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LOS ANGELES — Hankey Investment Co. LP and Jamison Properties LP have broken ground on a $300 million residential tower in Koreatown, a submarket adjacent to downtown Los Angeles. Located at 2900 Wilshire Blvd., the unnamed development will rise 25 stories. The project will include 644 apartment units and a 1,000-space parking podium. Floor plans will range from studios to three-bedroom units, as well as two-story penthouses. Monthly rents will range from $2,000 to $10,000. A one-acre amenity deck will house a gym, clubhouse, pool, spa, business center, dog park and zen garden. The project will also include 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The building’s design features a unique floor shape as to avoid casting shade on two nearby parks, as well as providing unobstructed views of downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood Hills. “As the Los Angeles housing market continues to be impacted, additional rental units will help provide much-needed homes in a very desirable location,” says W. Scott Dobbins, president of Hankey. The project team also includes Large Architecture, Dianna Wong Architecture + Interior Design, AECOM and Wilshire Construction. Completion is slated for early 2021. — Kristin Hiller

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BB&T-SunTrust

ATLANTA AND WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — In a blockbuster deal, SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI) and BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT) have entered into an all-stock merger agreement valued at approximately $66 billion. The marriage of these two iconic financial institutions in the Southeast will create the sixth-largest bank in the United States. Under terms of the agreement, SunTrust investors will receive 1.295 shares of BB&T for each SunTrust share they own. That equates to BB&T agreeing to pay $28.1 billion for SunTrust’s equity as of the closing price on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The combined company will operate under a new name and brand and be headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., while maintaining significant operations and investment in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Atlanta. The entity’s headquarters in Charlotte will also feature an innovation and technology center to aid with the transference of digital information. The deal, which is still subject to shareholder approval and other customary regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year. A press release highlighting the agreement says the name of the new entity will be announced prior to the transaction closing. The agreement is being billed by both companies as a “merger of equals.” Shareholders of North …

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The Shenandoah Center in Charles Town, West Virginia

PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY, CONNECTICUT, WEST VIRGINIA AND MASSACHUSETTS — KeyBank has provided a $142.1 million acquisition loan for a 15-property, 2,147-bed skilled nursing portfolio.  Six of the properties are in Pennsylvania, four in New Jersey, three in Connecticut, one in West Virginia and one in Massachusetts. The total purchase price was $204 million. Manhattan-based private real estate investment firm Next Healthcare Capital entered into a real estate partnership with Genesis Healthcare to acquire the portfolio from seniors housing REIT Welltower (NYSE: WELL). Genesis acquired a 46 percent ownership interest in the portfolio.  Genesis will continue to operate the facilities under a new long-term, triple-net lease that includes a Genesis purchase option beginning in 2026, plus no rent escalators for the first five years. Seven additional Welltower-owned properties were sold to a third party and Genesis will no longer operate those facilities.  Henry Alonso, Jonathan Slusher and John Randolph of KeyBank Real Estate Capital arranged the $142.1 million loan. Terms of the financing were undisclosed.  — David Cohen

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EVIVA-on-Cherokee-Denver-CO

DENVER — A partnership between Atlanta-based The Integral Group and Chicago-based Wanxiang America Real Estate Group has sold EVIVA on Cherokee, a high-rise apartment building located at 1250 Cherokee St. in Denver’s Golden Triangle neighborhood. The partnership developed the 18-story property in 2017. The buyer and sales price were undisclosed, but multiple media outlets report that an affiliate of Chicago-based Equity Residential purchased the asset for $110.5 million. EVIVA on Cherokee features apartments averaging 820 square feet with industrial-inspired finishes, including exposed concrete, high-gloss custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, sliding barn doors and floor-to-ceiling windows. Community amenities include a resort-style saltwater pool with private cabanas, outdoor grilling area, bocce ball court, fitness center, movie room with billiards, demonstration kitchen, private indoor/outdoor conference room, rotating art gallery throughout the common areas, dog wash and 24-hour concierge services. Jordan Robbins, Anna Stevens, Mack Nelson and Chris White of HFF represented the seller in the transaction. “The limited availability of concrete, high-rise apartment communities in Denver created significant interest in the asset,” says HFF’s Robbins. Founded in 2010, Wanxiang America Real Estate Group LLC has invested more than $1 billion of equity into nearly 100 commercial real estate investments of all product …

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IRVINE, CALIF. — Taco Bell Corp. has renewed its corporate headquarters lease in Irvine through 2030. The five-story, 180,000-square-foot office building is located at 1 Glen Bell Way, about 42 miles south of Los Angeles. The facility houses 800 corporate and contracted employees, is LEED certified and offers amenities such as on-site child care, a dining center, salon, gym, game room, dry cleaning services and a car washing services. The Irvine property serves as one of three restaurant support centers for the Yum! Brands Inc, the parent company of Taco Bell. Specifically, the support center includes a test kitchen for new Taco Bell food innovations. Cushman & Wakefield’s Irvine office arranged the lease between Taco Bell and landlord LBA Realty. Glen Bell founded Taco Bell in 1962. The restaurant chain has been headquartered in Southern California since then, including 40 years in Irvine. Taco Bell has occupied its current headquarters since 2010. “As a brand with Southern California in our DNA, we’re excited to remain in Irvine and continue to grow where we have deep roots,” said Frank Tucker, chief people officer of Taco Bell Corp. “The unrivaled talent and culture at our Restaurant Support Center make this a great …

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JACKSONVILLE, FLA. AND RALEIGH, N.C. — Carroll Organization has acquired three apartment properties totaling 1,012 units in Jacksonville and Raleigh for $145 million. All three communities will be part of Carroll Multifamily Real Estate Fund V LP, managed by Carroll Management Group and rebranded under the Arium name. Sellers were not disclosed. The 288-unit Autumn Cove and the 272-unit Vista Grande are adjacent communities in Jacksonville. The properties will be renamed Arium Retreat at Orange Park and Arium Reserve at Orange Park. Both feature pools, fitness centers and dog parks. Stonehenge Apartments is a 452-unit property in Raleigh. Amenities include a multi-level fitness center, pools, cabanas, playground and sports club with racquetball, basketball and tennis courts. The location provides convenient access to the Research Triangle and downtown Raleigh. “All three assets are consistent with a strategy of acquiring high-quality workforce housing within supply-constrained submarkets near employment centers in high-growth metro areas,” says M. Patrick Carroll, CEO of Carroll Organization. Atlanta-based Carroll has now purchased 29 properties totaling more than $1.5 billion over the past 12 months. The privately held real estate company manages approximately 35,000 multifamily units across eight states. — Kristin Hiller

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PHILADELPHIA — Equity Commonwealth (NYSE: EQC) is under contract to sell BNY Mellon Bank Center, a 55-story, 1.3 million-square-foot office building located at 1735 Market St. in downtown Philadelphia. The price is $451.6 million. The buyer was undisclosed, though multiple media outlets report that a partnership between New York-based Silverstein Properties Inc. and Philadelphia-based Arden Group is acquiring the building. Proceeds after credits for capital costs, contractual lease costs, and rent abatements are expected to be approximately $435.6 million. The sale is slated to close by March 27. The asset is the fourth-largest building in Philadelphia. Amenities include The Lounge at 1735, a 19,000-square-foot space offering a 100-person classroom-style conference facility, fireplaces, wine lockers and TVs; Pyramid Club, a lounge on the 52nd floor offering a 360-degree view of Philadelphia, a bistro bar and a sit-down restaurant; the Philadelphia Sports Club, a 25,000-square-foot, two-story fitness center offering a sauna, rowing machine, group fitness classes, and massage therapy; and covered bike parking. BNY Mellon Bank Center was built in 1990 and designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. The building is situated less than a mile from Philadelphia City Hall and Logan Square, and less than two miles from the Liberty Bell. Chicago-based …

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OAHU, HAWAII — Industrial Logistics Properties Trust (NASDAQ: ILPT) has secured a $650 million mortgage loan secured by an industrial portfolio in Oahu. The portfolio includes 186 properties, which total approximately 9.6 million square feet. The 10-year loan applies to approximately 57 percent of ILPT’s total owned square footage in Hawaii. As of Dec. 31, 2018, the average remaining lease term for these properties was more than 14 years and the occupancy was nearly 100 percent. “We are pleased to term out our floating rate debt with attractive, long-term, fixed-rate debt and to demonstrate the tremendous value of these unique Hawaiian assets,” says John Murray, CEO of Industrial Logistics Properties Trust. “While the underlying assets had a net book value of less than $500 million at year end 2018, this loan provides us with $650 million of capital to fund value-enhancing external growth opportunities.” Terms of the non-amortizing financing included a fixed interest rate of 4.3 percent. Morgan Stanley, Citi, UBS and J.P. Morgan provided the capital. Sullivan & Worcester LLP provided legal counsel to Industrial Logistics Properties Trust in the transaction. ILPT stock closed at $20.79 per share on Tuesday, Jan. 29, down from $22.47 one year ago. — David …

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Beacon Partners, a Charlotte-based mixed-use developer, plans to build a 15-acre project in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood. Named LoSo Station, the project will include more than 500,000 square feet of creative office space, 30,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 350 multifamily residences and a 150-room boutique hotel. The master plan also calls for rooftop entertainment, meeting space, outdoor retail plazas and other athletic amenities for tenants and residents. The transit-oriented development will be situated at the Scaleybark station for the LYNX Blue Line light rail system, as well as along Charlotte Rail Trail, a 3.5-mile long public trail for walking, biking and scooter access through South End. South End is an up-and-coming neighborhood in Charlotte, with nearby attractions including Queen Park Social, Victory Brewery and OMB (The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery). “The LoSo Station master plan is such a unique and rare opportunity to plan and develop a transit-oriented development at the convergence of South End and ‘LoSo,’” says Mike Harrell, senior partner at Beacon Partners, referring to the lower portion of South End (LoSo). “We are looking forward to bringing forth the mixed-use amenities that will enhance and complement the already existing business and merchant base …

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Waynoka-Business-Center

DENVER — Etkin Johnson Real Estate Partners, a Denver-based investment and development firm, has sold its portfolio of industrial assets in Colorado to San Francisco-based Berkeley Partners for $247.5 million. The deal represents the largest industrial portfolio sale ever closed in Colorado. The portfolio, which was 93 percent leased at the time of sale, comprises 19 properties totaling approximately 1.95 million square feet of industrial space. The facilities range in size from 26,078 to 293,510 square feet. Etkin Johnson acquired the properties between 1990 and 1998. All 19 assets are located in cities within Colorado’s Front Range, including Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Aurora and Golden. “This was a very well-constructed portfolio of infill industrial,” says Matt Novak, partner at Berkeley Partners, which has more than $625 million in assets under management. “The Denver metro has been experiencing rapid growth, and this acquisition provides us a critical mass of properties in the market. Our goal is to hold these assets for 10- to 20-plus years, benefiting from the favorable long-term industrial supply-demand fundamentals.” Jim Bolt, Jeremy Ballenger, Tyler Carner and Mike Winn of CBRE represented Etkin Johnson in the transaction, which marks Berkeley Partners’ first acquisition in Colorado. — Taylor Williams  

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