ATLANTA — Roger Tutterow, director of Kennesaw State University’s Econometric Center, encourages hoteliers to be optimistic about today’s historic level of consumer confidence because it directly impacts the leisure travel side of the hospitality sector. In late August, the consumer confidence index increased to 133.4, its highest level since October 2000, according to The Conference Board. The index gauges consumers’ confidence levels about business and labor conditions. “This is still a consumer-driven economy, and it’s very important that we maintain those confidence levels,” said Tutterow, who was one of the featured speakers at Atlanta Lodging Outlook 2019. The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, Cornell Hotel Society and the Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association jointly hosted the annual event, which took place on Tuesday, Sept. 4 at the InterContinental Buckhead hotel in Atlanta. Spending Power Impacts Hotel Performance Personal income gains and corporate profits also affect hotel absorption as these determine the spending power of leisure travelers and businesses. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, personal income increased by 3.5 percent over the past six months, while corporate profits rose 20 percent during the same period. “You’ve got support both from the personal income and corporate profits side,” said Tutterow …
Southeast
ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta has broken ground on the first phase of Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry in Atlanta’s Westside area. Expected to be the largest park in Atlanta, the first phase will include a signature gateway and trails leading to an overlook area for views of a quarry-turned-reservoir. Upon completion, the park will encompass 280 acres, nearly 100 acres larger than Piedmont Park in Atlanta’s Midtown district. The park will connect the Proctor Creek Greenway and Chattahoochee River Corridor with the Atlanta BeltLine, a loop trail that will eventually span 22 miles and connect 45 intown neighborhoods in Atlanta. Architecture firm HGOR is designing the park. The quarry-turned-reservoir will take on the role of Atlanta’s major emergency water source, increasing the city’s drinking water supply from three days to more than 30 days. The surrounding park will feature elements of green infrastructure, which should enhance water quality and ground water infiltration. HGOR is collaborating on the development with partner leaders Reeves Young and CERM. Other project team members include Portman & Associates, Long Engineering, EcoWorks, Full Circle Communication, Denyse, BioHabitats, Sherwood Design Engineers, S.L. King & Associates and Sykes Consulting. According to The Atlanta Journal Constitution, the park …
BRASELTON, GA. — Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corp. has acquired a newly constructed industrial building in Braselton, roughly 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, for $61.1 million. Delivered earlier this year, the 373,750-square-foot building is net-leased for 15 years to FedEx Ground Packaging System. The facility is situated on 93 acres at 650 Braselton Parkway off of Interstate 85. New Jersey-based Monmouth’s portfolio includes 111 properties totaling 21.2 million square feet.
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. — Holder Properties is underway on Portside, a 120,000-square-foot office building located within Ferry Wharf, a master-planned development in Mt. Pleasant that includes office, retail, hospitality and residential projects. The development is located at the foot of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge along the Charleston Harbor. Holder Properties broke ground on Portside in March. The five-story building is approximately 45 percent preleased, including a recently executed lease with Serendipity Labs Coworking. Portside will share a parking deck with a new hotel under construction at Ferry Wharf. The office building will be available for occupancy in spring 2019. McMilan Pazdan Smith Architecture is designing the building, and Freese Johnson is the general contractor.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Tavistock Development Co. has unveiled plans for Boxi Park at Lake Nona, an outdoor entertainment venue located within Lake Nona Town Center, a 100-acre mixed-use development that anchors the master-designed Lake Nona community in Orlando. The 30,000-square-foot venue will be built using repurposed shipping containers, and will feature a mix of restaurants and bars, beach volleyball courts, a fenced dog park, playground and a live entertainment venue. The park will be built using 12 containers arranged in one- and two-story configurations. The structure allows the containers to be moved as Lake Nona Town Center expands. Boxi Park is scheduled to open in December.
BRENTWOOD, TENN. — HFF has brokered the $14.4 million sale of Mallory Corners, a 70,000-square-foot shopping center in Brentwood, located roughly 10 miles south of Nashville. Jim Hamilton and Shea Petrick of HFF arranged the transaction on behalf of the seller, the estate of Charles S. Ackerman. Leo Weiner of Ackerman Retail, a division of Ackerman & Co., is acting as an advisor to the estate. Barnes & Noble and Electronic Express anchor Mallory Corners, which was 96 percent leased at the time of sale. Additional tenants include Brilliant Sky Toys & Books, Sprint, Hoover Paint, AAA Autoclub and Play It Again Sports.
For years, others have considered Baltimore a second-tier market on the Interstate 95 Corridor, lacking the excitement that cities like Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., offer. Not so any more. Baltimore has evolved into a top-tier housing market that is nationally recognized by the investment community. No longer a collection of relics from the “rust belt” banking town that it was decades ago, Baltimore is now a mosaic of adaptive reuses and a hot-bed for tech jobs. The Charm City is an incubator for creativity and entrepreneurship that sprouts from the world-renowned medical and educational institutions such as Johns Hop-kins and the University of Maryland Baltimore. As a result, net absorption for new multifamily units in 2017 surpassed city records and continues to grow at unprecedented rates. There are many factors that contribute to strong levels of demand in a market, such as job growth, affordability and developers creating attractive space targeting all demographics. Baltimore’s evolving job market continues its rapid expansion, driven primarily by “eds and meds.” The sector experienced 19 percent growth over the 10-year average and expand-ed 2.5 percent in 2017. Residents specifically target areas where they can live, work and play, and with an expanding job market, …
ORLANDO, FLA. — Tavistock Development Co. has partnered with McCraney Property Co. to co-develop 1.3 million square feet of industrial space at Infinity Park, Tavistock’s 206-acre, mixed-use development located along John Young Parkway in Orlando. The joint venture expects to break ground on the speculative light distribution and logistics buildings by the end of the year. Infinity Park currently houses a 113,000-square-foot office building and an adjacent 125,000-square-foot office building currently under construction. Orange Lake Resorts, which joined Infinity Park last year, will house its corporate campus at the buildings. Once complete by the end of the year, the two buildings will house nearly 2,100 employees. At full build-out, the park will feature industrial and hotel space, approximately 50,000 square feet of retail space and up to 500,000 square feet of office space available for build-to-suit and pre-lease opportunities. David Murphy and Monica Wonus of CBRE are handling the leasing assignment for the industrial portion of Infinity Park. John Pottinger and Scott Bell of Tavistock are handling leasing for the project’s retail, hospitality and office segments.
JESSUP, MD. — HFF has arranged a $56.3 million loan for the refinancing of Baltimore Washington Logistics Center, a two-building industrial complex in Jessup, located roughly halfway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Daniel McIntyre, Fred Wittmann and Greg LaBine of HFF arranged the loan through Citizens Bank on behalf of the borrower, a joint venture between AEW Capital Management LP and Manekin LLC. Building I at the complex is located at 7600 Assateague Drive and totals 853,503 square feet. The asset was vacant at the time of sale. Building II, located at 7540 Assateague Drive, is a 160,255-square-foot refrigerated warehouse/distribution building that is fully leased to G Cefaly & Bro, a seafood and produce food service distributor.
RICHMOND, VA. — Berkadia has arranged a $41 million loan for the refinancing of Malvern Manor Apartments, a garden-style multifamily community located at 41 Malvern Ave. in Richmond. Steve Murden and David Blake of Berkadia arranged the 34-year loan through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s 223(f) program on behalf of the borrower, Malvern Manor Apartments LLC. Originally constructed in 1948, Malvern Manor has had numerous improvements in recent years, including a new clubhouse and additional apartment units. The community includes a mix of one- and two-bedroom floor plans and features a resort-style swimming pool, fitness center and onsite management.