Broward County’s office market continues to heat up like the South Florida summer. Vacancy is decreasing while office rental rates in the market increase. Broward County added 32,100 jobs in the past year, the 4 percent nonagricultural employment growth leading to a second quarter unemployment rate of 4.2 percent, outpacing the state (4.5 percent) and national (5.0) averages. “Many factors drive Broward County’s strong economy, including a talented and diverse workforce, our proximity to Latin America and the Caribbean, and access to three international airports and three seaports,” says Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the county’s public/private partnership for economic development. Broward County’s office sector performance is a big story in an area of very positive commercial real estate headlines. It can be argued that South Florida trails only the two Bay Area bellwethers, San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, in property performance nationwide. Office rental rates in the county — CoStar reported that the market’s average rate increased 1.4 percent during first quarter to $25.14 per square foot — are most likely reaching the top of the arc in the present economic cycle. “Some of our strongest job growth has been in high-wage …
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CALIF. — Faris Lee Investments has arranged the sale of Plaza El Paseo at Rancho Santa Margarita Town Center, located at the corner of El Paseo and Alma Aldea in Rancho Santa Margarita. K&G El Paseo 1 & 2 LLC sold the property to Plaza El Paseo Center LLC for $56.6 million. Built in 2002, the 107,000-square-foot property is anchored by Bed, Bath & Beyond, BevMo and Wood Ranch BBQ. Rick Chichester, Nicholas Coo and Chris DePierro of Faris Lee represented the seller and buyer in the deal.
MONROVIA, CALIF. — Calmwater Capital has provided $19.8 million in financing to 723 EHD LLC for the acquisition and lease-up of Shamrock Center, a retail center located at 723-727 E. Huntington Drive in Monrovia. The financing consists of a $9 million senior term loan for the acquisition of the property and $10.8 million in additional potential funding for future leasing and tenant improvements. At the time of sale, the 98,000-square-foot property was 90 percent vacant due, in part, to the loss of its anchor tenant, a 70,000-square-foot Albertson’s that closed as a result of a consolidation strategy.
SANTA ANA, CALIF. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of Hacienda Plaza, a retail and medical office property located at the corner of West 17th Street and College Avenue in Santa Ana. A private 1031 exchange investor acquired the 77,610-square-foot asset for $16.7 million, or $215 per square foot. The two-building property comprises a 28,800-square-foot retail/medical building on 17th Street and a 29,310-square-foot medical/warehouse building on 19th Street. Built in 1976, the properties are occupied by Northgate Market, Don Roberto Jewelers and Hacienda Restaurant. Michael Lawrence and Michael Woolbright of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, while Rob Duong, also of Marcus & Millichap, represented the buyer in the transaction.
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF. — Newmark Realty Capital has arranged $10 million in financing for the acquisition of Gelson Market’s in Laguna Beach. The 34,478-square-foot grocery store is located on Pacific Coast Highway. George Mitsanas and Doug Tisdale of Newmark arranged the fixed-rate, non-recourse financing for the borrower, a Beverly Hills-based developer. The 10-year loan, provided by a life insurance company, features interest-only payments during the first five years and a 30-year amortization schedule.
LOS ANGELES — RCG Ventures has expanded to the West Coast by opening a new office in Los Angeles. The company promoted Scott Tarbet to senior vice president and director of acquisitions – western region. In this role, Tarbet will oversee the new office. RCG Ventures currently owns 90 shopping centers, totaling 10 million square feet in 20 states. The company plans to acquire $250 million in value-add shopping centers.
EL PASO, TEXAS — The Meyers Group has acquired the historic Camino Real Hotel in El Paso. The 356-room property is located at 101 S. El Paso St. in the city’s downtown district. The Meyers Group plans to completely renovate the property, which was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. After the completion of the 18-month renovation project, the hotel will reopen under its historic name, Hotel Paso del Norte. The historic 10th-floor ballroom and terrace, currently being used for mechanical purposes, will be restored and will feature a full-service spa, gym, pool and pool deck.
HOUSTON — Carroll Organization, a privately held real estate company, has completed the sale of Carroll at Shadow Creek Ranch in Houston. The 360-unit community was originally purchased in February 2012 and was the last remaining property in the firm’s first investment vehicle, Carroll Co-Invest Fund I LP. Carroll at Shadow Creek Ranch is a Class A property built in 2010. The community is located in the Shadow Creek Ranch neighborhood and features one- and two-car garages with individual driveways, private patios, nine-foot ceilings with crown molding, full-size washers and dryers and a pool.
EDMOND, OKLA. — CBRE has brokered the sale of Tealridge Assisted Living and Memory Care, a 52,283-square-foot seniors housing facility in Edmond. MOC Assisted Living sold the property for $6.8 million to a nonprofit private investor that is looking to establish a presence in the Oklahoma market. Tealridge Assisted Living and Memory Care is located at 2200 N.W. 140th St. at the intersection of East Memorial Road and North Eastern Avenue. The facility was constructed in 2010 and includes 65 units. Daniel Morris of CBRE’s Oklahoma City office represented the buyer in the transaction.
HOUSTON — Marcus & Millichap has negotiated the sale of Inwood Forest Shopping Center, a 77,553-square-foot, Foodarama-anchored retail property at the northeast corner of Antoine and Victory drives in Houston. Jerry Goldstein of Marcus & Millichap’s Houston office marketed the property on behalf of the seller, Brixmor Property Group. Goldstein also represented the buyer, a limited liability company. The grocery-anchored shopping center was built in 1985 and is 96 percent leased to tenants including UT Physicians Clinic, City Gear and Wingstop. Inwood Forest Shopping Center is located at 7320-7372 Antoine Drive.