RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — The Town of Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency (IDA) has closed on a package of economic benefits for the first phase of Tritec Real Estate Co.’s planned Ronkonkoma hub transit-oriented development project, which is expected to break ground soon. The package was approved unanimously in 2014, but did not close until recently due to the timing of required approvals, including sewer connections, and the acquisition by East Setauket, N.Y.-based Tritec and its partner of various properties at the project site from private owners. The total project, valued at $538 million, is expected to feature up to 1,145 apartments and 545,000 square feet of retail and office space on 50 acres near the Long Island Rail Road station. Phase 1 of the project, which includes the construction of infrastructure and 477,300 square feet of apartments on 11.9 acres, is valued at $112.7 million. The first phase is expected to create 977 construction industry jobs and 76 full-time jobs upon completion. The construction of the first phase is expected to take three years.
ATLANTA — Simon has unveiled plans to transform Phipps Plaza, an upscale shopping mall in Atlanta’s Buckhead district, into a mixed-use destination. The additional uses coming to Phipps Plaza include a 150-room Nobu Hotel, 10,000-square-foot Nobu Atlanta Restaurant, 90,000-square-foot Life Time Athletic fitness center and a 12-story office building. The hotel will feature a rooftop pool, conference space and spa facilities, and the restaurant will offer Japanese-style cuisine. Life Time will develop an athletic club in a three-level space that will feature studio, yoga and cycle classes, personal training, a café, rooftop pool, beach club and a bistro. The new buildings will join recent additions to Phipps Plaza including the 166-room AC Hotel Atlanta Buckhead and the 319-unit Domain at Phipps Plaza, an upscale apartment community. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2018, with a phased opening beginning in spring 2020.
HOUSTON — Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. will open a three-story, 28,000-square-foot brewery and restaurant at 2101 Summer St. in Houston’s First Ward. Houston-based Method Architecture will be designing the property, which will offer a rooftop beer garden with views of downtown Houston and a full-service kitchen. Construction is currently slated to begin this winter, with a target completion date of late 2018. A general contractor for the project has not yet been selected.
BOSTON — Related Beal has placed the final beam in the redevelopment of 40 Water Street, which formerly served as the Fidelity Investment headquarters. The redeveloped property, called Congress Square, will create a 24-hour mixed-use environment connecting Government Center, Faneuil Hall, Post Office Square and Downtown Crossing. The building features a glass curtainwall addition on top of the more than 320,000-square-foot office building. The redevelopment also includes preserving the landmarked property’s efficient and versatile floor plates, active rooftops and retail and restaurant space on the lower and ground floor. The redevelopment plan for the building includes office, residential, hospitality and more than 43,000 square feet of retail space, as well as the transformation of Quaker Lane into a pedestrian-oriented food and beverage destination with boutiques and cafés. Related Beal Construction and Consigli Construction Co. are general contractors for the project and Arrowstreet is serving as architect. Congress Square is slated to open in 2018.
MIAMI — Thor Equities has broken ground on Wynwood Walk, a 63,000-square-foot restaurant and retail development located at 2800 N.W. 2nd Ave. in Miami’s Wynwood Art District. Upon completion, the project, designed by Oppenheim Architecture, will feature new retail and restaurants, a green rooftop, paseo and a landscaped terrace with outdoor seating. Construction is scheduled for completion in November 2018.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Hillwood has broken ground on Parkside at Alliance Town Center, a 3.5-acre dining and entertainment destination that will be located within the 900-acre AllianceTexas development in Fort Worth. Upon completion, the property will feature a live music stage and space for outdoor games. Two restaurants, Grub Burger Park and Shell Shack, have already committed to operating within the site, with more to come. Construction for the Grub Burger Park and Shell Shack locations is expected to be complete by summer 2018.
ATLANTA — Five new eateries have inked leases at The Hub, the retail portion of downtown Atlanta’s Peachtree Center. The new restaurants are part of a project from Banyan Street Capital to renovate and modernize the mixed-use destination’s retail center. Amy Fingerhut of CBRE arranged leases with the new tenants, which will open on a rolling schedule beginning later this year and into early 2018. The new tenants include Salata, a build-your-own salad chain that will open its third location in Atlanta; Bep Eatery, a first-to-market Vietnamese concept; Beni’s Cubano, a Cuban eatery from the Southern Proper Hospitality team behind Tin Lizzy’s Cantina; Taste of India, which will offer a mix of northern and southern Indian cuisine; and Southern Candy Co., which will expand from a pop-up location in The Hub into a permanent space. All five new restaurants will open on the Gallery Level of The Hub, located directly under the courtyard and at the center of the renovation project, joining restaurants including Aviva By Kameel, Panbury’s, Chick-fil-A and Yami Yami. Construction on The Hub is slated for completion in spring 2019.
MILFORD, OHIO — The Cooper Commercial Investment Group has brokered the sale of a single-tenant property net leased to Starbucks in Milford, about 15 miles northeast of Cincinnati, for $1.8 million. The 2,107-square-foot retail property was newly constructed this year and features 10 years of initial lease term. Dan Cooper represented the undisclosed seller. A California-based buyer purchased the property.
AZUSA, CALIF. — Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors and SRS Real Estate Partners have arranged the sale of a single-tenant McDonald’s ground lease in Azusa. A private 1031 exchange buyer acquired the ground lease from a Newport Beach-based private investor for $3.5 million. Built in 2017, the 4,365-square-foot property features a double drive-thru. McDonald’s occupies the property on a 20-year ground lease. Eric Wohl of Hanley Investment and Michael Walseth of SRS represented the seller, while Mark Repstad of Realty Advisory Group represented the buyer in the transaction.
ATLANTA — The Collective, a new food hall concept, is set to join the forthcoming Coda development underway at 771 Spring St. in Midtown Atlanta’s Tech Square. The Collective will include eight to 10 eateries with communal seating areas opening up into a 20,000-square-foot outdoor space. The historic three-story Crum & Forster building located on the property will serve as an 8,000-square-foot, full-service restaurant with patio seating that will transition to the outdoor space. In addition to several prospective dining options, preliminary plans include a full-service central bar that will enable patrons to take advantage of open carry that will be permitted at Coda. Under development by Portman Holdings, Coda will feature 645,000 square feet of office space, an 80,000-square-foot data center, 30,000 square feet of street-level retail and the new food hall upon completion. Adrienne Crawford and Lily Heimburger of SRS Real Estate Partners are spearheading restaurant leasing for The Collective at Coda, which is slated to open in February 2019. Portman Holdings is also developing the neighboring Anthem Technology Center, a new 21-story, 352,000-square-foot building that will rise at the corner of 4th and West Peachtree streets.