ATHENS, GA. — The Shopping Center Group (TSCG) has signed Blasted Barley Beer Co. to a 5,000-square-foot lease at Georgia Heights, a student housing community with 40,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space in Athens. The Phoenix-based restaurant and brewery plans to offer more then 30 craft beer varieties on tap, including its own signature brews, along with bar food. Harry Croxton and Amy Kennedy of TSCG arranged the 10-year lease on behalf of the landlord, Memphis-based EdR Collegiate Housing. Blasted Barley is expected to open at the 317-unit community early next year, bringing the property to full occupancy. Additional tenants include CVS/pharmacy, J.Crew, The Athlete’s Foot, SunTrust Bank, Dress Up, D.P. Dough, Cinnaholic, European Wax and Treehouse Interiors. The property encompasses a city block between Broad Street, at the main entrance to the University of Georgia, and Clayton Street, home to the Georgia Theatre.
Retail
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Branch Properties LLC has signed three tenants to Westridge Square, a 215,000-square-foot shopping center in Greensboro. The Atlanta-based real estate company originally acquired the center and its seven outparcel buildings in 2015, and is currently re-tenanting the property. Kohl’s will reduce its footprint at the center from 87,000 square feet to 55,000 square feet, and Planet Fitness will occupy the vacated space. The gym is expected to open in late 2018 or early 2019. According to local media reports, Sprouts Farmers Market will backfill 30,524 square feet of the 47,452-square-foot space formerly occupied by Harris Teeter, which closed in December. Later this summer, Title Boxing Club will open at one of Westridge Square’s outparcels. Negotiations are underway for an additional tenant to occupy the remaining space. In addition to remerchandising Westridge Square, Branch will modernize the shopping center with planned renovations including raising the parapets and upgrading the building materials to include brick, metal and wood.
MetLife, Northwestern Mutual Provide $450M Refinancing for Broadway Plaza in California
by Amy Works
WALNUT CREEK, CALIF. — MetLife Investment Management and Northwestern Mutual have provided a $450 million, fixed-rate loan for Broadway Plaza, a 958,000-square-foot, open-air retail center in Walnut Creek. The 12-year loan was provided on behalf of the property owner, a joint venture between The Macerich Co. and Northwestern Mutual. Broadway Center, which originally opened in 1951, underwent a renovation in 2014 that more than doubled the shopping center space, adding more than 50 new retailers. The center is 98 percent leased and anchored by Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s. Additional tenants include Aldo, LUSH, Madewell, lululemon athletica, Nespresso, Zara, Kate Spade and Sephora, among others.
BERWYN, ILL. — HFF has arranged an $18 million loan for the refinancing of Cermak Plaza in Berwyn, a western suburb of Chicago. The 307,138-square-foot shopping center is 95 percent leased to tenants including Walgreens, Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, The Gap, McDonald’s, Office Depot, Dollar Tree, Party City and Shoe Carnival. The borrower, Cermak Plaza Associates LLC, originally developed the center in 1955. The property has undergone several renovations and expansions with the most recent being in 2014. Matthew Schoenfeldt of HFF represented the borrower. An insurance company provided the 10-year, fixed-rate loan. Loan proceeds were used to retire an existing loan and fund capital improvements in conjunction with the termination of a lease with Meijer and a new lease with Tony’s Finer Foods.
The Rhode Island retail market has seen a considerable level of activity over the last year that presents promising signs of a strengthening economy and an improving property market. Generally speaking, each submarket has seen positive absorption of retail space, with the new concepts entering the market for the first time, as well as existing operators further expanding their footprints and market share. From street retail to lifestyle and big-box centers, each class has seen significant activity that represents a much healthier retail climate than popular opinion and media reporting might suggest. Some specific transactions are worth noting. Garden City Center in Cranston continues to outperform as the dominant outdoor shopping destination in the greater Providence market. This past year, The Wilder Companies built an approximately 29,800-square-foot addition at Garden City, which allowed them to bring Boston favorites Legal C Bar and Tavern in the Square to town. These are the first Rhode Island locations for both operators, which points to the strength of the local Rhode Island economy as well as the faith tenants have in the long-term viability of the best retail projects. Wilder was also able to bring The Simple Greek, Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, Z Gallerie …
HANOVER, MASS. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $6.2 million sale of the Hanover Shopping Plaza in Hanover. The 26,307-square-foot retail center is located at 1422 Washington St. and anchored by Town Fair Tire, Papa Gino’s, D’Angelo and Pearle Vision. Evan Griffith and Tony Pepdjonovic of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a limited liability company, in the transaction. The buyer was also a limited liability company. The buyer has plans to renovate the property, which was developed in 1975, and lease up the vacant space.
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Out of the Box Ventures, a subsidiary of Lionheart Capital, has acquired Walnut Hill Plaza in Woonsocket for an undisclosed price. The seller was undisclosed. The 300,000-square-foot shopping center is located at 1500 Diamond Hill Road and anchored by Aero Trampoline, Planet Fitness, and Walnut Hill Bowl. Other tenants include Olympia Sports, Weight Watchers, Payless Shoe Source, GameStop and T-Mobile. Walnut Hill Plaza is the first acquisition in Rhode Island for Miami-based Lionheart Capital.
Kidder Mathews Arranges Sale of Four-Building Retail Property in California’s Central Valley
by Amy Works
VISALIA, CALIF. — Kidder Mathews has brokered the sale of The Shops at Visalia Pavilion, located at 3833, 3837, 3927 and 4015 W. Caldwell Ave. in Visalia. Toor Capital purchased the four-building property for $8.7 million. At the time of sale, the 33,000-square-foot asset was 95 percent occupied by a variety of tenants, including Starbucks Coffee, T-Mobile and Papa Murphy’s Pizza. Peter Beauchamp, Darren Tappen and Jenette Bennett of Kidder Mathews represented the seller, a New York-based private equity firm, in the deal.
CARY, N.C. — HFF has arranged $28.8 million in preferred equity and construction financing for the development of the first phase of Twin Lakes Center, a 153,229-square-foot retail center in Cary. The first phase includes a four-building retail center that is 93 percent preleased and will be anchored by Wegmans, a Rochester, N.Y.-based grocer.Greg Nalbandian, Roger Edwards, Devlin Murphy and Andrew Zilenziger of HFF arranged $6.3 million in preferred equity through a life insurance company and a $22.5 million, floating-rate loan through CapitalSource, a division of Pacific Western Bank. LeylandAlliance is developing the 35.8-acre property, which will be completed in phases and will include restaurants, retail space, seniors housing, a lake and walking paths. LeylandAlliance expects to wrap up construction on the retail portion of the project in July 2020.
TYSONS, VA. — Skanska USA has acquired a 94,000-square-foot site in Tysons for a new multifamily and retail development. Richard Siegel, Wendy Feldman Block and Bill Quinby of Savills Studley arranged the transaction on behalf of Skanska. The development company acquired the site within the mixed-use district of Scotts Run from master developer Cityline Partners. At full build-out, Scotts Run will span 8 million square feet and house offices, apartments, hotels, retail and restaurants. The land Skanska acquired is located across the street from the McLean Silver Line Metro station. The company is scheduled to break ground on the unnamed multifamily/retail development in 2019, with completion slated for 2022.