NEW YORK CITY — The New York City Council has approved two life sciences projects representing hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment and thousands of new jobs, according to a press release issued by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Economic Development Corp. The first project is known as Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay and will be located on the current site of Hunter College’s Brookdale Campus on the east side of Manhattan. SPARC Kips Bay will encompass an entire city block and will feature more than 2 million square feet of academic, public health and life sciences space. SPARC Kips Bay is expected to generate more than $42 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years and to account for the creation of more than 15,000 total jobs (12,000 unionized construction jobs and 3,100 permanent jobs). Construction is expected to begin before the end of year in the form of decommissioning and demolishing of existing structures on the future site of the campus. International developer Skanska has been named construction manager of SPARC Kips Bay. The development team will also make public infrastructure improvements, including the creation of …
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ATLANTA — A joint venture between developers Middle Street Partners and AECOM-Canyon Partners is underway on The Juniper and The Reserve at Juniper, a two-tower multifamily project totaling 487 apartment units. The development is located at 1081 Juniper St., a block from Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta. The Juniper will feature 320 units across 37 stories. The top floor will be dedicated to amenity space, including coworking suites, a fitness center and a hot yoga studio. Adjacent to The Juniper, The Reserve at Juniper will comprise 167 apartments across 34 stories. The building will offer amenities such as infrared and salt saunas, a cold plunge and rooftop pool. Each tower will also feature an undisclosed amount of ground-floor retail space. The development team broke ground on the project in mid-2022, and the towers were topped out in July 2024. Leasing is slated to begin in the spring. “We believe Midtown Atlanta, specifically the area adjacent to Piedmont Park, is the most dynamic submarket in the Southeast,” says Ed Alexander, development partner for Middle Street. “We set out to create a residential destination befitting the neighborhood and an addition to the skyline that will stand the test of time.” The joint venture secured …
MIAMI — Housing Trust Group has broken ground on Rainbow Village, a $185 million affordable housing development located at 2000 N.W. Third Ave. in Miami. Spanning 698,000 square feet, the community will feature 310 units alongside 12,000 square feet of retail space, 50,000 square feet of amenities and 442 parking spaces. Units will be offered in studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom configurations for income-qualifying residents who earn at or below 30 percent to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). Monthly rents for one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments will range from $793 to $2,634, according to Housing Trust Group. “As Miami continues to face a growing demand for affordable housing, Rainbow Village will offer much-needed relief to working families throughout the community,” says Matthew Rieger, president and CEO of Housing Trust Group. Shared amenities at the property will include a resort-style swimming pool, business center, lounge area, daycare, playground, covered and open courtyards, a theater room, community center, juice bar, bike storage room, fitness center, study and play areas and a fire pit. Housing Trust Group expects to complete construction in first-quarter 2027, with leasing to begin in late 2026. Funding for Rainbow Village includes $70 million in …
SAN FRANCISCO — CBRE has arranged $500 million for the refinancing of 1655 and 1725 Third Street in San Francisco’s Mission Bay area. Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) occupies the office property, which serves as the ridesharing company’s global headquarters. The asset comprises two 11-story, Class A office buildings totaling 586,208 square feet. The borrower is a joint venture between affiliates of Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc., Uber and the Golden State Warriors, an NBA team that plays at the adjacent Chase Center. The joint venture refinanced the office development with a five-year, fixed-rate CMBS single-asset, single-borrower (SASB) loan. Brad Zampa and Mike Walker of CBRE secured the nonrecourse loan through Goldman Sachs and Barclays, both headquartered in New York. Both buildings are LEED Gold-certified and include a full-service, two-story café, barista-managed coffee bar, smoothie bar, event lounge and landscaped rooftop decks. Additionally, the properties are adjacent a to large fitness center, ground-floor restaurants and ample parking, and are part of Thrive City, a community gathering space. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the overall vacancy rate for San Francisco’s office market decreased by 40 basis points to 36.5 percent, according to CBRE. Net absorption turned positive for the first …
NEW YORK CITY — JLL’s Capital Markets group has arranged the $1.1 billion refinancing of 3 Bryant Park, a 42-story office tower located at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in New York City. The 1.2 million-square-foot trophy building is situated within the Bryant Park neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan. Christopher Peck, Drew Isaacson, Lauren Kaufman, Jennifer Zelko and Christopher Pratt of JLL arranged the refinancing on behalf of the owner, Ivanhoé Cambridge, and the property manager, Houston-based Hines. Ivanhoé Cambridge purchased 3 Bryant Park in 2015 for $2.2 billion. Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Bank of Montreal were the lead lenders for the refinancing. Further details of the financing were not released. Located adjacent to Manhattan’s Bryant Park and the 42nd Street Subway station, 3 Bryant Park was 97.2 percent leased at the time of financing to tenants including Salesforce, which has signage atop the tower. Other tenants include Stifel, Dechert LLP, US Bank, Lloyds Bank and Standard Chartered. The tower also includes retail space leased to tenants including Whole Foods Market, Equinox, Valbella, Shake Shack and Rosetta Bakery. Other offerings at 3 Bryant Park include a new conference center, sky lobby with a coffee bar and more than 16,000 …
Simon Unveils Plans for Multimillion-Dollar Transformation of Smith Haven Mall on Long Island
by John Nelson
LAKE GROVE, N.Y. — Mall giant Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG) has unveiled plans for a multimillion-dollar transformation of Smith Haven Mall in the Long Island village of Lake Grove. The redevelopment project will feature improvements to both the interior and exterior of the mall, with the addition of new retailers, restaurants, a new outdoor plaza and amenities throughout the property. The redevelopment process will begin this summer and is scheduled for completion in 2026. “At Simon, we are committed to making significant investments across our portfolio to ensure that our centers continue to deliver exceptional customer experiences for today’s shoppers,” says Mark Silvestri, president of development at Simon. Smith Haven Mall’s exterior will be repainted and will include new signage, updated entryways, landscaping and seating accommodations. The mall’s interior will receive new flooring and fixtures, as well as enhancements to Center Court and a transformation of the food court with newly installed seating. New tenants at the mall include fashion retailer Zara, which will open its first location in Eastern Long Island near Smith Haven’s Center Court next year. The square footage of the new Zara was not disclosed, but the space will be “massive,” according to Simon. Additionally, Golf …
COSTA MESA, CALIF. — Liberated Brands, a licensed operator of several sport, outdoor and lifestyle apparel brands, has initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, according to court documents filed in Delaware. Liberated Brands’ portfolio of retailers includes Volcom, Billabong, Quiksilver, ROXY, Honolua Surf, RVCA, Beachworks, Becker Surfboards, ZJ Boarding House, Spyder and Boardriders. According to Gordon Brothers, which is providing real estate advisory services to the retailer, Liberated Brands plans to close its 122 stores throughout the country. Gordon Brothers — which earlier this year entered into a sales transaction with Big Lots upon the latter’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing — has initiated closing sales at each of the 122 retail locations. In a statement, Liberated Brands CEO Todd Hymel cited “a series of major headwinds and challenges,” including the rise in interest rates, inflation, supply chain delays, declining consumer demand, shifting customer preferences and substantial fixed costs. Additionally, in December 2024, the company’s North American license rights for its wholesale operations under the Volcom, RVCA and Billabong brands were terminated due to a default. Founded in 2019 by Hymel, Costa Mesa-based Liberated Brands briefly enjoyed a sharp increase in product demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, with revenue increasing from $350 million in …
SAN DIEGO — MG Properties has acquired Park 12 Apartments, a 35-story multifamily tower located in downtown San Diego, for $309 million. The transaction is the largest multifamily acquisition in San Diego since 2020 and the third-largest multifamily acquisition in the city’s history, according to the locally based buyer. Built in 2018, the community is located adjacent to Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres Major League Baseball team, and within the Ballpark Village master-planned community. The property offers a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, including penthouse apartments with exclusive access to a lounge on the 32nd floor. Shared amenities include saltwater and heated pools with poolside event space, a 24-hour fitness center, golf simulator and putting green, sun deck and spa, dog park, coffee and herbal tea bar, clubroom, sports lounge, game room and courtyards with outdoor seating, grilling areas and fire pits. Joseph Smolen and Geoff Boler of Eastdil Secured represented the seller, Charleston, S.C.-based Greystar, in the transaction. Greg Stampley and Lee Redmond, also with Eastdil Secured, originated a Fannie Mae acquisition loan of an undisclosed amount on behalf of MG Properties. San Diego-based MG Properties is a privately owned real estate firm specializing …
ALEXANDRIA, VA. — Carr Properties has formed an equity joint venture with Barings for the development of 425 Montgomery Street, a $131 million project to transform a former office building into multifamily units in Alexandria, roughly seven miles south of Washington, D.C. The partnership subsequently received an $84 million construction loan from real estate investment firm Kennedy Wilson. Cushman & Wakefield served as advisor for both the equity and debt financings. The development site, located adjacent to Montgomery Park in the city’s Old Town Alexandria neighborhood, formerly housed a vacant office building. The eight-story, 250,000-square-foot project will feature 237 apartment units in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Amenities will include an outdoor pool and a resident lounge/amenity center, as well as a performing arts venue leased to CityDance. About one-third of the units will offer views of the Potomac River. Carr acquired the project site (formerly 901 N. Pitt St.) in spring 2024. Construction has commenced, and a groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for next month. The project is slated for completion by late 2026. “We look forward to partnering with Carr Properties on this exciting residential investment that we believe will benefit from several tailwinds, including the region’s strong …
Cypress Equities, Lauricella Break Ground on 123,941 SF Office Building for Shell in New Orleans
by John Nelson
NEW ORLEANS — A partnership between Cypress Equities, a real estate development and management firm based in Dallas, and locally based firm Lauricella Land Co. has broken ground on a new eight-story office building in New Orleans. Situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, the 123,941-square-foot property, named Shell Plaza, will house the headquarters of the Gulf of Mexico operations for oil-and-gas giant Shell (NYSE: SHEL). Shell executed the office lease with Cypress Equities and Lauricella Land Co. last year. The new property represents the first Class A office building to break ground in New Orleans since 1989 and the first office property within the River District, a 39-acre mixed-use neighborhood on the riverfront, according to the development team. “This project will boost the local economy while setting a new standard for sustainable, modern office space in New Orleans,” says Chris Maguire, CEO of Cypress Equities. Shell Plaza will be located on a 1.6-acre site at 1600 Convention Center Blvd. at the corner of Henderson and Euterpe streets and adjacent to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. River District Neighborhood Investors LLC, working on behalf of the convention center, is overseeing the development of the River District …