JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Gateway Jax has unveiled plans to break ground on the second building at Pearl Square, a 1.5 million-square-foot mixed-used development underway in downtown Jacksonville. Following the groundbreaking of 515 Pearl in October 2024, 425 Beaver Street will feature 286 multifamily units, onsite parking and nearly 20,000 square feet of retail space. The 425 Beaver Street project team includes SK+I Architecture, Elks Manfredi Architects, Cecconi Simone (interior designer); SK&A Structural Engineers; Lighthouse; and England-Thims & Miller (civil engineer). Jacksonville-based Faver Gray will serve as the general contractor, while the new parks and public spaces will be designed by Hoerr Schaudt. Upon completion, Pearl Square will deliver more than 1,250 residential units; approximately 200,000 square feet of retail space; a 100-room boutique hotel; new public spaces, including widened and shaded sidewalks; public park spaces; and a signature curbless festival street with several outdoor dining options. Retail tenants at the development will include a full-service grocer and fitness club, as well as grab-and-go bodegas, restaurants and other daily service providers like salons and shops. The full build-out of Gateway Jax’s holdings will total an estimated $2 billion in capital investment over the next decade. 425 Beaver Street will break ground on …
Florida
DORAL, FLA. — Codina Partners has obtained a $38.8 million construction loan for the third phase of Downtown Doral’s retail expansion. Ocean Bank provided the loan. Downtown Doral is a 250-acre mixed-use district in South Florida, and the third phase will add nearly 25,000 square feet of retail space along 87th Avenue, with 932 dedicated garage parking spaces for retail visitors. UHealth – University of Miami Health System has leased 11,243 square feet on the north end of the expansion for UHealth Way, which will include comprehensive eye care from the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and physical therapy services, such as hand therapy and pelvic floor rehabilitation. The south portion of the expansion includes 13,644 square feet of retail space divided into nine customizable units — seven on the ground floor and two on the second floor. The expansion project is scheduled to break ground in the second quarter, with an estimated completion in 2026.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Tavistock Development Co. has signed five new tenants to join Lake Nona West, a 405,000-square-foot lifestyle shopping center located within Orlando’s master-planned community of Lake Nona. The tenants include Cañonita Mexican Restaurant, Nordstrom Rack, Barnes & Noble, discount retailer HomeSense and Total Wine & More. The new round of lease signings bring the total preleased space at the property to more than 300,000 square feet, which includes a 150,000-square-foot Target anchor store. Situated on 54 acres, Lake Nona West will include wide, shaded walkways, art-lined plazas and community greenspaces. In collaboration with Mercedes-Benz High-Power charging, the center will also offer 20 Level 3 electric vehicle chargers. Tavistock, master developer of Lake Nona, expects to open Lake Nona West in spring 2026.
Marcus & Millichap Arranges $4.5M Sale of Retail Property in Ocala, Florida Leased to Firestone
by John Nelson
OCALA, FLA. — Marcus & Millichap’s Taylor-McMinn Retail Group in Atlanta has arranged the $4.5 million sale of a single-tenant retail property located at 30 Bahia Ave. in Ocala, about 72 miles north of Orlando and 48 miles south of Gainesville, Fla. Built in 2024, the 6,723-square-foot building was occupied by automotive services provider Firestone on a 15-year triple-net lease at the time of sale. Firestone is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC with more than 1,700 tire and car care locations nationwide. Don McMinn of Taylor-McMinn Retail Group represented the seller, an undisclosed, Georgia-based development firm, in the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed. Ryan Nee served as Marcus & Millichap’s broker of record in Florida for the deal. “New construction Firestone properties continue to achieve aggressive pricing, fueled by strong credit, limited inventory and growing demand from an expanding pool of 1031 exchange buyers,” says McMinn.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Between 2020 and July 1, 2024, Miami experienced a significant population surge, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The South Florida city’s population was 487,014 residents in 2024, which is a 10.1 percent increase from 2020 Census figures. In the same time frame, Atlanta saw a 4.3 percent rise in population, while Raleigh experienced an uptick of 6.8 percent. Washington, D.C. saw a 1.8 percent increase since 2020, and Nashville saw a 2.3 percent gain in residents. All of the above except Raleigh ranked in the top 10 nationally for new downtown apartments developed between 2020 and 2024, according to a report from RentCafe. Leading the pack was Washington, D.C., which has added nearly 23,000 apartments to the downtown supply since the pandemic. To calculate population growth within a city or town, the Census Bureau uses updated county-level data on housing units, as well as average household sizes in the surrounding county, to estimate the population of each city and town within that county. The estimate for people living in group quarters (such as dorms or nursing homes) is then included to the household population estimate to obtain the total resident population.
Housing Trust Group Opens $100M Mixed-Use Affordable Housing Development in Hollywood, Florida
by John Nelson
HOLLYWOOD, FLA. — Housing Trust Group (HTG) has opened the Apartments at University Station, a $100 million mixed-used affordable housing community located in downtown Hollywood. The development features 216 income-restricted units of affordable and workforce housing — 108 one-bedroom and 108 two-bedroom apartments — ranging in size from 621 square feet to 899 square feet. The property’s affordable component will apply to all households earning between 22 and 80 percent of the area median income. The complex comprises two residential towers, a 635-space public-private parking garage, more than 2,000 square feet of retail space and a new 12,210-square-foot campus for Barry University’s College of Nursing and Health Services. Amenities at the complex include a multipurpose room with a catering kitchen and bar, fitness center, resort-style swimming pool and a game room, as well as elevated pedestrian bridges connecting the residential buildings to the parking garage. Developed in a public-private partnership with the City of Hollywood, the project team includes general contractor ANF Group Inc., Corwil Architects, HSQ Group (civil engineer), B. Pila Design Studio (interior design), Witkin Hults + Partners (landscape architect), BNI Engineers (structural engineer), RPJ Inc. (MEP engineer) and Kaller Architecture (Barry University interiors). Financing sources for the development …
BOYNTON BEACH, FLA. — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap, has arranged the sale of Cross Creek Center, a 37,201-square-foot shopping center located in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Boynton Beach. Built in 1988 and renovated in 2014, the center was 97 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including Stanton Optical, The UPS Store, Smoothie King and Metro by T-Mobile. Drew Kristol and Kirk Olson of IPA represented the seller, Davie, Fla.-based Janoura Realty, and procured the buyer, Cincinnati-based Phillips Edison & Co., in the transaction. The sales price was not disclosed.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — PMG, along with general contractor John Moriarty & Associates, has topped out the second phase of Society Las Olas, a 42-story apartment tower located at 140 S.W. 42nd St. in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The 563-unit community is situated in Fort Lauderdale’s historic riverfront district and will offer a mix of traditional apartment layouts and a small cluster of co-living options where residents can rent by the bedroom. Designed by FSMY Architects + Planners, Society Las Olas will also feature 1,625 square feet of ground-floor retail space and amenities including a coworking hub with private meeting rooms, pool deck with a yoga lawn and a large fitness center. PMG plans to deliver the tower in early 2026. Phase I of Society Las Olas was delivered in 2020 and sold in 2021. PMG received $226 million in construction financing for Phase II in July 2023.
JLL, HJ Sims Secure $134.3M Bond Financing for Seniors Housing Development in Orlando
by John Nelson
ORLANDO, FLA. — JLL and HJ Sims have arranged $134.3 million in tax-exempt bond financing for a seniors housing development currently underway in Orlando. Dubbed Millenia Moments Orlando, the community will feature 151 independent living, 78 assisted living and 32 memory care units. Trinity Community Development Foundation, a nonprofit formed by Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), is the developer and borrower. Completion of the facility, which will total 316,900 square feet, is scheduled for 2027. The community will feature floorplans in one- and two-bedroom layouts. Memory care residences will include 26 private and six companion units. Amenities at the community will include a fitness center, theater, library, business center, art studio, dog park, game rooms, a beauty salon and an outdoor pool area. Vitality Senior Living will operate the community. JLL Securities and HJ Sims, in collaboration with JLL Capital Markets’ seniors housing team, acted as co-underwriters and arranged the fixed-rate financing, which comprises tax-exempt senior series 2025A bonds with a final maturity of 40 years.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Plaza Advisors has brokered the sale of Paradise Place, a 72,961-square-foot shopping center located on an 8.5-acre site in West Palm Beach. Built in 2003, the center was 98 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including Publix, Sage Dental, Dunkin’ and Goodwill. Jim Michalak and Jeff Berkezchuk of Plaza Advisors represented the seller, Collett Capital, in the transaction. Forge Capital Partners purchased Paradise Place for an undisclosed price.