In spite of national trends, news of spiking default rates and a prediction of a national decline in retail tenancy, the middle Tennessee region appears to be emerging in equal (or better) condition from one of the most unusual years in history. Prior to the government-mandated shutdowns last year, retail activity in Nashville was at a fever pitch. A decade of year-over-year population and economic growth created a strong seller’s and landlord’s market, with no end in sight. The University of Tennessee’s Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research projected a 1 million-person population growth for Middle Tennessee by 2040. This strong, sustained growth pushed retail rents up more than 50 percent since 2010 and represents one of the largest cumulative increases in the nation, behind only Miami and Austin. In 2019, the Nashville region saw asking rents above the national average, according to CoStar Group. One year ago, the sudden and unexpected COVID-19 shutdowns made the collective hearts of 2008 survivors skip a beat. A real concern of what the next week or month might look like hit both landlords and tenants in the region, particularly in the downtown retail district that is historically reliant on tourism. As music …
SEATTLE — Seattle-based commercial real estate firm Urban Renaissance Group LLC (URG) and global investment firm KKR have acquired 300 Pine St. in downtown Seattle for approximately $580 million. Taking up a full city block between Third and Fourth avenues, the property is a 770,000-square-foot, eight-story, mixed-use building that features 85,000 square feet of renovated ground-floor retail designed to accommodate retail flagship stores. The property has a new Fourth Avenue entrance to access the 682,000 square feet of commercial office space currently 100 percent leased to a single tenant. The office portion features 80,000-square-foot floorplates, seismic retrofitting and over 20 skylights including two light wells providing additional light for the top two floors. The asset was originally home to Seattle’s Bon Marché department store. The art-deco style building was constructed in 1929 with four additional stories added in 1955. Between 2015 and 2017, then-owner Macy’s sold the upper six levels of office space, and in 2020 the department store closed. The renovated landmark building features a 20,000-square-foot rooftop deck and 15-foot ceilings. The ground-level retail space is located above the underground Westlake light rail station with bus stops at the west and east entrances. The property will offer retail suites …
PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. — Investors Management Group Inc. has sold Waterleaf Townhomes and Apartments, a 230-unit community located at 1900 SE Hillmoor Drive in Port St. Lucie. Covenant Capital Group purchased the property for $41.6 million. Darron Kattan of Franklin Street’s Atlanta office represented IMG in the transaction. Waterleaf Townhomes and Apartments is located on the east side of Florida and is situated 6.9 miles from Jensen Beach and 47 miles from West Palm Beach. IMG acquired Waterleaf Townhomes and Apartments in 2017 for $26.8 million. The company invested $3.1 million on renovations in the townhome interiors plus the fitness center, pools, sports park and other common-area amenities. IMG has transacted over 1,000 units across the Miami and Tampa metros over the last decade.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — DC Blox, a provider of interconnected multi-tenant data centers, has broken ground on a multi-tenant regional data center in Greenville. With an initial capacity of 1 MW of critical load, the first phase of DC Blox’s new Greenville data center is set to be completed by the third quarter of 2021. The Atlanta-based firm is partnering with Brasfield & Gorrie, a privately held construction firm, on the project. When complete, the data center will offer access to DC Blox’s private and redundant ecosystem, interconnecting the company’s portfolio of data centers throughout the Southeast. The address for the center is 33 Global Drive. DC Blox’s Greenville data center will be located on an 8.5 acre campus in the Global Business Park off Interstate 85. Upon full buildout, the facility will feature six distinct data halls with 54,000 square feet of data center space with a full critical load capable of supporting 18 megawatts of power. The data center will also include approximately 7,000 square feet of secure storage, as well as shared and dedicated office space. The new data center will bring an expected investment of over $200 million combined between DC Blox and their tenant customers over …
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Grandbridge Real Estate Capital has facilitated a $21.9 million loan for Ardmore at Alcove Apartments, a 150-unit garden-style multifamily property in Mooresville. Thomas Wiedeman of Grandbridge originated the refinancing through an unnamed life insurance company on behalf of the borrowers, Ardmore Residential and LaSalle Investment Management. The seven-year, fixed-rate loan was structured with an initial interest-only term followed by a 30-year amortization schedule. Ardmore at Alcove Apartments features a two-story clubhouse with a sun deck, fitness center, business center and billiards room. Other community amenities include a swimming pool with cabanas, a covered outdoor pavilion area with a flat-screen TV, fireplace and grilling stations, as well as a playground and dog park. Interior finishes include stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, Shaker-style cabinetry and nine-foot ceiling heights. The property is located close to Interstate 77, which allows access to Charlotte and downtown Mooresville.
MEMPHIS, TENN. — Capstone Apartment Partners has brokered the $8.3 million sale of Shelby Grove Apartments, a 13-building, all-brick apartment community situated on 6.5 acres off at 6357 Shelby Briar Drive in Memphis. Luke Searcy, Austin Heithcock and Adam Klenk of Capstone led the transaction. Sante Realty Investments was the seller, which acquired the asset in 2017. The buyer was EPH Properties. Built in 1999, Shelby Grove includes 98 two-bedroom units and was approximately 94 percent occupied at the time of sale. Each apartment home includes a fully equipped kitchen, ceiling fans and washer/dryer connections. The buyer plans to complete upgrades on 72 remaining unrenovated units by updating appliances, flooring, countertops and fixtures. Shelby Grove is EPH’s first investment in the Memphis market. In total, EPH has invested in more than 1,000 multifamily units and 15 commercial properties in nine markets across the United States.
JOHNSTON, IOWA — Jackson Dearborn Partners, a Chicago-based real estate investment and development company, has acquired Cadence Apartments in Johnston within metro Des Moines. The purchase price was undisclosed. The 195-unit, Class A apartment complex was built in 2017. It was 97 percent occupied at the time of sale. Amenities include a pool, media room, fitness center, coffee bar and Luxer One package system. The acquisition marks JDP’s first in the Des Moines area. The company intends to purchase newer construction multifamily properties in Midwest markets such as Des Moines, Indianapolis and Columbus. JDP purchased Cadence in a joint venture partnership with Ashland Capital, a Chicago-based multifamily investment company. BH Management will serve as property manager.
ALLEN, TEXAS — Locally based developer JaRyCo has broken ground on The Farm at Allen, a 135-acre mixed-use project located at the southeast corner of the Sam Rayburn Tollway and Alma Drive in the northeastern Dallas suburb of Allen. The site was originally purchased by local resident Bob Johnson Sr. and his wife, Doris, in the 1960s and used for raising cattle and growing corn, wheat and hay. Plans for the project call for 1.6 million square feet of office space, 142,000 square feet of retail space, 60,000 square feet of restaurant space, a 150-room hotel, townhomes and 2,400 urban residential units. The initial phase of development includes construction of FarmWORK One, a 102,000-square-foot office building, and The Hub, a food hall with a stage for live music and other events. Both of those components of the project are expected to be complete in 2022. Roughly a quarter of the total acreage will be devoted to outdoor space, including a 1.5-acre lake, 2.5 miles of hiking and biking trails, a 16-acre greenbelt along Watters Creek and four additional park areas. Leasing is underway for the office and retail components, with Avison Young and Venture Commercial respectively leading those initiatives.
MELROSE PARK, ILL. — McShane Construction Co. will build Industry Center at Melrose Park, a three-building, speculative industrial development in suburban Chicago. LBA Logistics is the developer. The project will total 651,617 square feet. Building I will span 130,200 square feet with a clear height of 36 feet, up to 37 truck docks, two drive-in doors, 44 trailer stalls and 151 parking spaces. Building 2 will total 350,248 square feet with a clear height of 36 feet, up to 72 truck docks, two drive-in doors, 142 trailer stalls and 251 parking spaces. Building 3 will provide 171,169 square feet with a clear height of 36 feet, up to 43 truck docks, two drive-in doors, 83 trailer stalls and 215 parking spaces. McShane demolished an existing building on the site. Harris Architects is the project architect. A timeline for completion was not disclosed.
WOODRIDGE, ILL. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $5.3 million sale of a 13,100-square-foot property occupied by CVS Pharmacy in Woodridge, a southwest suburb of Chicago. The net-leased building is located at 8645 Woodward Ave. Matt Emerick, Austin Weisenbeck and Sean Sharko of Marcus & Millichap marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a private investor based in Florida. The asset sold at 94 percent of the list price to an undisclosed buyer. CVS has over 10 years remaining on its lease.