CYPRESS, TEXAS — Trammell Crow Residential is underway on construction of a 350-unit apartment project along Spring Cypress Road in the northwestern Houston suburb of Cypress. The Class A, garden-style community will be situated on 14.4 acres. The groundbreaking was held in December. Dosch Marshall Real Estate represented Trammell Crow in the land acquisition. The seller(s) in that transaction was not disclosed.
HOUSTON — Locally based multifamily development and management firm Allied Orion Group has sold The Beacon at Buffalo Pointe, a 281-unit apartment community located near the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Built on 32.4 acres in 2017, the property offers one-, two- and three-bedroom units averaging 862 square feet. Amenities include a pool with a sundeck and cabanas, outdoor grilling areas, a fitness center, demonstration kitchen and coffee bar, a dog park and concierge service. Chris Curry, Todd Marix and Bailey Crowell of JLL represented Allied Orion in the transaction and procured the buyer, Morgan Group Inc.
INDIANAPOLIS — Mortgage banking company Merchants Capital has arranged a $59 million loan for the construction of Bottleworks District, a mixed-use project in the Massachusetts Avenue corridor of Indianapolis. Merchants Bank of Indiana provided the three-year loan on behalf of the borrower and developer, Hendricks Commercial Properties. The $300 million Bottleworks project involves the redevelopment of a former Coca-Cola bottling plant into retail, hotel and office space. Phase I is expected to open in September.
HOUSTON — East West Bank has provided a $20 million loan for the refinancing of Sam Houston Crossing II, a 160,000-square-foot office building in Houston. Built in 2013, the three-story property is situated on 8.5 acres along the Sam Houston Tollway and was fully leased at the time of sale. John Ream and Laura Sellingsloh of JLL arranged the loan, which was structured with a five-year term and a 4 percent interest rate, through East West Bank on behalf of the borrower, Buchanan Street Partners.
CHICAGO — Jameson Commercial has brokered the sale of a retail portfolio in Chicago’s South Loop for $21.9 million. The portfolio includes a single-tenant Chick-fil-A, a 7-Eleven gas station and an 8,000-square-foot retail building anchored by Aspen Dental. Mark Kishtow of Jameson represented the seller, GW Properties, as well as the buyer, Park 1 Chicago.
BATAVIA, ILL. — Winslyn Industries has signed a 50,651-square-foot industrial lease at 1850 Fabyan Parkway in Batavia, a western suburb of Chicago. The wholesaler of kitchen and bathroom products is expanding from a 32,000-square-foot facility in Bartlett. Winslyn’s new space is part of a 150,838-square-foot distribution center newly developed by Cratos Industrial Properties. Winslyn is scheduled to take occupancy this quarter. Jim Pietrarosso of Brown Commercial Group represented the tenant in the lease transaction. Kate Coxworth of Morken & Associates represented the developer.
CHICAGO — Law firm Querrey & Harrow has leased 13,618 square feet of office space at 120 N. LaSalle St. in Chicago. The firm will occupy the entire 26th floor and will relocate from 175 W. Jackson when its lease commences in mid-2020. Originally built in 1991, the 390,000-square-foot Class A office tower features a six-story parking garage, two restaurants, a new fitness center, tenant lounge and rooftop deck. Ascentris, in partnership with Lincoln Property Co., owns the 40-story building. Jason Kleiman and Sean Murphy of Cresa represented Querrey & Harrow in the lease.
DES MOINES, IOWA — NorthMarq has secured a $4.7 million loan for the refinancing of a Broadway Storage facility in Des Moines. The 728-unit property is located at 4933 E. Broadway Ave. Jason Kinnison of NorthMarq’s Omaha office arranged the loan with a life insurance company. Terms of the loan were undisclosed.
With a pressing demand for new housing in the Boston area and communities struggling to provide affordable options to mitigate the effect of rising prices, the barriers to providing new affordable multifamily properties remain significant. Here in the Boston region, the scale of the problem is immense. Boston’s Metropolitan Area Planning Council recently declared a need for 185,000 new units of housing over next 10 or so years in the 15 cities and towns that comprise the inner core of the metro area — just to keep up with expected growth. Some of the integral variables and processes associated with multifamily development, like land acquisition and construction costs, can be tangibly quantified. But harder to define is the often unpredictable process of securing public approvals, wherein a development team must navigate the sometimes contentious ground between neighborhood groups and regulatory agencies. Locally Scaled Solutions In 2018, Related Beal completed The Beverly, a 239-unit, income-restricted project in downtown Boston, capturing headlines that heralded this significant model for addressing housing affordability in the region. Landmark projects like The Beverly represent great strides toward addressing the housing affordability crisis and have helped raise the awareness of efforts to develop real solutions to the …
LAKE PARK, FLA. — Forest Development has received unanimous approval from the City of Lake Park to build Nautilus 211, a mixed-use project featuring condominiums, office space, retail and restaurants. The 1.1 million-square-foot development will rise along the Intracoastal Waterway and overlook the Lake Park Harbor Marina. The project’s two 23-story towers will house 332 condo units. Amenities for residents will include two pools, pickleball courts, a putting green, game room, children’s play center, private theater, clubroom, resident bowling alley, library and fitness center. A fifth-floor entertainment area will offer a music studio, arts and crafts room, billiards room and Pilates studio. Four guest suites will be available for rent. In addition to the 332 condos, the project will include 13,000 square feet of office space, 8,058 square feet of retail space and 14,550 square feet of waterfront restaurant space. Five floors of parking will offer 863 spots for both residents and the public. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall, with completion slated for summer 2023. The project is the result of five years of planning, according to Peter Baytarian, managing partner of Lake Park-based Forest Development. Pricing has not yet been released, but Baytarian says the initial unit …