The Los Angeles office market continues to experience steady demand and accelerated rent growth as we enter 2017. The market is heading into its sixth consecutive year of expansion, after seeing a sharp contraction between 2008 and 2011. The Los Angeles office market has witnessed vacancy rates steadily decline from 16.3 percent to 13.7 percent since 2011, all the while absorbing more than 10.5 million square feet of occupied space. The market only added 4.5 million square feet of new construction during that same period, allowing vacancy to steadily decline back into the low teens, while average full-service gross asking rents have increased from $29.28 per square foot to $35.76 per square foot, up 22.1 percent. More importantly is the accelerated rent growth during this period. Rents increased 1.6 percent in 2012; 2.8 percent in 2013; 3.9 percent in 2014; 5.3 percent in 2015; and 6.8-percent to date in 2016. On the demand side, net absorption growth rates have been trending higher since 2012, averaging 0.8 percent during the past five years. They will finish above 1 percent for the second consecutive year. This remains below the growth rates experienced from 2003 to 2007, which averaged an annual growth of …
SURPRISE, ARIZ. — Koelsch Communities has started construction of The Park at Surprise, a 155-unit independent living community in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise. The 202,000-square-foot project is being built on an 8.5-acre plot. Development costs are estimated at $46 million. The Park at Surprise will be the fourth Koelsch community in Arizona, and is scheduled to open in summer 2018. Madrona Point Development is partnering with RJ Development, both based in the city of Olympia, Wash., to develop the project. Koelsch Construction will serve as general contractor. Koelsch Communities operates 22 communities in seven states and is planning to open 16 communities in the next two years.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Kisco Senior Living has started the $22.5 million expansion and renovation of Emerald Court, a 194-unit independent living and assisted living community in Anaheim. The project was originally announced in March 2016, but the company added more plans and committed more money. The project is currently underway, with a scheduled completion of fall 2017. Plans call for a two-story building adding 58 new assisted living units to the property, as well as a demonstration kitchen, dining venue and wellness center. Kisco will also renovate the existing dining room, corridors, lighting, activity room and salon. The project will add a total of 58,000 square feet to the property. Emerald Court’s assisted living units are currently full with a waiting list. The expansion will more than double the number of assisted living units. Based in Carlsbad, Kisco Senior Living owns and operates 22 seniors housing communities in seven states, with a heavy concentration in California.
PHOENIX — Jevan Capital has purchased a 260-unit apartment community in Phoenix for $11.3 million. The community is situated on 7.8 acres along 27th Avenue near the I-17 Black Canyon Freeway. It is known as Desert Place Apartments. The seller was IPA Phoenix-Foxwood. Bob Farrell of Orion executed the transaction.
DENVER — An unnamed buyer has acquired the 22,627-square-foot Park Forum Office in Lakewood for $3 million. The two-building property is located at 3222-3232 S. Vance St. The buyer intends to occupy one of the buildings, while leasing out the other. Eric Shaw of Pinnacle Real Estate Advisors executed the transaction.
CHICAGO — Blackstone and Equity Office have unveiled a $500 million investment plan to remake Willis Tower in downtown Chicago. The tower will be transformed with office, retail and entertainment space. This will be the first renovation for the tower, constructed in 1973. Approximately 460,000 square feet of existing space within the tower will be reconfigured. This includes 150,000 square feet of space for exclusive tenant use, including a full-service fitness center, expansive tenant lounges, private event space and concierge services. The plan also calls for more than 300,000 square feet of new retail, dining and entertainment space to be added to the base of the building, and a new 30,000-square-foot outdoor deck and garden space. Part of the investment will also focus on enhancing the tower’s 103rd floor Skydeck Chicago experience. Work to transform the tower is scheduled to begin this month, and will create an additional 2,500 jobs. San Francisco-based design firm Gensler designed the renovation. Gonzalez Architects designed the tenant-only office amenities, and Los Angeles-based Hetzel Design is overseeing the design concepts for the Skydeck enhancements. Design-build firm Turner Clayco will oversee the construction of the new Willis Tower.
LOS ANGELES — Worldwide Facilities has renewed its headquarters space in downtown Los Angeles. The firm leases 23,389 square feet at Ernst & Young Plaza. The space is located at 725 S. Figueroa St. Worldwide Facilities will remodel and modernize the space. JLL’s Darren Eades, Tony Morales and Maureen Hawley represented Worldwide Facilities, while the landlord, Brookfield Office Properties, was represented in-house by James Malone.
EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN. — CBRE has arranged the sale of Eden Place in Eden Prairie, 12 miles southwest of Minneapolis, for $85 million. The 508-unit apartment community is located at 13000 Garden Lane. The property consists of eight three-story buildings and a clubhouse with shared amenities on 31 acres. The apartment buildings were originally constructed in 1986 and the seller has remodeled 22 of the units. The clubhouse was built in 2007 and features a fitness center, community room, outdoor veranda for grilling and a business center. Other property features include two outdoor pools, two tennis courts, underground parking, a playground, dog park and walking/biking paths. Keith Collins, Abe Appert and Laura Hanneman of CBRE represented the seller, a separate account client of Invesco Real Estate.
AURORA, ILL. — Adelphia Properties has negotiated the sale of a multi-tenant retail building in Aurora for $5.2 million. The 11,810-square-foot building is located at 1480 N. Orchard Road. Tenants include Starbucks, Chipotle and Jimmy John’s. Simeon Spirrison and George Spirrison of Adelphia represented the buyer, a Midwest-based private real estate investor. The seller was not disclosed.
OVERLAND PARK, KAN. — Avison Young Hospitality Group has brokered the sale of a Hilton Garden Inn located at 5800 College Blvd. in Overland Park. The sales price was not disclosed. A West Coast-based family office purchased the 125-room hotel. The seller was an institutional hospitality platform based in the Southeast. Michael Bernath and Andrew Broad of Avison Young brokered the transaction.