Top Stories

Kennedy Wilson Acquires 282-Unit Multifamily Community in Seattle for $141M

by Jeff Shaw February 6, 2017

SEATTLE — A joint venture between real estate investment company Kennedy Wilson (NYSE: KW) and an undisclosed partner has acquired Radius, a 282-unit multifamily community in Seattle’s South Lake Union submarket, for $141 million. Radius is a class-A apartment community built in 2015. Amenities include two rooftop decks, gaming room, fitness center and a private resident media room. The seller was not disclosed. Radius is located directly across the street from the world headquarters and main campus of Amazon and walking distance to over 10 million square feet of additional Amazon office space. The property is also within walking distance of employers such as Facebook, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and a future 607,000-square-foot Google campus. The 50/50 joint venture invested $72 million of equity for the purchase, drawing from its recent $58 million sale of The Grove, a 331-unit community in San Jose, Calif. The partnership also secured a 10-year acquisition loan of $70 million. The financing features a fixed interest rate of 4.06 percent and interest-only payments for the first five years. “Radius is an exciting addition to our Seattle apartment portfolio,” says Shem Streeter, managing director of Kennedy Wilson Multifamily Investments. “Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood features some of …

February 6, 2017

Florida Retail Southeast Top Stories

InvenTrust Acquires Paraiso Parc and Westfork Plaza in Pembroke Pines, Florida, for $163M

by Kristin Harlow February 3, 2017

PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. — InvenTrust Properties Corp. has acquired Paraiso Parc and Westfork Plaza retail centers in Pembroke Pines for $163 million. The two adjacent centers are located approximately 20 miles north of Miami. Upon completion of an ongoing expansion project in mid-2017, the two centers will total approximately 389,000 square feet. The properties include national tenants such as Publix, Costco, Regal Cinemas, Ross and TJ Maxx. “The acquisition of Paraiso Parc and Westfork Plaza represents a truly unique opportunity to secure an A+ asset in one of South Florida’s strongest retail submarkets,” says Michael E. Podboy, CFO at InvenTrust. InvenTrust is a self-managed REIT that owns and manages 88 retail properties totaling 15.1 million square feet of retail space. —Kristin Hiller

February 3, 2017

Kentucky Midwest Ohio Southeast Top Stories

Amazon to Open New $1.5B Air Cargo Hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport

by John Nelson February 2, 2017

HEBRON, KY. — Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) plans to build a centralized air hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG) in Hebron to support its fleet of Prime Air cargo planes. The Seattle-based company expects to create more than 2,000 new jobs at the new $1.5 billion facility. “As we considered places for the long-term home for our air hub operations, Hebron quickly rose to the top of the list with a large, skilled workforce, centralized location with great connectivity to our nearby fulfillment locations and an excellent quality of living for employees,” says Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations. Last year, Amazon entered into agreements with Atlas Air Worldwide and Air Transport Services Inc. to lease 40 cargo airplanes to support members of its Prime program, which offers its members free two-day shipping. Sixteen of those cargo planes are currently in service, and the e-commerce giant plans to roll out more planes over time. Amazon’s Prime Air hub at CVG will support Amazon’s fleet of Prime Air cargo planes by loading, unloading and sorting packages. “We’ve worked hard to ensure CVG is a great place to do business, and we couldn’t be more pleased that Amazon recognized …

February 2, 2017

Features Industrial Southeast Feature Archive Top Stories

Southeastern Ports Adjust to Expanded Panama Canal

by Jeff Shaw February 2, 2017

The Southeast’s top seaports and their surrounding industrial real estate markets have braced themselves for years for the larger post-Panamax vessels that can now pass through the newly expanded Panama Canal. The 102-year-old canal opened in late June 2016 following its $5.4 billion expansion, creating a shortcut for the larger ocean carriers coming from Asia. The opening of Panama Canal’s expansion was delayed by two years, missing the 100-year anniversary of its 1914 debut. Shipping companies had their larger vessels in place, though, and decided to ship those vessels to the East Coast via the Suez Canal, according to Walter Kemmsies, managing director, economist and chief strategist of JLL’s U.S. Ports, Airports and Global Infrastructure Group. “As the Panama Canal gets through the learning curve, we’re seeing the number of weekly transits increase, and we’re still in that phase and perhaps will be for the next six months,” says Kemmsies, who is currently engaged with three of the top five seaports in the United States on their master plans. “The ocean carriers are starting to scrap their smaller vessels and moving their services back from the Suez Canal to go through the Panama Canal. Right now the East Coast has …

February 2, 2017

Midwest Office Ohio Top Stories

Millennia Housing Development Buys Key Center, Marriott Hotel in Cleveland for $267.5M

by Nellie Day February 1, 2017

CLEVELAND — Millennia Housing Development has purchased the 1.3 million-square-foot Key Center office tower and adjacent 400-room Marriott Hotel in Cleveland for $267.5 million. The property is located at 127 Public Square and includes a parking structure. Key Center was built in 1991 and is 57 stories tall. The tower houses the headquarters of Key Bank and BakerHostetler law firm, among other tenants. The office tower was 82 percent leased at the time of sale. The seller, Columbia Property Trust (NYSE: CXP), had previously announced its plans to exit the Cleveland and Houston markets. Columbia has completed $1.2 billion of dispositions since January 2016 and $3.3 billion since January 2012. The firm will use proceeds from these sales to reinvest in high-barrier-to-entry markets such as New York City and San Francisco. “Key Center is the most recognizable icon on the Cleveland skyline, and we were determined to take a patient approach in order to identify the right buyer for this significant asset,” says Nelson Mills, CXP’s president and CEO. “Our diligence has now been rewarded, allowing us to exit the Cleveland market at a price within our expectations and accelerate our focus on high-barrier markets.” Columbia Property Trust owns and …

February 1, 2017

Retail Southeast Top Stories

CBL & Associates Acquires Five Sears Stores, Two Sears Auto Centers for $72.5 Million

by Katie Sloan January 31, 2017

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. — Chattanooga-based CBL & Associates Properties Inc. (NYSE: CBL) has closed on a sale-leaseback transaction for five Sears department stores and two Sears Auto Centers located at CBL-owned malls for $72.5 million. The five locations acquired include the Sears parcels at Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville, N.C.; Brookfield Square in Brookfield, Wis.; Hamilton Place Mall in Chattanooga, Tenn.; Eastgate Mall in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Jefferson Mall in Louisville, Ky. The two acquired Sears Auto Centers are located at Northgate Mall in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Volusia Mall in Daytona, Fla. Sears will continue to operate the department stores under new 10-year leases, with CBL receiving an aggregate base rent of approximately $5.1 million. CBL will have the right to terminate each Sears lease at any time — except for November through January — with six months’ advance notice. In addition to CBL’s termination right, after a lock-out period of four years for the Sears store at Jefferson Mall, two years for the other four Sears stores and one-year for the two Sears Auto Centers, Sears may terminate each store lease upon six months’ notice. “We are proactively transforming our market-dominant shopping centers to meet the changing preferences of consumers,” says Stephen …

January 31, 2017

Features Mixed-Use Texas & Oklahoma Feature Archive Top Stories

Texas Developers Bet on Entertainment

by Jeff Shaw January 31, 2017

Recognizing that today’s retail environment stresses experience over shopping, developers of mixed-use communities in Texas are more frequently signing entertainment-oriented tenants to spaces that traditionally would have been reserved for department stores and inline soft goods retailers. Developers pursue different types of entertainment tenants, depending on the projects, their locations and their audience. All of the projects leverage a growing number of new options in the food and beverage category, including food halls, artisan markets and re-imagined restaurants and bars. Boutique movie theaters and bowling lounges — concepts that also strive to give patrons a unique food-and-beverage experience — are in demand, and are in expansion mode. Many landlords are adding specialty gyms or health-oriented services like yoga venues. And when it comes to pure retail, developers are enlisting operators that provide a differentiated customer experience across all categories, from beauty supply to sporting goods. For example, in 2015 beauty goods retailer Sephora launched in-store technology and education initiatives to enhance the customer experience, while newer Scheels sporting goods locations typically feature an indoor Ferris wheel, aquarium and other interactive attractions. Mixed-use developers are also creating Wi-Fi accessible public spaces with artistic and landscaping elements where customers, residents or workers …

January 31, 2017

Office Top Stories

Capital One Arranges $534.9M Loan to Finance Starwood’s Acquisition of 34-Property Medical Office Portfolio

by Jeff Shaw January 30, 2017

GREENWICH, CONN. — Capital One Healthcare has arranged a $534.9 million loan to fund Starwood Property Trust’s (NYSE: STWD) acquisition of 34 medical office buildings in 12 states. The 1.9 million-square-foot portfolio includes properties in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The seller and purchase price were not disclosed. “This strategic acquisition provides us with a safe, resilient income stream and the opportunity to participate in the stable long-term growth of the medical office building sector,” says Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO of Starwood Property Trust. The acquisition represents Starwood’s first entry into the medical office sector, according to commercial real estate research firm CoStar. The company will also take over management of the portfolio. Capital One Healthcare is a financial services provider serving the healthcare industry. It is a subsidiary of financial holding company Capital One Financial Corp. Starwood Property Trust is an affiliate of Greenwich-based private investment firm Starwood Capital Group. Starwood Property Trust’s stock price closed at $22.34 per share on Friday, Jan. 27, up from $18.64 one year ago. — Jeff Shaw

January 30, 2017

Georgia Mixed-Use Southeast Top Stories

Batson-Cook, Regent Partners to Develop $400M Mixed-Use Project in Atlanta’s Buckhead Financial District

by Kristin Harlow January 27, 2017

ATLANTA — Batson-Cook Development Co. (BCDC) has formed a joint venture partnership with Regent Partners LLC to acquire a parcel in the Buckhead financial district of Atlanta and develop a $400 million mixed-use project. The office, retail and multifamily development will be located at 3354 and 3356 Peachtree Road, near State Route 400 and Buckhead’s MARTA train station. The four-acre property will consist of two buildings with more than 550,000 square feet of office and retail space, 60 condominiums and 300 multifamily units. Construction is expected to begin in 2018. The project will feature outlet roads leading to Peachtree Road, Piedmont Road and the Buckhead Loop. The new MARTA pedestrian bridge spanning Georgia 400 gives the project direct access to public transit. The Buckhead Community Improvement District has also proposed a nine-acre park on top of a half-mile stretch of Georgia 400 from the Buckhead Loop to Peachtree Road. Upon completion, the $245 million park will serve as the entrance to the joint venture’s new project. BCDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kajima USA, based in Atlanta. The company provides development and capital solutions, primarily through partnerships on commercial real estate projects in the Southeast. Atlanta-based Regent Partners is …

January 27, 2017

New York Northeast Office Top Stories

SL Green Sells Minority Interest in Manhattan Skyscraper Project for $525M

by John Nelson January 26, 2017

NEW YORK — SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLG), the largest office landlord in New York City, has sold a 29 percent interest in One Vanderbilt, a 58-story office tower under construction in Midtown Manhattan. SL Green sold a 27.6 percent interest to the National Pension Service of Korea (NPS) and a 1.4 percent interest to Hines Interest LP. NPS and Hines have committed no less than $525 million in combined equity to the project. “NPS is an extraordinary partner for us at One Vanderbilt and will help realize our shared vision for developing the best building in New York City,” says Marc Holliday, CEO of SL Green. “Hines has been with us at One Vanderbilt from the beginning and will be a terrific addition to the joint venture.” SL Green Realty Corp. and Hines are co-developing the building, and AECOM’s Tishman Construction is serving as the general contractor. Tishman broke ground on the project in October 2016. Upon completion in 2020, the skyscraper will be located adjacent to Grand Central Terminal. As part of the development, SL Green has committed $220 million for public improvements to the mass transit hub. In September 2016, SL Green closed on $1.5 billion …

January 26, 2017

Newer Posts

Older Posts