WASHINGTON, D.C. — Retail sales increased 1.9 percent month-over-month in September, the U.S. Commerce Department reports. The most recent figure is 70 basis points higher than what economists surveyed by MarketWatch had forecast. Total sales reached $549.3 billion in September, which marked the fifth consecutive month of retail sales growth amid the coronavirus pandemic. In February, the total monthly spending reached $527 billion. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the sectors with the largest gains were clothing and accessories (11 percent), sporting goods stores (5.7 percent) and general merchandise stores (1.8 percent). Electronics and appliance store sales declined 1.6 percent month-over-month. “Retail sales are continuing to build on the momentum we’ve seen through the summer and have been boosted by an improving labor market, a rebound in consumer confidence and elevated savings,” says Jack Kleinhenz, NRF’s chief economist. “A significant number of people remain unemployed, but more are going back to work, and that makes them confident about spending.” Matthew Shay, NRF president and CEO, says he is optimistic spending will be strong this holiday season. “While it’s been a challenging year for everyone, there’s been an enormous amount of innovation within the retail industry, and retailers have demonstrated …
CASSELBERRY, FLA. — McLean, Va.-based Jefferson Apartment Group has delivered Jefferson at Lake Howell, a 384-unit multifamily community in Casselberry. The property comprises 16 three-story buildings spanning 22 acres. The community offers one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans ranging from 727 to 1,410 square feet. Unit interiors feature nine-foot ceilings, stainless steel appliances, wine refrigerators, quartz countertops and screened-in balconies. Communal amenities include two pools, fitness center, clubhouse, dog park, playground, paddleboard storage and a private dock on Lake Howell. Rents will range from $1,310 per month to $2,245 per month. The asset is situated 1124 Shoreview Circle, 13 miles northeast of downtown Orlando.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Whole Foods Market will open a 47,000-square-foot store in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The new location will be situated at 501 SE 17th St., two miles south of downtown Fort Lauderdale and within CURV, Ram Realty’s 243-unit multifamily community. The store will include a coffee bar featuring cold-brew, nitro tea, wine and beer. This will be Whole Foods’ second Fort Lauderdale location, with the first being located at 2000 N. Federal Highway.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Southern California-based investment firm Greens Global has acquired a 1,152-unit, CubeSmart-branded self-storage facility located at 8023 W. Parmer Lane in Austin. The five-story property was built in 2019 and spans 110,505 square feet. C.W. Sheehan and Alastair Barnes of JLL arranged an undisclosed amount of acquisition financing for the off-market transaction through Happy State Bank. The loan was structured with a five-year term and a fixed interest rate. CSW Development sold the asset for an undisclosed price.
PLANO, TEXAS —San Francisco-based investment firm Hamilton Zanze has sold Fountains at Steeplechase, a 368-unit apartment community in Plano. Built in 1985, the property features one- and two-bedroom units averaging 857 square feet. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, business center, playground, clubhouse and a dog park. Hamilton Zanze acquired the property in 2013 and implemented a valued-add program that upgraded the appliances, flooring, countertops and hardware of the units, as well as the building exteriors and amenity spaces. Drew Kile, Will Balthrope, Joey Tumminello and Grant Raymond of Institutional Property Advisors, a division of Marcus & Millichap, worked with Bard Hoover and Nick Fluellen of Marcus & Millichap’s Dallas office to represent Hamilton Zanze in the sale. The team also procured the buyer, Bridge Partners.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — JLL has arranged a $27.1 million acquisition loan for Cannon Oaks Apartments, a 230-unit multifamily community in south Austin. Built in 2001, the property consists of 12 residential buildings that are situated on 18 acres and offer two-, three- and four-bedroom floor plans. Amenities include a recently renovated clubhouse, pool and fitness center. Marko Kazanjian, Chris McColpin, Rob Hinckley, Jackson Finch and Andrew Cohen of JLL arranged the loan through Prime Finance on behalf of the borrower, Old Three Hundred Capital. Kelly Witherspoon, Michael Gonzalez and Justin Cole of Berkadia represented the seller, Arizona-based Sterling Real Estate Partners, in the transaction.
GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS — Lee & Associates has negotiated a 103,658-square-foot industrial lease at 2895 113th St. in the central metroplex city of Grand Prairie. According to LoopNet Inc., the property was built in 1988 and features 28-foot clear heights. Mark Graybill and Colton Rhodes of Lee & Associates represented the landlord, The Wilkerson Group, in the lease negotiations. Krista Raymond of CBRE represented the tenant, Rent-A-Tire.
ROCKWALL, TEXAS — The Boulder Group has brokered the $6.2 million of a 11,421-square-foot single-tenant retail property leased to CVS Pharmacy in Rockwall, a northeastern suburb of Dallas. The seller was a real estate firm based in the Southwest, and the buyer was an investor based on the East Coast that acquired the asset via a 1031 exchange. Randy Blankstein and Jimmy Goodman of The Boulder Group represented both parties in the transaction.
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS (NYSE: CVS) intends to hire 15,000 new employees during the fourth quarter in anticipation of communities seeing greater incidences of COVID-19 and the flu during the upcoming winter months. More than 10,000 of these positions are for full- and part-time licensed pharmacy technicians, some of which will be offered on temporary bases with the possibility of becoming permanent. Rhode Island-based CVS is also recruiting qualified candidates to work as pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, member benefit case professionals and distribution center employees. Lastly, the company is seeking to hire several thousand customer service representatives across the country, the majority of which will work from home.
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Black Bear Capital Partners has arranged a $32 million bridge loan for the refinancing of The Millennia, a 110-unit luxury apartment complex in the northern New York City suburb of New Rochelle. The newly built property also houses 4,500 square feet of commercial space and roughly a dozen units that are reserved for renters earning 80 percent or less of the area median income. Amenities include a fitness center, private office space, outdoor grilling areas, a rooftop terrace and a putting green. Bryan Manz, Emil DePasquale and Philip Bowman of Black Bear arranged the loan, which will be used to retire $25 million in construction debt and stabilize the property, through MF1 Capital on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.