It’s no secret that with the abundance of developable land, affordable housing, and close proximity to the ports and major freeways, the Inland Empire has a tremendous advantage in relation to other Western markets. The Inland Empire industrial market has experienced a transactional volume of 120 deals for 100,000 square feet or more, as of this past November. There are also more than 30 buildings under construction, which total more than 15 million square feet. Developers have been quick to respond to demand, with about 15.5 million square feet of construction completed in the Inland Empire to date, thanks to Fortune 500 retailers and third-party logistics (3PL) firms nabbing large space within the market due to an improving economy. With another 15 million square feet currently under construction, the Inland Empire’s industrial base will foreseeably increase by 10 percent by the end of 2016. Assuming the current state of economic growth continues, the Inland Empire industrial market is expected to finish 2014 strong, with positive market activity poised to continue well into 2015 and 2016. The industrial demand in the Inland Empire is closely associated to international trade and continues to attract large distributors, warehouses, e-commerce companies and logistics firms …
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS — The Howard Hughes Corp. and its subsidiary, The Woodlands Development Co., have broken ground on a new Embassy Suites at Hughes Landing, a 66-acre mixed-use development in The Woodlands. Hughes Landing is located on Lake Woodlands and is designed as a live/work/play community with a blend of retailers, dining, entertainment, multifamily residences and Class A office space. The 205-room, full-service hotel is set for completion in late 2015. When finished, it will span 172,000 square feet with 3,000 feet of meeting and event space, a business center, restaurant, rooftop pool deck and 24-hour gym.
STAFFORD, TEXAS — Construction has begun on a 100,000-square-foot facilityfor Ellen Lighting and Hardware in Stafford. The development will feature retail, office and distribution space for the company. DMAC Construction & Development is the general contractor and Three Square Design is providing architectural services. The facility will include a showroom showcasing the supplier’s light fixtures and hardware. The space will also include an office and distribution center. The Ellen Lighting and Hardware facility will consist of tilt wall construction with a glass curtain wall, with a two-story portal entry.
SAN ANTONIO — CBRE Capital Markets’ Senior Housing Debt & Structured Finance group has arranged $40.3 million in acquisition financing for a joint venture between Franklin Development Properties and Harrison Street Real Estate Capital. The financing will be used to acquire Franklin Park Stone Oak, a Class A assisted living and memory care community in San Antonio. CBRE negotiated an $18.2 million, five-year, 36-month interest-only, floating rate mortgage loan at a 70 percent loan-to-value ratio for Phase I, which was built in 2011. The company also negotiated a $22.1 million, five-year, 48-month interest-only, floating rate construction loan at a 70 percent loan-to-cost ratio to develop Phase II, which will be adjacent to the existing campus. The completed property will consist of 162 independent living units, 66 assisted living units and 33 memory care units.
DALLAS — The Cantrell Co. has sold the 606-unit Spring Hill Apartments in north Dallas. Spring Hill Investors LP of Dallas purchased the property located at 13750 Maham Road. HS Spring Hill LLC of California was the seller. The complex is a Class C property with below-market rents for the north Dallas submarket. Units average 789 square feet. The 72-building complex was built between 1969 and 1978 on 25.6 acres.
CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO — Mission Capital Advisors has arranged non-recourse financing totaling $14.3 million on behalf of PEBB Enterprises for two shopping centers. The properties include the Shoppes at Chapel Hill, a regional shopping center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and Walden Park Shopping Center in Austin, Texas. Jordan Ray, Ari Hirt, Steve Buchwald and Jamie Matheny of Mission Capital Advisors represented PEBB Enterprises in arranging the 10-year loans for both deals. The Shoppes at Chapel Hill is an 85,229-square-foot shopping center. Staples and Michael’s anchor the shopping center, which also includes Panera Bread and Brick House Tavern. The 57,569-square-foot Walden Park Shopping Center includes a mix of national and local retailers.
MARYVILLE, MO. — Chicago-based Baum Realty Group LLC has brokered the $5.3 million sale of a single-tenant property in Maryville net-leased to Walgreens. The property, located in northwest Missouri, was sold at 99 percent of its asking price. Walgreens has 20 years remaining on the triple-net lease. Patrick Forkin and Brad Teitelbaum of Baum represented the seller, a Missouri-based private developer, in the transaction. A West Coast-based private investor purchased the property in a 1031 tax-deferred exchange.
BALTIMORE — Tribune Media Co. has sold its printing facility at 300 E. Cromwell St. in Baltimore for $46.5 million. The 60-acre property holds the printing facility for The Baltimore Sun, a Tribune-owned newspaper that currently has a long-term lease on the property. The net proceeds after transaction costs and taxes are slated to be roughly $30 million. The buyer was undisclosed.
MELBOURNE, FLA. — BishopBeale plans to construct Pineda Landings, a 50,000-square-foot, 17.5-acre retail development at the corner of Wickham Road and Jordan Blass Drive in Melbourne. The shopping center will be anchored by The Fresh Market, the first location for the specialty grocer in Brevard County. The shopping center is expected to open for business by the fall of 2015. BishopBeale will handle all leasing and development management for the project.
CLINTON, MISS. — Hertz Investment Group (HIG) has acquired South Pointe Business Park, a 395,920-square-foot Class A office building in Clinton, a town in the Jackson MSA. HIG purchased the four-story, three-pod suburban office building from a private investment group for $20.5 million. The park is currently 93 percent leased to tenants such as the Mississippi Department of Revenue, University Physicians, Lockheed Martin and Verizon Wireless. South Pointe was originally constructed as the headquarters for WorldCom.