PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. — A partnership between Morgan Co. and Casto Net Lease has acquired 15 acres in Port St. Lucie, a city in southeast Florida’s St. Lucie County. The duo plans to develop a new shopping center anchored by Aldi on the site. The center will also include outparcels designated for McDonald’s, Circle K and AutoZone, as well as outparcels that are currently available for sale or lease. Scott Copeland of On Course Development represented Morgan and Casto Net Lease in the land deal. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. The buyers plan to break ground on the shopping center before the end of the year and deliver the property in 2027.
FLOWERY BRANCH, GA. — The Taylor McMinn Retail Group of Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of a restaurant in Flowery Branch leased to Whataburger. The restaurant was built in 2024 and sold to a local buyer that purchased the property all-cash in a 1031 exchange. Don McMinn and Andrew Koriwchak of Taylor McMinn Retail Group represented the seller, a repeat developer for the Whataburger brand, in the deal. Both parties requested anonymity. Whataburger has 14 years remaining on its ground lease, which features rent increases in the initial term as well as extension options. “This marks our fourth new Whataburger closing in the Atlanta MSA over the past 12 months, and we are currently marketing an additional location in Buford, Ga.,” says McMinn. “Demand for well-located QSR [quick-service restaurant] assets remains strong as 1031 exchange and private capital continue to re-enter the net lease market. Capital targeting the QSR sector is driven by long-term leases, rent escalations and attractive drive-thru locations.”
By Angela Adolph, Esq. of Kean Miller LLP Recent federal court decisions reveal diverging interpretations of how a landmark Supreme Court ruling on the Fifth Amendment’s takings clause affects state administration of unclaimed property. Taken together, the cases expose state governments to uncertainty and litigation risk over the constitutional limits of their authority. Property, Post-Tyler The current ambiguity reflects increased national scrutiny of state powers in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s pivotal 2023 decision in Tyler vs. Hennepin County, Minnesota. In that case, the county had seized a residential condominium and sold it for $40,000 to satisfy $15,000 in unpaid property taxes. The former owner sought the $25,000 in residual sale proceeds. The Supreme Court found that a taxpayer’s compensable interest in property applies to both the property and equity in the form of excess proceeds generated from a forfeiture sale of that asset. The decision clarified that economic value is property subject to the takings clause, which prohibits taking private property for public use without just compensation. In Tyler, the Supreme Court emphasized that the takings clause protects more than physical possession; it also protects a citizen’s economic value in property. A state cannot deprive a citizen …
ATLANTA — Rockefeller Group has unveiled plans for Alina, a 357-unit apartment community within the 1072 West Peachtree mixed-use tower in Midtown Atlanta. At 749 feet, the 60-story tower will be the tallest new building to be built in the city in the past three decades, according to Rockefeller. Alina will feature a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as penthouse units that feature private parking spaces. Alina’s residents will have access to an acre of indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, including a resort-style pool, pickleball court, dog run on the 20th floor, indoor Yoga and Pilates studio, private training studio and a clubroom with two fireplace lounges, billiards, shuffleboard, an entertaining kitchen, golf simulator and an indoor/outdoor porch lounge. The property will also feature The Pavilion at 1072, which is billed as the largest outdoor deck in Midtown Atlanta. The 1072 West Peachtree tower will also include 224,000 square feet of Class A offices below the apartments and 6,300 square feet of ground-level retail space. Bozzuto will lead leasing efforts for Alina, which is expected to begin in the second quarter. Rockefeller expects to deliver the tower this spring.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Kane Realty Corp. has broken on Tributary, a multifamily community located within the North Hills Innovation District (NHID) in Raleigh’s North Hills neighborhood. Set to open in spring 2028, the mid-rise property will include 332 apartments, 6,000 square feet of ground-level retail space, two courtyards, a digital content creation studio, wellness center and new greenway connections. The design-build team includes architect Hickok Cole, general contractor John Moriarty & Associates and civil engineer McAdams. Kane Realty is working with the City of Raleigh for Tributary and future phases of NHID to integrate into the city’s road and greenway infrastructure. Additionally, Kane Realty has acquired 28 acres to expand NHID and recently brought in Los Angeles-based McCourt Partners as a development partner. Future projects within NHID will include a residential high-rise and a mixed-use building next to Tributary, as well as mixed-use development along I-440 and pop-up retail and programming. Hush Salon recently opened below Tower 5 at NHID, and upcoming openings include Benchwarmers Bagels and Standard Beer + Food.
NEW ORLEANS — JLL has arranged a $61 million loan for Energy Centre, a 757,257-square-foot office tower located at 1100 Poydras St. in New Orleans. Situated in city’s central business district, the Class A, 39-story building is the fourth-tallest property in New Orleans, according to JLL. Scott Aiese, Alex Staikos and Clayton Ross of JLL arranged the fixed-rate, five-year permanent loan on behalf of the borrower, Triangle Capital Group. Fully renovated in 2009, Energy Centre was 86.4 percent leased at the time of loan closing to a tenant mix that includes legal, finance, medical and other professional services, with a weighted average lease tenure (WALT) of nearly 18 years.
HUNTSVILLE, ALA. — A joint venture between Essex Capital and Ascend Property Group has begun leasing at The Residences at Front Row, a 545-unit multifamily community in downtown Huntsville. Move-ins for the first 190 apartments are targeted for June, according to the development team. The property is the first phase of Front Row, a $220 million mixed-use development that will feature residences, offices and 50,000 square feet of shops and restaurants surrounding a central green space, as well as art installations and outdoor patios. In addition to Essex Capital and Ascend, the development team of The Residences at Front Row includes affiliates of Silverstein Properties, Cantor Fitzgerald and Arctaris Impact Investors. Other project team members include Crunkleton Associates (retail broker), Torti Gallas + Partners and Matheny Goldmon (architects), Vida Design (interior designer), ARCO/Murray (general contractor) and The VOREA Group (construction oversight).
DELRAY BEACH, FLA. — A partnership between Delray Beach-based Redfearn Capital and TPG Angelo Gordon’s U.S. Real Estate platform has closed on the refinancing for a 10-property industrial portfolio in Florida. CBRE’s Debt & Structured Finance Team secured the $150 million refinancing through Prospect Ridge. The financing includes an initial $80 million backed by the portfolio and up to $70 million in additional capacity to support future acquisitions. The portfolio is located across seven high-growth Florida markets: Orlando, Clearwater, Pompano Beach, Jacksonville, Naples, Hialeah and Miramar. The properties total 590,895 square feet and were 98.4 percent leased at the time of financing to 19 tenants. Redfearn Capital and TPG Angelo Gordon have acquired 37 industrial assets in Florida spanning approximately 3.2 million square feet since 2021. The 10 properties in the refinanced portfolio were assembled by the partnership from June 2022 through October 2025.
KNIGHTDALE, N.C. — Walker & Dunlop has provided a $50.5 million Freddie Mac loan for the refinancing of Parkstone at Knightdale, a 350-unit apartment community located at 1001 Park Commons Drive in Knightdale, an eastern suburb of Raleigh. Aaron Appel, Jonathan Schwartz, Keith Kurland, Adam Schwartz, Sean Reimer and Jackson Irwin of Walker & Dunlop originated the loan on behalf of the borrower, The Widewaters Group Inc. Apprise, Walker & Dunlop’s independent third-party appraisal platform, appraised the transaction. Parkstone at Knightdale features one-, two- and three-bedroom units, as well as a fitness center, resort-style pool, playground, pet wash station, resident storage units and an outdoor lounge with a grilling station.
TAMPA, FLA. — Creative Contractors Inc. has begun the $13.5 million renovation and modernization of Tampa Theatre, a historic cinema in downtown Tampa that opened on Oct. 15, 1926. The Tampa Bay-area general contractor will make audiovisual enhancements to the theater, as well as upgrades across the property’s HVAC, electrical and mechanical systems, including the installation of a new elevator. Other enhancements will include a refreshed concessions area, new bathrooms, a new stage truss system and upgraded theatrical lighting to support live performances and film presentations. The second and third floors of the theater will also be renovated to include new rooms for education and archives. Creative will also bring in a specialty plaster restoration contractor to restore the main Duncan Auditorium to its original grandeur. On the exterior, Creative is refreshing the building’s signage with new paint and enhanced lighting. DLR Group designed the overhaul, which is set to wrap up in time to celebrate the theater’s centennial celebration.