WESTBOROUGH, MASS. — Amazon will open a new 350,000-square-foot robotics innovation hub in Westborough, located approximately 30 miles west of Boston. The facility will feature corporate offices, research and development labs and manufacturing space. The move is also expected to bring about 200 new tech and advanced manufacturing jobs to Massachusetts. Atlantic Management is developing the facility, which is slated for completion in 2021.
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) plans to close 22 underperforming drugstores during the first quarter of 2020. In its third quarter results of 2019, the Rhode Island-based drugstore giant reported a 36.5 percent increase in revenue from $47.3 billion in 2018 to $64.8 this year. During 2018, CVS closed 46 underperforming stores and acquired health insurance and Medicare company Aetna (NYSE: AET) for approximately $70 billion. The integrated companies moved forward with major asset redevelopments, including a “hub-and-spoke” model wherein smaller retail stores function as outposts for central hub stores with greater pharmaceutical inventory and treatment capabilities. CVS operates approximately 9,900 stores in the United States and specific locations of the closing stores were undisclosed.
STOUGHTON, MASS. — JLL has brokered the $19.5 million sale of a shopping center in Stoughton, located approximately 20 miles south of Boston. A 59,987-square-foot Stop & Shop grocery store anchors the 79,300-square-foot center, which also houses tenants such as Bank of America, Care Central Urgent Care and Andrade’s Liquors. Nat Heald, Chris Angelone and Jessica Dowd of JLL represented the seller, Katz Properties Retail, in the transaction. RK Centers was the buyer.
NEW YORK CITY — Lee & Associates has negotiated a 5,600-square-foot retail lease for restaurant group Quality Branded on the ground floor of 2 Bank Street in Manhattan. Quality Branded owns and manages the Quality Meats, Quality Eats and Quality Italian Steakhouse restaurants. Brad Schwarz and James Ficelman of Lee & Associates represented the landlord in the lease negotiations. Taryn Brandes of Brand Urban represented Quality Branded.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Dallas-based developer StreetLights Residential has broken ground on The Jackson, a 340-unit multifamily community located within the Viridian master-planned development in Arlington. The property will offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units in addition to limited two-story floor plans known as “carriage units.” Residences will range in size from 588 to 1,671 square feet and feature granite countertops, custom cabinetry and spa-inspired bathrooms. Amenities will include coworking spaces, a creative makerspace with a chef’s kitchen, a private lounge with a coffee bar, fitness center with a flex room for yoga and spin, a resort-style pool and outdoor courtyard spaces. WDG Architecture designed the project, and SLR Construction LLC is serving as the general contractor. Residences are expected to be available for occupancy in fall 2020.
HOUSTON — Stonelake Capital Partners, a private equity firm with offices in Dallas, Houston and Austin, has topped out 200 Park Place, a 210,000-square-foot office building located within the Park Place | River Oaks development in Houston. Designed by Beck Architecture and constructed by Harvey Builders, the 15-story building will feature ground-floor restaurants, a conference center and tenant lounge and access to a landscaped terrace and park. The property, which is 30 percent preleased, is expected to be available for occupancy by June 2020.
HOUSTON — JLL has negotiated the sale of The Mix @ Midtown, a 73,000-square-foot retail center that occupies a full city block in Houston’s Midtown neighborhood. The property was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants such as 24 Hour Fitness, Jinya Raman Bar, Artisans Restaurant, Gen Korean BBQ, Piola, Kung Fu Tea and Cloud 10 Creamery. Rusty Tamlyn, John Indelli, Michael Johnson and Bryan Strode of JLL represented the seller, Crosspoint Properties, which developed the center in 2008, in the transaction. A joint venture between Houston-based Fifth Corner and Pointer Real Estate Partners purchased the asset for an undisclosed price.
PINEHURST, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of United Storage, a 94-unit self-storage facility in Pinehurst, located about 50 miles northwest of Houston. The property spans 20,960 square feet. Dave Knobler and Casey Kral of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a private investor, in the transaction. An undisclosed buyer, also a private investor, purchased the asset.
IRVING, TEXAS — Connecticut-based IT consulting firm Gartner Inc. has signed a 54,920-square-foot office lease expansion at Las Colinas Connection 1 in Irving. According to LoopNet Inc., the property was built in 1999 and spans 231,681 square feet. Randy Cooper, Matt Heidelbaugh, Amber Roberts, Lou D’Avanzo and Andy May of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. Sarah Hinkley of Thirty-Four Commercial and Joel Pustmueller of JLL represented the landlord, Piedmont Office Realty Trust.
CHICAGO — Chicago-based private equity firm RDG Funds LLC has acquired 13Thirteen Randolph Street Lofts in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood for $40.1 million. The Class A multifamily asset includes four retail tenants and 74 apartment units. The property comprises two historic buildings, originally constructed in 1892 and 1927. Both buildings were renovated and transformed into residences in 2013. Shared amenities include a rooftop deck, resident lounge, media center, theater room and fitness center. RDG has retained Greystar to assist with its business plan for the property. Todd Stofflet and Jason Stevens of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, JP Morgan Asset Management. Monthly rents start around $1,600.
