DETROIT — Brinkmann Constructors has completed Detroit Commerce Center, a 794,000-square-foot office and industrial development in Detroit. NorthPoint Development was the developer. Located on the site of the former American Motors Corp. headquarters, the project included eight office build-outs for an automotive parts supplier. studioNorth Architecture served as the project architect.
WEST CHESTER, OHIO — Stag Industrial Holdings LLC has acquired a 697,500-square-foot facility located on Le Saint Drive in West Chester, a city in eastern Ohio. The purchase price was $49.7 million. Brookfield Property Group sold the asset.
ANN ARBOR, MICH. — Edge Autonomy Energy Systems has signed a lease for an 85,000-square-foot industrial building located at 5775 Interface Drive in Ann Arbor. A producer of solid oxide fuel cells and ruggedized power solutions, Edge Autonomy Energy Systems and its legacy companies have operated in Ann Arbor for 20 years. The property on Interface Drive was originally a high-bay office building and will be converted to meet the tenant’s needs. Kyle Passage, Craig Herschel and Steve Langton of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant, while Matt Buslepp of Avison Young represented the landlord, Mansour Cos.
WATHENA, KAN. — The Boulder Group has arranged the $1.8 million sale of a 10,566-square-foot property occupied by Dollar General in Wathena, a city in northeast Kansas. The net-leased building is located on South Park Street, a main thoroughfare in the city. Randy Blankstein and Jimmy Goodman of Boulder represented the seller, a Dollar General developer. The buyer was an individual completing a 1031 exchange.
NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between Taconic Partners and National Real Estate Advisors is underway on construction of The Ellery, a 330-unit multifamily project in Midtown Manhattan. Designed by Handel Architects, The Ellery will consist of two interconnected buildings that will rise 32 and seven stories at 312 W. 43rd St. Units will come in studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans. The Ellery will feature 28,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space, including a rooftop pool, as well as 42,000 square feet of retail space across two floors. The development team most recently completed construction of the façade, but a timeline for full completion was not disclosed.
GRAFTON, MASS. — GFI Partners will undertake a 200,000-square-foot life sciences redevelopment project in Grafton, located in Worcester County. The Boston-based developer will convert a 33.2-acre site that was formerly part of the Grafton State Hospital campus into a two-building facility that can also support industrial usage under local zoning laws. MassDevelopment sold the parcel to GFI Partners for an undisclosed price. Construction is set to begin this summer and to be complete in early 2026.
NEW YORK CITY — A joint venture between Charney Cos. and Criterion Real Estate Capital has acquired 99 Claremont Avenue, a student housing property located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. The seven-story building was originally constructed in 1932. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. Madison Realty Capital provided a $55 million bridge loan for the acquisition, and the new ownership plans to use a portion of the proceeds to renovate the property.
WILMINGTON, MASS. — JLL has negotiated a 111,119-square-foot industrial lease at Upton Crossing in the northern Boston suburb of Wilmington. The lease is for the entirety of the building at 38 Upton Drive, which features a clear height of 32 feet. Joe Fabiano, Jamey Lipscomb, Jordan Yarboro and Brian Tisbert of JLL represented the landlord, locally based developer The Davis Cos., in the lease negotiations. Rachel Marks and Chelsea Andre, also with JLL, represented the tenant, an undisclosed provider of medical devices and equipment.
WOOD-RIDGE, N.J. — Locally based brokerage firm Hudson Atlantic has arranged the $3.6 million sale of The Highlander, a 19-unit apartment complex in the Northern New Jersey community of Wood-Ridge. The undisclosed seller originally developed the property, which according to Apatments.com exclusively offers one-bedroom units, in 1977. Adam Zweibel and Dante Fusaro of Hudson Atlantic brokered the deal. The buyer was also not disclosed.
By Brad Jones of Cushman & Wakefield/EGS Commercial Real Estate Despite ongoing challenges facing the national economy, Birmingham’s commercial real estate landscape remains steady and consistent. Over the past seven years, encompassing both pre- and post-pandemic periods, the overall vacancy rate for Birmingham’s multi-tenant office market has exhibited fluctuations like most markets, ranging from 12.9 percent in 2017 to 19 percent in 2023, according to research from Cushman & Wakefield/EGS Commercial Real Estate. However, for perspective, Birmingham’s year-end vacancy rate of 19 percent remains below the national average vacancy rate of 19.7 percent recorded in 2023, according to research from Cushman & Wakefield. Office leasing activity in Birmingham has maintained momentum, experiencing a notable 12 percent year-over-year increase from 2022. Total leasing activity for 2023 totaled 718,219 square feet. Class A transactions dominated with 564,681 square feet leased, indicating a continued preference for Class A office space (i.e. a flight to quality). This is good news for Class A product in this supposed period of economic slowdown. Office investment sales activity in Birmingham has, however, decelerated in the current economic climate. The impending ripple of debt maturities poses challenges for large institutional owners and creditors. At the same time, it …