Like many other markets across the country, the Washington, D.C., multifamily market was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vacancy is up and asking rents are down. However, Washington’s unique renter class, made up heavily of students and young professionals, and the region’s main economic drivers will fuel a quick post-COVID-19 recovery. As we close out 2020, multifamily investors have reason to remain confident in a quick bounceback in 2021. Once the virus hit, many offices switched to a remote work environment, and many of the local universities switched to remote learning. We know that this fueled an exodus of renters from the city to their parents’ basements, to greener pastures in the suburbs or to areas with a lower cost of living. At one of our market-rate listings in a core neighborhood of Northwest D.C., property managers reported an immediate 10-basis-point increase in vacancies the day that George Washington University closed its campus for the fall 2020 semester. Entering the fourth quarter, the Washington MSA recorded the highest vacancy rate on record, breaking 6 percent for the first time, according to research from CoStar Group. Average asking rents are down approximately 3 percent this year, and the pain is …
ALCOA, TENN. — Amazon plans to open a 634,812-square-foot fulfillment center in Alcoa, which is located 14 miles south of Knoxville. The development, which is anticipated to launch in 2022, will create nearly 800 new, full-time jobs. Dallas-based Hillwood Development Co. Inc. is developing the project on behalf of Amazon. The Alcoa facility will be Amazon’s third fulfillment center in Tennessee to use Amazon Robotics technology and the company’s eighth fulfillment center in the Volunteer State. Amazon employees at the center will pick, pack and ship smaller customer items, such as books, electronics and consumer goods. The starting wage will be $15.
METAIRIE, LA. — Audubon will develop a five-story, $55 million apartment community in Metairie known as The Metro at Clearview. The 270-unit development will feature units averaging 925 square feet and leases ranging from an average of $1,500 to $3,000 per month. The apartment complex is the multifamily component of Clearview City Center, a redevelopment of the former Clearview Shopping Center. The $100 million mixed-use development, owned by the Richards family, sits on a 35-acre site approximately six miles northwest of downtown New Orleans. The Metro at Clearview will feature two courtyards, a pool and cabanas, yoga lawn, lounge area, grilling stations, sitting area and a Zen garden. Community amenities include a 2,000-square-foot clubroom with multiple seating and entertainment areas, a catering kitchen, fully furnished fitness center and a sky lounge. The Metro at Clearview will join other planned tenants at the Clearview City Center redevelopment, including Ochsner Health System, which is developing a super clinic for comprehensive healthcare services, and Regions Bank at the intersection of Clearview Parkway and Veterans Boulevard. Audubon expects to begin construction this May and complete the development in two years. Audubon is an Atlanta-based firm specializing in the acquisition and management of multifamily properties.
STOCKBRIDGE, GA. — Viking Capital has acquired Marbella Place, a 368-unit apartment community in the south Atlanta suburb of Stockbridge. The Tysons, Va.-based multifamily investment firm purchased the property from the undisclosed seller for $52.7 million. Marbella Place, built in 1999 and fully renovated in 2017, is a 351,640-square-foot complex. The property features a pool, two playgrounds, a newly redesigned clubhouse and detached garages. The apartment complex is situated at 3470 Mountain Zion Road, 13 miles south of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The property has one-, two- and three- bedroom apartment homes with oversized closets and kitchens with both a microwave and icemaker.
HIGH POINT, N.C. — Avison Young has brokered the sale of Eastchester Shopping Center, a 63,000-square-foot neighborhood retail center located at 274 Eastchester Drive in High Point. Grant Linderman and Gary Lyons of Avison Young’s investment sales team represented the seller, LSP Verris Eastchester LLC, in the transaction. Peters Development LLC purchased the shopping center for $9.5 million. Eastchester Shopping Center is situated on approximately 5.9 acres near NC Highway 68/Eastchester Drive. The property was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants including Office Depot, Dollar Tree, Hooters, Dunkin’, H&R Block and Plato’s Closet.
CHICAGO — Evergreen Real Estate Group and Structured Development have begun development of Schiller Place Apartments on Chicago’s Near North Side. The mixed-income housing community, located on West Schiller Street, will span three buildings with 48 units. The project is being built on land formerly occupied by the Isham YMCA. Schiller Place will feature eight market-rate units. The remaining 40 units will be set aside for households earning between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income (AMI). The development team secured project-based vouchers for 24 units through the Chicago Housing Authority. Additionally, five units will be set aside for veterans and an additional five units reserved for individuals sourced through the Statewide Referral Network, which works with households earning at or below 30 percent of AMI with a head of household who has a disability or illness. Completion is slated for early 2022. GMA Construction is the general contractor and Bailey Edward is the architecture firm. Funding for the project came from the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Hudson Housing Capital, CIBC Bank, IFF and Clocktower Tax Credits. Housing and Human Development Corp. will provide onsite social services to residents.
MENOMONEE FALLS, WIS. — Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) has reported that its comparable sales decreased 11 percent and total revenue declined 10 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the year prior. The fourth quarter for Kohl’s ended Jan. 30. However, this is the third consecutive quarter of sequential improvement, according to the Menomonee Falls-based retailer. The fourth-quarter performance exceeded expectations across all key metrics, according to CEO Michelle Gass. Additionally, digital sales grew by more than 20 percent, accounting for over 40 percent of net sales. This fall, Kohl’s will launch a strategic initiative with beauty retailer Sephora. The partnership will launch in 200 stores and online as part of a multi-year buildout that Kohl’s expects will drive significant growth. Kohl’s will share more on this initiative in its quarterly earnings conference call scheduled for March 2. The stock price for Kohl’s opened at $50.00 per share Friday, Feb. 5, up from $46.07 per share one year ago.
TOLEDO, OHIO — NAI Hiffman has brokered the sale of a single-tenant industrial building in Toledo for $12.9 million. Located at 1411 Campbell St., the building serves as a production and distribution facility for Brenntag Great Lakes LLC, a chemical and ingredients distributor. The 227,028-square-foot property was renovated last year. The building features a clear height of 22 feet, 14 docks, one drive-in door and 10 rail doors. An adjacent 13.5-acre lot was also part of the sale and is currently utilized as a trailer lot and tank farm. Patrick Sullivan and Ryan Chambers of NAI Hiffman teamed up with Terry Coyne of Newmark to represent the seller, Phoenix Toledo Industrial Investors LLC, which is an affiliate of Milwaukee-based Phoenix Investors. New Jersey-based Four Springs Capital Trust was the buyer.
OAKBROOK TERRACE, ILL. — J.C. Anderson has completed a 108,723-square-foot office buildout for Bosch at One Tower Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The project scope included a 92,840-square-foot space on the top five floors of the office building as well as a 15,883-square-foot separate space known as “the annex,” which will serve as a testing and lab facility. Bosch is relocating approximately 350 employees from its Automotive Aftermarket Division at 2800 S. 25th Ave. in Broadview, Ill. The new space includes conference and training rooms, private offices and open seating areas. The top floor boasts a 360-degree view of the Chicago skyline. Whitney Architects provided architectural services and Cushman & Wakefield provided project management services. Bosch, a supplier of technology and services, operates in four different business sectors: mobility solutions; industrial technology; consumer goods; and energy and building technology.
DUBLIN, OHIO — Shaner Hotels has opened a 145-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel in Dublin’s Bridge Park. Shaner will operate the hotel in partnership with Crawford Hoying, a real estate developer headquartered in Central Ohio. The all-suite hotel features complimentary breakfast, a fitness center, lobby bar and 840 square feet of meeting space. Bridge Park is a 30-acre development along the Scioto River, about 18 miles northwest of Columbus, that features residential, retail, office and green space.