CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CBRE has arranged an $80.8 million loan for the refinancing of The Colony Southpark, a 340-unit midrise apartment community located at 4220 Colony Plaza Drive in Charlotte’s Southpark neighborhood. Nate Sittema, Kristen Reilley and Ben Hardee of CBRE Capital Markets’ Debt and Structured Finance team in Charlotte arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower, a joint venture between SYNCO Properties and Schlosser Development. The team secured the five-year, fixed-rate loan through an unnamed life insurance company. The Class A, five-story multifamily development was completed in 2021 and features amenities such as movie lounges, a golf simulator and a yoga studio. The Colony Southpark represents the first phase of a master-planned, mixed-use project that is also called The Colony. The development will eventually include additional luxury apartments, a grocery store, office space, a hotel, restaurants and shops.
North Carolina
CBRE Arranges Two Loans Totaling $66M for Refinancing of Metro Charlotte Industrial Properties
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CBRE has arranged two loans total $66 million for the refinancing of two separate industrial portfolios in the Charlotte metropolitan area. Brian Linnihan, Mike Ryan, Richard Henry and Taylor Crowder of CBRE Capital Markets’ Debt & Structured Finance team in Atlanta represented the borrower, CIP Real Estate, in both deals. The loans include a $35 million loan through HIMCO for the refinancing of International Corporate Center, a six-building industrial project located in Concord, N.C., as well as the construction of two industrial buildings at the site totaling 147,467 square feet. The other deal was a $31 million loan secured through an unnamed national bank for the acquisition of a seven-building, 334,989-square-foot industrial portfolio that was 99 percent leased at the time of funding. The assets in the portfolio include 77 Overlook, a three-building, 216,977-square-foot development in Charlotte; Lakefield Corporate Center, a three-building, 74,920-square-foot development in Mooresville, N.C.; and Southcross Corporate Center, a 43,092-square-foot warehouse in Rock Hill, S.C.
Cushman & Wakefield Arranges $77M Refinancing for Student Housing Community at UNC Charlotte
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged $77 million in refinancing for Junction 49, a newly developed student housing community serving the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). Gideon Gil, Zach Kraft, Dale Braverman and Travis Prince of Cushman & Wakefield represented the borrower, SR Real Estate Partners and Circle Squared Alternative Investments, in securing the loan. Macquarie Capital Principal Finance provided the financing. Located at 7600 University City Blvd., the 370,883-square-foot property totals 754 beds and 12,396 square feet of amenity space. Junction 49 features private and group study rooms on each floor, a lounge area, game room, market, 24-hour fitness center, swimming pool, hot tub, poolside cabanas, outdoor grilling stations and two courtyards.
FRANKLIN, N.C. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $5.4 million sale of a retail center in the western North Carolina city of Franklin. Located at 109 Commons Drive, the 32,000-square-foot property was 96 percent leased to 12 tenants at the time of sale to retailers including Dollar Tree, CATO and Sally Beauty Supply. Zach Taylor and Eric Abbott of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a Louisiana-based family office, in the sale. Benjamin Yelm assisted in closing the transaction as the firm’s broker of record in the state. The buyer was not disclosed. “This center has a regional trade area and serves as the Walmart for Highlands, N.C., a popular resort and second-home market for many major metros in the Southeast,” says Taylor. “The buyer was drawn to Walmart’s dominant presence and the limited future development potential due to the surrounding area’s topography.”
Company NewsIndustrialNorth CarolinaNortheastPennsylvaniaProperty TypeSelf-StorageSoutheastTop Stories
Go Store It, Snapbox Merge, Creating 10 MSF Self-Storage Giant
CHARLOTTE, N.C. AND PHILADELPHIA — Go Store It Self Storage and Snapbox Self Storage have merged. The combined company is now one of the largest private self-storage operators in the United States, according to a press release issued by the companies. Operating under the Go Store It Self Storage brand name, the new entity will oversee a portfolio totaling more than 10 million square feet of storage space across 145 locations in 23 states. Executive leadership will include Ryan Hanks and Jake Ramage as chief executive officers (CEOs), with Matt Lang serving as president. The merger is designed to enhance operational efficiency as well as stimulate growth in the areas of acquisition, development and third-party management. Founded in 2013 in Charlotte, N.C., Go Store It is a subsidiary of Madison Capital Group Holdings. Philadelphia-based Snapbox was also founded in 2013. Both companies are FrontRange Capital portfolio companies. FrontRange has invested roughly $100 million in Madison Capital and its affiliates, including Go Store It, and is making a co-general partner (co-GP) commitment to the new entity. — Hayden Spiess
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Northmarq has brokered the $55 million sale of Braxton at Lake Norman, a 232-unit apartment community located at 118 Plantation Creek Drive in Mooresville, a suburb of Charlotte. Andrea Howard, Caylor Mark, John Currin, Allan Lynch, Jeff Glenn and Austin Jackson of Northmarq represented the seller, Passive Investing, in the transaction. Inwood Holdings LLC purchased the community, which was built in 2014 near I-77. Braxton at Lake Norman is situated on 20 acres near Lake Norman and features apartments averaging 1,055 square feet in size. Amenities include a saltwater swimming pool, 24-hour fitness center with rock climbing wall, drive-thru mail kiosk, car wash station and a pet park and spa.
CTO Realty Growth Purchases Shopping Center Portfolio in Florida, North Carolina for $137.5M
by John Nelson
WINTER PARK, FLA. — CTO Realty Growth Inc. has purchased a portfolio of three Southeast shopping centers: Carolina Pavilion in Charlotte, Millenia Crossing in Orlando and Lake Brandon Village in Brandon, Fla. The undisclosed seller(s) sold the portfolio, which totals approximately 893,000 square feet, to CTO for $137.5 million. Carolina Pavilion is an approximately 691,000-square-foot regional retail center located on 72 acres in Southern Charlotte on South Boulevard. The center was 93 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including AMC Theatres, Floor & Décor, Nordstrom Rack, Ross Dress for Less and Burlington. Millenia Crossing is a 100,385-square-foot shopping center located adjacent to the Mall at Millenia in Orlando. The center was 96 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including Nordstrom Rack, Party City, Modani Furniture, Milan Laser Hair Removal, Destination XL, The Vitamin Shoppe and Relax the Back. Jim Michalak and Jeff Berkezchuk of Plaza Advisors represented the undisclosed seller in the Millennia Crossing transaction. Situated east of I-75 near Tampa, Lake Brandon Village spans approximately 102,000 square feet and was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants including Sprouts Farmers Market, PetSmart, DSW and Scandinavian Design Furniture. Additionally, CTO announced the …
Advance Auto Parts Agrees to Sell Worldpac Distribution Business to Carlyle for $1.5B
by Katie Sloan
RALEIGH, N.C. AND WASHINGTON, D.C. — Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE: AAP) has agreed to sell Worldpac, the Raleigh-based company’s automotive parts wholesale distribution business, to funds managed by global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) for $1.5 billion in cash. Advance Auto Parts operated 321 Worldpac locations primarily within the United States as of the end of the second quarter. These warehouses, 135 of which are branded Autopart International, are generally larger than the company’s retail locations, averaging approximately 26,000 square feet. Worldpac offers over 293,000 parts for domestic and import vehicles and primarily serves professional customers such as vehicle repair shops, with services including same-day delivery of automotive parts through a fleet of company-owned vehicles. Over the past 12 months, these locations generated approximately $2.1 billion in revenue and $100 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). Advance expects to close the transaction before the end of the year, with Advance expecting net proceeds of approximately $1.2 billion after taxes and transaction fees. These proceeds will be used to strengthen the company’s balance sheet and invest in its core retail business, said Shane O’Kelly, president and CEO of Advance Auto Parts, during an earnings call earlier …
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Build-to-Rent Sector Remains in a Sweet Spot, Say InterFace Panelists
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Build-to-rent (BTR), or purpose-built neighborhoods of single-family rental homes, has been an emerging subsector of the multifamily continuum the past several years. The housing type fills a niche for renters as it offers more living space and privacy than typical apartments, but is more affordable and amenitized than for-sale homes. The BTR sector began its ascent during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic when a confluence of factors —the rise in work-from-home and hybrid work schedules, an increase in household formation of younger millennials, the desirability of more private space including garages and backyards — led to a sharp increase in demand for single-family rental (SFR) homes. Underpinning the increased demand for BTR living is the unaffordability of homeownership for a large swath of Americans. As of mid-year, home prices are now 47 percent higher than they were in early 2020, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Home insurance premiums have also risen aggressively in the recent past — up 21 percent between 2022 and 2023, according to the study. Meanwhile, mortgage payments are increasingly untenable as interest rates have also risen dramatically in recent years. For these reasons, institutional investors are actively participating …
EDGECOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — Natron Energy, a sodium-ion battery manufacturer, has announced plans to develop a $1.4 billion factory at the Kingsboro CSX Select Megasite in Edgecombe County. Situated on 2,187 acres about 70 miles east of Raleigh, the facility will create more than 1,000 jobs, according to the company. Natron will receive roughly $30 million for the project from the North Carolina Megasite Readiness Program, which is overseen by the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC). Christopher Chung, CEO of the EDPNC, says that the fund allows the state to “support the recruitment of large announcements like Natron.” A construction timeline was not disclosed.