ORLANDO, FLA. — Primark has signed a 36,000-square-foot lease at The Florida Mall in Orlando. Spanning two stories, the store will feature an entire floor dedicated to Disney merchandise. Scheduled for the end of August, the opening will bring the retailer’s U.S. portfolio to 26 locations. Primark currently operates one store in the state at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise. Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group owns The Florida Mall, which opened in 1986.
LEBANON, TENN. — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has certified REI Co-Op’s 400,000-square-foot distribution center in Lebanon as LEED v4 Platinum. Situated roughly 30 miles east of Nashville, the property is the largest LEED Platinum-certified industrial property in the Southeastern United States and one of 10 warehouses in the country to achieve LEED v4 Platinum certification, as well as the only facility in the state with that rating. Al. Neyer designed and developed the distribution center in 2023. Sustainable features of the REI distribution center include 100 percent renewable electricity via an onsite solar array, as well as a nearby solar array in east Tennessee that REI helps support; the use of reclaimed wood and metal sourced from the original barn onsite; a polished concrete stream inspired by the nearby Cumberland River; numerous skylights; and water systems to repurpose rain water. The Lebanon facility serves REI stores and customer online order fulfillment in the Midwest and Southeast, and complements REI’s three existing distribution centers in Bedford, Pa.; Goodyear, Ariz.; and Sumner, Wash. REI employs roughly 275 people at the Lebanon property, which has received industry awards from local chapters of national organizations including NAIOP and ULI.
LUTZ, FLA. — Argyle Real Estate Partners and Sembler Investments Real Estate Partners (SIREP) have acquired a 576-unit multifamily portfolio located in Lutz, roughly 14 miles north of downtown Tampa. The acquisition includes the communities Sage at Cypress Cay and Lantana at Cypress Cay. Built in 2022, Sage at Cypress Cay totals 324 units. Apartments at the property feature one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Amenities include a resort-style pool with outdoor kitchens and firepits, a clubhouse, fitness center, dog park and pet spa. Lantana at Cypress Cay was developed in 2023 and comprises 252 units. According to a press release issued by Argyle, the property includes residences and amenities comparable to those of Sage of Cypress Cay. The buyers plan to implement minor capital improvements at Lantana at Cypress Cay. Both communities are situated near the University of South Florida (USF), Veterans’ Hospital and Advent Health’s main hospital campus. “With approximately 30,000 healthcare and education jobs in the immediate vicinity, and their proximity to downtown Tampa, these two properties are well positioned to benefit from these growing and diverse employment hubs and provide quality living solutions to these employees,” says Mark Sembler, chief executive officer of SIREP. — Hayden Spiess
RALEIGH, N.C. — PruittHealth has broken ground on a $385.5 million redevelopment project at The Oaks at Whitaker Glen, a seniors housing property in Raleigh. Upon completion, the continuing care retirement community (CCRC) property will comprise 246 independent living units in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts; 82 assisted living apartments; and a new, 106-bed skilled nursing center. The campus, which spans 20 acres, will also feature public-facing retail stores and healthcare space. The Oaks at Whitaker Glen is accepting preconstruction reservations now. A construction timeline was not released.
FORT SMITH, ARK. — Sila Realty Trust Inc., a publicly traded net lease healthcare REIT based in Tampa, has purchased a 50-bed inpatient healthcare facility in Fort Smith, a city on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. An undisclosed seller sold the approximately 62,500-square-foot healthcare property for $28.3 million. Built in 2021, the facility was fully leased at the time of sale to Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital, a joint venture between Mercy Hospital Fort Smith and Lifepoint Health. The rehabilitative property is tailored for individuals recovering from stroke, brain injury, neurological conditions, trauma, spinal cord injury, amputation and orthopedic injury. Year-to-date, Sila Realty Trust has purchased eight Class A healthcare properties for an aggregate price of $164 million.
RALEIGH, N.C. — JLL Capital Markets has brokered the sale of Landmark at North Hills, a 166,653-square-foot office building located at 4601 Six Forks Road in Raleigh. A joint venture between Edgewater Ventures and Northridge Capital acquired the property for an undisclosed price. Ryan Clutter, Daniel Flynn, C.J. Liuzzo and Sarah Holloway of JLL represented the seller, BentallGreenOak (BGO), in the transaction. Dennis Hurley, Hillman Duncan and Patti Autry of JLL will manage leasing at the property on behalf of the new ownership. Landmark at North Hills, which sits on seven acres and comprises two five-story buildings connected by a sky bridge, was 84.3 percent leased at the time of sale.
DECATUR, GA. — Berkadia has arranged a $13 million loan for the acquisition of Arcadia Decatur, a 101-unit apartment community located at 220 N. Arcadia Ave. in Decatur, a northeast suburb of Atlanta. Scott Wadler, Matt Robbins and Abigail Beauchamp of Berkadia secured the five-year, fixed-rate financing on behalf of the borrower, a joint venture between Atlantic Pacific Cos. and Highline Real Estate Capital. Built in 2020, Arcadia Decatur features one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as a fitness center, outdoor grills, swimming pool and a sundeck.
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — FM Capital has secured an $11 million bridge loan for the financing of an office building located at 301 Arthur Godfrey Road in Miami Beach. Formerly known as the HSBC Building, the property is now known as the Citizens Bank Building. Noam Temchin of FM Capital originated the interest-only, floating-rate loan through Sheridan Capital on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.
Remember the “retail apocalypse”? Fast forward to today and it seems to be quite a different story. Retail is currently viewed by many as the most attractive sector within the commercial real estate industry, due in part to an all-time low vacancy rate and increasing rental rates. Atlanta’s retail vacancy rate has dropped to 3.6 percent, which is the lowest rate on record according to CoStar Group. The low vacancy rate coupled with an extremely limited amount of new retail space under development due to high construction costs has created a market unlike anything we have seen in a long time. Increased construction costs along with higher interest rates have made it cost-prohibitive to build traditional retail power centers; however, grocery-anchored retail is the anomaly with Publix taking the lead. Several mixed-use developments that include a large retail component are underway as well, including High Street in Dunwoody, Medley in Johns Creek and Centennial Yards in downtown Atlanta, just to name a few. Additionally, some retail space has been taken off line as malls reinvent themselves. Examples include the partial demolition of North DeKalb Mall in Decatur to make way for a new mixed-use development known as Lulah Hills; Northlake …
TAMPA, FLA. — Multifamily developer ZOM Living has sold Azola South Tampa, a community located at 7701 Interbay Blvd. in Tampa. Miami-based multifamily investment firm Momentum Real Estate Partners acquired the property for $64.3 million. Situated on nine acres, the community comprises 214 apartments and townhomes. Amenities at the property include a 6,000-square-foot clubhouse with a lounge, coworking areas, kitchenette, game room and fitness center, as well as a swimming pool and a pavilion with seating and a summer kitchen and grilling area.