Southeast

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, retail and restaurant space has been severely impacted by government-mandated shutdowns. While some stay-at-home orders have been lifted, the sector has struggled to return to its pre-pandemic norms. As a result, lenders have shied away from retail, whether it be construction, refinancing or acquisition loans, according to an expert panel assembled by France Media, Inc. Retail has “lost a lot of favor” with lenders, said Pierce Mayson, managing principal of SRS Real Estate Partners, during a webinar panel titled “Southeast Retail Investment Outlook: Will Retail Investment Activity Bounce Back in 2021?” Southeast Real Estate Business and Shopping Center Business jointly hosted the webinar on Monday, Nov. 16. “There is still some money out there for retail, but it’s few and far between,” said Mayson. Joining Mayson on the panel were Fred Victor, vice president of capital markets and investment sales at Transwestern; Greg Matus, senior vice president of investment sales at Franklin Street; Jeff Enck, associate director of capital investments at Stan Johnson Co.; and moderator Craig Thompson, partner at accounting firm Carr Riggs & Ingram. One telltale sign that banks are bearish on the retail real estate sector is the fact that …

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ATHENS, GA. AND NEW YORK — Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division has agreed to purchase a “significant stake” in Athens-based Zaxby’s, with plans to grow the quick-service restaurant chain’s footprint into new markets. Terms of the financing were not disclosed, but the deal is expected to close by the end of 2020. Zaxby’s, known for its chicken fingers, wings and signature sauces, has more than 900 locations in 17 states, primarily in the Southeast. Zaxby’s is a privately held company that childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley founded in Statesboro, Ga., in 1990. The founders hope the investment from Goldman Sachs will grow the regional chain into a national brand. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Stephens Inc. served as financial advisors to Zaxby’s. King & Spalding LLP and Fortson, Bentley and Griffin P.A. served as legal advisors to Zaxby’s. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal advisor and Goldman Sachs served as financial advisor to Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — FCP and Kane Realty Corp. have sold The Dillon, a mixed-use development in downtown Raleigh, for $236 million. An undisclosed institutional buyer advised by MetLife Investment Management acquired the asset. The 18-story property comprises 221,300 square feet of office space, 271 multifamily units, 52,600 square feet of retail space and a 994-space parking deck. The Dillon is situated on 2.5 acres within downtown’s Warehouse District. FCP and Kane Realty completed the adaptive reuse of the 100-year-old Dillon Supply Warehouse in 2018. The office space was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants including healthcare analytics firm Medable Inc., Arch Capital Group Ltd., Spaces and technology company Analog Devices. Retail and restaurant tenants include O-Ku Sushi, Oak Steakhouse, Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar, Weaver Street Market, Urban Outfitters, Heirloom Brew Shop, Shred415 and JoJa Nails.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released a survey that found 71 percent of hotels won’t survive the next six months without government assistance. AHLA conducted the survey of hotel industry owners, operators and employees from Nov. 10 to 13, yielding more than 1,200 respondents. Thirty four percent of owners say they may have to close in the next three months due to low vacancy rates, and 77 percent of survey respondents said they would need to lay off more employees without financial relief. Due to a resurgence in coronavirus cases nationwide, public health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are urging Americans to not travel for the upcoming holiday season. According to a separate AHLA survey, 72 percent of respondents don’t plan to travel over Thanksgiving week. “With a significant drop in travel demand and seven in 10 Americans not expected to travel over the holidays, hotels will face a difficult winter,” says Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. “We need Congress to prioritize the industries and employees most affected by the crisis. A relief bill would be a critical lifeline for our industry to help us retain and rehire …

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DURHAM AND GREENSBORO, N.C. — PGIM Real Estate has provided a $120 million acquisition loan for Patriot Park and Triangle Industrial Portfolio, two industrial campuses totaling 24 buildings in Durham and Greensboro, respectively. Blackstone Real Estate Income acquired the properties, which span nearly 3 million square feet. Tom Goodsite of PGIM originated the floating-rate loan on behalf of Blackstone. Patriot Park is located at 4032 Patriot Park and 2 Freedom Court on the edge of Research Triangle Park. The property comprises two buildings featuring 30-foot clear heights. Triangle Industrial Portfolio comprises six properties near Piedmont Triad International Airport. The list of properties was not disclosed, and the seller was not disclosed.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Initial weekly jobless claims ticked back up during the week ending Nov. 14, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday. Total claims totaled 742,000, up from 709,000 the prior week — the lowest since the beginning of the pandemic. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected this week’s total to be 710,000. The initial claims have been historically high throughout the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in the United States in mid-March. Claims hovered around 200,000 per week in January and February. The four-week moving average for the week ending Nov. 14 was 742,000, a decrease of 13,750 from the previous week. Continuing claims, for which data is a week behind, totaled nearly 6.4 million for the week ending Nov. 7, a decrease of 429,000 from the previous week.

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    On Nov. 12, Southeast Real Estate Business hosted “What is the Outlook for the Affordable Housing Sector in the Southeast.” Listen to hear how leaders in the industry are coping with challenges from both a developer/owner/investor perspective and a broker/lender perspective. See below for a brief list of topics covered by each panel. Panel One: Developer/Owner/Investor Rising costs for building affordable housing projects Low interest rates offsetting costs Alternative ways to grow the affordable housing stock Do’s and don’ts for general contractors and developers Capital sources Returns — what can affordable housing developers expect? Panel One: Broker/Lender Pandemic impact on existing affordable housing properties/plans for new development Investor appetite Sellers revise their expectations as new buyers enter market Impact of the election on the sector in 2021 Availability of capital for investments currently Developer/Owner/Investor Panel: Marc Padgett, Summit Contracting Group (moderator) Max Cruz, Housing Trust Group Nick Andersen, Development Dominium H. Granvel Tate, III, The Michaels Organization Ray Kuniansky, Columbia Residential Broker/Lender Panel Kyle Shoemaker, Affordable Housing Investment Brokerage (moderator) Derek DeHay, Newmark Eric Taylor, Greystone Real Estate Advisors Sheri Davis, Highland Commercial Mortgage Jeff Rodman, M&T Realty Capital Kevin Morris, Colliers Affordable Housing Group Webinar sponsors: Summit Contracting …

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ATHENS, GA. — Landmark Properties has broken ground on four student housing developments in the Southeast worth $600 million in value. New projects include Phase II of The Mark at Athens near the University of Georgia (UGA); The Standard at College Park near the University of Maryland; Legacy at The Standard near the University of Florida (UF); and The Retreat at Kennesaw near Kennesaw State University (KSU) in metro Atlanta. Phase II of The Mark at Athens is located adjacent to the UGA campus and will offer studio, one-, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom units alongside 19,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The project is set for completion in fall 2022. The Standard at College Park will offer 951 beds in studio, one-, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom units. Community amenities will include a fitness center, sauna, computer lab and study lounge. The development is slated for completion in fall 2023. Legacy at The Standard is located three blocks north of UF’s campus and will offer 155 units totaling 543 beds. The community is scheduled for delivery in fall 2022 and will feature shared amenities including an outdoor pool and grilling area, a study lounge and café, computer lab and …

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ALEXANDRIA, VA. — Hilco Redevelopment Partners, a division of Hilco Global, has acquired Potomac River Generating Station (PRGS), a 20-acre, shuttered coal power plant in Alexandria. Specific details were not released, but Hilco officials said they intend to redevelop the site into a mixed-use project, featuring housing, office space, retail and public open spaces. The site is situated along the Potomac River at 1400 N. Royal St., seven miles south of downtown Washington, D.C. Potomac Electric Power Co. (Pepco) sold the site for an undisclosed price. Pepco will retain a property interest and will continue to own and operate an electrical substation at the site. PRGS was decommissioned in 2012.

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ATLANTA — Papa John’s International Inc. has selected Three Ballpark Center at The Battery Atlanta for its new regional headquarters. The Louisville, Ky.-based pizza chain expects to add 200 jobs at the 60,000-square-foot office space, which is expected to open summer 2021. Papa John’s will move its menu innovation; marketing; customer experience; human resources; diversity, equity and inclusion; communications; and development departments to The Battery. The corporate headquarters, IT, supply chain and legal teams will remain in Louisville. Located in Atlanta’s Cumberland/Galleria submarket, The Battery Atlanta is a 1.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development in Cobb County that surrounds Truist Park, home ballpark of the Atlanta Braves that opened in April 2017 as SunTrust Park. Papa John’s will be the third office headquarters within the development, joining Comcast and Thyssenkrupp North American. Braves Group, a subsidiary of Liberty Media, owns The Battery Atlanta.

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