FOREST PARK, GA. — HREC Investment Advisors has brokered the sale of the 79-guestroom Ramada Limited in Forest Park, roughly 11 miles south of Atlanta down I-75 and approximately five miles south of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The buyer, HR Hotel Management Inc., purchased the hotel for an undisclosed amount. Monty Levy, Jeff Brown and Scott Stephens of HREC Investment Advisors represented the seller, VFC Properties LLC.
RESTON, VA. — Akridge and RTC Partnership LLC have formed a joint venture to develop 1760 Reston Parkway, a $210 million, Class A office tower in the Reston Town Center mixed-use development outside Washington. The approximately 420,000-square-foot, 22-story building will reach 330 feet, nearly 115 feet taller than the next tallest building in Reston Town Center. As a result, 1760 Reston Parkway will offer tenants panoramic views from the Blue Ridge Mountains to downtown Washington. 1760 Reston Parkway will be located six miles east of the Washington Dulles International Airport and approximately 20 miles west of Washington. The site is currently home to a five-story, 61,000-square-foot office building that will need to be demolished prior to construction, according to the Washington Business Journal. The newspaper says that Akridge has not ruled out building on spec, but plans to prelease an anchor tenant for at least 150,000 square feet before proceeding with construction. RTC Partnership LLC acquired the property in 2005 and guided 1760 Reston Parkway through the entitlement process. Whealen retained Mike Shuler of Avison Young to structure a joint venture with a top office developer, leading to the joint venture with Akridge, a full-service commercial real estate company that …
SAVANNAH, GA. — Rockbridge plans to develop a 173-room boutique hotel in Savannah’s Historic District on River Street. With a projected opening in late 2016, the hotel will include a ground-floor restaurant and retail space, 4,000 square feet of meeting space, an upscale swimming pool experience, rooftop bar and on-site parking. Rockbridge will implement its all-king concept for this property, with 82 double king rooms, 66 kings and 25 suites. The hotel is located on the site of the oldest bottleworks factory in America and will incorporate historic bricks and bottles from the site in the development. Rockbridge has been working with city leaders to design and construct the first public, ADA-accessible pedestrian stairway and elevator to the river adjacent to the property. Plans include very wide, safe stairs and an elevator with new streetscaping and lighting enhancements.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Colliers International Northeast Florida has arranged a 236,250-square-foot office lease at EverBank Center, a 30-story, 956-201-square-foot office tower in downtown Jacksonville. Chuck Diebel, Preston Phillips and Lisa McLatchey of Colliers International Northeast Florida represented the landlord, Amkin West Bay LLC, in the lease transaction. Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. The new lease brings the office tower’s occupancy to more than 90 percent.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — ARA has brokered the sale of Berkshires on Providence, a 473-unit, Class B apartment community in Charlotte. Berkshires on Providence was built in 1969 and was receiving upgrades to units as they turned over. Community amenities include two swimming pools, two tennis courts, a business center, children’s play area, clubhouse and laundry center. The property was 97 percent occupied at the time of sale. Dean Smith, Blake Okland, Sean Wood and John Heimburger of ARA represented the seller, an affiliate of Boston-based Berkshire Group, in the transaction. The buyer, Charlotte-based Levine Properties, purchased the asset for an undisclosed amount.
MIAMI — Avison Young has arranged a new 21,492-square-foot lease for the relocation of Eastern National Bank’s corporate headquarters relocation. The company is moving its footprint from Miami’s Brickell district to Dadeland @ 9700, an 11-story, 67,142-square-foot office building at 9700 S. Dixie Highway. The move brings the office building to 100 percent occupancy. Donna Abood, Joe Abood and Ericka Witkowski of Avison Young represented the landlord, Dadeland Executive Plaza LLC, in the transaction.
The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill (Research Triangle) region has entered a period of vibrant market expansion. Overall Class A vacancy has fallen below 10 percent for the first time since the building boom of 2001, with rates as low as 2.2 percent in some of the region’s most desirable submarkets, where severe shortages have absorption extending into long-stagnant Class B product. Despite this auspicious environment for new construction, developers are still exercising substantial caution, underscoring the depth of the last downturn and its long-lasting impact on both the development and lending communities. However, recent successful Class A deliveries by REITs like Raleigh-based Highwoods Properties and Indianapolis-based Duke Realty signal a shift toward a more pronounced supply cycle, with lower pre-lease thresholds, and a Class A market that is clearly transitioning from a recovery cycle to a period of low supply. As the market picks up steam, here are three trends that we see emerging in the Raleigh-Durham office market, and the implications for the MSA going forward. The Rise of Live-Work-Play In the last decade, no trend has had a greater impact than the rise of the live-work-play model, a phrase that encapsulates many meanings, but always embodies the high value placed …
GAITHERSBURG, MD. — Phillips Realty Capital (PRC) has structured a $51 million construction/permanent loan for the next phase of the 125-acre Watkins Mill Town Center in Gaithersburg. The Majestic at Watkins Mill will be a five-story structure with 243 residential units, 10,500 square feet of retail space, landscaped terraces with fountains, a dog wash and theater room. The design team includes developer BP Realty Investments LLC — a joint venture between Kline & Associates and Henry Investments — and Donohoe Construction Co. Stephen Shaw, Jr. and Daniel Shiff of PRC arranged the loan through Cardinal Bank and Burke & Herbert Bank on behalf of BP Realty Investments.
TAMPA, FLA. — PCCP LLC has provided a $30.6 million senior loan to The Arden Group for the acquisition and renovation of the InterContinental Tampa, a 323-key hotel in Tampa’s Westshore submarket. The Arden Group is investing $5.4 million in capital improvements, including upgraded guestrooms, bathrooms, meeting rooms, common areas, mechanical systems and elevators. Built in 1984 and located at 4860 W. Kennedy Blvd., the hotel underwent a major renovation that was completed in 2008 when it was converted to an InterContinental. It is part of the Urban Centre mixed-use complex, which includes more than 500,000 square feet of Class A office space.
RIVIERA BEACH, FLA. — CBRE has brokered the $5.2 million sale of a 69,071-square-foot industrial portfolio located on four acres in Riviera Beach. An affiliate of KTR Capital Partners sold Flamingo Commerce Center, located at 7655 Enterprise Drive and 7656 Byron Drive, to Denholtz Riviera LLC. The property was 75 percent leased at the time of sale. Dominic Montazemi, Scott O’Donnell, Miguel Alcivar, Jeffrey Kelly, Robert Smith, Kirk Nelson and Jason Hochman of CBRE represented the buyer in the transaction.
