NORFOLK, VA. — Harbor Group International LLC (HGI) has acquired a portfolio of eight multifamily communities in the Southeast region of the United States for $309 million. Seven properties are in North Carolina markets, including Charlotte, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Durham. One property is located in Hampton, Va. The seller(s) and individual property names were not disclosed. The portfolio totals more than 2,300 units and each of the properties are proximate to major employers and office markets as well as entertainment centers. HGI plans to invest approximately $13 million for capital improvements across the portfolio, following initial enhancements to the properties’ exteriors and common rooms by the seller. HGI will focus on interior unit renovations and installing appliances such as washer and dryers. Dean Smith and John Heimburger of Newmark represented HGI in the transaction. Henry Stimler, Bill Weber and Matt Mense of Newmark arranged an undisclosed amount of acquisition financing. HGI is a privately-owned international real estate investment and management firm based in Norfolk.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Stan Johnson Co. has brokered the $10 million sale of a 28,434-square-foot, multi-tenant medical office building located at 3401 Village Drive in Fayetteville. Stan Johnson’s Scott Briggs represented the seller, an individual investor and developer based in North Carolina. The property, known as Village Medical Plaza, was purchased by an out-of-state private fund whose name was not disclosed. Village Medical Plaza features both medical and traditional office space and is fully leased to three tenants: the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) for an initial 15-year term, the State of North Carolina Department of Revenue for an initial 10-year term and Piedmont Physical Therapy Specialists for an initial term of seven years. The three-story property was built in 2017 and sits on 1.3 acres in a medical and office district immediately adjacent to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, a 200-bed acute care facility that treats more than 1 million patients annually.
This time last year, we were commenting on the changing retail market, but we were overall very optimistic about 2020. What a difference a year makes! Across the United States, 2020 brought us the closing of the following: 279 SteinMart stores; 1,100 Ann Taylor stores; 950 Pier 1 Imports stores; 350 Gap stores; 248 GNC stores; 145 A.C. Moore stores; 230 Tuesday Morning stores; and 178 Forever 21 stores. Additionally, Macy’s closed 29 stores in 2020 and expects to close another 45 in 2021. This trend of retail store closings will slow down in 2021, but it will not change. On the positive side, retailers such as Walmart, Target, The Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Walgreens have seen positive sales numbers and continue to expand. In the supermarket sector, Kroger, Food Lion and Publix have had record numbers and, along with Aldi and Lidl, are expanding. In the Raleigh-Durham market, our 2020 vacancy rate has increased to 8.24 percent and rental rates have hovered in the $18 to $20 per square foot range, but those numbers are skewed due to rent concessions and abatements. Raleigh-Durham has approximately 86.6 million square feet of retail space with around 640,000 square feet …
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Novant Health, an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient centers and hospitals, has invested $222 million for a new critical care building in Winston-Salem. The development is a part of expansions and renovations at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center campus, located at 3333 Silas Creek Parkway. The new building will be constructed on the current site of the rehabilitation center, which is being demolished. The expansion will feature 60 critical care beds and 36 intermediate beds in the surgical suite. The patient rooms will be bigger than previously, providing more privacy and flexible space. In 2019, Novant Health invested over $180 million in the medical facility for development of Phase I, which is currently under construction and includes renovation of patient rooms and improvements on the women’s and children’s center. The critical care building is part of Phase II, which will raise the amount of pre- and post-operation space, as well as reduce travel time within the hospital. “Once complete, the critical care building will combine medical expertise and an optimally designed space that prioritizes patient experience and healing,” says Lari Harding, chair of the Novant Health Triad Region Board of Trustees. — Julia Sanders
RALEIGH, N.C. — Investors Management Group Inc. (IMG) has sold a two-property multifamily portfolio in Raleigh to Abacus Capital Group for $29.8 million. The communities include Millbrook Apartment Homes and Lynn Lake Apartment Homes. Millbrook Apartment Homes is a 117-unit community located at 2121 Paces Forest Court, and Lynn Lake Apartment Homes is a 101-unit community located at 6500 Paces Arbor Circle. IMG acquired the two apartments in 2018 for $23.2 million. More than $2 million was invested to upgrade the properties, including upgrades to the clubhouses and improving the outdoor spaces with new dog parks, playgrounds, a hammock park and pool area upgrades. Unit interiors were modernized with energy-efficient lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, new paint, flooring, cabinets and cabinet hardware. IMG and its investors will reallocate proceeds from the sale into several multifamily communities as part of its multifamily investment plan. The firm currently owns three multifamily communities in Raleigh encompassing 576 units.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Jamestown and Grubb Ventures have started construction on the first phase of Raleigh Iron Works, a new mixed-use development with nearly 500,000 square feet of creative office space, 90,000-plus square feet of retail and 220 new residential units. The property will be located in Raleigh’s Five Points, Person Street and Mordecai neighborhoods. Brasfield & Gorrie is part of the construction team. Located at 2200 Atlantic Ave., Raleigh Iron Works was designed with a mix of shopping, dining, wellness, event and outdoor spaces. The first phase of the project includes the renovation of the historic Peden Steel mills and warehouses into office and retail spaces, along with the construction of a new seven-story multifamily residential building. The office, retail and residential components are expected to open in 2022. The 18-acre property’s first phase will include a structured parking deck of just under 700 spaces as well as 115 surface slots sitewide, and there is a planned greenway connection. The property will feature flexible seating for informal gatherings, outdoor dining, public art and events.
ATLANTA AND MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Atlanta-based Home Depot and Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe’s Cos. Inc. both had strong fourth-quarter sales despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The CEOs of both firms cited increased demand for home improvement products as the catalyst behind their sales jumps. Home Depot’s (NYSE: HD) sales increased 25 percent year-over-year for its 2020 fiscal fourth quarter, which CNBC reports outperformed the 19.2 percent growth that analysts were expecting. Home Depot’s fiscal fourth-quarter 2020 ended on Jan. 31, 2021. Home Depot’s digital sales rose 83 percent in the fourth quarter compared to a year ago. Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) sales increased 28.1 percent in the fourth-quarter fiscal year 2020, which also outstripped expectations of 22 percent growth, according to CNBC. Lowe’s fiscal fourth quarter 2020 ended Jan. 29. The retailer’s e-commerce sales jumped by 121 percent, while all merchandising departments saw 16 percent growth. According to CNBC, Home Depot gets 45 percent of its sales from professionals, such as electricians and contractors, while the rest come from unprofessional, do-it-yourself customers. This was higher than Lowe’s, which gets 20 to 25 percent of its total sales from professional individuals.
DURHAM, N.C. — Trinity Capital Advisors and SLI Capital have topped out a new Class A office project in downtown Durham called The Roxboro at Venable. The eight-story office and life sciences center is located within the mixed-use Venable Center at 380 East Pettigrew St. Duda|Paine Architects is the designer for the 210,000-square-foot project, which is expected to be opened by 2022. The Roxboro at Venable will feature tall floor-to-floor heights, built-in accommodation for lab infrastructure and dedicated back-up power. The property also will include touchless entry and elevator systems, air purification systems in elevators and open-air sky terraces on the two upper floors. The Roxboro previously was a warehouse for Venable Tobacco Co., a subsidiary of the Dibrell Brothers tobacco business of Danville, Va. Trinity Capital Advisors is a real estate development and investment firm with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. SLI Capital is a Raleigh-based real estate investment firm.
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Morgan Properties, Olayan America Acquire 14,414-Unit Apartment Portfolio Across Midwest, Southeast for $1.7B
KING OF PRUSSIA, PA. — Morgan Properties and Olayan America have acquired a portfolio of 48 apartment communities totaling 14,414 units in 11 states for $1.7 billion. STAR Real Estate Ventures, a joint venture between El-Ad National Properties LLC and Yellowstone Portfolio Trust, was the seller. The portfolio, named the North Star Portfolio, consists of Class B assets in Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Maryland. On average, the communities total 300 units each and date to 1985. “While most of our competitors remain defensive and on the sidelines, Morgan Properties continues to play offense. North Star was right in our wheelhouse given the barriers to entry and we pounced on the opportunity to secure it,” says Jonathan Morgan, president of Morgan Properties. “The North Star investment speaks to the strength of our partnership with Morgan Properties and our continued confidence in the multifamily sector,” says Erik Horvat, managing director and head of real estate at Olayan America. The buyers plan to invest an additional $100 million for enhancements and amenity upgrades at the properties. With the North Star acquisition, Morgan and Olayan entered five new states, including Florida, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana and …
The Raleigh-Durham commercial real estate market continues to be one of growth and perseverance despite the global pandemic. Its economy is rich with an array of industries, healthcare and university systems that support population growth and expansion. Commercial real estate is experiencing its own challenges and opportunities through this pandemic, including one of the most talked about asset classes, office. The sector is the subject of the big “pause” discussion as there’s uncertainty going forward. Despite the lack of commitment to many significant leases, the office market’s fundamentals have remained stable in Raleigh-Durham. Rates are holding steady with an average Class A rental rate of $29.59 per square foot. Vacancy and absorption are maintaining competitive levels, allowing market rates to hold somewhat steady. Over the last year, activity reflected these trends as many landlords negotiated short-term renewals without rate increases. If the leasing trend continues this year, renewals and space consolidation will possibly lead to a reduction in rental rates. One of the key driving forces of office product in Raleigh-Durham stems from the life sciences industry. The market is currently ranked No. 5 among life sciences markets in the United States, according to CBRE’s annual report. The life sciences …