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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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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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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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KATY, TEXAS — National Property Holdings (NPH), a Houston-based industrial developer and owner, is underway with Katy Prairie Business Park, an 87-acre industrial project located in the western Houston suburb of Katy. At full buildout, the project will span approximately 1.1 million square feet across three tilt-wall buildings. The development’s first facility has been underway for a few months. Dallas-based design-build firm ARCO Design/Build Inc. broke ground last December on a 59,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center within the park for Domino’s Pizza, progress of which can be seen here. The facility is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter and support more than 300 Domino’s Pizza restaurants across South Texas. “We are delighted Domino’s selected National Property Holdings to develop its new supply chain center and fresh pizza dough production line in our first building at Katy Prairie Business Park,” says Ryan Lovell, vice president of real estate for NPH. In addition to building the Domino’s facility, NPH is now expanding the park’s infrastructure to make way for the other two buildings. This work includes excavating detention ponds totaling approximately 20 acres, extending the public water line by half a mile, implementing a wastewater collection system and lift station …

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FRISCO, TEXAS — Locally based developer Sam Moon Group will open the Hyatt Regency Frisco, a 303-room luxury hotel located at the intersection of Preston Road and the Sam Rayburn Tollway in Frisco on June 1. Construction began in May 2018. The 18-story hotel is connected to Stonebriar Mall, a 1.7 million-square-foot shopping and dining destination. Brookfield Properties owns the mall, with Nordstrom and Dillard’s as anchor tenants. A number of entertainment concepts such as Kidzania, Dave & Buster’s and iFly Dallas indoor skydiving are also located near the hotel. In addition, seven sports teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, Frisco RoughRiders (baseball) and FC Dallas (soccer) are located within a few miles of the property. “Frisco is a modern city brimming with attractions, and the new Hyatt Regency Frisco will reflect this contemporary mindset,” says developer Daniel Moon. “This bustling city was once a dusty cattle drive trail that was later transformed by the railroad through the North Texas plains, and now it’s a tourist destination renowned for shopping, stadiums, conventions and entertainment. Our hotel will celebrate the spirit of this vibrant community.” Amenities at the hotel include a 27,500-square-foot conference center, lobby bar, two restaurants and an outdoor pool. HKS …

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CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO — Flaherty & Collins Properties, an Indiana-based developer, has started construction of The Ascent at Top of the Hill, an $80 million luxury apartment project in Cleveland Heights. The 261-unit community will also include 11,000 square feet of retail space and a 500-space parking garage. The 460,056-square-foot development is situated on a four-acre parcel at the intersection of Cedar Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard. Amenities will include a rooftop pool and lounge, public green space, coworking areas, a dog park, fitness center and bike storage area. Residential floorplans will include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, as well as premium three-bedroom penthouses. Goldman Sachs Private Bank provided a $52.6 million construction loan for the project and a public-private partnership with the City of Cleveland Heights provided additional financing. Cleveland Heights is a first-ring suburb just east of Cleveland proper. “The city has been a tremendous partner through this process and the Top of the Hill project is going to be a transformative and catalytic gateway project that complements the existing district that is already thriving,” says Deron Kintner, general counsel for Flaherty & Collins Properties and lead project developer. Construction began this week following financial closing. Completion is …

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LOS ANGELES — Carmel Partners has unveiled its full plans for Cumulus District, an 11-acre mixed-use development in Los Angeles’ Baldwin Hills neighborhood. The centerpiece of the development will be a pair of multifamily buildings rising 31 stories and seven stories with a total of 1,210 units between them. The project is a redevelopment of a former Cumulus Media radio broadcast site. The property will also feature private underground parking for residents and 100,000 square feet of retail, with a 50,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market as the anchor. A one-acre park will connect the two main buildings. Amenities for residents include a 24-hour fitness center, skydeck, dog run, pet spa, co-working spaces, and multiple pools and spas. The 31-story building will offer 300 units ranging from studios to penthouses, while the seven-story building will offer 910 units. Cumulus District is located at 3333 S. La Cienega Blvd., adjacent to the Expo Line light rail, which connects the property to downtown Los Angeles and the beaches. In addition, major tech companies such as Apple and Sony Studios are located within three miles of the development. “The launch of the Cumulus District comes at an exciting time as Culver City and West Adams …

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