Top Stories

Urban Investment Partners, Atalaya Acquire Apartment Community in Washington D.C. for $95.5M

by Katie Sloan January 30, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A partnership between Urban Investment Partners (UIP) and Atalaya Capital Management has acquired Onyx on First, a 266-unit apartment community located in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Riverfront neighborhood for $95.5 million. The seller was J.P. Morgan, according to the Washington Business Journal. Constructed in 2008, Onyx on First was originally developed by Faison Development as condominiums, but was converted to rental apartments upon delivery. The property is located at 1100 First St. S.E., two blocks from Washington Nationals Park and near the Navy Yard Metro station. The community features shared amenities including a rooftop deck and pool, fitness center, picnic area with grills, courtyard, underground parking and controlled-access entry. The new ownership will update the property by installing cell phone repeaters to improve cell phone service, expanding the outdoor kitchens, installing dog runs and adding other building enhancements. Upon closing, UIP and Atalaya separated the land and building and sold the land to Safety, Income & Growth Inc. (SAFE), a publicly traded owner of ground-net leases. SAFE then leased the land to UIP under a 99-year ground lease. Andy Weiss of Gem Equity structured the placement of the ground lease. Jacob Katz of Meridian Capital represented Capital One and Fannie Mae …

January 30, 2018

Features Retail Top Stories

Shipping Containers Offer a Creative New Venue for Retailers and Restaurants

by Katie Sloan January 30, 2018

What’s that thing everyone always says about millennials? That they crave new experiences, novel environments and locally produced items that have a story — or at least a little substance — behind them? Yes, that’s it. Ask and ye shall receive. They’ll even ship this request to you. Well, maybe not right to your door, but straight off a boat and into your nearest underused plot of viable land. We’re talking shipping containers, which have become the new avant-garde approach to traditional retail experiences. “I think any time you can find a new creative use for an item or a space it is going to capture interest,” says Hartley Rodie, who is developing the Churchill, a 16-container shopping and dining project on North 1st Street in Phoenix that is scheduled to open in fall 2018. Being a millennial himself, Rodie and his partner, Kell Duncan, both 29, were inspired to undertake this new project after examining what was missing — both within their own lives and within their community. “Neither of us felt fulfilled by our areas of focus, so the question became ‘what’s next?’” he says. “I knew whatever it was going to be, for me, it was important to …

January 30, 2018

Multifamily Northeast Pennsylvania Student Housing Top Stories

Harrison Street, Brandywine Sell 850-Bed Student Housing Property in Philadelphia for $197M

by Taylor Williams January 29, 2018

PHILADELPHIA — A joint venture between Chicago-based investment firm Harrison Street Real Estate Capital LLC and Pennsylvania-based REIT Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN) has sold Evo at Cira Centre South, an 850-bed student housing property in Philadelphia. The sales price was roughly $197 million, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The buyer was not disclosed. Built in 2014 and located in the University City area, the 33-story Evo at Cira Centre South is the tallest purpose-built student housing tower in the country. It provides residences for students attending both the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. The property offers a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. Communal amenities include a two-story fitness center, two-story study lounges, a business and print center, as well as a rooftop pool and lounge. Following this transaction, Harrison Street’s student housing portfolio totals more than 73,000 beds across the U.S. and Europe. The stock price of Brandywine, which owned a 50 percent interest in the asset, closed at $17.88 per share on Friday, Jan. 26, up from $16.22 per share a year ago. — Taylor Williams

January 29, 2018

Retail Texas Top Stories

7-Eleven Acquires 1,030 Sunoco Stores Across 17 States for $3.3B

by Kristin Harlow January 26, 2018

IRVING, TEXAS — 7-Eleven Inc. has closed on the acquisition of approximately 1,030 Sunoco (NYSE: SUN) convenience stores across 17 states. The sales price was $3.3 billion, according to local media reports. The acquisition brings 7-Eleven’s portfolio to approximately 9,700 convenience store locations in the United States and Canada. Japan-based Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd., the parent company of Irving-based 7‑Eleven, operates more than 65,000 stores in 18 countries across the globe. Sunoco’s sub-brands — APlus, Laredo Taco, Ladson Grill and Stripes — will see no immediate changes during the ownership transition. Despite overall uncertainty on the performance of retail properties today, there seems to be a strong case for the success of single-tenant assets occupied by convenience stores. In a convenience store report issued by Quantum Real Estate Advisors Inc. at the close of 2017, the top 10 convenience stores accounted for nearly 64.3 percent of the top 100 ranked stores in the country. 7-Eleven and Alimentation Couche-Tard, the parent company of Circle-K and Kangaroo Express, dominated the rankings in the top two spots. Sunoco’s stock price closed at $31.97 per share on Thursday, Jan. 25, up from $28.37 per share one year ago. — Kristin Hiller

January 26, 2018

New Jersey Northeast Retail Top Stories

Toys ‘R’ Us to Close 20 Percent of Stores, Expand Focus on Loyalty Programs, Web

by Camren Skelton January 25, 2018

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys ‘R’ Us is planning to shutter up to 182 underperforming stores across the country as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan. The planned closings represent about 20 percent of the retailer’s U.S. store fleet, or a collective 6.9 million square feet. The Wayne-based toy chain, which filed for bankruptcy last September, has been fighting to stay relevant amid competition from the likes of Amazon, Walmart and Target. “Like other retailers, traditional toy retailers have been decimated by multiple forces,” says Peter Braus, managing principal in the New York City office of Lee & Associates. “First, Walmart and Target took away much of the market from specialty toy stores. As Amazon and online retailers began to take a larger and larger share of the market, this became too much for Toys ‘R’ Us and was the nail in the coffin.” Other retail experts agree that competition in the marketplace is coming from all directions. “Even Barnes & Noble has gotten into the game by adding a large assortment of toys to their sales floor,” says Monetha Cobb, managing director of Franklin Street’s Atlanta office. Online sales of toys have picked up in recent years, and are continuing to …

January 25, 2018

Features Multifamily Northeast Pennsylvania Seniors Housing Southeast Top Stories

Berkadia Forecast: Southeast to Garner Bulk of Multifamily Investment, Financing Activity in 2018

by John Nelson January 25, 2018

AMBLER, PA. — Mortgage bankers and investment sales brokers alike expect multifamily markets in the Southeast to record more investment and financing activity than any other region in 2018. In Berkadia’s inaugural poll of nearly 150 staffers across 60 offices, the company reveals that more than one-third (36 percent) of its respondents predict the Southeast would see the most deals take place this year. “Population influx, continued job growth and significant development stabilization will make the Southeast a destination for commercial real estate growth and investor appetite in the coming months,” says Ernie Katai, executive vice president and head of production at Ambler-based Berkadia. For example, the Atlanta metro area is on track to add 2.5 million people over the next 25 years, the equivalent of adding the entire metro Charlotte population, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission. This type of population growth is attractive for employers looking for a new base of operations. This week French car manufacturer Groupe PSA announced that it chose Atlanta for its North American headquarters, and media outlets are reporting that Facebook is interested in building a massive data center complex in the metro area. Atlanta recently made the short list for Amazon’s second …

January 25, 2018

Illinois Midwest Office Top Stories

Equity Commonwealth to Sell 2.4 MSF Office Portfolio in Chicago, Philadelphia for $670M

by Nellie Day January 24, 2018

CHICAGO and PHILADELPHIA — Equity Commonwealth (NYSE: EQC) has agreed to sell a two-property office portfolio for $670 million. The properties feature a total of 2.4 million square feet and are located in Chicago and Philadelphia. One of the properties included in the transaction is a 1.5 million-square-foot office building located at 600 W. Chicago Ave. in Chicago. Sterling Bay acquired the property for $510 million. The space serves as the headquarters for Groupon. It formerly served as a Montgomery Ward catalog warehouse. The sale marks a full departure from the Chicago office market for Sam Zell, chairman of Equity Commonwealth. Equity Commonwealth also sold an 826,000-square-foot property at 1600 Market St. in Philadelphia for $160 million. The 40-story building was built in 1983 just a block away from City Hall. The asset is 84 percent leased. The buyer was not disclosed. Equity Commonwealth sold off a bundle of assets in the last quarter of 2017. This included a two-property, 15-building office portfolio in Moon Township and Pittsburgh, Pa., for $71 million; a 131,000-square-foot office building at 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway in Ann Arbor, Mich., for $24.9 million; a 175,000-square-foot industrial property in North Haven, Conn., for $10.5 million; and a …

January 24, 2018

Massachusetts Northeast Office Top Stories

CrossHarbor Capital Acquires 1.2 MSF Office Complex Near Boston for $227M

by Katie Sloan January 23, 2018

LOWELL, MASS. — CrossHarbor Capital Partners has acquired Cross Point, a 1.25 million-square-foot office complex located roughly 30 miles northwest of Boston in Lowell, for $227 million, according to reports by the Lowell Sun. The seller was Anchor Line Partners, which acquired the property for $100 million in 2014. The property was built in the early 1980s as the headquarters for Wang Laboratories, which owned the property until the company’s 1994 bankruptcy. Cross Point consists of three internally connected, 14-story office towers. Shared amenities include multiple restaurants and cafés, a fitness center, lawn auditorium, on-site daycare and event space. The property serves as the corporate headquarters for workforce management software company Kronos, which occupies more than 435,000 square feet at the property, according to lease agreements brokered by Cushman & Wakefield on behalf of Kronos in 2016. The company occupies the entire first tower — deemed the Kronos Tower — and additional floors in the second tower. Boston-based CrossHarbor Capital Partners is a commercial real estate investment and asset management firm. The company has invested in more than $13 billion worth of commercial real estate on behalf of endowments, foundations, public and corporate pension plans, financial institutions, family offices, and …

January 23, 2018

Features New York Northeast Top Stories

Attorney: Owners Need to Investigate Whether Possible Tax Increases from New Tax Law Can be Abated

by John Nelson January 23, 2018

President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is the first sweeping reform of the tax code in more than 30 years. Signed into law on Dec. 22, 2017, the plan drops top individual rates to 37 percent and doubles the child tax credit; it cuts income taxes, doubles the standard deduction, lessens the alternative minimum tax for individuals, and eliminates many personal exemptions, such as the state and local tax deduction, colloquially known as SALT. While Republicans and Democrats remain divided on the overhaul’s benefits, there is a single undeniable fact: The sharp reduction of the corporate tax rates from 35 percent to 21 percent will be a boon for most businesses. At the same time, employees seem to be benefiting too, with AT&T handing out $1,000 bonuses to some 200,000 workers, Fifth Third Bancorp awarding $1,000 bonuses to 75 percent of its workers, Wells Fargo raising its minimum wage by 11 percent and other companies sharing some of the increased profits with employees. Companies are showing understandable exuberance at the prospect of lower tax liability, but investments many firms are making in response to the changes may trigger increases in their property tax bills. Some companies already are reinvesting …

January 23, 2018

Retail Top Stories Washington Western

Amazon Opens Prototype 1,800 SF Checkout-Free Grocery Store in Seattle

by Taylor Williams January 22, 2018

SEATTLE — Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) has opened the first location of Amazon Go, an 1,800-square-foot mini grocery store in Seattle that allows customers to shop without waiting in checkout lines. The store was open exclusively to Amazon employees for the past year. The store is located at 2131 7th Ave. near the corner of Blanchard Street, less than a mile from Pike Place Market and the e-commerce giant’s headquarters. It offers ready-to-eat meals and snacks prepared by Amazon chefs, as well as grocery staples and artisanal baked goods. The offerings also include chef-designed meal kits. Shoppers must have an Amazon account and the Amazon Go app, the latter of which enables entry into the store. Once inside, customers shop as they normally would and then simply leave. While there are no cashiers, there are employees working in the store who prepare food and check IDs on purchases of alcoholic beverages. The store employs inventory-tracking technologies featuring cameras and motion sensors that automatically detect items being removed or returned to shelves. Shortly after shoppers depart, they receive a digital receipt and charges to their Amazon account. “Amazon has generally been regarded as a threat to conventional retail,” says Kenneth Katz, …

January 22, 2018

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