SAVANNAH, GA. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $2 million sale of a Dollar General-occupied building in Savannah. The property sold at a 5.9 percent cap rate, which is a record rate in the state of Georgia, according to Marcus & Millichap. Don McMinn of Marcus & Millichap’s Taylor McMinn Retail Group represented the seller, Teramore Development, in the transaction. Elizabeth Randall of Randall Commercial Group LLC represented the buyer, Parker Tractor & Implement Co. Inc.
The industrial market in Atlanta continues to surge, benefitting not only from its role as a key regional distribution hub, but also from the rapid growth in the metropolitan area itself. Atlanta is the economic engine of the Southeast, which also happens to be the fastest growing region in the country. The Atlanta industrial market recorded just over 18 million square feet of net absorption in 2018, the second highest total on record following the 21 million square feet absorbed in 2017. The market has experienced 30 consecutive quarters of positive net absorption resulting in an all-time low vacancy rate of 5.7 percent, even though the market delivered more than 13.4 million square feet in 2018. The first quarter of 2019 recorded net absorption of slightly over 1 million square feet, not as impressive as prior quarters over the last several years. So has the market peaked or demand stopped in Atlanta? Not by a long shot. According to research from JLL, there are 5.7 million square feet of signed deals that have yet to commence and companies have yet to move into their new space. This absorption will be picked up throughout 2019. Further, JLL is tracking an additional …
SAVANNAH, GA. — Senior Living Investment Brokerage (SLIB) has arranged the sale of Savannah Commons, an independent living, assisted living and memory care community in Savannah. A partnership between Equus Development and Thrive Senior Living purchased the community for $13.2 million. The property offers 209 units approximately eight miles southwest of the city’s historic downtown district. The majority of the units — 149 — are designated for independent living. All the assisted living areas were recently converted from a personal care license to an assisted living license, giving the new owner flexibility to adapt to different acuity levels. The 178,281-square-foot facility was built in 1986 and renovated most recently in 1998. The new owners plan to make physical plant upgrades to the property. Savannah Commons was 74 percent occupied at the time of closing. The price translates to $63,271 per unit and a capitalization rate of 6.1 percent. Bradley Clousing of SLIB represented the seller, a limited liability company controlled by HJ Sims, in the transaction.
COVINGTON, GA. — Monarch Private Capital (MPC) has invested an undisclosed amount of equity in Harmony at Covington Apartments, a 122-unit affordable seniors housing community in Covington, through the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program. The complex will be situated at the corner of Covington Bypass and Ga. Highway 36, two miles south of downtown Covington and 35 miles east of downtown Atlanta. MPC is partnering with Hill Tide Development, Timshel Development, CRN Development and Gateway Development Corp. to build the project, which is slated for completion in late 2020. According to MPC, the current vacancy rate for affordable, elderly targeted multifamily housing in Newton County is below 1 percent.
NEWNAN, GA. — Elite Comfort Solutions has leased an additional 130,028 square feet of industrial space in Newnan, bringing its total to 484,382 square feet within a former Kmart distribution center. The center spans almost 2 million square feet and is now fully leased. The property is situated 30 miles southwest of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and 36 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta. Agellan Capital acquired the building in late 2017 and invested in upgraded sprinklers, loading doors and office space. Ray Stache, Lisa Pittman and Courtney Oldenburg of Cushman & Wakefield represented Agellan Capital and Hove Street, the landlords, in the lease negotiations.
DALLAS — PGIM Real Estate Finance has provided a $450 million first mortgage loan for a 140-building industrial portfolio primarily in the Southeast and Texas. The portfolio spans 57 projects within eight separate markets, with the largest concentration in Atlanta, Memphis, Tampa and Texas. Dallas-based PGIM provided the seven-year, fixed-rate loan to DRA Advisors, an office and industrial real estate investment firm with $10 billion of assets under management. The 9.8 million-square-foot portfolio had a combined 482 tenants at the time of the acquisition. The seller(s) was not disclosed. PGIM Real Estate Finance had financed the majority of the previous loans on the portfolio.
SAVANNAH, GA. — Columbia Ventures has acquired Broughton Municipal Building from the City of Savannah with plans to convert the property into a 43-room boutique hotel. The developer plans to put a restaurant on the ground floor, a bar on the rooftop and an entertainment space in the basement. Columbia Ventures expects to break ground on the hotel in the first quarter of 2020. Construction, which is expected to cost $19 million, will last one year. The developer will restore key exterior and interior elements during the renovation. The design team is led by Lynch & Associates. The sales price of the building was not disclosed.
AUSTELL, GA. — Castle Lanterra Properties (CLP) has acquired Premier Apartments, a 280-unit multifamily community in Austell. Built in 1972, Premier Apartments offers one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans across 24 buildings. Communal amenities include tennis courts, a community lake, swimming pool and playgrounds. Premier Apartments is situated on 24 acres at 7200 Premier Lane, 11 miles west of downtown Atlanta. The seller and sales prices were not disclosed.
LOUISVILLE, KY. — GE Appliances will invest $130 million in three industrial facilities in north Georgia, ultimately adding 300 new jobs for the Louisville-based manufacturer in the Peach State. GE Appliances will invest $43 million in the company’s affiliate Roper Corp. facility in Walker County in order to expand manufacturing capabilities and introduce new cooking products. The investment will create an additional 100 jobs, bringing the total employee count at the plant to 2,000. The company will also build the $32 million Southern Logistics Center in Murray County. The new warehouse will house 100 employees and will connect the Port of Savannah and the Appalachian Regional Port via rail in northwest Georgia. Lastly, GE Appliances is building a $55 million smart warehouse in Jackson County, also housing 100 employees. The GE Appliances Southeast Region Appliance Distribution Center will use distribution technology to blend digital intelligence with high-tech innovation. In December, the Georgia Ports Authority announced plans to build a 104-acre inland port in Gainesville, about 25 miles from GE’s proposed plant in Jackson County. A timeline for construction was not disclosed.
ATLANTA — Pollack Shores will construct a five-story, 281-unit multifamily community near The Battery in Atlanta’s Cumberland-Galleria submarket. The Battery is a 1.5 million-square-foot mixed-use project that surrounds SunTrust Park, home of the MLB’s Atlanta Braves. Situated on a hill, the new community will give residents indoor/outdoor sky lounge with views of The Battery and SunTrust Park. Other amenities will include outdoor living rooms, a swimming pool, hammock groves, fitness center, clubhouse and lawn space for recreational activities. The property will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans ranging in size from 700 to 1,400 square feet. Atlanta-based Pollack Shores will break ground this month and expects the first units to deliver in 2021. This is Pollack Shores’ second development in the trade area, having sold Home at The Battery Atlanta in fall 2018.