As someone who has closely observed retail trends in the Southeastern United States for decades, I’ve witnessed the inevitable ebb and flow of the industry. From periods of rapid expansion to challenging market corrections, and of course, global pandemics that disrupted every sector of real estate, it often feels as though I’ve ‘seen it all.’ Once again, I find myself watching the market adjust, particularly among big-box retailers, in high-growth areas like Raleigh. This ongoing shift signals both challenges and opportunities, reminding me of the resilience and adaptability required to thrive in this dynamic environment. When news broke in September that Big Lots Inc. had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and that it would be closing more than 300 stores across the country, it wasn’t all that shocking, given the sheer number of Big Lots that one comes across just driving across their own towns. The Big Lots announcement follows similar moves by companies such as rue21, Express, The Body Shop, 99 Cents Only Stores, LL Flooring, Conn’s, and Red Lobster. Retailers like Rite Aid and Bed Bath & Beyond, which filed for bankruptcy last year, have closed hundreds of stores, causing vacancies in the retail real estate market. …
LOUISVILLE, KY. — Stellar Snacks, a snack manufacturer based in Carson City, Nev., has officially opened its new $137 million pretzel bakery in west Louisville. The company held a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by various dignitaries, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. The new Stellar Snacks factory is located within an existing 434,000-square-foot industrial building at 1391 Dixie Highway. The factory will create 350 full-time jobs over the next 10 years, which makes it the largest economic development project in west Louisville over the past 20 years. Stellar Snacks currently operates its original 101,000-square-foot facility in Carson City, where it employs more than 170 people. The company was founded in 2019 by mother-daughter duo Elisabeth and Gina Galvin, making Stellar Snacks the first woman-owned pretzel manufacturer in the United States. The pretzel maker distributes products to more than 5,000 grocery and retail stores nationwide.
Portman, CapitaLand Ascendas REIT Break Ground on 549,000 SF Industrial Park Near Charleston
by John Nelson
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — A partnership between Portman and CapitaLand Ascendas REIT has broken ground on Summerville Logistics Center, a two-building industrial campus located along U.S. Highway 78 in Summerville, a Charleston suburb within Dorchester County. The site will include two rear-load facilities — one 313,000 square feet and the second 236,000 square feet — with a shared truck court that will be constructed simultaneously. The park will be situated near I-26 and roughly 25 miles from the Port of Charleston. Truist Bank is providing an undisclosed amount of construction financing, and Lee & Associates will lead the leasing efforts for Summerville Logistics Center. The project team also includes general contractor Frampton Construction, civil engineer Seamon Whiteside and architect McMillan Pazdan Smith. Portman and CapitaLand Ascendas REIT plan to deliver Summerville Logistics Center by the end of 2025.