HOOVER, ALA. — Greystone has provided a $14.5 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of 700 Riverchase, a 216-unit apartment community located in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover. The non-recourse loan features a five-year term, fixed interest rate, interest-only payments for the full term and a 30-year amortization schedule. Rob Meehan of Greystone originated the financing, and HKS Capital Partners acted as correspondent. The borrower was not disclosed. Built in 1983, 700 Riverchase is a garden-style multifamily community with one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Amenities include a fitness center, laundry facilities, swimming pool, outdoor grill center, dog park, playground and a pickleball court.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Primark has signed a 36,000-square-foot lease at The Florida Mall in Orlando. Spanning two stories, the store will feature an entire floor dedicated to Disney merchandise. Scheduled for the end of August, the opening will bring the retailer’s U.S. portfolio to 26 locations. Primark currently operates one store in the state at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise. Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group owns The Florida Mall, which opened in 1986.
LEBANON, TENN. — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has certified REI Co-Op’s 400,000-square-foot distribution center in Lebanon as LEED v4 Platinum. Situated roughly 30 miles east of Nashville, the property is the largest LEED Platinum-certified industrial property in the Southeastern United States and one of 10 warehouses in the country to achieve LEED v4 Platinum certification, as well as the only facility in the state with that rating. Al. Neyer designed and developed the distribution center in 2023. Sustainable features of the REI distribution center include 100 percent renewable electricity via an onsite solar array, as well as a nearby solar array in east Tennessee that REI helps support; the use of reclaimed wood and metal sourced from the original barn onsite; a polished concrete stream inspired by the nearby Cumberland River; numerous skylights; and water systems to repurpose rain water. The Lebanon facility serves REI stores and customer online order fulfillment in the Midwest and Southeast, and complements REI’s three existing distribution centers in Bedford, Pa.; Goodyear, Ariz.; and Sumner, Wash. REI employs roughly 275 people at the Lebanon property, which has received industry awards from local chapters of national organizations including NAIOP and ULI.
By Taylor Williams Within the world of multifamily development, the “amenities arms race” has become a well-documented trend over the past decade, a contest to curate and deliver the most appealing combination of entertainment and wellness features and activities to woo prospective renters. In many instances, this approach was successful, and developers succeeded in capturing the hearts and wallets of renters who sought an “everything under one roof” approach to renting. The fervent movement to deliver more extensive and impressive amenity packages also worked for much of the last decade because interest rates were dirt cheap, even though costs of materials and labor needed to install these features were perpetually on the rise. But today’s market is different. Developers not only face stubbornly high construction costs, but also significantly higher interest rates. Spreads on construction loans in particular tend to be higher than on permanent loans simply because this phase of the project life cycle carries the most risk. Unlike with other asset classes such as retail and industrial, where preleasing is often a prerequisite to securing construction debt, it’s exceedingly rare for renters to commit to units that are still two-plus years away from being delivered. The absence of …
LUTZ, FLA. — Argyle Real Estate Partners and Sembler Investments Real Estate Partners (SIREP) have acquired a 576-unit multifamily portfolio located in Lutz, roughly 14 miles north of downtown Tampa. The acquisition includes the communities Sage at Cypress Cay and Lantana at Cypress Cay. Built in 2022, Sage at Cypress Cay totals 324 units. Apartments at the property feature one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Amenities include a resort-style pool with outdoor kitchens and firepits, a clubhouse, fitness center, dog park and pet spa. Lantana at Cypress Cay was developed in 2023 and comprises 252 units. According to a press release issued by Argyle, the property includes residences and amenities comparable to those of Sage of Cypress Cay. The buyers plan to implement minor capital improvements at Lantana at Cypress Cay. Both communities are situated near the University of South Florida (USF), Veterans’ Hospital and Advent Health’s main hospital campus. “With approximately 30,000 healthcare and education jobs in the immediate vicinity, and their proximity to downtown Tampa, these two properties are well positioned to benefit from these growing and diverse employment hubs and provide quality living solutions to these employees,” says Mark Sembler, chief executive officer of SIREP. — Hayden Spiess
SAN ANTONIO — JLL has brokered the sale of Cottages at Leon Creek, a 284-unit build-to-rent (BTR) residential community in northwest San Antonio. The development’s two-story homes come in two-, three- and four-bedroom formats, and some residences feature fenced-in private yards. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, cinema, private workstations and pickleball courts. Cottages at Leon Creek was 92 percent occupied at the time of sale. Robert Arzola, Ryan McBride, Robert Wooten, Matthew Putterman and Daniele Colbertaldo of JLL represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. Jayme Nelson, Brian Carlton and Leon McBroom, also with JLL, arranged acquisition financing for the deal on behalf of the undisclosed buyer.
HOUSTON — Locally based developer Lovett Commercial is nearing completion of The Lawndale, a 106-unit multifamily project in Houston’s Pecan Park neighborhood. The complex offers one-, two- and three-bedroom units that range in size from 555 to 1,307 square feet and amenities such as a pool, business center and an outdoor cooking and entertainment pavilion. Half of the residences are reserved for households earning 80 percent or less of the area median income. Construction began in April 2023, and the first residents have begun moving in. Rents start at $1,080 for a one-bedroom apartment.
HOUSTON — Empyrean Benefit Solutions Inc. has signed a 41,667-square-foot office lease in West Houston. The provider of software for the human resources industry will occupy two full floors within Building 4 at the 39-acre CityWestPlace starting early next year. Mark O’Donnell and Jennifer Meehan of Savills represented the tenant in the lease negotiations.J.P. Hutcheson and Rima Soroka represented the owner, partnership between Parkway and Midway, on an internal basis.
HOUSTON — Birmingham, Ala.-based investment and brokerage firm Shannon Waltchack has acquired The Vintage Center, a 29,483-square-foot unanchored retail center located at 10300 Louetta Road in northwest Houston. The center was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants such as First Community Credit Union, Vintage Smile Family Dentistry, Chicken Salad Chick, Memorial Hermann-GoHealth and Trademark Salon. John Indelli and Ryan West of JLL represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction.
RALEIGH, N.C. — PruittHealth has broken ground on a $385.5 million redevelopment project at The Oaks at Whitaker Glen, a seniors housing property in Raleigh. Upon completion, the continuing care retirement community (CCRC) property will comprise 246 independent living units in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts; 82 assisted living apartments; and a new, 106-bed skilled nursing center. The campus, which spans 20 acres, will also feature public-facing retail stores and healthcare space. The Oaks at Whitaker Glen is accepting preconstruction reservations now. A construction timeline was not released.