Top Stories

Munich Reinsurance America Agrees to Purchase 39-Story Madison Avenue Office Tower in Manhattan

by Alex Tostado December 19, 2019

NEW YORK CITY — Munich Reinsurance America Inc. has agreed to purchase 330 Madison Ave., a 39-story, 852,000-square-foot office tower in Manhattan. The building was originally constructed in 1963 and was renovated in 2012 to include a new glass curtainwall façade, upgraded lobby and updated systems that achieved LEED Gold certification. The asset is located adjacent to Grand Central Station and near the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. The sales price was not disclosed, although multiple news outlets reported the negotiations were in the range of $850 million to $900 million. At the time of the agreement, the building was 95 percent occupied by tenants including Guggenheim Partners, JLL and HSBC. “We are glad to invest in the United States, given the U.S. share of [the buyer’s] insurance portfolio,” says Hans-Joachim Barkmann, managing director of MEAG, which advised the buyer in the transaction. “The overall American real estate market is also currently outperforming continental Europe, especially Midtown Manhattan, which is really unique in the world in terms of status and prospects.” CBRE represented the seller, which was undisclosed, though several outlets report the seller was Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Based in Princeton, N.J., Munich Reinsurance America is the …

December 19, 2019

Development Mixed-Use Texas Top Stories

Loews Hotel, New Convention Center to Anchor $810M Development in Arlington, Texas

by Kristin Harlow December 18, 2019

ARLINGTON, TEXAS — The Arlington City Council has approved an $810 million expansion of the city’s Entertainment District. The project is a continuation of the public-private partnership between the city, the Texas Rangers baseball team, Loews Hotels & Co. and The Cordish Cos. At the forefront of the expansion is a $550 million, 888-room Loews hotel with 1,500 parking spaces. The hotel will be connected to the new Arlington Convention Center, which will offer 216,000 square feet of meeting and outdoor space. Other components of the project include a 280-unit apartment building with 100,000 square feet of retail, entertainment and coworking space operated by Spark; a 200,000-square-foot office building; and a new public garage with 1,900 parking spaces. The expansion is the next phase of a greater $4 billion vision by the development partners that began with the $250 million Texas Live! entertainment center, which opened in August 2018, and Live! By Loews Hotel, which opened in August 2019. Paired with the Rangers’ new Globe Life Field set to open in March 2020, the total investment of new development by the partnership totals more than $2.25 billion. “As an owner and operator, Loews Hotels has the advantage of deciding when …

December 18, 2019

North 8th Brooklyn Williamsburg Collective

Development Multifamily New York Northeast Student Housing Top Stories

The Collective to Build $150M Co-Living, Student Housing Project in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg District

by John Nelson December 17, 2019

NEW YORK CITY — The Collective, a multifamily developer based in London, has unveiled plans to build a $150 million co-living project located at 292 N. 8th St. in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. Co-living is defined as a type of residential development that is a hybrid between apartment housing and hotels. Known as North 8th, the development will feature 242 units, 97 of which are designed for students attending local universities. The remaining 127 studio units are designed for nightly and monthly stays. At full capacity, North 8th is expected to house 321 occupants. “North 8th will be the first project of its kind for New York City,” says Reza Merchant, founder and CEO of The Collective. “It will bring community of all ages together in one holistic environment, designed to promote an intergenerational exchange of knowledge through shared amenities and dynamic programming.” North 8th is The Collective’s fourth co-living project in New York City, joining The Collective Paper Factory that opened in November in Queens’ Long Island City. The Collective has two other Brooklyn projects in the pipeline: 555 Broadway and 1215 Fulton St. All three of The Collective’s Brooklyn projects are expected to open in 2022. The Collective collaborated …

December 17, 2019

Acquisitions California Office Top Stories Western

ING Capital Provides $402M Acquisition Loan for Market Center Office Complex in San Francisco

by Taylor Williams December 16, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO — ING Capital LLC, an American subsidiary of ING Groep N.V. (NYSE: ING), has provided a $402 million loan for the acquisition of Market Center, a 753,000-square-foot office complex in San Francisco. Market Center is a two-building, Class A asset located in San Francisco’s Financial District. The 22-story building at 555 Market St. was completed in 1964 and the 40-story building at 575 Market St. was completed in 1975. The complex served as the headquarters of Chevron Corp. until 2001, when the energy giant relocated to San Ramon, Calif. The borrower was a joint venture led by Paramount Group Inc. (NYSE: PGRE), a New York City-based development and investment firm that acquired an interest of about 67 percent in the property. The joint venture partners were not disclosed, but the total price of the sale was $722 million. The acquisition loan was structured with a fixed interest rate and a five-year term with two one-year extension options. Paramount also used proceeds from the sale of Liberty Place, a 172,000-square-foot office building in Washington, D.C., to help pay for the acquisition of Market Center. Paramount’s $153.5 million sale of Liberty Place closed in late September. The seller of the …

December 16, 2019

Acquisitions Illinois Midwest Multifamily Top Stories

CIM Group Sells Interest in Downtown Chicago Apartment Tower for $265M

by Alex Tostado December 13, 2019

CHICAGO — CIM Group has sold its interest in Marquee at Block 37, a 34-story, 691-unit multifamily tower in downtown Chicago, for $265 million. Morguard North American Residential REIT (TSX: MRG.UN), a subsidiary of Morguard Corp., acquired the 51 percent interest. The community offers a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans ranging from 650 to 2,100 square feet. Communal amenities include an outdoor pool, sundeck, fire pits, rooftop hot tub, dog run, dog washing station, fitness center, event room, business center and an outdoor terrace overlooking State Street. Ontario, Canada-based Morguard Corp. was CIM’s investment partner for Marquee at Block 37, and as such already owned a 49 percent stake in the development. Morgaurd Corp. and Morguard REIT now have an equal partnership in the property. CIM developed the community in 2016 above the four-story Block 37 shopping center at 25 W. Randolph St. The 275,000-square-foot retail property includes shopping, dining and entertainment options, including an 11-screen AMC Dine-In Theatre, to which residents of Marquee at Block 37 have private elevator access. The transit-oriented property is connected to the Loop, granting residents direct access to the red and blue CTA lines as well as the city’s pedway …

December 13, 2019

Acquisitions Illinois Midwest Office Top Stories

KORE Investments Acquires Class A Office Building in Metro Chicago for $128.5M

by Alex Patton December 12, 2019

DOWNERS GROVE, ILL. — Colorado-based KORE Investments has acquired Esplanade II, a Class A office building totaling 583,982 square feet in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, for $128.5 million. Located at 3500 Lacey Road, the property is situated on 19 acres of the Esplanade office campus at the convergence of I-355 and I-88 in the East-West Corridor submarket. Building amenities include a deli, conference facility, parking deck and car wash service. Additional campus amenities include an on-site daycare and a fitness center. A Doubletree Hotel is also located on the campus, and a shuttle service offers transportation to the nearby Metra BNSF Line Belmont Station. The property offers direct access to the Oak Brook and Yorktown retail corridors. At the time of sale, Esplanade II was 96.9 percent leased to tenants including Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Kia Motors and Glanbia Performance Nutrition. Skidmore Owings Merrill designed the building, which was originally built in 1992 and has undergone more than $7.4 million of capital improvements since 2014. Patrick Shields, Jeff Bramson, Jaime Fink, Sam DiFrancesca and Bruce Miller of JLL represented the seller, BentallGreenOak’s U.S. Core Fund. — Alex Patton and Kristin Hiller

December 12, 2019

Acquisitions North Carolina Office Southeast Top Stories

SunTrust, BB&T Complete Merger, Purchase Own Charlotte Headquarters for $455.5M

by Kristin Harlow December 11, 2019

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Truist Financial Corp., the new company resulting from a recently completed merger between banking giants BB&T and SunTrust, has exercised its option to purchase Hearst Tower in Uptown Charlotte. Cousins Properties sold the property for $455.5 million. The 46-story office tower, located at 214 N. Tryon St., will serve as Truist’s headquarters and be renamed Truist Center. The transaction is expected to close in March 2020. Truist-branded signage at the property will be installed in phases after the transaction is completed. Truist is in the process of transitioning approximately 2,000 employees to occupy more than 550,000 square feet of the 965,000-square-foot tower. The headquarters is already home to Truist’s executive management team. The building will accommodate several leadership teams for corporate groups such as corporate communications, finance, human resources, insurance, legal, risk management and technology. On-site amenities at the property, which opened in 2002, include a 1,400-space parking garage and a wide variety of restaurants. The location is in the heart of the city, two blocks from two separate Lynx light rail stations and Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets NBA team. The seller, Atlanta-based Cousins, announced its own leadership transition on Monday. Executive Chairman Larry …

December 11, 2019

Acquisitions Hospitality Mixed-Use Texas Top Stories

Ryman Hospitality to Purchase Block 21 Mixed-Use Campus in Downtown Austin from Stratus for $275M

by John Nelson December 10, 2019

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc. (NYSE: RHP) has reached an agreement with Stratus Properties Inc. (Nasdaq: STRS) to purchase Block 21, a mixed-use and entertainment development occupying a full city block in downtown Austin. Ryman has agreed to purchase the property from Stratus for $275 million, including a debt assumption of $142 million. Block 21 houses Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater, a 2,750-seat venue that hosts America’s longest running music series, Austin City Limits. Past artists that have played the annual concert series include Dave Matthews Band, Lauryn Hill, Beck, Elvis Costello, Coldplay, Robert Plant, Cyndi Lauper and B.B. King. The project also features W Austin Hotel & Residences, 3TEN ACL Live club, 40,000 square feet of Class A office space and 18,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, including Starbucks and Urban Outfitters. Built in 2010, Block 21 anchors downtown Austin’s 2nd Street District. “Ryman Hospitality Properties’ expertise in both hospitality and live entertainment, plus their demonstrated stewardship of the iconic Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry, make them the ideal company to usher Block 21 and ACL Live into their next decade,” says William Armstrong III, president, CEO and chairman of the board …

December 10, 2019

Acquisitions Hospitality Midwest Missouri Retail Southeast Top Stories West Virginia

VICI Properties Acquires Three Casinos in Missouri, West Virginia for $278M

by Taylor Williams December 9, 2019

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO., CARUTHERSVILLE, MO., AND NEW CUMBERLAND, W.V. — VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE: VICI), a New York City-based REIT that specializes in casinos, has acquired three such properties in Missouri and West Virginia. Eldorado Resorts Inc. sold the assets for $278 million in an all-cash deal. In Missouri, Isle Casino Cape Girardeau is located in Cape Girardeau in the southern part of the state, while Lady Luck Casino is a riverboat casino in Caruthersville, located even further south near the Tennessee-Missouri border. Both cities are situated along the Mississippi River. In West Virginia, Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort is in New Cumberland, a city situated along the Ohio River in the northern part of the state. Isle Casino opened in 2012 and features 41,500 square feet of casino space, three dining venues, a pavilion and an entertainment center. Lady Luck opened 1995 and consists of a dockside casino spanning 21,500 square feet, two restaurants and a 40,000-square-foot pavilion. Mountaineer opened as a racetrack and resort in 1951. The casino debuted in 1994 and offers a 357-room hotel, five dining venues, 1,486 gaming machines and 36 table games. VICI Properties has also entered into an agreement with Colorado-based Century Casinos …

December 9, 2019

Acquisitions Office Top Stories Washington Western

The Roxborough Group Acquires Metro Seattle Office Portfolio for $73.6M

by Alex Patton December 6, 2019

REDMOND, WASH. — San Francisco-based investor The Roxborough Group LLC has acquired Quadrant Willows, a 248,041-square-foot, Class A office complex in Redmond, an eastern suburb of Seattle. The purchase price was $73.6 million, according to the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. The four buildings of Quadrant Willows are located along Willows Road in the tech-dominated Redmond submarket. The seller, Equus Capital Partners Ltd., acquired the complex in 2016 and has since completed $850,000 worth of renovations. “We were able to assemble an attractive four-building portfolio, through two separate acquisitions, in one of the most dynamic office markets in the country and take the occupancy from a combined 78 percent at acquisition to 100 percent at the time of sale,” says Robert Butchenhart, vice president for Equus and manager for Equus’ West Coast office. Redmond benefits from Microsoft’s 8 million-square-foot corporate headquarters and the Eastlink Light Rail transit line. “The Redmond submarket is one of the most dynamic Eastside submarkets with 21.5 percent rent growth over the past 24 months. Vacancy, including Microsoft, is at 4.4 percent with overall Eastside vacancy at 4.3 percent,” says Joe Lynch, executive managing director of Newmark Night Frank (NKF), which represented the Equus in the …

December 6, 2019

Newer Posts

Older Posts