EAST GREENWICH, R.I. — A partnership between Pennrose, Cove Homes Inc. and the East Greenwich Housing Authority has completed Soria Apartments, a 63-unit mixed-income multifamily project located south of Providence. The four-story building houses one- and two-bedroom units that are reserved for renters earning between 30 and 120 percent of the area median income. Amenities include a fitness center, resident lounge, storage lockers and outdoor picnic areas. Residents also have access to a range of social services.
MIAMI — Miami-based MMG Equity Partners has obtained a $38 million loan for the refinancing of four shopping centers in South Florida. JLL arranged the loan through Synovus Bank. The four properties include Pinecrest Center and Pinecrest Shoppes in Pinecrest, Westlake Plaza in Westchester and Naranja Plaza in Homestead. The four properties, which front either South Dixie Highway or Bird Road, total 127,826 square feet and were purchased between 2018 and 2020 for a combined total of $28.9 million. The properties are recently stabilized and have undergone nearly $8 million worth of capital improvements under MMG’s ownership.
SUMTER, S.C. — Matthews has arranged the sale of Gateway Plaza, a 106,062-square-foot shopping center located at 1342 Broad St. in Sumter, about 44 miles west of Columbia, S.C. Kyle Stonis, Pierce Mayson and Boris Shilkrot of Matthews brokered the transaction between the buyer, an entity doing business as Core Peckville LLC, and the seller, an entity doing business as WEG Sumter LLC. The sales price was not released. Renovated in 2020, Gateway Plaza was nearly 90 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including T.J. Maxx, Ross Dress for Less, Ulta Beauty and Five Below.
GULF SHORES, ALA. — Locally based Merrill P. Thomas Co. (MPT) has brokered the $5.7 million sale of Paradise Isle Shopping Center, a 47,520-square-foot shopping center located in Gulf Shores. Publix anchors the property, which is situated on 4.6 acres near the Florida border. Other tenants include AutoZone, Resale Heaven, Nail Boutique & Spa and the Gulf Shores Methodist Church. Pratt Thomas of MPT represented the seller, Gulf Shore Methodist Church, in the transaction. Nathan Handmacher of Zarzour Cos. LLC represented the buyer on an internal basis.
HACKENSACK, N.J. — Restaurant supply store Hackensack Packaging Solutions has inked an 11,015-square-foot industrial lease in its namesake town in Northern New Jersey. According to LoopNet Inc., the building at 24 E. Wesley St., which is now fully leased, was completed in 1967 and features a clear height of 14 feet. Chris DeLorenzo and Carolina Gutierrez internally represented the landlord, Alfred Sanzari Enterprises, in the lease negotiations. The tenant was self-represented.
ROMEOVILLE, ILL. — Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. (MMCC) has arranged a $4.1 million loan for the refinancing of Carillon Court, a 29,891-square-foot retail strip center in the Chicago suburb of Romeoville. The property at 444 N. Weber Road is situated near I-55 and is home to a mix of restaurants and service-oriented businesses, including a dental office, salon and insurance agency. Dean Giannakopoulos of MMCC arranged the loan through a local bank on behalf of the private borrower. The three-year loan features one year of interest-only payments and a 25-year amortization schedule.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — The Cooper Commercial Investment Group has brokered the $3.2 million sale of a single-tenant restaurant property occupied by Buffalo Wild Wings within the Easton retail corridor in Columbus. Dan Cooper of Cooper Group represented the seller, a private investment group out of West Virginia. The buyer purchased the asset at a cap rate of 5.85 percent, 98 percent of the list price and $413 per square foot. The all-cash transaction closed in approximately 40 days. Buffalo Wild Wings has 10 years remaining on its lease with a rental increase in 2030. The property was renovated in 2020.
By Ashish Vakhariya, Marcus & Millichap Detroit’s retail market continues to show pockets of strength amid broader economic and retail sector headwinds. More affluent northern suburbs and the revitalizing urban core have demonstrated greater resilience, while limited construction activity should support the backfilling of existing space. Detroit’s position among the highest-yielding metros in the country will likely remain a key draw for investors, with capital focusing on well-located, necessity-based and service-oriented retail assets. Big-box downsizing and rising cost pressures create a cautious leasing environment: Detroit’s retail landscape recorded more than 1 million square feet of negative net absorption over the nine months that ended in March, with preliminary second-quarter figures indicating continued space relinquishment. Strained consumer demand and structurally challenged retail formats have contributed to a wave of bankruptcies and consolidations among major tenants, including Party City, Big Lots, Macy’s and Walgreens. Trade policy uncertainty has further heightened tenant caution, as elevated input costs are expected to weigh on leasing activity. A recent Michigan Retailers Association survey found that more than 60 percent of businesses statewide rely on imported goods. With consumers more price-sensitive, many retailers may struggle to pass on higher costs; however, tenants reliant on locally sourced inventory …
By Nellie Day Today’s multifamily investment market can feel like a three-ring circus thanks to leveled-off rents, increased costs and more competition in many regions. Performers in this circus are often walking on a tightrope. On one side, there are repairs to be made and renovations that can lead to justified rent increases. On the other side, costs and reality must reign supreme. “Pre- and post-COVID markets have forced an evolution when it comes to investing in an asset,” says Sarah Connolly, vice president of operations at Capital Square Living in Glen Allen, Virginia. “Owners now have to ask themselves, ‘What is actually going to bring a return, and what should be incorporated into programming due to muted rent growth?’” It’s a challenging landscape, to be sure. National rent growth has slowed down significantly, with year-over-year increases hovering around 1 percent as of late 2024, according to the fourth-quarter multifamily report from Apartments.com. This is a stark contrast to the double-digit surges posted in 2021 and 2022. At the same time, construction costs have escalated, with Crescent Insurance Advisers noting that the average cost of building a multifamily property is about $398 per square foot. For context, the national average …
— By Will Moss of MMG Real Estate Advisors — After a turbulent stretch marked by oversupply and softening rents, Salt Lake City’s multifamily market is showing signs of stabilization in early 2025. Demand is returning, rent declines are easing and investor confidence is on the rise, all pointing to a market that may have found its footing. “We’re not calling a full recovery just yet,” says Will Moss, sales agent at MMG Real Estate. “But what we’re seeing is a return to fundamentals, steady demand, measured construction and buyers who are ready to transact again.” In first-quarter 2025, net absorption reached 1,044 units, outpacing the 894 units delivered and marking the first time in over a year that demand exceeded new supply. Over the past 12 months, approximately 4,500 units were absorbed, well above the metro’s historical average. Demand Rebounds, But Challenges Linger Salt Lake City mirrors national trends where improved economic confidence and easing inflation have begun to unlock pent-up housing demand. Notably, demand has been strongest among mid-tier renters, though even luxury properties, despite being the main source of new supply, posted a 1.8 percent rent increase year-over-year. Still, rents overall declined 0.3 percent annually, continuing a …