WOODBRIDGE, VA. — Grace Street Properties has acquired Station Plaza, a 158,000-square-foot retail center spanning 13 acres. Grace Street plans to convert the site into a 2 million-square-foot mixed-use development. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved the master-planned project, which will be located within walking distance of the VRE/Amtrak station, four stops from the future site of Amazon’s HQ2. Grace Street plans to deliver residential units, commercial space, outdoor space and more retail. Grace Street plans to immediately begin site work. George Boosalis of Boosalis Properties represented the buyer in the land acquisition, which sold for $19.1 million, a 7.6 percent cap rate. David Choi of Greysteel represented the undisclosed seller.
Virginia
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — A joint venture between Apex Clean Energy, Riverbend Development, William McDonough + Partners and Hourigan Development has broken ground on an eight-story, 187,000-square-foot office building that will serve as each of the company’s headquarters. Apex will anchor the building, occupying 84,000 square feet and the top three floors. Apex will consolidate its three offices and 170 employees across Charlottesville. William McDonough + Partners designed the building, which will include 875 solar panels, a roof terrace, indoor bicycle storage and electric vehicle charging stations. Construction is expected to take approximately 20 months, with the building opening in mid-2021.
Skanska Acquires Development Site for 201,000 SF Planned Office Building in Downtown Arlington
by Alex Tostado
ARLINGTON, VA. — Skanska has acquired 3901 N. Fairfax Drive, the development site for a nine-story, 201,000-square-foot office building in downtown Arlington. The building will include 10,280 square feet of ground-level retail space. CallisonRTKL designed the building to include floor-to-ceiling windows on all four sides, a 4,000-square-foot rooftop terrace, fitness center, indoor amenity space and a second-floor terrace. The site is located within the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, five miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. An investment affiliate of Bernstein Management Corp. sold the property for an undisclosed price. A timeline for completion was not disclosed.
RICHMOND, VA. — Apple Hospitality REIT Inc. has acquired The Berkeley Hotel, a 55-room hotel in downtown Richmond. Apple Hospitality will upgrade the property to include services and amenities that are consistent with the rest of the company’s portfolio, although The Berkeley will remain an independent hotel. The property is located at 1200 E. Cary St., four blocks from Apple Hospitality’s headquarters. The seller was not disclosed.
Bellwether Enterprise Provides $22M Construction Loan for Affordable Housing Development in Hampton, Virginia
by Alex Tostado
HAMPTON, VA. — Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital LLC has provided a $22 million Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) construction loan for Monroe Gates Apartments, a planned 162-unit residential complex in Hampton. The property will offer eight two-story townhomes, four carriage homes and 150 one- and two-bedroom floor plans, 20 percent of which will be priced as affordable housing. The site is located at 200 S. Mallory St., two miles east of downtown Hampton and two miles west of the 409-year-old Fort Monroe. Communal amenities will include a clubhouse, fitness center, media room, conference facilities, dog park and a swimming pool. Kelly Martone of Bellwether originated the 35-year loan on behalf of the borrower, The Whitmore Co.
Core Spaces, Kayne Anderson to Break Ground on 1,530-Bed Student Housing Community Near Virginia Tech
by Alex Tostado
BLACKSBURG, VA. — A joint venture between Core Spaces and Kayne Anderson Real Estate is set to break ground on Hub on Campus Blacksburg, a 1,530-bed student housing community serving students at Virginia Tech. The project will be delivered in two phases, with the first scheduled for completion in fall 2021. The second phase of development is set to open in fall 2022. The community will feature amenities such as a swimming pool, fitness center, weight room, study lounges, walking paths and a 1,110-space parking garage. TSB Capital Advisors consulted on the formation of the joint venture. TSB Realty arranged the sale of the development site to the new venture on behalf of the seller, The Reliant Group.
KeyBank Provides $29.4M Acquisition Loan for Two Office Buildings in Northern Virginia
by Alex Tostado
STERLING, VA. — KeyBank Real Estate Capital has provided a $29.4 million acquisition loan for two office buildings in Sterling. Loudoun Gateway II and III span 179,864 square feet. CACI International Inc., a professional services and information technology company, fully leases Gateway II and 67 percent of Gateway III. The remaining space is leased to three other tenants. The property is located at 45195 Business Court, 27 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. John Ward of KeyBank originated the loan on behalf of the borrower, Sackman Enterprises. Barry Judelson of Uniquities brokered the deal. The seller was not disclosed.
Strategically located within a day’s drive of 50 percent of the U.S. population, the Richmond metropolitan area has experienced immense growth driven by increased millennial demand, arterial connectivity, a pro-business environment, low cost of living and overall high quality of life, cementing its position as one of the leading Southeastern U.S. markets for employment and capital investment alike. The Richmond market’s strong trajectory is attracting interest from new to the market capital sources, including Brookwood Capital, TPA Group and Ashley Capital, as well as significant corporate investment from the likes of Dominion Energy, Kinsale Insurances and Altria Group. The industrial market in particular has seen robust growth with reported user demand doubling year over year to nearly 6 million square feet as of July 2019 — an all-time high according to Colliers International research. The strength of user demand has resulted in the market’s high bay vacancy rate receding to 5.6 percent and significant speculative and build-to-suit development, including Panattoni’s recently completed Virginia’s I-95 Logistics facility that was 100 percent preleased during construction to Brother International and Amazon. With no shortage of user demand, Richmond’s industrial market is expected to remain a highly desirable market to invest as noted in …
American Real Estate Partners Purchases 212,731 SF Office Building in Northern Virginia
by Alex Tostado
TYSONS, VA. — American Real Estate Partners has purchased 1660 International Drive, an eight-story, 212,731-square-foot office building in Tysons. The property is situated 14 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The building was 99 percent leased at the time of sale. AREP plans to upgrade the main lobby and common areas, as well as improve the conference facilities, collaborative spaces and outdoor lounge areas. The seller and price were not disclosed.
With easy access to the James River, hiking trails and a burgeoning culinary scene, the Richmond region has won numerous accolades for its quality of life. The city remains a top destination for college graduates and young professionals, as well as families and retirees. Apartment demand is fueled by both a growing millennial population and increasing number of empty-nesters who are downsizing. Renters continue to seek accessible apartment communities that are highly walkable with comfortable amenities. As a result, both urban and suburban markets are experiencing an influx of rental demand. The Richmond apartment market continues to experience rising rental rates and interest from out-of-town investors. Apartment rents in Richmond have increased every year since 2012 but remain relatively affordable. The average effective rent reached $1,113 per unit after increasing approximately 3.8 percent over the past 12 months. Accordingly, developers and investors have responded to the steady demand and continue to be bullish on the Richmond market, especially for apartments. There are currently more than 4,000 apartment units under construction, marking a post-recession peak for construction activity. Apartment sales have accounted for more than 50 percent of all commercial real estate transactions during the first half of 2019. Additionally, institutional …