GRETNA, LA. — Dougherty Mortgage LLC has closed a $29 million HUD 223(f) loan for the refinancing of Calypso Bay Apartments, a 280-unit multifamily community in Gretna, situated across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The property offers one-, two- and three-bedroom units and features a swimming pool, fitness center, billiards room and a business center. Dougherty’s Dallas office arranged the 40-year HUD 223(f) loan on behalf of the borrower, Calypso Bay LLC.
LAFAYETTE, LA. — Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties Inc. have opened Ambassador Town Center in Lafayette. The co-developers hosted a formal ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Lafayette City-Parish president Joel Robideaux, former City-Parish president Joey Durel, LEDA president and CEO Gregg Gothreaux and other Lafayette area community leaders. Ambassador Town Center is a roughly 60-acre retail project anchored by Costco Wholesale and Dick’s Sporting Goods/Field & Stream. Situated at Ambassador Caffery Parkway and Kaliste Saloom Road, the 430,000-square-foot property is 97 percent leased to tenants such as Avalon Salon & Spa, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Blaze Pizza, Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant, Costco Gasoline, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Five Below, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Marshalls/HomeGoods, Nordstrom Rack, Off Broadway Shoes, Panda Express, Panera Bread, PetSmart, Phone Zone, Professor Bob Beans, Red Robin, Subway, Tao Japanese Cuisine, World of Beer and Verizon Wireless. Ambassador Town Center is expected to generate roughly 1,700 permanent jobs and nearly $9 million annually in estimated sales tax collection.
SLIDELL, LA. — SRSA Commercial Real Estate has arranged a 34,000-square-foot lease for Sportsman’s Warehouse in Slidell, making it the first Louisiana location for the outdoor retailer. The store will join the tenant roster at the Shops at Rouses, a shopping center located on Kensington Boulevard that’s home to existing retailers such as Rouses and Petco. Kirsten Early and Collin Homes of SRSA Commercial represented Sportsman’s Warehouse, which currently has 66 locations open and operating. Larry Haik of Dale Stram & Associates LLC represented the landlord.
NEW ORLEANS — O’Connor Capital Partners, a New York-based real estate investment and management firm, has acquired The Shops at Canal Place, a 260,000-square-foot shopping center located at the foot of Canal Street and the Mississippi River in New Orleans. O’Connor Capital purchased the property from an affiliate of two New Orleans-based companies, The Berger Co. and Ogden Development, for an undisclosed price. The Shops at Canal Place was 96 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany’s, Armani Collezioni, L’Occitane, Michael Kors, lululemon athletica, Anthropologie, Brooks Brothers, J. Crew and Banana Republic. The shopping center also features the nine-screen Theatres at Canal Place, Chef Adolfo Garcia’s Gusto Cafe and Bar and a 1,600-space parking garage, which the seller will retain. Peter Bergner and Kate Gilbert of O’Connor Capital Partners’ Palm Beach office will be responsible for leasing the property.
SLIDELL, LA. — Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties Inc. have added four new retailers to Phase II of Fremaux Town Center, a regional shopping and entertainment destination totaling more than 630,000 square feet in Slidell, a suburb of New Orleans. The project is located on more than 80 acres at the southwest corner of I-10 and Fremaux Avenue. The new tenants joining Fremaux this spring include Books-A-Million (7,500 square feet), Allure Nail Spa (1,944 square feet), LensCrafters (3,830 square feet) and 5 Below (8,024 square feet). Additionally, Springs at Fremaux Town Center, a 296-unit apartment complex, is expected to deliver in March. Other previously announced tenants joining this year include Pier 1 Imports, Capital One, Aveda, Goodyear and Chico’s. Tesla Motors has also completed installing eight charging stations at the development. Existing tenants of Phase II include Red Robin, Zales, Francesca’s, Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, Victoria’s Secret, Buckle, Charlotte Russe, LOFT, Bath & Body Works, Journeys, Claire’s and Which Wich.
There is a popular song from the HBO show Treme written and performed by Steve Earle titled “This City Won’t Wash Away”. Ten years ago the wind and water of Hurricane Katrina threatened to destroy almost a third of the multifamily market in metro New Orleans. After a decade of rebuilding, the multifamily market has emerged as one of the most dynamic and resilient markets in the country. For 10 straight years this world-class city has seen strong demand, increasing rents and stable occupancy. New Orleans is not only unique in its food, music and culture, but also its geography. The Crescent City is situated on the bend of the Mississippi River with Lake Pontchartrain to its north and wetlands to the east and west. The ability to increase inventory in Metro New Orleans is seriously impaired by a lack of land, as well as historic and demographic factors. Over the past 14 years the multifamily inventory in metro New Orleans has only increased by 10,500 units, an average of only 750 units per year. Included in that number is the rebuilding of existing inventory damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Fifty percent of the increase of inventory has been in downtown …
HOUMA, LA. — Venture Commercial Real Estate and SRSA Commercial Real Estate, two X Team International partners, have arranged a 20,023-square-foot lease for Northern Tool + Equipment in Houma. The family-owned and operated chain of hardware stores will occupy space at Houma Power Center, joining Old Navy, Burkes Outlet, Shoe Carnival and Pier 1 Imports. The shopping center is located between Martin Luther King Boulevard and West Main Street. Clay Mote of Venture Commercial and Kirsten Early of SRSA Commercial represented Northern Tool in the lease deal. Austin Lavin of Corporate Realty represented the landlord, Andrew Associates LLC. The Houma store will be Northern Tool’s second location in Louisiana.
The New Orleans office market remains dynamic. The city has obviously changed dramatically in the 10 years since Hurricane Katrina and is on a continued path of change going forward. Positive change. In the past 12 to 18 months, more than 1 million square feet of what used to be considered office space in downtown New Orleans has been converted to retail, hotel, residential or multifamily use. Projects such as 225 Baronne Street, the 1100 block of Tulane Avenue, 600 Carondelet Street, Factor’s Row redevelopment and approximately 130,000 square feet of space at 1250 Poydras Street (a 423,000-square-foot, Class A tower) are just a number of examples. More of this space was unoccupied than occupied at the time of the conversions. The most recent of these conversions, 600 Carondolet Street, resulted in the largest absorption of Class A office space in the market. Additionally, URS, now AECOM, leased approximately 70,000 square feet of space in 1515 Poydras, a 530,000-square-foot building located across from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. In the central business district (CBD), Class A office occupancy is a healthy 90 percent and average rental rates have increased in the past 12 to 24 months to approximately $19 per square foot. …
New Orleans recently celebrated a significant milestone: the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall. Those familiar with the area’s commercial real estate market agree that the city continues to thrive in and around the metro area. Despite a low vacancy rate and shortage of commercial opportunities in downtown proper, competition is fierce for quality properties, and new-to-market retailers have moved into the area. From the market downtown to the immediate suburbs and surrounding parishes, the Big Easy is well-positioned for continuous, steady growth. Sharing a border with New Orleans, Jefferson Parish is the most populous parish in the state. Veterans Memorial Boulevard is a six-lane thoroughfare in Jefferson Parish, which remains the primary retail development corridor in the market with the 120-store Lakeside Shopping Center. One of the most desirable spans of commercial real estate, the seven-mile stretch of highway runs from the airport to the intersection of Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish. After scouring the market for several years, Trader Joe’s recently announced its first New Orleans metro area store in one of the last undeveloped tracts on Veterans Memorial Boulevard. Another grocery retailer, The Fresh Market, opened its first Jefferson Parish store in July. In addition, the …
LAFAYETTE, LA. — RCG Ventures has purchased Acadiana Square, a 244,768-square-foot power retail center in Lafayette. Located adjacent to Acadiana Mall, the retail center is anchored by T.J. Maxx, Party City, PetSmart and Office Depot. Scott Tarbet represented RCG Ventures internally, and Jim Hamilton and Richard Reid of HFF represented the undisclosed seller.