Wednesday, October 14, 2026
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Morningstar to Relocate Headquarters to Chicago’s Thompson Center, Inks 275,000 SF Lease

by Kristin Harlow

CHICAGO — Morningstar Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a provider of independent investment insights, has unveiled plans to relocate its global headquarters to the Thompson Center in Chicago’s Loop. Morningstar will co-anchor the building alongside owner Google and will occupy more than 275,000 square feet. The company plans to move to the property in late 2028. The lease marks Chicago’s largest downtown office transaction in 2026 to date, according to Morningstar, which has been headquartered in Chicago since its founding over 40 years ago. Morningstar currently employs over 1,500 people in Chicago. Located at 171 N. LaSalle St., the Thompson Center is one of the city’s highest-profile revitalization projects. Google announced plans to acquire the 1.2 million-square-foot property in 2022 and recently shared new design renderings for the renovation. The all-electric building will feature direct access to public transit, large floor plates, a 17-story atrium with food-and-beverage and retail offerings, as well as onsite employee amenities. Famed Chicago architect Helmut Jahn designed the Thompson Center, which opened in 1985 as the State of Illinois Center. The property was later renamed to honor Illinois Gov. James R. Thompson. Alongside its headquarters move, Morningstar plans to donate $5 million over the next five years …

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Company NewsDevelopmentIndustrialIowaMidwestMinnesotaTop Stories

Mesabi Metallics to Build $15B Steel Mill in Southeast Iowa, Create 1,750 Jobs

by John Nelson

LEE COUNTY, IOWA — Mesabi Metallics, a wholly owned subsidiary of India-based conglomerate Essar Group, plans to develop a new $15 billion steel mill in southeast Iowa’s Lee County. Rewant Ruia, chairman of Mesabi Metallics, made the announcement at The White House yesterday along with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and President Donald Trump. The new plant is expected to create 6,000 temporary construction jobs. Once the facility is operational, which is expected by 2030, the mill will employ an estimated 1,750 full-time team members. Combined with the $3 billion that the company is using to complete its iron ore mine in Nashwauk, Minn., the investment by Mesabi represents the largest single investment made in a steel complex in American history, according to Mesabi. “Mesabi is building a world-class steel supply chain that is 100 percent American,” says Joe Broking, CEO of Mesabi Metallics. “Our investment will create high-paying jobs with competitive benefits in Iowa and Minnesota, generate tens of billions of dollars in U.S. economic activity and strengthen our domestic manufacturing base.” Mesabi will utilize pellets, dubbed Patriot Pellets, procured from iron ore at its Minnesota mine, which is the first new iron ore mine built in the United States …

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Finnegan-Pull-Quote
Company NewsRetailTop Stories

Brixmor, Everview Agree to Acquire Slate Grocery REIT for $2.3B, Including 115 Retail Properties

by Taylor Williams

NEW YORK CITY — Two New York City-based firms, retail owner-operator Brixmor Property Group (NYSE: BRX) and Everview Partners, a private equity and investment management group, have entered into an agreement to acquire Toronto-based Slate Grocery REIT for approximately $2.3 billion. Under the terms of the transaction, Brixmor will acquire a portfolio of 23 grocery-anchored shopping centers totaling roughly 3 million square feet for $636 million. The newly formed joint venture between Brixmor and affiliates of Everview Partners will acquire Slate Grocery’s remaining 92 properties totaling approximately 12 million square feet for approximately $1.7 billion. The shopping center portfolio that comprises Brixmor’s lone ownership piece of the transaction is concentrated predominantly across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Those properties currently have an aggregate occupancy rate of about 96 percent and are anchored by grocers such as Publix, Kroger and Harris Teeter. Brixmor will take full ownership of 22 of the centers and 50 percent ownership of a single center. Additionally, Brixmor has identified approximately $100 million of redevelopment and outparcel development opportunities within those centers, including several potential Publix redevelopment projects. Within the second component of the transaction, Brixmor will hold a 20 percent common equity interest and Everview will …

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trammell-crow-center
LoansOfficeTexasTop Stories

JLL Arranges $406M in CMBS Financing for Trammell Crow Center in Dallas

by Abby Cox

DALLAS — JLL Capital Markets has arranged $406 million in CMBS financing for Trammell Crow Center, a more than 1.2 million-square-foot trophy office tower located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. Greg Napper, Jordan Buck and Rett Daugbjerg of JLL secured the five-year, fixed-rate, single-asset single-borrower (SASB) loan through Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley on behalf of Regent Properties LLC. Delivered in 1985, Trammell Crow Center rises 50 stories and is 92 percent leased to a mix of major tenants such as Goldman Sachs, Baker & Botts LLP, Vinson & Elkins LLP, Orix and Prudential, among others. In 2019, the property underwent a $185 million redevelopment completed by the previous owner, JPMorgan Asset Management. Renovations included the construction of a new parking structure, a complete lobby overhaul and the addition of 27,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, as well as a full suite of amenities like the TCC Athletic Club, a conference center, an outdoor pavilion and on-site dining options. Regent Properties acquired Trammell Crow Center in March 2022 for an estimated $600 million, according to several media sources. The company has owned, operated or sponsored more than $4 billion in real estate transactions, spanning 12 million square feet of …

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Family-Dollar
IndustrialLoansTop Stories

Family Dollar Receives $455.7M in Financing for National Distribution Center Portfolio

by Hayden Spiess

CHESAPEAKE, VA. — Family Dollar has received $455.7 million in financing for its national distribution center portfolio, which totals 7.1 million square feet across eight properties. Wells Fargo led the group that provided the floating-rate debt, which will be used to refinance existing loans.  An entity doing business as 1959 RE Holdings LLC, which acquired Family Dollar from Dollar Tree Inc. in 2025, is the borrower. The organization is a Delaware limited liability company that is controlled and partially owned by affiliates of Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management,  Virginia-based Family Dollar occupies the entirety of the portfolio on a long-term, triple-net master lease. The distribution network serves roughly 7,100 Family Dollar retail stores nationwide. Family Dollar has maintained operations at the properties for an average of 22 years.  Built between 1997 and 2013, the facilities range in size from 832,000 to 907,000 square feet, with clear heights ranging from 30 to 42 feet.  The portfolio benefits from access to major transportation corridors, and each distribution center is within reach of more than 123 million people within a 12-hour drive, on average.  Christopher Peck, Christopher Pratt and Alex Staikos of JLL Capital Markets led the debt origination efforts on …

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DevelopmentMixed-UseTexasTop Stories

Hunt Sports Development Plans Mixed-Use District at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas

by Kristin Harlow

FRISCO, TEXAS — Hunt Sports Development has formed a partnership with Peak Curated Development and Venu Holding Corp. (NYSE: VENU) to build a mixed-use district on the east side of Toyota Stadium and Soccer Center in Frisco, a suburb of Dallas in Collin County. The stadium serves as the home of Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas, which is owned by The Hunt Family. The partnership plans to transform the campus into a year-round destination for hospitality, business, dining and entertainment. Construction is expected to begin in 2027. Project costs were not released, but The Dallas Express reports that the city previously outlined a mixed-use development expected to generate more than $1 billion in private investment once fully developed. The first phase of the project will include a 290-room boutique hotel and more than 40,000 square feet of convention, meeting and event space. The hotel will include a full-service restaurant and bar, rooftop bar and lounge, spa and a fitness center. The flexible convention and event center will feature more than 25,000 square feet of dedicated meeting space, including a 15,000-square-foot ballroom, which will be divisible into smaller breakout rooms. The ballroom and event spaces can be configured for conferences and …

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DevelopmentIndustrialTexasTop Stories

Eli Lilly Breaks Ground on $6.5B GLP-1 Manufacturing Facility in Northeast Houston

by John Nelson

HOUSTON — Global pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY) has officially broken ground on its $6.5 billion manufacturing facility in northeast Houston. The 1 million-square-foot project will serve as the newest active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility, where the company will primarily produce Foundayo, Lilly’s first synthetic oral GLP-1 weight loss medicine. The site is located within Generation Park, a 4,300-acre master-planned development in Harris County. The master developer, locally based McCord Development, began pursuing life sciences users at the park in 2023 before securing Lilly last fall. Lilly expects to create 600 high-paying jobs at the new plant, including engineers, scientists and lab technicians who will implement technologies including machine learning, AI, digitally integrated systems and advanced data analytics. The project is also expected to create 4,000 temporary construction jobs during its development. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott attended the groundbreaking ceremony that took place yesterday. “Lilly’s $6.5 billion capital investment expands our healthcare dominance in the Lone Star State,” said Abbott. “Strategic investments like this one strengthen our global supply chain for healthcare and medicines right here in Texas.” The Generation Park facility is one of five domestic API manufacturing facilities announced by Lilly since 2020. Other API …

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500-N.-Michigan-Ave.-Chicago
DevelopmentIllinoisLoansMidwestMultifamilyOfficeTop Stories

JLL Arranges $113M in Financing for Office-to-Residential Conversion Project in Downtown Chicago

by Taylor Williams

CHICAGO — JLL has arranged approximately $113 million in construction financing and joint venture equity for an office-to-residential conversion project located along downtown Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile” corridor. The sponsor, Commonwealth Development Partners, purchased the 25-story office building at 500 N. Michigan Ave. in August 2025 in partnership with Triangle Capital Group. That deal traded off-market and fetched a sales price of $5 million. Commonwealth is now in the process of converting the building into a 320-unit apartment community. Construction on the redevelopment began in May and is slated for a spring 2028 completion. The financing package consists of a $71.5 million nonrecourse construction loan from Santander Bank and $41.8 million in joint venture equity that was provided by Washington Capital Management on behalf of one of its institutional clients. Chris Knight, Ryan Planek and Annie Thomas of JLL secured both components of the package on behalf of Commonwealth. Upon completion, the adaptive reuse project will feature studio, one- and two-bedroom units, 64 of which will be designated as affordable housing. The development will offer amenities such as a rooftop pool, fitness center with a yoga room, coworking space, a multi-sport simulator, theater and concierge services. Residents at 500 N. Michigan …

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40_Tenth_Avenue
LoansMixed-UseNew YorkNortheastOfficeRetailTop Stories

Walker & Dunlop Arranges $293M Refinancing for Mixed-Use Property in Manhattan

by Abby Cox

NEW YORK CITY — Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) has arranged a $293 million loan for the refinancing of 40 Tenth Avenue, a 158,957-square-foot mixed-use building located in Manhattan. The property sits in the city’s Meatpacking District near Little Island, Hudson River Park and the Whitney Museum of American Art. 40 Tenth Avenue features 112,241 square feet of office space across floors three through 10, with 46,716 square feet of retail space situated on the first and second floors. Dustin Stolly, Aaron Appel, Jonathan Schwartz, Keith Kurland, Adam Schwartz, Sean Reimer, Jordan Casella and Stanley Cayre of Walker & Dunlop secured the fixed-rate, permanent loan through Corebridge Financial on behalf of the borrower, a joint venture between Aurora Capital and William Gottlieb Real Estate. “40 Tenth Avenue stands out in building quality, location and experience — all elements that differentiate a property for tenants,” says Stolly, senior managing director of the Capital Markets Institutional Advisory team at Walker & Dunlop. “The fully leased office component, institutional tenant roster and substantial outdoor space demonstrate the continued demand for high-touch, well-located workplaces in New York.” According to Walker & Dunlop, the Meatpacking District is one of Manhattan’s most supply-constrained office and retail submarkets, making physical expansion and new commercial ground-up …

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Uptown-Landing
DevelopmentFloridaMixed-UseRestaurantRetailSoutheastStudent HousingTop Stories

University of South Florida, Partners Break Ground on $500M Mixed-Use Project in Tampa

by Hayden Spiess

TAMPA, FLA. — The University of South Florida (USF) and its development partners have broken ground on the $500 million first phase of Uptown Landing, a new mixed-use project situated within walking distance of the planned USF on-campus football stadium.  The first phase of the project comprises 30 acres and will include 717 beds of student housing; 152 apartments reserved for graduate students and USF employees; four to six restaurant venues; 68,000 square feet of retail space; a hotel and conference center and academic research facilities.  Delivered through a master development agreement with ACE Fletcher LLC, this development marks the largest public-private partnership (PPP) in the history of the State University System of Florida. ACE Fletcher is a partnership between Capstone Development Partners, Aureate Development and Ellison Development. The project team also includes Provident Resources Group, CBI Construction, Baker Barrios Architects and Kimley-Horn.  Funding for the project includes $270 million in tax-exempt bond financing for the student housing, hospitality, restaurant and retail uses, as well as a roughly $225 million investment for the Translational Research Institute.  Capstone Management Partners will provide maintenance and operations services at the student housing building in a shared services agreement with USF.  The first phase is …

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