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DALLAS — Tuesday Morning Corp. (NASDAQ: TUES) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Dallas-based retailer says the actions are in response to “the immense strain the COVID-19 pandemic and related store closures have put on the business.” Tuesday Morning is a discount home furnishings chain. The company opened its first store in 1974 and currently operates 687 stores in 39 states. The retailer expects to permanently close approximately 230 stores to focus on high-performing locations. The phased store closures will take place this summer. After closing all stores and furloughing most of its 9,000 employees on March 25 as a result of COVID-19, Tuesday Morning has reopened more than 80 percent of its existing store footprint and expects to continue store reopenings and bringing associates back to work over the coming weeks. With no e-commerce platform, the closure of all physical stores was particularly devastating for Tuesday Morning compared with some other retailers, according to Business Insider. Tuesday Morning says that comparable store sales for the reopened stores have been approximately 10 percent higher than sales during the same period in 2019. The retailer began reopening stores April 24. “Prior to the pandemic, we were gaining momentum in …

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Ari Rastegar

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Rastegar Property Co., a private real estate owner and developer, has purchased two parcels in South Austin for the development of a new mixed-use project. The sites are located at 505 and 507 W. Live Oak St. and are the final leg of a 2.5-acre land assemblage that began with Rastegar’s purchase of a site last September. In January, the company bought two sites at 508 and 511 W. Live Oak St. that totaled a little more than a half-acre for an undisclosed price. The new development will sit at the corner of South 1st Avenue and West Live Oak Street near Barton Springs Road. The site is a few blocks from South Congress Avenue, as well as Austin’s central business district. Michael McKinley of St. Croix Capital represented Rastegar in the latest land transaction. “Once we secured the hard corner, things began to fall into place,” says McKinley. “All parties worked diligently to overcome obstacles related to COVID-19 in order to complete this 2.5-acre assemblage, due to the high demand for development sites in Austin’s urban core.” While still in the planning stages, Rastegar has disclosed that the property will include residences, entertainment uses and a …

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Lee+White-atlanta

ATLANTA — A partnership of local developer Ackerman & Co. and MDH Partners will soon begin construction of an $85 million multifamily, office and retail expansion to the Lee + White retail property in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood. The partnership acquired the 11-building, 433,204-square-foot property from Stream Realty Partners in September 2019 and began redeveloping the former industrial property as a mixed-use dining and beverage destination. Atlanta-based Smith Dalia Architects is the master designer of the project. Development plans include the ground-up construction of a two-story glass structure featuring a 17,000-square-foot food and retail “collective” on the first floor and 18,000 square feet of loft offices on the second floor. The team will convert multiple warehouses on the property into 127,000 square feet of modern office space, as well as 250 multifamily units. Monday Night Brewing currently anchors the property with its 22,000-square-foot Monday Night Garage brewery and event space. Other tenants include Wild Heaven Beer, ASW Distillery, Cultured South Fermentation Co. and Hop City Craft Beer & Wine. All current tenants have been implemented into the master plan and will remain in their current spaces. The property is located directly along the Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail, a 22-mile walking trail …

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CHICAGO — Mirae Asset Global Investments, an asset management and investment banking firm, has sold 225 West Wacker Drive, a 31-story office tower in Chicago. Spear Street Capital purchased the trophy office building for $210 million, or roughly $322 per square foot. The tower is situated along the south bank of the Chicago River in the city’s Loop district. The building houses the world headquarters of Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), which also represented Mirae Asset in the sale. The global real estate services firm handled the leasing the riverfront office tower for the previous ownership as well. Other tenants that list 225 W. Wacker Drive as their Chicago address include Jackson National Asset Management, True Partners Consulting, PPM America Inc. and Crowe LLP. David Knapp, Adam Spies, Marcella Fasulo, Tom Sitz, Cody Hundertmark, Paul Lundstedt and Dan Deuter of Cushman & Wakefield arranged the sale. Knapp says that Spear Street Capital may plan future capital improvements at the property. Kohn Pederson Fox and Perkins + Will designed 225 West Wacker Drive, which is LEED Gold-certified and Energy Star-rated and occupies a full city block along the path of the Chicago Riverwalk. The building features a seven-level parking garage for …

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LANSING, MICH. — The Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) has voted to approve the brownfield and tax-increment financing (TIF) plan for the Red Cedar project, a $256 million mixed-use development along Michigan Avenue in Lansing. The approval gives the developer, Continental/Ferguson Lansing LLC, the green light to move forward with construction. The developer expects to break ground on 181 market-rate apartments as well as an assisted living and memory care facility late this summer. A 792-bed student housing component is scheduled for completion in fall 2021. Construction of two dual-brand hotels, Hyatt House and AC Hotel by Marriott, is set to begin next year. Plans also call for a restaurant, retail space and a public park with an amphitheater and connection to the Lansing River Trail. The 35.5-acre project will connect the Lansing State Capitol to Michigan State University and adjacent communities along the Michigan Avenue corridor. The project will redevelop the long-abandoned Red Cedar golf course site. The MSF rejected a previous version of the project in March, according to Lansing City Pulse. The Lansing Brownfield Redevelopment Authority approved the local portion of the plan last year. “The approval of the project is positive news, especially with the unforeseen economic …

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DALLAS — JLL has provided Freddie Mac loans for four multifamily properties totaling 1,489 units north of Dallas. The new loans refinance acquisition loans the borrower, an affiliate of Orion Residential Advisors, originally received in 2016. The properties in the portfolio are Orion McKinney, a 453-unit community located in McKinney; Orion McCord Park, a 416-unit community located in Little Elm; Orion Prosper, a 312-unit community in Prosper; and Orion Prosper Lakes, a 308-unit community, also located in Prosper. The assets were completed between 2008 and 2012 with an average unit size of 883 square feet across the portfolio. The properties feature communal amenities such as pools, fitness centers, outdoor entertaining areas and club rooms. “The refinance was critical to our long-term strategic plan for the portfolio,” says Dan Gumbiner, Orion president and CEO. “We were determined to complete the transaction despite the current environment,” referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mona Carlton and Kristopher Lowe of JLL represented the borrower in the refinancing loan transaction. JLL also provided the acquisition loans that the new transaction refinances. HFF, a JLL company and Freddie Mac lender, will service all four loans, which feature 10-year terms and fixed interest rates. Deerfield, Ill.-based Orion specializes …

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J.C.-Penney-Jamestown-Mall

PLANO, TEXAS — J.C. Penney Co. (NYSE: JCP) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a bid to strengthen its finances through an extensive debt restructuring. The company filed on the evening of Friday, May 15 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, located in Corpus Christi. The Plano-based retailer has secured $900 million in debtor-in-possession financing from its existing first-lien lenders that is expected to knock several billion dollars off its total debt load. J.C. Penney, a company with a 118-year operating history, said that it would disclose in the coming weeks the number and locations of which stores would be closing. Currently, due to the coronavirus pandemic, about 40 of J.C. Penney’s approximately 850 U.S. stores are open, with another dozen or so offering curbside pickup only. In mid-March, the retailer began furloughing workers at its supply chain and distribution centers in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. Furloughs of store associates and corporate staff followed two weeks later. “While we had been working in parallel on options to strengthen our balance sheet and extend our financial runway, the closure of our stores due to the pandemic necessitated a more fulsome review to …

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Modera-creative-village-orlando

ORLANDO, FLA. — Mill Creek Residential, a Florida-based developer, has broken ground on Modera Creative Village, a 292-unit luxury multifamily property in the Orlando. Located at 505 Chatham Ave., the eight-story midrise building will feature studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units as well as 10,000 feet of ground-floor retail space. Amenities include a fitness center with a yoga area and classes, a pool and an outdoor courtyard lounge. Modera Creative Village is part of a master plan for the 68-acre Creative Village district of downtown Orlando. The project is a redevelopment of the former Amway Center sports and entertainment venue. The full development plans include multiple office, residential, retail, hotel and higher education projects. Modera Creative Village is adjacent to the Lynx Central railway station and the Downtown Recreation Complex at Sunshine Park. Other attractions include a range of museums, restaurants and retail centers, including the Bob Carr Theater, Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center and several art galleries. “The momentum of Creative Village will produce a dynamic urban infill neighborhood with prime opportunity for immediate growth, and we’re excited to be a part of it,” says Eran Landry, vice president of development for Mill Creek Residential. First move-ins are anticipated …

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — CoStar Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CSGP) has agreed to purchase Ten-X for $190 million. The all-cash deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year. Irvine, Calif.-based Ten-X was launched in 2009 with the goal of providing a digital platform to complete commercial real estate transactions during the Great Recession. Since its founding, nearly $24 billion worth of commercial real estate transactions have been completed on the site. Companies such as Fannie Mae, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Blackstone, Starwood, BlackRock, Capital One, MetLife, LNR, UBS and PNC have used the website to complete transactions. CoStar hopes the acquisition will position the combined company as a major player in the distressed commercial property market that COVID-19 is expected to leave in its wake. “We believe that the volume of distressed properties coming to market will surge and that this combined platform will support the market’s recovery,” says CoStar CEO Andrew Florance regarding the acquisition. Echoing Florance’s sentiment, Ten-X CEO Steve Jacobs says, “Just like CoStar Group, we are focused on driving volume and efficiency and have devoted ourselves to addressing the massive, untapped demand for digital commercial real estate solutions. We see significant demand …

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Aventura

AVENTURA, FLA. — Rieber Developments has broken ground on 12|12 Aventura, a 10-story mixed-use project featuring medical office, luxury senior residences and a food hall. The property is situated in Aventura, approximately 20 miles north of Miami. Arquitectonica designed the development, which will include a 30,000-square-foot gourmet marketplace and food hall, 25,000 square feet of office space and a 160-unit senior living component with a structured parking garage. The roof will feature gardens and micro-parks. Along with its sister project Ivory 214, the development will serve as the epicenter of what the developer is calling the Aventura Health District. Located at 21290 Biscayne Blvd., 12|12 Aventura is less than one mile from Aventura Mall and directly adjacent to Aventura Hospital. “Breaking ground on 12|12 Aventura is a significant milestone for us, especially in these challenging times,” says Bernardo Rieber, principal of Rieber Developments. “Our philosophy in creating this project has always been to bring something new and unique to the neighborhood, melding community, culture, health and wellness to benefit the area.” Cervera Real Estate will serve as the exclusive brokerage for the office condos, 40 percent of which are sold and under contract. Winmar Construction, an affiliate of Coastal Construction, …

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