North Carolina

ATC West Durham American Tobacco Campus

DURHAM, N.C. — A trio of real estate owners and developers has unveiled plans for an 11-acre mixed-use development in downtown Durham. Capitol Broadcasting Co. (CBC), Hines and USAA Real Estate have formalized a joint venture to move forward with the 700,000-square-foot project known as ATC West. Construction is expected to begin in late 2021 or early 2022. The development will be situated on the west side of the American Tobacco Campus (ATC), an adaptive reuse district that houses warehouses built and formerly leased by American Tobacco Co., parent company of the Lucky Strike cigarette brand. The original use of the ATC site dates back to 1890. CBC owns ATC, as well as the neighboring Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The new venture will be an expansion of the overall ATC district. Plans for the first phase of ATC West will be on eight acres and include 313,000 square feet of space in two mass-timber creative office buildings that are branded under Hines’ T3 product. (T3 stands for timber, transit and technology.) “ATC West will fit with the historic look of the original American Tobacco Campus while embracing the amenities, efficiencies and innovations of new builds,” says Kurt Hartman, senior managing …

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Alliance Residential has delivered Broadstone Queen City, a 260-unit apartment complex in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood. The property offers studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans. Units include electronic locks, wood plank-style flooring, quartz countertops, GE appliances and floor-to-ceiling windows. Communal amenities include a saltwater pool, rooftop bar and lounge, courtyard, fitness center, dog park, office suites and ground-level retail space that will soon welcome Queen City Grounds coffee. Broadstone Queen City is situated at 101 W. Morehead St., less than one mile from downtown Charlotte and half a mile from the LYNX Blue Line light rail station.

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ARDEN, N.C. — Windsor Aughtry Hotel Group LLC has completed Home2 Suites by Hilton Asheville Airport, a 112-room hotel in Arden. The property offers fully equipped kitchens, complimentary Wi-Fi, a fitness center, grill area and an indoor/outdoor pool. The hotel is located at 390 Airport Road, one mile from Asheville Regional Airport and 12 miles south of downtown Asheville. Asheville Hospitality LLC owns the hotel, and Hospitality America Inc. is managing the asset.

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DURHAM, N.C. — Wood Partners has broken ground on Alta Davis, a 408-unit apartment complex in Durham. The community will comprise seven buildings standing four stories each. Communal amenities will include a coffee bar, game room, fitness center, saltwater pool and coworking space. The community is slated to open by the end of 2021. Alta Davis is situated at 4701 Hopson Road, 10 miles southeast of downtown Durham and three miles from the center of Research Triangle Park. WP East Builders is the general contractor.

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Seventh and Tryon Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Seventh and Tryon, a planned $600 million mixed-use project in Charlotte’s Uptown district, has cleared a critical hurdle with the Charlotte City Council. The proposed development will include a 160,000-square-foot mixed-use building, 450,000-square-foot office tower, market-rate and affordable multifamily units, retail space and below- and above-ground parking. At a virtual meeting yesterday, the council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that allows Marcus Jones, city manager of Charlotte, to negotiate and execute with the Virginia-based developer, Metropolitan Partnership Ltd., on behalf of the city and the landowners of the 3.1-acre site in Uptown. The landowners include Bank of America, City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Atlanta-based DaVinci Development Collaborative is the development manager on behalf of the landowners. “North Tryon needs a facelift, I believe this project moves us in that direction,” said councilmember Malcolm Graham, representative of Charlotte’s District 2, during the proceedings. The council also moved to allow the use of city funds to be negotiated for the project to move forward. The MOU includes the sale of the land from the four landowners to Metropolitan Partnership for a price of $21.5 million. The key terms of the MOU also include …

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Ballantyne Reimagined

As one of the largest owners and operators of office space in the Charlotte market, Northwood Office is focusing on what office users want — safety, quality, productivity, flexibility and a sense of community. The firm’s largest asset is Ballantyne, a 535-acre campus featuring 4.4 million square feet of Class A office space situated in the heart of a 2,000-acre community. Ballantyne is home to 17,000 employees and 300 companies. While the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the landscape for office space, Ballantyne is well-positioned to deliver what employers need in the current environment. “The benefit of working close to home is more appealing than ever, and Ballantyne’s location near the Carolinas border and public transportation options make it accessible for everyone,” says John Barton, president of Northwood Office. “However, Ballantyne’s hallmark is its abundant open space. Always our differentiator, its value takes on a whole new level in a post-pandemic world.” Northwood Office’s priority is the safety and well-being of its customers and team members while also maintaining its buildings at the highest level. The company assembled a task force to prepare and adapt for a phased re-entry to office buildings. New operational procedures underway include ample signage instituting social …

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CARY, N.C. — A joint venture between Hines, Columbia Development and USAA Real Estate has unveiled plans for The Canopy at Fenton, a 357-unit multifamily community situated within the 69-acre Fenton development in Cary. The property will stand six stories high and offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. In addition, 47 of the apartments will provide private terraces and loft-style units will be available on the ground floor. Communal amenities will include a fitness center, coworking lounge, clubroom, pool, pool deck and five common terraces that overlook the shops and eateries of Fenton. The developers expect to begin preleasing in spring 2022 with delivery slated for later in 2022. Construction on Fenton’s other components is expected to be completed in fall 2021. Previously announced retail tenants include anchors Wegmans and CMX CineBistro, as well as Sephora, Bailey’s Fine Jewelry, Superica and Honeysuckle Gelato. Phase I will include approximately 345,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space, 170,000 square feet of office space, The Canopy at Fenton and a 175-room boutique hotel. The mixed-use project will be located at the intersection of Interstate 40 and Cary Towne Boulevard, three miles from downtown Cary and eight miles southwest of downtown …

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Alliance Residential has purchased 10.8 acres to develop Broadstone Highland Creek, a planned 260-unit multifamily community in north Charlotte’s Highland Creek neighborhood. The community will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans averaging 991 square feet. Communal amenities will include a pool, clubroom, dog park and a fitness center, as well as 8,000 square feet of ground-level retail space. The property is located at 5050 Ridge Road, 14 miles north of downtown Charlotte. Alliance Residential expects to break ground later this year and open the community in early 2022. The project team includes architect Cline Design Associates and civil engineer McAdams Co.

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Amazon-Kenosha-Wisconsin

KENOSHA, WIS. AND KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — KKR (NYSE: KKR), a global investment firm based in New York City, has acquired two e-commerce distribution centers totaling approximately 2.5 million square feet for $260 million. One of the properties is located in Kenosha, approximately 30 miles south of Milwaukee. The other is in Kannapolis, approximately 25 miles northeast of Charlotte. In a release, KKR said that the properties were both 100 percent leased to a “high-quality, investment-grade tenant on a long-term basis.” Multiple news outlets, including both the Milwaukee Business Journal and the Charlotte Business Journal, report that Amazon is the occupant of both facilities. Regarding the Wisconsin facility, KKR acquired the 1.5 million-square-foot complex for $176 million, or $115 per square foot, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal. Prologis sold the two-building property, which is located off Interstate 94. The 1 million-square-foot facility in North Carolina is known as CLT 3 and sold for $84 million. The seller was not disclosed. “The current environment will lead to continued acceleration of e-commerce penetration which drives demand for large, modern distribution centers like the ones we are acquiring,” says Roger Morales, partner and head of Americas acquisitions at KKR. “Logistics real estate represents …

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Ally Charlotte Center

The COVID-19 outbreak had a tremendous impact on retail across the country, and Charlotte was no exception. As stores were forced to close, business owners had to devise creative ways to operate during the pandemic. Rent deferral, Paycheck Protection Program funds, layoffs and furloughs were some of the ways owners addressed cash flow. Many restaurants faced questions regarding takeout, delivery service, menu adjustments, table spacing and employee safety. Enhanced cleaning procedures, payment procedures, marketing adjustments and general overall operations were other issues facing many restaurants and retailers. Restaurants with drive-thrus and takeout, as well as ones capable of adding “COVID-19-friendly” delivery options, were able to remain open, albeit with decreased sales volume. Despite all efforts, the trickle-down effect will likely cause several restaurants and retailers to permanently close and not survive this downturn at all. As Phase I and II of North Carolina’s economic reopening went into effect and additional stores began to reopen in some capacity, retailers began to adapt to new ways to operate with safety protocols in place. As a result, more discounts and flash sales were offered, and curbside pick-up became a prevalent way to shop. The next six months should reveal how the COVID-19 pandemic …

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