Top Stories

Blackstone Group to Acquire 66 Multifamily Communities in San Diego for $1B

by Katie Sloan May 13, 2021

SAN DIEGO — Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX), in partnership with TruAmerica, plans to acquire 66 multifamily communities in San Diego County for more than $1 billion. The sale is one of the largest real estate transactions in county history, according to reports by The San Diego Union-Tribune. The seller, Conrad Prebys Foundation — a philanthropic organization created by local real estate owner Conrad Prebys — began shopping its multifamily portfolio in February, according to KPBS, a public broadcasting service in San Diego. The assets largely feature below-market-rate rents for low-income renters. The report by KPBS lists that the portfolio includes Conrad Villas apartments in Spring Valley, alongside communities located in San Ysidro, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, National City, Lemon Grove, Lakeside, Spring Valley, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, El Cajon, Escondido, Ramona and Santee. The 5,800-unit, market-rate portfolio is set to undergo $100 million in renovations under the new ownership, according to the Union-Tribune. Blackstone also plans to partner with the nonprofit organization Pacific Housing to provide services for residents, including after-school tutoring, financial literacy classes, and health and wellness initiatives at no cost. The deal will add to Blackstone’s existing portfolio of $4.5 billion worth of assets in San Diego …

May 13, 2021

Acquisitions Massachusetts Northeast Retail Top Stories

JLL Arranges Sale of Watertown Mall Near Boston for $130M

by Kristin Harlow May 12, 2021

WATERTOWN, MASS. — JLL Capital Markets has arranged the $130 million sale of Watertown Mall, a 260,867-square-foot power center in Watertown, a first-ring suburb just west of Boston. The property is 98 percent occupied by 10 tenants, including Target, Best Buy and the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Situated on 17.8 acres at 550 Arsenal St., Watertown Mall is adjacent to the 1 million-square-foot Arsenal Yards, the mixed-use redevelopment of a former armory. Watertown Mall Associates LP sold the property to Alexandria Real Estate Equities, according to local news outlet Wicked Local. The Watertown market has emerged as a popular life sciences and innovation district, according to JLL. It is located less than three miles from Cambridge and seven miles from downtown Boston. Watertown Mall welcomes more than 2.7 million annual customer visits and is home to the No. 1 most-visited Target store in Massachusetts, according to JLL. “With top-performing retail tenants in place, a premier location and demographics, and the potential to successfully support a variety of different uses, Watertown Mall represents an extraordinary opportunity to own one of the last large parcels in the red-hot Watertown submarket,” says JLL’s Chris Angelone. Angelone, along with colleagues Coleman Benedict, Nat Heald, …

May 12, 2021

Development Mixed-Use New York Northeast Office Retail Top Stories

Macy’s Proposes Overhaul of Herald Square Store in Manhattan, Including New Office Tower

by John Nelson May 11, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) has unveiled plans to overhaul its flagship Herald Square store at the corner of 34th Street and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The plan would add a commercial office tower atop the store. The size and design features of the office component were not disclosed. The plan includes a private investment totaling $235 million by Macy’s that would modernize the public spaces around the flagship store, including upgraded subway access, improved transit connections and pedestrian-friendly and car-free streetscapes at Broadway Plaza and Herald Square. Macy’s would improve Herald Square Subway Station’s entrances and add publicly accessible elevators at Seventh Avenue, Broadway, 34th Street and 35th Street that are compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The renewal plan is expected to generate $269 million annually in new tax revenues for New York City, support 16,290 annual jobs and spark $4.29 billion in annual economic output, according to Macy’s. “Today’s announcement is a resounding vote of confidence for Manhattan and the entire state, and a strong indication that New York’s retailers and consumers will drive this economic recovery,” says Melissa O’Connor, president and CEO of the Retail Council of New York State, the …

May 11, 2021

Development Industrial Louisiana Southeast Top Stories

Amazon to Open 650,000 SF Fulfillment Center in Northwestern Louisiana, Create 1,000 Jobs

by Taylor Williams May 10, 2021

SHREVEPORT, LA. — Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZ) has planned a 650,000-square-foot fulfillment center in the northwestern Louisiana city of Shreveport. The Louisiana Economic Development (LED) organization claims the development will generate $200 million in capital investment and add more than 1,000 jobs to the local economy. The site of the multi-level building, which will feature automated inventory management and shipping technology, is located within Hunter Industrial Park, a 135-acre development situated within three miles of interstates 20,49 and 220. The property will also be LEED certified. The Shreveport Times reports that the fulfillment center will be Amazon’s first in northern Louisiana. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant announced a fulfillment center in Carencro, located outside of Lafayette in the southern part of the state, in December, and is also planning to convert the Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge into a fulfillment center, according to the local newspaper. Of the seven Amazon facilities that have been announced or are under construction in Louisiana, the Shreveport fulfillment center will be the largest. Construction is set to begin immediately with completion expected in September 2022. In addition to the 1,000 full-time jobs at the facility, development of the new fulfillment center is expected to create …

May 10, 2021

Acquisitions California Multifamily Top Stories Western

CBRE Arranges $155.7M Sale of Presidio View Apartments in San Diego’s Mission Valley

by Julia Sanders May 7, 2021

SAN DIEGO — CBRE has arranged the sale of Presidio View, a 350-unit apartment community located in the Mission Valley area of San Diego. Griffis Residential LLC acquired the asset from AEW Capital Management for $155.7 million. Presidio View is situated on approximately 6.9 acres at 1440 Hotel Circle North and includes a variety of one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans with an average unit size of 928 square feet. Archstone built the property in 2007. (Archstone was acquired by AvalonBay Communities Inc. and Equity Residential in 2013.) Features include 9-foot ceilings, walk-in closets, in-unit washer/dryers, storage and private balconies. Community amenities include a swimming pool, resident lounge, fitness center, clubhouse, business center and electric car charging stations. “It’s very rare to be able to acquire a well-maintained, 2007-vintage asset of this scale in a primary San Diego location like Mission Valley,” says Kevin Mulhern, a broker with CBRE. “There were more than 40 investor tours and 25 offers, and the competition to acquire the property was very intense.” Mulhern, Stewart Weston and Dean Zander of CBRE’s San Diego office represented the seller in the transaction. Presidio View is located on the western end of Mission Valley and has access to …

May 7, 2021

Acquisitions Alaska Idaho Net Lease Oregon Retail Top Stories Washington Western

Institutional Property Advisors Brokers Sale of 28-Property Fred Meyer Portfolio in Pacific Northwest

by Jeff Shaw May 6, 2021

LOS ANGELES — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap, has arranged the sale-leaseback of a 28-property portfolio of net-leased Fred Meyer stores in the West. While the price was not disclosed, Marcus & Millichap’s research department claims that the sale is the largest retail transaction since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fred Meyer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kroger (NYSE: KR) and features a superstore-style format. Benderson Development acquired the 4.5 million-square-foot portfolio. The Fred Meyer portfolio is located in Shoreline, Bellingham, Everett, Lynnwood, Longview, Vancouver, Puyallup, Richland and Tacoma, Washington; Eugene, Salem, Albany, Beaverton, Corvallis, Portland, Medford, Oregon City, Roseburg, Springfield, The Dalles and Tualatin, Oregon; Nampa and Garden City, Idaho; and Anchorage, Alaska. “The Pacific Northwest has always been one of our top areas of interest to grow our national footprint,” says Randy Benderson, president and director of Benderson Development. “Fred Meyer is a leader in these markets and we’re very pleased to strengthen and enhance our long-term partnership with them.” Kroger will execute new 25-year absolute net leases for each property, with an initial portfolio-wide base rent totaling $25 million per year. Tom Lagos, Patrick Toomey, Jose Carrazana, Jessica Baram and Ryan …

May 6, 2021

Acquisitions Illinois Industrial Midwest New Jersey Northeast Top Stories

REIT Merger: Equity Commonwealth to Acquire Monmouth Real Estate for $3.4B

by Kristin Harlow May 5, 2021

CHICAGO AND HOLMDEL, N.J. — Equity Commonwealth (NYSE: EQC) and Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corp. (NYSE: MNR) have agreed to merge, signaling their intent to build a leading industrial real estate business and participate in the long-term growth of the sector. Based on the structure of the deal, Equity Commonwealth would acquire Monmouth in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.4 billion, including the assumption of debt. The combined company is expected to have a pro forma equity market capitalization of approximately $5.5 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Monmouth shareholders will receive 0.67 shares of Equity Commonwealth stock for every share of Monmouth stock they own. Equity Commonwealth and Monmouth shareholders are expected to own approximately 65 percent and 35 percent, respectively, of the pro forma company following the close of the transaction. Monmouth’s portfolio comprises 120 industrial properties totaling 24.5 million square feet. The Holmdel-based company is also under contract to purchase six properties totaling 1.8 million square feet, with the deals expected to close later this year or early next. Equity Commonwealth is a Chicago-based office REIT with a portfolio of four properties totaling 1.5 million square feet. “The transaction provides Equity Commonwealth with a high-quality, …

May 5, 2021

Acquisitions Georgia Healthcare Southeast Top Stories

Piedmont Healthcare to Purchase Georgia Hospital Portfolio from HCA for $950M

by John Nelson May 4, 2021

ATLANTA AND NASHVILLE, TENN. — Piedmont Healthcare has signed a purchase agreement with HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: HCA) for the acquisition of four Georgia hospitals and one clinic for a purchase price of $950 million. The two parties are targeting a closing date of July 31. Pending regulatory approval, Piedmont will acquire the 310-bed Eastside Medical Center in Snellville and the 119-bed Cartersville Medical Center in Cartersville, which are both located in metro Atlanta. The acquisition will also include three facilities in Macon: the 310-bed Coliseum Medical Center, the 103-bed Coliseum Northside and the 40-bed Coliseum Center for Behavioral Health. With the acquisition, Piedmont Healthcare is continuing to expand its footprint in metro Atlanta as well as strengthen its portfolio of best-in-class hospitals. Nonprofit watchdog organization Leapfrog Group rated HCA’s Coliseum Medical Centers, Coliseum Northside and Cartersville Medical Center as “A” hospitals in its spring 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades report released last week. “HCA Healthcare has instilled a high standard of care into these facilities, and we are proud that they have trusted Piedmont to continue this legacy,” says Kevin Brown, president and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare. For HCA, the transaction increases the Nashville-based company’s financial flexibility for investments …

May 4, 2021

Development Multifamily Southeast Student Housing Tennessee Top Stories

Public-Private Partnership Breaks Ground on 616-Bed Student Housing Project in Nashville

by Taylor Williams May 3, 2021

NASHVILLE, TENN. — A public-private partnership between Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions, Axium Infrastructure and Vanderbilt University has broken ground on a 616-bed student housing project in Nashville. The total cost of the project was not disclosed, but the Nashville Post and Nashville Business Journal both reported late last week that the development team received approximately $107 million in construction financing. According to Vanderbilt University’s news service, construction of the project was originally scheduled to start last summer but was delayed due to COVID-19. The community will be located on Broadway between Lyle and 20th avenues and will include 25,000 square feet of retail space. The new residence hall will offer a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units targeting graduate and professional students. Residences will be furnished with full washers and dryers, and costs of utilities will be included in rent. Shared amenities will include a 13,000-square-foot collaboration space with a dedicated area for academic and entrepreneurial endeavors, private study spaces, fitness center and a public courtyard. “Providing an updated housing option with modern amenities in a vibrant neighborhood convenient to campus will further the university’s goal to recruit the best graduate and professional students and provide them with an …

May 3, 2021

Arizona California Company News Top Stories Western

Realty Income Agrees to Acquire VEREIT in All-Stock Transaction, Create $50B REIT

by Julia Sanders April 30, 2021

SAN DIEGO and PHOENIX — Realty Income Corp. (NYSE: O), a San Diego-based real estate investment trust active in the net lease sector, has agreed to acquire VEREIT (NYSE: VER), a Phoenix-based real estate investment trust in the single-tenant net lease sector. The all-stock transaction will create a combined company dominant in the net lease space with an enterprise value of approximately $50 billion, making it one of the largest real estate investment trusts. VEREIT shareholders will receive 0.705 shares of Realty Income stock for every share of VEREIT stock they own. After the merger agreement closes, the combined company — operating as Realty Income — plans to create a taxable spin-off of substantially all of the office properties of both companies into a new, self-managed, publicly traded REIT known as SpinCo. Realty Income and former VEREIT shareholders are expected to own about 70 percent of Realty Income and 30 percent of SpinCo. “This is a huge game changer for the REIT market,” says Scott Merkle, managing partner of SLB Capital Advisors, which specializes in net lease transactions. “It creates the sixth largest REIT, makes Realty Income multiples larger than the nearest net lease competitor, and allows them to become …

April 30, 2021

Newer Posts

Older Posts