JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Hunt Real Estate Capital has provided a $35.6 million loan to an affiliate of EBSCO Income Properties LLC for the purchase of Integra River Run, a 300-unit apartment complex in Jacksonville. The non-recourse Fannie Mae loan has a 10-year term with five years of interest-only payments, as well as a 30-year amortization schedule. The garden-style community comprises 12 two- and four-story buildings. Amenities include a fitness studio, spin bikes with virtual trails, cyber café, valet trash pickup, clubhouse, coffee bar, gaming room, resort-style outdoor lounge, fire pit, outdoor grills, swimming pool and a dog park. Integra River Run LLC was the seller.
FAYETTEVILLE, GA. — Pace Lynch Corp. will break ground next month on a 52,824-square-foot mixed-use building in Fayetteville. The site will offer coworking and retail space and is expected to be delivered in January 2020. The building will include ground-level restaurants and retail, three levels of coworking and medical office space and a 2,500-square-foot rooftop with a restaurant and bar. The building will be situated at the 25-acre town center within Pinewood Forest, a master-planned 235-acre development situated about 24 miles south of downtown Atlanta in Fayette County. Wakefield Beasley & Associates designed the building, and Brasfield & Gorrie is the general contractor.
RICHMOND, VA. — Thalhimer Realty Partners has acquired Towers on Franklin Apartments, a two-building, 332-unit apartment complex in Richmond, for $23.5 million. The buildings are situated at 104 and 311 W. Franklin St., in the heart of Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus. Amenities include a clubhouse, two fitness centers, media lounge, swimming pool and underground parking. Thalhimer has significant renovations planned, including full interior unit renovations to the 311 building. A timeline for the renovations was not disclosed. C&F Bank provided acquisition financing.
ATLANTA AND WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — In a blockbuster deal, SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI) and BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT) have entered into an all-stock merger agreement valued at approximately $66 billion. The marriage of these two iconic financial institutions in the Southeast will create the sixth-largest bank in the United States. Under terms of the agreement, SunTrust investors will receive 1.295 shares of BB&T for each SunTrust share they own. That equates to BB&T agreeing to pay $28.1 billion for SunTrust’s equity as of the closing price on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The combined company will operate under a new name and brand and be headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., while maintaining significant operations and investment in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Atlanta. The entity’s headquarters in Charlotte will also feature an innovation and technology center to aid with the transference of digital information. The deal, which is still subject to shareholder approval and other customary regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year. A press release highlighting the agreement says the name of the new entity will be announced prior to the transaction closing. The agreement is being billed by both companies as a “merger of equals.” Shareholders of North …
ATLANTA — The Ardent Cos. has purchased Piedmont Center 14, a 300,454-square-foot office building located at 3535 Piedmont Road in Atlanta’s Buckhead district, for $58 million. The building is situated within Piedmont Center, a 2.1 million-square-foot office park in Buckhead located on 52 acres near Ga. Highway 400 and Piedmont Road. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Ardent now owns nearly 1.7 million square feet within Piedmont Center and has the third largest office footprint among Buckhead owners, trailing only Cousins Properties and Highwoods Properties Inc. Built in 1988, Piedmont Center 14 was 79 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including MagMutual, Change Healthcare, Kenzie Lane and NCC Media. Richard Reid, Ryan Clutter, Ralph Smalley and Huston Green of HFF represented the undisclosed seller and procured the buyer in the transaction.
SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY. — Louisville, Ky.-based Crossdock Development has broken ground on a 572,000-square-foot speculative industrial facility situated within the Salt River Business Park in Shepherdsville. The Class A facility will be located on a 43-acre site off Interstate 65 about 14 miles south of the UPS Worldport in Louisville. The project, which will be shell-ready in June, will feature 36-foot clear heights and expandable parking. This facility marks the eighth industrial project in the Louisville market for Crossdock Development.
CLEARWATER, FLA. — Berkadia has brokered the $50.1 million sale of Estates at Countryside, a 320-unit apartment community located at 2652 N. McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater. The buyer, an affiliate of Insula Cos., plans to improve the property’s energy and water usage. Mitch Sinberg and Matt Robbins of Berkadia’s South Florida office arranged a $37.2 million, 10-year, floating-rate loan through Freddie Mac’s Green Up program on behalf of Insula Cos. Built in 1990, the property is situated about 21 miles from downtown Tampa on the other side of Old Tampa Bay. Estates at Countryside comprises one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with vaulted ceilings, sunrooms, walk-in closets and washer/dryer units. Community amenities include a fitness center, spa, pool and a playground. Jason Stanton and Cole Whitaker of Berkadia represented the buyer in the transaction. The seller was not disclosed.
FORT MILL, S.C. — JLL has arranged the $49 million sale of Beckett Farms, a 280-unit apartment community located at 1111 Gennett Circle in Fort Mill, a suburb of Charlotte in South Carolina. PRG Real Estate purchased the asset from the developer, Miller-Valentine Group. Built along Interstate 77 in 2018, Beckett Farms features a clubhouse, fire pits, pocket parks and play lawns, fitness center and a saltwater/mineral pool with sun shelves and private cabanas. Units average 1,026 square feet and include wood-style flooring, patios and balconies, large closets, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. — WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments has purchased Mayberry Mall, a 207,542-square-foot regional mall located at 338 Frederick St. in Mount Airy. Completed in 1968, Mayberry Mall is the only enclosed regional mall within a 30-mile radius and is anchored by Belk. The seller is longtime owner Kohan Retail Investment Group. WRS plans to redevelop the mall and bring in new uses and retailers. The Mt. Pleasant, S.C.-based owner and developer says it will begin construction and leasing initiatives immediately. Situated five miles south of the Virginia border, the city of Mount Airy is the home of comedian and TV star Andy Griffith and served as the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry, the setting of the “Andy Griffith Show.”
Paul Letourneau, manager of commercial lending for Alliant Credit Union, believes the more things change, the more fundamental business practices stay the same. In the lending world, this includes the ability to form and maintain relationships with key sponsors and brokers. As a credit union, how does Alliant compare to other capital sources? Letourneau: Alliant is looking to complement the prospect’s existing lending relationships. Alliant is a national lender and a great option to supplement the geographic and structure constraints of local capital providers. Strong broker engagement helps Alliant as the brokers bring both market and sponsor intelligence that might not be possible to come by otherwise. The broker’s knowledge is key to thriving in all lending environments and markets. There has been some recent volatility within the markets, so it is more important than ever to make informed decisions, which involves working with experienced and knowledgeable brokers as intermediaries for our clients. How can a disciplined lender remain flexible and accommodating for today’s borrowing needs? Letourneau: Today’s borrowing needs are not much different than they were in the past. Borrowers who need flexibility look to capital providers that can accommodate them. Whether it is interest-only, short-term bridge, flexible pre-payment penalties, longer term fixed rates, floating rates or …