MCALLEN, TEXAS — DRA Advisors, a New York City-based investment firm, has purchased a 210,000-square-foot industrial facility in the Rio Grande Valley city of McAllen. The property sits on 12 acres and features 27-foot clear heights and 120-foot truck court depths. More than 60 percent of the space is utilized for cold storage. Tom Duke and Donald Flynn of Elegran Capital & Advisory represented DRA Advisors and the seller in the off-market transaction.
DALLAS — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of French Colony, a 94-unit apartment complex located on a 3.8-acre site in West Dallas. According to Apartments.com, the property was built in 1964 and offers one- and two-bedroom units. Al Silva and Ford Braly of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a locally based private investor, in the transaction. The duo also procured the undisclosed buyer.
CARROLLTON, TEXAS — Newmark has negotiated a 28,576-square-foot industrial lease expansion at 1125 Hayden Drive in the northern Dallas suburb of Carrollton. According to LoopNet Inc., the property was built in 1981 and totals 77,486 square feet. Garrett Gibbons Jr., Trace Elrod, Reggie Beavan III, Andy Iversen, Chris Mason, John Beach and Jack Brewer of Newmark represented the tenant, Packaging Solutions Inc., in the lease negotiations. Holt Lunsford Commercial represented the landlord, an entity doing business as MP Acquiport Industrial LLC.
NEW YORK CITY — Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) reported approximately $4.7 billion in net sales for its 2021 fiscal first quarter that ended on May 1, an increase of about 56 percent from $3 billion in net sales during that period last year. Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette cited the windfalls of federal stimulus funds and the expanding vaccine rollout as key to the company exceeding expectations. In addition, Gennette said that more Macy’s customers are engaging with its online platform, enabling the New York City-based retailer to post a 34 percent increase in digital sales from the first quarter of 2020. Macy’s has revised its full-year guidance and is now projecting to generate between approximately $21.7 billion and $22.2 billion in net sales this year; previously it had estimated that range to be roughly $19.7 billion to $20.7 billion. Macy’s stock price opened at $19.44 per share on Tuesday, May 18, up from $5.55 per share a year ago.
GOULDSBORO, PA. — Atlanta-based investment firm MDH Partners has acquired a 390,000-square-foot industrial property in Gouldsboro, located outside of Scranton. Built in 2002, the property was fully leased to Broadrange Logistics at the time of sale. Building features include a clear height of 30 feet, 42 dock doors, 130-foot truck court depths and an ESFR sprinkler system. The new ownership plans to expand the property by 160,000 square feet, with construction set to begin in the first quarter of next year. The seller was Exeter Property Group. Nick Murphy of Eastdil Secured brokered the deal.
MILFORD, CONN. — Valley Tool & Manufacturing LLC has acquired 8.1 acres in Milford, located in the southern coastal part of the state, for the development of a 100,000-square-foot industrial facility. Jon Angel of Angel Commercial LLC represented Valley Tool & Manufacturing in its site selection and acquisition of the land assemblage, which consists of seven parcels that were purchased in two separate transactions. Construction is underway, and the facility is expected to open by the end of the year.
NEWARK, N.J. — A team of industry professionals that includes New York-based Legacy Engineers and New Jersey-based architecture firm Clarke Caton Hintz (CCH) is underway on the $50 million redevelopment of Newark Symphony Hall. The building was originally constructed in 1905 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The development team is repositioning the building in three phases over five years. Earlier this month, the team unveiled the new façade and streetscape. The project will also upgrade the city block, adding bike lanes, a central island and transportation access. New Jersey-based consulting firm Reh + Main Design & Development managed the selection process of the historic preservation architect for the initial phase of the project.
NEWARK, N.J. — Bellwether Enterprise has provided $7.9 million in Freddie Mac permanent financing for Aston Heights, a newly constructed mixed-income property located at 685 MLK Blvd. in Newark. The property totals 154 units, 51 of which will be set aside for public housing and be subsidized by the Newark Housing Authority. In addition, 49 units will be subsidized by a long-term Section 8 Housing Assistance Program (HAP) contract. The borrower, Pennrose Properties, developed the property in conjunction with the Newark Housing Authority. Victor Agusta of Bellwether Enterprise originated the financing, which retires the original Freddie Mac construction loan.
By Rich Gottlieb, president and COO, Keystone Property Group While executives have differing perspectives on the future of remote work in a post-COVID-19 environment, most (52 percent) are targeting a return to the office in the second half of 2021, according to a recent survey of Fortune 500 executives. Based on the responses of survey participants, vaccine availability (51 percent) and improved COVID-19 therapeutics and treatment (14 percent) are the clear determining factors in their decisions to bring employees back. But changes to office space (13 percent), like onsite testing or temperature checks, also weigh heavily on their direction. The return is already happening. Data from a separate survey published in late March found that nearly a quarter of office-using employees are working at their office in 10 major U.S. cities. In New York City, some 80,000 municipal workers began staggered returns to their buildings on May 3. Major corporations are planning “soft reopenings” or hybrid-style returns. Proactive building owners need to be ahead of tenants in terms of preparing for post-pandemic concerns, implementing the latest industry standards and technologies and addressing overall health and safety requirements. This is not always easy, especially because the science of the coronavirus continues …
NEW YORK CITY — Paramount Group Inc. (NYSE: PGRE) has announced plans to overhaul the base and interior spaces at 60 Wall Street, a 47-story office tower in Lower Manhattan’s Financial District. The project is set to kick off when the building’s sole occupant, Deutsche Bank, vacates the tower next summer. Paramount Group plans to invest $250 million for the renovation, according to New York Business Journal. Originally built in 1989, the 1.6 million-square-foot tower is LEED Gold-certified and sits along Wall Street with Pine Street bounding the property on the north. Paramount Group, a New York City-based owner and manager of Class A office towers, has tapped architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) to oversee the renovation. The firm has also selected Paul Amrich and Howard Fiddle of CBRE to lease and manage 60 Wall Street for tenants to replace Deutsche Bank. The revitalization plan includes opening the base of 60 Wall Street’s façade with new triple-height windows and a vast skylight to allow for more natural lighting. The renovation is set to also include the installation of a 100-foot green wall, which will improve air quality and provide greenery to the tower’s public spaces. The indoor green wall …
