ATLANTA — SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI) has named Kathy Farrell as head of the bank’s commercial real estate line of business, effective Aug. 1. Farrell will succeed Walt Mercer, who is retiring after nearly 10 years with the bank and more than 40 years in real estate banking and advisory. Farrell will be responsible for delivering banking and capital markets solutions to commercial real estate developers and investors in the SunTrust Commercial Real Estate lines of business, including regional real estate, REITs, institutional real estate, affordable housing and residential builders. Farrell will report to Mark Chancy, an executive with SunTrust Wholesale Banking. Farrell has more than 25 years of real estate finance and banking experience throughout the country, including origination, underwriting, capital markets, work out strategies and risk management. She has been with SunTrust since 2013, most recently serving as the executive risk officer for commercial real estate. Prior to joining SunTrust, Farrell was executive vice president and credit executive of commercial real estate for PNC Bank for four years. She also served as the managing director of debt capital markets at National City Bank for three years. Previously, she was vice president of real estate capital markets at …
It looks like 2016 is carrying on where 2015 left off. During 2014 and 2015, Atlanta set record after record for activity, positive net absorption and new construction; and the first quarter of 2016 didn’t disappoint. Activity during the first quarter of 2016 was over 13.5 million square feet, which contributed to a four-quarter total of 59.3 million square feet — the highest four-quarter total for activity ever seen in the Atlanta industrial market. We also witnessed the 16th consecutive quarter of positive net absorption with 3.1 million square feet of space absorbed during the quarter. Added to the last three quarters, net absorption totaled 16.5 million square feet of positive net absorption. Even with a large industrial inventory of 642 million square feet, that’s a significant achievement. Demand for warehouse and distribution space is fueled by Atlanta’s continued economic growth and employment. Unemployment in the Atlanta metro area is 6.1 percent and down from 6.3 percent that we reported last October (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Although construction slowed during the fourth quarter of 2015 with only 1.5 million square feet launched, it was only a short lull. New construction moved forward again for the first quarter of 2016 …
MIAMI — Swire Properties Inc. has announced new retailers joining Brickell City Centre’s 500,000-square-foot, open-air shopping center in Miami’s Brickell district. Comprising more than 80 retailers and eateries, the retail development is set to open to the public in November. The new tenants joining the project include Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Suit Supply, Stitched and Pinko. Swire Properties is co-developing the shopping center with Whitman Family Development and Simon Property Group. Tenants that have previously signed leases at the $1.05 billion, 4.9 million-square-foot Brickell City Centre include Saks Fifth Avenue, Cinemex, Italian Food Hall, LIVE!, lululemon athletica, Armani Collezioni, Cole Haan, Bally, Coach, Porsche Design, Luke’s Lobster, Taco Chic and AT&T. As part of the center’s design, Swire Properties has integrated the Miami Metromover with a stop that exits directly into the shopping center’s third floor. The project will also feature a two-story underground parking deck.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Skanska has signed a $60 million contract with the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority to construct its new administrative headquarters building in Washington, D.C. Skanska will build the new headquarters over an operating pump station. The 150,694-square-foot building will house roughly 350 D.C. Water and Sewer employees. The project is targeted for LEED Platinum certification. Skanska will break ground on the facility this year with an expected completion for December 2017.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap, has brokered the $44.5 million sale of Pine Harbour Apartments, a 366-unit luxury multifamily community located at 10600 Bloomfield Drive in east Orlando. Built in 1990, the gated community features a 24-hour fitness center, indoor racquetball court and a Wi-Fi-enabled clubhouse and business center. Pine Harbour Apartments features one-, two- and three-bedroom units that range in size from 622 square feet to 1,255 square feet. Steve Witten, Still Hunter III and Victor Nolletti of IPA, along with Evan Kristol, Francesco Carriera and Michael Regan of Marcus & Millichap, represented the seller and procured the buyer.
ATLANTA — Apple Hospitality REIT has closed on the previously announced acquisition of a 128-room Home2 Suites by Hilton in downtown Atlanta. The purchase price was $24.6 million, or approximately $192,000 per room. Located at 87 Walton St., the hotel is situated near Centennial Olympic Park, CNN Center, World of Coca-Cola, College Football Hall of Fame, Georgia Aquarium, Philips Arena, the Georgia Dome, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Following the purchase, Apple Hospitality REIT’s portfolio includes 180 hotels spanning 23,000 guestrooms in 32 states.
TAMPA, FLA. — HRE/Sefira Cypress LLC, a joint venture between Highline Real Estate Capital and Sefira Capital, has closed on its $13.1 million purchase of Cypress Point Office Park in Tampa. Cypress Point is a six-building, 165,000-square-foot office park located at 10004-10014 Dale Mabry Highway. The park was 88 percent leased at the time of sale. Longtime CREC principal David Moret formed Highline Real Estate Capital in February 2016, and Cypress Point was the inaugural purchase for the company. Mijael Attias and Aby Galsky formed Sefira Capital in September 2015. Jeffrey Morris and Bret Felberg of JLL represented the seller, Tomorrow VII Cypress LP, in the sale. Tarik Bateh of JLL’s capital markets group arranged acquisition financing through TD Bank on behalf of the new ownership group. HRE/Sefira Cypress LLC has selected Focus Real Estate Services to provide management and leasing services for Cypress Point.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Publix Super Markets has leased 45,000 square feet for a new store within a master-planned project known as WestEdge, a research-oriented urban infill development in downtown Charleston. The 25-acre development will be situated along the Ashley River adjacent to The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). The development team includes HPF Inc., Gateway Development Services, South City Partners and Charleston-based WRS Realty. Publix will anchor 10 WestEdge, a building that will include an 870-space parking garage, 350 apartments and street-level retail space. The Publix will be located next door to 22 WestEdge, a Class A office and research building. Construction on 10 WestEdge is expected to begin in August and wrap up by third-quarter 2018. Construction on 22 WestEdge is expected to begin in the fourth quarter with a spring 2018 completion. Additionally, construction is underway on 99 WestEdge, another mixed-use project within the larger WestEdge development. Phase I of WestEdge, which comprises 10 WestEdge, 22 WestEdge and 99 WestEdge, represents more than $250 million in private investment.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Williams Co. Southeast, an Orlando-based general contractor and construction manager, plans to remodel more than 20 Target stores in Florida and North Carolina. The company recently finished the remodel of three Florida stores in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Wesley Chapel and two North Carolina stores in Durham and Greensboro. Williams expects to wrap up construction of all the remodeled stores by October. The company has previously constructed more than 400 Target projects in 11 states.
SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. — KeyBank Real Estate Capital has arranged a $10 million Fannie Mae loan for The Lexington Place Apartment Homes in Simpsonville. Built in 2000, the 144-unit apartment community is situated on 10.3 acres. Timothy DeWispelaere of KeyBank’s commercial mortgage group arranged the 10-year, non-recourse loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.