ATLANTA — Columbia Ventures LLC plans to break ground this week on Spoke, a transit-oriented, mixed-use development situated at the Edgewood/Candler Park MARTA station in Atlanta’s Edgewood neighborhood. Demolition has begun on the site, which is currently a parking lot on La France Street. Spoke is the first of several MARTA station activation projects to break ground under the leadership of MARTA CEO Keith Parker. Upon completion in 2018, Phase I of Spoke will feature a 224-unit luxury apartment building, neighborhood park, local restaurant and a headquarters and performing arts center for Moving in the Spirit, a local youth development organization. Perkins + Will designed the Moving in the Spirit building. Future phases will include additional housing and commercial uses. Chip Sykes of HFF arranged construction financing through Mutual Bank of Omaha on behalf of Columbia Ventures.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — KBS Real Estate Investment Trust Inc. (KBS REIT) has sold Gateway Center, a 10-story, 310,745-square-foot office building located at 901 W. Trade St. in Charlotte’s central business district. An undisclosed buyer purchased the asset for $30.5 million. The property is within walking distance of Greyhound and Light Rail stations, in addition to Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Gateway Center was 90 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Bank of America and Johnson & Wales University. Amenities include a sundries shop and a 149-space, below-grade parking facility. The sale includes a 1.6-acre parcel currently used as a 29-space surface parking lot. Ryan Clutter, Scot Humphrey, Ralph Smalley and Christopher Lingerfelt of HFF represented KBS REIT in the sale.
GAINESVILLE, FLA. — Walker & Dunlop Inc. has arranged a $22 million refinance loan for a portfolio of three student housing communities located near the University of Florida campus in Gainesville. Paul Ahmed of Walker & Dunlop arranged the 10-year, fixed-rate loan with a 30-year amortization schedule on behalf of the borrower, Trimark Properties. The portfolio of properties includes Solaria II, Tuscana and Savion Park. Altogether, the three properties comprise 114 units and 157,000 square feet. Community amenities at the properties include private balconies, internal courtyards, parks with jogging paths, electric wine chillers and 24-hour concierge services.
Phillips Realty Capital Secures $18.7M Construction Loan for Residence Inn Adjacent to Virginia Tech
BLACKSBURG, VA. — Phillips Realty Capital has secured an $18.7 million construction loan for a new Residence Inn adjacent to the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg. The new Marriott-branded hotel will sit at the corner of University City Boulevard and Prices Fork Road. The six-story, 126-room hotel will feature fully equipped kitchens and living rooms, an indoor pool and a 24/7 workout room. The new hotel will help anchor University Crossroads, a mixed-use redevelopment near Virginia Tech’s visitors center and main entrance. Brian Boland of Phillips Realty Capital arranged the financing through a regional bank on behalf of the borrowers, Newport Hospitality Group Inc. and Collegiate Inn of Blacksburg LLC. The hotel is scheduled to open in mid-2018.
ALPHARETTA, GA. — Pope & Land Enterprises Inc., with assistance from capital advisor Patterson Real Estate Advisory Group, has purchased a five-story, 113,000-square-foot office building located on a 10.2-acre parcel at 3333 Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta. Siemens, which will be vacating the property in August, sold the asset to Pope & Land for an undisclosed price. Patterson arranged debt financing through The Brand Banking Co. for the office acquisition. The building is situated adjacent to 27 acres of land that Pope & Land owns, as well as a mile from Avalon and GA 400. Siemens has owned and operated the office asset since the company built it in 1987.
ORLANDO, FLA. — A joint venture between Phoenix Realty Group and Park Row Equity Partners has purchased The Element, an apartment community located at 2207 Lake Debra Drive in Orlando’s Metrowest master-planned neighborhood. The Element includes 27 independently owned condos, which were not included in the $34.9 million sale. Phoenix Realty Group will operate the apartment community and help administer the Homeowner’s Association. Built in 1996, The Element sits on 20.2 acres adjacent to the Metrowest golf course. Unit interiors include nine-foot ceilings and full-size washers and dryers. Community amenities include a resort-style swimming pool, sundeck and spa and a tennis court. The new ownership plans to renovate The Element’s amenities and interiors through a value-add investment program. John Alascio and Sridhar Vankayala of Cushman & Wakefield arranged a $26.3 million, fixed-rate, Fannie Mae acquisition loan through Capital One on behalf of Phoenix Realty Group.
WINTER SPRINGS, FLA. — Berkadia has arranged the $23.3 million sale of Columns at Winter Springs, a 208-unit apartment community situated on more than 16 acres at 1020 Chatham Pines in Winter Springs, roughly 16 miles northeast of Orlando. Built in 1991-1992, the property was 95 percent occupied at the time of sale. Hal Warren, Cole Whitaker and Jason Stanton of Berkadia represented the seller, Atlanta-based Seminole-Winter Springs Associates LLC, in the transaction.
CUMMING, GA. — Avison Young has brokered the $14.4 million sale of Shoppes at Vickery Village, a 77,794-square-foot mixed-use project located at 5802-5854 N. Vickery St. in Cumming. The property is situated within the master-planned Vickery Village community. Built in 2006, Shoppes at Vickery Village comprises roughly 47,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space below office or residential units; a 1,000-square-foot ice cream shop; a 1,200-square-foot, freestanding salon; a 2,525-square-foot medical space above retail; three two-story office buildings totaling 15,550 square feet; and an outparcel site approved for a 2,300-square-foot retail building. A.J. Belt III and David Duckworth of Avison Young represented the seller, Vickery Village Holding LLC, an entity led by Atlanta-based Cannon Equities that owned the project for 18 months and sold it at a $3 million premium. Vickery Village Community LLC purchased the asset.
DURHAM, N.C. — A joint venture between Trinity Capital Advisors and SilverCap Partners has purchased Research Tri-Center North III and IV, a 272,396-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility located at 2910 and 2710 Weck Drive in Durham. The facility features 25 dock-high doors, 40-foot by 40-foot column spacing, an ESFR sprinkler system and a truck court with trailer parking. Trinity Capital plans to upgrade the facility with new T5 lighting, renovated office space and paved access off Alson Avenue, which will re-orient the property as a rear-loading facility. Bryan Everett of CBRE | Raleigh represented the seller, B F Properties II NC LLC, in the transaction. The joint venture has selected Trinity Partners to manage the property and Everett and Daniel Jackson, also with CBRE | Raleigh, to lease the project.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — DRA Advisors LLC has sold The Colonnade, a 127,031-square-foot shopping center located at the intersection of Highway 280 and I-459 in Birmingham. The property is shadow-anchored by The Summit, Bayer Properties’ 981,714-square-foot regional mixed-use center. The Colonnade was 91 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Gold’s Gym, Edgar’s Old Style Bakery, Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, Scottrade, Cracker Barrel, Johnny Ray’s BBQ, Jimmy John’s, Asian Rim Sushi Co., Drapery Studio, Teach Me Beauty and Schaeffer Eye Center. Richard Reid and Jim Hamilton of HFF’s Atlanta office represented DRA Advisors in the sale of the property to Colonnade Retail Partners LLC, a group led by Shannon Waltchack, a Birmingham-based commercial real estate management firm. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.