MOBILE, ALA. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged the sale of Astoria, a 252-unit multifamily community in Mobile. Carter Multifamily purchased the community from Saxony Capital Management for $35.6 million. Andrew Brown and Ben Thomas of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller in the transaction. Built in 2001, Astoria’s amenities include a resident lounge with billiards, foosball and a coffee bar; a remodeled clubhouse and wellness center; valet trash removal; and a saltwater swimming pool with an outdoor kitchen area. Carter Multifamily plans to make interior renovations to Astoria during its ownership period, according to Cushman & Wakefield.
Alabama
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Berkadia has brokered the $8.5 million sale of Hampton Inn & Suites Birmingham East Irondale, a 99-room hotel located at 950 Old Grants Mill Road in Birmingham. Dan Hawkins and Jake Pietras of Berkadia’s Hotels & Hospitality division completed the sale on behalf of the undisclosed seller. The buyer was also not disclosed. Amenities at the Hampton Inn hotel include an indoor pool, fitness center, business center, a complimentary breakfast and 576 square feet of meeting space.
DECATUR, ALA. — First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) has announced plans to develop a $1.1 billion solar module manufacturing facility within Mallard Fox Industrial Park in Decatur, located near the Tennessee River southwest of Huntsville. The factory will contribute 3.5 gigawatts (GWDC) of renewable power each year and create over 700 new jobs for the state of Alabama upon its completion in 2025, according to the developer. First Solar hopes to expand its American manufacturing footprint to over 10 GWDC and a total investment of $4 billion in the coming years. The company currently has two factories operating in the state of Ohio with a third scheduled for completion during the first half of 2023, and several research and development (R&D) centers in California and Ohio. First Solar recently said it would expand its operations in the United States following passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provides tax credits for domestically produced clean energy equipment. “The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has firmly placed America on the path to a sustainable energy future,” says Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar. “Our Alabama facility, along with its sister factories in Ohio, will form part of the …
HUNTSVILLE, ALA. —Last Mile Investments has purchased Whitesburg Center, a 49,821-square-foot shopping center located at 5000 Whitesburg Drive in Huntsville. Jim Hamilton, Brad Buchanan and Andrew Michols of JLL represent the seller, Baker Storey McDonald Properties, in the transaction. The sales price was not disclosed. Built in 1990 and renovated in 2002, the center is leased to tenants including Dollar Tree, Hollywood Feed, Edible Arrangements, Baskin Robbins, Buff City Soap and Papa Murphy’s.
HUNTSVILLE, ALA. — Doster Construction Co., in partnership with Chicago-based developer Heartland Real Estate Partners, has completed the development of Constellation, an apartment community located in downtown Huntsville. Designed by Chicago-based Built Form Architects, Constellation features 219 luxury units in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Construction on the development, which is now open for leasing, began in late 2020. Rental rates at Constellation range from $1,117 to $3,709 per month, according to Apartments.com.
MADISON, ALA. — Richmond-based Capital Square has completed the acquisition of FarmHaus Apartments, a 324-unit, Class A multifamily community in the Huntsville suburb of Madison. FarmHaus, a 22-acre property located at 1260 Balch Road, features one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments averaging 973 square feet. Amenities at the community include a pool, hot tub and spa, fitness center, business center, TV and gaming lounge, grilling station and dog park and pet spa. Capital Square acquired the property on behalf of CS1031 FarmHaus Apartments DST, an investment vehicle with plans to raise $55.9 million in equity. Craig Hey and Andrew Brown of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, Thompson Thrift, in the transaction. The sales price was not disclosed.
OPELIKA, ALA. — Reich Brothers, a national industrial real estate investment firm, has purchased a 1.6 million-square-foot distribution center in Opelika, a city along I-85 and near Auburn, Ala. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. The facility is the largest multi-tenant distribution center in the Auburn-Opelika market, with 96 dock positions, more than 10 leased suites and standalone buildings ranging from 50,000 to 400,000 square feet. The rail-served property services both the Kia and Hyundai automotive hubs in western Georgia and eastern Alabama, according to Reich Brothers.
MADISON, ALA. — Landmark Properties, the student housing development giant based in Athens, Ga., has broken ground on its first build-to-rent community. The property, named The Everstead at Madison, will be located in the Huntsville suburb of Madison and comprise 231 single-family and cottage-style homes. Finishes for the homes will include quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, large pantries, hardwood-style floors, full-size washers and dryers, ceiling fans, a walk-in closet for the main bedroom and backyards with private patios. Some units will also feature an attached garage. Community amenities will include a resort-style swimming pool, fitness center, playground, fire pit, grilling area and a dog park. TSB Capital Advisors arranged financing on behalf of Landmark, which expects to deliver first homes in 2023 and complete the neighborhood in 2024.
Marcus & Millichap Brokers $44M Sale of Hills at Hoover Apartments in Metro Birmingham
by John Nelson
HOOVER, ALA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $44 million sale of The Hills at Hoover, a 320-unit apartment community in Hoover, a suburb of Birmingham. Josh Jacobs and Royce Emerson of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a family office based in New Jersey, and procured the buyer, a Florida-based multifamily owner/operator. Built in the early 1970s, The Hills at Hoover has recently undergone a significant remodel across several interior units, according to Jacobs. According to Apartments.com, the property features one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as a business center, clubhouse, fitness center, pool, playground, tennis court and a grilling/picnic areas.
FLORENCE, ALA. — Newmark has brokered the sale of Cox Creek Shopping Center, a 142,044-square-foot retail center that spans 17.3 acres at 396-398 Cox Creek Parkway in Florence, a city in northwest Alabama along the Tennessee River. U.S. Properties Group sold the shopping center to United Properties Corp. for $24 million. Mark Joines and Drew Fleming of Newmark represented U.S. Properties Group in the transaction. Cox Creek was fully leased at the time of sale to Dick’s Sporting Goods, Field & Stream, Petco, Old Navy, Five Below and Ulta Beauty. The property sits directly across from the 675,000-square-foot Florence Mall and near major retailers including AMC Theatres, Walmart, Publix, The Home Depot, T.J. Maxx, Ross Dress for Less, Hobby Lobby, Kohl’s, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Dillard’s and Belk.