NEW YORK CITY — HFF has arranged $290 million in financing for the development of 151 E. 86th St., a mixed-use residential and retail project in Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhood. HFF worked on behalf of the developer, a joint venture between Ceruzzi Holdings and Kuafu Properties, to secure the construction loan with a foreign capital source. HFF previously sourced financing on Ceruzzi’s behalf for its acquisition of the site in 2014. The property is located at the corner of 86th Street and Lexington Avenue and will include 151,500 square feet of residential space and 36,000 square feet of retail. There will be 61 condominium units averaging 2,485 square feet with floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the Manhattan skyline and the East River. Resident amenities will include concierge service and 6,500 square feet of amenity space, including a fitness facility, lounge, rooftop terrace and children’s playroom. HOK Architects designed the 18-story building and Shelton, Mindel & Associates handled the interiors. The property is due for completion in the first quarter 2019. David Nackoul, Christopher Peck and Scott Findlay led HFF’s debt placement team.
Retail
QUINCY, MASS. — Hines is nearing completion of Meriel Marina Bay, a mixed-use development in the Boston suburb of Quincy. Located on a seaside peninsula, the property is situated near I-93 and offers a complimentary shuttle to the Red Line North Quincy MBTA station and a water ferry to downtown Boston. Meriel Marina Bay is a mixed-use development comprising two five-story buildings featuring 352 apartments with garage parking, plus 20,000 square feet of ground-level retail space. Layout options include studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes offering views of the Boston skyline, Boston Harbor and the Marina Bay boardwalk. Hines is now leasing the property, with rents ranging from approximately $2,100 to $4,600 per month. The Bozzuto Group will manage Meriel Marina Bay.
KATY, TEXAS — Amazon.com Inc. has announced plans to open a 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center in the west Houston suburb of Katy. Duke Realty will develop the center, which will be situated on approximately 87 acres near the intersection of U.S. Highway 90 and Woods Road, according to the Houston Business Journal. The project, which marks Amazon’s 10th fulfillment center in Texas, is expected to create about 1,000 full-time jobs in packaging and shipping.
NEW CANEY, TEXAS — Hobby Lobby has opened a new store in Valley Ranch Town Center, a 240-acre, 1.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development in New Caney, a city roughly 30 miles north of Houston. The Signorelli Co., a Houston-area builder, developed the property, which is situated within the 1,400-acre, master-planned community of Valley Ranch on Grand Parkway near Interstate 69. Valley Ranch Town Center, which also includes a 13,500-seat amphitheater and 1,000 multifamily residences, is the largest retail project currently underway in the Houston area.
DENTON, TEXAS — SHOP Cos. has brokered the sale of San Jacinto Plaza, a 61,853-square-foot retail center located at 2300 San Jacinto Blvd. near Interstate 35 in Denton, a city in north Texas equidistant from Dallas and Fort Worth. At the time of sale, the property was 87 percent leased to tenants such as Office Depot, Foot Spa and Mattress Firm. Tommy Tucker and Tim Axilrod of SHOP Cos. represented the seller, a Dallas-based limited partnership, in the transaction. An undisclosed limited liability company from Plano purchased the property.
CARY, N.C. — Kite Realty Group Trust has signed a lease with Hobby Lobby and opened a new Stein Mart store at Parkside Town Commons, a two-phase shopping center located at the intersection of North Carolina Highway 55 an Interstate 540 in Cary. The 50,000-square foot Hobby Lobby and 32,000-square foot Stein Mart join existing retailers including Target, Harris Teeter, Frank Theatres CineBowl & Grille, Petco, Golf Galaxy and Guitar Center. The signing of Hobby Lobby puts the second phase of Parkside Town Commons at 90 percent leased.
BEACHWOOD, OHIO — DDR Corp. (NYSE: DDR) has unveiled plans to streamline its organizational structure and eliminate 65 positions, including nine officer level roles. The decision is a result of efforts to gain efficiencies, provide appropriate staffing for the company’s current and future operations, facilitate decision-making and lower operating costs, according to the company. The changes are expected to generate a stabilized annual reduction to recurring general and administrative expenses of approximately $6 million. The company expects that the vast majority of its employees will remain based in the Beachwood headquarters location, about 19 miles southeast of Cleveland. As part of the reorganization, DDR has also appointed Conor Fennerty as senior vice president. Fennerty will be responsible for capital raising activities and management of the company’s planning and analysis functions. DDR, a self-managed REIT, is an owner and manager of 319 value-oriented shopping centers comprising 106 million square feet in 35 states and Puerto Rico. The company’s stock price closed at $12.74 per share on Monday, April 3, down from $17.34 per share a year ago.
AURORA, OHIO — The Cooper Commercial Investment Group has arranged the sale of Barrington Town Center in Aurora, about 30 miles southeast of Cleveland, for $13.1 million. The 112,631-square-foot shopping center is shadow anchored by Heinen’s Grocery and is home to Cinemark, Dollar Tree, University Hospitals, Howard Hanna, Great Clips, Pizza Hut, The UPS Store, Subway and GNC. Dan Cooper of Cooper Commercial represented the institutional seller and secured the buyer, a private investment group based in the Northwest.
WALWORTH, WIS. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of a retail property net leased to Burger King in Walworth southern Wisconsin for $1.1 million. The 3,140-square-foot building is located at 106 State Road 67. Burger King fully remodeled the property last year and signed a new 20-year lease. Nathan Coe and Dan Yozwiak of Marcus & Millichap marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a developer. Todd Lindblom of Marcus & Millichap also assisted in the sale transaction.
After finishing 2016 with a bang, 2017 is shaping up to be another great year for retail real estate in Las Vegas. Tourism, construction, population growth, infrastructure improvements and business growth are all cause for excitement. The Strip is once again predicted to dazzle retailers. There are currently more than $9 billion in construction projects underway or scheduled through 2019. The development lineup is dominated by Resort World, Steve Wynn’s Paradise Park and a hopeful sale of Fontainebleau. Alon is another exciting project that is looking to replace a major funding source so it can begin construction. Several other important, but smaller projects are scheduled to come on line later this year and into 2018. These include infrastructure, retail expansion and additional hotel room projects. New retail and food arrivals to the Strip include Skechers, Walburgers, Morimoto, Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill, Giordano’s and John Rich’s Red Neck Riviera. Around 42 million visitors from the U.S. and around the world enjoyed Las Vegas in 2016, and we are anticipating even more in 2017. Las Vegas population growth also continues. The city was ranked the 28th largest in the U.S. in 2016, while housing sales and construction continue to have healthy growth. …