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AcquisitionsHospitalityNew YorkNortheastTop Stories

Marriott International Acquires W New York in Union Square for $206M

by Alex Tostado

NEW YORK CITY — Marriott International Inc. has acquired W New York — Union Square, a 270-room hotel in Manhattan’s Union Square, for $206 million. Marriott plans to significantly renovate the 20-story hotel to include a spa and expanded restaurant. Existing amenities include a fitness center, five meeting rooms and three restaurants. “When W was launched as a single hotel in New York 21 years ago with ground-breaking design and a bold approach to nightlife, it pushed the boundaries of how people thought about a hotel,” says Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International. “Given how much travelers crave these types of experiences today and the brand’s global reach, we see limitless potential for the W brand with hotel owners and developers, travelers and locals.” The property, located at 201 Park Ave. S., adjacent to Union Square Park and two miles north of downtown New York City, first opened in 1911 as the headquarters for Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. In 2000, Rockwell Group converted the building into its current use as a W hotel. The purchase and renovation of W New York — Union Square is part of a strategy by Marriott International to reinvigorate the W portfolio in North America. The plan also includes …

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Bellagio
AcquisitionsHospitalityNevadaRetailTop StoriesWestern

MGM Agrees to Sell Las Vegas Resorts Bellagio, Circus Circus for $5B

by Alex Patton

LAS VEGAS — MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) has agreed to sell its Bellagio and Circus Circus resort assets on the Las Vegas Strip in two different transactions for a combined price of approximately $5 billion. Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT) will acquire Bellagio in a $4.25 billion sale-leaseback deal. As part of the transaction, BREIT and MGM will form a joint venture ownership agreement, with BREIT owning 95 percent. MGM will continue to lease, manage and operate the property, with an initial annual rent of $245 million. MGM also agreed to sell its Circus Circus Las Vegas resort to an affiliate of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino owner Phil Ruffin for $825 million. Both sales are expected to close by the end of 2019. “We will use the proceeds from [these transactions] to build a fortress balance sheet and return capital to shareholders,” says Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. “These transactions enhance the company’s strategic and operational flexibility and reinforce its commitment to targeted new growth opportunities, including securing and investing in one of the integrated resort licenses in Japan and becoming an industry leader in sports betting in the U.S.” The sale-leaseback deal …

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AcquisitionsCaliforniaFloridaHospitalityIllinoisMidwestNew YorkNortheastSoutheastTop StoriesWestern

Queensgate Investments Acquires Freehand Hotels for $400M

by Kristin Harlow

NEW YORK CITY, LOS ANGELES, MIAMI AND CHICAGO — Queensgate Investments has acquired Freehand Hotels from a seller consortium including The Yucaipa Cos. and Sydell Group for approximately $400 million. Freehand is a lifestyle hotel brand, owner and operator of hotel assets with 922 rooms across four hotels in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, downtown Los Angeles, Miami Beach and River North Chicago. The brand advertises itself as combining the social culture of a hostel with top-shelf design, food and beverage. Included in the acquisition is the Broken Shaker bar concept that operates within the hotels. Generator, a hostel business that Queensgate acquired in 2017, will manage Freehand. Generator seeks to appeal to millennial customers, focusing on capital city addresses, design-led interiors and shared social spaces. “The acquisition of Freehand is of strategic importance to Generator, and the combined portfolio represents one of the largest asset-rich lifestyle hospitality platforms globally with 19 hotels in 17 gateway cities,” says Puneet Kanuga, investment director at Queensgate. “There is now a significant push to grow the presence of both Freehand and Generator across the United Kingdom and Europe, with opportunities currently being evaluated in London, Edinburgh, Milan, Amsterdam and other gateway European cities.” London-based Queensgate …

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WXA
CivicDevelopmentMidwestNorth DakotaTop Stories

Cardon Global Opens $273M Williston Basin International Airport in North Dakota

by Alex Patton

WILLISTON, N.D. — Cardon Global has opened the Williston Basin International Airport (XWA) in Williston, located approximately 215 miles northwest of Bismarck. Development costs were estimated to be $273 million. The 100,000-square-foot airport includes four gates and three passenger boarding bridges as well as a 50-seat bar and restaurant. XWA is the first ground-up commercial airport built in the Midwest since the 1940s, according to the developer. “Prior to the completion of XWA airport, the region was lacking the capacity, ease and essential airport amenities necessary to inspire travelers flying in and out of Williston,” says Don Cardon, CEO of Cardon Global. “In designing a vision for the airport to serve the region for decades to come, we’ve collectively tried to anticipate the needs of today’s travelers. That means providing an amazing mix of amenities, access, comfort and enjoyment to make the process of air travel much more enjoyable and productive moving forward.” The airport is functionally replacing Williston’s now decommissioned Sloulin Field International Airport, which was built in 1947. Forbes reports that Sloulin Field accommodated about 148,000 passengers, down from about 240,000 in 2014. Those numbers are up from 22,000 in 2009. So far, 2019 has seen a 22 percent increase …

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Leasing ActivityNew YorkNortheastOfficeTop Stories

LinkedIn Signs Lease Expansion at Empire State Building, Increases Footprint to 501,600 SF

by Kristin Harlow

NEW YORK CITY — LinkedIn has signed its eighth lease expansion at the Empire State Building in Manhattan. The deal increases LinkedIn’s footprint by three-and-a-half floors totaling 188,653 square feet. Since 2011, the online job posting and networking platform has grown to 501,600 square feet at the iconic building. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based LinkedIn has offices in more than 30 cities around the world. The company, acquired by Microsoft in 2016, has more than 15,000 full-time employees. There are approximately 645 million LinkedIn users worldwide. Empire State Realty Trust Inc. (NYSE: ESRT) owns the Empire State Building, which rises 1,454 feet. Tenants at the property have access to a 15,000-square-foot fitness center, conference center and in-building dining options. With an Energy Star rating of 86, the Empire State Building is in the top 20 percent in energy efficiency among all buildings measured, according to ESRT. Sacha Zarba, Lauren Crowley Corrinet and Chris Hogan of CBRE represented LinkedIn in the expansion lease. Ryan Kass and Shanae Ursini of ESRT provided landlord representation. ESRT is a real estate investment trust that owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York City metro area. The company’s portfolio …

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CaliforniaDevelopmentMixed-UseTop StoriesWestern

Overton Moore Properties Breaks Ground on 1.25 MSF Mixed-Use Development in Burbank, California

by Alex Tostado

BURBANK, CALIF. — Overton Moore Properties (OMP) has broken ground on Avion Burbank, a planned 18-building, 1.25 million-square-foot mixed-use development in Burbank, just northwest of Los Angeles. At full build-out, the property will include six industrial buildings, nine two-story office buildings, a 150-room hotel and two retail and restaurant buildings. OMP purchased the property in 2016 from the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority and received project approval from the Burbank City Council earlier this year. The 60-acre site is located next to Hollywood Burbank Airport, which Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority owns. The Los Angeles Times reports OMP paid $72.5 million for the property. OMP plans for the project to be certified LEED Silver and include multi-purpose walk paths, indoor and outdoor meeting areas, and bike share stations. The property will include 115 electric vehicle chargers, with wiring and space to potentially add 62 parking stalls and truck loading docks for future electric vehicle chargers. Completion is slated for December 2020. “Avion Burbank will offer users a unique environment that incorporates state-of-the-art buildings situated in an interactive work-life environment,” says Timur Tecimer, chief executive officer of OMP. “This innovative campus will also boast multiple outdoor amenities that will assist companies in recruiting and retaining the …

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CaliforniaCivicMixed-UseStudent HousingTop StoriesWestern

American Campus Communities Starts Construction of Mixed-Use Development on University of California Riverside Campus

by Jeff Shaw

RIVERSIDE, CALIF. — The University of California, Riverside (UCR) and American Campus Communities (NYSE: ACC) have broken ground on North District, a mixed-use community anchored by new student housing buildings. The project will be situated on the university’s campus in Riverside, a city located in the Inland Empire about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Upon full build-out, the project will feature up to 6,000 new student housing beds, new dining facilities, an NCAA Division I competition field, a field house sports facility, functional open spaces, multi-use spaces that can serve as classrooms, meeting spaces and study areas, and more than 100,000 square feet for retail, commercial and university services. The project, a redevelopment of the former Canyon Crest Family Housing site, is part of UCR’s vision for creating a “living-learning” campus, much like other mixed-use developments seek a live-work-play environment. The university projects enrollment will rise from approximately 24,000 students today to 35,000 by 2035, necessitating the new student housing beds. “This project will help us prepare for this tremendous growth,” says UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox. “Part of this vision includes residential life programs that will provide a balance of privacy while embracing community to enhance the overall academic …

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DevelopmentFloridaOfficeRetailSoutheastTop Stories

Tricera Capital Breaks Ground on 265,000 SF Office, Retail Redevelopment Project in South Florida

by Taylor Williams

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Miami-based Tricera Capital has broken ground on the redevelopment of the Palm Beach Post newspaper office campus in West Palm Beach. The project, named The Press, will add 125,000 square feet of new retail space and 140,000 square feet of refurbished office space to the market. The project began with the demolition of a two-story office building and bridge. The development team, which acquired the 11-acre site in February 2019, will preserve most of the remaining structures, including those that housed the Post’s original office building and printing press. The retail component will be branded as Shops at the Press, and the office component will be branded as Workspaces at the Press. As part of the project, Tricera will renovate the existing four-story office building, and the newspaper will continue to operate within 35,000 square feet at the property. The building that housed the printing press will be converted into a space for retail, lifestyle and entertainment uses. The entire project is scheduled for completion during the first quarter of 2021. Tricera is close to finalizing a lease agreement with a national organic grocer to open a new store at the property, the developer says. …

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hard-rock-ts
DevelopmentFloridaHospitalityMixed-UseSoutheastTop Stories

Hard Rock International Completes $700M Casino Expansion in Tampa

by Alex Patton

TAMPA, FLA. — Hard Rock International has completed a $700 million expansion of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. The development added a new 223,900-square-foot casino to the property, which includes an additional 1,000 slot machines and 41 table games throughout its new gaming spaces. The new casino brings the roster of gaming attractions up to nearly 5,000 slot machines, 179 tables and 46 poker tables.The casino now comprises 245,000 square feet of dedicated casino space, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The renovation also included construction of a 14-story hotel with 562 rooms and suites. Amenities of the new hotel include a 26,000-square-foot spa, three pools, two VIP suites, a hair and nail salon, barbershop and lounge. The top floor also features a private gaming parlor for VIP guests. Additionally, the construction included a 1,500-seat Hard Rock Event Center, where completion celebrations were held including performances from Atlanta-based rapper Big Boi and DJ Jazzy Jeff. New food and beverage options at the property include coffee café Constant Grind, the Pool Bar & Grill and Italian restaurant Cipresso. “Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is already one of the largest and most profitable casinos in the United States,” says Jim Allen, …

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