The greater Kansas City area retail market remains solid as a rock, despite CoStar Group’s mid-year report showing a slight decline in the average asking rental rate and a slight increase in vacancy. The retail vacancy rate in the second quarter of 2017 stood at 5.7 percent, up slightly from the previous quarter’s 5.5 percent. The average asking rental rate for retail is $13.05 per square foot, down from $13.07 in the previous quarter. Local, regional and national restaurant chains continue to expand with strong success throughout all areas of the Kansas City market, and “new-to-market” users continue to open their doors. Currently, there is approximately 570,000 square feet of retail space under construction in the Kansas City area and various mixed-use projects under development. Additionally, several new shopping center projects have recently been announced and are quickly gaining traction with restaurant and retail users. One of the major catalysts for the widespread retail and mixed-use boom throughout greater Kansas City is the various incentives that have been made available to developers including tax increment financing, community improvement districts, transportation development districts, tax abatement and other incentives. On both sides of the state line, as sites become more expensive and …
Retail
SAN ANTONIO — German discount grocery chain Lidl has purchased a 5.2-acre site at the intersection of Alamo Ranch and Lone Star parkways in San Antonio for the development of a 30,000-square-foot location. Construction of the property is expected to begin during the fourth quarter and wrap up during the third quarter of 2018. Gene Williams of CBRE represented the seller, Abiso Development, in the land sale. Gensler will serve as the project architect and Metropolitan Contracting as the general contractor.
ST. PETERS, MO. — Knoebel Construction has broken ground on a new Fresh Thyme Farmers Market in St. Peters, about 30 miles west of St. Louis. The $5 million project is slated for completion in winter 2018. Approximately 95 people will work at the 28,720-square-foot store. InSite Real Estate is developing the property. NORR is providing architectural services. Fresh Thyme is a specialty grocer rapidly expanding in the Midwest with other St. Louis-area stores in Kirkwood, Ballwin and O’Fallon, Mo.
Cornerstone Realty Capital Arranges $38.5M in Financing for Mixed-Use Development in Boston
by Amy Works
BOSTON — Cornerstone Realty Capital has arranged $38.5 million in financing for Mount Vernon Co.’s development of a mixed-use building, located at the intersection of Western Avenue and Leo M Birmingham Parkway in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood. Cornerstone secured the fixed-rate financing structure, including an interest-only period during construction followed by a 30-year amortization schedule. The six-story building will feature parking for 108 vehicles; three on-street retail spaces totaling 4,578 square feet; residential amenity space, including a rooftop multipurpose room and fitness center; storage for 132 bicycles; 115 market-rate apartments; and 17 affordable apartments. The unit mix includes 53 studios, 43 one-bedroom/one-bath units, 16 one-bedroom/one-bath units with a den and 20 two-bedroom/two-bath units. Ranging from 520 square feet to 906 square feet, the units will feature vinyl plank and tile flooring, Silestone countertops, tile backsplashes, stainless steel appliances and in-unit washers and dryers.
Orlando’s retail market is experiencing renewed vigor. Construction cranes are rising in key areas due to increasingly high demand, and low vacancies are fueling rental rate growth, which has been somewhat stagnant over the last several years. There is also demand for larger vacated boxes as a result of the downsizing and bankruptcies of retailers. Spaces once occupied by Sears, Sports Authority and hhgregg, for example, are being filled by retailers entering or expanding their presence in the market, such as Luckys Market, Earth Fare, Orchard Supply, Ollie’s, 24 Hour Fitness and At Home. The activity is both resulting in and benefitting from exciting new developments and infrastructure improvements in the market. Development, Infrastructure Current development activity in Orlando is in direct response to considerable consumer demand, with many major retail projects recently completed or under construction. Lake Nona Landings, a 53-acre development in Tavistock’s master-planned Lake Nona community, opened in early 2017 with the area’s first Walmart Supercenter and Sam’s Club, and will serve as an anchor for the growing Narcoossee corridor south of State Road 417. Horizons West/Four Corners is a thriving residential area encompassing parts of western Orange and north Osceola counties where retail, restaurant and multifamily …
CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J. — Key Properties has opened Hanover Crossroads, a 170,000-square-foot shopping center located in Cedar Knolls. The retail property is situated on a 43-acre former Berlex Laboratories campus, which became a vacant brownfield in 1995. The property’s in-line retail building, which is nearing completion, houses a newly opened T.J.Maxx, HomeGoods, Five Below and Ulta Beauty. Additionally, interior fit-out work is underway for Old Navy and Famous Footwear. Auto Zone, QuickChek and MedExpress Urgent Care occupy the three pad sites. Key Properties plans to break ground this fall on the property’s final pad, which will be occupied by IHOP and an Italian restaurant with catering services. The project team includes Phelps Construction as construction manager, The Dietz Partnership as architect, Bowman Consulting Group as site engineer and TRC as environmental consultant.
DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $12.8 million sale of the Shoppes of Hillsboro, a 61,465-square-foot retail center located at 2201-2265 W. Hillsboro Blvd. in Deerfield Beach, roughly 18 miles north of Fort Lauderdale. Douglas Mandel and Elon Gerberg of Marcus & Millichap arranged the transaction on behalf of the sellers, BREF Hillsboro LLC, managed by Butters Construction and Development Partners, and Dhanya of Miami, managed by Sukrit Agrawal. The team also procured the buyer, a private investor based in Hallandale Beach, Fla. At the time of sale, the Shoppes of Hillsboro was leased to tenants including Bank United, Sage Dental, Optimum Bank and JByrd’s Muddy Waters.
LAKEMOOR, ILL. — The Boulder Group has brokered the sale of a single-tenant property net leased to Walgreens in Lakemoor, about 50 miles northwest of Chicago, for $7.2 million. The 14,820-square-foot property is located at 28895 W. Highway 120. Walgreens has over 21 years remaining on its lease, which expires in October 2038. Randy Blankstein and Jimmy Goodman of The Boulder Group represented the seller, a Midwest-based real estate investment firm. An East Coast-based private investment group purchased the property in a 1031 exchange.
HOUSTON — Houston-based retail developer Greatland Investments Inc. will develop a 4,000-square-foot, Class A retail property at 3215 White Oak Drive in Houston’s The Heights neighborhood. The property currently houses a car wash, the lease of which will expire at year’s end, as well as a multifamily rental complex and a single-family home. NewQuest Properties is handling leasing of the development, construction of which is slated to begin during the first quarter of 2018.
SELMA, TEXAS — Austin-based restaurant chain Pluckers Wing Bar will open a 7,400-square-foot location within Forum Pointe Shopping in Selma, a northeastern suburb of San Antonio. Whit Jordan of CBRE represented Pluckers in the site search and lease negotiations. The new location, which will be the company’s 23rd overall, is expected to open in 2018.