AUGUSTA, GA. — Transwestern has brokered Bennett Distribution Services LLC's 237,500-square-foot lease renewal at 922 Molly Pond Road in Augusta. The tenant is an affiliate of McDonough, Ga.-based Bennett International Group LLC and operates more than 1.1 million square feet of warehouse/distribution space in Augusta. Buddy Hill of Transwestern represented the tenant in the lease deal. Scott Atkins of Meybohm Commercial Properties represented the landlord.
Southeast
In 2013, Washington’s office market has been characterized by tenant-favorable conditions, lower-than-average deal volume and absorption reliant on a handful of major transactions. The metropolitan area has recovered its pre-recession employment levels; however, with the federal government being the region’s major economic driver, there has been considerable impact on the office market from BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure), sequestration, the recent government shutdown and the failure of Congress and the President to permanently resolve budget and debt-ceiling issues. And while sequestration technically took effect in 2013, many major tenants, in anticipation of cutbacks, began right-sizing their occupancy well in advance. Obviously any tenant whose revenues depend on government contracts led the charge in this proactive right-sizing movement. At the same time, federal tenants face a mandated reduction in their utilization rate, and private-sector tenants are looking for more densely packed, open-workspace floor plans as demonstrated by tenants leasing less space as they relocate. Notwithstanding the apparent economic headwinds, it is a remarkable time for confident tenants to lock in favorable terms. Concession packages, which comprise improvement allowances and rent abatement periods, are at all-time market highs, and landlords have demonstrated a willingness to restructure leases considerably in advance of expirations. …
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. — Phillips Edison-ARC Shopping Center REIT Inc. has acquired Courthouse Marketplace, a 106,863-square-foot shopping center located in Virginia Beach, for $16.1 million. Harris Teeter anchors the property, which includes other tenants such as The UPS Store, Great Clips and Wendy’s. The property is located across the street from the Municipal Center and Courthouse Complex. Additionally, Phillips Edison-ARC has recently purchased two other grocery-anchored shopping centers: The Fresh Market Shopping Center in Normal, Ill., and Pioneer Plaza in Springfield, Ore.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Federal Capital Partners has purchased Tree Top Apartments, a 206-unit apartment community located at 1328 Steinbeck Drive in Raleigh. Federal Capital purchased the garden-style community for $10.5 million. The property’s amenities include a clubhouse with a club room and fitness center, a playground, volleyball court, lighted tennis court and swimming pool. Brandon Whitesell and Alex Brown of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller in the transaction.
STOCKBRIDGE, GA. — The LaSalle Group has broken ground on Autumn Leaves of Stockbridge, a 26,000-square-foot memory care facility located at 100 Monarch Village Way in Stockbridge. The $10 million property is the first stand-alone memory care facility in Henry County. The LaSalle Group partnered with Silverado Interests and OmniAmerican Bank for the project. The memory care facility is expected in open in the summer of 2014.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — HFF has closed on the sale of The Apartments at Blakeney, a 295-unit multifamily community located in Charlotte. The property is the first apartment community to close in a seven-asset, Class A multifamily portfolio that HFF marketed on behalf of the owner, Northwood Raven and its affiliates. Associated Estates Realty Corp. purchased The Apartments at Blakeney and expects to close on the balance of the portfolio in stages through the fourth quarter of 2014. Jason Nettles, Matthew Lawton and Mark Gibson of HFF represented the seller in the transaction.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Johnson Capital has arranged $16.6 million in refinancing for Brook Highland Place Apartments, a 400-unit community located in southeast Birmingham. The garden-style complex is located on Meadow Drive, and approximately 75 percent of the units have been renovated in the past five years. Darren Fisk of Johnson Capital’s Denver office arranged the Freddie Mac loan through Prudential Affordable Mortgage Co. on behalf of the borrower, a West Coast-based apartment REIT, which owns 27 multifamily properties. The seven-year loan has a fixed interest rate of 3.5 percent with a 30-year amortization schedule.
ATHENS, GA. — Selig Enterprises Inc., an Atlanta-based real estate development firm, has reportedly abandoned its planned $90 million mixed-use development in downtown Athens, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. According to a statement from Selig, the company decided to not develop the property after market analysis and attempts to find funding for the project proved unfavorable. The development, which would have spanned three city blocks, drew criticism from community activists in the fall of 2011 after it was reported it would house a Walmart store. “Over the past two years, we’ve invested a lot of time, energy, and financial resources trying to bring the Foundry at Broad project to fruition,” said Jo Ann Chitty, Selig Enterprise’s senior vice president, in the statement. “It’s bitterly disappointing. It has been a dream of ours to build a project in Athens that the community could be proud of.”
ALPHARETTA, GA. — AMC Theatres has opened the new AMC North Point Mall 12, a 12-screen movie theater located in North Point Mall in Alpharetta. The theater offers 1,100 seats, concessions, Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, automated box offices, an IMAX screen and MacGuffins, a full-service bar and lounge area. The new property is the first new AMC theater building in more than two years in the U.S.
ATLANTA — Goddard Investment Group LLC has acquired the 440,000-square-foot Overlook III office building, located in Atlanta’s Vinings neighborhood. The 21-story office building sits atop Mount Wilkinson (also known as Vinings Mountain), the highest point inside Interstate 285. The Class A office property offers skyline views from every floor and is currently 70 percent leased. Goddard purchased the property through the Goddard Value-Add Office Fund I LP. Goddard plans to improve the property’s public areas, including the lobbies, elevators, water feature and landscaping.