DETROIT — Following a six-year renovation by Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F), Michigan Central Station is scheduled to officially open on Thursday, June 6. Ford embarked on the preservation project after acquiring the abandoned train station in 2018 to serve as the centerpiece of Michigan Central, a 30-acre technology and cultural hub in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. According to multiple media outlets, the rehabilitation of Michigan Central Station totaled $950 million and included the restoration of the 18-story train station, which is now dubbed The Station. The rehabilitation also included an adjacent 270,000-square-foot former book depository building and other supporting facilities. CNBC reports the project’s funding includes $300 million in state, local and historic rehabilitation tax incentives. Christman-Brinker, a joint venture between Detroit-based firms The Christman Co. and L.S. Brinker, A Brinker Co., led the restoration work of The Station along with Ford. Key collaborators in Michigan Central include Ford, Google, the State of Michigan, the City of Detroit and Newlab, which operates the former book depository building. The Station will provide 640,000 square feet of cultural, technology, community and convening spaces designed for use by established companies such as Ford, as well as universities, growing startups, youth initiatives and students. …
Top Stories
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. — An affiliate of Cohen & Steers has acquired a two-property, open-air shopping center complex located in Fayetteville, a city in the northwest portion of Arkansas near the Oklahoma and Missouri borders. Totaling 403,000 square feet, the complex comprises the retail centers Spring Creek Centre and Steele Crossing. Tenants at the properties include T.J. Maxx, Ulta Beauty, Best Buy, Old Navy, PetSmart and Kohl’s. The centers also feature corporately owned Walmart, Home Depot and Target stores. At the time of sale, the centers were 95 percent occupied. DLC Management partnered with Cohen & Steers on the acquisition. The seller and price were not disclosed. “Fayetteville is benefiting from national migration trends as people move to more affordable and economically attractive residential areas across the country,” says James S. Corl, head of the private real estate group at Cohen & Steers. “We believe the shopping centers are well positioned in a dominant location to benefit from these tailwinds, and we are excited to partner with DLC.” Prior to the acquisition, DLC served as the manager of both Spring Creek Centre and Steel Crossing for more than a decade. Headquartered in metro New York City, the company’s portfolio features more …
KAHUKU, HAWAII — Blackstone Real Estate has agreed to sell Turtle Bay Resort, a 450-room hotel in Kahuku on Hawaii’s Oahu island, to Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. for $725 million. The deal included the hotel property, as well as a 49-acre parcel that is entitled for further development. Turtle Bay Resort is situated on 1,300 acres along the north shore of Oahu. The resort offers bungalows, suites, guest rooms and three- or four-bedroom villas. Rooms feature private bathrooms, complimentary Wi-Fi, air conditioning, coffee makers and refrigerators. Blackstone originally acquired Turtle Bay Resort in 2018 for $332 million and subsequently renovated the property. Capital improvements to the hotel included updates to the guestrooms, bungalows, lobby, pools, meeting space, spa, building systems, exterior, arrival experience and club lounge. The restaurants and retail space on the property also received renovations. Blackstone expects to complete the sale in the third quarter of this year. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is serving as Blackstone’s legal counsel. Eastdil Secured, Jones Lang LaSalle and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. are acting as Blackstone’s financial advisors. In a separate deal completed earlier this year, Blackstone sold 65 acres of land at Turtle Bay to Areté Collective. The land …
Clarion, MRP Industrial Break Ground on Final Phase of Burlington Center Mall Redevelopment in New Jersey
by John Nelson
BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A partnership between industrial development firms Clarion Partners and MRP Industrial has started construction on the final phase of The Crossings, a redevelopment of the former Burlington Center mall located in the Philadelphia suburb of Burlington Township. The last phase comprises 500 multifamily units, including affordable housing options, that are set to open in late 2025. The new apartments will cap a six-year effort by Clarion Partners and MRP to transform the 800,000-square-foot enclosed regional mall into a mixed-use destination. In addition to the planned multifamily component, The Crossings will feature more than 2.5 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space, approximately 135,000 square feet of retail space and a 153-room hotel at full build-out. Clarion Partners and MRP expect The Crossings to support 1,400 new jobs at full capacity, including 900 in the warehouse sector and 500 in retail and hospitality. Moonbeam Capital Investments, the Las Vegas-based owner of the former Burlington Center mall, assisted in the redevelopment efforts. “The Crossings was made possible by the cooperation of Burlington Township and County elected officials, who recognized the opportunity to transform a blighted shopping mall into an integrated, vibrant and economically viable mixed-use development that …
SILVER SPRING, MD. — MCB Real Estate has unveiled plans to develop VIVA White Oak, a 280-acre mixed-use project anchored by healthcare space in Silver Spring, approximately six miles north of downtown Washington, D.C. Plans call for 3 million square feet of lab, office, research and medical space; 525,000 square feet of retail; 3,000 square feet of hotel space; 75,000 square feet of senior living; 4,500 private residences; and 85 acres of open space. MCB is currently working with stakeholders and public officials to refine the specifics, but the healthcare component will focus on the life sciences and biohealth industries. MCB plans to break ground in the second quarter of 2025, with the first phase of retail slated to open in mid-2028. The development will offer direct access to U.S. Route 29 and is near the University of Maryland. The project site, which has been approved for 12 million square feet of mixed-use development by Montgomery County, is adjacent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration headquarters and near the Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center. According to the Washington Business Journal, VIVA White Oak was originally a $3 billion project spearheaded by Global LifeSciences Development Corp. but was long …
Eli Lilly Plans $5.3B Expansion of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Facility in Lebanon, Indiana
by Katie Sloan
LEBANON, IND. — Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY) has released plans for a $5.3 billion expansion of its manufacturing facility in Lebanon, roughly 27 miles northwest of Indianapolis. The investment is the largest in U.S. history for active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing, according to the company. Lilly began developing the Lebanon site, located within the LEAP Research and Innovation District, in 2023. The expansion will enhance the company’s capacity to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients for its Zepbound and Mounjaro injectables, which are both diabetes and weight loss drugs. Lilly’s total investment in the site is now $9 billion. Upon full build-out, the facility will staff 900 full-time employees. The company expects to begin manufacturing at the property in 2026, with operations scaling up through 2028. The development will include the addition of a learning and training center built in conjunction with the State of Indiana, which will be utilized by the larger LEAP District. Lilly will also partner with the state on new infrastructural additions including roads, water, electricity and other utilities. Since 2020, Lilly has committed more than $16 billion to develop new manufacturing sites in the U.S. and Europe, with developments located in the Research Triangle of North …
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United Inc. has announced plans to invest $330 million in the construction of a new office and warehouse facility located in the Kingston neighborhood of Birmingham. Coca-Cola United is a Birmingham-based bottler of Coca-Cola products, and the Coca-Cola Co. does not own any part of the company. Plans for the development include a 150,000-square-foot office complex and a 300,000-square-foot warehouse. The warehouse will feature a Vertique case picking system, which is designed to increase the efficiency of packing cases for order fulfillment. The facility will serve as the Birmingham Coca-Cola sales center, as well as Coca-Cola United’s corporate, Central region and North Alabama division headquarters. The property will also house the company’s Classic Food and Vending arm, customer solutions center and services department. A development timeline was not disclosed. Coca-Cola United purchased the development site in 2013. The land previously housed the Stockham Valves and Fittings plant, which closed in 1998. According to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, the project will create up to 50 new jobs and retain over 750 positions. “For over 120 years, Coca-Cola United has been a stand-out member of Birmingham’s business community,” says Ivey. “Coca-Cola United’s landmark growth project will create new …
Joint Venture Plans Mixed-Use Redevelopment of The Quay Shopping Center in Fort Lauderdale
by Katie Sloan
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — A joint venture between BH Group, PEBB Enterprises and Related Group is set to begin the mixed-use redevelopment of The Quay shopping center in the Harbordale neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale. The joint venture recently acquired the 73,000-square-foot center for $48.5 million. Located at 1515 SE 17th St., the property currently features restaurants, retail space, a marina and a two-story office building. Redevelopment plans for the seven-acre site include the addition of up to 361 residential units and 12,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The existing property will also undergo improvements that align with the new development. Amerant Bank provided financing for the acquisition of the property. The transaction closed on May 22. A timeline for the project was not announced, but additional details are expected to be released over the coming months. This development marks the third joint venture between BH Group, PEBB Enterprises and Related Group. The companies are also partnering on a major mixed-use redevelopment at 6600 North Military Trail, formerly an Office Depot headquarters, in Boca Raton. Miami-based BH Group is a development firm focused on luxury projects across South Florida. The company has experience in acquisition, construction, design, capital structuring and asset management. …
PHOENIX — Henderson Park, an international private equity real estate firm, has acquired the Arizona Biltmore resort in Phoenix. Blackstone Real Estate sold the asset for $705 million. The 705-room luxury hotel recently underwent a substantial renovation. Originally opened in 1929, the property is situated on 39 acres and is located about 10 miles from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Amenities include more than 200,000 square feet of meeting space, seven swimming pools, multiple food-and-beverage outlets and a 28,000-square-foot spa. Pyramid Global Hospitality, a hotel management company with which Henderson Park previously acquired the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs in 2021, will serve as the hotel manager for the Arizona Biltmore. Morgan Stanley, along with Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan, provided a $460 million commercial mortgage to finance the acquisition. The resort purchase was completed through funds managed by Henderson Park, including a commitment from Cincinnati-based Western & Southern Financial Group Inc. and its real estate arm, Eagle Realty. “This transaction presents a rare and compelling opportunity to acquire a historic but newly refurbished hotel in one of the country’s premier hospitality markets, and to both immediately capitalize on accelerated performance and to further enhance the resort’s offering into …
LAREDO, TEXAS — SE Legacy Development LLC, a development firm founded by the Walker Family, has broken ground on a $7.4 billion master-planned project in South Texas. The development, named Talise, will be situated on 13,000 acres north of Laredo in an unincorporated portion of Webb County. Situated at the intersection of I-35, U.S. Highway 83 and Texas Highway 255, Talise will feature thousands of single-family and multifamily residences, an industrial and manufacturing park, town center retail space, regional airport and a newly discovered water source. The name Talise is a term with Native American-Iroquoian roots meaning “lovely water.” The Walker Family, a multi-generational entity that has owned ranch land spanning more than 250,000 acres over the course of its history, owns the land for Talise and is investing $1.6 billion in the development. The Walker Family discovered the water source on the land and is proposing a way to use the resource as an alternative solution to current water shortages in Laredo and Webb County. The newly established Legacy Water Supply Corp. is proposing a method to treat 50 million gallons of water within the Talise land holdings daily. SE Legacy Development is drilling 40 water wells to access …