LEWISVILLE, TEXAS — Bright Realty has welcomed eight new food-and-beverage users to The Realm at Castle Hills, the locally based developer’s 324-acre mixed-use destination in the northern Dallas suburb of Lewisville. The tenants that have either recently opened or signed leases include: Marble Slab Creamery/Great American Cookies (1,600 square feet); Chinese and Indian restaurant The Monk’s (3,869 square feet); RT Bakery (1,507 square feet); Voodoo Brewing Co. (4,346 square feet); Bagel Bar (1,186 square feet); Ked’s Artisan Ice Cream & Treats (1,893 square feet); Cocinero Mexican Restaurant (3,800 square feet); and Bluebonnet Brunch House (2,479 square feet).
VALLEY PARK, MO. — The Boulder Group has brokered the $2.5 million sale of a restaurant property occupied by Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers in Valley Park, a western suburb of St. Louis. The building is located at 2945 Dougherty Ferry Road. Zach Wright and Brandon Wright of Boulder represented the seller, a Midwest-based development company. The asset sold to an all-cash 1031 exchange buyer based in the western U.S. This Freddy’s location features a long-term lease with 10 percent rental increases every five years. The lease is guaranteed by M&M Custard, the third-largest Freddy’s franchisee. Freddy’s maintains approximately 500 locations nationwide.
By Tom Kolarczyk of JLL The overall U.S. economic slowdown, rising interest rates and the looming threat of inflation had a negative effect on all segments of Raleigh-Durham’s commercial real estate market last year — and retail was no exception. According to JLL research, there were just 11 retail trades over $5 million between January and December, totaling some $131 million in value. This is a notable drop from the 33 transactions recorded in 2022 valued at $582 million. On the flipside, however, fundamentals remained incredibly strong with occupancies ending out the year at the near record-setting level of 98 percent. This led to leasing spreads of anywhere between 20 and 40 percent on new leases and helped flip the tables to favor landlords for the first time in decades, where getting space back is generally a positive. Rents grew 3 to 6 percent in 2023, with an average year-end asking rate of $24.93 per square foot. This represents a year-over-year increase of 6.45 percent from 2022. While about 80 percent of all retail trades last year were acquired through private capital, an increasing number of REITs are becoming more active via mergers and acquisitions and strategic one-off acquisitions and …
CONCORD, N.C. — An affiliate of Yale Realty Services Corp., in partnership with an international family office, has acquired Afton Ridge, a 294,617-square-foot shopping center located in Concord, roughly 25 miles northeast of Charlotte. Mike Burkard and Steve Shields of CBRE represented the undisclosed seller in the $49.2 million sale. Robert Altman of Altman Warwick Inc. and Bat Barber of Medalist Capital arranged a $29.6 million acquisition loan through MetLife on behalf of the buyer. A Super Target anchors Afton Ridge, which was 97 percent leased at the time of sale. Other tenants at the center include HomeSense, Marshalls, Burlington, Haverty’s Furniture, PetSmart and a Dick’s Sporting Goods clearance store, operating under the Going Going Gone! brand.
WATCHUNG, N.J. — Urban Edge Properties has purchased Heritage Square, an 87,318-square-foot shopping center located in the Northern New Jersey community of Watchung. The center was built in 2019 and is home to tenants such as HomeSense, Sierra Trading Post, CityMD, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Ulta Beauty, Miller’s Ale House and David’s Bridal. The tenant roster has a weighted average remaining lease term of about eight years and no rollover until 2029. Jose Cruz, J.B. Bruno, Kevin O’Hearn and Austin Pierce of JLL represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction and procured Urban Edge as the buyer.
BAKERSFIELD, NORTH HOLLYWOOD AND VENTURA, CALIF. — Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. (MMCC) has arranged a $96 million loan refinancing for three shopping centers in Southern California. Tenants at the properties — which are located in Bakersfield, North Hollywood and Ventura — include 24 Hour Fitness, Dollar Tree, Starbucks Coffee, Wells Fargo and Tractor Supply. Zack Metzner, Daizy Gomez and Linsey Farrahi of MMCC secured the five-year financing on behalf of the borrower, a private investor. The interest-only loan carries a fixed interest rate of 5.8 percent.
VISALIA, CALIF.— Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors has brokered the $3.4 million sale of a 2,000-square-foot, single-tenant property in Visalia, located in the San Joaquin Valley between Fresno and Bakersfield. Starbucks Coffee occupies the building, which was constructed on 0.6 acres in 2023 and features a double drive-thru. Sean Cox, Alexander Moore, Bill Asher and Kevin Fryman of Hanley represented the developer and seller, Stock Five Development, in the transaction. David Mouallem of D.M. Realty Inc. represented the buyer, a Los Angeles-based private investor.
ATLANTA — GID Development Group has announced five more retail and restaurant concepts coming to High Street, the company’s $2 billion mixed-use development underway in Atlanta’s Central Perimeter submarket. The five newly announced tenants, totaling more than 31,000 square feet, include: — Jaguar Bolera: an “eatertainment” destination encompassing 21,500 square feet of food, beverage and entertainment space that will offer activities such as duckpin bowling, foosball, darts, board games and karaoke in private rooms; — South African restaurant concept Nando’s PERi-PERi, which will occupy a 3,300-square-foot flagship location with an 85-seat interior featuring South African art, lighting and furniture, as well as a patio for an additional 96 guests; — Velvet Taco’s second Atlanta location totaling 2,300 square feet; — Allen Edmonds, a high-end menswear retailer that is relocating its Park Place location to 1,800 square feet and will offer a custom shoe design studio; and — Skin Spirit, a med-spa concept that is opening its first location in Atlanta at High Street. Previously announced tenants include Puttshack, The Hampton Social, Agave Bandido, Cuddlefish, Ben & Jerry’s, and Sugar Coat. GID has secured over 80,000 square feet at High Street’s 150,000-square-foot retail footprint in Phase I, with additional new retailers and …
RICHMOND, VA. — Northpond Partners has acquired Parkside Marketplace, a 52,948-square-foot retail center in Richmond. The $17.4 million purchase marks the first acquisition for Northpond’s new $200 million investment vehicle, which is focused on retail centers in the Southeast and select Sun Belt markets. Tenants at the center, which was 98 percent leased at the time of sale, include West Marine, Five Guys, AT&T and M&T Bank. Catherine Spangler and Richard Thalhimer of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer represented the seller, Stavins & Axelrod, in the transaction.
COVINGTON, GA. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged the sale of Shops at Covington Town Center, a new Publix-anchored shopping center located at 12701 Town Center Drive in Covington, about 36 miles east of Atlanta. Margaret Jones, Lane Breedlove, Adam Feinstein, Mark Gilbert and Mitchell Halpern of Cushman & Wakefield represented the owner and developer, a joint venture between The Sembler Co. and Berkeley Development, in the transaction. The duo delivered the center in 2023. The buyer and sales price were not disclosed. Shops at Covington Town Center features a 48,387-square-foot Publix store and 14,400 square feet of inline shop space. The shopping center is part of Covington Town Center, a mixed-use master-planned development that features three hotels, 350 apartments and 267 townhomes.