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Graham Commercial Properties Acquires 16 Distribution Centers in Southeast for $194M

by Alex Tostado February 28, 2019

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Graham Commercial Properties (GCP) has acquired a distribution center portfolio that encompasses 16 facilities, 2.7 million square feet and three states in the Southeast for $194 million. The assets are located in Spartanburg, S.C.; Charlotte and Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Tampa and Orlando, Fla. The exact locations were not disclosed, but a press release stated the properties average 170,000 square feet and are situated near interstates, airports, rail and both inland and sea ports. The portfolio was 98 percent leased at the time of the sale and the portfolio has a combined 1.5 million square feet of expansion and development capabilities, according to Birmingham, Ala.-based GCP. “The Southeast distribution portfolio improves GCP’s overall portfolio in every category: quality of tenants, building metrics, geography and lease rollover,” says Taylor Graham, vice president of investments for GCP. “We are excited to increase our holdings in the Carolinas to over 30 percent of the total portfolio.” CBRE represented the privately owned buyer in the transaction. The seller was not disclosed. Wells Fargo provided acquisition financing. GCP’s portfolio now spans 11.7 million square feet across Alabama, Georgia, Florida and North and South Carolina. — Alex Tostado

February 28, 2019

Acquisitions Alabama Florida Michigan Midwest Multifamily Northeast Pennsylvania Southeast Student Housing Texas Top Stories

Vie Management, Middle Eastern Investor Acquire 2,059-Bed Student Housing Portfolio in Six States for $134.6M

by David Cohen February 27, 2019

MIAMI— A joint venture between Miami-based Vie Management and a Middle Eastern asset manager have acquired a six-property student housing portfolio totaling 911 units and 2,059 beds. The purchase price was $134.6 million. The properties are located in six states and include: University Downs Apartments and Condos, a 222-unit property serving the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. University View, a 55-unit property serving Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. Hillcrest Oakwood Apartments, a 224-unit property serving Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. Colonie Apartments, a 184-unit property serving the University at Buffalo in Amherst, New York. Southgate Apartments, a 151-unit property serving Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Ella Lofts, a 75-unit property serving Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. “These acquisitions are new canvases to us,” says Ari Rosenblum, CEO of Vie. “[The are] places to create experiential living environments where students can watch live music, study at a coffee shop, or work out at the best gym in town all within the confines of the community in which they live.” Claudio Sgobba of HFF represented the buyers in securing a $75.3 million loan in connection with the acquisition. The financing features a 10-year term, …

February 27, 2019

Acquisitions District of Columbia Hospitality Southeast Top Stories

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Sells Hotel in D.C. for $141.5M

by John Nelson February 26, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB) has closed on the sale of Hotel Palomar Washington DC, a 335-room hotel located at 2121 P St. N.W. in Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood. An undisclosed buyer purchased the hotel for $141.5 million. According to Pebblebrook, the sales price reflects a cap rate of 5.9 percent based on the hotel’s 2018 net operating income. The Bethesda, Md.-based hotel REIT will use proceeds from the sale for general business purposes, which may include reducing the company’s outstanding debt. San Francisco-based Kimpton manages Hotel Palomar, which features an outdoor pool and sundeck, spa services, 24-hour fitness center, business center, bike sharing services and Urbana, an onsite Italian restaurant. Pebblebrook has been on a selling spree for its Washington, D.C., hotels. Last week, the company sold The Liaison Capitol Hill, a 343-room hotel, to REIT Bldg Management Co. Inc. for $111 million. According to Washington Business Journal, Pebblebrook is currently marketing three Kimpton-managed hotels it owns near Dupont Circle. In an investor presentation posted yesterday, Pebblebrook disclosed that its Washington, D.C., hotels comprise 7 percent of the company’s 2018 EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization). Pebblebrook announced last year its intent to …

February 26, 2019

Acquisitions Georgia Industrial New Jersey Northeast Pennsylvania Southeast Texas Top Stories

Colony Industrial Sells Four-State, 2.3 MSF Industrial Portfolio for $136M

by Kristin Harlow February 25, 2019

DALLAS — Colony Industrial has sold a light industrial portfolio spanning 2.3 million square feet across four states for $136 million. Nuveen Real Estate, a subsidiary of TIAA, purchased the properties. The sale includes 18 buildings in Atlanta, five in Dallas, five in Houston and six buildings spread across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. CBRE National Partners represented Dallas-based Colony Industrial in the sale. Colony Industrial is the industrial platform of Colony Capital Inc. (NYSE: CLNY), a real estate investment firm with $44 billion of assets under management. “We’ve owned and operated these assets for some time and the portfolio value had achieved Colony Industrial’s targets,” says Lew Friedland, managing director at Colony Capital and head of Colony Industrial. “We reevaluate the portfolio as opportunities arise, and this sale to Nuveen enables us to rebalance our property mix to align with our long-term strategic plans.” Nuveen is an investment manager that maintains its international headquarters in New York. — Kristin Hiller

February 25, 2019

Acquisitions California Mixed-Use Restaurant Retail Top Stories Western

CBRE Brokers $80M Sale of 430,000 SF Anaheim GardenWalk Near Disneyland

by Amy Works February 22, 2019

ANAHEIM, CALIF. — CBRE’s National Retail Partners-West has brokered the sale of Anaheim GardenWalk, a mixed-use entertainment center located at 400 Disney Way in Anaheim. A partnership between New York City-based Arcturus and two private equity investors sold the property to Whittier, Calif.-based STC Management, on behalf of a partnership between local and Taiwanese investors, for $80 million. Situated within walking distance of Anaheim’s Disneyland Resort and the Anaheim Convention Center, the three-story, open-air project features 430,000 square feet of leasable space. Current tenants include House of Blues Anaheim, Bowlmor Bowling Center, AMC Theatres, 24 Hour Fitness, The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and California Pizza Kitchen. The asset was designed by Callison Architects, in collaboration with Lyons Warren Engineers + Architects, in 2007. It currently features an under-construction, 466-key J.W. Marriott (not part of the sale) abutting GardenWalk. The property is also designed to accommodate 399 timeshare units atop its 2,900-stall parking garage and another 400-key hotel, which is planned to be built at the northwest corner of Katella Avenue and Clementine Street. Jimmy Slusher, Kirk Brummer, Sean Heitzler and Philip Voorhees of CBRE represented the seller in the transaction. “Landmark properties such as GardenWalk only exist around …

February 22, 2019

Acquisitions Alabama Connecticut Indiana Industrial Iowa Massachusetts Midwest New Jersey Northeast Pennsylvania Southeast Top Stories

Rubenstein Properties Sells 28 Industrial Properties for $197M

by Alex Tostado February 21, 2019

LITTLE FALLS, N.J. — Rubenstein Properties has sold 28 industrial properties totaling more than 5 million square feet across six states for $197 million. Bernards Township, N.J.-based Silverman Group acquired 27 buildings for $183 million. Properties are located in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Iowa, Indiana and Alabama. The portfolio was 95.8 percent leased at the time of the sale. Locations include: New Jersey 10 Park Place, Butler; 20-21 Wagaraw Road, Fair Lawn; 39 Avenue C, Bayonne; 101 E. Main St., Little Falls; 114 Beach St., Rockaway; and 1578 Sussex Turnpike, Randolph, N.J. (units 2 through 5). Connecticut 20, 50 and 80 Utopia Road, Manchester; 118 Sanrico Drive, Manchester; 135 Sheldon Road, Manchester; 428 Hayden Station Road, Windsor; Alabama 207 Jacintoport Blvd., Saraland. Indiana 2190 Summit St., New Haven, Ind. Further details about the properties were not disclosed. In addition, a tenant occupying 1055 Crossroads Blvd. in Muhlenberg Township, Pa., acquired the asset for $14 million. “The properties are all strategically located within infill locations in order to take advantage of consistently improving industrial leasing fundamentals and increasing demand with extremely limited supply,” said Brian Fiumara, executive vice president of CBRE. “Rubenstein Properties’ portfolio provided the buyer with an exceptional opportunity …

February 21, 2019

Acquisitions Florida Hospitality Southeast Top Stories

HST Purchases South Beach Hotel for $610M

by John Nelson February 20, 2019

MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: HST) has purchased 1 Hotel South Beach, a 429-room hotel and resort in Miami’s South Beach neighborhood. A partnership between Starwood Capital Group and LeFrak sold the property for $610 million, or a little over $1.4 million per room. Hodges Ward Elliot represented Starwood Capital and LeFrak in the sale. The property features 600 linear feet of ocean frontage and has direct beach access, as well as four pools with elevated decks that provide ocean views. SH Hotels & Resorts, an affiliate of Starwood Capital, will continue to operate and manage the 1.1 million-square-foot property as 1 Hotel South Beach. “We are excited about the opportunity to acquire one of the absolute best luxury hotels in the country and partner with SH Hotels & Resorts as our operator,” says James Risoleo, president and CEO of HST. “1 Hotels is redefining the luxury hotel industry and we could not be more proud to own its flagship hotel. We look forward to being a big part of the brand’s future growth.” Starwood Capital acquired the 1970s-era beachfront hotel in 2012 and executed a $300 million overhaul, including adding 155 condominiums and updating the …

February 20, 2019

Acquisitions Arizona Company News Hospitality Top Stories Western

Best Western Hotels & Resorts Acquires Luxury Hotel Collection WorldHotels

by David Cohen February 19, 2019

PHOENIX— Best Western Hotels & Resorts has acquired global hotel brand WorldHotels from Associated Luxury Hotels for an undisclosed price. The brand consists of approximately 300 specialty hotels and resorts around the world and 31 in the United States. WorldHotels will maintain its distinct personality while benefiting from Best Western’s e-commerce platform, partnerships, loyalty program and global distribution network. The acquisition marks another move by Best Western into soft-brand hotels, an affiliation in which a hotel relies primarily on its individual identity rather than that of the larger hotel chain. A number of global hotel chains have launched soft brands in recent years, including the Ascend Collection by Choice Hotels International and Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. Best Western isn’t the only hotelier that recently purchased a luxury brand. InterContinental Hotels Group acquired Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas for $300 million on Feb. 13. “There is tremendous synergy between Best Western and WorldHotels,” says David Kong, CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “By joining forces in this new partnership, we will create competitive advantages for both companies.” The acquisition of WorldHotels was completed last week. The move expands Best Western’s portfolio of offerings to include upscale and luxury segments. Phoenix-based Best Western Hotels & …

February 19, 2019

Kansas Leasing Activity Midwest Retail Top Stories

Payless ShoeSource’s 2,100-Store Shutdown Due to Inability to Compete with Department Stores, Says Analyst

by Taylor Williams February 18, 2019

TOPEKA, KAN. — Payless ShoeSource will close all 2,100 of its stores in the United States and Puerto Rico as it moves toward liquidation. According to a statement by the company provided to USA Today, which first reported the news on the evening of Friday, Feb. 15, Payless expects all stores to remain open through March. The announcement comes nearly two years after the Topeka-based shoe retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a move that coincided with the shuttering of 673 American stores at the time. The company is also in the process of de-commissioning its online sales platform, but it remains unclear whether Payless stores in Latin America will remain open. Payless had undergone an aggressive expansion plan that required taking on a greater debt load. After filing for bankruptcy in April 2017, the company restructured its finances to eliminate $435 million in debt and whittle its store count to 3,500 locations worldwide. According to longtime retail consultant Jeff Green, Payless’ financial woes can be traced in part to the lack of name-brand shoe offerings, a product segment that is especially popular with millennial shoppers. “Even after Payless restructured its debt, the changing nature and growing competition from …

February 18, 2019

New York Northeast Office Top Stories

Analyst: Amazon Abandoning New York City HQ Will Have Greatest Impact on Condo Market

by Kristin Harlow February 15, 2019

NEW YORK CITY — The New York City condo market will likely take the biggest hit after Amazon announced Thursday that it would not move forward with plans to build a second headquarters in the city, according to one REIT analyst. The online retail giant cited a lack of support from state and local elected officials as its reason for pulling out of a massive headquarters plan in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. “While polls show that 70 percent of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City,” wrote Amazon in a blog post. Amazon does not intend to reopen the HQ2 search at this time. The company will proceed with its plans for a headquarters in Northern Virginia and operations hub in Nashville. James Sullivan, managing director of equity research for BTIG, says that there are a lot of residential units in the development pipeline in the Long Island City market. “The …

February 15, 2019

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