COCOA, FLA. — Sinatra & Co. has acquired Cocoa Grand Apartments, a multifamily community located in Cocoa, for $64 million. Built in 2022, the property totals 268 units. The buyer financed the acquisition through its SCRE FL Value Add Fund, with Stolar Capital, The Nanula Family Office and Citi Bank providing debt for the purchase. David Etchison, Cole Whitaker and Mary Beale of Berkadia represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. Bob Falese of Berkadia arranged financing on behalf of Sinatra & Co., which plans to implement amenity and landscaping improvements at the property.
Florida
Sembler, Forge Underway on Redevelopment of Publix-Anchored Retail Center in Fort Myers, Florida
by John Nelson
FORT MYERS, FLA. — The Sembler Co. and Forge Capital Partners are underway on the redevelopment of Daniels Crossing, a Publix-anchored retail center located in Fort Myers. Scheduled for completion in summer 2025, the project includes the demolition of the existing 48,890-square-foot Publix and 4,700 square feet of inline space. Once complete, the redevelopment will feature a new, 48,387-square-foot Publix and adjacent 3,010-square-foot Publix Liquors store. Other tenants at the property include Duck Donuts, Millenium Physician Group, Potts Sport Café, Quest Diagnostics, School of Rock, Subway, Sugaring NYC and The UPS Store.
JMA, Machete Select Kimpton as Hotel Partner for Westcourt Sports & Entertainment District in Downtown Orlando
by John Nelson
ORLANDO, FLA. — JMA Ventures and Machete Group, master developers of Westcourt in downtown Orlando, have selected Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants as the new hospitality partner at the 8.5-acre sports and entertainment district. Kimpton is part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts family of hospitality brands. The new 261-room, 11-story hotel will be the seventh Kimpton hotel in Florida upon completion. The property will feature over 16,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, a full-service restaurant and lobby bar, cafe and pool bar and pool lounge. The City of Orlando recently approved Westcourt, which will sit adjacent to Kia Center, home of the NBA’s Orlando Magic. Other uses at the development will include apartments, a 3,500-seat live entertainment venue, parking garage, offices, shops, restaurants and 1.5 acres of green space. The development team expects to deliver the project by March 2027 and create approximately 3,400 jobs for the region.
Buca di Beppo Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Plans to Keep 45 Remaining Restaurants Open
by John Nelson
ORLANDO, FLA. — Orlando-based Italian dining chain Buca di Beppo has voluntarily filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. USA Today reports that the restaurant chain claimed it owed 30 separate creditors approximately $50 million at the time of filing. The restructuring will involve 44 core restaurants, as well as a new store currently being opened. According to a press release issued by the company, it is “committed to ensuring that the restaurants operate as usual.” Gray Reed & McGraw LLP is serving as legal advisor to the company, and CR3 Partners LLC is acting as financial advisor, as well as providing corporate leadership as the chief restructuring officer. Stout Capital is acting as investment banker on behalf of the brand. “By restructuring with the continued support of our lenders, we are paving the way toward a reinvigorated future,” says Rich Saultz, president of Buca di Beppo.
Madison Capital Secures $47M Construction Financing for Multifamily Development in Bradenton, Florida
by John Nelson
BRADENTON, FLA. — Madison Capital Group has secured a $47 million loan for the construction of Madison Bradenton, a 240-unit multifamily development to be located on the site of the former DeSoto Square Mall in Bradenton, a city on the south side of the Tampa Bay area. Peachtree Group provided the financing. Subsidiary Madison Communities is developing the project, which will feature five four-story buildings and two carriage homes. Amenities at the property will include a clubhouse, cyber lounge, swimming pool with cabanas, outdoor kitchen with grilling areas, fitness center and dog park. BenCo, an affiliate of Madison Capital Group, is serving as the general contractor. Slocum Platts Architects is the architect, and Cavoli Engineering will act as the engineer. Construction is scheduled to begin immediately, with completion scheduled for early 2026.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — EDEN Living has completed the development of EDEN at Kendall West, a 265-unit multifamily community situated on 20 acres in Jacksonville. Located at 9105 Tredinick Parkway, the property features 193 single-story apartments and 72 two-story townhomes. Each unit includes a private backyard, with a private garage accompanying each townhome. Units at EDEN at Kendall West range in size from 700 to 1,300 square feet, with one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Amenities include a clubhouse, fitness center, swimming pool, dog grooming station, dog park, club room and walking trails. Monthly rental rates at the community begin at $1,425, according to the property website.
Tom Brady Enterprises Signs 8,415 SF Office Lease at THE WELL Bay Harbor Islands in Miami
by John Nelson
MIAMI — Tom Brady Enterprises (TBE) Capital Management has signed an 8,415-square-foot office lease at THE WELL Bay Harbor Islands, a mixed-use project currently under development in Miami. TBE will relocate its headquarters to a 113,000-square-foot office building located at 1177 Kane Concourse within the development. Scheduled to open in 2025, the office building is currently 35 percent preleased. Blanca Commercial Real Estate, which serves as the leasing agent for THE WELL Bay Harbor, represented the landlord, Terra, in the lease negotiations. Colliers and Current Real Estate Advisors represented TBE. Upon completion, THE WELL Bay Harbor will also feature an eight-story condominium building, more than 22,000 square feet of amenities and a restaurant. Tom Brady Enterprises manages all business ventures of retired football player Tom Brady, including his portfolio of brands, which includes sportwear company BRADY Brands, wellness brand TB12, production company Religion of Sports and Autograph, which is dedicated to fan engagement. Brady played in the NFL for 23 seasons and won seven Super Bowls, six with the New England Patriots.
In the Tampa Bay area, industrial activity remains strong to this point in 2024. According to market research from Colliers, the industrial market closed the first quarter of the year with a vacancy rate below 6 percent. From 2019 to 2022, leasing activity increased, with some fluctuations between quarters. Meanwhile, 2023 saw more than 12.2 million square feet of renewals, expansions and new leases in the greater Tampa Bay area. The data backs up what we are seeing as brokers – a high-demand market with positive net absorption. With that, there are also several trends that have emerged in 2024. 1.) A generally competitive but well-balanced market. While the Tampa Bay industrial market is competitive, it’s overall well-balanced — favoring neither the landlord nor tenant in its current state (of course, dependent on size and submarket). This balance can be attributed to a slowdown in new construction, high occupancy rates, rising rental rates and continued strong demand. However, rates are not rising as quickly as they have been in the past few years, and tenants are selective about space and want to see several options and thoroughly survey the market before executing a deal. There are also pockets of the …
BRANDON AND TAMARAC, FLA. — A joint venture between ShopOne Centers REIT, Pantheon and a global institutional investor has acquired two shopping centers in Florida totaling 287,407 square feet. Located in Tamarac, Midway Plaza comprises 218,400 square feet. Publix anchors the property, which was 84 percent occupied at the time of sale. Walmart anchors Lithia Square in Brandon. The 69,007-square-foot property was 79 percent occupied at the time of sale. The sellers and sales price were not disclosed. This acquisition brings the joint venture’s portfolio to 1.8 million square feet of grocery-anchored retail space.
City of St. Petersburg Selects Skanska to Oversee $6.5B Redevelopment of Historic Gas Plant District, New Ballpark for Tampa Bay Rays
by John Nelson
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — The City of St. Petersburg has selected Skanska USA as the owner’s representative for the $6.5 billion redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant property in St. Petersburg, including the design and construction of the new Major League Baseball stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. The 86-acre redevelopment was announced nearly a year ago and will transform the site, which houses the Rays’ current home ballpark Tropicana Field, into an 8 million-square-foot mixed-use campus. In addition to the new stadium, plans call for new affordable housing, hotels, offices, shops, restaurants and the new home of the Woodson African American Museum of Florida. As the city’s owner’s representative, Skanska USA Building Inc. will provide project management services, including design reviews, project accounting, management of the redevelopment schedule, permitting assistance, onsite quality assurance, ensuring compliance with the development agreements and communication with area stakeholders. The Pinellas County Commission approved the project on Tuesday, July 30 — the final votes needed for the plan to move forward. The St. Petersburg City Council approved plans for the ballpark and the accompanying Historic Gas Plant District development on July 18.