ATLANTA — Five years ago, there were about 30 food halls across the entire country. By 2020, Cushman & Wakefield predicts there will be 300. “I agree we have a lot of food halls coming,” said Jamestown president Michael Phillips. “In some regards it signals the end of the food hall.” The comments from Phillips came Monday morning during a panel discussion at the annual conference of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The four-day conference, which ends Wednesday, has drawn 1,600 economic developers, city planners, marketing professionals, consultants and community leaders to the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. It’s the largest number of conference attendees ever and the first time in a decade that Atlanta has served as the host city for the annual gathering. The panel Phillips participated in was titled “Intersection of Food and Economic Development.” His fellow panelists included Adam Schwegman, senior vice president of Brookfield Properties Retail, who is stationed in Atlanta; Thomas McNair, executive director of Cleveland-based Ohio City Inc.; and Haile Johnston, founder of The Common Market in Philadelphia. Catherine Timko, CEO of Wilmington, Del.-based economic development consulting firm The Riddle Co., served as panel moderator. Food traffic, the right demographics, and a community …
Southeast
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Paramount Group Inc. has completed the sale of 425 Eye Street, an office building located in the NoMa submarket of Washington, D.C. Saban Real Estate acquired the seven-story property for $157 million. As of June 30, 425 Eye was 98.7 percent leased with weighted average in-place gross annualized rents of $46.16 per square foot. The U.S. government leases 90 percent of the office space at the 372,552-square-foot building. Jim Meisel of HFF represented the seller in the transaction. Cary Abod led the HFF team in securing acquisition financing through EagleBank. Additionally, Paramount has completed the previously announced sale of 2099 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., for $220 million.
Joint Venture Closes on $231M Bond Financing for Student Housing Project Near Florida International University
by Amy Works
MIAMI — University Bridge GP — a partnership between Global City Development, RER Ventures and Podium Developments — has closed on a $231 million bond issuance for University Bridge Residences, an 886-unit student housing community currently under construction near Florida International University (FIU) in Miami. The joint venture is billing the project as Miami’s first student condos. The bond represents the largest financing of its kind for an off-campus student housing building in the U.S., according to a release by the joint venture. The funding will provide $50 million in scholarships over 40 years to Florida International University. As per the terms of the agreement, FIU will also take ownership of the building upon the completion of bond payments in 2058. The community is set to open in fall 2020 and will offer fully furnished units with bed-to-bath parity, as well as a pedestrian bridge to FIU’s campus. Shared amenities will include a resort-style pool, cabanas, barbecue and dining areas, a sun deck with day beds, fitness center, yoga lawn, lounge and game room and a business center. The property will also be home to 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The project was designed by Arquitectonica and will be …
RedSky Capital, JZ Capital Receive $115M Loan for 20-Story Office Tower in West Palm Beach
by Amy Works
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — RedSky Capital and JZ Capital Partners have received $115 million in financing for Esperanté Corporate Center, a 20-story office tower located at 222 Lakeview Ave. in downtown West Palm Beach. Chris Drew, Hermen Rodriguez and Maxx Carney of HFF arranged the fixed-rate senior loan through Apollo Global Management, on behalf of a managed account, and a fixed-rate mezzanine loan through a life insurance company. Situated near Royal Park Bridge over Lake Worth Lagoon, the 255,984-square-foot Esperanté Corporate Center was renovated in the first quarter of 2018. The tower’s current tenants include Bank of America, Holland & Knight and Chatham Lodging Trust.
MIDLOTHIAN, VA. — Berkadia has arranged $36 million in financing for Westchester Apartments, a garden-style multifamily property under construction in Midlothian, about 15 miles west of Richmond. Costa Canavos and Amy Gay of Berkadia’s Richmond office secured the loan through the Virginia Housing Development Authority. The 20-month, interest-only construction loan converts to an amortizing 30-year permanent loan. Located on Perimeter Drive, the property will feature 238 apartment units and offer access to Route 288 and Westchester Commons.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Hunt Real Estate Capital has hired Chad Thomas Hagwood as senior managing director and Southeast regional manager. Formerly with Capital One Multifamily Finance, Hagwood will be based in Hunt’s Birmingham office. In this role, Hagwood will be actively involved in the origination of multifamily and manufactured home community debt throughout the nation, with a focus on loan originations through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, CMBS and FHA programs. Additionally, Hagwood will oversee the firm’s Southeast Region and the Manufactured Home Community production nationally. Over the course of his career, Hagwood has closed in excess of $8 billion in commercial real estate transactions throughout the United States, and he is annually ranked as one of the industry’s leading loan originators.
Marcus & Millichap Brokers $3.7M Sale of Walmart-Occupied Retail Property in Chattanooga
by Amy Works
CHATTANOOGA — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of a retail property located at 3901 Hixson Pike Suite 181 in Chattanooga. Fletcher Bright Co. sold the property to 3901 LLC for $3.7 million. Walmart Neighborhood Market occupies the 41,117-square-foot building, which was constructed in 2015. Don McMinn of Marcus & Millichap’s Taylor McMinn Retail Group represented the seller, while Louie Granteed of Tobin Properties Inc. represented the buyer in the deal.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Aria Development Group has purchased a land parcel located at the corner of Florida Avenue and North Capitol Street N.E. in Washington, D.C., for an undisclosed price. The buyer is planning to develop a mixed-use building, including residential space, on the 25,000-square-foot site. The purchase represents the culmination of three years of assemblage activity to connect tree-lined P Street N.E. with Florida Avenue and North Capitol Street. Additional details of the transaction were not released. This acquisition represents Aria’s eighth multifamily or mixed-use investment in Washington, D.C.
Sunshine Retirement Breaks Ground on Seniors Housing Community in Upstate South Carolina
by Amy Works
MAULDIN, S.C. — Sunshine Retirement Living has broken ground on Maple Brook Terrace Retirement Community, a 133-unit seniors housing community in Mauldin, a suburb of Greenville in Upstate South Carolina. The three-story community will feature 150,000 square feet of living and communal space nearby to local shopping and entertainment centers. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2019. Based in Bend, Ore., Sunshine Retirement Living manages 21 retirement communities in 10 states, offering senior apartments, independent living, assisted living and memory care.
The Shopping Center Group Brokers $12.2M Sale of Grocery-Anchored Retail Center in Southwest Florida
by Amy Works
FORT MYERS, FLA. — The Shopping Center Group has brokered the sale of Pelican Preserve, a grocery-anchored neighborhood center in Fort Myers. An affiliate of Baltimore-based Continental Real Estate purchased the property from an institutional seller for $12.2 million. Completed in 2007 and situated on 18.4 acres, Pelican Preserve features 69,500 square feet of retail space. At the time of sale, the property was 95.7 percent leased to a variety of tenants, including Winn-Dixie, H&R Block, Pizza Hut, Suncoast Credit Union and Great Expressions. Also included in the transaction is a city-approved plan for a second phase of the shopping center. Ready for immediate development, the plan includes two outparcels that can accommodate nearly 35,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Anthony Blanco and Lynn De Marco led The Shopping Center Group team that represented the seller in the deal.