BOWLING GREEN, KY. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $3.6 million sale of a two-property Dollar General portfolio in Bowling Green. Each retail property occupies 10,640 square feet on a 15-year corporate guaranteed lease with Dollar General Corp. Don McMinn and Andrew Koriwchak of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a Kentucky-based developer, in the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed. Grant Fitzgerald was Marcus & Millichap’s broker of record in Kentucky.
ATLANTA AND CHICAGO — Convenience retailer RaceTrac Inc. has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of fast-casual sandwich chain Potbelly Corp. (NASDAQ: PBPB) for $17.12 per share. The all-cash transaction is valued at roughly $566 million, representing a premium of approximately 47 percent to Potbelly’s 90-day volume-weighted average price as of Sept. 9. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Founded more than 40 years ago in Chicago, Potbelly sells toasted sandwiches, salads, soups and hand-dipped milkshakes. The sandwich shop chain currently maintains more than 445 company and franchise-owned locations across the United States, with a long-term goal of reaching 2,000 shops. “We have positioned Potbelly for accelerated franchise-led growth in recent years, and this transaction fortifies our path while delivering certain and immediate value to our shareholders,” says Bob Wright, president and CEO of Potbelly. Wright, a former Wendy’s executive, led a turnaround of Potbelly during the pandemic, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. Expanding the franchisee base was a major part of the strategy. Atlanta-based RaceTrac, one of the largest privately held companies in the United States, operates more than 800 convenience stores …
WILMINGTON, N.C. — CBL Properties, in a 49/51 joint venture with Vision Hospitality, has opened a new Element by Westin hotel at Mayfaire Town Center, a 610,000-square-foot, open-air shopping mall in Wilmington. Both CBL and Vision are headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 139-room hotel is situated on International Drive and includes a lobby bar, 24/7 fitness center and complimentary bicycle rentals. Since 2024, CBL has executed retail leases exceeding 100,000 square feet at Mayfaire, including deals with Dave & Busters, Altar’d State Kids, Rowan, Free People, FP Movement, Warby Parker, Claire’s, Vochos Urban Mexican Kitchen, Potbelly Sandwich Shop and Dry Bar. Additionally, existing tenants like lululemon athletica, Rack Room Shoes and Reed’s Jewelers have remodeled and expanded their stores at Mayfaire. CBL purchased the mall in 2015.
GAINESVILLE, GA. — Logistics Property Co. has broken ground on Phase II of Gainesville 85 Business Center, a 1 million-square-foot, four-building industrial park in Gainesville. Phase II will comprise two buildings, 1800 and 1850 Fulenwider, that span 326,040 square feet. The project is situated along I-985 in Atlanta’s Northeast 85 industrial submarket and offers access to U.S. Route 129, I-85 and the upcoming Northeast Georgia Inland Port that will connect to the Port of Savannah via rail. Building 1800 will total 126,360 square feet with 32-foot clear heights and Building 1850 will span 199,680 square feet with 36-foot clear heights. The design-build team includes general contractor FCL Builders, architect POH+W Architects and civil and structural engineer Haines Gipson & Associates. Todd Barton, Joanna Blaesing, Mark Hawks and Matt Higgins of CBRE are marketing Gainesville 85 Business Center on behalf of the developer. The park is Logistics Property’s third development in the metro Atlanta area, joining Covington Commerce Center and Oakwood 985 Business Park. The developer plans to deliver Phase II of Gainesville 85 in second-quarter 2026.
WARNER ROBINS, GA. — BJ’s Wholesale Club plans to open a new grocery store and BJ’s Gas station at 6201 Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins, nearly 100 miles south of Atlanta via I-75. The Telegraph reports that the 21-acre site will house the 104,170-square-foot grocery store and 582 parking spaces, as well as a 2,204-square-foot gas station with eight pumps that opened in late August. The new BJ’s Wholesale Club store is set to open on Friday, Sept. 12. The property represents the first BJ’s Wholesale Club store in middle Georgia and its seventh in the state, according to The Telegraph.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Denholtz has acquired a 103,897-square-foot flex industrial park located at 1 Marcus Drive in Greenville. The four-building, multi-tenant property features 16.7-foot clear heights, a sprinkler system, 21 dock doors, seven drive-in doors and more than 350 onsite surface parking spaces. Rhett Craig, Blaine Hart, Matt Smith, Charles Gouch, Shelby Dodson, Patrick Gildea and Robert Hardaway of CBRE represented Denholtz in the transaction with RealOp Investments. The sales price was not disclosed. 1 Marcus Drive is the second acquisition in South Carolina for Denholtz.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Stratus Development Group has completed Pickens Corner, a 60-bed student housing community situated a few blocks from the University of South Carolina (USC). The Georgia-based developer has also fully leased the development, which comprises three-bedroom townhomes that each have 3.5 bathrooms and upscale finishes including granite countertops, recessed lighting and stainless steel appliances. Pickens Corner is located in Columbia’s Rosewood neighborhood near the city’s Five Points area and Williams-Brice Stadium, home football arena of the USC Gamecocks.
ATLANTA — As the demand for “age appropriate” living solutions continues to rise, seniors housing real estate is evolving rapidly. Modern developments are moving beyond the scope of previous institutional models that are stuck in the past and accelerating forward into physical environments that promote dignity, independence and community for the next generation of residents. The new wave of seniors housing residents are individuals who often have different expectations, lifestyles and needs compared to previous generations when it comes to their housing options. Whether it is a tech-savvy grandmother or a health-conscious grandfather, each generation of seniors finds aspects of life that they value more than their predecessors. Editor’s note: InterFace Conference Group, a division of France Media Inc., produces networking and educational conferences for commercial real estate executives. To sign up for email announcements about specific events, visit www.interfaceconferencegroup.com/subscribe. Health and wellness is an especially important component of seniors housing developments coming on line, as today’s older adults are living longer, staying more active and placing significance on quality of life. Connie Wittich, founding principal and CEO of Metropolitan Studio, highlighted that people want to live in beautiful places that focus on mental health and wellness, specifically. “We receive a lot of …
COLUMBUS, GA. — JS Link America, a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of the Korean biotechnology company JS Link, will invest $223 million for the construction of a new permanent magnet manufacturing facility in Columbus. Permanent magnets are materials that create their own persistent magnetic field and aren’t dependent on external power sources to attract or repel other magnetic materials. Permanent magnets are often used in wind turbines, elevators, home appliances, data centers, consumer electronics, Urban Air Mobility (UAM), defense systems and within the medical and automobile industries. Situated within Muscogee Technology Park, the facility is expected to create more than 520 engineering, production, construction, administrative and management jobs. Operations for the 130,000-square-foot facility are expected to begin in late 2027 with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tons. Jacob Lee, in partnership with the Development Authority of Columbus, Georgia Quick Start and Georgia Power, internally represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Global Commerce team in the JS Link America deal. JS Link is also nearing completion on a similar permanent magnet facility in Yesan, Korea, with an anticipated pilot production run this month and an annual capacity of 1,000 tons.
ATLANTA — CIM Group and Centennial Yards Co. have unveiled The Mitchell, a 304-unit residential tower within the $5 billion Centennial Yards mixed-use development underway in downtown Atlanta. The 19-story luxury apartment building comprises apartments ranging from studio to three-bedroom floorplans. Select units offer walk-in closets, balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views. Rental rates for a 512-square-foot studio apartment begin at $1,450, according to Apartments.com. Amenities at The Mitchell include a community pool, fitness center, coworking space with office suites, multiple outdoor gathering areas and indoor event spaces with a catering kitchen, as well as a dedicated pet area with a pet spa and 16,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space. Khao Thai Isan, a Thai tapas concept introduced by 26 Thai, will occupy 4,730 square feet. Additional retail and dining operators will be announced in the coming months. The Mitchell will join The Lofts at Centennial Yards South, which features 162 units located above the Georgia-based brewery Wild Leap. Meanwhile, the 292-room Hotel Phoenix is scheduled for completion later this year, and Cosm’s immersive sporting experience is planned for 2026. A 5,300-seat Live Nation venue was also announced earlier this year, with an anticipated opening in 2027. …
