Top Stories

What Are the Prospects for an Amazon Merger With Target? Analysts Weigh In

by Jeff Shaw January 4, 2018

When Gene Munster, managing partner of Minneapolis-based venture capital firm Loup Ventures, predicted that e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) would buy department store chain Target (NYSE: TGT) this year, he knew such a declaration would make waves. In a New Year’s Day post on the Loup Ventures website titled “8 Tech Predictions for 2018,” Munster admitted it was his “boldest prediction.” “Seeing the value of the combination is easy. Amazon believes the future of retail is a mix of mostly online and some offline,” wrote Munster. “Target is the ideal offline partner for Amazon for two reasons: shared demographics and a manageable-but-comprehensive store count.” Business websites and magazines were quick to respond with skepticism, authoring headlines such as “Stop The Insanity Amazon Will Not Be Buying Target” (TheStreet), “Amazon Buying Target Isn’t as Likely as One Tech Analyst Seems to Think” (Adweek) and “No, Amazon Isn’t Buying Target in 2018” (Forbes). Garrick Brown, vice president of retail research for the Americas with Cushman & Wakefield, says “the rumor’s been floating around for a while” that Amazon is looking to buy Target. He estimates the odds of the deal happening at between 25 percent and 33 percent. Jeff Green, president and …

January 4, 2018

Illinois Midwest Multifamily Student Housing Top Stories

Scion Student Communities Buys 24-Property Student Housing Portfolio for $1.1B

by Nellie Day January 3, 2018

CHICAGO — Scion Student Communities has purchased a 24-property student housing portfolio containing 13,666 beds across 18 states for $1.1 billion. The portfolio involves 20 leading national universities. The transaction also includes the recapitalization of two communities previously owned by Scion-affiliated private syndications. Five different Harrison Street Real Estate Capital funds owned the properties in partnership with multiple operators. Chicago-based Scion Student Communities is a joint venture between the Scion Group, GIC and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). The portfolio contains a mix of recently developed Class A properties in primarily Tier 1 university markets, as well as select value-added assets. “This is a compelling investment opportunity to efficiently build further scale in the U.S. student housing sector with a portfolio of high-quality, well-located properties in new and existing joint venture markets,” says Hilary Spann, managing director and head of U.S. real estate investments for CPPIB. Harrison Street sold an additional nine-property student housing portfolio to Scion this past March for $465 million. These assets were within a larger 11-property portfolio the JV acquired from four different owners. This portfolio contained a total of 5,000 beds at eight universities. Scion Student Communities notes it plans to pursue additional opportunities to …

January 3, 2018

Georgia Southeast Top Stories

John Portman, Renowned Atlanta Architect, Dies at 93

by Camren Skelton January 2, 2018

ATLANTA — John Portman, the architect and developer who revolutionized hotel design and shaped the skylines of Atlanta and cities abroad, died Friday, Dec. 29 at the age of 93. Portman was the founder and chairman of Atlanta-based real estate development firm Portman Holdings LLC, and architectural and engineering firm John Portman & Associates. Portman pioneered the role of architect as developer by developing, owning and designing major projects around the world, making him a rarity among contemporaries. Born in Walhalla, S.C., in 1924, Portman spent the majority of his life in metro Atlanta — a city he came to transform. Portman gave the city the sprawling 14-block Peachtree Center, demonstrating his commitment to the downtown business district. Peachtree Center began in 1961 with the opening of the Atlanta Merchandise Mart, and would come to include eight office towers, three hotels and retail shops. The Portman-owned-and-operated Mart has since grown to become AmericasMart, the world’s largest contiguous wholesale marketplace, according to various media reports. In addition, Portman designed and developed four downtown Atlanta hotels: the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, The Westin Peachtree Plaza, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis and the Hotel Indigo Atlanta Downtown. Groundbreaking project With the opening of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta …

January 2, 2018

Features Retail Texas Texas & Oklahoma Feature Archive Top Stories

Retail Landlords Struggle With the Logistics of Backfilling Vacated Space with Entertainment Concepts

by John Nelson January 2, 2018

As 2018 gets underway, retail real estate finds itself at an odd juncture. According to CNN, more than 6,700 stores either closed or announced plans to close in 2017, leading many to consider last year to be the beginning of the end for brick-and-mortar shopping. Yet a new report from Tennessee-based retail advisory firm IHL Consulting Group notes that for every company that closed stores in 2017, there were nearly three companies opening new stores to offset it. Whether you believe retail is dying or evolving, there’s no arguing that the inability of certain tenants — mainly apparel-based department stores — to compete with e-commerce has caused millions of square feet of retail real estate to be returned to the market. Owners of these properties face the challenge of backfilling these spaces with tenants that aren’t likely to share the same fate — restaurants, gyms and entertainment concepts. But when it comes to backfilling a big box or anchor space with an entertainment concept, merging the existing space with the design requirements of the tenant can be a major headache for landlords. With 58 million square feet of project designs under his belt, Randy Stone, associate principal at Dallas-based architecture …

January 2, 2018

California Mixed-Use Top Stories Western

Tri-Venture Gets Approval to Develop $1.2B Mixed-Use Skyscraper in Los Angeles

by Kristin Harlow December 22, 2017

LOS ANGELES — The City of Los Angeles has selected Angels Landing Partners LLC, a partnership between the Peebles Corp., MacFarlane Partners and Claridge Properties, to manage development of the Angels Landing site, a $1.2 billion mixed-use project. The group will build the tallest building in the western United States as part of the development, according to a news . All three firms are 100 percent minority owned. Construction of the 2.2-acre site at 4th and Hill streets in Los Angeles is slated to last 41 months with a completion date scheduled for late 2024. “Our team is inspired by the opportunity to transform the Los Angeles skyline with our iconic building, enhance residential life and change how large buildings are constructed by ensuring all residents and businesses receive equal access to career and business opportunities,” says Don Peebles, chairman and CEO of the Peebles Corp. Handel Architects is designing the two-tower project. The development will include a 192-room SLS hotel and a 289-room Mondrian hotel, both to be operated by SBE Entertainment Group. Other project plans call for 425 apartments (including affordable housing), 250 condominiums, 45,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, an elementary charter school and a …

December 22, 2017

California Office Top Stories Western

Douglas Emmett Acquires 146,300 SF Office Property in Beverly Hills for $143.6M

by Katie Sloan December 21, 2017

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — Douglas Emmett Inc. (NYSE: DEI) has acquired the Beverly Hills Financial Center, a 146,300-square-foot, Class A office property located at 9401 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. Located at the corner of Wilshire and Canon Drive in Beverly Hills’ Golden Triangle, the property was initially constructed in 1972 and renovated in 1999. The building is home to tenants including Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP, Citibank, Bank of the West, Momentum Talent Agency and Mozaic LLC. As part of the transaction, Douglas Emmett received an acquisition loan with a principal balance of approximately $32.3 million and a 4.55 percent interest rate, which matures on June 1, 2038. The provider was undisclosed. To fund the remainder of the purchase price, Douglas Emmett used cash and issued approximately 2.6 million units in its operating partnership to the undisclosed seller at an equivalent price of $40.60 per common share. Paul Hastings LLP represented the seller, a partnership between Cando Partners and Wilshire-Canon Properties LLC, in the transaction. The company’s portfolio now consists of 71 office properties totaling approximately 18.4 million square feet, along with 10 apartment communities. The company is also developing residential buildings in Los Angeles and Honolulu. Douglas Emmett’s stock price closed on Wednesday, …

December 21, 2017

Features Retail Top Stories

Report: Compressing Cap Rates Don’t Slow Investor Appetite for 7-Eleven, Circle K Stores

by Taylor Williams December 21, 2017

CHICAGO — In an era wherein investors are generally bearish on the performance of retail properties, single-tenant, small-footprint assets leased to convenience stores may be an exception to the rule, according to a recent report from Chicago-based Quantum Real Estate Advisors Inc. The average capitalization rates for convenience stores flying under two brands — 7-Eleven and Alimentation Couche-Tard, which owns Circle K and Kangaroo Express — decreased from 2016 to 2017, according to the report. Despite the cap rate compression, though, investor interest in single-tenant retail properties leased to either of these firms is on the rise. The report found that the average cap rate for 7-Eleven stores decreased by six basis points between 2016 and 2017, while Couche-Tard stores experienced an average cap rate compression of 74 basis points during that stretch. Average cap rates for these 7-Eleven and Couche-Tard stores, which typically operate on 10- to 20-year leases, now stand at 5.1 and 6.1 percent, respectively. And while cap rates for both chains appear to be trending downward, they also reflect stability in the sense that they are bucking the larger trend in retail real estate — a key appeal to investors. As such, investor demand for these …

December 21, 2017

Office Top Stories Washington Western

Takenaka Corp. Buys 290,573 SF Office Building in Seattle for $268.5M

by Nellie Day December 20, 2017

SEATTLE — Takenaka Corp. has purchased Tilt49, a 290,573-square-foot office building in Seattle, for $268.5 million. The Class A building is located at 1812 Boren Ave. in the Denny Triangle area of the city. Tilt49 is triple-net leased to Amazon through 2033. The newly constructed project includes 1,646 square feet of retail leased to Mighty-O Donuts. NKF represented the seller, a joint venture between Principal Real Estate Investors and Touchstone. The firm’s Kevin Shannon, Ken White, Rob Hannan, Tim O’Keefe and Michael Moll executed the transaction. The 11-story creative office property is nearby more than 100 restaurants, 3,000 hotel rooms, 28,000 urban residential units and public transit. The Denny Triangle submarket has experienced a 51 percent increase in average asking lease rates over the past three years, according to NKF. Tilt49 sold for $924 per square foot. This is approximately about $40 per square foot more than the recently sold Midtown 21 office property, which is situated adjacent to Tilt49 and also leased to Amazon. “The buyer [was sourced] via an ad hoc Asia/Pacific roadshow to four countries,” Shannon says. “As a result, we identified a strong buyer and achieved record-setting pricing for a Seattle office property. Takenaka is a …

December 20, 2017

Hospitality Northeast Pennsylvania Retail Top Stories

Gaming Giant Penn National to Acquire Pinnacle Entertainment in $2.8B Deal

by John Nelson December 19, 2017

LAS VEGAS — Penn National Gaming Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) has agreed to purchase fellow gaming property owner Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: PNK) in a cash and stock transaction valued at $2.8 billion. The deal has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is expected to close in the second half of 2018 following an approvals process involving the two companies’ shareholders and applicable gaming authorities. Pinnacle employs roughly 16,000 team members and owns and operates 16 gaming and entertainment facilities located in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Las Vegas-based company is also a manager and majority owner of Retama Park Racetrack near San Antonio. As part of the transaction, Wyomissing, Pa.-based Penn National will sell four of the newly acquired assets to Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming Corp. (NYSE: BYD) for $575 million. The properties include Ameristar St. Charles and Ameristar Kansas City in Missouri; Belterra Casino Resort in Florence, Ind.; and Belterra Park in Cincinnati. Penn National has also negotiated with Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ: GLPI), the landlord for Penn National and Pinnacle’s master lease agreements, to sell and lease back the real estate associated with Belterra Park and …

December 19, 2017

Features Multifamily Seniors Housing Top Stories

Skilled Nursing Occupancy Hits Five-Year Low, According to NIC Data

by Taylor Williams December 19, 2017

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Occupancy for skilled nursing facilities throughout the United States hit a five year low in the third quarter of 2017, falling to 81.6 percent, according to data released today by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). NIC is a nonprofit data analytics organization exclusively serving the seniors housing sector. NIC collects the data using a sample population collected each month from more than 1,400 skilled nursing properties throughout the country. The occupancy numbers mark a 29 basis point decrease from the previous quarter and 167 basis point decrease from the same time last year. “Historically, there has been some variability in the occupancy trend in the third quarter in any given year, so it is difficult to gauge the impact of seasonality,” says Bill Kauffman, senior principal at NIC. “Occupancy did set a new low within this time series in the third quarter as pressure continues on the Medicare mix. However, it did decline at a slower pace from the prior quarter.” Medicare patient day mix declined 58 basis points from the second quarter and 84 basis points from year-earlier levels, coming in at a new low of 12.2 percent in the third …

December 19, 2017

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