The Charlotte industrial market is extremely well-regarded by most national investors, with consistent rent growth, strong occupancy and increasing values. The fourth quarter of 2014 revealed the third-highest annual net absorption ever recorded in the Charlotte industrial market, continuing a pattern of growth that began in the fourth quarter of 2010. This continued recovery can be directly attributed to a combination of restrained development, expansions by existing space users, an influx of new companies and increased economic stability. Due primarily to geographic constraints and a high demand for land by all types of developers, there is a limited supply of large tracts suitable for industrial developments, which protects the value of existing properties. Air Support Industrial tenants are drawn to Charlotte for its strategic location along I-85 between Atlanta and the Mid-Atlantic states, as well as proximity to the Carolinas, southern Virginia and eastern Tennessee. Quality buildings are available at competitive prices in the region. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) continues to be a significant economic development driver, and Charlotte’s distribution network will be further enhanced by Norfolk Southern’s intermodal terminal recently completed on 230 acres adjacent to CLT. The terminal will include two loading tracks totaling 9,056 feet, eight …
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bissell has started construction on Brigham Building, a speculative 287,507-square-foot office building within Ballantyne Corporate Park in Charlotte’s Ballantyne office submarket. The 10-story building will be located at 11625 N. Community House Road and will overlook the 12th hole of The Golf Club at Ballantyne. The project team, which includes architect LS3P Associates and general contractor Rodgers Builders, is aiming for LEED Gold certification. Upon completion in November 2016, Brigham Building will feature a two-story lobby, glass exterior curtain walls, free structured parking and balconies on the third and 10th floors. In addition to Brigham Building, Bissell has plans for the next phase of speculative development on the east side of Ballantyne Corporate Park. The plan presently includes a campus of three 10-story buildings and one six-story building, totaling more than 900,000 square feet, as well as a 150-room hotel with event space.
MATTHEWS, N.C. — Ziff Properties Inc. has purchased Matthews Festival Shopping Center, a 127,817-square-foot shopping center located at the corner of East Independence Boulevard and Matthews Township Parkway in Matthews, roughly 12 miles south of Charlotte. Ziff Properties purchased the center from an undisclosed seller for $8.2 million. The property’s tenant roster includes Big Lots, Miracle Ear, Springleaf Financial, Merle Norman Cosmetics, Tequilerias and Tamarind Fine Cuisine of India. Ziff Properties plans to renovate the shopping center. Bryan Wyker of The Providence Group represented the buyer in the transaction and will continue to work on repositioning efforts along with Alex Kelly of Tribek Properties.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Ziegler, a specialty investment bank, has closed $42.6 million in bond financing for Moravian Home, which owns and operates Salemtowne, a nonprofit continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Winston-Salem. Salemtowne opened in 1972 and consists of 171 independent living units (98 apartments and 73 cottages); 46 assisted living beds; and 84 skilled nursing beds (18 of which are memory care) on 115 acres. The bonds will be used to fund Phase I of Salemtowne’s strategic plan, which includes the construction of a new skilled nursing facility that will initially contain 100 skilled nursing beds (40 of which will be rehabilitation beds) and 20 assisted living memory care beds. The total building size will be approximately 126,780 square feet, with 14,950 square feet devoted to the assisted living memory care beds. The project is a replacement and expansion of existing facilities. The tax-exempt, fixed-rate bonds have a 2045 final maturity (30-years). Davenport & Co. LLC served as a 15 percent co-manager and PFM served as financial advisor on the transaction.
CHARLESTON, S.C. AND CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Federal Capital Partners (FCP), through a $10 million loan provided by Capital One Bank, has recapitalized two apartment communities in the Carolinas. The properties include the 264-unit Plantation Oaks in Charleston and the 240-unit York Ridge in Charlotte. Plantation Oaks is FCP’s fourth investment in Charleston, and York Ridge is the firm’s third investment in Charlotte. FCP is partnering with High Real Estate Group LLC, which will retain an ownership interest in the portfolio and continue to provide property management services. Common area and individual apartment upgrades are planned for both communities.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — New York Life Real Estate Investors has provided a $34 million acquisition loan for Hawfield Farms, a 210-unit, Class A apartment community in Charlotte. Grandbridge Real Estate Capital arranged the seven-year loan with five years of interest-only payments on behalf of the borrower, Bell Partners.
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. — Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust Inc. (Wheeler REIT) has purchased three Food Lion-anchored shopping centers in North Carolina for $15.3 million. Wheeler REIT purchased the centers at roughly $89.38 per square foot using a combination of cash and debt. The properties include the 50,000-square-foot Cardinal Plaza in Henderson, the 65,336-square-foot Franklinton Square in Franklinton and the 56,100-square-foot Nashville Commons in Nashville. The sellers in all three transactions were entities controlled by members of the Barnett family.
It’s no secret that the Sunbelt states have been, and continue to be, the front-runners for corporations looking to relocate to cities with a much lower cost of doing business. With each state taking different approaches, North Carolina does not often offer the relocation incentives that can be found in states such as South Carolina and Texas. Instead, North Carolina favors a system that offers less up-front cash incentives, but tries to offset that with a tax structure and business-friendly climate in an effort to compete for the large, attractive relocations. Because of this, the catalyst for growth in Charlotte has only been moderately associated with the recruitment of out-of-market users looking to relocate headquarters to more affordable and attractive markets. In large part, Charlotte’s growth has been driven by organic growth of existing businesses. In fact, more than 70 percent of the positive absorption in the central business district (CBD) since 2010 has occurred through organic growth. This expansion of existing business has provided for employment growth conditions that work hand-in-hand with the rapidly swelling population. In between new-to-market relocations that provide headline-grabbing bursts of employment, the diverse and impressive growth of Charlotte’s existing companies has attracted talent and …
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dallas-based Velocis, in a partnership with Lincoln Property Co., has purchased a telecom carrier hotel and data center located at 701 Trade St. in downtown Charlotte. Built in 1968, the two-story building is more than 80 percent leased to telecommunications and colocation data center users. Lincoln Harris will lease and manage the property.
BELMONT, N.C. — Avison Young has brokered the sale of a 124,213-square-foot distribution center located at 2100 The Oaks Parkway in Belmont, a suburb of Charlotte. GCP Capital Group purchased the facility from an unnamed institutional fund advisor for an undisclosed price. The property is fully leased to Industrial Distribution Group Inc. for use by its IDG USA division, which specializes in the distribution of maintenance, repair and operations supplies to industrial customers. Erik Foster, Mike Wilson and Chris Skibinski of Avison Young represented the seller in the transaction.