FORT SMITH, ARK. — Vanguard Real Estate Advisors (Vanguard REA) has completed the sale of a two-property multifamily portfolio in Fort Smith. A Dallas-based private investor acquired the asset from Fort Smith-based Fairway FSM Properties LLC and Southbrook Properties of Fort Smith LLC for an undisclosed price. The portfolio includes the 128-unit Southbrooke Apartments and the 77-unit The Fairway at Fianna Hills. The properties are located less than two miles from each other. Jordan Cortez of Vanguard REA, along with Flake & Kelley Commercial, represented the sellers. Vanguard REA also helped procure the buyer in the deal.
GULF SHORES, ALA. — Hilton Hotels & Resorts has rebuilt and reopened The Lodge at Gulf State Park, A Hilton Hotel, located at 21196 E. Beach Blvd. in Gulf Shores, after the property was irreparably damaged by Hurricane Ivan. Originally established in 1974, the newly rebuilt hotel features 350 rooms with views of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Shelby. Designed by LakeFlato and Rabun Architects, the new hotel features more than 40,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space, including The Gulfview Ballroom that can accommodate indoor events up to 1,000 guests. On-site restaurant options include Foodcraft, Perch, Roasted Oak Coffee & Wine Bar and Dragon Pool Bar & Grill. Guests will also have direct access to more than 6,150 acres of trails and activities within Gulf State Park. Valor Hospitality Partners manages the property. Sasaki Associates provided native landscape design, while Dallas-based Looney & Associates served as interior designer for the redevelopment.
RALEIGH, N.C. — In a new report released by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, the updated damage estimate from Hurricane Florence has increased to $17 billion, up from an earlier estimate of $13 billion. “Six weeks ago, Hurricane Florence’s powerful storm surges, winds and rains brought unprecedented devastation to our state, causing an estimated $17 billion in damage,” said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. “I’ve spent time since then visiting with families, businesses and local officials in the impacted area and it’s clear that we have to recover smarter and stronger to better withstand future storms.” Damage from Hurricane Florence has topped the charts for storm damage across North Carolina. Hurricane Matthew caused $4.8 billion, and when adjusted for inflation, Hurricane Floyd caused between $7 billion and $9.4 billion. To date, more than 130,000 people have registered with FEMA for individual assistance and more than $108 million in individual assistance has been approved for homeowners and renters. Additionally, Small Business Administration loans have been approved for nearly 400 hurricane-affected small businesses. The updated figure is based on new data from the North Carolina Department of Insurance, as the original $13 billion figure was based on estimates …
If you mention the phrase “retail apocalypse” to anyone in the Richmond market, you will immediately receive a puzzled look back. The Richmond retail market is about as far away from a retail apocalypse as any market in the country. Yes, we have seen the Toys ‘R’ Us, Sears, Macy’s and Kmart closures, but with close to 83 million square feet of retail space in the Richmond MSA, the current retail vacancy rate is below 5 percent. The vacancy rate is at, or near, a record low and demand for more space remains robust. New retail development projects are leasing quickly and several noteworthy redevelopment projects are in the works. In May 2016, Wegmans opened its first 120,000-square-foot Richmond store at Stonehenge Village along Midlothian Turnpike. In August of that same year, Wegmans opened its second store at West Broad Marketplace in Short Pump. Since those two openings, Richmond has received new attention from many national tenants, developers, and investors looking to enter the market. Market activity has been driven by the likes of Wegmans, Kroger, Publix, Aldi, Lidl and Whole Foods Market, as well as Gold’s Gym, Planet Fitness and Crunch Fitness. In 2016, Ahold announced it would sell …
CARY, N.C. — New York-based HLM Realty has purchased Crescent Lakeside I and II, an office complex located within The Crescent business park in Cary, a suburb of Raleigh. Crescent Lakeside LLC sold the asset for $69 million. Scot Humphrey, Ryan Clutter, Chris Lingerfelt and Zack Drozda of HFF, along with Frank Baird of Capital Associates Management, represented the seller in the transaction. Located at 1225 and 1255 Crescent Green Drive, the two-building asset features 254,796 square feet of Class A office space. Completed in 2001 and 2009, respectively, the three-story Crescent Lakeside I and the four-story Crescent Lakeside II were 98.9 percent leased to a variety of tenants at the time of sale, including Hill-Rom and Precision Lender. Capital Associates Management, in partnership with Boddie-Noell Enterprises, developed the office properties. The Crescent is a mixed-use development featuring entertainment, retail, lifestyle amenities, the Koka Booth Amphitheater, walking/jogging trails and the 30-acre Symphony Lake.
DURHAM, N.C. — TH Real Estate, an affiliate of Nuveen (the investment manager of TIAA), has completed the sale of Southpoint Glen, a multifamily property located at 5800 Tattersall Drive in Durham. Washington, D.C.-based StoneBridge Investments acquired the property for $42.7 million. Located within minutes of Research Triangle Park (RTP), the garden-style apartment community features 346 units, a swimming pool and a fitness center. The buyer plans to renovate portions of the property, including adding upgraded cabinets, faux granite countertops, tile backsplashes, two-inch blinds and plank flooring with soundproofing to individual apartments. StoneBridge also plans to expand the swimming pool and fitness center, add an outdoor fitness area and repurpose the existing sand volleyball court. Elliott Throne and Roger Edwards of HFF secured a seven-year fixed-rate acquisition loan through Freddie Mac’s CME Program for Stonebridge.
PIKESVILLE, MD. — Blue Ocean has purchased the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Conference Center located at 1726 Reisterstown Road in Pikesville, for an undisclosed price. Situated on 10 acres in Baltimore County, the hotel features 171 guestrooms, a 50,000-square-foot indoor tennis and fitness facility and office and retail buildings spanning 32,000 square feet. Steven Cornblatt and Gary Olschansky of Trout Daniel & Associates assisted Blue Ocean in the off-market deal. This transaction marks Blue Ocean’s first hotel acquisition. The Baltimore-based firm plans to renovate the asset in the coming years.
MCLEAN, VA. — Cohen Financial has secured a $12.5 million loan with Reinsurance Group of America for the acquisition of a retail property in McLean, about 10 miles west of Washington, D.C. Thomas Wiedeman of Cohen Financial secured the fixed-rate, non-recourse, 11-year loan with a 20-year amortization schedule and a 65 percent loan-to-value ratio for the borrower, a local commercial real estate investor. REI Tysons occupies the 32,857-square-foot, single-tenant property located at 8209 Watson St. in McLean.
DECATUR, GA. — FCP, along with partner Croatan Investments, has completed the sale of The Clarion, a 217-unit apartment community in Decatur, about six miles northeast of Atlanta. Gamma Real Estate acquired the property for an undisclosed price. Nathan Swenson and Travis Presnell of Cushman & Wakefield represented the sellers, which recently completed renovations to individual units along and improvements to the building exteriors, common areas and community amenities. Built in 1990, The Clarion is situated near Emory University, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DeKalb Medical Center. Rents range from $1,115 to $2,165, according to Apartments.com. Community amenities include on-site laundry facilities, a clubhouse, tennis court, fitness center and a swimming pool with a sundeck.
NEWNAN, GA. — The Praedium Group has acquired Trees of Newnan, a multifamily property located in Newnan, for $79.5 million, or $159,000 per unit. Chris Spain, Robert Stickel and Alex Brown of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, Watkins Real Estate Group, in the transaction. The buyer plans to rebrand the 500-unit property as The Willows at Ashley Park. On-site amenities include a fitness facility, resort-style pool, bark park pet playground and walking/jogging paths with natural wooded areas.