BOSTON — Coldwell Banker Commercial Realty has brokered the $6.2 million sale of a 14,000-square-foot office building in the Brookline area of Boston. Todd Glaskin and Gregg Leppo of Coldwell Banker represented the buyer, local developer Concept Properties, in the transaction. The duo also represented the seller, a partnership between Kinross Real Estate and Greenline Realty, which purchased the building for $2.5 million in 2005.
BLOOMING PRAIRIE, MINN. — Kraus-Anderson Rochester has completed a $34 million district renovation of the high school and elementary school for Blooming Prairie Public Schools in southern Minnesota. Voters approved a referendum in 2021 to fund the expansion to meet the community’s growing student population. Designed by Wold Architects and Engineers, the 79,000-square-foot project features new classrooms, an auditorium and gym additions and interior renovations. Construction began in June 2022.
CHICAGO — The Saint Grand, a 248-unit luxury apartment complex in Chicago, is now 75 percent leased. The development team includes Mavrek, Double Eagle Development, Luxury Living and GW Properties. The property at 535 N. St. Clair also features 45,000 square feet of office space and 8,000 square feet of street-level retail space. The building’s grand opening took place in late July, and residents started moving in in April. Units feature workspaces and private outdoor spaces. Amenities include a fitness center, coworking spaces, lounges and a rooftop pool deck. The retail space will be home to a Starbucks, and additional retailers will be announced in the coming months. The project team included architect NORR, general contractor Lendlease and interior designer Harken Interiors. Cushman & Wakefield is overseeing residential and commercial property management. Monthly rents for the apartments start at $2,379.
PERKINS TOWNSHIP, OHIO — Redwood Living Inc. has opened Redwood Sandusky, a 136-unit, single-story apartment community in Perkins Township near Sandusky. Developed and managed by Redwood, the property features two-bedroom floor plans ranging in size from 1,294 to 1,620 square feet. Each unit includes an attached two-car garage. Monthly rents start around $1,799.
BROOKLYN PARK, MINN. — Colliers Mortgage has provided an $8.9 million Fannie Mae loan for the acquisition of The Groves of Brooklyn Park Apartment Homes. The 120-unit multifamily property is situated in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park. Tony Carlson of Colliers originated the nonrecourse loan, which features a five-year term. The borrower was undisclosed.
CHICAGO — Peak Properties has been awarded management of The Ludlow, a historic typograph factory that has been converted into 121 apartment units and 20,000 square feet of commercial space in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Located at 2032 N. Clybourn, the loft apartments consist of studios to three-bedroom layouts split between five buildings. Amenities include a rooftop lounge, fitness center, demonstration kitchen, media room, coworking lounge and electric vehicle charging stations. Cross Street is handling marketing and leasing for The Ludlow.
OCEANPORT, N.J. — JEMB Realty has begun the design and development process for an 80-acre mixed-use property situated adjacent to the Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, a borough roughly 42 miles south of Newark, N.J. JEMB Realty will develop the multi-phase project in partnership with the State of New Jersey and Darby Development LLC. Construction is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. Plans for the site include a 298-unit residential building, as well as a 200-room hotel and a sports community center to support local youth athletes. The development team is also exploring a variety of entertainment options such as music venues and experiential retail components. Monmouth Park Racetrack is a racetrack for thoroughbred horse racing. According to the property website, the original Monmouth Park was constructed in 1870. Three buildings have carried the name in the past 139 years. The current structure opened its doors in 1946. The racetrack is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated by Darby Development, which recently entered into an 85-year lease agreement for the facility. The project team plans to work with the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, the New …
— By Pat Swanson — Orange County’s multifamily housing market is still facing challenges. These include rising operating expenses, such as escalating insurance costs and new regulatory standards like SB 721. However, I am optimistic that the county will experience a soft landing compared to other parts of the country. Inflationary pressures and stringent rent control measures in areas like Santa Ana have heightened financial burdens for property owners, impacting profitability and investment decisions. Investors are increasingly favoring higher-quality, long-term assets in premier coastal locations like Newport Beach where properties have shown robust rent growth, averaging 5 percent annually over the past five years. Our team of multifamily advisors works closely with clients to navigate this evolving landscape, emphasizing opportunities in high-demand, flight-to-quality assets. Seller-carry financing and loan assumptions have emerged as highly sought-after options, appealing to buyers seeking reduced upfront costs and flexible financing terms, while allowing sellers to maximize property value without heavy down payment requirements. There is pent-up demand in Orange County’s multifamily housing market, particularly for properties in the right areas. Our expertise lies in identifying and leveraging these opportunities for our clients. By understanding the nuances of market demand and regulatory changes, we can help …
OWENSBORO, KY. — Philip Morris International plans to invest $232 million via one of its Swedish Match affiliates for the expansion of its Owensboro manufacturing facility in western Kentucky. The direct investment into this facility, which produces Zyn nicotine pouches, will increase production capacity by 40 percent (around 900 million cans of capacity for 2025). The expansion is currently underway and is expected to create an additional 450 direct jobs with an ongoing annual economic impact of $277 million, as well as an additional 410 indirect jobs. The Swedish Match Owensboro facility currently has about 1,100 employees. Philip Morris expects to complete the expansion by second-quarter 2025. In July, Philip Morris announced plans to invest $600 million to open a Zyn manufacturing plant in Aurora, Colo.
LEXINGTON, KY. — A public-private partnership between Harrison Street, Greystar Real Estate Partners and the University of Kentucky is set to break ground on a 649-bed residence hall project on the university’s campus in Lexington. The community will replace the university’s former Kirwan-Blanding Complex and offer 344 units. The project is being developed to support the institution’s enrollment growth, as a record number of first-year students were admitted to the university at the start of the past academic year. Further details on the community, which is expected for completion in 2026, were not disclosed. This development is the latest by this partnership, joining 14 existing residence halls consisting of 6,850 beds on the university’s campus.