BUFORD, GA. — Seefried Industrial Properties, along with an unnamed institutional partner, has purchased 53 acres in Buford for the development of a new speculative industrial project near Interstate 85. Stuart Bracey of Hughes Commercial represented Atlanta-based Seefried Industrial in the land acquisition. The two-building development, known as Gravel 85 Distribution Center, will span 626,616 square feet and include 384 parking spaces, 108 trailer spaces and 135- to 180-foot truck courts. The development team includes civil engineer Eberly & Associates and Randall Paulson Architects. Construction is set to begin in October.
RALEIGH, N.C. — JLL Capital Markets has secured equity and debt financing for the development of a 533,889-square-foot office campus in Raleigh that will serve as the corporate headquarters for Bandwidth Inc., a locally based software firm. The project is slated for completion in first-quarter 2023. Roger Edwards, Travis Anderson, Michael George, Coler Yoakam and Warren Johnson of JLL arranged the financing on behalf of the developer, a joint venture between East West Partners and Capitol Broadcasting Co. USAA Real Estate provided equity for the build-to-suit project, and Wells Fargo provided a construction loan. The loan and equity amount were not disclosed. The new campus will feature 460,073 square feet of Class A office space, a 29,091-square-foot fitness center, 13,425-square-foot recreational area, 31,300-square-foot Montessori School, an onsite amphitheater, walking trails, café, recreation fields and an onsite parking garage that will provide approximately 1,859 spaces. Located at the corner of Reedy Creek and Edwards Mill roads, the office building will be situated on 23.3 acres. Bandwidth plans to consolidate its three existing locations in Raleigh into the new development. The firm also owns 17 adjacent acres suitable for future expansion.
MILTON, FLA. — Branch Properties has broken ground on Merganser Commons at Dogwood Estates, a Publix-anchored shopping center in Milton. The grocer will occupy 46,811 square feet and be the first Publix store in the city. Overall, Merganser Commons will span 66,921 square feet and feature retail, dining and service-oriented tenants. Branch Properties’ partner on the project is Merganser Enterprises LLC, a retail developer based in Smyrna, Ga. Branch Properties plans to deliver the center in spring 2022. Merganser Commons is the sixth shopping center in Branch Properties’ development pipeline, including three in metro Atlanta, one in Huntsville and another in Upstate South Carolina.
MARIETTA, GA. — SRS Real Estate Partners has brokered the $11 million sale of Market Square, a 137,889-square-foot shopping center located at 2932 Canton Road in Marietta. The center sits on 13.4 acres and houses tenants such as Big Lots, Ace Hardware and Planet Fitness. A privately held entity doing business as MSQ Realty LLC purchased the asset from an entity doing business as Wood Marietta Center LLC. Kyle Stonis and Pierce Mayson of SRS represented the seller in the transaction, and the buyer was self-represented.
Aspen Heights, Platform Ventures Open 202-Unit Student Housing Community Near University of Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. — Aspen Fayetteville, a 202-unit student housing community located less than one mile from the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, has opened ahead of schedule. Austin, Texas-based student housing developer and owner Aspen Heights developed the property and will manage it on behalf of the owner, an entity affiliated with Platform Ventures. Located on Beechwood Avenue, Aspen Fayetteville offers a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom units that are fully furnished by Gus Design Group. Shared amenities include an indoor and outdoor fitness center, resort-style swimming pool, hot tub, lounge and study rooms, a fire pit and grilling station.
GROVELAND, FLA. — National supermarket chain Kroger and online grocer Ocado have opened Kroger Ocado Customer Fulfillment Center in Groveland, about 30 miles from Orlando. The high-tech facility spans 338,000 square feet and broke ground in January 2019. The four-story property includes a distribution center, office space, two-story break room and a mezzanine floor. Ryan Cos. is the developer of the asset, which is set to support the packaging and shipment of groceries for home deliveries this summer. The property is unique in that it’s not a store-support facility as Kroger does not currently operate any grocery stores in the region. Ryan Cos., which served as the lead architect, engineer, developer and construction team, has completed 40 automated warehouses exceeding 33 million square feet in 20 states for national brands such as Target, SuperValu and Nestle Purina. The firm also oversaw the Kroger-Ocado fulfillment center that opened near Cincinnati, as well as a Kroger-Ocado facility in suburban Atlanta that will open later this year.
DUNCAN, S.C. — Cushman & Wakefield has brokered the $105.6 million sale of the Apple Valley Industrial Portfolio, a four-building portfolio of industrial facilities in the Upstate South Carolina market of Duncan. An affiliate of Lexington Realty Trust purchased the facilities from Panattoni and PCCP. Stewart Calhoun and Casey Masters of Cushman & Wakefield, along with Marcus Cornelius of CBRE and Ryan Koop of Broadstreet Partners, represented the sellers in the transaction. Situated near Inland Port Greer and BMW’s campus, the Class A portfolio is located off of Apple Valley Road and totals more than 1 million square feet.
SANDY SPRINGS, GA. — Kaplan Residential, a multifamily developer with offices in Atlanta and Miami, has sold Square One, a 203-unit mixed-use multifamily community in Sandy Springs. Atlanta-based Audubon purchased Square One for $59.2 million. Located at 6050 Roswell Road, Square One encompasses studios starting from 620 square feet to two-bedroom units spanning 1,361 square feet. Unit interiors feature stainless steel appliances, full-size washers and dryers, nine- and 10-foot ceilings, granite kitchen islands, subway tile in kitchens and bathrooms and walk-in closets. Community amenities include a rooftop bar and pool, coffee bar, onsite dog park, preferred parking for energy-efficient cars and a fitness center. The property also includes 10,000 square feet of retail space on the ground level leased to a wax salon, nail salon, gym and Vietnamese restaurant. George Morgan and Candy Morgan of George S. Morgan Development Co. Inc. partnered with Kaplan Residential for the entirety of the project. The firm enlisted architectural firm Niles Bolton Associates to design the shared amenity spaces, units and overall structure. Robert Stickel of Cushman & Wakefield represented the buyer in the transaction. Steven Kennedy of Seyfarth Shaw represented the seller. Kaplan Residential opened the five-story property, which sits at the corner …
BOCA RATON, FLA. — Grover Corlew, a locally based real estate investment and development firm, has purchased the 109,497-square-foot Bank of America Tower in downtown Boca Raton. The undisclosed seller sold the office building in an off-market transaction for $44.6 million. In addition to Bank of America, the building’s tenants include Charles Schwab and Waypoint Residential. Originally built in 1970, the eight-story Bank of America Tower offers onsite management and a building engineer, Wi-Fi access in the lobby, a conferencing facility and free and secure surface and garage parking. Located at 150 East Palmetto Park Road, Bank of America Tower is located 28.7 miles from Palm Beach International Airport and 4.1 miles from Boca Raton Airport. Additionally, the building is adjacent to Royal Palm Place and within walking distance to Mizner Park and the future Brightline Station. Dominic Montazemi, Scott O’Donnell and Mike Davis of Cushman & Wakefield brokered the transaction. Jason Hochman and Ron Granite of Cushman & Wakefield arranged acquisition financing on behalf of Grover Corlew through Wells Fargo Bank.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) has issued a statement in strong opposition to legislation being considered by Congress to create a national eviction moratorium through the end of the year. The legislation would extend the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) residential eviction ban, which was created in September 2020 and extended three times before expiring on Saturday, Aug. 1. The House of Representatives, which is currently on its scheduled August recess, was unable to pass new legislation before the eviction moratorium deadline. The Senate will begin its August recess next week. NMHC led a coalition of national real estate trade groups in sending a letter urging Congress to focus instead on accelerating the distribution of nearly $50 billion in federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds that were provided by Congress earlier this year. The NMHC states that the eviction moratorium jeopardizes the financial stability of housing providers and is not constructive in supporting the continued affordability and availability of housing. The Washington, D.C.-based trade association supports federal programs as a means to help provide renter relief benefits, which it cites as helping millions of Americans pay their rent amid the COVID-19 pandemic.