Top Stories

Santa-Monica-Business-Park-California

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — A joint venture between Boston Properties Inc. (NYSE: BXP) and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has acquired the 47-acre Santa Monica Business Park for approximately $627.5 million. The seller was not disclosed. Santa Monica Business Park consists of 21 buildings totaling roughly 1.2 million square feet of office and retail space in Santa Monica, a coastal city just west of downtown Los Angeles. The property is located near Interstates 10 and 405 and features a variety of on-site services, including a health club, restaurants, banks, a car wash and a dog park. The property lies within the Ocean Park neighborhood and was 94 percent leased at the time of sale. Boston Properties will invest $147.4 million in the acquisition, yielding a 45 percent ownership stake, while CPPIB will invest $180.1 million. An undisclosed lender provided a $300 million acquisition loan to fund the remainder of the acquisition. The loan features a 4.06 percent interest rate and matures in July 2025. Approximately 70 percent of the rentable square footage is subject to a ground lease with 80 years remaining, including renewal periods. The ground lease provides the joint venture with the right to purchase the land …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

CORAL GABLES, FLA. — NP International (NPI) has selected Balfour Beatty to construct the 1.3 million-square-foot Gables Station mixed-use development in Coral Gables, a suburb of Miami. Comprised of three towers, the development will feature retail space, residential units, a hotel and a 1,000-car parking garage. The transit-oriented development is situated within a commercial corridor on U.S. Highway 1 and is adjacent to the Miami Metrorail, providing easy access to the Miami International Airport. The project will be directly connected to the Underline Park, a 10-mile park and urban trail. The development’s two apartment buildings will include a combined 450 units. Facing the Underline Park on the ground level, one of the residential buildings will feature 19,000 square feet of retail space, while the second will include 18,000 square feet of retail space. Gables Station’s third building will be home to a limited-service hotel, which will house 68,000 square feet of retail space for lifestyle and wellness tenants. Early this year, NPI received a $158.4 million construction loan for the project and negotiated a lease for Life Time Fitness at the development, according to the South Florida Business Journal. The project, designed to achieve LEED Silver certification, is slated for completion …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — Big Rock Partners, in a joint venture with Kiawah Partners, has unveiled plans to develop a $125 million seniors housing community on Kiawah Island, a barrier island located 21 miles southwest of Charleston. The 200-unit community will be for residents ages 55 and older and will include independent living, assisted living and memory care units. The unnamed project will be built overlooking a lake next to the Freshfields Village shopping center. “There’s been exponential growth in the active senior population in the Charleston area,” says Richard Ackerman, senior managing partner at Big Rock. “We wanted to bring a state-of-the-art senior living experience to the Lowcountry.” The community will feature its own movie facility, multiple pools, a fitness center with a yoga studio, and multiple food and beverage options. “There are current Kiawah homeowners who are aging, who want to downsize and require higher degrees of service levels,” says Chris Randolph, partner at Kiawah Partners. “They don’t want to lose touch with their social circles by moving off the island. Senior living on Kiawah allows them to keep their ties to the island, and for many, to the Kiawah Island Club.” Kiawah Partners is the master developer …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

BOSTON — Developers Boylston Properties and The Wilder Cos. have secured $324 million in construction financing and joint venture equity for the development of Arsenal Yards, a six-building, mixed-use redevelopment of the former Arsenal Mall in Watertown. HFF worked on behalf of the developers to source institutional investors advised by JP Morgan Asset Management as joint venture equity partners, providing $102 million of equity. HFF also arranged a $222 million construction loan from Wells Fargo Bank. “HFF was able to work closely with the development team to secure a capitalization structure that met their objectives,” says Brett Paulsrud, senior director at HFF. “This redevelopment will dramatically transform the landscape of Watertown, adding a significant amenity base to the area.  It will be very exciting to watch this best-in-class partnership create a new destination for surrounding residents and businesses alike.” Located on the site of the former Watertown Arsenal, which predates the Civil War, New England Development opened the mall as Arsenal Marketplace in 1983. In 2013, Boylston Properties and The Wilder Companies purchased the property with the intention of redeveloping it into a mixed-use project. Arsenal Yards is scheduled to open in 2019 and will feature 250,000 square feet of destination shops …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

NEW YORK — Atalaya Capital Management, a private credit and alternative investment advisory firm, has recently closed $315 million in construction financing for The Ritz-Carlton’s new flagship hotel in Manhattan. Situated at the corner of 28th Street and Broadway, the 266-room hotel will span more than 50 stories and include 16 branded residences, 6,000 square feet of meeting space and high-end food and beverage options. This project will be the first ground-up hotel construction in New York City completed by Flag Luxury Group, which has developed several upscale hotels and resorts, including four Ritz-Carlton properties in Florida. Atalaya Capital partnered with CapitalSource, a division of Pacific West Bank, to provide a $250 million senior construction loan to Flag. Atalaya also closed a $65 million preferred equity investment to finance the hotel, which is set for a late 2021 completion. “We are excited to be working with Atalaya, which worked diligently to structure a creative and comprehensive capital solution to facilitate the development of an iconic brand’s new flagship New York City location,” said Paul Kanavos, CEO and chairman of Flag Luxury Group. The project team includes general contractor Lend Lease, interior designer Yabu Pushelberg and architect Rafael Vinoly. Founded in …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Edgewater-Hotel-&-Casino-Resort-Laughlin-Nevada

LAUGHLIN, NEV. — Golden Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: GDEN), an owner-operator of casino resorts, has agreed to acquire two properties in Nevada for more than $168 million. Golden will acquire Edgewater Hotel & Casino Resort and Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino Resort, both of which are located about 100 miles south of Las Vegas in Laughlin. The seller is Marnell Gaming LLC, which is also based in Nevada. The deal is expected to close during the first quarter of 2019. Combined, Edgewater Hotel & Casino Resort and Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino Resort feature more than 1,400 slot machines, 40 table games and 2,150 hotel rooms. The casino resorts also offer 11 restaurants and dedicated entertainment venues, including the 12,000-seat Laughlin Event Center. The properties are situated adjacent to Aquarius Casino Resort, an asset owned by Golden Entertainment that features 1,200 slot machines, 30-plus game tables and roughly 2,000 hotel rooms. “Over the past several years, Marnell Gaming has taken their expertise and created a significant hotel, casino and entertainment presence in Laughlin,” says Blake Sartini, chairman and CEO of Golden Entertainment. “We are excited to solidify our presence in this growing and attractive game market.” The exact sales price has …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (NYSE: ARE) has acquired 219 E. 42nd St. in Manhattan for $203 million from Pfizer Inc. The pharmaceutical giant will lease back the 350,000-square-foot office building on a triple-net basis from an affiliated purchasing entity of Alexandria known as 219/235 East LLC. Pfizer announced plans earlier this year to relocate its global headquarters to Manhattan’s Hudson Yards neighborhood in 2022. Tishman Speyer is currently building the 2.85 million-square-foot, 65-story tower known as The Spiral. Located in the heart of Manhattan’s East Side Medical Corridor, 219 E. 42nd St. rises 10 stories. Upon expiration of Pfizer’s lease, Alexandria plans to redevelop the property into office and laboratory space. Pasadena, Calif.-based Alexandria was instrumental in creating the New York City life science cluster through the development of its Alexandria Center for Life Science, which opened in 2010. Alexandria is an urban office REIT focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses with a total market capitalization of $17.9 billion and a North American asset base of 30.2 million square feet as of March 31. Alexandria’s stock price closed at $127.96 per share on Thursday, July 12, up from $118.73 per share one year ago. …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

LAS VEGAS — VICI Properties has acquired the 23-story Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace Las Vegas for $507.5 million in cash. Under the terms of an existing ground lease, the REIT will lease the 668-room hotel back to the seller, Caesars Entertainment Corp., which currently operates the property. Caesars’ annual rent payment to VICI will be $35 million. Constructed in 2012, the hotel spans 1.2 million square feet and is located on the Flamingo Avenue side of Caesars Palace Las Vegas. At the time of closing, VICI announced that it will also acquire Harrah’s Philadelphia from Caesars. The original purchase price of $241.5 million will be reduced to $82.5 million to reflect modifications to VICI’s existing leases with Caesars. “These agreements with VICI unlock more than $500 million in value from our real estate assets to support value-adding growth opportunities and reduce the volatility of our future rent payments, demonstrating our commitment to create value for our shareholders while maintaining financial discipline,” says Mark Frissora, president and CEO of Caesars Entertainment. Constructed in 2006, Harrah’s Philadelphia underwent a renovation in 2017. The property spans 2 million square feet and includes 2,450 slot machines, live table games, and several bars, restaurants and parking garages. …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

SEATTLE — Pembroke Real Estate has acquired the 400 Fairview Building in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle for $338.4 million. The 14-story, Class A office building was constructed in 2015 and is currently 98 percent leased. Pembroke purchased the property from a joint partnership between TH Real Estate and Swedish development and construction company Skanska, as well as Skanska’s financial partner, TIAA. TH Real Estate acquired a 90 percent stake in the property for $235 million in 2015 from Skanska, which retained a 10 percent ownership. “400 Fairview is a significant investment for Pembroke,” says Cory Saunders, the company’s vice president. “Not only are we expanding into a new market, but this first acquisition in Seattle demonstrates our continued commitment to our U.S. markets, and the growth of our global portfolio.”    “Seattle has been a target market for us due to its long-term growth potential and operational synergies with San Francisco, where we currently manage two assets,” continues Saunders. “400 Fairview’s flexible and efficient work spaces coupled with its dynamic retail mix and curated amenities perfectly complements our global portfolio.” Current tenants at the LEED Gold-certified building include, Delta Dental; technology manufacturer Impinj; lifestyle company Tommy Bahama; …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

NEW YORK — The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) has acquired development rights in downtown Manhattan’s Hudson Square neighborhood for $650 million. The 4 Hudson Square site covers a full city block bordered by Hudson, Varick, Vandam and Spring streets. The global media firm plans to move its New York operations to the new site, including 1.2 million square feet of office and production space for WABC-TV, ABC News, Live with Kelly and Ryan and The View. According to ABC-7, Good Morning America will continue to broadcast from Times Square and Disney Streaming Services will relocate from Chelsea Market to the Hudson Square site. “We’re announcing plans to build an incredible new state-of-the-art facility at 4 Hudson Square in downtown Manhattan that will ensure our employees have everything they need to do their best work and lead the way forward,” said Robert Iger, chairman and CEO of Disney. “This move represents a historic step forward toward our long-term vision for our New York operations. The Hudson Square district is rapidly becoming a dynamic, innovative hub for media, technology and other creative businesses. We are pleased and proud to be joining this exciting community.” According to Iger, the new facility will …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail