Top Stories

Pacific Oak Sells Orange County Office Tower for $150.5M

by Kristin Harlow August 11, 2021

ORANGE, CALIF. — Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT Inc. has sold City Tower, a 435,000-square-foot Class A office tower in Orange County, for $150.5 million. Opal Holdings, a New York City-based real estate investment firm, was the buyer. The 20-story property is located at 333 City Blvd. in Orange, about three miles north of Santa Ana and 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles. The building was 90 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as UC Irvine Medical Center, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Sedgwick and Spaces. Developed in 1988, City Tower recently underwent a $3 million renovation that included upgrades to the lobby, a state-of-the-art fitness center, conference center and new building entryway. The property is certified LEED Gold. “We increased occupancy by almost 15 percent over the past three years and are proud of the improvements and value we created during our ownership,” says Michael Potter, senior vice president with Pacific Oak, which purchased City Tower for $147.2 million in March 2018 when it was 78 percent occupied. Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT is a public, non-traded corporation headquartered in Los Angeles. The REIT manages a portfolio valued in excess of $2 billion comprised primarily of office, apartment, …

August 11, 2021

Acquisitions Colorado Healthcare Illinois Industrial Life Sciences Midwest Office Top Stories Western

NexCore, Nuveen Acquire National Medical Office and Life Sciences Portfolio for $620.4M

by John Nelson August 10, 2021

CHICAGO AND DENVER — NexCore Group, a national healthcare real estate developer and owner, has teamed up with global investment management firm Nuveen Real Estate to acquire a portfolio of 27 medical office and two life sciences buildings spanning nearly 1.2 million square feet. IRA Capital, a private equity firm based in Southern California, sold the portfolio in two transactions totaling $620.4 million. The portfolio spans 13 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. The medical office properties comprise ambulatory surgery centers, micro-hospitals, freestanding emergency departments and single- and multi-tenant clinics. The properties were 99 percent leased at the time of sale to 38 tenants, the vast majority of which are well-established healthcare systems. The medical office buildings sold for about $463 million, according to NexCore, which will manage the facilities moving forward. Allianz Real Estate provided $234 million in acquisition financing on behalf of NexCore and Nuveen for the medical office portfolio. The financing is structured on a seven-year term with both a fixed-rate tranche totaling $163.8 million and a floating-rate tranche totaling $70.2 million. Chicago-based Nuveen is using equity for the medical office assets via its newly launched U.S. Cities …

August 10, 2021

Acquisitions Company News Industrial New York Northeast Top Stories

Blackstone Enters into Agreement to Acquire WPT Industrial REIT for $3.1B in Cash

by Taylor Williams August 9, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust Inc. (BREIT) has entered into an agreement to acquire Toronto-based WPT Industrial REIT for a cash price of US$3.1 billion. That figure includes the assumption of the publicly traded Canadian REIT’s corporate debt. Under the terms of the deal, shareholders of WPT Industrial will receive US$22 for each share of common stock they own. That figure represents a premium of 17 percent over the closing price of WPT Industrial’s stock on Friday, Aug. 6, the last day of trading prior to the merger announcement. The price per share also marks a 19.5 percent premium over the Canadian REIT’s weighted average unit price for the 30-day period that ended on Aug. 6. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter. “Logistics continues to benefit from strong tailwinds driven by e-commerce,” says David Levine, senior managing director at Blackstone. “We look forward to expanding our logistics presence across key U.S. markets with the acquisition of this high-quality portfolio that WPT has built.” WPT Industrial owns, develops and manages warehouse and distribution facilities throughout the United States. The company’s U.S. footprint consists of 109 properties totaling approximately 37.5 million square feet of …

August 9, 2021

Development Industrial Massachusetts Minnesota North Carolina Top Stories

JLL Arranges $157.3M Equity Partnership for Industrial Developments in Minnesota, North Carolina

by Julia Sanders August 6, 2021

MINNEAPOLIS AND BOSTON — JLL Capital Markets has arranged a $157.3 million joint venture equity partnership for the development of three bulk distribution and life sciences projects in Minnesota and North Carolina. Colin Ryan, John Huguenard, David Berglund, Pete Pittroff and Patrick Nally of JLL arranged the equity investment with Rockpoint Group LLC, a Boston-based real estate private equity firm, on behalf of the Minneapolis-based developer, Oppidan Investment Co. Blake Hastings, Jay Moore and Tim Brent of Oppidan are leading the project development. “We are excited to embark on a programmatic relationship with Rockpoint and continue to grow the industrial and logistics vertical at Oppidan,” says Blake Hastings, president of Oppidan. “Our cultures are very well aligned, and we look forward to a long, deep relationship.” The portfolio will include nine buildings on three construction sites that total about 1.6 million square feet. Five buildings are expected to begin construction this year, and completion of all nine are anticipated by 2023. The Minnesota facilities are planned for industrial use while the North Carolina facilities will be for life sciences firms. Two of the nine buildings will be within Chaska Creek Industrial Park, which is 26.5 miles from Minneapolis in Chaska. …

August 6, 2021

Georgia Loans Office Southeast Top Stories

JLL Arranges $421.8M Refinancing for Atlanta’s Piedmont Center Office Complex

by Jeff Shaw August 5, 2021

ATLANTA — JLL’s Capital Markets group has arranged a $421.8 million refinancing for Piedmont Center in Atlanta. The 2.2 million square foot, 14-building, Class A office complex is located on Piedmont Road NE in Atlanta’s Buckhead submarket. Proceeds from the loan were used to purchase four additional office buildings within the complex and to refinance the debt of Ardent’s existing holdings within Piedmont Center. The tenant roster includes technology, healthcare and professional services companies. The area is served by a MARTA Station that provides transportation throughout the city of Atlanta, as well as several thoroughfares such as Georgia 400 and Peachtree, Roswell and Lenox roads. The office space is located four miles north of Midtown, which offers amenities from museums to shopping to recreation. JLL’s Capital Markets team represented the borrower, The Ardent Cos., in the transaction to secure the floating-rate loan from a bank lender. Matt Casey and Ed Coco led the JLL Capital Markets team, while JLL’s brokerage team of David Horne and Jeff Taylor won the assignment to lease buildings five through eight. “Through its consolidation of ownership within Piedmont Center, Ardent has created a huge opportunity to reinvent the office campus into a more dynamic workplace …

August 5, 2021

Acquisitions Hospitality Nevada New York Northeast Top Stories Western

VICI Properties to Acquire MGM Growth Properties for $17.2B

by Kristin Harlow August 4, 2021

NEW YORK CITY AND LAS VEGAS — VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE: VICI), MGM Growth Properties LLC (NYSE: MGP) and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) have entered into a definitive agreement under which VICI will acquire MGP for a total consideration of $17.2 billion, including the assumption of approximately $5.7 billion of debt. MGM Resorts is the controlling shareholder of MGP. Upon completion of the merger, VICI will have an estimated enterprise value of $45 billion representing 43 properties in 15 states. The deal will add 15 Class A entertainment resort properties across the country to VICI’s portfolio, comprising 33,000 hotel rooms; 3.6 million square feet of meeting and convention space; and hundreds of food, beverage and entertainment venues. The deal represents an estimated 30 to 40 percent discount to replacement cost. The move will solidify VICI as the largest experiential net-lease REIT, while also advancing its goals of portfolio enhancement and diversification, according to the company. Following the transaction, approximately 55 percent of VICI’s rent base will be generated by market-leading regional properties, while the remaining 45 percent will come from properties on the Las Vegas Strip. Simultaneous with the closing of the transaction, VICI will enter into an amended …

August 4, 2021

Acquisitions California Office Top Stories Western

KKR Purchases Silicon Valley Office Campus for $535M

by John Nelson August 3, 2021

SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Global private investor KKR has purchased HQ @ First, an office campus in Silicon Valley totaling 603,666 square feet. Mori Trust Co. Ltd., a real estate development firm based in Japan, sold the campus to KKR for $535 million, according to several media outlets. The LEED Gold-certified property was fully leased at the time of sale to data memory and storage manufacturer Micron Technologies and IT securities firm Zscaler. The campus is located at 110, 120, 130 Holger Way in San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley’s “Golden Triangle,” which is home to globally renowned tech firms such as Cisco Systems, Adobe, PayPal and eBay. Steven Golubchik, Edmund Najera, Jonathan Schaefler and Darren Hollak of Newmark brokered the transaction. KKR purchased HQ @ First via its KKR Real Estate Select Trust fund and selected San Francisco-based Drawbridge Realty to manage the office campus. “HQ @ First is a marquee property with great amenities, including onsite lab facilities, and access to Silicon Valley’s immense pool of talent,” says Justin Pattner, partner and head of real estate equity in the Americas at KKR. “We believe well-located trophy assets that can deliver a dynamic work environment for innovative …

August 3, 2021

Loans Multifamily Top Stories Washington Western

Cushman & Wakefield Arranges $113M Construction Loan for Skyglass Tower Multifamily Project in Seattle

by Taylor Williams August 2, 2021

SEATTLE — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged a $113 million construction loan for Skyglass Tower, a 29-story multifamily project located at 222 Dexter Ave. N. in Seattle’s South Lake Union submarket. The total project cost is $196 million, according to the borrower and developer, Gemdale USA Corp. The location puts the building within close proximity of several of Seattle’s largest employers, including tech giants Amazon, Google and Facebook. South Lake Union is also located in the heart of the city’s life sciences hub, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Skyglass Tower will consist of 338 apartments in various floor plans, 2,260 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 128 underground parking spaces. The building will also feature an expansive amenity package and unobstructed water views. Hewitt Architects is designing the project, with completion slated for October 2023. Insurance giant AIG provided the loan to Gemdale, a national development firm based in the Los Angeles area. Dave Karson, Chris Moyer and Keith Padien of Cushman & Wakefield arranged the debt. “Seattle is benefiting greatly from regional job creation, and South Lake Union is still a prime location for new developments,” says Karson. “Strong developers like Gemdale are getting great attention from debt …

August 2, 2021

Acquisitions Georgia Office Southeast Top Stories

Cousins Acquires 725 Ponce Office Property in Midtown Atlanta for $300.2M

by Kristin Harlow July 30, 2021

ATLANTA — Cousins Properties (NYSE: CUZ) has acquired 725 Ponce, a 372,000-square-foot office property in Midtown Atlanta, for $300.2 million. The seller, New City Properties, completed development of the 12-story asset in late 2019. Located on the Atlanta BeltLine and directly across from popular mixed-use development Ponce City Market, 725 Ponce is fully leased to tenants such as BlackRock, McKinsey & Co. and Chick-fil-A. The $140 million development includes an adjacent 60,000-square-foot Kroger grocery store, which replaced a former Kroger that was built in 1986. As part of the transaction, Cousins also acquired a 50 percent ownership interest in an adjacent land site for an additional $4 million that can accommodate 150,000 to 200,000 square feet of development. Atlanta-based Cousins is a self-managed REIT that primarily invests in Class A office buildings within Sun Belt markets. The company’s stock price opened at $40.04 per share Friday, July 30, up from $30.49 per share one year ago. Cousins recently sold One South at the Plaza, a 40-story office tower in Uptown Charlotte, for $271.5 million. Additionally, Cousins and New City recently unveiled plans to develop a mixed-use project known as Neuhoff in the Germantown submarket of Nashville. Plans call for 448,000 …

July 30, 2021

Office Top Stories Washington Western

Boston Properties to Acquire Safeco Plaza Office Tower in Seattle for $465M

by Katie Sloan July 29, 2021

SEATTLE — Boston Properties Inc. (NYSE: BXP) has entered into an agreement to acquire Safeco Plaza, a 50-story, Class A office tower located at 1001 Fourth Ave. in Seattle’s Central Business District, for $465 million. The seller in the transaction was undisclosed. The REIT is acquiring the 800,000-square-foot property through a joint venture with one of the participants in its recently announced co-investment program with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) and GIC. Boston Properties will own a 51 percent interest in the building. Safeco Plaza was developed in 1969 by the Howard S. Wright Construction Co. and features a two-story lobby, five-level subterranean parking garage, a large outdoor plaza and 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The LEED Platinum-certified property offers views of the Seattle skyline, Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains and is located adjacent to stops for Seattle’s Link light rail and Metro bus lines. Safeco Plaza was 90 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants including Safeco Insurance, Bank of America, Corr Cronin LLP, Fox Rothschild, Helsell Fetterman and Interior Architects. Hines has managed the asset since 2016. Boston Properties is one of the largest publicly traded developers, owners and managers of Class A …

July 29, 2021

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