CHICAGO — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of a mixed-use property located at 1606 N. Harding Ave. in Chicago. The 9,050-square-foot property sold for $830,000. The property consists of six two-bedroom and three one-bedroom apartment units, and two commercial spaces. Joseph Bergman and Kyle Stengle of Marcus & Millichap’s Chicago represented the seller, a private investor, in the transaction.
NEW YORK CITY — Eastern Consolidated has secured $65 million in debt and equity for a planned mixed-use rental project at 1 Flatbush Ave. in downtown Brooklyn. Developed by Slate Property Group, the 19-story, 172,000-square-foot property will feature 156 one- and two-bedroom rental units, of which 124 will be free market and the remainder will be affordable, and 30,000 square feet of basement, ground- and second-level retail space, as well as a fitness center for residents. Adam Hakim and Sam Zabala of Eastern Consolidated’s Capital Advisory Division arranged the financing for the acquisition and pre-development phases of the project.
CLIFTON, N.J. — A private investor has acquired Harbor Freight Center, a retail property located in Clifton, for $5.8 million. The 35,000-square-foot property is located at 1016 Main Ave. Kevin Taub and Michael Lombardi of Marcus & Millichap’s New Jersey office represented the seller, a private investor, while Lombardi also represented the buyer in the transaction.
SUGAR LAND, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of Creekside at Town Center, a 13,925-square-foot retail property located at the southeast corner of Highway 6 and Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land. Tenants in the property include TDECU, Verizon Wireless, Mattress Firm and an orthodontist office. The immediate area is the focal point for Fort Bend County’s retail and office developments. The asset had a list price of $7.4 million. Jerry Goldstein of Marcus & Millichap’s Houston office marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a limited liability company. Goldstein also secured and represented the buyer, a partnership. Creekside at Town Center is located at 2109 Highway 6 S.
EL PASO, TEXAS — Johnny Rockets has arranged a development agreement with Cruzar Group LLC to open Johnny Rockets restaurants in El Paso, including the brand’s new Route 66 expression. Johnny Rockets’ Route 66 drive-thru prototype will offer its all-American menu to travelers and consumers. In addition to the upcoming El Paso location, current Johnny Rockets franchise partners are under construction to open additional restaurants in San Antonio and Laredo. Franchisees are seeking new real estate to meet consumer demand, especially within the Hispanic market.
FRISCO, TEXAS — Dallas-based Metropolitan Capital Advisors (MCA), a financial intermediary specializing in the representation of investors, developers and property owners, has secured a $3.8 million construction loan for Teel Crossing, a planned retail shopping center situated on 5.8 acres on the northeast quadrant of Teel Parkway and Main Street in Frisco. Teel Crossing will consist of 20,020 square feet of in-line retail and a one-acre pad site fronting Main Street. Scott Lynn and Brandon Wilhite of MCA placed the loan with the Dallas office of BB&T.
HOUSTON — Houston-based Baker Katz has acquired a 2.1-acre property with an existing 13,000-square-foot office building located near the cross streets of U.S. Highway 59 North and West Little York Road in Houston. Located at 10810 Eastex Freeway, the initial plans for the property include the addition of a 7,000-square-foot retail space and pad site for a restaurant. Construction on the new building is slated to begin in 2016.
Job growth in New York City is expected to reach a new high in 2015 with the addition of 92,500 jobs. This spike in employment will bode well for retail owners. Drawn by the strong economy, several retailers are expanding in the city, including Lowe’s, which already has two locations in Brooklyn and one in Queens. In the second half of 2015, Lowe’s will open its first two stores in Manhattan. Apple plans to open shop in Brooklyn; they’ve signed a long-term lease for a 20,000-square-foot store at 247 Bedford Avenue at the corner of North Third Street in Williamsburg. As retailers ramp up their presence in the five boroughs, the vacancy rate is going to reach a new multi-year low. Vacancy for retail properties in 2015 will fall to 3.9 percent on net absorption in excess of 2.8 million square feet. Tightening vacancy will allow for operators to increase asking rents for the fourth consecutive year and will encourage builders to start new projects. Currently, builders are on track to deliver 2.5 million square feet of retail space in 2015, increasing stock by 1.2 percent. The most notable project scheduled for delivery is the Westfield World Trade Center, a …
DIAMOND BAR, CALIF. — Foremost Companies has acquired two adjacent shopping centers in Diamond Bar totaling more than 120,000 square feet of leasable commercial space for $23 million. The Ranch Center and Oak Tree Plaza cover 10.4 acres of property with a tenant roster including restaurants, medical offices, a bowling alley and retail. Foremost acquired The Ranch Center in an off-market acquisition from Preferred Bank, which foreclosed on the center in October 2014. Foremost acquired and consolidated the interest of a long-term ground-lease tenant at Oak Tree Plaza while restructuring a new lease with the anchor tenant. Preferred Bank provided acquisition financing, and Stonewood Properties will act as property manager for both centers.
NOVATO, CALIF. — Buchanan Street Partners has acquired Rowland Plaza, a 143,444-square-foot office project in Novato for $24.9 million. The two-building development is located at 75 and 88 Rowland Way. The plaza is 73 percent occupied. The tenant mix includes public accounting, technology, healthcare, professional services, and governmental and social services firms. Buchanan plans to make improvements to the plaza’s common areas and landscaping. This will include a complete lobby renovation, with redesigned landscaping to increase the curb appeal of the project. Renovations are scheduled to be complete by mid-2016. This is Buchanan Street’s second acquisition in the San Francisco Bay area this quarter. Buchanan Street represented itself in this transaction, while Grant Lammersen and George Eckard from Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, a joint venture between Barker Pacific Group and Rockwood Capital.
