ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of Aspen Woods, a 228-unit apartment community in Arlington. Built in 1976, the property, which has since been rebranded as The District on Collins, primarily offers two- and three-bedroom floor plans with units averaging about 850 square feet. Amenities include a pool, outdoor grilling area, a clubhouse and onsite laundry facilities. Al Silva of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a Dallas-based partnership, in the transaction. Silva also procured the buyer, a Texas-based investment firm that will implement a multimillion-dollar renovation program.
Rising costs of homeownership and the lack of SALT deductions on federal income tax returns will help maintain the strong demand for apartments in Northern New Jersey. We are seeing an increase in construction activity as municipalities settle their affordable housing lawsuits with developers and long-awaited projects, especially those located along major public transportation hubs, are completed. In Jersey City and Hoboken, these new projects are placing upward pressure on Class A vacancy as they take time to lease. We see an increase in more concessions being offered, which will dampen the appreciation of monthly rates. This could impact the upgraded Class B buildings, which find themselves battling for renters with recent finished projects and more affordable options that can be found inland. In areas west of the Gold Coast, we see continued higher occupancy rates with many landlords reporting well under 30 day turnover rates, unless major renovations are needed. Outside of Hudson County, the overall vacancy factor trends between 2 and 3 percent allowing for increased revenue, according to research from Marcus & Millichap. Landlords in strict rent control markets are faced with the decision of either renovating to increase rents via capital improvement programs or take advantage …
The strength of the New Jersey industrial market continues to evidence itself through consistent demand, rising rental rates and record low vacancy rates across the region. Much of the recent success has been the result of e-commerce growth and expansion among distribution and light manufacturing businesses looking to tap into the market’s port, air cargo, and major transportation networks. While developers have been working to bring new inventory to the market, the new space is being absorbed quickly, leaving tenants with limited options for space. The New Jersey industrial market has seen significant demand for the past 20 quarters and a steady, often rapid, rate of absorption. The market saw 13.6 million square feet of absorption in 2018, according to research from Avison Young. The epitome of this market expansion trend and the most obvious to investors is the activity along the New Jersey Turnpike, from Exit 8A where the market was at a staggering 1 percent vacancy rate at the end of 2018 up to the Exit 10 Edison Market, where rents may soon reach $9 per square foot net. Notable Deals A little farther north into the Carteret /Avenel and Linden/Elizabeth markets much of the activity is focused …
SEATTLE — Dropbox Inc. has leased four floors totaling 120,886 square feet at a speculative office tower currently under construction in Seattle’s central business district. Skanska is developing the 38-story building, known as 2+U. Dropbox, a San Francisco-based file storage and sharing company, is expected to occupy the space at 2+U in late 2020. With this new signing, 2+U is now 60 percent leased. Other tenants joining Dropbox include Indeed.com and coworking firm Spaces. The 686,000-square-foot tower is scheduled for completion this summer. Located at the corner of Second Avenue and University Street, the development is adjacent to the Seattle Art Museum and Benaroya Hall. The property is lifted 85 feet off the ground in order to create an outdoor “urban village” underneath the building. The village area will include nearly a half-acre of open space with 17,000 square feet of retail and arts space. Floor plates at 2+U will range from 18,000 to 30,000 square feet. In addition to a rooftop deck, tenants will enjoy unobstructed views of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains. Dropbox currently occupies space at the Columbia Center in the city. “We’re thrilled to expand in Seattle,” says Greg Conklin, engineering director and Seattle site …
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Mason Joseph Co. Inc., a San Antonio-based multifamily lender, has closed $34.1 million in construction and permanent financing for Nexus at Goodnight Ranch, a 294-unit apartment project in Austin. Mason Joseph secured the nonrecourse loan through HUD’s 221(d)(4) program, the multifamily industry’s highest-leverage, lowest-cost FHA financing option. The loan, which was arranged on behalf of the developer, privately held multifamily firm Artisan American Corp., also carries an interest rate that is fixed for the initial 21-month construction period and the subsequent 40-year term. Hudson Construction Co. is serving as general contractor for the garden-style project, which will feature Class A furnishings and amenities.
SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — JLL has brokered the sale of 1271 San Marcos, a 240-unit apartment community located approximately 32 miles south of downtown Austin. The recently built, 11-acre property consists of eight three-story apartment buildings, a resort-style pool, two outdoor grilling stations, a fitness center, outdoor entertainment pavilion and a dog park. Greg Austin and Scott LaMontagne of JLL represented the sellers, Covenant Development and Parkcrest Builders LLC, in the transaction. The buyer was Oregon-based Hayden Properties LLC.
HOUSTON — Madison Marquette has negotiated 95,883 square feet of lease transactions at Bank of America Center, located at 700 Louisiana St. in downtown Houston. Deal highlights include international law firm Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP leasing 17,519 square feet; asset management firm Carlson Capital LP renewing its 8,774-square-foot lease; and financial services provider BMO Capital Markets Corp. renewing its 30,275-square-foot lease and taking an additional 7,065 square feet of space. John Spafford and Madeline Gregory represented the landlord, Houston-based M-M Properties, in the lease negotiations.
PLANO, TEXAS — Los Angeles-based investment firm RPD Catalyst has acquired Preston Creek Shopping Center, a 79,730-square-foot retail property in the northeastern Dallas suburb of Plano. The developer of the center, ASG Realty, sold the center for an undisclosed amount. Chris Harden, Kris Von Hohn and Ryan Duffie of Cushman & Wakefield, along with Samer Keilani and James Hankins of ACR Realty, represented the seller in the transaction. RPD Catalyst was self-represented. Several restaurants, including Pei Wei Asian Diner, Modern Market and Cowboy Chicken, anchor the property, which was completed in 2006.
TEXARKANA, TEXAS — CBRE has arranged the sale of Waterton Plaza at Cowhorn Creek, a 76-bed skilled nursing facility in Texarkana, located along the Texas-Arkansas border. Daniel Morris of CBRE represented the seller, The Waterton at Cowhorn Creek LLC, in the transaction. The buyer was a partnership between Trinity Healthcare and Live Oak Healthcare, both of which are based in the DFW metroplex.
MIAMI — ZOM Living and The Moinian Group have partnered to purchase the land necessary to develop Luma, a 43-story, 434-unit apartment community within downtown Miami’s Miami Worldcenter project. The joint venture plans to break ground in the coming weeks. Luma will offer floor plans ranging from 566 to 1,808 square feet and amenities such as a wellness center, speakeasy, sundry shop, dog salon, fitness center and a swimming pool. Miami Worldcenter is a $4 billion mixed-use project that will sit on 27 acres, span 10 city blocks and offer more than 2,000 hotel rooms, 500,000 square feet of office space and 300,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space at full buildout. Robert Given and Robert Kaplan of Cushman & Wakefield arranged equity and debt financing on behalf of the joint venture to acquire the land.