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Park Tower, Tampa

TAMPA, FLA. — A joint venture between City Office REIT (NYSE: CIO), Feldman Equities LLC and Tower Realty Partners has acquired Park Tower, a 475,000-square-foot office building in downtown Tampa, for $79.8 million. The 36-story tower is located at 400 N. Tampa St. The joint venture plans to make a substantial investment in the property to modernize the building. The building is approximately 86 percent leased. Notable tenants include BB&T, United States Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office, Level 3 Communications and Lykes Insurance. The tower boasts views of Hillsborough Bay, the Hillsborough River and the Tampa skyline. Park Tower was built in 1973. It was the tallest building in Tampa until 1981 when One Tampa City Center was constructed. Park Tower has previously served as the headquarters for the First National Bank of Tampa, the Lykes Brothers Corp. and Colonial Bank. Park Tower is situated near the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts and Lykes Gaslamp Park, about two blocks from the Hillsborough River and the Tampa Riverwalk entertainment district. Mike DiBlasi of Feldman Equities will lead the building’s leasing efforts. The seller was Sterling American Property. City Office REIT currently owns about 1 million square feet of office properties …

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ORLANDO, FLA. — In a move to further liquidate the company, CNL Lifestyle Properties Inc., a REIT specializing in the acquisition of resort properties, has sold a seven-property portfolio of international trophy retail assets located within luxury resorts for $103 million. A private real estate consortium between The Imperium Cos., MMG Equity Partners and Blue River Family Office Partners was the buyer. The portfolio consists of 423,482 square feet of ground-floor retail in the mixed-use villages of six ski resorts and one golf and beach resort in the United States and Canada. The properties include: • Whistler Creekside Village in Whistler, British Columbia • The Village at Mammoth in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. • Village at Snowshoe in Snowshoe, W.Va. • Village at Cooper in Frisco, Colo. • Stratton Mountain Village in South Londonderry, Vt. • Blue Mountain Village in Blue Mountains, Ontario and • The Village of Baytowne Wharf in Miramar Beach, Fla. Lori Schneider of Marcus & Millichap’s Institutional Property Advisors (IPA) division arranged the sale. Schneider, along with the Marcus & Millichap’s brokers of record for each state in the portfolio, exclusively represented the seller and procured the buyer. “These stabilized yet dynamic assets are unique in location, …

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TOLEDO, OHIO — A joint venture between Cindat Capital Management Limited and Union Life Insurance has purchased a 75 percent interest in a Welltower-owned portfolio of seniors housing properties for $930 million. The acquisition represents Cindat’s first foray into U.S. health care real estate investment. The portfolio contains 11 seniors housing properties that are leased to Brookdale Senior Living, as well as 28 skilled nursing facilities leased to Genesis Healthcare. Welltower will retain 25 percent interest in the properties. The transaction is expected to close by year end and is subject to customary closing conditions. “With aging demographics and U.S. healthcare trends driving the need for innovative health care infrastructure, we believe the sector represents an attractive long-term investment opportunity,” says Greg Peng, CEO at Cindat Capital Management, representing Cindat and Union Life. “We have a significant appetite for investing in the sector and we look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with Welltower to capitalize on this unique opportunity.” The agreement comes on the heels of Welltower’s third-quarter report, in which the company announced plans to significantly increase dispositions for 2016. The company initially planned to sell $1.3 billion of its assets, but announced it would like to sell …

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When comparing hotels for valuation purposes, a common method of making adjustments for the difference between properties is to examine revenue per available room (RevPAR), a measurement of hotel performance. If executed poorly, these calculations can distort property value and lead to unfairly heavy tax burdens on hospitality owners. There are two different ways to calculate RevPAR. The first is to multiply the average rental income per room by the number of rooms occupied, then divide by the number of days in the period. The other method is to divide total guestroom revenue by the number of available rooms and divide that figure by the number of days in the period. In an article titled “Using RevPAR as a Basis for Adjusting Comparable Sales,” published in February 2002 by HospitalityNet.org, appraiser Erich Baum voiced a common argument shared by appraisers who advocate for RevPAR adjustments. Baum contends that the adjustments are appropriate because the revenue a hotel generates is tied to its location and the quality of its product. The question in valuation for property taxation is whether or not RevPAR incorporates additional, non-real estate values such as quality of brand, management, goodwill, etc., and whether or not the RevPAR …

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ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club and the city of Atlanta have reached an agreement on key terms for a $192.5 million renovation of Philips Arena, the home stadium of the Atlanta Hawks in downtown Atlanta. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed committed to provide $142.5 million in public funds, with the Hawks to fund the remaining $50 million, to improve the city-owned facility. The Hawks also committed to an 18-year lease extension to remain in downtown Atlanta through 2046. “When our group became owners almost a year-and-a-half ago, we pledged to work diligently with the city of Atlanta to ensure that the club remained downtown,” said Tony Ressler, Atlanta Hawks principal owner and chairman. “We knew that a key part of producing a winning team, providing a superior fan experience and being a civic asset to the city of Atlanta required a renovation of our arena and a meaningful improvement to the downtown area of this city. Today’s announcement with the mayor is a significant step toward this goal.” The Hawks will begin renovations of Philips Arena during summer 2017, and the process will be completed by the start of the 2018-2019 NBA season. The Hawks will continue to play …

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WASHINGTON, D.C. AND NEW YORK — The board of trustees at Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO) has approved the tax-free spinoff of its Washington, D.C., portfolio and has agreed to the subsequent merger of the new entity with JBG Cos. The transaction is valued at $8.4 billion. The company, known as JBG Smith Properties, will be structured as a real estate investment trust (REIT). Vornado shareholders are expected to own roughly 74 percent of the new company, JBG’s limited partners are expected to own approximately 20 percent and JBG management is expected to own the remaining 6 percent. JBG’s senior management team will lead JBG Smith, which will have a portfolio totaling 50 office properties spanning 11.8 million square feet, 18 multifamily properties totaling 4,451 residential units and 11 other properties totaling about 700,000 square feet. The new company will be the largest landlord to the U.S. government in Washington, D.C. The portfolio is situated in Washington, D.C., as well as the suburban Maryland markets of Columbia and Bethesda and Crystal City, Pentagon City, Rosslyn, Arlington and Reston in Virginia. Additionally, JBG Smith will have a pipeline of projects under construction and land for future development that could span more …

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For real estate developers and investors, a time of transition and evolution within the retail world presents abundant opportunities to capitalize by acquiring and investing in underperforming spaces. With an infusion of capital, some strategic restructuring and re-tenanting with regional and national brands, a moribund center or underwhelming site can be transformed. Understanding the strategies deployed to effectively identify, acquire, reposition and re-tenant retail is an essential prerequisite for any commercial real estate professional looking to get involved in the process. The big picture The most critical step in the process is selecting the right opportunities to pursue in the first place. Identifying existing retail assets that are underperforming is one thing. Finding those that can be successfully reinvigorated and repositioned through an infusion of capital and the application of some expertise is a little trickier. It is a best practice to confine your search to well-established trade areas because you generally do not want a project on the fringe. The overall goal is to identify markets and trade areas where there is more demand than quality supply, and then work to find a creative and cost-effective way to deliver that supply. Once you identify those areas, familiarize yourself with …

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TYSONS, VA. — Atlantic Realty Cos. and New York-based Angelo, Gordon & Co. LP have purchased Tysons Concourse, two Class A office buildings located at 1593-1595 Spring Hill Road in Tysons. The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) sold the 347,684-square-foot complex for $78.8 million. Situated one block from the newly opened Spring Hill station on Metrorail’s Silver Line, Tysons Concourse features a café, lighted basketball courts, theater-style conference center, fitness center with spa-style locker rooms and covered and surface parking. The buildings, joined by a shared atrium, were 76 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Frontpoint Security, Konica Minolta and MassMutual. The new ownership group plans to invest $6 million in capital improvement to Tysons Concourse. The property’s lobby will be upgraded with marble flooring, a concierge desk and interactive touchscreen directories. Renovations will also include upgrades to the front and rear entrances, new interior finishes and a redesigned tenant entertainment center. The improvement program will also include the transformation of part of the existing sports area into an outdoor lounge with seating and an additional court for playing paddle tennis. Eastdil Secured represented CalSTRS in the transaction. — John Nelson  

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LOS ANGELES — International developer Oceanwide Holdings has unveiled plans to include a five-star Park Hyatt hotel at Oceanwide Plaza, the company’s $1 billion mixed-use project currently under development in Los Angeles. The project is located adjacent to the Staples Center, home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, as well as the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. When completed, Oceanwide Plaza will feature three residential and hotel towers and a 166,000-square-foot, open-air galleria for shopping, dining and entertainment. Park Hyatt Los Angeles will be the sixth U.S. location for the luxury hotel brand. CallisonRTKL and Studio Munge designed the 184-room hotel. The property will be connected to the 100-foot retail and amenity area known as The Collection at Oceanwide Plaza. The development’s multifamily component will feature 504 units with concierge services, a private amenity deck and a two-acre outdoor sanctuary. Oceanwide Plaza is scheduled for completion in early 2019. Oceanwide Plaza LLC, a subsidiary of Beijing-based Oceanwide Holdings Co., will own the development. Oceanwide Plaza is the company’s first development in the United States, with projects in New York, San Francisco and Hawaii currently in the planning stages. — Kristin Hiller

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BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON, D.C. — An affiliate of HCP Inc. (NYSE: HCP), a seniors housing REIT based in Irvine, Calif., has purchased a portfolio of assisted living and memory care properties in the Mid-Atlantic for approximately $186.3 million. Developed between 1993 and 2013, The Morningside House Mid-Atlantic Portfolio consists of seven seniors housing communities located in the greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas. The seller, a joint venture between Morningside House Senior Living and Harrison Street Real Estate Capital, sold the portfolio for roughly $354,000 per unit. HCP has selected Chicago-based Senior Lifestyle Corp. to operate the assets. The portfolio included: — Morningside House of Ellicott City in Ellicott City, Md. — Morningside House of Friendship in Hanover, Md. — Morningside House of Laurel in Laurel, Md. — Morningside House of Satyr Hill in Parkville, Md. — Morningside House of Leesburg in Leesburg, Va. — Morningside House of Saint Charles in Waldorf, Md. and — Poet’s Walk Memory Care in Fredericksburg, Va. Lisa Widmier and Matthew Whitlock led CBRE Capital Markets’ National Senior Housing team in representing the joint venture in the sale. “This transaction had multiple moving parts, including a new operator — Senior Lifestyle — partnering with a …

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