BLOOMINGTON, MINN. — Stan Johnson Co. has arranged the sale of Penn & American, a 58,531-square-foot retail center in Bloomington, for $19 million. Fresh Thyme Farmers Market anchors the center, which is located at 2100 W. 80th St. Tom Fritz, Brandon Duff, Matt Spangenberg and Mackenzie Wolfgram represented the seller, a Minneapolis-based developer. Wisconsin-based SARA Investment Real Estate was the buyer.
SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Safeway will anchor a 100,000-square-foot retail center in the North Village of Market Park San Jose, a mixed-use project under development in San Jose. The transit-oriented development is located adjacent to the soon-to-open Berryessa BART station. At full build-out, Market Park will include 4,000 residential units, 1.5 million square feet of office space, retail space, a park and walking/bicycle paths. In addition to the 65,000-square-foot Safeway, the North Village’s Market Place shopping center will house a drugstore, restaurants and service-oriented businesses. Borelli Investment Co. is handling the project management and leasing, and The Schoennauer Co. is handling permitting. The project team expects to break ground on the shopping center in the fall of 2019, with the Safeway store scheduled to open in 2020.
LEXINGTON AND WALTHAM, MASS. — Fantini & Gorga has secured $10.2 million in permanent financing for two retail properties in Lexington and Waltham. The Lexington property was built in 2010 and is located at 46 Bedford St. It features 6,698 square feet of retail space, which is fully leased to a tenant roster including Qdoba and People’s United Bank. The property in Waltham was built in 2013 and is located at 1019 Trapelo Road. It features 9,442 square feet of retail space with a tenant roster that includes Starbucks and PhysiciansOne Urgent Care. Fantini & Gorga arranged the long-term, fixed-rate loan for a local real estate investor and developer through a regional financial institution.
AURORA, ILL. — Essex Realty Group Inc. has brokered the sale of a single-tenant retail property occupied by Walgreens in Aurora for $7.5 million. The property is located at 1180 Farnsworth Ave. Walgreens has approximately 12 years left on its initial lease term. Steven Livaditis and Joe Scheck of Essex represented the buyer, CIMA Investors LLC, in the transaction. The seller was not disclosed.
ATKINSON, ILL. — Love’s Travel Stops has purchased a 13-acre site at the northwest corner of I-88 and South State Street in Atkinson in northwestern Illinois. The purchase price was not disclosed. Love’s plans to open a location at the property in 2019. Dave Schmidt and Linda Kost of Realty Metrix Commercial represented Love’s in the transaction. JMP Atkinson Petroleum Inc. was the seller.
LOS ANGELES — Charlotte, N.C.-based Asana Partners has purchased The Fig Collection @ Highland Park, a three-property mixed-use portfolio in Los Angeles’ Highland Park submarket. Engine Real Estate, a Los Angeles-based private investor, sold the asset for $23.2 million. The portfolio includes: A two-building multifamily and retail property located at 5900 N. Figueroa St. and 111 S. Avenue 59. The property at 5900 N. Figueroa St. includes 12 studio and one-bedroom apartment units and 11,305 square feet of ground-floor retail space, which is 86 percent leased. Mr. Holmes Bakehouse occupies the 4,167-square-foot building located at 111 S. Avenue 59. A single-story, 2,250-square-foot building located at 5711 N. Figueroa St. The property is fully occupied by Sonomama, a high-end gift and apothecary shop; and Afters Ice Cream, an ice cream shop with outposts across Southern California. A two-story, 22,500-square-foot property, located at 5715-5717 N. Figueroa St. Recently renovated, the property features retail and commercial office space, which is fully occupied. Tenants include LemonTree, an audio production facility and recording studio; Blind Barber, a barber shop with a speakeasy bar; Chops Market, a deli; Otono Restaurant; Pacific Union, a luxury residential real estate brokerage firm; and Arrive Enterprises. Dana Brody of JLL …
CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. — Franklin Street and CBRE have arranged the $23.2 million sale of Magnolia Shoppes, a 114,118-square-foot shopping center in the South Florida community of Coral Springs. Bryan Belk and John Tennant of Franklin Street arranged the transaction on behalf of the buyer, a private investor based in Lexington, Ky. Casey Rosen and Dennis Carson of CBRE represented the seller, Regency Centers. In addition, Franklin Street arranged a $15.5 million acquisition loan through Citibank on behalf of the buyer. A recently renovated Regal Cinemas anchors Magnolia Shoppes, which was fully leased at the time of sale. Additional tenants include Dollar Tree, Ben & Jerry’s, Broward Health, Creative Child Learning Center, H&R Block and W Salon & Spa.
JANESVILLE, WIS. — CBL Properties has sold Janesville Mall in southern Wisconsin to RockStep Capital for $18 million. Boston Store, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kohl’s and Sears anchor the 600,000-square-foot mall. Other tenants include Bath & Body Works, American Eagle Outfitters, Claire’s, Finish Line, GameStop, Ulta Beauty, Victoria’s Secret and Yankee Candle. CBL will use proceeds from the sale to supplement cash flow, fund redevelopment programs and other capital improvements, and reduce debt. Don MacLellan and Rick Chichester of Faris Lee Investments represented both the buyer and the seller in the transaction.
PORTLAND, ORE. — Greystar Real Estate Partners, on behalf of its real estate funds, has purchased Indigo at Twelve West, a mixed-use property located at 430 SW 13th Ave. in Portland. The price was not disclosed Situated in the city’s West End submarket, the property features 273 residential apartments, 86,000 square feet of creative office space and a 10,000-square-foot retail component. The office and retail components are fully leased. Completed to LEED Platinum standards in 2009, the property features all-glass façade with floor-to-ceiling windows, 10-foot to 12-foot ceilings, gas appliances and city views.
Retail financing, both debt and equity, has become a challenge for many owners, developers and investors throughout the U.S. based on negative press about retail, a perception that the internet will take down many tenants and the weak financial condition of a number of large retailers. Though capital markets are strong, many property owners and investors are finding it difficult to identify lenders willing to provide the type of financing they need for their retail developments, acquisitions and redevelopments. Some lenders are not providing enough money. In other cases, borrowers are finding that the cost of capital is not feasible. Often, lenders and investors aren’t saying no —they are simply offering capital at too high a rate. This squeeze could not come at a more pivotal moment for retail investors. The fact is, now is a very good time to invest in retail. With so many players exiting the market, an overcorrection is underway. This creates a huge opportunity for others to invest in retail, which can be a great value if you find the right deal at the right basis. So why is retail harder to finance? Because of the herd mentality, the majority of investors and lenders are …
