Top Stories

Hammes Sells 23-Property Medical Office Portfolio for $400M

by Kristin Harlow January 25, 2019

MILWAUKEE — Hammes Partners has sold a 23-property medical office portfolio across nine states for $400 million. The Class A properties, totaling 979,000 square feet, are located in Virginia, Washington, North Carolina, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Texas. Mindy Berman and Steve Leathers of JLL Healthcare Capital Markets brokered the sale on behalf of Milwaukee-based Hammes. Giant healthcare REIT Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL) was the buyer, according to media reports. “Selling points included the portfolio’s alignment with major health systems, durable income and locations in strong metro markets,” says Berman. Hammes Partners is a private equity platform that invests on behalf of institutional investors, with a focus on the U.S. healthcare real estate market. Toledo, Ohio-based Welltower is a real estate investment trust that mostly invests in healthcare and seniors housing properties. — Kristin Hiller

January 25, 2019

Acquisitions Hospitality New York Northeast Top Stories

Ashford Hospitality Trust Acquires Embassy Suites in Manhattan for $195M

by Alex Tostado January 24, 2019

NEW YORK CITY — Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc. (NYSE: AHT) has acquired the Embassy Suites by Hilton New York Midtown Manhattan for $195 million, or $629,000 per room. The 41-story, 310-room hotel is located on 37th Street between 5th and 6th avenues, near Bryant Park and Times Square. While the seller was not disclosed, The Real Deal reports that AIG Global Real Estate owned the majority stake in the property. This is Ashford’s first direct hotel investment in New York City. According to data analytics firm STR, the number of hotel rooms in Manhattan that opened in 2018 was down 32 percent from 2017. Furthermore, for the first time since 2013, demand outpaced supply in both 2017 and 2018. “The hotel is a high-quality, well-positioned asset that we expect will benefit from the positive trends occurring in the dynamic Manhattan market,” says Douglas Kessler, Ashford’s president and CEO. “Having recently opened in 2018, the property is still ramping up operations, and we believe there is significant growth and upside to occur.” Indeed, Ashford reports that there are several new development projects in Midtown that are expected to fuel growth in the area. On a trailing three-month basis ending Dec. 31, 2018, the …

January 24, 2019

California Company News Leasing Activity Top Stories Western

Facebook Signs Lease for 803,000 SF Office Campus Near San Francisco

by David Cohen January 23, 2019

BURLINGAME, CALIF. — Tech giant Facebook has signed a lease to fully occupy Burlingame Point, an 803,000-square-foot office campus currently under construction in Burlingame. Located on more than 18 acres at the edge of the San Francisco Bay, Burlingame Point is being developed by Kylli, a subsidiary of China-based Genzon Investment Group Co. The campus is 16 miles south of San Francisco. Mike Moran and Clarke Funkhouser of Cushman & Wakefield represented Kylli in the transaction. Facebook was represented by JLL. “We couldn’t be more excited that one of the world’s leading technology firms has selected Burlingame Point to expand its Northern California footprint, says Moran. “This is a testament that strong design elements do make a difference to the discerning tenant.” In addition to four new Class A office buildings with bay views, the project will include public amenities that include an improved Bay Trail, a pedestrian promenade and an improved roadway for cyclists and motorists. Facebook first announced the lease was in negotiations in August and the lease was fully executed in the fourth quarter of 2018. Burlingame Point is expected to open in 2020. The project is the first Class A office campus developed by Kylli in the …

January 23, 2019

Loans Midwest Ohio Top Stories

Fairmount, DiGeronimo Refinance Mixed-Use Village in Suburban Cleveland with $171.5M Loan

by John Nelson January 22, 2019

ORANGE VILLAGE, OHIO — The developers behind Pinecrest in suburban Cleveland have obtained a $171.5 million loan to refinance the 750,000-square-foot mixed-use project. Square Mile Capital Management LLC provided the loan to a joint venture between Cleveland-based Fairmount Properties and the DiGeronimo Cos., which opened Pinecrest in spring 2018. Situated on 58 acres in Orange Village, Pinecrest features 400,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space that houses Whole Foods Market, REI, Silverspot Cinema, Pinstripes, West Elm, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Vineyard Vines and Orangetheory Fitness, as well as chef-driven restaurants. About 160,000 square feet of creative office space sits atop the ground-level shops and restaurants. Pinecrest also features 87 high-end apartment residences and a one-acre park, as well as a 145-room AC Hotel by Marriott that wasn’t included in the financing. Trey Morsbach and Jim Curtin of HFF’s Dallas office led the debt placement team to arrange the floating-rate loan, which will be used to refinance a $142 million construction loan that HFF arranged for the developers in spring 2017. HFF also assisted the developer in securing joint venture equity for the project in June 2016. “This refinancing reflects the viability and strength of our asset,” says Eric Louttit, …

January 22, 2019

Leasing Activity Massachusetts Northeast Office Top Stories

PUMA North America to Open 150,000 SF Office Headquarters Near Boston

by Taylor Williams January 21, 2019

SOMERVILLE, MASS. — Sports apparel and accessories company PUMA North America will open a new, 150,000-square-foot office headquarters at Assembly Row, a mixed-use destination in the northwestern Boston metro of Somerville. Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT) is developing Assembly Row. The new headquarters will be located at 455 Grand Union Blvd. The new building will total 300,000 square feet upon completion, and will bring together PUMA’s two nearby offices in Boston and Westford. The company expects the space to house about 550 employees across five floors beginning in 2021. The transit-served building also features a 19,000-square-foot roof deck complete with a recreational area and basketball court. Additional amenities include a fitness center, a kids’ room and bike storage. “We need to be faster than ever in the way we react and adapt,” says Adam Petrick, PUMA’s global director of branding and marketing. “Somerville is a city buzzing with creative, diverse energy that will help us live out our ‘Forever Faster’ mentality.” Assembly Row is a 40-acre project located along Interstate 93 and the MBTA Orange Line. The developer has launched Phase III of the project, which will feature more than $475 million in new development. Phase III will deliver a 500-unit …

January 21, 2019

Acquisitions Colorado Office Top Stories Washington Western

Unico Sells 11-Property Office Portfolio in Seattle, Denver for $710M

by Kristin Harlow January 18, 2019

SEATTLE AND DENVER — Real estate investment and operating firm Unico Investment Group LLC has sold 11 office assets totaling 1.8 million square feet in Seattle and Denver for $710 million. Broad Street Principal Investments LLC, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, was the buyer. The portfolio includes 10 creative office assets and one parking garage. The collection of properties is 85 percent leased to more than 190 tenants. Since 2014, Unico has invested $87 million in capital improvements for the properties. Some of the fully repositioned assets include the iconic Smith Tower in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, 1505 Fifth Ave. in Seattle’s central business district (CBD) and the DC Building in Denver’s CBD. The 27-building portfolio also includes new-construction buildings such as the Circa Building, which is located along Denver’s Platte Street. The Class A asset received the Mayor’s Design Award for Sustainability in 2018. Unico will retain a stake in the portfolio and will continue to operate and manage the properties on behalf of the new partnership. “We look forward to working with Goldman Sachs to fully complete the property repositions and new development opportunities still embedded within the portfolio,” says Jonas Sylvester, Unico president. Jason Flynn and Paul Nelson …

January 18, 2019

Acquisitions Massachusetts Midwest Northeast Ohio Retail Top Stories

TravelCenters of America Agrees to Purchase 20 Assets from Hospitality Properties for $308.2M

by Alex Tostado January 17, 2019

NEWTON, MASS. AND WESTLAKE, OHIO — TravelCenters of America LLC (NASDAQ: TA) has agreed to purchase 20 truck stop locations from its primary landlord, Hospitality Properties Trust (NASDAQ: HPT), for $308.2 million. The 20 properties span 15 states. HPT will continue to own 179 properties that TA leases. The leases have been amended by both companies, which puts the 179 properties under five leases. The leases have all been extended by three years. Westlake-based TA expects to purchase nine of the travel centers for $140.5 million Jan. 17 and expects to complete the remaining purchases in two closings by the end of January. HPT expects to gain $160 million from the sale, which it plans to use to repay borrowings under its revolving credit facility and for general business purposes. When the sales are finalized, TA’s rent will fall by $243.9 million per year. Under the amended leases, TA’s rent will be reduced by $43.1 million per year. HPT will receive $70.5 million for backlogged payments in 16 quarterly payments from TA beginning April 1. The backlogged rent has been reduced from $150 million due to moving the payments up from June 2024. “As we move into the tenth year …

January 17, 2019

Acquisitions Office Top Stories Washington Western

CIM Group Buys Historic Office Building in Downtown Seattle for $151M

by John Nelson January 15, 2019

SEATTLE — CIM Group, a real estate owner and operator based in Los Angeles, has purchased the historic Dexter Horton Building in downtown Seattle. The seller and sales price were not disclosed, but the Puget Sound Business Journal is reporting that Great Eagle Holdings Ltd. sold the 15-story office building for $151 million. The 335,000-square-foot Art Deco structure occupies a full city block at 710 2nd Ave. near the historic Pioneer Square area and Elliott Bay. The office building’s tenant roster includes companies in the technology, government, nonprofit, media, healthcare and professional services industries. Built in 1924, the historic building was renovated in 2002 and again in 2015, resulting in the addition of a penthouse lounge, rooftop deck, bike storage, shower and locker rooms and an indoor dog lounge. The property is named after Dexter Horton, the founder of the first bank in the city of Seattle. The office building was originally home to the Bank of Dexter Horton, which is Bank of America’s oldest bank in the Puget Sound region. The office building features ground-floor retail space fronting 3rd Avenue leased to Pegasus Coffee, Working Washington and SEIU 775, a local healthcare workers union. The transit-oriented property is situated …

January 15, 2019

Development Mixed-Use Texas Top Stories

PMB Capital to Develop $250M Mixed-Use Project in Metro Dallas

by Taylor Williams January 14, 2019

SACHSE, TEXAS — PMB Capital Investments, a Dallas-based development and investment firm, will develop The Station, a $250 million mixed-use destination that will be located in Sachse, a northeastern suburb of Dallas. The Station will be situated on 119 acres along President George Bush Turnpike between Miles and Merritt roads. Plans currently call for approximately 400,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, as well as 600 apartments and 250 single-family homes. The commercial space will be marketed to restaurant, office and entertainment users. The project will also require significant investment in the surrounding infrastructure as well as improvements to nearby Heritage Park, a 34-acre public space. The park will ultimately feature an amphitheater, a boardwalk, children’s play areas and surrounding nature trails. “We’ve worked with the city for more than a year on a creative financing structure that would ensure each parcel would be ‘shovel-ready’ at the outset and positioned to take advantage of market opportunities as they arise,” says Taylor Baird, partner at PMB Capital. PMB Capital, which acquired the land for the project in October 2018, has partnered with the City of Sachse to fund work on the infrastructure and Heritage Park. Marty Neilon of CBRE represented the …

January 14, 2019

Acquisitions Industrial Southeast Top Stories Virginia

Avison Young Arranges $142M Sale of Industrial Park in Northern Virginia

by Kristin Harlow January 11, 2019

LORTON, VA. — Avison Young has arranged the $142 million sale of Gunston Commerce Center, an industrial/flex business park in Lorton, about 20 miles south of Washington, D.C. NGP, formerly National Government Properties, purchased the property from I-95 Business Parks Management, according to the Washington Business Journal. The park spans nine buildings and 600,000 square feet of rentable space. It is situated between the Pentagon and the Marine Corps Base Quantico. The property is leased to a roster of tenants anchored by federal government contractors and the General Services Administration, which is the real estate management entity of the federal government that leases space on behalf of agencies such as the Department of Defense. The buildings are flexible in design, with uses ranging from office and warehouse to R&D and retail. John Kevill, Jim Kornick, Chip Ryan, Michael Murrillo and Georgiana Condoiu of Avison Young marketed the property on behalf of the seller. — Kristin Hiller and Alex Tostado

January 11, 2019

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