WASHINGTON, D.C. — JLL’s Capital Markets group has arranged more than $1.2 billion over the course of 2024 to fund the construction of four data center campuses in Northern Virginia. Jamie Leachman and Drake Greer of JLL worked on behalf of the borrower, The BlackChamber Group, to arrange the funds. The direct lenders and the locations of the four campuses were not disclosed, but JLL mentioned the capital sources included bank balance sheet financing and private credit vehicles backed by insurance company funds. BlackChamber expects the new facilities to yield more than 740 megawatts of power capacity upon completion. The construction timeline for the new projects was also not released. Including these new facilities, BlackChamber’s Northern Virginia data center portfolio will comprise eight campuses offering nearly 1.5 gigawatts of power capacity across 6 million square feet of data center space.
Southeast
SAN CLEMENTE, CALIF. — CareTrust REIT has acquired 13 skilled nursing facilities in Tennessee for $176 million. California-based CareTrust purchased the properties through a joint venture arrangement with an unnamed, third-party healthcare real estate owner. Each of the 13 facilities will be operated by existing CareTrust tenants under new, long-term master lease agreements. Affiliates of the Ensign Group will operate six of the facilities, with affiliates of Links Healthcare Group operating the remaining seven. The acquisition is Phase II of a larger $421 million portfolio transaction that ultimately involves 27 facilities in Tennessee.
Walker & Dunlop Originates $63.9M Loan for Multifamily Development in Johnson City, Tennessee
by John Nelson
JOHNSON CITY, TENN. — Walker & Dunlop has originated a $63.9 million FHA loan for the development of The Reserve at Johnson City, a 288-unit apartment development in East Tennessee. Located on a 14.4-acre site at 1084 W. Oakland Ave. in Johnson City, the property will serve as an addition to an existing 248-unit multifamily community that was delivered in 2015. Keith Melton and David Strange of Walker & Dunlop originated the financing on behalf of the developer, TDK Cos. Upon completion, The Reserve will feature 12 three-story walk-up buildings comprising one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities will include a multi-level pool, outdoor kitchen with a gas fireplace, pet park, fitness center and a single-bay car wash and vacuum station.
TYSONS, VA. — Berkadia has brokered the sale of Hanover Tysons, a 412-unit multifamily community located at 1500 Westbranch Drive in Tysons, about 15 miles west of Washington, D.C. Chicago-based Mesirow Financial purchased the property from Hanover Co. and PCCP for an undisclosed price. The buyer has rebranded the community as The Jones at Tysons. Brian Crivella, Bill Gribbin and Yalda Ghamarian of Berkadia represented the sellers in the transaction. Situated adjacent to Tysons Galleria and Tysons Corner Center, the apartment community features studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans, as well as a resort-style pool, greenspace courtyard, fitness center, resident clubhouse and a theater room.
AUBURN, ALA. — BWE has provided a $42.3 million Fannie Mae loan for The Glenn, a 270-unit garden-style apartment community located at 2568 E. Glenn Ave. in Auburn. The property comprises 14 residential buildings and offers studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as a fitness center, beach-entry pool, grilling areas, pet park and a business center. Paul Harbor, Caleb Carter and Libby Davis of BWE originated the loan on behalf of the borrower, an undisclosed development firm based in Georgia. The borrower will use proceeds of the 10-year loan, which features a 35-year amortization schedule, to pay off construction debt obtained before The Glenn opened in 2022.
InterFace Panel: Slow and Steady Wins the Race for Student Housing Preleasing, Rent Growth in 2025
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, the 2025-2026 academic year moved further into focus. What can the industry expect to see this year from a preleasing perspective? Are rents expected to keep growing? And by how much? All of these questions and more were discussed during a kick-off panel at the 2024 LeaseCon/TurnCon conference by InterFace Conference Group, which took place this past December in Charlotte. As of Dec. 3, student housing properties across the country were 36.6 percent preleased on average — a 1.3 percent decline from rates seen at the same time in 2023, according to moderator Charlie Matthews, founder and CEO of data provider College House. 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. Of markets across the United States, the Southeast led the way with the highest preleasing percentage at 43.5 percent. Asking rents have congruently grown by 4.9 percent across the country as of early December, according to Matthews, with average rents at $990. Leading the way in rent growth for the 2025-2026 academic year …
SHORT PUMP, VA. — Wafra Inc. has sold Short Pump Station, a 91,369-square-foot shopping center in Short Pump, located roughly 10 miles northwest of Richmond. Nuveen Real Estate acquired the property for nearly $55 million, making the center the investor’s second acquisition in the Richmond metro area. Situated on 147 acres, the retail development is anchored by Trader Joe’s. Other tenants at the property include Ulta Beauty and Petco. John Owendoff of Cushman & Wakefield, along with Catharine Spangler of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer, represented Wafra in the transaction. The New York City-based investor has owned Short Pump Station since acquiring it from a joint venture affiliate of AmCap in 2021. Nuveen has retained Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer to lease and manage the shopping center.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Clear Investment Group has purchased Marbury Plaza, a 681-unit apartment community located in southeast Washington, D.C. The Chicago-based investment firm plans to rebrand the property to Langston Views and upgrade the amenity package to include a new fitness center, onsite convenience store and renovated pools and locker rooms. This is the fifth investment for the buyer’s Clear Opportunities Fund I. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
JLL Negotiates Sale of 656-Bed Student Housing Community Near Kennesaw State University
by John Nelson
KENNESAW, GA. — JLL has negotiated the sale of Bixby Kennesaw, a 656-bed student housing community located near the Kennesaw State University campus in metro Atlanta. Completed in 2020, the property offers 179 units in a mix of studio through five-bedroom configurations. Shared amenities include a rooftop sky deck overlooking the university’s football stadium, resort-style swimming pool, fitness center and multiple study spaces. Teddy Leatherman, Scott Clifton, Kevin Kazlow and Jack Goldberger of JLL represented the seller, Alden Street Capital, in the disposition. The buyer and terms of the transaction were not released.
Cronheim Hotel Capital Arranges $18.2M Acquisition Loan for Aloft Hotel in Newport, Kentucky
by John Nelson
NEWPORT, KY. — Cronheim Hotel Capital has arranged an $18.2 million acquisition loan for Aloft Newport, a hotel in the Cincinnati suburb of Newport. Built in 2017, the hotel is situated adjacent to the Newport on the Levee, a mixed-use development now owned by Atlanta-based Jamestown. The Aloft Newport is located directly across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati via a pedestrian bridge. Cronheim Hotel Capital arranged the loan through a regional bank on behalf of the locally based borrower, Rolling Hills Hospitality. The new owner plans to invest in capital improvements to improve hotel room interiors after the acquisition closes.