Top Stories

BioMed Realty Acquires Former John Hancock Building in Boston, Plans Life Sciences Conversion

by Alex Tostado January 7, 2021

BOSTON — BioMed Realty has acquired the former headquarters of John Hancock Life Insurance Co. in Boston and plans to convert the 14-story building into a life sciences facility. The building, which is located at 601 Congress St. in the Seaport District, features floor plates ranging from 19,000 to 50,000 square feet, 11 elevators, 14-foot ceilings on the second and third floors, 12-foot ceilings on the fifth through 14th floors, a fitness center, six-story atrium, two rooftop decks, conference center and a café. The property has sat vacant since 2018 when John Hancock consolidated its Boston offices to its building in the Back Bay district. BioMed, a Blackstone subsidiary, acquired the 485,000-square-foot property from an affiliate of Manulife Investment Management for an undisclosed price. Robert Griffin, Edward Maher, Matthew Pullen and Samantha Hallowell of Newmark brokered the deal. BioMed says the building is ideal for the planned conversion due to its mechanical and structural infrastructure, collaborative meeting areas and strong visual identity. BioMed is yet to select a general contractor for the conversion project, which the San Diego-based company expects to deliver in the second half of 2022. The Seaport District is situated along the Boston Main Channel and is …

January 7, 2021

Affordable Housing Development Multifamily Southeast Tennessee Top Stories Virginia Washington Western

Amazon Launches $2B Housing Equity Fund to Preserve, Create 20,000 Affordable Housing Units

by Kristin Harlow January 6, 2021

SEATTLE — Amazon has launched its Housing Equity Fund, a more than $2 billion commitment to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable housing units in Washington State’s Puget Sound region; Arlington, Va.; and Nashville, Tenn. — three metro areas where the company has or expects to have at least 5,000 employees each in the coming years. Amazon’s first investments include $381.9 million in below-market loans and grants to the nonprofit organization Washington Housing Conservancy (WHC) to preserve and create up to 1,300 affordable units at the Crystal House multifamily property in Arlington. WHC purchased Crystal House recently using Amazon’s capital. Rents at the property will be significantly lowered to target households earning less than 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). The conversion of existing apartments to affordable units began on Jan. 1 and will continue over the next five years. A 99-year covenant ensures that Crystal House will remain affordable for the long term. Arlington County has lost approximately 14,400 privately owned, affordably priced housing units since 2000, according to the county’s government. In addition, the Seattle-based online retail giant has committed $185.5 million in below-market loans and grants to King County Housing Authority (KCHA) to preserve up …

January 6, 2021

Acquisitions Development Mixed-Use North Carolina Office Retail Southeast Top Stories

Epic Games Acquires Metro Raleigh Mall for $95M, Plans New Headquarters Campus

by John Nelson January 5, 2021

CARY, N.C. — Epic Games Inc., a global gaming company whose products include the hit video game “Fortnite,” has purchased a distressed mall in Cary for its new headquarters campus. The property, Cary Towne Center, spans 980,000 square feet and in recent years lost three of its five anchor tenants, with only Dave & Buster’s and Belk remaining. Epic purchased the 87-acre site from Turnbridge Equities and Denali Properties for $95 million. Stephen Porterfield of Capital Associates represented Epic in the transaction. Founded in 1991, Epic has had its headquarters in Cary for more than 20 years and will continue to operate from its offices at 620 Crossroads Blvd. until completion of the redevelopment, which is estimated to be in 2024. Epic plans to break ground on the adaptive reuse project this year, thanks in part to Turnbridge and Denali getting Cary Towne Center rezoned in late 2019. The developers purchased the distressed mall in January 2019 for $31 million, according to Triangle Business Journal. Turnbridge and Denali had planned to transform the mall into a 4 million-square-foot project dubbed Carolina Yards, but ultimately decided to sell the property to Epic. “Epic shares our vision for transforming Cary Towne Center …

January 5, 2021

Company News Top Stories

Brookfield Asset Management Offers to Take Brookfield Property Partners Private for $5.9B

by Taylor Williams January 4, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM) has submitted a non-binding proposal to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Brookfield Property Partners (NASDAQ: BPY), which would effectively take its commercial real estate division private. Brookfield Property Partners has about 357.6 million outstanding shares. Brookfield Asset Management’s bid to acquire those shares from public investors at $16.50 per share gives the deal a total price tag of $5.9 billion. The $16.50 per share price represents premiums of 14.9 percent and 14 percent, respectively, over the closing price of the BPY units on the Toronto Stock Exchange and NASDAQ on Dec. 31. This price also reflects premiums of 8.9 percent and 29.4 percent, respectively, over the 30-day and 180-day volume-weighted average prices of the BPY shares on NASDAQ. Brookfield Asset Management’s proposal does not include the purchase of shares of preferred stock or other securities of Brookfield Property Partners or its subsidiaries. Under the terms of the deal, for each share they hold, BPY shareholders can elect to receive $16.50 in cash, 0.4 BAM Class A shares or 0.66 of BPY preferred shares. Should the proposed transaction go forward, Brookfield intends to file a transaction statement and other …

January 4, 2021

Development Mixed-Use Oklahoma Texas Top Stories

Gardner Tanenbaum, Robinson Park to Develop 400,000 SF Mixed-Use Project in Oklahoma City’s Innovation District

by Kristin Harlow December 23, 2020

OKLAHOMA CITY — Gardner Tanenbaum and Robinson Park Investments have unveiled plans to develop a 400,000-square-foot mixed-use project within Oklahoma City’s Innovation District. The developers secured 2.7 acres of land for the project and expect to break ground in late 2021. Plans call for research labs, office space, a hotel, retail space and a public area. FSB Architects designed the project. Expected development costs were undisclosed. According to the developers, the goal is to “build an environment that promotes cross-sector collaboration among Oklahoma’s key industries, including aviation, aerospace, bioscience and energy.” The facilities will feature shared technology for 3D imaging and printing, as well as biomedical research and laboratories. Wheeler Labs, the first portfolio company of Echo Investment Capital’s venture capital fund in biotech, is slated to be the project’s anchor tenant. Wheeler is a clinical laboratory with plans to expand into the bio-manufacturing industry. In addition, the University of Oklahoma is committed as an educational and research partner. “This project ushers in a new era for our ever-growing city,” says Richard Tanenbaum, CEO of Gardner Tanenbaum. “Researchers, engineers, universities and industry leaders are pioneering Oklahoma-born advances in bioscience, aerospace, energy and health.” The Oklahoma City Innovation District encompasses 1.3 …

December 23, 2020

Acquisitions Mixed-Use Office Restaurant Retail Top Stories Washington Western

Skanska Sells Majority Stake in Seattle Mixed-Use Tower for $669M, Nation’s Largest Single-Property Trade Since Pandemic

by John Nelson December 22, 2020

SEATTLE — Skanska has sold a 95 percent stake of 2+U, a 38-story mixed-use tower in downtown Seattle. South Korea-based Hana Alternative Asset Management and parent firm Hana Financial Group purchased the majority interest from the Swedish developer for $669 million. According to Skanska, the sale of 2+U is the largest single-property commercial real estate transaction in the United States since the pandemic began. Office tenants at 2+U include job search giant Indeed.com, tech firm Dropbox, coworking operator Spaces and customer experience firm Qualtrics. Retail tenants include Italian eatery Ethan Stowell Tavolàta and Seattle-based specialty coffeeshop Caffe Ladro. Hana has hired Houston-based Hines to manage 2+U. The development is situated near Seattle Art Museum, Waterfront Park, Benaroya Hall, Pike Place Market and downtown’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. Skanska delivered the 701,000-square-foot office component of 2+U, which is named after its location at Second Avenue between Union and University streets, in late 2019. The office tower is raised 85 feet off the ground and the retail component, which is still under development, is tucked underneath the podium. 2+U also includes nearly a half-acre of open space for tenant and community gatherings. Skanska will retain a 5 percent interest in 2+U and is …

December 22, 2020

Acquisitions Arizona Multifamily Top Stories Western

IPA Negotiates $90M Sale of 560-Unit Multifamily Portfolio in Tucson, Arizona

by Taylor Williams December 21, 2020

TUCSON, ARIZ. — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI), has negotiated the $90 million sale of a two-property, 560-unit multifamily portfolio in Tucson. The Equestrian is a 288-unit complex that sold for $47.7 million, or $165,625 per unit. Ridgeline is a 272-unit property that traded for $42.5 million, or $156,250 per unit. The Equestrian and Ridgeline were built in 2008 and 2002, respectively, and are located one mile apart from each other on West Linda Vista Boulevard on the city’s northwest side. Equestrian consists of 18 residential buildings housing one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Units feature an average size of 900 square feet, as well as individual washers and dryers and private balconies/patios. Amenities at Equestrian include a pool, grilling stations, fitness center, business center and a spa. Ridgeline consists of 17 residential buildings on a 13-acre site. Units also come in one-, two- and three-bedroom formats and have an average size of 821 square feet. Communal amenities include two pools and spas, a fitness center and a resident clubhouse. Hamid Panahi, Steve Gebing and Cliff David of IPA represented the seller, Bascom Arizona Ventures, in the transaction. The trio also procured the buyer, …

December 21, 2020

District of Columbia Office Southeast Top Stories Virginia

JLL Brokers Sale of Two Office Properties in Metro D.C. for $106.5M

by Katie Sloan December 18, 2020

HERNDON, VA., AND WASHINGTON, D.C. — JLL Capital Markets has brokered the sale of two office properties owned by WashREIT (NYSE: WRE) in metro Washington, D.C., for a combined $106.5 million. The company sold Monument II, a 200,000-square foot, Class A office building in Herndon, to an affiliate of Westbrook Partners; and 1227 25th St. NW, a 136,540-square-foot office asset in Washington, D.C., to an undisclosed buyer. Completed in 2000, Monument II is an eight-story office building with a five-level parking facility. The property is located at 12950 Worldgate Drive along the Dulles Toll Road near Worldgate Centre and the future Herndon Metrorail station. Few details were released regarding 1227 25th St. NW, which is located within D.C.’s central business district. “These sales further strengthen our balance sheet ahead of the post-vaccine recovery and align with our strategy to reduce our exposure to office assets, allowing us to de-risk our portfolio and improve our ability to create long-term shareholder value,” says Paul McDermott, president and CEO of WashREIT. Stephen Conley, Matt Nicholson, Jim Meisel, Andrew Weir and Dave Baker of JLL represented the seller in both transactions. Dan McIntyre and Paul Spellman, also of JLL, assisted the buyer of Monument …

December 18, 2020

Acquisitions Connecticut Healthcare Midwest Minnesota Office Ohio Tennessee Top Stories

Davis Medical Investors Acquires Eight-Property Medical Office Portfolio for $112M

by Alex Tostado December 17, 2020

MINNEAPOLIS — Davis Medical Investors LLC has acquired an eight-property, 309,735-square-foot medical office portfolio for $112 million. The Minneapolis-based buyer acquired the assets through a new fund backed by Capital One. Three of the buildings were purchased from Davis Medical Investors-affiliated partnerships and the other five were acquired from undisclosed, third-party sellers. The portfolio comprises three properties in Minnesota, three in Tennessee and one each in Ohio and Connecticut. The acquisitions in Tennessee and Connecticut represent Davis Medical Investors’ entry into those markets. The portfolio was 99 percent leased at the time of sale with an average lease term of more than eight years. The buildings in the portfolio are an average of 10 years old. According to Mark Davis, founder and managing partner at Davis Medical Investors, the fund will be able to acquire more than 20 medical office buildings totaling up to $240 million. “Despite some of the acquisitions being temporarily put on hiatus because of COVID-19, we stayed in close contact with the sellers to ensure we successfully brought these deals to fruition,” says Stewart Davis, executive vice president of investments at Davis Medical Investors. The properties in the portfolio include: M Health-Fairview in Minneapolis, which is …

December 17, 2020

Affordable Housing Development District of Columbia Multifamily Southeast Top Stories

Toll Brothers, GSLM Receive $160M in Construction Financing for Multifamily Redevelopment Project in Washington, D.C.

by Kristin Harlow December 16, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Toll Brothers Apartment Living and GSLM Capital Partners, a venture between L+M Development Partners and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group, have received $160 million in construction financing for Phase I of a new multifamily project in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The project will redevelop Sursum Corda Cooperative, a low-income housing complex built in 1968. Sursum’s tenant association sold the site in 2018. As part of the agreement, current residents of Sursum will have the right to rent up to 127 units included in the new complex. Phase I of the project will include 561 units, approximately 20 percent of which will be designated as affordable. It will also feature one acre of public open space and nearly 50,000 square feet of amenities. Citi Community Capital provided the $160 million, funded with $23 million of tax-exempt notes issued through the Washington, D.C. Housing Finance Agency and a $137 million taxable construction loan. In addition, Citi arranged a $160 million forward commitment for permanent financing from Freddie Mac in its role as an Optigo lender. Goldman Sachs, in addition to its land loan financing and equity participation, will purchase approximately $15.7 million of low-income housing tax credits. …

December 16, 2020

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