EASTON, MASS., ANN ARBOR, MICH., AND MODESTO, CALIF. — Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT II has acquired three grocery-anchored shopping centers in Massachusetts, Michigan and California. The REIT acquired Highlands Plaza, a 112,869-square-foot Hannaford-anchored shopping center in Easton. Additional tenants include TJ Maxx, Liberty Mutual and Supercuts. The company also acquired Crossroads Towne Center, a 102,275-square-foot Kroger-anchored center in Ann Arbor, and Central Valley Marketplace, an 81,897-square-foot PAQ Food 4 Less-anchored center in Modesto. The acquisition price and name of the seller were not released.
NEW YORK CITY — Forest City Enterprises Inc., a member of Greenland Forest City Partners, has closed on construction financing for 38 Sixth Avenue (formerly known as B3), a 100-percent affordable apartment building located at Pacific Park Brooklyn in Brooklyn. Designed by SHoP Architects, the property will feature 303 apartment units. The New York City Housing Development Corp. (HDC) provided a $83 million first mortgage loan for the construction of 38 Sixth Avenue through the issuance of tax-exempt government debt obligations funded by Citi Community Capital. Additionally, Greenland Forest City Partners is receiving a $10 million subordinate loan from HDC and a $2 million subordinate loan from Citibank. The groundbreaking at 38 Sixth Avenue brings the total number of affordable apartments currently under construction at Pacific Park Brooklyn to 780 units, with the development expected to eventually include 2,250 affordable units.
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J. — Atlantic Beverage Co. has signed a lease for 97,800 square feet of industrial space at 450 Oaktree Road in South Plainfield. The 257,000-square-foot property features 21-foot ceiling heights, 14 tailboards, one drive-in door, more than 150 car parking spaces, parking for 50 trailers and proximity to Interstate 287 and the New Jersey Turnpike. Steve Bussel of Bussel Realty Corp. represented the tenant and the landlord, Paramount Assets, in the transaction.
SOUTHINGTON, CONN. — R. Calabrese Agency has brokered the lease of 3,000 square feet of retail space to Noodles & Company. Located at 832 Queen St. in Southington, the restaurant is the company’s third location in Connecticut. Tony Valenti and Ralph Calabrese of R. Calabrese Agency represented the landlord, West Queen Developers LLC, while Brian Zelman of Zelman Real Estate Brokerage LLC represented the tenant, Hartford Noodles LLC, the Noodles & Company franchisee, in the transaction.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — A joint venture between Carey Watermark Investors Inc. and Gencom Group has purchased a majority interest in the Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, an upscale hotel in Fort Lauderdale. The property comprises 166 hotel rooms, 34 third-party owned condominium hotel units and 28 third-party owned residential units. The hotel features 25,000 square feet of meeting and function space, an 8,500-square-foot spa, outdoor infinity pool, 29,000-square-foot pool deck, fitness center, business center and four managed food and beverage outlets. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. will continue to operate the hotel. According to the South Florida Business Journal, the hotel sold for $45 million. Hodges Ward Elliott represented the seller, RCFL Investor LLC, an affiliate of Gencom. The new ownership is planning a $9 million renovation to the hotel’s lobby, spa and main restaurant that should wrap up in the fourth quarter of this year. The transaction is the third joint venture purchase between Carey Watermark and Gencom. The other two transactions include Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia and Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne Miami. Together, the three transactions represent a total investment of more than $500 million.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Preferred Apartment Communities Inc. (PAC) has acquired Citypark View, a newly constructed, 284-unit multifamily community in Charlotte, for approximately $32.7 million. The Class A property was roughly 96 percent occupied at the time of sale. PAC purchased the asset through a wholly owned subsidiary and financed the acquisition using a $22.1 million first mortgage loan from JLL, which intends to assign the loan to Freddie Mac within 60 days. The seven-year loan bears a fixed interest rate of 3.27 percent and features a 30-year amortization schedule.
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — Grandbridge Real Estate Capital has closed a $25.6 million first mortgage refinancing on Doubletree by Hilton, a 243-room hotel in downtown Tallahassee. The property is located within walking distance to the Florida Capitol Building, Florida State University and Florida A&M University. The hotel features a full-service bar and restaurant, banquet and meeting rooms, fitness center, swimming pool and parking garage. Bill Mattice and Phillip Cox of Grandbridge’s Greenville, S.C., office arranged the loan through Goldman Sachs in a CMBS loan structure.
AUBURN, ALA. — Merchants Retail Partners (MRP) has purchased Flint’s Crossing, a 100,000-square-foot shopping center located at 1550 Opelika Road in Auburn. Anchor tenants of the shopping center include Earth Fare and Panera Bread. The retail property is the cornerstone of the Opelika and University roads intersection, the busiest intersection in Auburn. MRP is planning a comprehensive redevelopment of the center that includes exterior renovations, fascia and signage upgrades and hardscape improvements. The acquisition and center improvements coincide with the intersection improvements that are part of the City of Auburn-Opelika Road Improvement District. The new improvements include new bike paths, pedestrian sidewalks, enhanced lighting and curated landscaping.
MILFORD MILL, MD. — St. John Properties Inc. has started construction on 9,500 square feet of additional retail space within Windsor Office Park in Milford Mill, a city in Baltimore County. The speculative inline space is located at 2835 N. Rolling Road, adjacent to an existing Wawa gas station. The retail space will address the need for restaurants and shopping that can be accessed during lunch hours by the existing business community in the area. St. John Properties expects to have the space available for occupancy in late 2015.
TROY, MICH. — The Solomon Organization has acquired Somerset Park, a 2,226-unit apartment community in Troy. Developed in the mid-1970s and located off Big Beaver Road, the property, which features a nine-hole golf course, is adjacent to the Somerset Collection, a luxury regional shopping mall, as well as the Somerset Hotel, Whole Foods Market and office buildings. Solomon plans to renovate the apartment interiors and upgrade commons areas, including recreational facilities. The Solomon Organization has acquired more than $500 million of residential property in the last 24 months, including 5,391 apartment units. The company now owns more than 12,700 apartment units in five states. The name of the seller and acquisition price were not released.