NEW YORK CITY — GFI Realty Services has arranged the sale of two apartment buildings located at 684A and 684B Myrtle Ave. in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood. Local investors acquired the properties from Joseph Rizzuto for $3.8 million. The two four-story apartment buildings feature 12 residential units and a ground-floor retail unit. Isaac Moskowitz of GFI Realty Services represented the seller, while Yosef Katz, also of GFI, represented the buyers in the transaction.
YONKERS, N.Y. — QIC has extended its existing joint venture relationship with Forest City Realty Trust through the acquisition of a 51 percent stake in Westchester’s Ridge Hill shopping center in Yonkers. The 1.3 million-square-foot open-air shopping center is anchored by Lord & Taylor, Whole Foods Market, Legoland Discovery Center, The Cheesecake Factory, Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI, Showcase Cinema and approximately 70 specialty stores. This agreement with Forest City brings the total number of assets acquired by QIC on behalf of clients to 11.
WESTPORT, CONN. — Vidal Wettenstein has brokered the sale of a retail/restaurant building located at 1849 Post Road East in Westport. Fin-Max Realty acquired the property for $3.9 million. The 6,237-square-foot property is occupied by Shake Shack. Robert Lewis of Vidal Wettenstein was the sole broker in the deal.
NEW YORK CITY — Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT) has signed definitive agreements to sell ownership interests in seven of its limited-service hotels in Manhattan for a total purchase price of $571.4 million. The Philadelphia-based hotel REIT sold its interests to joint venture partner Cindat Capital Management Ltd. Totaling 1,087 rooms, the hotels include Holiday Inn Express Times Square, Candlewood Suites Times Square, Hampton Inn Times Square, Hampton Inn Chelsea, Hampton Inn Herald Square, Holiday Inn Wall Street and Holiday Inn Express Wall Street. “Manhattan’s preeminence as a financial, cultural and technological hub, combined with the security and scarcity of its real estate, provides significant yield for a strategic, long-term partner such as Cindat,” says Neil Shah, president and chief operating officer of Hersha Hospitality. “We intend to utilize a portion of the sale proceeds to make hotel investments in Washington, D.C., and California, continue our share repurchase program and repay debt.” The proposed joint venture is structured with Cindat as the preferred joint venture partner holding a 70 percent ownership stake, while Hersha retains a 30 percent equity interest. Cushman & Wakefield represented Hersha in the transaction. Hersha will continue to fully own 10 hotels in New York City …
ORLANDO, FLA. — CBRE was Freddie Mac’s highest-producing multifamily mortgage seller in 2015, originating $6.96 billion in loans last year. Freddie Mac made the announcement at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s commercial real estate finance and multifamily housing convention in Orlando on Feb. 2. In total, Freddie Mac bought $47.3 billion in new multifamily loans in 2015, comprising 650,000 rental units. “CBRE had another terrific year placing loans with Freddie Mac and earning its top producer award for the seventh consecutive year,” says Mitchell Kiffe, a senior managing director of debt and structured finance at CBRE. “CBRE utilized Freddie Mac’s expanded product offerings, such as its small balance loan program, to achieve the number one ranking. We look forward to another big origination year as multifamily loan demand remains strong.” Freddie Mac securitizes about 90 percent of the multifamily loans it purchases, thus transferring the vast majority of the expected credit risk from taxpayers to private investors. “We have a tremendous partnership with our lender partners, who work tirelessly every day to provide apartment financing,” says John Cannon, senior vice president of Freddie Mac’s multifamily production and sales. “Support for this market is more important than ever, especially with the increased …
The hotel industry has gained momentum over the last few years, with impressive increases in revenue per available room (RevPAR) and a continuing development boom in virtually all major markets across the Midwest and the nation. In the Chicago hotel market, RevPAR increased 7.2 percent in 2014 on a year-over-basis, according to STR Inc., and RevPAR was up 7.7 percent through the first 11 months of 2015. With consumer demand so strong and the development pipeline quite active, it might feel like the challenges of the last recession are long in the past. The reality, however, is that in a cyclical market the next downturn is never too far away. There are some indications that the ride may be slowing down and that the good times the region and the industry have enjoyed in recent years may be coming to an end. Oversupply Concerns While Chicago’s construction pipeline is smaller than a number of other metropolitan areas, it is the Windy City’s most robust development pipeline in recent memory. In aggregate, there will be a 20 percent increase in the room supply over three years. That could easily balloon to 25 percent with projects recently announced. This is very likely …
LAS COLINAS, TEXAS — Skanska has signed a $94 million contract with the ARK Group of Charlotte, N.C., to build the Irving Music Factory in Las Colinas. Skanska will convert the existing 16.8-acre greenfield site into an entertainment destination. The new project will include an 8,000-seating capacity indoor/outdoor concert hall called the Pavilion operated by Live Nation. The venue includes seven buildings offering more than 250,000 square feet of entertainment, retail and restaurant space and an eight-screen Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Additionally, there will be a four-story, 100,000-square-foot office tower sitting atop a six-level, 1,200-space parking garage. The project also features a 50,000-square-foot plaza and four outdoors stages. The venue is designed to host a variety of events, including music performances, fashion shows, farmers markets and food festivals throughout the year. Gensler is the architect for the project. Construction for the venue is expected to commence this month and is slated for completion in June 2017.
HOUSTON — Houston-based Baker Katz, an X Team International partner and full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm, has purchased 30,000 square feet of land and completed a 7,000-square-foot lease on the property on behalf of Advance Auto Parts. Advance Auto Parts will be located at the intersection of FM 1960 and Aldine Westfield Road. Construction will begin in February and opening is slated for May 2016. Traci Holman and Jason Baker of Baker Katz represented Advance Auto Parts. Founded in 1932, Advance Auto Parts has grown to operate more than 5,200 stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. The retail store is the largest automotive aftermarket automobile parts provider in North America.
BRISTOL AND GLEN ALLEN, VA. — Publix Super Markets Inc. has signed two leases for stores in Virginia, which will be the first two stores in the state for the Lakeland, Fla.-based grocer. Publix has leased 54,000 square feet of space at the northeast corner of Lee Highway and Clear Creek Road in Bristol and 49,000 square feet at the northeast corner of Nuckols and Twin Hickory roads in Glen Allen. Grand opening dates for both locations have yet to be determined, but the Bristol store is tentatively planned to open in the fourth quarter of 2017, and the Glen Allen store will follow in 2018. David Crawford and Kevin South of CBRE|Richmond assisted Publix with market analysis, site selection and leasing for the Glen Allen location. Virginia will mark Publix’s seventh state of operation, and the company is looking ahead to aggressive growth within the state and in its current operating areas of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The RADCO Cos. has purchased two apartment communities in Spartanburg totaling 700 units for a combined $60.9 million. The properties, formerly named Chartwell at North End and Chartwell Oak Forest, have been renamed to Willows at North End and Parkside at Laurel West, respectively. RADCO financed the acquisition of the Class B portfolio using private capital and by assuming existing long-term financing from Fannie Mae. Cushman & Wakefield brokered the transaction. RADCO plans to spend an estimated $6.4 million to upgrade the amenity spaces, landscaping, paths and interior finishes at the two properties. The same developer built the two communities in several phases between 1996 and 2003. With these recent acquisitions, RADCO now owns 15,077 multifamily units in eight states, including five properties in Upstate South Carolina.