AYDEN, N.C. — Frampton Construction Co. has broken ground on a build-to-suit industrial project for Pepsi-Cola franchiser Minges Bottling Group in Ayden. Upon completion, the facility will total 223,375 square feet and include warehouse space, a vending repair area, three-bay fleet maintenance shop and more than 20,000 square feet of office space. The rear-load building will feature 32-foot clear heights, 24 dock doors and 10 drive-in doors. Charlotte-based The Keith Corp. is developing the project, with Thomas & Hutton acting as the civil engineer and McMillan Pazdan Smith serving as architect. Completion of the facility is scheduled for January of next year.
North Carolina
CHARLOTTE. N.C. — Arden Logistics Parks (ALP), Arden Group’s industrial real estate operating platform, has purchased Northridge Business Center, a four-building, 174,000-square-foot industrial portfolio in Charlotte. Located at 50045, 5009-15, 5019-25 and 5029-35 W. W.T. Harris Blvd., the buildings range in size from 22,655 to 65,382 square feet. ALP acquired the portfolio from Fort Lauderdale-based SunCap Property Group for an undisclosed price.
KNIGHTDALE, N.C. — Beacon Partners has broken ground on Knightdale Gateway, a 511,000-square-foot industrial park about 15 miles east of Raleigh in Wake County. Slated for completion in the second quarter of 2024, the project will feature two Class A buildings with 36-foot clear heights. The assets will include a 221,363-square-foot building anchored by the new 195,056-square-foot headquarters facility for Kitchen Cabinet Distributors (KCD) and a 289,632-square-foot building with frontage along U.S. Highway 64. Al Williams and Michael Morgan of JLL represented KCD in the lease transaction, and Tim Robertson with Beacon Partners represented the landlord internally. Williams, along with JLL colleague Matt Winters, will handle the leasing assignment for the remaining space at Knightdale Gateway. The design-build team includes general contractor Choate Construction, Merriman Schmitt Architects and Advanced Civil Design. Fifth Third Bank is providing an undisclosed amount of construction financing to Beacon Partners for the project.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Portman has signed local coffeeshop concept Night Swim Coffee to anchor the ground level retail space at 2161 Hawkins, a 34-story apartment tower under construction in Charlotte’s South End district. The coffeeshop is expected to open in third-quarter 2024 and will activate the space between 2161 Hawkins and The Line, Portman’s adjacent Class A office tower that will include Sycamore Brewery, GritBox Fitness, Chapter 6 and Savi Provisions. The Night Swim Coffee space represents the 15th location for Black Rock Hospitality, the team behind local purveyors Not Just Coffee and Undercurrent Coffee. In addition to the coffeeshop, the 370-unit apartment development will house Bar One South End, which is expected to open in fourth-quarter 2024. Foundry Commercial is handling the retail leasing assignment at 2161 Hawkins. Portman has also enlisted local artists Eva Crawford and Caroline Simas to transform the temporary Rail Trail protection at 2161 Hawkins into a new public art installation.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dominion Realty Partners has broken ground on The Exchange Apartments, a 252-unit multifamily development in southwest Charlotte. The community will be situated within the Exchange Business Park off I-77 and Tyvola Road, about a half-mile from the Woodlawn stop on the Blue Line Light Rail. Units will feature oversized windows, sliding glass doors, Nest thermostats and smart locks. Community amenities will include a resort-style pool and sundeck, coffee bar, fitness center with a yoga and spin room and a game room. United Bank and Dogwood State Bank are providing an undisclosed amount of construction financing for the development. The design-build team includes architectural firm Rule Joy Trammell & Rubio, civil engineer LandDesign and general contractor Harkins. Katherine Southard of CBRE assisted in the land sale between Dominion Realty and the seller, Dilweg. Dominion Realty expects to deliver the first units in first-quarter 2025. The Exchange represents the developer’s fifth project in the metro Charlotte area.
ATLANTA AND CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carter has plans to develop two apartment communities in Atlanta and Charlotte under its Story brand. Patterson Real Estate Advisory Group arranged construction financing through Truist for Story Mt. Zion on Atlanta’s south side and South State Bank for Story University North on Charlotte’s north side. The projects represent the sixth and seventh Story communities that Carter is developing in the Southeast. Summit Contracting Group is developing both properties, which will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts and comprise 300 to 330 apartments. The construction timelines for the communities were not disclosed.
Northmarq Brokers $9.5M Sale-Leaseback of Industrial Property in Rockingham, North Carolina
by John Nelson
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Northmarq has brokered the $9.5 million sale-leaseback of a single-tenant industrial property located at 235 River Road in Rockingham. The seller, Mount Vernon Mills Inc., fully occupies the 270,252-square-foot facility on a corporate guaranteed, triple-net-lease basis. Built in 1973, the property is situated on 27.7 acres and offers room for expansion. Robert Poirier of Northmarq represented both the seller and buyer, an Arizona-based institutional investor.
Olympus Property Purchases 252-Unit Apartment Community in Fayetteville, North Carolina
by John Nelson
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Olympus Property has purchased King’s Quarter at Jack Britt, a 252-unit, garden-style apartment community located in Fayetteville. Built in 2014, the property features two- and three-bedroom units with upgraded interiors ranging from 1,150 square feet to 1,398 square feet. Units feature granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, walk-in closets and private balcony/patio areas with additional storage. Community amenities include a playground, pool area with cabanas, grilling stations, pet park, fitness center and garages. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kingsmen Software, a custom software firm, has debuted its new 16,000-square-foot office at Camp North End, a mixed-use adaptive reuse development in Charlotte. The firm occupies the historic Gama Goat Building at 1801 N. Graham St., which was jointly developed by ATCO Properties & Management and Shorenstein Properties LLC. Designed by REDLINE Design Group, the new headquarters includes 14,500 square feet of space on the ground level and a 1,500-square-foot interior mezzanine. The layout incorporates team-based workstations and designated areas for flexibility and collaboration, as well as a podcast recording studio, a 12-foot video wall, “stairatorium” to the mezzanine, speakeasy pub and outdoor seating and work areas. In addition to day-to-day operations, Kingsmen will use the space to host events, conferences and industry meet-ups.
Crescent Communities to Break Ground on First Phase of River District Master-Planned Development in Charlotte
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Crescent Communities plans to break ground Wednesday on The River District, a master-planned community on Charlotte’s west side. The development will span 1,400 acres between the Catawba River and Charlotte Douglas International Airport, including 500 acres of preserved land. Upon completion, The River District will feature 5,000 residences (single-family homes and apartments), 8 million square feet of commercial space, hotels and seniors housing apartments. Crescent expects the development to generate more than $5.6 billion of gross annual economic impact for the region and state. “The River District’s location along the Catawba River, Charlotte’s only major body of water, will provide urban amenities and public access to the riverfront that has not previously been available to Charlotte,” says Chase Kerley, managing director of Crescent Communities. The first series of milestones includes delivering major utility and roadway infrastructure for The River District’s first phase, Westrow. The 70-acre area will feature a range of residential offerings including apartments, townhomes and single-family residential lots, as well as small retail spaces, restaurants, event space and offices. Westrow will also include trails, parks, an event lawn and a two-acre working farm. Crescent’s NOVEL brand will anchor the first phase with 514 market-rate apartments, …