Friday, April 17, 2026
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DevelopmentFloridaSoutheastStudent Housing

RISE, University of Tampa to Break Ground on 833-Bed Residence Hall Project

by John Nelson

TAMPA, FLA. — A public-private partnership between RISE and the University of Tampa is set to break ground on an 833-bed residence hall project located at the corner of South Boulevard and Cleveland Street in Tampa. RISE will finance and construct the building, which is scheduled for completion in fall 2028. The university will own and operate the residence hall, with RISE managing building maintenance and custodial services. The development team includes Niles Bolton Associates and Juneau Construction. The 11-story community is designed for first- and second-year students and will offer suite-style units with shared living spaces. Amenities will include study lounges, two common rooms, dining facilities, bicycle storage and surface-level parking. The project will also include improvements to the surrounding infrastructure, such as enhanced pedestrian and cyclist pathways along South Boulevard and an upgraded Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) bus shelter at Cleveland Street and Fielding Avenue.

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Company NewsLeasing ActivityNorth CarolinaOfficeSoutheast

SMBC Group to Bring 2,000 Office Jobs to Charlotte for New Banking Hub

by John Nelson

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC Group), one of Japan’s largest financial institutions, has announced it is bringing approximately 2,000 new jobs to Charlotte. The Tokyo-based banking firm is investing $50.5 million over the next six years to establish its second North American headquarters, according to the office of North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. The governor and North Carolina economic development officials met with SMBC leadership at a Tokyo conference in fall 2025 as part of the deal. Specific details of the new hub were not disclosed, but Charlotte Business Journal reports that SMBC Group will occupy more than 200,000 square feet of office space at 301 South College, a 42-story tower in the city’s Uptown district formerly known as One Wells Fargo Center. The outlet reports that SMBC will sublease space that Wells Fargo vacated in 2024.

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DevelopmentMarylandMixed-UseRetailSoutheastTop Stories

WRS Breaks Ground on $1.2B Redevelopment of Lakeforest Mall in Metro D.C.

by John Nelson

GAITHERSBURG, MD. — WRS Inc., a retail and mixed-use development firm based in Charleston, S.C., has broken ground on the $1.2 billion redevelopment of Lakeforest Mall, a 102-acre shopping mall in Gaithersburg that shuttered in 2023. Situated in the northern arch of the Washington, D.C., suburbs, the multi-phase project will transform 1.1 million square feet of obsolete retail space and parking lots into a walkable “mini-city” that will be master-planned on a grid of walkable streets and public amenities. “This is more than just a construction project; it is the rebirth of a community anchor,” says Kevin Rogers, principal of WRS. “We are proud to deliver a project that honors the legacy of Lakeforest while looking firmly toward the future of Gaithersburg.” Hallmarks of the new mixed-use village will include: Phase I of the redevelopment’s infrastructure, which comprises demolition of the mall, installation of storm drain systems and establishment of road networks on the site, is now underway. WRS plans to begin vertical construction on the first residential and retail blocks of the development shortly after these initiatives are complete. WRS began purchasing Lakeforest Mall beginning in 2019. In 2022, the firm obtained acquisition and construction financing from PCCP for the …

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buc-ees
DevelopmentGeorgiaRetailSoutheast

Buc-ee’s Breaks Ground on 74,000 SF Travel Center in Forsyth, Georgia

by Abby Cox

FORSYTH, GA. — Buc-ee’s has broken ground on a 74,000-square-foot travel center in Forsyth, roughly 60 miles southeast of Atlanta in Monroe County. The store is scheduled to open in spring 2027 and will become the fourth Buc-ee’s location in the state. Officials also stated that the site will be one of the largest in the company’s history and about 40 percent larger than the Buc-ee’s already operating in Warner Robins, about 30 miles to the south, according to WJCL. Situated at 1060 Rumble Road, the new store is expected to bring more than 200 full-time jobs to the area. Buc-ee’s currently operates 54 stores throughout its home state of Texas, as well as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia, Missouri and Tennessee.

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Belcourt-Park
AcquisitionsMultifamilySoutheastTennessee

JLL Negotiates Sale of Two Nashville Multifamily Communities Totaling 177 Units

by Abby Cox

NASHVILLE, TENN. — JLL Capital Markets has negotiated the sale of two apartment properties in Nashville’s Hillsboro Village neighborhood totaling 177 units: Belcourt Park and Village 21 at Regions Park. Nick Brown, Peter Yorck and John Weber of JLL represented the seller, Atlanta-based TriBridge Residential, in the off-market transaction. A partnership between Harrison Street Asset Management and Nashville-based Elmington Residential purchased the properties for $54.8 million, according to the Nashville Business Journal. Village 21 at Regions Park opened in 2017 and offers 101 units, including retail space with tenants such as E3 Chophouse, Taco Mama and Bad Ass Coffee, among others. Elmington and Harrison Street only acquired the apartment portion of the development. Belcourt Park, a 76-unit property, stands four stories tall with units averaging 646 square feet in size.  

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AcquisitionsFloridaLoansMultifamilySoutheast

MMCC Arranges $3.2M in Acquisition Financing for The Grove Apartments in Marianna, Florida

by Abby Cox

MARIANNA, FLA. — Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. (MMCC) has arranged $3.2 million in acquisition financing for The Grove Apartments, a 44-unit multifamily community located in the heart of the Florida Panhandle in Marianna, approximately 65 miles west of Tallahassee. Garrett Fierstein of MMCC secured the five-year loan through a local credit union. The loan carries a 6.12 percent fixed interest rate, 30-year amortization period and a 70 percent loan-to-value ratio. Situated near Chipola College and Florida Caverns State Park, The Grove is fully occupied and features a mix of two- and three-bedroom townhomes with an average size of 1,100 square feet, according to Apartments.com.

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Leasing ActivityOfficeSoutheastTennessee

Stream Realty Inks 35,000 SF of Leases at 5 City Office Tower in Nashville

by Abby Cox

NASHVILLE, TENN. — Stream Realty Partners has inked five leases over the past two months at 5 City, a newly delivered, 344,000-square-foot office tower in Nashville. Chicago-based Convexity Properties is the owner and developer of the 15-story tower. National law firm Dickinson Wright signed a 16,116-square-foot lease, relocating from its previous office in downtown Nashville, while investment management and financial advisory firm Nephila Advisors signed a 9,954-square-foot lease. Additional tenants include Jay-Bee Oil and Gas, which is opening its first Nashville office; Precision Field Services, a mortgage services and property preservation business; and a San Francisco-based music label and publisher. The five leases total approximately 35,000 square feet. Charlie Gibson, Stewart Lyman and Maddy Sickels of Stream Realty manages the office leasing efforts at 5 City for Convexity. Liz Craig of Foundry Commercial oversees the property’s retail leasing. JLL represented Dickinson Wright and Nephila Advisors in their lease transactions, while CBRE represented Jay-Bee Oil and Gas and Precision Field Services. Kasa Real Estate represented the music label and publisher. Designed by Goettsch Partners, 5 City offers a mix of amenities including an outdoor terrace space; a tenant lounge; training and conference center with seating for up to 100 people; an onsite …

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AlabamaIndustrialMarket ReportsSoutheastSoutheast Market Reports

Birmingham Industrial: Softness in Distribution, Resurgence in Manufacturing

by John Nelson

The Birmingham industrial real estate market has remained relatively resilient compared to many U.S. markets, but recent trends show a shift in demand patterns with recent softness in the distribution sector compared to growing activity from manufacturing users. Overall market fundamentals remain stable. Birmingham continues to benefit from disciplined development and historically tight vacancies. Multi-tenant leased vacancy has generally remained well below national averages, hovering around the 5 percent range in the first half of 2025. Rent growth remains positive at about 3.5 percent annually.  Renewing or vacant second-generation rents strategically lag new construction rents by about 15 to 20 percent. The second-generation base rent range is $6 to $7.50 per square foot depending on size, location and quality.  Distribution and logistics demand has softened in recent months. Following the surge of warehouse construction and demand during the pandemic, leasing activity slowed by 2025. Approximately 1.3 million square feet of speculative space was delivered locally in 2022 and 2023, with asking rents at about $8 per square foot.  The early deliveries benefited while the last projects to deliver were slower to lease as the economy stalled in the post-pandemic Biden era. Presently, 109,000 square feet of first-generation space delivered in …

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ellevate-north-charleston
LoansMultifamilySouth CarolinaSoutheastWalker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop Arranges $58M Refinancing for Two Multifamily Communities in North Charleston

by Abby Cox

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Walker & Dunlop has arranged a $58 million loan to refinance two multifamily communities in North Charleston: Ellevate St. Ives and Ellevate North Charleston. Walker Layne, Matt Wallach, Stephen West, Austin Sneed and Tyler Roberts of Walker & Dunlop secured the floating-rate, interest-only bridge loan through Bridge Investment Group on behalf of the borrower, Chapel Hill, N.C.-based Eller Capital Partners. Located at 7930 St. Ives Road, Ellevate St. Ives comprises 248 apartments ranging in size from 680 to 1,048 square feet, according to Apartments.com. Amenities at the garden-style complex include a clubhouse, car wash area, fitness center, swimming pool, playground, courtyard and grilling and picnic areas. Ellevate North Charleston, which is situated at 2225 Greenridge Road, offers 192 garden-style apartments and features a mix of amenities such as a resort-style swimming pool, fitness center, picnic area, pet play area, dog park, outdoor grills and tennis courts. Both properties participate in South Carolina’s affordable housing tax abatement program, with 75 percent of units reserved for residents making 80 percent or less of the area median income (AMI), and 20 percent of the apartments reserved for residents making 50 percent or less of the AMI, in exchange for …

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Ekos_at_Warrington
Affordable HousingDevelopmentFloridaLoansSoutheast

McDowell Housing Breaks Ground on $41.9M Affordable Housing Project in Pensacola, Florida

by Abby Cox

PENSACOLA, FLA. — McDowell Housing Partners has broken ground on Ekos at Warrington, a 120-unit affordable housing community located in Pensacola near the Naval Air Station (NAS). The community will serve a mix of income levels, with 10 percent of units reserved for extremely low-income (ELI) households at 40 percent of the area median income (AMI), and the remaining 90 percent of units serving households at or below 60 percent AMI. Also, 50 percent of the total units will be set aside for active-duty military members, veterans and their families, including half of the ELI units that will be reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness. Ekos at Warrington is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2027. Located at 280 Dogwood Drive, Ekos at Warrington will span four, three-story buildings, along with a standalone clubhouse. The project will provide 72 one-bedroom, 36 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom units ranging in size from 631 to 1,197 square feet. Amenities will include onsite management and maintenance offices, a fitness center, community room with a kitchenette and game tables, media/business center with a computer lab, as well as a swimming pool, playground, dog park, barbecue area and a gazebo. The project will meet National Green …

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