Louisiana

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA. — Morgan Properties and Olayan America have acquired a portfolio of 48 apartment communities totaling 14,414 units in 11 states for $1.7 billion. STAR Real Estate Ventures, a joint venture between El-Ad National Properties LLC and Yellowstone Portfolio Trust, was the seller. The portfolio, named the North Star Portfolio, consists of Class B assets in Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Maryland. On average, the communities total 300 units each and date to 1985. “While most of our competitors remain defensive and on the sidelines, Morgan Properties continues to play offense. North Star was right in our wheelhouse given the barriers to entry and we pounced on the opportunity to secure it,” says Jonathan Morgan, president of Morgan Properties. “The North Star investment speaks to the strength of our partnership with Morgan Properties and our continued confidence in the multifamily sector,” says Erik Horvat, managing director and head of real estate at Olayan America. The buyers plan to invest an additional $100 million for enhancements and amenity upgrades at the properties. With the North Star acquisition, Morgan and Olayan entered five new states, including Florida, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana and …

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METAIRIE, LA. — HREC Investment Advisors has brokered the sale of the 181-unit Sheraton Galleria Metairie Hotel located in Metairie. Len Wormser of HREC exclusively represented the seller, Hotel Capital LLC, in the transaction. Barry Swanson, Michael Salloway, Ketan Patel and Scott Stephens of HREC assisted in the transaction as well. The buyer, Atlanta-based Generation Hospitality, will manage the hotel. The sales price was not disclosed. The Sheraton Galleria Metairie Hotel is located at Four Galleria Blvd. and is five miles from the New Orleans Botanical Garden and seven miles from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The property’s rooms feature free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, mini fridges, safes and coffeemakers, as well as room service. Other hotel amenities include a restaurant/bar, a convenience shop, gym, rooftop pool and event space. Hotel Capital LLC is an Indianapolis-based, private equity real estate investment firm.

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METAIRIE, LA. — Audubon will develop a five-story, $55 million apartment community in Metairie known as The Metro at Clearview. The 270-unit development will feature units averaging 925 square feet and leases ranging from an average of $1,500 to $3,000 per month. The apartment complex is the multifamily component of Clearview City Center, a redevelopment of the former Clearview Shopping Center. The $100 million mixed-use development, owned by the Richards family, sits on a 35-acre site approximately six miles northwest of downtown New Orleans. The Metro at Clearview will feature two courtyards, a pool and cabanas, yoga lawn, lounge area, grilling stations, sitting area and a Zen garden. Community amenities include a 2,000-square-foot clubroom with multiple seating and entertainment areas, a catering kitchen, fully furnished fitness center and a sky lounge. The Metro at Clearview will join other planned tenants at the Clearview City Center redevelopment, including Ochsner Health System, which is developing a super clinic for comprehensive healthcare services, and Regions Bank at the intersection of Clearview Parkway and Veterans Boulevard. Audubon expects to begin construction this May and complete the development in two years. Audubon is an Atlanta-based firm specializing in the acquisition and management of multifamily properties.

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NEW ORLEANS — Holiday Inn Club Vacations Inc. has opened its New Orleans resort, which marks the first urban property for the company. The hotel is housed in what was the city’s first skyscraper, built in 1893. Holiday Inn Club Vacations acquired the property in 2019 and converted the apartment building into a 105-villa resort. The property offers one- and two-bedroom suites with kitchens and living rooms. The first floor of the 11-story building offers a marketplace and the Maritime Bar & Lounge. The top floor features a fitness center, rooftop deck and a pool. The asset is situated at 203 Carondelet St. in New Orleans’ French Quarter district. The resort houses 45 employees.

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NEW ORLEANS — The Millenia Cos. has received a $27.5 million construction loan to redevelop Peace Lake Towers, a 131-unit affordable seniors housing community in New Orleans’ Read Boulevard West neighborhood. Upon completion, the property will offer renovated one-bedroom floor plans and communal amenities such as a community center, arts activity space, library, computer lab and a fitness room. The renovations will also include upgraded heating, cooling and electrical systems; a new roof, windows and doors; and eco-friendly appliances. Cleveland-based Millenia expects to begin renovations soon and complete the project in roughly 14 months. Crews will renovate vacant units first and relocate households onsite as the construction is completed in phases. Residents will pay 30 percent of their income toward rent, and rent will remain affordable for at least 20 years by a federal project-based Section 8 contract. Redstone Federal Credit Union provided the construction loan, and Netherlands-based Aegon is the syndicated lender. Additionally, Louisiana Housing Corp. issued bond and tax credits for the project, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the City of New Orleans both provided financing. Marous Brothers Construction is serving as the general contractor, Hooker DeJong Inc. is the architect and Millennia Housing …

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CARENCRO, LA. — Amazon has chosen Carencro for a new $100 million fulfillment center, its first in the state of Louisiana. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant currently operates three delivery centers and seven Whole Foods stores in the state. The property is expected to house 500 full-time employees upon completion, which is slated for the end of 2021. The asset will be situated in Lafayette Parish at the former site of the original Evangeline Downs Casino and Racetrack, near Interstates 49 and 10. Employees at the fulfillment center will pick, pack and ship bulky or larger-sized items, such as patio furniture, outdoor equipment and rugs. Amazon expects the facility to span 1 million square feet.

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BATON ROUGE, LA. — EdgePWR has acquired Bon Carre Technology Center, a 712,000-square-foot office and technology park in Baton Rouge. The property is situated at 7337 Florida Blvd., five miles east of downtown Baton Rouge. Tenants at the time of sale included Cox Media, software firm CRIF ACTion, Pixel Dash Studios and data company Venyu. Bon Carre was originally developed in the 1960s as Bon Marche Mall before being redeveloped into an office park more than 20 years ago. Bill Sanders and Jessie Babcock of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate, along with JLL, represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. South Carolina-based EdgePWR has retained Sanders and Babcock to handle leasing at Bon Carré and Beau Box Property Management to manage the property.

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RUSTON, LA. — Marcus & Millichap has negotiated the $11.7 million sale of Ruston Marketplace, a 94,000-square-foot retail center in Ruston. The property was leased to eight tenants at the time of sale, including Hobby Lobby, T.J. Maxx, Ulta Beauty, Five Below and Rack Room Shoes. The seller, Hutton, delivered the asset in June 2019. The property is located at 1208 Woodward Ave., two miles north of downtown Ruston and adjacent to Interstate 20. Zach Taylor of Marcus & Millichap’s Taylor McMinn Retail Group represented the seller in the transaction. Brian Munn of Marcus & Millichap represented the buyer, George Snelling. “We sourced a private 1031 exchange buyer who was trading out of self-storage,” says Taylor about Snelling. “We have seen a notable trend of multifamily, industrial and self-storage sellers trading into retail to achieve a higher return.”

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HARVEY AND GRETNA, LA. — Berkadia has arranged acquisition debt and equity for Waterchase Apartments and Whitney Manor, two multifamily communities built in 1975 in metro New Orleans. One Real Estate Investment (OREI) acquired the properties, which are situated three miles from each other and roughly six miles south of downtown New Orleans. Mitch Sinberg and Brad Williamson of Berkadia originated acquisition loans through Freddie Mac’s Green Advantage program on behalf of OREI, which acquired Waterchase for $31.1 million and Whitney Manor for $14.6 million. Chinmay Bhatt, Noam Franklin and Cody Kirkpatrick of Berkadia sourced the undisclosed equity partner. The $23.3 million acquisition loan for Waterchase features a 10-year term with a fixed interest rate and four years of interest-only payments. The $10.9 million acquisition loan for Whitney Manor offers a 10-year term with a fixed interest rate and three years of interest-only payments. Waterchase features two- and three-story buildings offering one- and two-bedroom floor plans. The property is situated at 1013 Manhattan Blvd., in Harvey. Units range from 858 to 1,192 square feet. Communal amenities include a two-story community room, two swimming pools, two laundry facilities, breakfast/coffee concierge, courtyard, fitness center and a business center. Whitney Manor is located …

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NEW ORLEANS — Safeguard Self Storage has completed the expansion of its facility located at 919 Erato St. in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District. The company added 544 units spanning 44,346 square feet to its existing 459-unit, 33,311-square-foot facility. The asset utilizes the Noke Smart Entry System, which allows customers to access the building, storage area and individual units with a smartphone app. The building also features a “green roof,” which sustains living vegetation. Brian Rinaldi of Safegaurd is the manager. This is the sixth property in New Orleans for the locally based operator.

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