BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Orchestra Partners has broken ground on Mercantile on Morris, a mixed-use project in downtown Birmingham. Located at 2212 Morris Ave., the property will feature 47 residential units and 14,000 square feet of commercial space, as well as a pedestrian thoroughfare with storefronts connecting First Avenue North and Morris Avenue. Birmingham-based Retail Specialists is handling the commercial leasing effort, which includes spaces ranging from 500 to 1,800 square feet. There is also a 2,100-square-foot space available on the second floor for a restaurant anchor. Orchestra Partners expects to complete Mercantile on Morris in November.
Southeast
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Another 1.3 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment assistance during the week ending July 11, the U.S. Department of Labor reports. The figure is down 10,000 from the previous week’s total. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected just under 1.3 million claims. The four-week moving average decreased by 60,000 claims to nearly 1.4 million. This marks the 16th consecutive week that the initial claims have totaled more than 1 million due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak.
Wendover Housing Partners Opens $19M Residential Community in Central Florida Intended for Veterans, Homeless
by Alex Tostado
SANFORD, FLA. — Wendover Housing Partners has opened Warley Park, a $19 million, 81-unit housing complex in Sanford that was built to house veterans and the chronically homeless. Communal amenities include a fitness center, splash park, meeting rooms, computer rooms and a commercial kitchen to train residents for restaurant jobs. California-based nonprofit Step Up on Second will manage support services, including mental healthcare, after-school kids’ programs, job training and placement, GED classes and educational programs for ongoing skills. Residents utilize rental vouchers as payment, just as they would at other rental properties or motels. The property is located at 1500 W. 25th St., 22 miles north of downtown Orlando.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Whole Foods Market will open a new location July 23 in Washington, D.C. The new 46,000-square-foot grocery store will be situated at 967 Florida Ave. NW in D.C.’s Pleasant Plains neighborhood, less than two miles north of downtown D.C. and less than one mile from Howard University. The new store will offer a full-service butcher, bakery, produce department and a seafood counter. Amazon Prime members who shop at the location will have access to two-hour delivery on certain items, as well as a 10 percent discount on several in-store items.
Fogelman Properties, DRA Advisors Acquire 334-Unit Multifamily Community in Metro Atlanta
by Alex Tostado
LITHIA SPRINGS, GA. — A joint venture between Fogelman Properties and DRA Advisors has acquired Fields Waterford Point, a 334-unit multifamily community in Lithia Springs. The buyer plans to renovate all unit interiors and communal spaces, as well as rebrand the property as 670 Thornton. The property offers one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans with rents ranging from $750 per month to $1,300. Communal amenities include a business center, pool, tennis court, pond and a fitness center. The asset, which was built between 1989 and 1992, is located at 670 Thornton Road, 15 miles west of downtown Atlanta. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
FORT GORDON, GA. — Lendlease and IHG Army Hotels have opened a 311-room Candlewood Suites hotel on the Fort Gordon Army base in Georgia. The property’s rooms offer kitchenettes, and amenities include complimentary breakfast, laundry facilities, a business center, fitness center, pool and a barbecue area. Lendlease, IHG Army Hotels and the U.S. Army have partnered to open 40 hotels across the country, which IHG manages and operates. Lendlease owns, develops and designs the hotels. Fort Gordon is located nine miles west of downtown Augusta. The base serves 109,334 people, including 17,720 active military, according to Military OneSource.
NRF Survey: Back-to-School Spending Could Reach Record Levels as Families Gear Up for At-Home Learning Amid Pandemic
by Alex Tostado
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The novel coronavirus could result in record-levels in spending for back-to-school supplies as families across the country are expected to buy more electronics to prepare for at-home learning, a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics has found. Major school systems around the country, including the Ivy League, Los Angeles Public School District, Atlanta Public Schools, New York City Public School system and the University of California school system have announced virtual learning or a hybrid of in-person and online classes for this fall. According to the annual survey, spending could reach $789.49 per family with children in elementary through high school, which would break last year’s record expectations of $696.70 per family. College students are expected to spend $1,059.20 per family. Retail spending from college students and their families is expected to total $67.7 billion, up from $54.5 billion last year and breaking the record of $55.3 billion set in 2018. Total spending for kindergarten through college combined is projected to reach $101.6 billion — exceeding last year’s $80.7 billion and topping the $100 billion mark for the first time. NRF surveyed 7,481 U.S. consumers from July 1 to 8. …
DURHAM, N.C. — Wood Partners has broken ground on Alta Davis, a 408-unit apartment complex in Durham. The community will comprise seven buildings standing four stories each. Communal amenities will include a coffee bar, game room, fitness center, saltwater pool and coworking space. The community is slated to open by the end of 2021. Alta Davis is situated at 4701 Hopson Road, 10 miles southeast of downtown Durham and three miles from the center of Research Triangle Park. WP East Builders is the general contractor.
NORCROSS, GA. — Skyline Seven Real Estate has arranged the $7.1 million sale of Peachtree Corners Shopping Center, a 106,257-square-foot retail property in Norcross. The asset is situated at 7050 Jimmy Carter Blvd., 20 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The property was 44 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including Family Dollar, Beauty Mart, Arcadio Pizza, Lily Massage Spa and Island Chef Café, as well as an outparcel leased to Popeye’s and Dekra Emissions Check. Elliott Kyle, Chase Murphy and Reid Maynard of Skyline Seven represented the seller, Frank Flanders (whose father built the 10-acre property in 1985), in the transaction. Andy Lundsberg of Atlanta-based Bull Realty represented the private buyer, Mark Nelkin.
SYLACAUGA, ALA. — Marcus & Millichap has negotiated the $5.4 million sale of Payton Park, a 53,400-square-foot retail center in Sylacauga. Walmart shadow anchors the property, which was leased to tenants such as Burke’s Outlet, CATO, Shoe Show and Sally Beauty at the time of sale. Payton Park is located at 41301 U.S. Highway 280, 45 miles southeast of downtown Birmingham. MBD Properties, an Atlanta-based private investor, acquired the asset. The seller, Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Rise Partners, acquired Payton Park and the adjacent Walmart in September 2019 for $15.7 million. Zach Taylor of Marcus & Millichap’s Taylor McMinn Group represented the seller in the transaction.