FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Newmark has negotiated a 63,000-square-foot industrial sublease at Valley View Business Center in Fort Worth. Frank Puskarich, Jim Cooksey, Louis Pascuzzi and Reid Halverson of Newmark represented the subtenant, linen manufacturer Brunton International Inc., in the lease negotiations. The representative of the sublandlord, Tosca Services Inc., was not disclosed.
SAN FRANCISCO — Art Gensler, the founder of the global architecture firm that bore his name, passed away peacefully earlier this week at his home in Mill Valley, Calif. He was 85. Gensler was born in Brooklyn in 1935 and graduated from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning in 1958. Gensler and his wife, Drucilla Cortell Gensler, along with James Follett, co-founded their namesake firm in a one-room office in San Francisco in 1965. Today, Gensler employs more than 6,000 people across 50 offices in Asia, Europe, Australia and the Americas. The firm has designed projects across numerous commercial real estate assets classes in Texas, including the terminal expansion at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport; the redevelopment of the Houston Center office complex; and the ground-up development of The Star, the Dallas Cowboys 25-acre headquarters campus in Frisco.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — A partnership between Chicago-based Magellan Development Group, BLG Capital Advisors, Geolo Capital and Wanxiang America Real Estate Group has begun leasing Sienna at The Thompson, a 331-unit apartment complex in Austin. The residences will be located on floors 15 through 31 of the 212-room Thompson Hotel building that is under construction in downtown Austin. Units will feature studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans and will be furnished with quartz countertops and backsplashes, stainless steel appliances and kitchen islands. Residents will have access to indoor and outdoor amenities that will be shared with hotel guests, including a pool, fitness center, business lounge, rooftop deck, 24-hour concierge services and a dog run. The building will also house multiple food and beverage concepts and a four-story underground parking garage. The average rent is $2,636 per month, and move-ins are expected to begin in late summer.
DALLAS — Senior Living Investment Brokerage (SLIB) has arranged the sale of Lakeland Hills Senior Living, a 170-unit community in Dallas. The asset was originally constructed as an independent living community. An assisted living wing was added along with cosmetic renovations in 2013. However, the assisted living units were subsequently de-licensed, and the entire building was again operated as independent living. The seller, Valstone, purchased the asset in November 2020. Valstone then elected to sell it to an out-of-industry buyer that plans to convert the property to affordable housing for seniors. The sales price was not disclosed. Bradley Clousing and Matt Alley handled the transaction for SLIB.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Locally based investment firm Rastegar Property Co. has acquired Velo Flats, a 70-unit apartment complex in the Windsor Park neighborhood of East Austin. The 56,780-square-foot property was built on three acres in 1972. The new ownership is underway on a capital improvement program. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. With this acquisition, Rastegar now owns four properties totaling more than 200 units in the Windsor Park area.
GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS — McWane Inc., an Alabama-based manufacturer of iron water works and plumbing products, has signed a 66,961-square-foot industrial lease at 1201 Avenue S in the central metroplex city of Grand Prairie. According to LoopNet Inc., the property was built on 5.4 acres in 1997, totals approximately 116,000 square feet and features 24-foot clear heights. Art Leichner and Andrew Crites of Newmark represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. CBRE represented the landlord, an entity doing business as TAF Dallas Industrial Portfolio LP.
HUMBLE AND SPRING, TEXAS — EDGE Realty Partners has negotiated two restaurant leases totaling 4,913 square feet on the northern outskirts of Houston. Dave’s Hot Chicken signed a lease to open a 2,995-square-foot restaurant at Spring Town Center in Spring, and Teriyaki Madness inked a deal for a 1,918-square-foot space at West Lake Crossing in Humble. In the first transaction, Debbie Adams of EDGE Realty represented Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Kevin Sims of NewQuest Properties represented the unnamed landlord. In the second deal, Kathy King of EDGE represented Teriyaki Madness, and Brett Strake of NewQuest Properties represented the undisclosed landlord.
EL PASO, TEXAS — Stonelake Capital Partners, a Texas-based real estate private equity firm, has acquired a 69-acre site in El Paso for the development of Eastlake Logistics Park, a 1.1 million-square-foot speculative industrial project. The site is located at the corner of Eastlake Boulevard and Interstate 10, adjacent to Amazon’s future fulfillment center. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter and to be complete in the third quarter of 2022. CBRE is leasing the development.
MESQUITE, TEXAS — Global investment firm KKR has acquired Skyline Commerce Center, a 198,000-square-foot, newly built industrial property located in the eastern Dallas suburb of Mesquite. The seller, Conor Commercial, began construction on the two-building development in April 2020. Building 1 features 32-foot clear heights, 23 truck docks, 12 trailer parking stalls and 133 car parking spots. Building 2 offers 28-foot clear heights, 18 truck docks and 122 car parking spaces.
EL PASO, TEXAS — KeyBank Real Estate Capital has provided $30 million in Freddie Mac acquisition financing for Bungalows at North Hills, a 342-unit multifamily property in El Paso. Built on 18 acres in 2009, the property features studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, clubhouse and outdoor grilling areas. Caleb Marten and Chris Neil of KeyBank originated the financing. The borrower was a real estate private equity firm based in New England. The property has since been rebranded as Forty649 North Hills Apartments.