BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United Inc. has announced plans to invest $330 million in the construction of a new office and warehouse facility located in the Kingston neighborhood of Birmingham. Coca-Cola United is a Birmingham-based bottler of Coca-Cola products, and the Coca-Cola Co. does not own any part of the company. Plans for the development include a 150,000-square-foot office complex and a 300,000-square-foot warehouse. The warehouse will feature a Vertique case picking system, which is designed to increase the efficiency of packing cases for order fulfillment. The facility will serve as the Birmingham Coca-Cola sales center, as well as Coca-Cola United’s corporate, Central region and North Alabama division headquarters. The property will also house the company’s Classic Food and Vending arm, customer solutions center and services department. A development timeline was not disclosed. Coca-Cola United purchased the development site in 2013. The land previously housed the Stockham Valves and Fittings plant, which closed in 1998. According to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, the project will create up to 50 new jobs and retain over 750 positions. “For over 120 years, Coca-Cola United has been a stand-out member of Birmingham’s business community,” says Ivey. “Coca-Cola United’s landmark growth project will create new …
Alabama
DAPHNE, ALA. — SRS Real Estate Partners has negotiated the $3.8 million ground lease sale of a newly built gas station and convenience store located at 26072 Highway 181 in Daphne, about 13 miles east of Mobile, Ala. Circle K has a 15-year, corporate-guaranteed lease in place at the 5,200-square-foot property, which is situated on a two-acre site at the intersection of State Highway 181 and Daphne Road. Patrick Nutt and William Wamble of SRS represented the seller, a Southeast-based development group, in the transaction. The buyer, a local private investor, purchased the property at a 5.5 percent cap rate, according to SRS. Both the buyer and seller requested anonymity.
Muinzer, T2 Capital Management Acquire 486-Bed Student Housing Community Near Auburn University
by John Nelson
AUBURN, ALA. — Muinzer, alongside capital partner T2 Capital Management, has acquired Evergreen Auburn, a 486-bed student housing community located near Auburn University in Alabama. The property was recently renovated and offers units in one-, two- and four-bedroom configurations. Shared amenities include a 24-hour fitness center, swimming pool, computer lounge, clubhouse, dog park, hot tub, fire pit and a coffee bar. The student housing community is 88 percent preleased for the 2024-2025 academic year. Terms of the transaction and the seller were not disclosed.
MAG Capital Purchases 105,986 SF Manufacturing Facility in Northern Alabama in Sale-Leaseback Deal
by John Nelson
HARTSELLE, ALA. — MAG Capital Partners has purchased a 105,986-square-foot manufacturing facility located at 1101 Young Drive SE in Hartselle, a city in northern Alabama. The Dallas-based investor purchased the single-story asset from the tenant, Excel Interior Door, a manufacturer of interior wooden doors. Daniel Macks and Phil DiGennaro of Stream Realty Partners represented the seller in the sale-leaseback transaction, the terms of which were not released. Situated on a 10-acre site, the facility features 20-foot clear heights, four loading docks and 22 grade-level doors.
Graham & Co. Negotiates $13M Sale of Industrial Facility in Central Alabama Leased to MOBIS
by John Nelson
MCCALLA, ALA. — Graham & Co. has negotiated the $13 million sale of a 111,983-square-foot distribution and manufacturing facility located in McCalla, about 20 miles southwest of Birmingham. The building, which is fully leased to auto supplier MOBIS, features 30-foot ceiling heights, 21 dock-high doors, ESFR sprinklers and a 130-foot truck court. Sonny Culp of Graham & Co., along with Doug Longyear of Cushman & Wakefield, brokered the transaction. PMUDO Alabama LLC purchased the facility from the developer, an entity doing business as AMR REIT Prestige Industrial II LLC. Built in 2022, the property is situated on 11 acres within Jefferson Metropolitan Industrial Park off I-20.
By Henry Graham of Graham & Co. As a reminder to those who may have missed my colleague Sonny Culp’s article from last year, 2021 and 2022 saw the delivery of more than 10 sizable build-to-suits to the Birmingham/Central Alabama region. Such rapid growth in the industrial sector grabbed the attention of larger industrial developers that have generally allowed Birmingham to fly under the radar. Case-in-point, in the years from 2008 through 2016, the greater Birmingham metropolitan area was essentially devoid of any speculative industrial development. Instead, the pipeline of industrial projects was centered around owner-occupied spaces and the occasional build-to-suit related to the automotive sector or light manufacturing. On the tailwinds of the recent build-to-suit frenzy and COVID-fueled supply demands, Birmingham experienced a flurry of speculative activity in 2022 and 2023 as regional and even national developers like Scannell Properties tested the waters alongside Alabama-based industrial developers. Along a half-mile stretch of Daniel Payne Industrial Boulevard that sits just north of the central business district (CBD) and not far from the intersection of I-65 and I-20/59, four Class A spec buildings came up in rapid succession totaling 737,000 square feet. Two of those buildings are now fully leased …
SRS Arranges $6.6M Sale of Retail Property in Fultondale, Alabama Leased to Ashley Furniture
by John Nelson
FULTONDALE, ALA. — SRS Real Estate Partners has arranged the $6.6 million sale of a single-tenant retail property located at 3321 Lowery Park in Fultondale, a suburb of Birmingham. The tenant, Ashley Furniture, purchased the store exercising its right of first refusal. Situated on four acres and built in 2007, the store serves as an outparcel to Promenade Fultondale, a shopping center anchored by Target. Matthew Mousavi and Patrick Luther of SRS Real Estate’s Newport Beach office, along with Martin Smith of the firm’s Birmingham office, represented the privately based seller in the transaction.
By Chapman Brown of Marcus & Millichap Once renowned for its industrial prowess, Birmingham is experiencing a dynamic retail renaissance fueled by a convergence of local economic growth, strategic development initiatives and shifting consumer behaviors. As major retail projects come to fruition and submarkets heat up with investment activity, the city is poised for a transformative period that promises to redefine its retail landscape. Birmingham’s retail sector is intricately linked to broader economic trends both locally and nationally. Factors such as population growth, employment rates and disposable income levels significantly influence consumer spending habits and retail demand within the city. Additionally, the rise of e-commerce and changing demographics are prompting retailers and developers to adapt and innovate to stay competitive. These factors, combined with a diverse array of buyers and sellers, are driving retail investment activity. Institutional investors, private equity firms and real estate developers are among the key buyers, attracted by the city’s strong fundamentals and growth prospects. On the selling side, property owners and developers are seizing opportunities to unlock value and redeploy capital into new ventures. Several major retail projects are currently underway, poised to leave a lasting impact on the market. One notable project is The …
MCCALLA, ALA. — Graham & Co. Inc. has arranged the $32.3 million sale of a 303,730-square-foot distribution and manufacturing facility in McCalla, about 20 miles southwest of Birmingham. The seller, an entity doing as AMR REIT Prestige Industrial II LLC, developed the property in 2022 as a build-to-suit for Lear, a Tier 1 auto parts supplier. Located at 6700 Jefferson Metropolitan Parkway, the property is situated on nearly 25 acres within the Jefferson Metropolitan Industrial Park along the I-20 corridor. The facility features 32-foot clear heights, ESFR sprinklers, 45 dock-high doors, a 185-foot truck court and 21,000 square feet of office space. Sonny Culp of Graham & Co., along with Doug Longyear of Cushman & Wakefield, brokered the transaction.
By David Wilson of Berkadia Birmingham’s apartment market has softened, which is consistent with trends both nationally and regionally in other Southeastern metros. But the market remains healthy and balanced despite a bump in new construction. With total employment gains exceeding 18,000 in 2023, a substantial jump from the 5,500-person gain in 2022, and unemployment rate falling to 2.2 percent, the Birmingham economy is as strong as it’s been in over 10 years, and the economic outlook is very favorable. The majority of population growth has been in the southern areas such as Shelby County, although a steady delivery of new Class A apartments in downtown Birmingham in recent years, and the opening of a Publix grocery in 2017 on the ground level of the 436-unit 20 Midtown development, is helping the city core to grow. Research by Berkadia Birmingham reveals 12 properties comprising 2,936 units are under construction in the Birmingham area, excluding Tuscaloosa. These properties reflect a cross-section of product types such as a purpose-built student property and an affordable Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) property. Four are in their initial site work phase, while another four are beginning preleasing. New developments In the thriving Highway 280 submarket, …