Top Stories

Walmart Agrees to Acquire Apparel Retailer Bonobos for $310M

by Taylor Williams June 19, 2017

BENTONVILLE, ARK., AND NEW YORK CITY — Walmart (NYSE: WMT) has agreed to acquire online apparel retailer Bonobos Inc. for approximately $310 million in cash. Walmart, the giant discount department store chain, expects to complete the transaction by September. The announcement comes on the heels of Walmart’s acquisition of online women’s apparel retailer ModCloth in March. Founded in 2007 by Andy Dunn and Brian Spaly, New York-based Bonobos designs and sells its own brands of clothing for men. These brands will be featured and sold on various Walmart-owned digital platforms, including Jet.com, which Bentonville-based Walmart acquired in August 2016 for approximately $3 billion. Bonobos also operates 35 physical retail locations, known as Guideshops, across the United States. Walmart currently has no plans to feature lines of Bonobos clothing in its brick-and-mortar locations, according to The New York Times. Under the terms of the agreement, Dunn, the current CEO of Bonobos, will oversee the company’s collection of clothing brands that are designed in-house and distributed online. Marc Lore, CEO of Walmart U.S. e-commerce and founder of Jet.com, says the acquisition reflects the company’s long-term e-commerce strategy. “We’re seeing momentum in the [e-commerce] business as we expand our value proposition with customers,” he …

June 19, 2017

Retail Texas Top Stories Washington Western

Amazon to Acquire Whole Foods Market for $13.7B

by Kristin Harlow June 16, 2017

SEATTLE — Online retail giant Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has agreed to acquire high-end grocery chain Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ: WFM) for $13.7 billion. The all-cash transaction amounts to $42 per share and includes the Austin, Texas-based grocer’s net debt. Whole Foods Market will continue to operate stores under the Whole Foods Market brand. John Mackey will remain CEO of Whole Foods Market, and the company’s headquarters will remain in Austin. “This partnership presents an opportunity to maximize value for Whole Foods Market’s shareholders, while at the same time extending our mission and bringing the highest quality, experience, convenience and innovation to our customers,” says Mackey. Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by Whole Foods Market’s shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The parties expect to close the transaction during the second half of 2017. “It seems that Amazon, after all, is one of brick and mortar’s biggest believers — and for good reason. The grocery sector has been in major growth for some time now, and Amazon’s entry into the space will be a game changer,” says Rafael Romero, vice president on the retail team at Coral Gables, Florida-based CREC, an independent real estate firm. “It will be interesting to see how other high-end and organic …

June 16, 2017

Massachusetts Mixed-Use Northeast Top Stories

Cottonwood Management Breaks Ground on $900M Mixed-Use Development in Boston’s Seaport District

by John Nelson June 15, 2017

BOSTON — Cottonwood Management, a private real estate management and development firm based in Los Angeles, has started construction of Echelon Seaport, a three-tower, $900 million mixed-use development in Boston’s Seaport district. Set to open in phases between 2019 and 2020, the project will feature 733 condominiums and apartments and 125,000 square feet of retail space. The 3.5-acre development is situated at Seaport Boulevard and B Street and directly across from HarborWalk and Boston Harbor, providing miles of walking and bike paths, as well as water taxi access to places like Logan International Airport. The project will also be located one block from the MBTA Silver Line and within walking distance of Boston’s downtown/financial district. Cottonwood unveiled its Echelon lifestyle brand at the groundbreaking ceremony held yesterday. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, Massachusetts Gov. Charles Baker and James Beard award-winning chef Ming Tsai of the nearby Blue Dragon restaurant attended the event. “Boston’s Seaport is one of the most exciting neighborhoods in the world right now and is the perfect starting place for Cottonwood to establish the Echelon lifestyle brand,” says Alexander Shing, chairman and CEO of Cottonwood Management. “Echelon Seaport will anchor the Seaport community with a new level of …

June 15, 2017

Features Top Stories

Political Polarization, Global Uncertainty Top List of Issues Affecting Real Estate, Says Counselors of Real Estate

by Jeff Shaw June 15, 2017

DENVER — Global uncertainty and political polarization are the issues that will have the most significant impact on the real estate industry in 2017 and 2018, according to The Counselors of Real Estate (CRE). The findings come from the organization’s Top Ten Issues Affecting Real Estate, which it released Wednesday during a keynote address by Scott Muldavin, 2017 chair of CRE, at the annual conference of the National Association of Real Estate Editors in Denver. CRE is a professional association for real estate advisors. Muldavin is president of The Muldavin Company, a real estate advisory firm based in San Rafael, Calif. The list was created from dialogue between CRE’s members, all of which took place under the direction of two CRE members: Peter Burley, a research executive and author, and Victor Calanog, chief economist and senior vice president with Reis New York City. The other issues earning rounding out this years’ Top 10 list include technology, generational disruptions, retail disruptions, infrastructure investment, housing, “Lost Decades of the Middle Class,” real estate’s emerging role in healthcare, immigration and climate change. Below are brief summaries of each issue from the report. For more in-depth analysis, click here to read the full report. …

June 15, 2017

Massachusetts Northeast Office Top Stories

City Approves Next Step for $1B Union Square Redevelopment Near Boston

by Nellie Day June 14, 2017

SOMERVILLE, MASS. — The Somerville Board of Aldermen approved rezoning to allow the city to move forward on a proposed $1 billion, 2.3 million-square-foot Union Square redevelopment project. Somervile is situated just northeast of Boston, adjacent to Cambridge. The new mixed-use project would include 1.3 million square feet of new office and civic spaces, along with 2.5 acres of public and open spaces. City officials expect the project will create more than 5,000 new permanent jobs. The development will also provide housing, with 20 percent of the supply dedicated to low-income families. In conjunction with the redevelopment, Somerville is working on a $2.3 billion Green Line extension, which would connect Union Square with surrounding neighborhoods and Boston through the train system. The Union Square Station Associates (US2) is the City of Somerville’s master developer partner on the project. The association will make a $5.5 million public benefits contribution toward the Green Line project. “Union Square’s proximity to Kendall Square, MIT and Harvard — one the densest innovation centers in the world — makes it poised for the next wave of economic growth,” says Greg Karczewski, president of US2. “We’re bringing 2.3 million square feet of new mixed-use, transit-oriented development to …

June 14, 2017

Hospitality Nevada Top Stories Western

Golden Entertainment to Acquire American Casino & Entertainment Properties for $850M

by Katie Sloan June 13, 2017

LAS VEGAS — Golden Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: GDEN) has agreed to acquire American Casino & Entertainment Properties LLC, which owns four gaming and entertainment properties in Nevada, for $850 million. American Casino & Entertainment’s portfolio features 3,879 slot machines, 89 table games and 4,895 hotel rooms in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada. Properties include: The Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower, featuring an 80,000-square-foot casino, 2,427 guestrooms and suites, 13 restaurants, nine bars, two pools, entertainment venues and a 1,149-foot observation tower located on the North Las Vegas Strip. Arizona Charlie’s Hotel & Casino – Decatur, located just off the Las Vegas Strip, which features 1,060 slot machines, seven table games and 259 hotel rooms. Arizona Charlie’s Hotel & Casino – Boulder, located on Boulder Highway in Las Vegas, which features 849 slot machines, seven table games and 303 hotel rooms. The Aquarius Casino Resort, located on the banks of the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nev. The property features a 57,000-square-foot casino, eight restaurants, three bars, 1,906 guestrooms and suites and an entertainment pavilion. The purchase consideration consists of $781 million cash plus approximately four million shares of Golden Entertainment stock issued to American Casino & Entertainment’s current owner, Whitehall Street …

June 13, 2017

Features Restaurant Retail Top Stories

From Production to Consumption: Architecture is Critical Component of the U.S. Microbrewery Scene

by John Nelson June 13, 2017

For most brick-and-mortar retailers, visibility to remain top-of-mind is at the forefront of operational decisions. Not so for microbreweries. In fact, it’s not as much about where a brewery is located as it is about how it is designed. For this still fairly young industry, brewery architecture and design are nearly as important as the beer itself. Microbreweries are quickly taking the Southeast by storm as places to taste and enjoy a fine beverage, as well as spend an enjoyable afternoon or evening. With so many intricate design components within often-limited budgets, this kind of project can be a perfectly alluring (and appetizing) challenge for an architect. Critical to the success of creating the ideal atmosphere and experience for a microbrewery is partnering with an architectural and design firm that understands the business to ensure the building ultimately supports current and future operations and growth. And, with fermenters and grain rooms in the mix, the design is quite unique to other commercial and even industrial spaces. Microbrewery operators must have space for two (possibly three) components: production, event space and now retail sales, an emerging third element for states like Georgia with new alcohol sales laws. The production space must …

June 13, 2017

Features Retail Top Stories

Avison Young’s Jedd Nero: Today’s Retail Real Estate Market Is a Blank Canvas

by Taylor Williams June 13, 2017

LAS VEGAS — With more than 30 years of experience representing tenants and landlords in retail negotiations, Jedd Nero, principal and executive managing director at Avison Young’s New York office, has worked with household-name retailers such as Hershey’s, Hugo Boss and Verizon Wireless. Nero was one of about 37,000 retail professionals who attended ICSC RECon in Las Vegas in late May. As the crowd jostled through the Las Vegas Convention Center in search of their next networking opportunity, Northeast Real Estate Business found time to chat with Nero. His insights into the rapidly changing landscape of retail real estate are detailed below. Northeast Real Estate Business: Since the beginning of the year, we’ve seen a rash of store closures nationally. In terms of the volume of these closures, what has precipitated that? Is it just online shopping or are there other factors at work? Jedd Nero: I think it’s a combination of several factors. I think we can all agree that the country is over-malled. There are about 1,200 malls in the country. By the time everything is said and done, there will probably be about 900 left. Class C and D malls have been affected the most. Certainly online …

June 13, 2017

Company News Top Stories

Data Center Merger: Digital Realty to Acquire DuPont Fabros in $7.6B Deal

by Taylor Williams June 12, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO AND WASHINGTON, D.C. — Data center REIT Digital Realty Trust Inc., (NYSE: DLR) has entered into an agreement to acquire competitor DuPont Fabros Technology Inc. (NYSE: DFT) in an all-stock merger with an enterprise value of $7.6 billion. The deal’s enterprise value includes $1.6 billion of assumed debt that is expected to be refinanced with a combination of investment-grade corporate bonds, among other securities. The merger is expected to close during the third or fourth quarter. Under the terms of the agreement, DuPont Fabros’ shareholders will receive 0.545 shares of Digital Realty stock for each share of DuPont Fabros stock. The merger is expected to generate as much as $18 million in overhead savings per year. “We are excited to execute two of the strategic objectives embodied in our corporate vision — diversifying our customer base and expanding our geographic presence,” says A. William Stein, CEO of San Francisco-based Digital Realty. “We believe this combination will enhance our ability to create significant long-term value for both sets of shareholders.” According to the company’s annual report, Digital Realty’s portfolio consists of 145 properties totaling roughly 23 million square feet across 33 global metropolitan areas. As of June 1, 2017, …

June 12, 2017

District of Columbia Loans Multifamily Southeast Top Stories

CapitalSource Provides $100M Construction Loan for Multifamily Property in Washington, D.C.

by Kristin Harlow June 9, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. — CapitalSource has provided a $100 million loan for the construction of Portals Residential Phase V Building, located in downtown Washington. The 373-unit multifamily property will be 13 stories tall. Units will range in size from 506 square feet to 3,400 square feet. Portals Residential Phase V Building is part of the final phase of a 3 million-square-foot development project that includes the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and three Class A office buildings. The building design includes a sky terrace level with multiple living and meeting rooms, and an infinity pool overlooking the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin National Parks. The rooftop area includes a 1,100-foot walkway around the entire building. Other property amenities include a fitness facility, enclosed garden, dog grooming rooms, interior lounges and meeting rooms. The borrower is an affiliate of Republic Properties Corp., part of the Republic Family of Companies and a full-service real estate development and management firm. Parse Capital provided mezzanine financing, while CBRE brokered the loan transaction. CapitalSource, a division of Pacific Western Bank, provides commercial loans to small and middle-market businesses. Los Angeles-based Pacific Western Bank maintains over $21 billion in assets. — Kristin Hiller

June 9, 2017

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