CHATTANOOGA, TENN. — Crunch Fitness has opened a new location at Hamilton Place, a shopping mall and mixed-use campus in Chattanooga. The property is owned by locally based and publicly traded CBL Properties. The new fitness venue is one of the final components of the mall’s Sears redevelopment project, which commenced in 2019. Other tenants that have backfilled the former Sears department store include The Cheesecake Factory, Mean Mug Coffeehouse, Malone’s, Dave & Buster’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and an Aloft by Marriott hotel. Since March, CBL Properties has welcomed eight new concepts at Hamilton Place, including Taco Mamacita, Texas Roadhouse, Mr. Cow, Malone’s, Miniso, Vintage Stock, Dry Goods, Shoe Station, as well as a newly remodeled and expanded Buckle store. Additional openings are expected in 2025.
Tennessee
Marcus & Millichap Brokers Sale of New Restaurant in Metro Memphis Leased to Whataburger
by John Nelson
MEMPHIS, TENN. — Marcus & Millichap’s Taylor McMinn Retail Group in Atlanta has brokered the sale of a newly built restaurant in a southern suburb of Memphis. Whataburger occupies the 3,318-square-foot property on a 14-year, corporate-guaranteed ground lease with rent increases in the initial term and extension options. The restaurant serves as an outparcel to a Walmart Supercenter. Don McMinn of Taylor McMinn represented the seller, a Tennessee-based firm that is a preferred development partner of the Whataburger brand, in the transaction. The buyer was an all-cash investor from California that purchased the restaurant for an undisclosed price in a 1031 exchange. “You can’t underestimate the importance in the relationship between price point and cap rates in today’s market,” says McMinn. “Lower price point deals will get significantly more activity and trade more aggressively.”
NEW YORK CITY — New York City-based Newmark has arranged a $533 million loan for the refinancing of a multifamily portfolio located across six states in the Sun Belt. Boston-based investment firm West Shore is the borrower. Totaling 2,806 units, the portfolio comprises nine Class A, garden-style multifamily communities. The properties include: Citigroup provided the fixed-rate CMBS financing, which features a single-asset, single-borrower (SASB) loan structure. Purvesh Gosalia, vice chairman of Newmark, secured the financing on behalf of West Shore. According to a press release issued by the firm, this loan transaction reflects continued investor interest in the Sun Belt markets, which benefit from population growth and demand for rental housing. Newmark also recently announced an assignment to market 10 multifamily properties comprising 2,845 units across eight states for sale. The assets are expected to draw a total of roughly $500 million. — Hayden Spiess
ATLANTA AND NASHVILLE, TENN. — CBRE has arranged $188.3 million in acquisition financing for a 24-building industrial portfolio totaling 1.9 million square feet in metro Atlanta and Nashville. Philadelphia-based Stoltz Real Estate Partners was the borrower. The previous owner was not disclosed. The properties range in size from 12,600 to 222,683 square feet and were built between 1974 and 1998. The portfolio was 93 percent leased at the time of sale to 80 tenants with a weighted average lease term of 3.6 years. The 17 Atlanta-area assets total a little over 1 million square feet and are situated in last-mile locations. The Atlanta market offers industrial users convenient access to I-75, I-85, I-20 and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Additionally, the Port of Savannah is approximately 250 miles away. The seven Nashville properties total 866,053 square feet and are home to 15 tenants. The Nashville market offers convenient access to 24 states and is situated within a one-day truck drive of 75 percent of U.S. markets, according to CBRE. Brian Linnihan, Mike Ryan, Richard Henry and Taylor Crowder of CBRE arranged the financing through Starwood Property Trust. Loan terms were not provided. Stoltz currently owns and manages approximately 16 million …
Boulder Group Negotiates $2.7M Sale of Retail Property in Bartlett, Tennessee Leased to Fast Pace Health
by John Nelson
BARTLETT, TENN. — The Boulder Group has negotiated the $2.7 million sale of a retail property in Bartlett leased to Fast Pace Health. The medical services provider operates more than 235 healthcare clinics in the Southeast and Midwest and has more than 14 years remaining on its lease for the Bartlett location. The 3,700-square-foot, freestanding clinic was built in late 2023 at 3082 Kirby Whitten Road, about 15 miles northeast of Memphis. Randy Blankstein and Jimmy Goodman of Boulder Group represented the seller, a private real estate investor, in the transaction. The undisclosed buyer purchased the property in a 1031 exchange.
UNION CITY, TENN. — An affiliate of Phoenix Investors has acquired a 411,489-square-foot industrial complex located in Union City, a city in the northwestern corner of Tennessee. MVP Group International sold the property, which is located at 600 E. Sherwood Drive, for an undisclosed price. Built in 1985 and renovated in 1995, the development comprises roughly 398,000 square feet of warehouse space, as well as 13,500 square feet of office space and a 2,200-square-foot breakroom. The building features 18 dock doors, clear heights of up to 28 feet, two compressors and an extensive racking system. Phoenix Investors plans to implement a capital improvement plan at the property.
Annex Group Breaks Ground on 542-Bed Student Housing Community at University of Memphis
by John Nelson
MEMPHIS, TENN. — The Annex Group has broken ground on a new, 542-bed student housing community at the University of Memphis. Situated within the Park Avenue Campus, the property will feature studio, two- and four-bedroom units, as well as study spaces, social spaces, outdoor living areas and grab-and-go dining options. The opening is scheduled for fall 2026. This marks The Annex Group’s second student housing community in the Memphis market.
PORTLAND, TENN. — JLL Capital Markets has brokered the sale of Portland Shoals Manufacturing Facility, a 638,330-square-foot industrial development located at 1500 Shoals Way in Portland, roughly 40 miles northeast of Nashville. Al. Neyer, which developed the property, was the seller. EQT Exeter Real Estate Income Trust (EQRT) acquired the development for an undisclosed price. Shoals Technologies Group fully occupies the property, which features 40-foot clear heights, 107 dock positions, four drive-in doors, 185-foot truck court depths and auto and trailer parking. JLL represented Al. Neyer in the transaction.
Colliers Mortgage Provides $9.5M Agency Acquisition Loan for East Memphis Apartment Community
by John Nelson
MEMPHIS, TENN. — Colliers Mortgage has provided a $9.5 million Fannie Mae loan for the acquisition of Oak Grove Flats, a 163-unit apartment community located at 595 Cadraca Drive in east Memphis. The garden-style property features one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and features onsite laundry facilities and property management, according to Apartments.com. Randy Engel of Colliers Mortgage’s Memphis office originated the agency loan on behalf of the borrower, an undisclosed sponsor that is a repeat client of Colliers Mortgage.
NASHVILLE, TENN. — Ascendant Development has delivered Haven at Charlotte, an 11-story apartment tower located at 3025 Charlotte Ave. in Nashville. The 369-unit community is situated adjacent to the HCA headquarters campus and the OneC1ty mixed-use development. Haven at Charlotte features seven residential levels atop a four-story parking podium, with apartments ranging in size from 516 to 1,472 square feet. Monthly rental rates range from $1,605 to $3,800, according to Apartments.com. Amenities include a fitness center, yoga and spin room, outdoor kitchen area, infinity-edge saltwater pool and a rooftop clubroom/lounge.