Virginia

Mall Owners Refresh Common Areas to Attract Customers

by John Nelson November 8, 2017

As online retail continues to grab market share from traditional bricks-and-mortar shopping malls, retail center owners are looking for ways to create an experience for shoppers. For many, this entails redeveloping portions of their centers to include dining, entertainment and event experiences to build a sense of community to their centers. When retail owners plan these kinds of renovations, they should engage architects and general contractors early and come into the project with a realistic expectation of the costs and challenges that may arise. Some suburbs are using their shopping centers as de facto downtown areas, complete with holiday events, festivals and farmers markets. Graycor Construction has helped three such centers in Richmond to improve their common area space to meet these needs. Richmond Projects At Short Pump Town Center, owner Forest City Enterprises engaged Graycor to demolish and replace a pedestrian bridge and fountain, replace brick pavers, relocate escalators and add a feature elevator, fireplace, pavilion and trellises. This made the center a more modern and attractive place for members of the community to gather, and Graycor was able to use its “live environment” approach to keep the mall and all of its stores open during construction. As a …

November 8, 2017

Loans Multifamily Southeast Virginia

KeyBank Arranges $73.3M Acquisition Loan for Multifamily Property in Metro D.C.

by Camren Skelton November 6, 2017

ALEXANDRIA, VA. — KeyBank Real Estate Capital has arranged a $73.3 million acquisition loan for The Parker at Huntington Metro, a 360-unit multifamily community in Alexandria, roughly eight miles south of Washington, D.C. Chris Black and Caleb Marten of KeyBank arranged the 10-year Fannie Mae loan with five years of interest-only payments and a 30-year amortization schedule. The borrower was not disclosed. Constructed in 2016, The Parker features a 24-hour fitness center, bike racks, outdoor TVs, pool, virtual golf simulation room, game room, dog park and a pet spa. Of the 360 units, 54 are reserved for affordable housing.

November 6, 2017

Retail Southeast Virginia

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer Arranges Sale of 18,316 SF Retail Center in Blacksburg, Virginia

by Camren Skelton October 30, 2017

BLACKSBURG, VA. — Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer has arranged the sale of University Crossroads, an 18,316-square-foot retail center located at the main entrance of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Eric Robison and Catharine Spangler of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer arranged the sale on behalf of the undisclosed seller. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Constructed this year, the center is part of the larger University Crossroads mixed-use development, which includes additional retail space, a freestanding CVS/pharmacy and two hotels with a total of 250 rooms. Graystone Cos. developed University Crossroads. At the time of sale, the center was home to Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panda Express and Tropical Smoothie Café. John Nielsen of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer completed the lease-up of the property. The Thalhimer Commercial Property Services team will manage the asset under the new ownership.

October 30, 2017

Mixed-Use Retail Southeast Virginia

Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn to Join Town Center of Virginia Beach

by Camren Skelton October 27, 2017

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. — Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn have inked leases at the Town Center of Virginia Beach, a multi-phase mixed-use development in Virginia Beach. The homeware and home furnishings retailers will occupy a combined 18,000 square feet as part of the project’s sixth phase of development. A public-private partnership between the City of Virginia Beach and Virginia Beach-based Armada Hoffler Properties, Town Center is an ongoing development that started in 2000. The project spans 17 city blocks and features retail, dining, office space, residential units, hotels and entertainment venues. The two new retailers will be part of the latest addition to Town Center, which will include 39,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a 300-seat performing arts theater, an open-air public plaza and a pedestrian bridge. Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn are expected to open in spring 2018. Divaris Real Estate is handling retail leasing for Town Center, and S.L. Nusbaum is managing the project’s residential component.

October 27, 2017

Market Reports Retail Southeast Southeast Market Reports Virginia

New Grocers, Redevelopments Invigorate Richmond’s Retail Market

by John Nelson October 23, 2017

The Richmond retail market continues to be strong. Overall vacancy rates are slightly higher than usual, hovering around 7 percent with negative absorption, due to all types of new products coming online in the first half of 2017. The market is adding millennials at double the pace of any other generation and has been recently named in multiple media outlets as one of the top living destinations for millennials nationwide. With this influx, multifamily development in Richmond is robust, which in turn is attracting all types of urban retail and chef-driven restaurants. The most popular submarkets for new urban retail are the Central Business District, Shockoe Bottom and the white-hot Scott’s Addition, with many developers taking advantage of Richmond’s Historic Tax Credit program. Richmond’s famous grocery wars continue with major players jockeying for the best positions. Kroger has historically positioned themselves well in the market with 18 stores, many of which have gone through recent expansions to the Marketplace concept. It recently scrapped plans for the development of two new relocation positions in Mechanicsville and Colonial Heights. The most recent grocery news has been Martin’s Food Markets exiting and Publix entering the market. Martin’s peaked at 19 stores, most of …

October 23, 2017

Loans Office Southeast Virginia

HFF Arranges $47M Refinancing of Two-Building Office Portfolio in Metro D.C.

by Camren Skelton October 17, 2017

RESTON, VA. — HFF has secured $47 million in loans for the refinancing of Reston Metro Center One & Two, a two-building office portfolio in Reston, roughly 20 miles west of Washington, D.C. Cary Abod and Robert Carey of HFF secured the floating-rate loan through AllianceBernstein on behalf of the borrower, a joint venture between Coretrust Capital Partners LLC and Normandy Real Estate Partners. The portfolio totals 185,671 square feet and is located at 12120 and 12180 Sunrise Valley Drive, within walking distance to the future Reston Town Center Silver Line Metrorail Station. At the time of sale, Reston Metro Center Two was fully leased. Together, the portfolio was 35 percent leased.

October 17, 2017

Multifamily Seniors Housing Southeast Virginia

LifeSpire Breaks Ground on $64M Expansion of Seniors Housing Development in Richmond

by Camren Skelton October 16, 2017

RICHMOND, VA. — LifeSpire has broken ground on a $64 million expansion at Lakewood, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Richmond. The project is part of the community’s 40th anniversary celebrations and will take place on the West End campus of the property. The expansion includes the four-story Lakeview Clubhouse, including a new community entrance, 44 apartments, underground parking, walking paths, gardens, fire pits and a waterfall feature. The first floor will include a fitness center, restaurant, lounge, auditorium, pool, spa, convenience store, coffee shop, barber shop, library, billiards room, art studio and woodworking shop. In addition, the project includes two new buildings of the community’s Woodside Hybrid Homes, adding common areas and 20 additional units. The design team includes architect THW Design and general contractor WM Jordan. Construction is slated for completion by late 2019 or early 2020. No residents will be displaced during the construction period. LifeSpire of Virginia owns and operates four CCRCs in the state.

October 16, 2017

Market Reports Office Southeast Southeast Market Reports Virginia

Office Users Gravitate to Richmond CBD Following Surge in Out-of-Market Activity

by John Nelson October 16, 2017

Over the past 12 months, a surge in out-of-market activity has stabilized Richmond’s downtown office market, which had faced a seemingly insurmountable glut of space just last year. For years, Richmond’s Central Business District (CBD) struggled to retain tenants as many sought more affordable locations in the suburbs, while other tenants shed space as they optimized their footprints. However, with a steady flow of high-profile inbound operations into Richmond’s CBD, the momentum has since shifted and the re-urbanization trend, an established facet of many of the nation’s major markets, has now taken hold in Richmond. Out-of-Market Demand Swells After five consecutive quarters of securing a sizable new-to-market operation, the cumulative direct impact of this inflow climbed to over 300,000 square feet. This surge in inbound activity played a pivotal role in stabilizing the CBD, which captured 94 percent of these inbound operations. Much of this activity has been driven by the explosive 14.9 percent growth in Richmond’s millennial population from 2010 to 2015, per a recent study by the Urban Land Institute for Time magazine. According to the study, Richmond is the second fastest growing city for millennials in the country, only behind Hampton Roads. Similarly, Virginia shot up in …

October 16, 2017

Industrial Market Reports Southeast Southeast Market Reports Virginia

Richmond Market Entering New Era of Industrial Development

by John Nelson October 9, 2017

At the mid-year mark, the Richmond industrial market has continued to strengthen, closing with an overall occupancy rate of 91 percent in the categories being tracked — Class A, B and C vacant and investor-owned product with a minimum of 40,000 square feet of total rentable building area (RBA). Class A occupancy decreased slightly from 96 percent at the end of the first quarter to 95 percent at the end of the second quarter, and Class B occupancy has remained steady at 92 percent. The year-to-date net absorption is in excess of 1.5 million square feet, in part due to lower reported vacancies in the Class C former tobacco storage complex located south of downtown Richmond. The inventory of quality, freestanding facilities available for owner/users to purchase remains in short supply, with central locations in even greater demand and experiencing a shorter shelf life. CoStar reports overall industrial occupancy at 95 percent for products of all sizes, including investor-owned facilities, but excluding flex space (minimum 50 percent office). Richmond’s strategic Mid-Atlantic location along Interstate 95 provides access to 55 percent of the nation’s consumers within two days delivery by truck. In addition to being the northernmost right-to-work state on the …

October 9, 2017

Multifamily Southeast Virginia

Passco Acquires New Multifamily Community in Metro D.C. for $112.8M

by Camren Skelton October 5, 2017

ALEXANDRIA, VA. — Passco Cos. has acquired The Parker, a 360-unit multifamily community in Alexandria, roughly eight miles south of Washington, D.C., for $112.8 million. David Nachison of Eastdil Secured represented the seller, a joint venture between AEW Capital Management and MRP Realty, and Passco Cos. in the transaction. Chris Black and Caleb Marten of KeyBank Real Estate Capital arranged acquisition financing through Fannie Mae on behalf of Irvine, Calif.-based Passco. Constructed in 2016, The Parker features two landscaped courtyards with gas grills and outdoor TVs, a swimming pool, virtual sport simulation room, fitness center, bike trail, outdoor fitness station and a dog park and washing station. The property is located next to the Huntington Metro Station and within walking distance to the Patent & Trademark Office. At the time of sale, The Parker was 92 percent occupied.

October 5, 2017

Newer Posts

Older Posts