The Atlanta office market has continued down a path of steady recovery and absorption, although the pace remains somewhat muted from prior recovery cycles. As outside investors have warmed up to the city of Atlanta, they have been comforted by a safe and positively boring period of growth. For the last couple of years, investors have been committed strongly to value-add opportunities throughout metropolitan Atlanta, including areas that have historically been out of favor like Alpharetta and Peachtree Corners. The fundamental improvements in the market rents and occupancy continue to support bullish forecasts for office space in Atlanta with significantly low vacancy and steady rent growth. Atlanta’s office market sits at 12.1 percent vacancy, 6 percent rent growth and 3.6 million square feet of positive net absorption after several years of consistent absorption and falling vacancy. With value-add being a buzz word throughout the Southeast, many investment sales brokers have taken core assets and found ways to present them as opportunities for value-add in an effort to reach a larger pool of investors. Investor appetite continues to be measured and very focused on downside risk versus upside potential. This has inflated the return expectations for very solid real estate, making …
GULF BREEZE, FLA. — IRC Retail Centers and joint venture partner MAB American Retail Partners LLC have purchased 16 acres along U.S. Highway 98 in the Pensacola suburb of Gulf Breeze for the development of a Publix-anchored shopping center. The 66,000-square-foot property, known as Tiger Point Pavilion, will feature a 45,600-square-foot Publix grocery store, 1,400-square-foot Publix Liquors store, additional inline retailers and three freestanding pad buildings on the site. The development will be situated adjacent to a Lowe’s Home Improvement store and a Walmart Supercenter. The IRC-MAB joint venture has developed other Publix stores in the Southeast, including Shoppes at Rainbow Landing in Rainbow City, Ala., Weaverville Plaza in Weaverville, N.C.; and Midtown Mobile in Mobile, Ala. Construction of Tiger Point Pavilion is expected to kick off in the next few weeks and wrap up in the first quarter of 2018.
ALPHARETTA, GA. — Avison Young has brokered the $57 million sale of Milton Park, a two-building office campus spanning 320,000 square feet in Alpharetta. Matt Tritschler of Avison Young represented the buyer, Adventus Realty Trust, in the transaction. The seller and sales price were undisclosed, but the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that a venture between Talcott Realty Investors LLC and Greenstone Properties were represented by CBRE and sold the assets for $57 million. Milton Park is situated off North Point Parkway near North Point Mall and Avalon. The two six-story buildings were 88 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Landis+Gyr, Pegasystems and Schneider Electric.
COLUMBIA, MD. — The Howard Hughes Corp. has acquired two office buildings in downtown Columbia for a combined $38.8 million. The firm purchased The American City Building, which is adjacent to a Whole Foods Market on Little Patuxent Parkway, for $16.5 million and One Mall North, a fully leased, four-story office building, for $22.3 million. Both purchases were underwritten in view of their future development potential. Howard Hughes plans to demolish the mostly vacant American City Building to make way for a mixed-use development with multifamily, retail and restaurant components. The company hasn’t unveiled plans for One Mall North, but the site is zoned for retail, office or multifamily use of up to nine stories. The redevelopment opportunity for these sites will aid in the city’s goal to revamp downtown Columbia. The Howard County government recently approved a $90 million tax increment financing (TIF) to fund public infrastructure improvements and a new parking garage in downtown Columbia’s Merriweather District, a 5 million-square-foot mixed-use development. Currently downtown Columbia has nearly 14 million square feet of vertical entitlements, including the Merriweather District.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Jackson-Shaw has started construction on Jacksonville International Tradeport 3 and 4, two industrial assets located in Jacksonville’s Northside submarket adjacent to Jacksonville International Airport. The properties will total 178,000 square feet and are set for completion in the third quarter. Building 3 will total 124,000 square feet and feature 32-foot clear heights, 37 dock-high doors, 130-foot truck courts, one drive-in ramp, 109 parking spaces and 34 optional trailer storage spaces. Building 4 will total 54,000 square feet and feature 28-foot clear heights, 16 dock-high doors, a 130-foot truck court, 31 parking spaces and 12 optional trailer drops. Jackson-Shaw has selected Tyler Newman of Cushman & Wakefield to lease the facilities. Thackeray Partners is Jackson-Shaw’s investment partner for the project, and BB&T provided construction financing.
PORT ORANGE, FLA. — Lancaster Pollard has arranged the $30.5 million sale of CountrySide Lakes, a 146-unit independent living and assisted living community in Port Orange, approximately 55 miles northeast of Orlando. Shepherd Health, a Miami-based seniors housing developer and operator, purchased the property from a private ownership group. Natasha Ursuy of Fifth Third Bank originated a $24 million acquisition loan for the buyer through the bank. Built in 1984, CountrySide Lakes offers 26 independent living units and 120 assisted living units. The community currently has a waiting list and has averaged 97 percent occupancy since 2013. Chad Elliott and Gerald Swiacki of Lancaster Pollard represented the seller in the deal.
BROOKHAVEN, GA. — Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) has broken ground on its Center for Advanced Pediatrics ambulatory care center, a new 260,000-square-foot facility situated at I-85 and North Druid Hills Road in Brookhaven, a suburb of Atlanta. Located at 1400 Tullie Road N.E., the Center for Advanced Pediatrics will house 457 physicians and employees and anticipates managing more than 100,000 patient visits in the first year. The development cost was undisclosed, but the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that contractors familiar with the project estimate that the facility could cost anywhere from $90 million to $120 million to build. Pulmonology, neurology, cardiology and diabetes are a few of the specialties that will move into the new building, which will be centrally located to CHOA’s three hospital campuses: Egleston, Hughes Spalding and Scottish Rite. Basic imaging and phlebotomy services will also be available at the facility. In addition to physician space, the six-story property will have telemedicine capabilities, flexible exam rooms, a teaching classroom and a demonstration kitchen. Additional features of the site include gardens and green space around the building and a dedicated parking deck. CHOA has not announced an expected completion date.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Carr Properties has acquired 1875 K Street, a 99 percent-leased, 190,345-square-foot office building in Washington, D.C.’s central business district. The company purchased the Class A building from Shorenstein Properties. The sales price was undisclosed, but Washington Business Journal reports that Carr Properties purchased the 12-story building for $150 million. Completed in 2002, 1875 K Street is located at the corner of 19th and K streets and is anchored by tenants including Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, WeWork, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP and Shipman & Goodwin LLP. The building features 14,000- to 17,000-square-foot floorplates, ceiling heights exceeding 9 feet, an enclosed penthouse with an adjoining roof terrace and a 4,000-square-foot fitness center. Carr Properties will manage property management and leasing services. Eastdil Secured’s Washington office represented Shorenstein Properties in the transaction.
BRASELTON, GA. — Peachtree City, Ga.-based Randolph Williams has completed construction of The Lodge by Chateau Elan, a new Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton hotel located on the estate of Chateau Elan in Braselton. Located at 5159 Golf Club Drive, the 95-room hotel will feature free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour fitness center, meeting space and an outdoor pool with views of Chateau Elan’s vineyard. Chateau Elan Hotels & Resorts manages the hotel, which offers access to Georgia’s largest winery, 63 holes of golf, a 35,000-square-foot spa and seven restaurants.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Berkadia has arranged a $30.5 million acquisition loan for Tuscany Bay, a 396-unit apartment community located at 5870 Sundown Circle in Orlando. The property features one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 600 to 1,140 square feet. Community amenities include two swimming pools, a spa, sauna, courtyard, tennis and racquetball courts and on-site boat storage. The borrower, a partnership between Rosehill Group — a joint venture between Duncan Hillsley Capital and PEBB Capital — and Atlantic Creek Real Estate Partners LLC, will use the Freddie Mac loan to purchase and renovate Tuscany Bay to green efficiency standards. Charles Foschini, Mitch Sinberg, Christopher Apone, Brad Williamson and Matthew Robbins of Berkadia arranged the financing through Freddie Mac’s Value-Add and Green Up programs.