DURHAM, N.C. — Phoenix Realty Group (PRG) has acquired Beech Lake Apartments, a 345-unit multifamily community located at 4800 University Drive in Durham, for $37.2 million. The name of the seller was not disclosed. Constructed in 1987, the property includes 30 three-story buildings and is situated on 37 acres. PRG will update and modernize the community, renaming it Alvista Durham. Planned unit upgrades include faux wood flooring in common areas, new laminate countertops, new kitchen cabinet doors and hardware and faux stainless steel appliances. Planned common area improvements include the addition of a dog park, dog wash station, outdoor kitchen and fire pit, upgrades to the pool area and the conversion of the lakeside trail to an outdoor fitness trail.
North Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Dilweg Cos. has acquired Vanguard Center, a 14-building office park in Charlotte, in two separate transactions. The sales price was not disclosed, but the Charlotte Business Journal reports the Durham-based company acquired the assets from True North Management Group for $45.6 million. Dilweg plans to invest significant capital to improve the park, which was constructed between 1975 and 1997. Planned renovations include exterior improvements, updates to mechanical systems and common area and tenant amenity upgrades. Perkins + Will, an architectural firm, will assist with the renovations. Vanguard Center totals 563,504 square feet and was 65 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including MapAnything, National Welders, MI Home and The Home Depot. Patrick Gildea and Matt Smith of CBRE arranged the transaction on behalf of the seller. Dilweg has retained CBRE’s Joe Franco, Ralph Oldham, Stephanie Spivey and Katherine Richey to handle the park’s leasing assignment. The purchase of Vanguard Center brings Dilweg’s Charlotte office portfolio to more than 1.7 million square feet and its Southeast office holdings to more than 6.4 million square feet.
DURHAM, N.C. — Lantower Residential has acquired BullHouse, a 305-unit apartment community located in downtown Durham, for $76.3 million. Woodfield Development, which completed construction on the property earlier this year, sold the asset. BullHouse is located at 504 E. Pettigrew St., roughly three miles from Duke University & Hospital. The community features a mix of studio to three-bedroom units with stainless steel appliances, designer kitchen cabinets, white quartz countertops, USB outlets and floor-to-ceiling windows in select units. Community amenities include a heated saltwater pool, sky terrace, fitness center with separate yoga and massage rooms, electric car charging stations, Amazon Hub package system, dog spa and a clubhouse with entertaining space. Including this acquisition, Lantower Residential’s portfolio features 18 multifamily properties consisting of 5,938 units.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Capital One Multifamily Finance’s Chad Thomas Hagwood kicked off with a fastball. When prompted with the often used “what inning are we in?” question, Hagwood’s response was indicative of how competitive commercial real estate lending is today. “I don’t know what inning we are in of the cycle, but I know I want to play ball,” says Hagwood, senior vice president of Capital One Multifamily Finance. “People are after it, and we intend to fight it out tooth and nail.” Hagwood’s commentary came during the closing capital markets panel of the ninth annual InterFace Carolinas, a half-day event that drew 212 attendees from North and South Carolina’s commercial real estate community. Bryson Thomason, senior director of Greenville, S.C.-based PMC Real Estate Capital, moderated the panel. The most intense competition for financing is in the multifamily space because of the proliferation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their designated lenders. The two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) have been competing against each other as well as other lenders. Hagwood describes the competition between the two agencies as a “bloodbath.” “It’s all out brutal warfare competition the two,” says Hagwood. “I do expect Fannie and Freddie to be very competitive …
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Eyzenberg & Co. has selected Greystar to develop Grove Park, an 850-bed student housing community located at 425 Hillsborough St. in Chapel Hill, a half-mile from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill campus. Eyzenberg arranged the 12.3-acre ground lease for the project, which is currently home to an existing 111-unit apartment community. Other terms of the deal were not disclosed. The community will include a mix of apartment units and townhomes, and will feature study spaces, a swimming pool, fitness facilities, five-level parking garage and a rooftop deck. Townhouse Apartments LLC, owned by the Segar Family, which also owns the land, developed the project concept, managed the design, coordinated the entitlement and delivered the permits. Greystar expects to break ground on the community this summer and deliver the project prior to the 2020-2021 school year.
‘Broadening’ Economy on Track for Longest Expansion Cycle in U.S. History, Says Wells Fargo’s Mark Vitner
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s been nine years since the Great Recession ended, and if the economy can make it to June 2019 without suffering a relapse, it will be the longest business cycle in U.S. history. Mark Vitner, managing director and senior economist of Wells Fargo Securities, believes that will happen because of how broad-based the recovery has been. “For the most part, over the last nine months to a year all 50 states have been growing, which is something that hasn’t happened before,” says Vitner, who is based in Wells Fargo’s Charlotte office. “Typically, when the economy broadens it makes for a more durable expansion. When the strength of the economy begins to narrow, with fewer industries and states expanding, that’s usually a sign that a recession is a year to 18 months ahead.” Vitner’s commentary came during his keynote address at the ninth annual Carolinas InterFace conference. The half-day event, which took place on Thursday, May 31 at the Hilton Charlotte City Center hotel in Uptown Charlotte, drew 212 attendees from across the commercial real estate industry in North and South Carolina. The veteran economist says that the United States is currently at full employment with a majority …
DALLAS — Dallas-based HFF has arranged $67 million in post-acquisition financing for a four-building industrial portfolio located in metro Charlotte and Orlando, as well as Memphis. Kristian Lichtenfels, Eric Tupler and Rebecca VanReken of HFF arranged the nine-year, fixed-rate loan through an insurance company on behalf of the borrower, Dream Industrial US Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Dream Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust, a Canadian REIT. The company acquired the assets n December 2017 and January 2018. The portfolio includes the 885,000-square-foot Delta Point at 5605 Holmescrest Land and the 500,000-square-foot Shelby V at 4770 Southpoint Drive, both in Memphis; a 471,744-square-foot facility located at 860 Marine Drive in Rock Hill, a South Carolina suburb of Charlotte; and a 193,133-square-foot building located at 7730 American Way in Groveland, Fla., roughly 30 miles west of Orlando. The portfolio is fully leased to a total of six tenants and features clear heights ranging from 25 to 32 feet, a total of 247 dock-high doors and 18 drive-in doors.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Kessler Collection has broken ground on the Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte, a 254-room hotel located in Charlotte’s Uptown district. The 15-story hotel is expected to open in 2020 and will feature 32 suites, a signature Poseidon Spa, indoor and outdoor event spaces, an open kitchen restaurant concept and a rooftop bar on the 16th floor with views of the Charlotte skyline. In addition, the boutique hotel will feature an art collection that pays tribute to the culture of Argentina. The Charlotte Business Journal reports development costs for the project total $110 million. “The Kessler Collection is extremely pleased to be in Charlotte and a part of the fabric of this beautiful city’s hospitality services,” says Richard Kessler, chairman and CEO of The Kessler Collection. “We look forward to bringing energy and animation to the city, to our location and to the hospitality experience.” The Grand Bohemian Hotel is located within walking distance to museums, restaurants and retail space. JE Dunn Construction is the general contractor for the project. The Kessler Collection’s portfolio includes nine boutique hotels located throughout the Southeast and Colorado, including two sister properties in Charleston, S.C., and Asheville, N.C. The Grand Bohemian brand is part …
WINSTOM-SALEM, N.C. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $20.9 million sale of Deacon Properties, a 64-home, 251-bed student housing portfolio located within walking distance of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. Nate McDaniel, Allen Smith and Ian Turnbull of Marcus & Millichap arranged the transaction on behalf of the seller, Deacon Rental Properties, and procured the buyer, Mission Bay Investments. The properties feature three- and four-bedroom units ranging from 1,800 to 2,100 square feet. The portfolio was 98 percent occupied at the time of sale.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CBRE has arranged the sale of 400 South Tryon, a 33-story office tower in Charlotte’s central business district. Funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management LP acquired the property from DRA Advisors and Trinity Capital Advisors. The sales price was not disclosed, but the Charlotte Business Journal reports the building sold for $133.5 million — more than double the price the joint venture paid in 2014. Patrick Gildea, Matt Smith, Will Yowell, Justin Parsonnet and Jay O’Meara of CBRE arranged the transaction on behalf of DRA and Trinity Capital. CBRE’s Harris Ralston, Jeff Ackerman and Jonathan Rice arranged a floating-rate loan on behalf of Oaktree. 400 South Tryon underwent significant renovations during its prior ownership, including a modernized lobby, new restrooms, new fitness center and new street-level retail space. The building was 94.6 percent leased at the time of sale. Companies recently joining the tenant roster include Skillstorm, Document Technologies and Driven Brands.