SAVANNAH, Ga. — Duke Realty Corp. has signed a long-term lease with SOFAMANIA, a manufacturer and distributor of fine home furniture. The manufacturer will occupy 322,500 square feet of space at 175 Portside Court in Savannah. The 600,000-square-foot logistics building is located at the intersection of Interstate 95 and GA 21, which is near both the Port of Savannah and Interstate 16. Steve Grable of JLL represented SOFAMANIA, while Brian Sutton provided in-house representation for Duke Realty in the lease transaction. This lease brings Duke Realty’s year-to-date leasing volume in the Savannah market to 2.4 million square feet and occupancy in its 7 million-square-foot portfolio to 100 percent.
WOODSTOCK, GA. — Smyrna, Ga.-based Halpern Enterprises has purchased Shoppes at Trickum, a shopping center located at 12184 Highway 92 in Woodstock, for an undisclosed price. Developed in 2004, the 49,900-square-foot retail center is 94 percent leased to Dollar Tree, Sally Beauty, H&R Block, SportClips, GameStop and Cricket Wireless. The name of the seller and sales price were not released.
ATLANTA — NorthMarq Capital has originated a $7 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Gallman Development Group’s construction loan for MC Kiser Lofts, a multifamily property in Atlanta. Gallman Development converted the MC Kiser Building, a historic shoe manufacturing warehouse once occupied by Atlanta Public Schools, into a multifamily property featuring 41 apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail space. Built in 1923 and situated in Atlanta’s South Downtown area, the property is near various amenities and attractions, including Underground Atlanta, the Garnett MARTA station, Newport’s South Downtown project and CIM’s Gulch project. NorthMarq arranged construction financing almost two years ago for Gallman, and the new 10-year agency loan has fulfilled the borrower’s business plan. Will James of NorthMarq Capital’s Atlanta office secured the new Fannie Mae loan.
ALPHARETTA, GA. — Dallas-based Velocis, a private equity real estate manager, has completed the disposition of Royal Centre One, a Class A office complex located in Alpharetta, a northern suburb of Atlanta. The Simpson Organization acquired the property for an undisclosed price. Situated within the master-planned Royal 400 office park, the asset features 152,935 square feet of office space across multiple buildings spanning 12 acres along the Georgia 400 corridor. Velocis originally acquired the property in 2013 and has raised occupancy from 53 percent to just under 80 percent, at the time of sale. Samir Idris, David Meline, Andy Johns, Stewart Calhoun and Casey Masters of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller in the deal.
ATLANTA — Capital One has provided a $14.9 million HUD 221(d)(4) rehabilitation and permanent financing loan for Bethel Towers Apartments, an affordable multifamily property located in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood. Capital One’s Carolyn Whatley originated the loan, which features a fixed interest rate and a 40-year term. The Benoit Group, the borrower, is partnering with the Big Bethel AME Church to renovate the community in accordance with Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ architectural and rehabilitation standards. Big Bethel AME Church built the community in 1972 and will share ownership of the newly rehabilitated development. The 16-story building features 180 units in a mix of one- and two-bedroom floorplans. The property is covered by a project-based rental assistance contract through the Section 8 program. Additionally, the property features 165 surface and garage parking spaces, a playground and access to a laundry facility and community meeting space in adjacent commercial and church buildings. The renovation program includes the replacement of electrical wiring, plumbing risers and flooring, kitchen and bath upgrades and the addition of accessible units, a fitness room, business center and picnic pavilion with a grilling area. The rehabilitation plan also calls for environmentally sustainable improvements including high-efficiency common area lighting, …
ATLANTA — Five years ago, there were about 30 food halls across the entire country. By 2020, Cushman & Wakefield predicts there will be 300. “I agree we have a lot of food halls coming,” said Jamestown president Michael Phillips. “In some regards it signals the end of the food hall.” The comments from Phillips came Monday morning during a panel discussion at the annual conference of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The four-day conference, which ends Wednesday, has drawn 1,600 economic developers, city planners, marketing professionals, consultants and community leaders to the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. It’s the largest number of conference attendees ever and the first time in a decade that Atlanta has served as the host city for the annual gathering. The panel Phillips participated in was titled “Intersection of Food and Economic Development.” His fellow panelists included Adam Schwegman, senior vice president of Brookfield Properties Retail, who is stationed in Atlanta; Thomas McNair, executive director of Cleveland-based Ohio City Inc.; and Haile Johnston, founder of The Common Market in Philadelphia. Catherine Timko, CEO of Wilmington, Del.-based economic development consulting firm The Riddle Co., served as panel moderator. Food traffic, the right demographics, and a community …
TAMPA, FLA. — Colliers International has brokered the $55 million sale of 10 single-tenant retail properties in Florida and Georgia that are net-leased to Walgreens. Mike Milano, Sean Glickman, Donald Jennewein, Nathan Lynch and Tara Paronto of Colliers arranged the transaction on behalf of the seller, Olympia Development Group. A California-based real estate investment company acquired six of the locations, while private investors purchased the other four locations as part of a 1031 exchange. The sales prices ranged from $2.7 million to $8.2 million. Two of the Walgreens stores are located in Naples, and the other Florida locations are in Sarasota, Temple Terrace, Bradenton, Merritt Island, Seminole, Dunedin and Oldsmar. The one Georgia property is located in Lawrenceville. Each building ranges between 15,000 and 17,000 square feet.
ALPHARETTA, GA. — Pollack Shores Real Estate Group has acquired AMLI Northwinds, an 800-unit apartment community in Alpharetta, roughly 25 miles north of Atlanta. The name of the seller and sales price were not disclosed. Pollack Shores will rename the community Avery at Northwinds and will invest more than $13 million in property upgrades and amenity improvements. Project plans call for new appliances, countertops and light fixtures for all residential units. Amenity upgrades will include renovations to the property’s three pools, a new fitness center and the conversion of two-thirds of the tennis courts into “The Hub.” The new area will provide a green space to host special events for residents. Atlanta-based Pollack Shores acquired the property in partnership with an account advised by UBS Asset Management. Matrix Residential, a subsidiary of Pollack Shores, will manage the community.
DULUTH, GA. — Cushman & Wakefield has brokered the $52.1 million sale of The Marquis on Berkeley, a 323-unit apartment community in Duluth, approximately 30 miles northeast of Atlanta in Gwinnett County. Mike Kemether, Travis Presnell and Josh Goldfarb of Cushman & Wakefield arranged the transaction on behalf of the undisclosed seller. A local private operator acquired the property. The Marquis on Berkeley includes a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Community amenities include a playground, sundeck, fitness center, garages, lighted tennis courts and a resort-style pool.
ATLANTA — The pace of seniors housing development has accelerated sharply in recent years. Approximately 396 seniors housing properties came online or opened in the top 100 metro areas in the country from the fourth quarter of 2016 to the fourth quarter of 2017, according to data from Plante Moran Living Forward, a senior living development consulting firm. During the two years prior, about 596 communities opened. What’s more, approximately 65 percent of those newly added properties were from operators that only had two or fewer properties, according to Dana Wollschlager, practice leader for the firm and moderator of the development panel at the 2018 InterFace Seniors Housing Southeast conference. The significant number of developments and new entrants to the seniors housing space were major discussion points for the panel, which took place on Wednesday, Aug. 29 at the Westin Buckhead in Atlanta. The one-day conference drew nearly 520 developers, lenders, investors and operators in the senior living space. Joining Wollschlager on the panel were Richard Ackerman, managing partner of Big Rock Partners; Jeff Arnold, chief operating officer of United Group of Cos.; Blanding Beatty, chief investment officer of Traditions Senior Living; Andy Isakson, managing partner of Isakson Living; and …