GLEN BURNIE, MD. — Continental Realty Corp. has acquired Governors Commons, a 129,242-square-foot shopping center in Glen Burnie, for $16.2 million. Governors Commons was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants including Gavigan’s Furniture, Pep Boys, Sake Japanese Steakhouse, Goodwill Industries and Dollar Tree. The property is located at 7311 Ritchie Highway, nine miles south of downtown Baltimore. Mathew Adler, Geoffrey Millerd and Chris Huesgen of Newmark Knight Frank (NKF) arranged the transaction. The seller was not disclosed. Joe Donato of NKF arranged acquisition financing.
Southeast
LAKE CHARLES, LA. — A joint venture between Lotte Chemical USA (KRX: KRW) and Westlake Chemical Corp. (NYSE: WLK) has opened a new chemical plant in Lake Charles, located in the southwest corner of Louisiana near the Texas border. Development costs for the 250-acre campus were estimated at $3.1 billion. The chemical plant produces monoethylene glycol — commonly called MEG — an important ingredient in the making of paper, textile fibers, latex paints, asphalt, resins, antifreeze, coolants and adhesives. With an annual capacity of 700,000 metric tons, the new facility is now the largest MEG plant in the world. South Korea-based Lotte and Houston-Based Westlake expect the plant to generate 250 permanent jobs. According to the Louisiana Economic Development office, approximately 2,000 “indirect jobs” have also been created as a result of this project. “Among Korean petrochemical companies, Lotte Chemical is the first to locate a project in the United States. As such, this project represents a significant investment by Lotte Chemical,” says Jinkoo Hwang, president and CEO of Lotte Chemical USA. “Today also marks the opening of our new corporate headquarters in Lake Charles, and we are very excited to be part of the industrial growth in the region.” …
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — HFF has arranged a $42.3 million acquisition loan for the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. A joint venture led by DoveHill Capital Management acquired the 236-room hotel, which opened in 2001 and has been updated throughout the years, most recently in 2016. An undisclosed CMBS lender provided the 10-year, fixed-rate loan, which is structured as interest-only for the full term. Hotel amenities include 12,838 square feet of meeting and event space; an outdoor pool; 24-hour fitness center; business center; limousine service; a salon; and three food and beverage outlets: Bistro 17, R Lounge and Calusa Coffee Roasters Bar. Josh Simon, Maxx Carney and Tyler Dumon of HFF arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower.
NAPLES, FLA. — A joint venture between Creekside West Inc., GC Partnership Ltd. and FoxRock Newgate 5150 Realty LLC has sold Newgate Center and Park North, a pair of adjacent office campuses in Naples. Newgate Center is a three-building, 80,000-square-foot office campus situated at 5200 Tamiami Trail N., and Park North is a two-building, 19,450-square-foot office property situated at 5125 Castello Drive. David Stevens of Investment Properties Corp. represented the sellers in the transaction. Rainer Filthaut of International Realty Corp. represented the buyer, a private European investment group doing business as Tamiami Newgate LLC.
BLUFFTON, S.C. — Boca Raton, Fla.-based Halvorsen Holdings is planning to develop May River Crossing, a 70,200-square-foot, Publix-anchored shopping center in Bluffton, 16 miles north of downtown Savannah and 16 miles west of Hilton Head Island. May River Crossing will be situated on 15 acres on the northeast corner of Okatie Highway and May River Road. Publix will occupy 48,000 square feet and will feature a drive-thru pharmacy. There is 21,845 square feet of available space. May River Crossing’s committed tenants include a nail salon, national hair salon and a national cellphone provider. A timeline for construction was not disclosed.
Coworking Firm Signs 28,900 SF Office Lease Within Downtown Greenville’s Camperdown Development
by Alex Tostado
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Coworking firm Spaces has signed an office lease to occupy the bottom two floors of Falls Tower in downtown Greenville. Falls Tower is a 184,000-square-foot office building under construction at 423 S. Main St. as part of Centennial American Properties’ Camperdown development. This marks Spaces’ first location in South Carolina. It will occupy 28,900 square feet, business solutions firm Elliott Davis will occupy 65,000 square feet and Bank of America will occupy 32,000 square feet at Falls Tower. At full buildout, Camperdown will offer office, residential, retail and hotel space, as well as an outdoor courtyard. Centennial American Properties expects to complete Falls Tower in mid-2020. Charles Gouch and Doug Webster of CBRE represented the landlord and developer in lease negotiations.
Alpha Capital Acquires 342-Bed Student Housing Community Near University of Louisiana at Lafayette
by Alex Tostado
LAFAYETTE, LA. — Alpha Capital Partners has acquired University Place, a 342-bed student housing community located near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The acquisition is the second of five identified projects in the company’s Opportunity Zone Fund, which was launched last October in an effort to take part in the opportunity zone program implemented by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. University Place offers access to campus through a private pedestrian bridge, alongside shared amenities including a 24-hour fitness center, swimming pool and cyber café. The new ownership plans to invest capital to reposition the property, details of which have yet to be announced. The seller and terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
John Portman & Associates Unveils Plans for 20-Story Office Tower in Midtown Atlanta
by Alex Tostado
ATLANTA — John Portman & Associates has unveiled plans for 712 West Peachtree, a 578,851-square-foot office tower in Midtown Atlanta. The tower will stand 20 stories high and include one story below ground. The total rentable office space will span 309,465 square feet from the eighth to 20th floor. The building will also include 8,761 square feet of retail space, 516 parking spaces and an outdoor terrace on the eighth floor. Developed by Portman Holdings LLC, an affiliate of the Atlanta-based architectural firm, 712 West Peachtree will be located near NCR’s headquarters, Anthem Technology Center and Norfolk Southern’s headquarters. The project is also near Coda at Tech Square, a 770,000-square-foot mixed-use development on the edge of Georgia Tech’s campus that Portman Holdings is also developing. A timeline for 712 West Peachtree’s construction was not disclosed.
Cushman & Wakefield Arranges $57M Construction Loan for Multifamily Project in Metro D.C.
by Alex Tostado
RIVERDALE PARK, MD. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged a $57 million construction loan for the development of The Residences at Riverdale Park Station in Riverdale Park. The Residences will stand five stories, offer 229 residential units, 8,000 square feet of amenity space, 10,000 square feet of retail space and 750 parking spaces. The Residences will be situated at 4650 Van Buren St. within Riverdale Park Station, a 36-acre master-planned community that will contain 119 townhouses, 850 apartment units, 160,000 square feet of retail space, 20,000 square feet of office space and a 120-key hotel at full buildout. Calvin Cafritz Enterprises is developing The Residences, which is slated for completion in the second quarter of 2020.
Atapco, Chesapeake Real Estate Break Ground on Two Industrial Buildings Totaling 750,000 SF in Baltimore County
by Alex Tostado
WHITE MARSH, MD. — A joint venture between Atapco Properties Inc. and Chesapeake Real Estate Group (CREG) has broken ground on two industrial buildings within Nottingham Ridge Logistics Center in White Marsh. The two buildings will total 750,000 square feet and are expected to be delivered in early 2020. The first building, situated at 5300 Nottingham Drive, will total 585,000 square feet and feature 36-foot clear ceiling heights. The adjacent 5301 Nottingham Drive will be a 165,000-square-foot building with 32-foot clear ceiling heights. Both buildings will be equipped with drive-in and dock door loading capabilities. Atapco will lead development and construction activities, and CREG will lead marketing and leasing efforts. Nottingham Ridge Logistics Center is situated near Interstate 95 and about 10 miles from downtown Baltimore.