Top Stories

PN Hoffman, Madison Marquette Break Ground on Phase II of $2.5B Mixed-Use Project in Washington, D.C.

by Taylor Williams April 1, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Locally based developers PN Hoffman and Madison Marquette have broken ground on Phase II of The Wharf, a $2.5 billion, mixed-use project fronting the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. At full build-out, Phase II will feature 625,000 square feet of Class A office space, 255 apartments, 96 condominium units, 131 hotel rooms and a 109,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Phase II will also include a 1.5-acre park, two underground parking garages with more than 1,000 spaces, and additional dockage totaling 223 slips at The Wharf Marina. Phase I of The Wharf, which spans a mile and is the largest private development in the city, opened in October 2017. Phase I included three hotels, two multifamily and condominium buildings, and 210,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space. The design team behind Phase II includes more than a dozen architects. Cianbro is the general contractor for construction of the marina component, and Balfour Beatty is handling construction of the office buildings and below-grade parking garages. Other project partners include ER Bacon Development, City Partners, Paramount Development and Triden Development. Madison Marquette, which is owned by international investment firm Capital Guidance and merged with PMRG last …

April 1, 2019

Development Georgia Industrial Leasing Activity Southeast Top Stories

Red Rock Completes 1 MSF Distribution Center in Metro Atlanta, Signs Apparel Giant PVH as Tenant

by Kristin Harlow March 29, 2019

PALMETTO, GA. — PVH Corp., a global apparel company, has signed a 1 million-square-foot lease for a new distribution facility in Palmetto, about 27 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta. The newly delivered facility is located within Shugart Farms, which Red Rock Developments built in partnership with Wharton Industrial and Starwood Capital Group. Brad Pope of JLL negotiated the 20-year lease transaction. Built on a speculative basis, the developers are underway on $77.6 million in tenant improvements for PVH. Formerly known as Phillips-Van Heusen, PVH manages a portfolio of clothing brands, including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, Speedo, Warner’s, Olga, Geoffrey Beene and True&Co. By the end of the year, the new distribution center will create approximately 575 jobs once fully operational. PVH’s new facility is located along I-85, near to the CSX Fairburn Intermodal terminal and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The site is also about 250 miles from the Port of Savannah, a key factor in the selection of the facility, according to the developer. “When we began development on this spec building, we knew we had the key ingredients to meet the needs of a modern bulk tenant,” says John Barker Jr., president and chief development …

March 29, 2019

Development Office Texas Top Stories

Amazon to Expand Austin Tech Hub, Create 800 New Jobs

by Alex Tostado March 28, 2019

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) will expand its Austin Tech Hub and create 800 new jobs by 2020, the company announced today. The tech giant will move into a 145,000-square-foot office space within The Domain, a 304-acre mixed-use development by Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate Group. Dallas-based TIER REIT is the project partner behind The Domain’s office buildings, which will eventually total 2.1 million square feet of Class A space. Amazon’s space will be housed within Domain 10, a 15-story, 299,673-square-foot building. The Austin Tech Hub is one of 17 such North American facilities operated by Amazon. More than 20,000 people are employed across the 17 hubs; Austin employees focus mainly on developing Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon Business, Amazon devices, video game designing and advertising. Amazon already employs approximately 6,600 workers in the Austin area. This employee base includes more than 1,000 corporate-level employees, 3,000 employees in the nearby San Marcos warehouses and 2,600 workers through Whole Foods, according to The Austin American-Statesman. Amazon has created more than 22,000 jobs in Texas since 2011, including more than 1,000 in the past four years, according to Terry Leeper, general manager of Amazon’s Austin Tech Hub. During that same period, the …

March 28, 2019

Acquisitions Office Top Stories Washington Western

Ponte Gadea Acquires 800,000 SF Amazon-Leased Office Block in Seattle for $740M

by David Cohen March 27, 2019

SEATTLE — Real estate investment firm Ponte Gadea has acquired Troy Block, an 800,000-square-foot, Amazon-occupied office complex in Seattle. Although the price was not disclosed, The Puget Sound Business Journal was first to report it at $740 million. The full-block, two-building property is located at 300 Boren Avenue North in the South Lake Union district of Seattle. Miami-based Ponte Gadea is led by Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, a fashion mogul whose company is parent to retail brand Zara. Ortega’s net worth is $67 billion, making him the fifth richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg. Seattle-based developer Touchstone purchased the 2.5-acre property for $18.4 million in 2011 and built two L-shaped office buildings on the block, according to The Seattle Times. Amazon leases the entire office portion of the project, which opened in 2016 and 2017. Ground-floor retail at the development also includes an Amazon Go store, Maslow’s restaurant and Cascade Coffee Works. Mark Gibson, Stephen Conley, Manny De Zarraga, Michael Leggett, Gerry Rohm, Coleman Benedict, Kevin Freels and Logan Greer of HFF represented the seller, a partnership between USAA Real Estate and Touchstone, in the transaction. This transaction represents the largest single asset trade by volume in Seattle history, …

March 27, 2019

Acquisitions California Florida Illinois Industrial Minnesota Top Stories Wisconsin

WPT Industrial REIT Acquires U.S. Logistics Portfolio for $226M

by John Nelson March 26, 2019

TORONTO — WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust, a publicly traded company based in Toronto, has increased its U.S. holdings by agreeing to acquire a 13-property logistics portfolio for approximately US$226 million. The industrial buildings total 2.2 million square feet and are situated in infill submarkets across the United States. The property names and addresses were not disclosed, but WPT says the portfolio will increase its scale in Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. The portfolio also includes assets in three new markets for the REIT, including Los Angeles and Miami. Additionally, WPT has confirmed that eight of the assets are leased to a single tenant and the other five are leased to multiple tenants. “We are very pleased to source a high-quality portfolio acquisition that advances the REIT’s strategic priorities to add scale and diversification with a focus on markets and properties that have the greatest potential to drive long-term growth,” says Scott Frederiksen, CEO of WPT. WPT plans to fund the acquisition with cash on hand and proceeds from its senior unsecured credit facility. In anticipation of the purchase, WPT has received lender commitments to amend and extend the credit facility from US$300 million to $450 million. The REIT expects …

March 26, 2019

Georgia Office Southeast Texas Top Stories

Cousins Properties, TIER REIT Merge to Become Office REIT Powerhouse in Sun Belt

by Taylor Williams March 25, 2019

ATLANTA AND DALLAS — Cousins Properties Inc. (NYSE: CUZ) and Dallas-based TIER REIT Inc. (NYSE: TIER), two of the larger office development and investment firms in the country, have entered into an all-stock merger agreement. The combined company, which will retain the Cousins name, will have an equity market capitalization of $5.9 billion and a total market cap of $7.8 billion. Following the merger, the company will continue to function as a Class A office REIT with a combined portfolio of approximately 21 million square feet spread across various markets in the Southeast and Southwest. Both firms are active in leading office markets like Atlanta, where Cousins is based, as well as Charlotte, Dallas and Austin. Cousins owns several trophy assets in Atlanta’s Buckhead area, including 3348 and 3350 Peachtree, which have about 670,000 square feet combined, as well as 816 Congress and 303 Colorado in downtown Austin. TIER REIT owns 3354 Peachtree, a 560,000-square-foot building in Atlanta, as well as the 40-story Burnett Plaza in Fort Worth and the 1.5 million-square-foot Domain office building in Austin. Under terms of the agreement, Cousins will issue 2.98 shares of common stock in exchange for each share of TIER stock. That rate …

March 25, 2019

Acquisitions California Office Top Stories Western

Japanese Investor Acquires 603,666 SF Tech Office Campus in Silicon Valley for $429M

by Kristin Harlow March 22, 2019

SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Mori Trust Co. Ltd. has acquired three office buildings totaling 603,666 square feet in San Jose through its subsidiary MORI America LLC. The purchase price was not disclosed, but The Mercury News reports the portfolio sold for $429 million. The properties are situated on approximately 9.7 acres and are fully leased to Idaho-based computer chip giant Micron Technology. The area is expected to undergo further development under San Jose’s master plan for urban development. Located on Holger Way, the buildings are LEED Gold certified. All three properties, built in 2010, are fully occupied. One of the buildings rises four floors, while the other two are seven floors. The sale also includes a 1,687-space parking garage. The seller on the transaction was Lane Partners, which acquired the campus for $225.5 million in 2017, according to The Mercury News report. The Mori Trust Group is a Japan-based owner and developer with a focus on real estate, hotel management and investment operations. The company previously acquired two office buildings in Boston’s Back Bay district in 2017, and has announced plans to greatly increase its overseas investments. — Kristin Hiller

March 22, 2019

Company News Retail Southeast Tennessee Top Stories

Christian Book Retailer LifeWay to Close All 170 Stores, Focus on Digital Platform

by John Nelson March 21, 2019

NASHVILLE, TENN. — LifeWay, a Christian bookseller based in Nashville, announced its plan to close all 170 of its physical bookstores. The bulk of the company’s stores are in the Southeastern United States, with a large concentration of locations in Texas and Ohio. A full list can be found here. LifeWay expects to close all of its physical locations by the end of the year, and the timing of store closings will vary depending on local circumstances. In January, the company announced it would reduce the number of its retail locations due to declining customer traffic and sales, but has since pivoted. “While we had hoped to keep some stores open, current market projections show this is no longer a viable option,” says Brad Waggoner, acting president and CEO of LifeWay following the retirement of Thom Rainer last month. “The decision to close our local stores is a difficult one. LifeWay has developed close connections with the communities where our stores are located, and we have been honored to serve those communities.” LifeWay is neither closing nor filing for bankruptcy, instead focusing on its digital platform, customer service center and its network of church partnerships. Details about the lease terms …

March 21, 2019

California Loans Retail Top Stories Western

George Smith Partners Arranges $101.3M Financing for Shopping Center in California

by David Cohen March 20, 2019

LA HABRA, CALIF. — George Smith Partners has arranged a $101.3 million bridge loan for La Habra Marketplace, a 375,000-square-foot, open-air shopping center in La Habra. Sprouts Farmers Market and Smart & Final anchor the 37-acre property, which is approximately 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Steve Bram of George Smith Partners represented the borrower, DJM Capital Partners Inc., in the transaction. The loan, which includes $96.6 million in initial funding and $4.7 million in future funding, replaces senior and mezzanine loans on the property, and was negotiated at a floating interest rate of LIBOR plus 320 basis points. The lender is a private equity firm with a debt lending platform. “Dual-anchored by two top-name grocery stores, this is a large property in the midst of a successful repositioning,” says Bram, principal of George Smith Partners. “Led by experienced and well-respected ownership, the center has attracted national credit tenants and is situated in a prime location within the La Habra market. Our team was able to draw upon each of these elements to secure maximum leverage for this bridge loan.” Additional tenants at the center include Petco, Ulta Beauty, Hobby Lobby, Ross Dress for Less and LA Fitness. The center …

March 20, 2019

Acquisitions Company News Illinois Midwest Texas Top Stories

JLL Agrees to Acquire HFF for $2B in Massive Real Estate Brokerage Merger

by Alex Tostado March 19, 2019

CHICAGO AND DALLAS — JLL (NYSE: JLL) and HFF (NYSE: HF) have entered into a definitive agreement for JLL to acquire all outstanding HFF shares in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $2 billion. Chicago-based JLL, a giant in the commercial real estate industry with a total market cap of approximately $7.4 billion, is a professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. Dallas-based HFF is a full-service commercial real estate financial intermediary. Under the terms of the agreement, HFF shareholders will receive $24.63 in cash and 0.1505 JLL shares for each HFF share. Based on the closing price of JLL stock of $163.02 on March 18, the cash and stock consideration to be received by HFF shareholders at closing is valued at $49.16 per HFF share. When finalized, existing JLL shareholders are expected to represent 87 percent of shareholders, and existing HFF shareholders will make up the other 13 percent. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year. Two years ago, JLL unveiled Beyond, its global strategic vision to drive long-term and sustainable growth. As …

March 19, 2019

Newer Posts

Older Posts