ATLANTA — Pottery Barn plans to open a new store on the ground level of 619 Ponce, a new four-story, mass-timber office building under construction at Ponce City Market in Atlanta. Master developer Jamestown signed the retailer to a more than 18,000-square-foot lease at the building. 619 Ponce will be situated at the corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Glen Iris Drive and feature 87,000 square feet of office space and 27,000 square feet of retail space. The building is part of the next phase at Ponce City Market, which includes a 405-unit flexible-stay hotel and co-living building and Signal House, a 21-story active adult multifamily building. Pottery Barn is the latest retailer to join the roster at Ponce City Market, an adaptive reuse campus in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward district. The store is set to open in early 2024 and feature an outdoor patio and design studio.
Southeast
JLL Arranges Sale of 260,000 SF Distribution Center in Jacksonville Leased to Volkswagen
by John Nelson
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — JLL has arranged the sale of a 260,000-square-foot distribution center located at 4150 Perimeter Industrial Parkway in Jacksonville’s Westside submarket. Built in 2008 on 15.4 acres, the rear-load property is fully leased to Volkswagen Group of America and is fully air-conditioned. John Huguenard, Luis Castillo, Cody Brais, Luke Pope, Taylor Osborne and Wells Waller of JLL brokered the sale. The buyer, seller and sales price were not disclosed.
CP Group, Monarch Ink 50,000 SF of Office Leases at Citigroup Center in Downtown Miami
by John Nelson
MIAMI — CP Group and Monarch Alternative Capital have announced more than 50,000 square feet of office leasing activity at Citigroup Center, a 34-story office tower in downtown Miami. All four leases at the 810,000-square-foot property closed in the first quarter. The deals include wealth management firm Larch Capital Partners signing for 5,466 square feet; real estate development and investment firm Bazbaz Development signing for 5,357 square feet; hotel operator Strategic Hotel Funding LLC renewing its 14,418-square-foot lease; and an undisclosed tenant signing a 21,928-square-foot lease. Steven Hurwitz, Doug Okun and Madeline Fine of JLL represented CP Group and Monarch in the leasing transactions. Grant Killingsworth and Thomas Haughton of CBRE represented Larch Capital, and Randy Carballo, also with CBRE, represented Bazbaz. In addition to the new leases, the ownership is also developing 37,000 square feet of speculative suites at Citigroup Center.
By Willy Walker, CEO of Walker & Dunlop I recently had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with some prominent members of the Walker & Dunlop team, including Kris Mikkelsen, executive vice president of investment sales, Aaron Appel, senior managing director of capital markets, and Ivy Zelman, executive vice president of research and securities. In this episode of the Walker Webcast, “State of CRE,” we covered some of the most prominent issues the commercial real estate industry is facing, as well as some headwinds it will continue to face in the future. Changes in Homebuilding and Consumer Spending Although homebuilders had to offer incentives when rates first started increasing last year, they are still seeing a steady demand for homes, as demand still heavily outpaces supply. This imbalance is seen in the new and existing home market. Single-family homes in many markets across the country are in multiple offer situations, indicating that single-family residential real estate is still strong. This is incredible, given the fact that many existing homeowners are locked into mortgage rates in the 2-5 percent range, giving them little reason to move out of their current home. How Mortgage Deals Are Currently Financed Although we are …
ATLANTA — McShane Construction Co. has completed the construction of Thrive Sweet Auburn, a 117-unit affordable housing development located in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn district. The developers are Mercy Housing Southeast and Project Community Connections Inc. (PCCI). In addition to apartments in one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts for residents earning 30 to 80 percent of area median income (AMI), the property features 11,400 square feet of ground-floor office space. Designed by Goode Van Slyke Architecture, Thrive Sweet Auburn’s amenities include community rooms, an outdoor pavilion, community garden, coffee shop and wellness rooms. Thrive Sweet Auburn also offers supportive services including a medical clinic, nutrition education and case management. The first floor serves as PCCI’s headquarters and holds offices for First Step Staffing, which provides job coaching and employment opportunities for those experiencing homelessness, previously incarcerated individuals and military veterans.
RICHMOND, VA. — Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer has brokered the $14.8 million sale of The Mill at Manchester Lofts, a 70-unit apartment community located at 815 Perry St. in Richmond. The property, a former paper mill and warehouse, offers apartments in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Jenny Stoner and John Pritzlaff of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer represented the undisclosed buyer, which plans to implement a value-add program, in the transaction. The seller was also not disclosed.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Providence Group Capital (PGC) has acquired two parcels located at 2429 and 2511 South Tryon St. in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood. Totaling roughly 1.3 acres, the sites feature three existing buildings comprising more than 17,500 square feet. Tenants at the buildings include Euro Cars South End, A&T Auto Body Shop and Paws Whiskers & Wags. PGC has purchased 15 sites in the same section of South End over the past 18 months. Hayes Faulkenberry of Land Advisors represented PGC in the acquisition of 2429 South Tryon St., and Lauren Bremer of The Nichols Co. represented the seller in the sale of 2501 South Tryon St. Providence Group Management Services will manage both properties.
Renesas Electronics Signs 88,998 SF Office Lease at Forty540 II in Morrisville, North Carolina
by John Nelson
MORRISVILLE, N.C. — California-based Renesas Electronics America, a subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corp., has signed an office lease at Forty540 II in Morrisville, about 15 miles west of Raleigh. The company now occupies 88,998 square feet at the building, bringing the property to 95 percent occupancy. Built in 2021, Forty540 II totals 198,424 square feet across five stories at 710 Slater Road. Amenities at the building include a fitness center, showers, an internet café and prominent signage opportunities. Brad Corsmeier and Ed Pulliam of CBRE|Raleigh handle leasing at the property, which is managed by the firm’s Property Management group.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Colliers has arranged the $3.5 million sale of Lynwood Plaza, a retail strip center located at 4800 Grove Barton Road in Raleigh. Tenants at the 8,943-square-foot property include Little Caesars, Nail Image Salon, Board & Brush and Salt & Lime Cabo Grill. David Stowe of Colliers represented the seller in the transaction, and Rikky Goswami of Insight Property Group represented the buyer. Both parties requested anonymity.
Walker & Dunlop Arranges $140M Refinancing for Soho Beach House Club, Hotel in Miami Beach
by John Nelson
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — Walker & Dunlop Inc. has arranged a $140 million loan for the refinancing of Soho Beach House, a private members club and hotel in Miami Beach. Located along Collins Avenue, the property includes a seven-story main building with 35 suites and amenities and a 16-story beachfront tower comprising 15 full-floor suites. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA and Citi Real Estate Funding Inc. provided the 10-year, fixed-rate, interest-only loan. The borrower, an affiliate of global private members social club Soho House & Co. (SHCO), is using the proceeds to repay existing debt, repatriate equity and cover financing and closing costs. Jonathan Schwartz, Aaron Appel, Adam Schwartz, Keith Kurland, Ari Hirt, Triston Stegall and David Kasten of Walker & Dunlop arranged the loan. The team brought in numerous financing options for the borrower, an entity doing business as Beach House Owner LLC, which ultimately chose the loan package from JPMorgan Chase and Citi. “We were able to differentiate Soho Beach House as a marquee asset given the sustainability of its highly recurring membership revenue model and the impressive profitability of the asset through the cycle,” says Hirt, managing director at Walker & Dunlop. “In this challenging capital markets environment, …