WASHINGTON, D.C. — A joint venture between Cedar Realty Trust (NYSE: CDR), Asland Capital Partners and the Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group has broken ground on the first phase of Northeast Heights. The $600 million mixed-use office and retail development is located in the Minnesota and Benning submarket of Washington, D.C.’s Ward 7 neighborhood. The property is located at 3924 Minnesota Ave. Construction has a completion date of late 2022 or early 2023. The first phase of Northeast Heights includes the construction of a 258,500-square-foot office building, as well as 18,000 square feet of street-level retail space. The office space is 100 percent leased to the Washington, D.C., Department of General Services (DGS) for its headquarters. Northeast Heights is a multi-phase, mixed-use redevelopment of two existing retail shopping centers at the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road. Cedar Realty Trust will lead future phases of the development, which will include the development of multifamily residential with designated affordable apartments, additional office space, community gathering areas and retail space including a new grocery store. The retail for the DGS building will be made up primarily of full-service and/or fast-casual restaurants, as well as service establishments for the 400 to 500 …
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Panera Bread Unveils New Restaurant Design Catered to Changing Post-Pandemic Consumer Needs
by Katie Sloan
ST. LOUIS — Panera Bread has unveiled a new restaurant design featuring increased drive-thru and pick-up access, technological offerings including contactless meal pick-up and an updated dine-in experience in response to COVID-19. The company is the latest chain to announce a refreshed design adapted to the changing needs of consumers during the pandemic. The first next-generation Panera Bread is set to open in the St. Louis suburb of Ballwin this November and will include: An open kitchen with ovens in full view of restaurant guests; dual drive-thru and dedicated rapid pick-up lanes in order to enhance the dine-out process; the addition of contactless dine-in and delivery options with mobile notifications to guests when their meals are prepared; updated ordering kiosks and automated loyalty identification; a fully-digitized menu; the introduction of an updated Panera Bread logo; and an enhanced interior design with increased wayfinding to exterior seating at the cafe. “We’re doubling down on what has always made Panera unique — creating human connection through caring associates and a warm, inviting environment filled with the smell of freshly-baked bread — while continuing to be a leader in digital access for the off-premise world,” says Eduardo Luz, chief brand and concept officer at …
NEW YORK CITY — SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLG) has sold 635-641 Sixth Avenue in Manhattan’s Midtown South neighborhood for a gross sales price of $325 million. The office property comprises two adjoining buildings rising eight stories and totaling 267,000 square feet. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter and generate net cash proceeds to SL Green of approximately $312.5 million. The buyer was undisclosed. SL Green acquired the asset in 2012 for $173 million. The Manhattan-based office landlord completed a redevelopment of the buildings in 2015, featuring a new lobby, elevators, building systems and a penthouse rooftop equipped with a bocce court and event space. The buildings date back to the early 1900s and once housed the Simpson Crawford Department Store. Today, the property is 94 percent leased. Software company Infor is the anchor tenant and recently executed a renewal and extension of its lease through 2030. “New York City’s revitalization continues as does the demand for Class A office buildings,” says Harrison Sitomer, senior vice president of SL Green. “The disposition at a sales price of more than $1,200 per square foot is a result of extensive repositioning and leasing efforts at the property.” …
NEW YORK CITY — Paramount Group Inc. (NYSE: PGRE) has announced plans to overhaul the base and interior spaces at 60 Wall Street, a 47-story office tower in Lower Manhattan’s Financial District. The project is set to kick off when the building’s sole occupant, Deutsche Bank, vacates the tower next summer. Paramount Group plans to invest $250 million for the renovation, according to New York Business Journal. Originally built in 1989, the 1.6 million-square-foot tower is LEED Gold-certified and sits along Wall Street with Pine Street bounding the property on the north. Paramount Group, a New York City-based owner and manager of Class A office towers, has tapped architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) to oversee the renovation. The firm has also selected Paul Amrich and Howard Fiddle of CBRE to lease and manage 60 Wall Street for tenants to replace Deutsche Bank. The revitalization plan includes opening the base of 60 Wall Street’s façade with new triple-height windows and a vast skylight to allow for more natural lighting. The renovation is set to also include the installation of a 100-foot green wall, which will improve air quality and provide greenery to the tower’s public spaces. The indoor green wall …
DALLAS — Hillwood Urban, a division of Fort Worth-based industrial giant Hillwood, plans to develop Field Street Tower, a 38-story office building that will be located at 1201 Field St. at the crossroads of Uptown and downtown Dallas. A total price tag for the project was not disclosed. The site of Field Street Tower is adjacent to Klyde Warren Park and across from the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. The 520,000-square-foot property will rise 600 feet, making it the tallest office building developed in downtown Dallas in the last three decades, according to the development team. Field Street Tower will feature amenities such as a tenant lounge, coffee bar, conference facilities, a 9,000-square-foot fitness center and a half-acre of outdoor green space with views of Klyde Warren Park. The building will also house retail and restaurant space with outdoor seating. In addition, the HVAC system will be equipped with an ultraviolet air purification system to protect tenants from airborne contagions. Pickard-Chilton is designing the project, while BOKA Powell is the architect of record. The Office of James Burnett is handling landscape design. Construction is set to begin in June. The development team believes the building could be available for …
LOS ANGELES — Kayne Anderson Real Estate and Watermark Retirement Communities have opened The Watermark at Westwood Village, a high-rise seniors housing community in Los Angeles. The community is the latest addition to Watermark Retirement Communities’ Elan Collection, a group of high-end senior living communities. The property offers independent living, assisted living and memory care. The Watermark at Westwood Village was previously a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) dormitory dating back to the 1960s, before going through a four-year renovation. The property has 188 residences with studio, one- and two- bedroom apartments. The fully renovated property includes two 14-story towers totaling 189,000 square feet. The asset features four dining venues. Taboon serves Mediterranean-inspired food, while The W Lounge serves traditional food along with cocktails, beer and wine. The Gallery Café offers coffee and small food options. Also, Watermark at Westwood Village offers dedicated room service or catering for events at the property’s private dining rooms. The community also features a salon and spa; library and lounge; event space; fitness and wellness center; and a courtyard with a fireplace and private dog run. Residents will have access to 24-hour assistance from onsite associates who provide room service, transportation, pet care …
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 …
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, …
Macy’s Proposes Overhaul of Herald Square Store in Manhattan, Including New Office Tower
by John Nelson
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 …
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 …