Much like the rest of the nation, both Louisville-area landlords and tenants are stalling while waiting for the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to become clear. The office market in Louisville has entered a holding pattern of sorts, while tenants evaluate their workspace needs in light of the major shift to remote work. Many are opting to wait and see what the market holds, a stark contrast to the steady development and leasing activity we saw in 2019. Now with investors taking a more long-term view of the market, larger portfolio sales are limited while everyone questions the future demand for office space. The most recent portfolio transfer was made by the New York-based Group RMC Corp. in its acquisition of a six-building, Class B office portfolio from locally based Ascent Properties for $44.5 million. The deal was traded at an 8.6 percent cap rate. However, don’t let the lull in activity fool you. The region’s office market is ripe with possibilities. While many local companies initially speculated about permanently adopting full-term remote work in the second quarter, they’re reconsidering as time goes on. Regional JLL research shows that 80 percent of businesses said most employees will eventually return …
LOUISVILLE, KY. — Yum Brands reported third-quarter revenue of $1.45 billion, up 8 percent from the same period a year ago. Taco Bell reported the highest positive year-over-year growth, recording $501 million in sales, a 2 percent increase from third-quarter 2019. Pizza Hut’s sales also grew, reaching $243 million, a 1 percent increase. Though KFC recorded the highest company sales total, reaching $583 million for the quarter, it was still a 4 percent decrease from the $609 million total recorded in the third quarter of 2019. Additionally, Louisville-based Yum Brands sold its stake in GrubHub, a food delivery service, for $206 million. The buyer was not disclosed.
ERLANGER, KY. — NorthMarq has arranged a $4.2 million refinancing loan for Donaldson Road Center I, a two-building, 121,000-square-foot industrial property in Erlanger. An undisclosed life insurance company provided the 10-year loan, which features a 25-year amortization schedule. The facility is located at 1360-1390 Donaldson Road, three miles southeast of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and 11 miles southwest of downtown Cincinnati. The facilities were leased to tenants including Fry Fastening Systems, Trane Supply and Sherwin-Williams Commercial Paint Store at the time of the loan closing. The borrower was not disclosed.
LOUISVILLE, KY. — PRG Commercial Property Advisors has arranged the $9.3 million sale of Stonybrook South Shopping Center, a 149,000-square-foot retail property in Louisville. At the time of sale, the 14.5-acre center was leased to Dick’s Sporting Goods, Planet Fitness, PetSmart, Rack Room Shoes and Burkes Outlet, which opened Sept. 21. Stonybrook South is situated at 3500 S. Hurstbourne Parkway, 13 miles east of downtown Louisville. Fred Sutterlin of PRG Commercial was the court-appointed receiver for the property, which was in foreclosure from February 2018 to Sept. 21, 2020. During that time, Taylor Thompson, Reed Weinberg and Parker Page, who are also with PRG, were engaged to lease, manage, market and sell the asset. Midland Loan Services serviced the foreclosed conduit loan and chose Sutterlin as receiver and PRG as the brokerage firm through a competitive process. A locally based private investor that was completing a 1031 exchange closed on the purchase of Stonybrook South on Oct. 2. According to Sutterlin, the previous ownership was a tenancy in common (TIC) group of investors operating under the name TIC Stonybrook LLC.
LEXINGTON, KY. — NAI Isaac has brokered the sale of a 29,240-square-foot office building formerly leased to American National University in Lexington. Quality Logistics LLC, a third-party logistics company specializing in shipping of fresh, frozen and dried goods, acquired the property for an undisclosed price. The buyer also expects to move into the space by early 2021. The office building is situated at 2376 Sir Barton Way, six miles east of downtown Lexington. Bruce Isaac, Al Isaac and Paul Ray Smith of NAI Isaac, along with Matt Smyth of Colliers International, represented the seller, Corolla Management Corp., in the transaction. David Allen of areaLex Real Estate represented the buyer.
SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY. — Clermont Distillery Inc. will open a new bourbon distillery in Shepherdsville. The property will span 55 acres on both sides of Interstate 65, though the distillery will only occupy about 15 acres. The developers, cousins Lee Wilburn and William “Bill” LaRue Weller, are exploring joint venture opportunities to develop hotels and other attractions on the remaining 40 acres. The developers expect to break ground in spring 2021. Kentucky Business Investment (KBI) and Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA) approved tax incentives for the project, which is expected to house 22 full-time employees earning an average wage of $56 per hour. The site is situated near the Clermont/Bardstown exit off I-65, 25 miles south of downtown Louisville. The project will also feature a gift shop and tasting room.
GRAYSON, KY. — JLL has arranged the $6.2 million sale of a new 25,000-square-foot industrial property double-net leased to Flowserve in Grayson. The seller, Houston-based Investment & Development Ventures LLC, delivered the asset as a build-to-suit for the company, which produces engineered and industrial pumps, seals and valves, as well as a range of related flow management services. The facility sits on three acres within EastPark, a 1,000-acre industrial park located approximately 25 miles from the Kentucky-Ohio-West Virginia border. Alex Sharrin, Trent Agnew, Brian Shanfeld, Jason DeWitt and Alex Geanakos of JLL represented the seller in the transaction. B.J. Feller, Isaiah Harf and Andy Gatchell of Stan Johnson Co. represented the buyer, an undisclosed family partnership based in Tulsa, Okla.
PADUCAH, KY. — Dippin’ Dots, maker of flash-frozen beaded ice cream, has opened a $3.2 million, 6,000-square-foot industrial facility in Paducah. The property houses 45 employees and will support Dippin’ Dots Cryogenics LLC, a division of the company that was launched in 2018 and applies the patented flash-frozen technology to other industries. The building is situated at 3865 Industrial Drive, one mile from Interstate 24.
PADUCAH, KY. — Colliers International has negotiated the $4 million sale of a 10,121-square-foot CVS/pharmacy-occupied property in Paducah. The building was originally developed in 1999 and is located at 3001 Lone Oak Road. There are 19 years remaining on CVS’ 20-year lease extension. Jon Busse of Colliers represented the buyer, Emerald Paducah LLC, in the transaction. The new ownership acquired the asset to partially complete a 1031 exchange. Matt Berres of Newmark Knight Frank (NKF) represented the seller, WEC 99J-32 LLC.
WALTON, KY. — Dollar General (NYSE: DG) has unveiled plans to open a 630,000-square-foot distribution facility in Walton, approximately 20 miles south of Cincinnati and the Ohio border. The $65 million investment is expected to bring 250 jobs to the city and support 800 stores. The Walton facility will serve as Dollar General’s 18th distribution center. Construction is scheduled to begin in September with operations to begin in January. Dollar General has also announced plans to build three additional DG Fresh facilities to support a shift toward self-distribution of products that require cold storage such as dairy, deli meats and frozen products. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall on a 160,000-square-foot cold storage facility in Ardmore, Oklahoma, with completion slated for spring 2021. Similarly, construction is scheduled to begin this fall on a 160,000-square-foot cold storage property in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with completion slated for summer 2021. Dollar General is currently finalizing construction of a 200,000-square-foot cold storage facility in West Sacramento, California, to complement its West Coast distribution operations. The property is scheduled to open this fall. At full capacity, each of the DG Fresh facilities are expected to create approximately 65 new jobs and support roughly 1,500 …