RICHMOND, VA. — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to announce today that the Northern Virginia region will join the rest of the state in the Phase I reopening plan beginning Thursday, May 28. In a press release May 14, the governor said the state would begin to reopen May 15, although Northern Virginia leaders could delay that timeline for their respective municipalities if they felt it necessary due to a higher volume of COVID-19 cases. On Monday, 10 Northern Virginia officials, which included six mayors and four Chairpersons of Boards of Supervisors, sent a letter to Northam advising that they are ready to join Phase I of reopening the state. In the letter, the officials enclosed data from five public health directors that advised the region can join in the reopening phase. The new guidelines outline more relaxed restrictions, including upping the capacity of non-essential retail from a 10-person limit to 50 percent capacity; allowing restaurants to open outdoor seating with a 50 percent capacity limit; allowing places of worship to have a 50 percent capacity, up from its previous 10-person limit; fitness centers may operate outdoor classes; and allowing for personal grooming services to reopen to appointment-only customers.
ATLANTA — Berkadia has provided a $16.2 million Freddie Mac refinancing loan for The Residences at City Center, a 182-unit affordable housing community in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood. The 10-year loan features a floating interest rate and five years of interest-only payments, followed by a 30-year amortization schedule. The property offers one-, two- and three-bedroom units that were recently renovated to include granite countertops, walk-in closets, stainless steel appliances and bay windows. Communal amenities include a pool, fitness center, laundry facilities, outdoor area with grilling stations and a dog park. The Residences is located at 55 Maple St. NW, adjacent to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Andy Hill and Tyler Nowlin of Berkadia originated the loan on behalf of the borrower, Texas-based Domain Communities.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — SRS Real Estate Partners National Net Lease Group has arranged the $4 million sale of an 8,000-square-foot retail property in North Little Rock. The property is fully leased to Vitamin Shoppe and Mattress Firm on their respective corporate-guaranteed triple-net leases. The property is situated at 4300 McCain Blvd., seven miles north of downtown Little Rock. The asset is an outparcel to a Lowe’s Home Improvement-anchored shopping center. Brian Wolfman of SRS represented the seller, Los Angeles-based McCain Plaza LLC, in the transaction. Aaron Hines of Marcus & Millichap represented the buyer, New Mexico-based G&T Investments LLC, which was completing a 1031 exchange. Tyler Johnson of Pegasus Capital Markets represented the buyer in sourcing acquisition financing.
By Chad Thomas Hagwood, Hunt Real Estate Capital Thanks to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), forbearance is now one of the biggest buzzwords in multifamily finance. When the FHFA announced at the end of March that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would offer mortgage forbearance to multifamily properties facing hardship as a result of COVID-19, many multifamily owners adopted a wait-and-see attitude. That was the right decision. As April went on, the NMHC Rent Payment Tracker steadily trended higher. By May 13, full or partial rent for the month of May was 87.7 percent collected. But with unemployment spiking to record levels, rent collections through the spring and into the summer will most certainly decline at many properties, causing owners to give those forbearance offers a second look. My advice: if there is anything owners can do to avoid forbearance, they should. While tempting, mortgage forbearance should be considered a last resort. Forbearance could take a reputational toll It’s generally implied that entering into a forbearance agreement will not impact a borrower’s ability to secure financing in the future. In an age that obsessively collects and retrieves data of all sorts, experience — and common sense — suggests that …
ATLANTA — A partnership of local developer Ackerman & Co. and MDH Partners will soon begin construction of an $85 million multifamily, office and retail expansion to the Lee + White retail property in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood. The partnership acquired the 11-building, 433,204-square-foot property from Stream Realty Partners in September 2019 and began redeveloping the former industrial property as a mixed-use dining and beverage destination. Atlanta-based Smith Dalia Architects is the master designer of the project. Development plans include the ground-up construction of a two-story glass structure featuring a 17,000-square-foot food and retail “collective” on the first floor and 18,000 square feet of loft offices on the second floor. The team will convert multiple warehouses on the property into 127,000 square feet of modern office space, as well as 250 multifamily units. Monday Night Brewing currently anchors the property with its 22,000-square-foot Monday Night Garage brewery and event space. Other tenants include Wild Heaven Beer, ASW Distillery, Cultured South Fermentation Co. and Hop City Craft Beer & Wine. All current tenants have been implemented into the master plan and will remain in their current spaces. The property is located directly along the Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail, a 22-mile walking trail …
GREENVILLE, S.C. — M Peters Group will develop a five-story, 73,177-square-foot office building in downtown Greenville. The property will offer 18,823 square feet of ground-level retail space, as well as a rooftop terrace. The developer is using mass timber construction, which marks the first project in South Carolina to do so. M Peters Group expects to deliver the property in 2021. The building will be situated next to the former Plush Mills building, which was originally built in 1925. M Peters Group bought the then-vacant property in 2016 and renovated it before leasing to Venture X, a coworking operator. The architect is Perkins + Will. Shelby Dodson of CBRE is handling leasing efforts on behalf of the owner.
DURHAM, N.C. — Merritt Properties has acquired 51 acres in Durham for Merritt TW Crossing, a planned four-building, 282,400-square-foot industrial park near Research Triangle Park. Merritt expects to deliver the asset in the fourth quarter of this year. The four buildings will range in size from 36,120 to 106,100 square feet. The land is situated at 3100 S. Miami Blvd., seven miles south of downtown Durham. The buildings will offer 18- to 24-foot ceiling heights, 110- to 180-foot truck courts, dock-high and drive-in doors and free surface parking. Merritt Construction Services is the general contractor. Ann-Stewart Patterson and Austin Nagy of CBRE | Raleigh will handle leasing efforts on behalf of the owner.
MACON, GA. — Watercrest Senior Living Group and its equity partners, Peninsula Alternative Real Estate and Corecam Capital Partners, have broken ground on Watercrest Macon Assisted Living and Memory Care in Macon. The community will feature 76 assisted living and 22 memory care units. Renasant Bank provided construction financing, and EMJ Corp. is serving as the general contractor. Watercrest Macon will be located within the Providence at Bass development, which offers residential, retail and dining establishments, as well as entertainment venues. Watercrest Macon is scheduled to welcome residents in summer 2021.
GLEN BURNIE, MD. — Hill Management has broken ground on a 66,600-square-foot industrial building within Bay Meadow Industrial Park in Glen Burnie. The property is situated on 6.5 acres and will offer 23-foot clear heights, an ESFR sprinkler system and dock and drive-in capabilities. The asset will be located at 6730 Dover Road, nine miles south of the Port of Baltimore and seven miles east of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The developer expects to deliver the building this fall. Kate Jordan and Marley Welsh of Lee & Associates | Maryland will handle the leasing on behalf of the owner.
TAMPA, FLA. — Commercial Fitness Concepts has signed a 43,474-square-foot industrial lease at Building 200 within 301 Business Center in Tampa. Building 200 offers 32-foot minimum clear heights, 180-foot truck court and an ESFR sprinkler system. With Commercial Fitness Concepts’ new lease, the building is now fully occupied, with US Venture leasing the other 127,720 square feet. Located on East Columbus Drive, 301 Business Center spans 68 acres and is situated in Tampa’s East Industrial submarket, nine miles east of downtown Tampa. John Jackson, Jessica Mizrahi and JT Faircloth of Cushman & Wakefield represented the landlord, McDonald Development, in the lease negotiations. Commercial Fitness Concepts sells new and used gym equipment for commercial use.