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 …
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.
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.
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 …
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 …
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.
ALEXANDRIA, VA. — KLNB LLC has brokered the $8.3 million sale of 5904 Richmond Highway, a 78,000-square-foot office building in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Alexandria. Joshua Simon of KLNB represented the buyer, a joint venture between Rock Creek Property Group and Avanti Holdings Group LLC. Simon will also handle the building’s leasing assignment. The newly renovated property is located within walking distance to Huntington Metro Station and Mount Vernon Trail. Suites within the building range in size from 1,800 to 15,780 square feet. At the time of sale, 5904 Richmond Highway was 65 percent leased, with five office suites available to lease.
MCLEAN, VA. — Noble Investment Group has purchased Staybridge Suites Tysons-McLean, a 142-room hotel in downtown McLean, part of the greater Tysons Corner market of Washington, D.C. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. The extended-stay hotel features suites equipped with a full kitchen and flexible work space. In addition, Staybridge Suites features a 24-hour business and fitness center, complimentary breakfast buffet, pool, fire pit and a patio with barbeque grills.
NORFOLK, VA. — Atlanta-based architect Cooper Carry has designed Hilton Norfolk at The Main, a $175 million hotel in downtown Norfolk. Located at 100 E. Main St., the 23-story hotel anchors the corner of Granby and Main streets and overlooks the Elizabeth River. The Main features three local, chef-driven restaurants; a rooftop beer garden and lounge; 300 guest rooms; 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space; and amenities including an indoor pool, game room and fitness center. Cooper Carry’s design incorporates the historic façade of the Decker Building, which previously occupied the site, and features a 100-foot glass atrium with escalators crossing five stories. Gold Key | PHR owns The Main, which opened its doors in April.
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $8.1 million sale of Hollygreen Apartments, a 96-unit multifamily community located at 3429 Hollygreen Drive in Virginia Beach. Altay Uzun and Justin Ferguson of Marcus & Millichap represented the sellers, private investors who had owned the property since its construction in 1984, in the 1031 exchange. Uzun also procured the undisclosed buyer. The community includes one- and two-bedroom floor plans and features a fitness center and swimming pool.