A rebounding economy and robust population growth are driving strong fundamentals across all segments of Raleigh-Durham’s commercial real estate industry. The region added 30,105 jobs during the 12 months ending September 2015, a growth rate of 3.1 percent. Users of all product types are facing rising occupancy costs and fierce competition for quality space. The Raleigh-Durham industrial market experienced positive net absorption of 721,185 square feet through the first three quarters of 2015, marking the sector’s fifth consecutive year of expansion. Increased tenant demand, combined with a lack of new construction, has driven vacancy back to pre-recession levels. Overall vacancy for warehouse and flex space ended the third quarter at 7.5 percent, down by 130 basis points year-over-year. Warehouse vacancy fell by 160 basis points to 6 percent during the same period and is down from a cyclical high of 10.2 percent. Flex vacancy ended the third quarter at 11 percent, down by 60 basis points year-over-year and from a cyclical high of 16.5 percent. Leasing activity has been broad based, driven primarily by organic growth in the region’s existing tenant base. Among the industries fueling the largest transactions are third-party logistics, e-commerce, manufacturing and housing and construction. Finally back …
BROOKHAVEN, GA. — Emory University has purchased roughly 60 acres of commercial property at Executive Park, an office park located near the interchange of North Druid Hills Road and I-85 in Brookhaven. The private university purchased the property, totaling roughly 400,000 square feet of office space in nine buildings, from Equity Commonwealth for an undisclosed price. Emory has several programs operating at Executive Park, including Orthopaedics, Brain Health, Medical Science Education, Continuing Education and Health Information Technology, according to James Wagner, president of Emory University.
NASHVILLE, TENN. — Champion Real Estate Co. has purchased Village Green Hills Apartments, a newly constructed, 82-unit apartment complex in Nashville, for $22.5 million. The apartment complex is within walking distance of Greens Hills Mall and Hill Center with Nashville’s only Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s. Champion and its affiliates currently own six multifamily properties in Nashville consisting of nearly 200 rental units with product ranging from entry-level studios and student housing to high-end townhomes.
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Preiss Co. has acquired Campus Edge, a 546-bed student housing community located near the North Carolina State University campus in Raleigh. Preiss plans to begin a $2.2 million renovation on the property this year, which should be complete by fall 2017. The community consists of 13 two- and three-story, garden-style buildings with furnished and unfurnished units. Property amenities include a computer lab, resort-style swimming pool, fitness center, tanning bed, volleyball and basketball courts, dog park, clubhouse with a game room and a car wash area. The community’s furnished units, which comprise roughly 88 percent of inventory, feature nine-foot ceilings, patios or balconies, appliances, full-sized washers and dryers, private bathrooms, walk-in closets, monitored intrusion alarms, extended basic cable and high-speed Internet.
BRADENTON, FLA. — KeyBank Real Estate Capital has provided a $10.2 million bridge loan for Centre Court Apartments, a 180-unit affordable housing community in Bradenton. The property operates under the Section 42 Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LITHC) with 108 units reserved for renters earning 60 percent area median income (AMI) and 27 units restricted to 30 percent AMI. John Gilmore IV of KeyBank’s community development lending division originated the loan on behalf of the borrower, Foundation for Affordable Rental Housing Holdings Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Delaware. Centre Court Apartments is sponsored by Harmony Housing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
KNOXVILLE, TENN. — Berkadia has arranged a $10.1 million acquisition loan for The Element at Cedar Bluff, a 223-unit apartment community in Knoxville formerly known as Warren House Apartments. The property is situated roughly 10 miles from the University of Tennessee and Neyland Stadium. The borrower, SCBP Knoxville Associates LLC, a partnership between Springer Capital and Brookside Properties, used the loan to acquire the property and fund future renovations totaling roughly $5 million. The Element at Cedar Bluff’s amenities include a new fitness center, resort-style swimming pool, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The property was 93 percent occupied at the time of financing. Corby Chaffin of Berkadia’s Houston office arranged the floating-rate loan through Latitude Management Real Estate Investors, a Southern California-based institutional debt fund specializing in bridge lending.
ATLANTA — Rubenstein Partners LP has purchased Interstate North Office Park, an 11-building, 985,490-square-foot business park in Atlanta’s Cumberland/Galleria office submarket. Rubenstein Partners purchased the development, which was 60 percent leased at the time of sale, from Aegon USA for $90 million. The 67-acre office park is located adjacent to SunTrust Park, the Atlanta Braves’ new baseball stadium set to open at this time next year, as well as the $1 billion The Battery Atlanta mixed-use development surrounding the ballpark. Rubenstein Partners has retained Caroline Nolen and Andy Sumlin of Cushman & Wakefield to lease and manage the office park.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — Dominion Realty Partners plans to develop Fifth Street Place Apartments, a 200-unit, Class A community located at the intersection of I-64 and 5th Street in Charlottesville. The property will be situated adjacent to Red Light Management’s new 465,000-square-foot retail center that will be anchored by Wegmans. Community amenities will include an upscale clubroom with Wi-Fi access, fitness center, coffee bar, business center and a large swimming pool. This is Dominion Realty’s first development in Charlottesville. Citizens Bank of Charlotte provided construction financing for the project. The design team, which includes architect Rule Joy Trammell & Rubio and general contractor VCC, plans to deliver Fifth Street Place in spring 2017.
MEDLEY, FLA. — Ridge Development, the industrial development arm of Transwestern Development Co., has broken ground on Airport North Logistics Center, a 182,057-square-foot speculative industrial facility. The distribution center will be located at the intersection of N.W. 87th Avenue and N.W. 90th Street in Medley, a suburb of Miami. Ridge Development expects to complete construction on the project in September 2016. The property will feature 32-foot clear heights, a 60-foot speed bay, 46 dock-high doors, two street dock ramps, 72 trailer spaces, security fencing and additional vehicle parking/outside storage. Ben Eisenberg, Walter Byrd, Thomas Kresse and Carlos Gaviria of Transwestern will provide leasing services for the project. Itasca Construction has been selected to oversee construction of Airport North Logistics Center.
LEXINGTON, KY. — NAI Isaac Commercial Properties has brokered the $17.5 million sale of two office/warehouse developments in Lexington totaling more than 400,000 square feet. The buyer, a private investment company, purchased the properties from BRE Imagination PMA LLC, a division of The Blackstone Group. The properties were a portion of a portfolio originally purchased from GE. Bruce Isaac and Chad Voelkert of NAI Isaac Commercial Properties brokered the transaction.