SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — An affiliate of Rockwood Capital has purchased the Telephone Building, a historic property in downtown Santa Monica. DivcoWest sold the asset for an undisclosed price. The seller acquired the 58,000-square-foot creative office and retail building in 2017. During its ownership, DivcoWest completed lease-up, implemented capital improvements and obtained historical landmark status for the building from the City of Santa Monica under the Mills Act. The historic landmark status ensures preservation of the Art Deco building. Andrew Harper, Michael Leggett, Doug Bond and Matt McRoskey of JLL Capital Markets represented the seller in the deal.
NEWNAN, GA. — Halpern Enterprises Inc. has acquired Newnan Crossing, a 92,412-square-foot shopping center in Newnan, about 35 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta. Ohio-based Retail Value Inc. sold the property to Smyrna, Ga.-based Halpern Enterprises for $11.6 million. A 66,412-square-foot Hobby Lobby anchors the center, which was fully leased at the time of sale. Other tenants include CATO, GNC, Edible Arrangements, Sally Beauty, American Deli, The Athlete’s Foot and T-Mobile. Walmart and Lowe’s Home Improvement shadow-anchor the center. Newnan Crossing was built in 1996 and is situated adjacent to Interstate 85 at 963 Bullsboro Drive.
WEBSTER, TEXAS — JLL has negotiated the sale of Bay Area Plaza, a 72,569-square-foot commercial property in Webster, located about 23 miles southeast of Houston. Bay Area Plaza comprises 45,269 square feet of retail space and 27,300 square feet of industrial flex space that combined was 98 percent leased at the time of sale. Retail tenants include Total Body Work, Pizza Hut, Dapper Doughnuts and Amy’s Nails. Ryan West, John Indelli and Ethan Goldberg of JLL represented the seller, Orr Commercial Inc., in the transaction. The buyer was undisclosed.
SAN DIEGO — Stockdale Capital Partners and Macy’s have reached an agreement for the redevelopment of the existing Horton Plaza Mall in downtown San Diego. The project was put on hold due to a disagreement between the two companies. Macy’s has now agreed to close its store at the property, paving the way for the redevelopment to continue. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Stockdale Capital will now continue with its redevelopment plans to transform the nearly vacant mall into The Campus at Horton, a creative office, entertainment and retail center. The redevelopment will include 700,000 square feet of sustainably-driven creative office space that will be home to 3,000 to 4,000 new high-quality jobs. Slated for completion in 2021, the property will also include creating 300,000 square feet of curated retail space and an activated and reimagined Horton Plaza Park. In May 2019, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved reducing the previous retail deed restriction on the property and Stockdale Capital Partners’ redevelopment vision. The Macy’s store will reportedly close in March, and redevelopment of the site is scheduled to begin in 2021, according to The Times of San Diego.
AKRON, OHIO — The Cooper Commercial Investment Group has negotiated the sale of a 10,125-square-foot retail property occupied by CVS Pharmacy in Akron for $2.1 million. CVS has more than 18.5 years remaining on its lease term. Bob Havasi and Dan Cooper of Cooper Group represented the seller, an Ohio-based private investor. A private Texas-based investor purchased the asset at a cap rate of 6 percent.
EVERGREEN PARK, ILL. — Mid-America Real Estate Corp. has brokered the $1.1 million sale of an outlot at Evergreen Marketplace in Evergreen Park, about 15 miles south of Chicago. The 5,851-square-foot retail building is home to Cousins Subs, Hair Cuttery and The Crazy Crab. Ben Wineman and Emily Gadomski of Mid-America represented the seller, Sterling Bay. A private buyer purchased the asset.
MONTGOMERYVILLE, PA. — Math tutoring company Mathnasium Learning Centers has signed a 1,862-square-foot retail lease at 202 Marketplace, a shopping center in Montgomeryville, located approximately 25 miles north of Philadelphia. The center will tutor students in introductory and advanced math skills. Other tenants of the shopping center include Outback Steakhouse, The MAX Challenge of Montgomeryville and Five Points Pizza. Brandon Anapol of Metro Commercial brokered the lease.
Ecommerce and generational shifts in spending patterns have spawned discussions regarding the health and future of retail. However, Phoenix has proven to be one of the most resilient and dynamic retail markets in the country. This resilience is a product of corporate and residential migration from gateway markets due to increasing regulation and costs of living. Maricopa County has been named the fastest-growing county in the country for three years straight by the U.S. Census Bureau, and is forecasted to add another 500,000 people by 2023. This population and income influx has the Phoenix retail market bucking national trends. Consumer sentiment remains at peak 2006 levels despite political uncertainty, without the artificial run-up in home values we experienced leading up to the financial crisis. Average vacancy rates have lingered in the high 6 percent range with active retail construction remaining tempered at around 1 million square feet. This is compared to more than 11 million square feet in 2006. Vacancy may fall into the mid- to high 5 percent range over the next two years — where it was in 2006 — barring any extreme economic events. Triple-net rents have averaged $16.30 per square foot in 2019 and have grown …
With the rise of e-commerce, declining foot traffic in malls and shuttering department stores, retail landlords and brick-and-mortar tenants have faced a wave of challenges in recent years. As a result, both landlords and tenants are constantly searching for new and unique ways to improve their bottom-line figures. One recent area where this has become an issue concerns in-person returns from online sales, and how they affect a retail tenant’s percentage rent calculation. Many retail leases contain a percentage rent provision in which a tenant pays a portion of its gross sales above a certain threshold to the landlord in addition to the tenant’s other rental obligations. These provisions often include numerous exclusions that can be deducted from a tenant’s gross sales calculation, including employee discounts, gift certificates prior to redemption and fees paid to credit card companies. Many leases also contain language allowing retailers to deduct the sales price of items that have been returned by customers. As a result of the rising popularity of online shopping, disputes have arisen between retail landlords and tenants as to whether tenants can deduct the sales price of items bought online and subsequently returned in store from the gross sales calculation in …
ANNAPOLIS, MD. — Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), the owner of Westfield Annapolis mall, has unveiled plans to renovate and improve the mall, while adding new tenants. URW will convert the mall’s 110,000-square-foot former Lord & Taylor department store into a new shopping district composed of boutiques, home design stores and experience-driven offerings. The new section of the mall is slated to open to the public in 2021. URW’s mall-wide renovation program will include a new pedestrian gallery connecting the property’s Macy’s store and its Pottery Barn and Nordstrom wings. The gallery is expected to open by this September. The renovation will also create a new 40-foot architectural exterior entrance. The renovations to Westfield Annapolis come alongside new tenants arriving, including Rodizio Grill and Retro Fitness. In February of this year, Anne Arundel County’s Discoveries: The Library at the Mall, a dedicated learning space for teens and young children, is expected to open a permanent, expanded location at the mall. Shops and restaurants at Westfield Annapolis will remain open throughout the renovation process.