BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — The Stewart/Perry Co., a construction firm based in Birmingham, has started construction at the former Hotel Thomas Jefferson site in downtown Birmingham. The $20 million project will convert the historic hotel into a mixed-use apartment building with 96 residential units and ground-floor retail space. The 20-story structure, which was built in 1929 as a 350-room hotel, is best known for having the world’s last zeppelin mooring mast on the rooftop, which will be preserved in the new project. Scott Reed of Reed Realty Advisors has partnered with Brian Beshara and Adam Beshara of Beshara Investment Group to develop the property. The team has utilized historic tax credits administered by the National Park Service, as well as a new funding program operated by the state of Alabama. The project team expects to deliver the new apartment tower in the second quarter of 2016.
Southeast
ATLANTA — Westside Ironworks, a 19,000-square-foot, $8.5 million retail redevelopment in Atlanta’s West Midtown neighborhood, has added three new tenants, bringing its pre-leasing to 75 percent occupancy. The new tenants include O-Ku (3,200 square feet), a Southern-style sushi restaurant; Dixon Rye (5,000 square feet), an upscale, rustic-style home furnishings retailer; and Tom+Chee (2,600 square feet), a café-style, comfort food restaurant known for its Grilled Cheese Donut. All three retailers are expected to open this fall. The Westside Ironworks redevelopment transforms the former site of Iron-Works International Inc. into a retail destination. The project is spearheaded by Westside Ironworks LLC, a partnership between Frank Buonanotte and Jeff Stein. Buonanotte is the founder and chairman emeritus of The Shopping Center Group and the founder and principal of Metro Real Estate Investment Advisors, a real estate investment fund. In 2010, Stein founded Stein Investment Group, which has invested in and is actively acquiring real estate throughout metro Atlanta and the Southeast.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Oak Grove Capital has arranged the $9.5 million refinance of Venice Cove, a 150-unit apartment community in Fort Lauderdale. Tim Leonhard of Oak Grove Capital arranged the standard rate lock loan through Freddie Mac on behalf of the unnamed borrower.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Colliers International has brokered the $6.6 million sale of a 13,813-square-foot, single-tenant retail property at 5886 Conroy Road in Orlando. The triple-net leased asset is fully leased to CVS/pharmacy. Confl LLC purchased the asset from ECK 51 Conroy LLC. Cynthia Shelton and Kane-Morris Webster of Colliers International Central Florida, along with Jereme Snyder and Eric Carlton of Colliers International Greater Los Angeles, represented the seller in the transaction. CVS/pharmacy has roughly 10 years remaining on its lease.
TD Bank Provides $6M Redevelopment Loan for Affordable Housing Apartment Complex in Charleston
by John Nelson
CHARLESTON, S.C. — TD Bank has provided approximately $6 million for the renovation and rehabilitation of 100 affordable housing multifamily units in Charleston’s Ashley River submarket. Lori Swan of TD Bank structured the five-year loan with a 25-year amortization schedule on behalf of the developer, The Hampstead Group. The loan will be used to renovate the apartment units at Palmilla Parkside, previously known as St. Andrews Gardens, to provide housing for moderate-income residents. The original apartments were built in the 1970s as low-income housing and recently fell into disrepair. As part of its planned remodeling, Hampstead will install energy-efficient windows, plank flooring, stainless steel appliances and other upgrades in this community. Construction began in January 2015 and is expected to be complete within the next 15 months.
OXFORD, MISS. — Asset Campus Housing (ACH) has begun construction on Domain at Oxford, an off-campus student housing community in Oxford that will serve University of Mississippi students. The leasing center will open this fall, and the community will open for residents in fall 2016. Domain at Oxford will be a gated 216-unit property with 642 beds located within one mile of the University of Mississippi. The community will provide students with floor plan options including one-, two-, and four-bedroom apartments and townhomes. Every fully furnished apartment will come standard with hardwood-style floors, granite countertops, flat-screen TVs, stainless steel appliances, private bathrooms, full-size washer and dryer and other features. Domain at Oxford will feature an 11,000-square-foot clubhouse, a resort-style pool, Internet café, outdoor fire pit, sand volleyball, poolside hammock lounge area, video gaming center, complimentary tanning, group fitness studio, 24-hour gym and multiple private group study rooms.
TAMARAC, FLA. — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has opened a new 41,500-square-foot Walmart Neighborhood Market in Tamarac. The store, which will be open 24/7, is located at 6931 N.W. 88th Ave. The new store is expected to create roughly 95 full- and part-time jobs and features a drive-thru pharmacy and a pickup counter for items ordered online. Wal-Mart Stores had more than $473 billion in sales in fiscal year 2014 in its 11,202 stores and online. The company employs more than 2 million associates worldwide.
MAULDIN, S.C. — Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust Inc. (Wheeler REIT) has entered into a contract to acquire Butler Square, an 82,400-square-foot shopping center located in Mauldin, part of the Greenville metropolitan area. The company will purchase the fully leased retail center for $9.4 million, or roughly $114 per square foot, using a combination of cash and bank-provided debt. Built in 1987 and renovated in 2011, Butler Square’s tenant roster includes Bi-Lo, Dollar Tree, Cato Fashions and Sally Beauty Supplies.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Sean Glickman of Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT and founder of the Glickman Retail Group has brokered the $9.3 million sale of Colonial Town Center in Orlando. The shopping center was 90 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as HH Gregg, Mattress One and Interamerican Medical Centers. The asset is shadow-anchored by a Walmart Neighborhood Market and Sam’s Club. Glickman Retail Group represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. The buyer was an international company.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CBRE has brokered the sale of the Time Warner Cable Building in Charlotte’s I-77 submarket for an undisclosed sales price. The 113,600-square-foot building is fully occupied by Time Warner Cable and serves as a call center, office and operations facility. Patrick Gildea led CBRE’s Charlotte team in brokering the transaction.