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Cityline

SUNNYVALE, CALIF. — STC Venture has broken ground on Phase III of the Cityline Sunnyvale mixed-use project, which will add one residential building and two office towers in downtown Sunnyvale, 12.3 miles west of San Jose. The three new towers will include two seven-story buildings with approximately 590,000 square feet of rentable office, retail, flex and outdoor terrace space. The office portion of the project will be both LEED Gold and WiredScore Gold certified, which measures internet connectivity and digital infrastructure in commercial properties. The third building is The Martin, a 12-story apartment tower with 479 units, including 53 affordable rental units. The residential property will feature a hospitality-level amenity package and ground-floor retail and restaurant spaces. Additionally, the completed three towers will include a public park, which will be used as the town square and gathering space for the downtown area. “These 590,000 square feet of new office and retail space will bring more jobs to the central core of Sunnyvale and boost business for all of the community’s business owners,” says Deke Hunter, president of Hunter Properties. Phase I of Cityline Sunnyvale included 198 apartments located along Washington and McKinley avenues, as well as 85,000 square feet of …

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Hawthorn-Mall

NORTH DECATUR, GA. AND CRESTWOOD, MO. — Real estate developer EDENS and the City of Crestwood have separately announced two massive mall redevelopment projects in the Atlanta and St. Louis metropolitan areas, respectively.  The redevelopment of Class B malls into mixed-use, open-air centers has continued to grow in popularity as shopping center owners and operators look to compete with e-commerce through the delivery of thoughtful spaces that provide an experience for visitors.  North Dekalb Mall EDENS purchased North Dekalb Mall last year with plans to redevelop the property into a mixed-use project. This week, a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) application was filed with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs detailing plans for the project. Located roughly seven miles outside in Atlanta in North Decatur, the development is set to include 300,000 square feet of office space, 200,000 square feet of hospitality, 150 multifamily units and 1,700 townhomes, in addition to retail and restaurant space. A timeline for the project and further information was not disclosed.  The property’s previous owner, Sterling Organization, teamed up with developer Hendon Properties and Lennar Commercial Investors in 2014 with plans to turn the 622,297-square-foot enclosed mall into an open-air shopping center, which ultimately did …

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LANSING, MICH. — Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) and LG Energy Solution, has unveiled plans for a $2.6 billion investment to build its third battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States. The facility, which will be located in Lansing, the state capital, is part of a larger $7 billion investment in four Michigan manufacturing sites to increase battery cell and electric truck manufacturing capacity. Detroit-based GM says this is the single largest investment announcement in its history. The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved $824.1 million in incentives for the projects, according to local media reports. Ultium Cells will build the new plant in Lansing on land leased from GM. The facility is expected to create 1,700 new jobs when fully operational. Site preparation on the roughly 2.8 million-square-foot property is scheduled to begin this summer, and the plant is expected to open in late 2024. The facility will supply battery cells to Orion Assembly in Michigan and other GM electric vehicle (EV) assembly plants. “This significant investment demonstrates our commitment to strengthen our Michigan and U.S. manufacturing presence and grow good-paying jobs,” says Mary Barra, GM chair and CEO. “We will have the …

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CHICAGO — Co-developers Time Equities Inc., JK Equities and Oak Capitals plan to soon begin vertical construction for 1000M, a 73-story apartment high-rise in Chicago’s South Loop district. Named for its address (1000 S. Michigan Ave.), 1000M will stand 788 feet tall upon completion in 2025, making it one of the tallest apartment towers in Chicago. 1000M was originally conceived as a for-sale condominium tower but during a pause in construction during the COVID-19 pandemic, the co-developers decided to reposition the asset as a rental residential tower. Construction recommenced following a $304.5 million loan from Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank Wealth Management, according to various media outlets. The 738-unit apartment tower will offer residences ranging from studios to three-bedroom penthouse units. The development will also feature a golf simulator room, outdoor swimming pool with cabanas, a cookout area and a full-service 73rd floor bar and lounge offering views of the Chicago skyline. In addition, a 325-car parking garage will be concealed behind the apartments. Nearby attractions and venues include Grant Park, Lake Michigan, Soldier Field & Museum, Humboldt Park Formal Gardens, Columbia College Chicago, Hilton Chicago and Trader Joe’s. Helmut Jahn, a world-renowned German architect who was killed last year …

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NEW YORK CITY AND PHILADELPHIA — Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust Inc. (BREIT) has agreed to acquire Resource REIT, a publicly registered, non-traded REIT based in Philadelphia, for $3.7 billion in an all-cash transaction. Under the terms of the deal, BREIT will acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Resource REIT for $14.75 per share, including the assumption of existing debt. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter. Resource REIT’s portfolio currently consists of 42 garden-style apartment communities totaling more than 12,600 units across 13 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia and Texas. “This transaction represents a continuation of our high-conviction investing in top-quality multifamily communities in growth markets across the country,” says Asim Hamid, senior managing director at Blackstone. “We intend to capitalize on our expertise, scale and management practices to ensure these properties are well maintained and provide an exceptional experience for residents.” Lazard Frères & Co. LLC is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Resource REIT, and DLA Piper LLP is acting as the firm’s legal counsel. BofA Securities, BMO Capital Markets Corp., Eastdil Secured Advisors LLC and RBC Capital Markets LLC are acting as financial advisors to BREIT. Simpson Thacher …

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INTEL

NEW ALBANY, OHIO — Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel has unveiled plans to invest more than $20 billion to build two new computer chip factories. The campus will be located in New Albany, approximately 18 miles northeast of Columbus. Construction is scheduled to begin at the end of 2022 for the start of production in 2025. The two semiconductor fabrication plants, or “fabs,” will be situated on nearly 1,000 acres in Licking County. The project site can accommodate a total of eight chip factories. At full buildout, the total investment in the site could increase to as much as $100 billion over the next 10 years. The project is the largest single private-sector investment in Ohio’s history, according to Intel. Ohio will be home to Intel’s first new manufacturing site location in 40 years. Additionally, Air Products, Applied Materials, LAM Research and Ultra Clean Technology have announced plans to establish a physical presence in the region to support the buildout of the site, with more companies expected to join the project in the future. “Building this semiconductor mega-site is akin to building a small city, which brings forth a vibrant community of supporting services and suppliers,” says Keyvan Esfarjani, Intel senior …

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NEW FAIRVIEW, TEXAS — Rockhill Capital and Investments has acquired Shoop Ranch, a 1,807-acre plot of land in New Fairview. The tiny city of fewer than 2,000 residents is located approximately 30 miles northwest of downtown Fort Worth. Rockhill plans to build a massive mixed-use project on the site, which will include 4,150 single-family homes, 900 multifamily residences, shops, restaurants, offices, public spaces and government buildings such as schools, a town hall, public pool and fire station. “The [city] council and staff are focusing on maintaining our current rural feel, natural elements and open space, while creating a development and city center where people can live, work and play,” says Ben Nibarger, New Fairview’s city administrator. He notes that the city and Rockhill have been planning the development for about a year. “New Fairview is in a position for growth, and we are working with the city to thoughtfully plan a thriving community that will satisfy the needs for a city hub and additional housing, while also celebrating the area’s natural beauty,” says Jennifer Alexander, project manager at Rockhill Capital and Investments. The Shoop Ranch property features more than 1.5 miles of Oliver Creek, which offers fishing locations for bass …

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HOUSTON — CyrusOne Inc. (NASDAQ: CONE) has entered into a definitive agreement to sell four of its data centers in Houston for approximately $670 million. Under the terms of the agreement, DataBank Holdings Ltd. will acquire Houston West I, II and III, as well as Houston Galleria. The four facilities total more than 300,000 square feet. Additionally, CyrusOne will lease back the Houston West III shell to support a lease signed with a customer in the fourth quarter of 2021. The transaction is expected to close by the end of this quarter. Proceeds from the sale will be utilized to fund future development projects. “We are excited to execute on our capital recycling initiative to fund our continued growth,” says David Ferdman, interim president and CEO of Dallas-based CyrusOne. “This divestiture further optimizes our portfolio as we redeploy capital into accretive developments across core markets with diverse hyperscale and enterprise demand in the U.S. and Europe.” The transaction marks DataBank’s entry into the Houston market. “With our deep roots in Texas, [Houston] was a logical metro for us to expand into and allows us to bring our digital infrastructure and interconnection solutions to the fourth-largest metro in the U.S.,” says …

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ARLINGTON, VA. — JBG Smith (NYSE: JBGS), an owner and developer of mixed-use properties in the greater Washington, D.C. market, has begun construction on a pair of multifamily towers at 2000 and 2001 South Bell Street in Arlington. The development is expected to bring 775 apartments and nearly 27,000 square feet of retail space to National Landing, a neighborhood anchored by Amazon’s HQ2 campus and the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, both of which JBG Smith is developing. “The start of construction at 2000 and 2001 South Bell Street is a major milestone in National Landing’s ongoing transformation and delivers on our pledge to build new housing in lockstep with Amazon and Virginia Tech’s growth in the neighborhood,” says Bryan Moll, executive vice president of development at JBG Smith. KPF designed 2000 South Bell Street to be a modern, 25-story glass tower with 355 multifamily units situated above approximately 15,000 square feet of street-level retail space. The adjacent 2001 South Bell Street was designed by Studios to be a 420-unit, 19-story tower with a green-glazed brick façade and approximately 10,000 square feet of street-level retail space. SK+I will serve as the architect of record for both towers, which are designed to …

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WASHINGTON, D.C. AND PENSACOLA, FLA. — A joint venture between Washington, D.C.-based National Real Estate Advisors (NREA) and Florida-based Catalyst Healthcare Real Estate has acquired two national healthcare portfolios totaling approximately 1.2 million square feet Together, the portfolios comprise 40 properties across 13 states, the majority of which are located in Sun Belt markets. At the time of sale, the portfolios had a combined occupancy rate of 92 percent. Of that 1.1 million square feet of occupied space, about 88 percent is leased to regional healthcare systems and physician groups. The acquisition and recapitalization represent a total investment of approximately $420 million. The sellers were also not disclosed. “These transactions underscore our commitment to investing in highly competitive, diverse markets that seek to generate long-term, healthy returns for our clients,” says Jeffrey Kanne, president and CEO of NREA. “This acquisition not only significantly scales our medical office portfolio but furthers our geographic diversification.” “Our joint venture strives to positively impact healthcare delivery by investing strategic capital with a partnership-like mentality,” adds Chad Henderson, founder and CEO of Catalyst. “The closing of the portfolios was a significant first step for our joint venture and paves the way for the future of …

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