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DevelopmentFloridaHospitalityRestaurantRetailSoutheastTop Stories

Universal Orlando Resort to Open 750-Acre Epic Universe Theme Park on May 22

by John Nelson

ORLANDO, FLA. — Universal Orlando Resort’s newest theme park, Epic Universe, is officially opening on May 22, marking the first major theme park to open in Central Florida in 26 years, according to CNN. The new park will include five distinct components: Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and Dark Universe. According to multiple media outlets, Epic Universe is estimated to have cost roughly $7.7 billion to build, although Universal Orlando Resort hasn’t commented on the new park’s price tag. At 750 acres, including both guest areas and backstage space for employees, Epic Universe is also reported to be the largest singular theme park in the world. The main hub of Epic Universe will be Celestial Park, which offers guests two rides — a dual-track roller coaster and a carousel — as well as shops, restaurants and bars. From this hub, guests can choose to enter four other portals, with each leading to a different themed land. Dark Universe brings the famous “Universal Pictures Monsters,” including Dracula, the Wolf Man and the Invisible Man, to life, along with its anchor attraction, “Monsters Unchained: …

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AcquisitionsFloridaSoutheastStudent Housing

JLL Arranges Sale of 344-Bed Student Housing Community Near University of West Florida

by John Nelson

PENSACOLA, FLA. — JLL has arranged the sale of The Edge, a 344-bed student housing property located near the University of West Florida campus in Pensacola. Built in 2017, the community offers 84 fully furnished units in three-, four- and five-bedroom configurations. Shared amenities include a 24-hour fitness center, cyber café, coffee bistro, resort-style pool, grilling area and hammocks. The property was 97 percent leased for the 2024-2025 academic year at the time of sale. Joe Ayers and Cliff Taylor of JLL arranged the disposition on behalf of the seller, Campus Realty Advisors. The buyer and terms of the transaction were not released. The University of West Florida has experienced six consecutive years of enrollment growth, according to JLL, with a record-breaking class of 14,712 students for the 2024-2025 academic year.

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AcquisitionsGeorgiaMultifamilySoutheast

Marcus & Millichap Brokers $18.3M Sale of Apartment Community in Valdosta, Georgia

by John Nelson

VALDOSTA, GA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $18.3 million sale of 805 Harmon Heights Apartments & Condos, a 100-unit multifamily community located at 805 Harmon Drive in Valdosta. The buyer, an unnamed Tennessee-based firm, acquired the property from Bobby Diaz of Diaz Construction LLC, the local developer and operator of the property. John Brigel of Marcus & Millichap’s Tampa office represented the seller in the transaction with assistance from John Leonard, Marcus & Millichap’s broker of record for Georgia. 805 Harmon Heights was delivered between 2009 and 2021 and was recently renovated. The property features one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments across nine buildings. Brigel says that the sales price of $182,500 per unit is “a record-setting figure for South Georgia.”

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FloridaLeasing ActivityMixed-UseOfficeSoutheast

Blanca CRE Negotiates Three Office Leases to Bring Plaza Coral Gables in South Florida to Full Occupancy

by John Nelson

CORAL GABLES, FLA. — Blanca Commercial Real Estate (Blanca CRE) has negotiated three office leases at The Plaza Coral Gables, a mixed-use development in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables that includes two Class A office towers exceeding 450,000 square feet. The latest round of leases brings the property’s office component to full occupancy. These deals include Baycrest Partners (1,800 square feet), ALTI (6,000 square feet) and Marcum (9,600 square feet), which are joining existing tenants including Apple, Bacardi and Hinshaw & Culbertson. Max Rossi of Newmark represented Baycrest Partners, Thomas Haughton of CBRE represented ALTI and Carlyle Coffin of Stream Realty Partners represented Marcum in the lease negotiations. Tere Blanca, Danet Linares and Andres del Corral of Blanca CRE lead the office leasing team at The Plaza Coral Gables on behalf of the landlord, Agave Holdings. In addition to office space, the mixed-use development features the 242-room Loews Coral Gables Hotel, 165,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, the 170-unit The Reserve apartments and a 2,000-space parking garage.

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AcquisitionsHealthcareSoutheastTennessee

Flagship Healthcare Acquires 27,657 SF Medical Office Facility in Chattanooga

by John Nelson

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. — Flagship Healthcare Properties has acquired East Ridge Physicians Building, a 27,657-square-foot medical outpatient building located at 929 Spring Creek Road in Chattanooga. Situated adjacent to the 128-bed HCA Parkridge East Hospital, the Class A facility was fully leased at the time of sale. The buyer acquired the property through its private REIT, Flagship Healthcare Trust. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. Built in 1985, East Ridge Physicians Building’s interior and exterior were renovated last year by the previous owner. Flagship will provide property management and asset management services for the facility.

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MarylandSeniors HousingSoutheast

Seniors Housing Demand at All-Time High, Says NIC

by John Nelson

ANNAPOLIS, MD. — Demand for seniors housing has reached an all-time high, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC).  In a press release, the Annapolis-based organization reported that occupancy rates in the United States increased 30 basis points — from 87.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 87.4 percent in the first quarter of 2025 — referencing data from NIC MAP, which tracks occupancy rates in 31 primary markets throughout the country. Occupancy across independent living properties rose to 89 percent from 88.6 percent in the same period, and occupancy rates in assisted living communities increased to 85.8 percent from 85.5 percent. The first quarter of 2025 marked a record for occupied seniors housing units, with roughly 621,000 units occupied, an increase from 617,000 in the fourth quarter of 2024. Simultaneously, construction starts in the seniors housing sector were at only 1,076 units, their lowest since the second quarter of 2009. Approximately 19,500 units total were under construction in the first quarter of 2025, marking the lowest level since 2013. Rental rates, on average, saw a slight decrease quarter-over-quarter.

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Affordable HousingDevelopmentMarylandMultifamilySoutheast

Gilbane Development Opens 293-Unit Mixed-Income Multifamily Community in Hyattsville, Maryland

by John Nelson

HYATTSVILLE, MD. — Gilbane Development has cut the ribbon on Sovren, a five-story, 293-unit multifamily community in Hyattsville. Amazon’s housing equity fund contributed debt to fund the development. Located within the larger mixed-use development of The Riverfront at West Hyattsville, Sovren has direct access to the West Hyattsville Metro station and the Northwest Branch Anacostia River trail system. Sovren includes 147 units reserved for residents earning 80 percent or less of the area median income, as well as 2,500 square feet of retail space and an art-wrapped, 298-space parking garage. The community offers studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans ranging from 429 square feet to 1,417 square feet in size. Amenities at the property include a resort-style swimming pool with cabanas, fitness center with a dedicated yoga space, coworking areas, dog park, pet-washing facilities, outdoor grilling areas, fire pits and an entertainment lounge with a billiards table. Monthly rental rates for Sovren begin at $1,860, according to Apartments.com.

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AlabamaHealthcareLoansSoutheast

First Citizens Bank Provides $53.5M Loan to Refinance Medical Office Facility in Birmingham

by John Nelson

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — First Citizens Bank’s healthcare finance division, First Citizens Healthcare Finance, has provided a $53.5 million loan to refinance Grandview Physicians Plaza II, a 140,000-square-foot medical office facility located in Birmingham. The borrower was an affiliate of Rethink Healthcare Real Estate. Constructed in 2022, Grandview Physicians Plaza II is situated within the Grandview Medical Center Campus that occupies Affinity Hospital and Grandview Plaza I. Grandview Plaza II completes the primary medical campus for Grandview Health, which has signed a long-term anchor tenant lease for physician offices and hospital services. First Citizens Healthcare Finance also provided takeout financing for Grandview Physicians Plaza I in 2024.

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GeorgiaLeasing ActivityMixed-UseOfficeRetailSoutheast

Stream Realty Negotiates Five Leases Totaling 93,000 SF at The Interlock in West Midtown Atlanta

by John Nelson

ATLANTA — Stream Realty Partners has added five leases at The Interlock, a 672,688-square foot mixed-use development located at 1115 Howell Mill Road NW in Atlanta’s West Midtown district. Kevin Driver and Malik Leaphart of Stream Realty arranged the leases, while colleague Michaela Roberts managed the firm’s initiatives to reposition and deliver customized office suites. The Gathering Spot, a private, members-only modern city club, leased 21,000 square feet of office space, as well as an additional 40,000 square feet of rooftop space. Directional Capital, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm and one of the largest national Rent-A-Center franchise owners, leased 10,500 square feet to establish its new headquarters. Creative firm agency Look Listen secured an 8,500-square-foot lease with drive-up access and direct connectivity to the Bellyard Hotel. Workers’ compensation defense law firm Levy, Sibley, Foreman & Speir LLC (LSFS) signed a 5,000-square-foot lease while Alloy Marketing signed a 10,000-square-foot lease, with both firms occupying newly built office suites on the sixth floor. Mike Davis and Nathan Williams of Scotland Wright Associates represented The Gathering Spot, Directional Capital, Look Listen and LSFS, while Dan Granot of Savills represented Alloy Marketing in the lease negotiations.

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AcquisitionsHospitalitySoutheastTennessee

Marcus & Millichap Arranges $5.9M Sale of Hampton Inn Hotel in Caryville, Tennessee

by John Nelson

CARYVILLE, TENN. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $5.9 million sale of a 62-room Hampton Inn hotel in Caryville, roughly 24 miles north of Knoxville via I-75. Located at 4459 Veterans Memorial Highway along Cove Lake, the 42,000-square-foot Hampton Inn was originally built in 1994. Amenities at the property include an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center and a business center. Alexandre Duong and Lucas Jalenak of Marcus & Millichap’s Cleveland and Nashville offices marketed the property on behalf of the undisclosed seller. Alexandre Duong and Kishan Patel from the firm’s Louisville office procured the buyer. Jody McKibben served as Marcus & Millichap’s broker of record in Tennessee for the deal. 

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