Top Stories

InvenTrust Acquires Two Grocery-Anchored Shopping Centers in Texas, Maryland for $123M

by Taylor Williams September 16, 2019

FRISCO, TEXAS AND ROCKVILLE, MD. — InvenTrust Properties Corp., an Illinois-based shopping center REIT, has acquired two grocery-anchored properties in Texas and Maryland for $123 million. Eldorado Marketplace is a 186,068-square-foot property in Frisco, a northern suburb of Dallas, and Travilah Square is a 56,220-square-foot center in Rockville, a suburb of Washington D.C. The properties fetched sales prices of $71 million and $52 million, respectively. Market Street serves as the anchor tenant for Eldorado Marketplace, which also houses tenants such as AT&T, Jersey Mike’s, PetSmart and UPS. Trader Joe’s anchors Travilah Square, which houses tenants such as TITLE Boxing and Tropical Smoothie. InvenTrust officials cited Frisco’s emergence as a hub for corporate relocations, specifically the PGA and Keurig Dr. Pepper, as a key factor in the acquisition of Eldorado Marketplace. InvenTrust pointed to growing household income and steady population growth as the drivers behind the purchase of Travilah Square. The basic need to deploy capital before year’s end also played into the equation, says Christy David, executive vice president of InvenTrust. “InvenTrust has now acquired over $400 million of high-quality, grocery-anchored centers in key growth markets year-to-date. We remain on track to hit the company’s acquisition goals for 2019, and …

September 16, 2019

Development Florida Mixed-Use Southeast Top Stories

PMG, Greybrook Plan 49-Story Mixed-Use Tower in Miami

by Alex Patton September 13, 2019

MIAMI — A development partnership between New York City-based Property Markets Group (PMG) and Toronto-based Greybrook Realty Partners are currently developing 400 Biscayne, a mixed-use project offering 646 rental apartments in Miami. Slated for completion in 2021, the 49-story building will include 51,000 square feet of commercial space and a 22,000-square-foot redesigned First United Methodist Church of Miami. PMG originally bought the development site from the church in 2018 for $55 million, and the developers broke ground on 400 Biscayne in June of this year. The church will incorporate a chapel, fellowship hall, basketball court, classrooms and offices spanning the bottom 10 floors of the building, and will have its own separate entrance and parking. “We are working hand-in-hand with First United Methodist Church and Greybrook Realty Partners to create something special for the neighborhood, which will continue to foster growth and connection in this city we love,” says Ryan Shear, managing partner of PMG. Additional amenities of the building will include a public lobby lounge and restaurant, co-working spaces, a gym and fitness studio with frequent group classes, bike storage facilities, and a massive pool. The Miami Herald reports that a portion of the units at the 400 Biscayne project …

September 13, 2019

Acquisitions Office Top Stories Washington Western

Kennedy Wilson, Security Benefit Life Insurance Acquire Office Campus in Metro Seattle for $227M

by Alex Tostado September 12, 2019

BELLEVUE, WASH. — A new joint venture between Kennedy Wilson (NYSE: KW) and Security Benefit Life Insurance Co. has acquired Sunset North, a 464,000-square-foot, three-building office campus in Bellevue for $227 million. The property’s three buildings, which are certified LEED Silver, were constructed between 1999 and 2000. They were 99 percent leased at the time of sale to 10 long-term tenants with a weighted-average lease term of eight years. Sunset North is located near the intersection of Interstates 405 and 90, three miles southeast of downtown Bellevue and 10 miles east of downtown Seattle. The joint venture acquired the property with $77 million of equity and a $150 million, 10-year acquisition loan with a 3.25 percent fixed interest rate. The lender was not disclosed. The joint venture targets real estate investment opportunities in the Western United States. “Sunset North is an ideal first acquisition for our joint venture,” says Matt Windisch, executive vice president of Kennedy Wilson. Security Benefit is a Kansas-based insurance company that has been in business for more than 127 years. Kennedy Wilson owns, operates and manages multifamily and office properties in the Western U.S., United Kingdom and Ireland. Kennedy Wilson’s stock price closed Wednesday at $22.63 …

September 12, 2019

Acquisitions California Hospitality New York Northeast Top Stories Western

China’s Anbang Agrees to Sell U.S. Hotel Portfolio for $5.8B

by Kristin Harlow September 11, 2019

BEIJING — China-based Anbang Insurance Group Co. has agreed to sell a luxury U.S. hotel portfolio for more than $5.8 billion, according to several media outlets. Mirae Asset Global Investments, part of a South Korean financial services company, has agreed to acquire the 15 properties. The portfolio includes high-end hotels such as Essex House in Manhattan, Westin St. Francis in San Francisco and InterContinental hotels in Chicago and Miami. Anbang acquired the hotels in 2016 by purchasing then-owner Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. from Blackstone Group for approximately $6.5 billion. Anbang was making major waves that year, during which it also severely complicated Marriott International’s attempt to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Anbang started a bidding war that increased the final offer by nearly $2 billion before Anbang backed out. At the time, Chinese insurers and other investors were scooping up U.S. real estate, taking advantage of new rules enabling them to invest more easily abroad, according to the Wall Street Journal. That era ended when Chinese authorities seized control of Anbang and later sentenced Chairman Wu Xiaohui to 18 years in prison. He was convicted by a Chinese court for orchestrating a $12 billion fraud. In readying the …

September 11, 2019

Acquisitions Healthcare Life Sciences Massachusetts Northeast Office Top Stories

HCP Agrees to Purchase Life Sciences Building Near Boston from Davis Cos., Invesco for $332.5M

by John Nelson September 10, 2019

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — HCP Inc. (NYSE: HCP), a healthcare and seniors housing REIT, has agreed to acquire a 224,000-square-foot life sciences building in the Cambridge submarket of Boston for $332.5 million. The Davis Cos. and Invesco Real Estate are selling the LEED Gold-certified property, which is located at 35 CambridgePark Drive. Known as Alewife Research Center, 35 CambridgePark Drive is fully leased to five life sciences firms. The leases have a weighted average term exceeding 10 years. The recently delivered property offers more than 10,000 square feet of amenity space, including a lobby with dedicated collaboration spaces, a full-service restaurant, fitness center, lockers, bike storage and green space with outdoor seating. The transit-oriented property is located two miles from Harvard University and directly across the street from the MBTA Alewife Red Line station and bus terminal. “With the acquisition, we’re pleased to report that in less than two years we have expanded our presence in the Boston life science market to more than 1.3 million square feet and at a very compelling blended yield,” says Scott Brinker, executive vice president and chief investment officer of HCP. HCP expects to close the acquisition in December. The REIT also recently purchased the …

September 10, 2019

Acquisitions Massachusetts Northeast Office Top Stories

Boston Properties Acquires 392,600 SF Office Complex in Massachusetts for $106M

by Taylor Williams September 9, 2019

WALTHAM, MASS. — Boston Properties Inc. (NYSE: BXP) has acquired 880 and 890 Winter Street, a two-building, 392,600-square-foot office complex in Waltham, a suburb of Boston. The all-cash deal fetched a sales price of $106 million. The complex was 82 percent leased at the time of sale to 24 tenants in the healthcare, technology and energy sectors. Amenities include a two cafés, an outdoor seating area, a fitness center and a conference center. The 28-acre property is situated adjacent to Bay Colony, Boston Properties’ 1 million-square-foot business park. Following this acquisition, Boston Properties owns more than 4 million square feet of Class A office space in Waltham. The company owns and manages more than 5 million square feet of commercial space along the Route 128/Interstate 95 corridor in the Boston suburbs. “Waltham continues to be one of the region’s most desirable urban edge locations for organizations that want to attract and retain highly educated associates,” says Bryan Koop, executive vice president at Boston Properties. “The 880 and 890 Winter Street campus provides both location and amenities that offer long-term value for current and prospective tenants.” Boston Properties is one of the largest developers and owners of Class A office space, …

September 9, 2019

California Development Mixed-Use Top Stories Western

Liberty National Buys Downtown San Diego Site to Develop 40-Story Mixed-Use Project

by Alex Patton September 6, 2019

SAN DIEGO — Liberty National Corp., a San Diego-based multifamily developer, has assembled a 1.38-acre, full-block site in San Diego and announced plans for a mixed-use project on the property. Liberty’s proposal includes a 40-story residential tower and two mid-rise buildings of six and seven stories. The property will offer a total of 640 apartments in a mix of 553 one-bedroom units, 86 two-bedroom units and one three-bedroom unit. Additionally, the development will feature 16,485 square feet of multi-tenant commercial/retail space spread across the ground floors of the three buildings. The project is located at the intersection of Park Boulevard and Broadway in downtown San Diego’s East Village. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Liberty purchased the last piece of the site from the Salvation Army for approximately $7.7 million. “The site is a strategic acquisition given our interests in the area and its location at the juncture of two major entries into the downtown core on the high-activity Broadway and Park Boulevard corridors,” says Randy Williams, vice president with Liberty National. “There remains a housing shortage in San Diego. As this sought-after region continues to grow and attract talent, this new project will appeal to a wide range of residents …

September 6, 2019

Acquisitions Industrial New York Northeast Top Stories

Broadstone Acquires 23 Industrial Properties for $735.7M as Part of Portfolio Transformation

by Alex Tostado September 5, 2019

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Broadstone Net Lease (BNL) has acquired 23 industrial properties in 14 states and British Columbia, Canada for $735.7 million. The portfolio was fully leased at the time of sale and comprises a mix of warehouse, distribution, cold-storage, manufacturing and flex properties. The 23 buildings total 6.9 million square feet and are leased to 19 tenants. When the sale closes, Rochester-based BNL’s portfolio will consist of 41 percent industrial properties, 27 percent retail and 18 percent healthcare. The company will own 668 net-leased commercial properties totaling approximately 27.2 million rentable square feet of operational space. The seller and a list of the properties were not disclosed. “This portfolio benefits from attractive real estate and tenant fundamentals and represents a diverse and accretive addition to our net lease real estate portfolio,” says Chris Czarnecki, BNL’s chief executive officer. The new portfolio has a weighted average remaining lease term of 11.5 years and weighted average annual rent increases of about 2.2 percent. The acquisition was funded through a combination of proceeds from BNL’s ongoing private offering of shares of common stock; $150 million from BNL’s $450 million, seven-year, unsecured term loan that matures in February 2026; $300 million from a new …

September 5, 2019

Acquisitions Arizona Hospitality Top Stories Western

Trinity Investments, Elliott Management Acquire JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa for $602M

by Kristin Harlow September 4, 2019

PHOENIX — A joint venture between funds managed by Trinity Real Estate Investments LLC and Elliott Management Corp. has acquired the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, the largest resort in Phoenix. Blackstone reportedly sold the asset for $602 million, according to Pacific Business News. Spanning 396 acres, the resort features a 950-room hotel, 212,500 square feet of meeting space and seven food and beverage options. Amenities include a spa, lazy river, five pools and two championship golf courses designed by Arnold Palmer and Nick Faldo. The transaction follows Trinity and Elliott’s joint purchase of the Grande Lakes Orlando Resort in December 2018. The partnership says its strategy is to acquire large hotel properties with value-add opportunities. Trinity and Elliott intend to implement a multi-million-dollar capital improvement plan to further enhance the offerings at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge. In addition to guestroom renovations, plans call for upgrades to the resort’s meeting spaces, ballrooms, water features and food offerings. “Large, luxury group-business resort and conference center properties continue to be attractive investment opportunities,” says Tim Mackey, portfolio manager at Elliott. “The JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge is a market leader in terms of number of rooms, meeting …

September 4, 2019

Acquisitions Industrial Massachusetts Northeast Top Stories

TA Realty Sells National Industrial Portfolio in Two Transactions Totaling $1B

by John Nelson September 3, 2019

BOSTON — TA Realty, a real estate investor based in Boston, has sold off a national industrial portfolio in two separate deals for a little over $1 billion. The portfolio spans 8.3 million square feet of multi-tenant distribution space in 96 separate properties. Situated across 14 markets, the portfolio was 91 percent leased to more than 325 tenants as of July 1. In one transaction, AEW Capital Management acquired 28 facilities in the state of Texas from TA Realty. In the other transaction, funds managed by Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) acquired 68 properties that are situated in 10 separate markets across the United States. Blackstone has a strong appetite for logistics space, having recently agreed to purchase GLP’s 179 million-square-foot industrial portfolio for nearly $19 billion. “Logistics remains our highest conviction investment theme,” says Nadeem Meghji, senior managing director and head of real estate Americas at Blackstone. “The portfolio we are acquiring from TA Realty is another example of last-mile logistics assets that will help meet the growing e-commerce demand.” The TA Realty team members involved in the transactions included Greg Bonomo, Ridgley Provencal and Luke Marchand. CBRE National Partners represented TA Realty in transaction negotiations. Specific properties and markets …

September 3, 2019

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