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Facing shortages in construction labor and obstacles in originating financing for new projects, developers who specialize in healthcare properties are starting to think smaller, according to a recent study by Indianapolis-based REIT Duke Realty Corp. This means more micro hospitals. Micro hospitals are similar to community and small-town medical facilities — a hybrid of urgent care centers and full-fledged hospitals. They offer significantly fewer inpatient beds than regular hospitals — eight to 12 per facility is average — and typically span between 15,000 and 50,000 square feet. As such, they fit more comfortably into densely populated urban pockets and provide more immediate access to acute and emergency care. With delivery costs that range from $7 million and $30 million, depending on size, micro hospitals represent a cheaper means of financing a regular hospital. What else is driving demand for micro hospitals? According to the study, they offer a convenient, cost-effective alternative to larger hospitals without compromising the quality of care. When considering where to build a micro hospital, developers are encouraged to pinpoint high-visibility sites within 20 miles of a major hospital. This enables them to tap directly into the smaller submarkets for which micro hospitals are intended. “Anticipated changes …

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MENLO PARK, CALIF. — Square Mile Capital Management LLC has provided a $145 million construction loan for the development of the first phase of Menlo Gateway, a 16-acre, master-planned project in the Menlo Park area of Silicon Valley. Located on Independence Drive near the Marsh Road exit of U.S. Route 101, the development will consist of approximately 705,000 square feet of office space across three eight-story buildings. The 16-acre parcel, located roughly two miles from Facebook’s headquarters, was previously zoned for industrial use. The Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel, a 250-room hotel currently under construction, will also reside on the land. The 11-story hotel offers a pool with cabanas and poolside bar, a spa, a lobby restaurant and coffee market, as well as 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. Delivery is slated for late 2017. The Bohannon Development Co., which is based in northern California, is serving as the project developer. San Francisco-based Heller Manus Architects designed the project. Phase I of Menlo Gateway will include an eight-story, approximately 210,000-square-foot building located at 100 Independence Drive, as well as a 1,040-space parking deck. Phase I also includes delivery of The Bay Club, a 41,000-square foot fitness center with …

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MADISON AND SHORT HILLS, N.J. — Mack-Cali Realty Corp. (NYSE: CLI) has acquired a 1.1 million-square-foot office portfolio that includes six Class A properties in northern New Jersey for $368 million. The sales price of the portfolio is one of the highest ever recorded statewide in the office sector, according to a news release. RXR Realty LLC sold the portfolio, which includes 1, 3 and 7 Giralda Farms in Madison and 51, 101 and 103 JFK Parkway in Short Hills. The portfolio is 91 percent leased to tenants such as KPMG, Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch, UBS, Dun & Bradstreet, Investors Bank, Citibank, Franklin Mutual Advisors, Pfizer and Prudential. All of the properties are located in the Route 24 corridor and benefit from a strong retail amenity base, including The Mall at Short Hills, the downtown areas of Morristown, Madison and Summit and the retail offerings along Route 10. “This acquisition signifies Mack-Cali’s substantially expanded presence in the affluent Short Hills submarket — positioning us as the owner of nearly all of the Class A office space, as well as some of the most premier assets in the Madison submarket,” said Michael J. DeMarco, president of Mack-Cali, in a press release. “This transaction exemplifies …

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Uncommon Charlottesville Student Housing

CHICAGO — The Scion Group, along with sovereign wealth fund partners GIC and Canada Public Pension Investment Board (CPPIB), has acquired a portfolio of 11 student housing properties throughout the United States for $640 million. Harrison Street Real Estate owned nine of the properties in partnerships with Trinitas, Opus, CA Ventures and Vertex Nine. In addition, Scion, GIC and CPPIB acquired another asset from Trinitas and another property in Chicago from an undisclosed entity. The properties in the transaction total more than 6,300 beds, and include: University Trails Tallahassee, a 936-bed community located near Florida State University Alpha, a 698-bed community located near the University of Alabama VAMP, a 668-bed community located near the University of Indiana The Foundation, a 725-bed community located near CSU Sacramento NXNW, a 648-bed community located near Western Washington University Varsity Quarters, a 162-bed community located near the University of Wisconsin Uncommon Madison, a 408-bed community located near the University of Wisconsin Uncommon Tampa, a 516-bed community located near the University of South Florida Uncommon Charlottesville, a 342-bed community located near the University of Virginia LUX at Central Park, a 608-bed community located near the University of North Carolina 1237 West Fullerton, a 592-bed community …

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By Gregory Schaffer Pennsylvania property owners and tenants, who pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation, are no doubt aware of the annual deadline to file a property tax appeal. After all, one look at a new tax bill is often enough to make even the most seasoned tax manager scramble to contact their local tax counsel. However, very few taxpayers are aware that the assessment they may have accepted as favorable could easily trigger a reverse appeal filed by the local school district. Assessment appeals filed by the taxing entities, often referred to as reverse appeals, are increasingly common as cash-strapped school districts seek to fill their coffers. Just as a tax manager might view an inflated assessment as a reason to appeal, more and more school districts see potentially under-assessed properties as a much-needed source of additional revenue. To the bane of many taxpayers, this tactic has now reached the city of Philadelphia. Despite undergoing a citywide property revaluation for the 2014 tax year, with another currently slated for 2018, the Philadelphia School District recently decided to begin filing reverse appeals against properties it feels are under-assessed. On Sept. 15, 2016, for the first time, …

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DALLAS — Marcus & Millichap’s (NYSE: MMI) Dallas-based multifamily investment sales team has closed the sale of six multifamily assets within the state of Texas totaling $80.5 million. The communities contain a total of 1,164 units. Four of the properties reside within the Dallas-Fort Worth area, known as the Metroplex, while another is situated 60 miles northeast of Dallas in Commerce, and the other is in Waco. The Metroplex-area properties include the 380-unit Spring Lake in Haltom City, the 306-unit Tradewind in Mesquite, the 200-unit Village at the Crossroads in Irving and the 76-unit Oaks Branch in Garland. “The Metroplex’s diverse and growing economy continues to attract investors, creating increased buyer competition for apartment assets and accelerating deal flow,” says Nick Fluellen, a member of Marcus & Millichap’s multifamily investment sales team. “Local investors are particularly focused on properties with some value-add component, as was the case with these assets.” The remaining two properties are the 128-unit Bradford Place in Commerce and the Village Condominiums, a 74-unit apartment asset in Waco. “All of the properties provide new ownership with excellent opportunities to add value in various ways, including the continuation or implementation of strategic upgrade plans,” adds Bard Hoover, who, …

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NASHVILLE, TENN. — Ardent Health Services has acquired LHP Hospital Group Inc., creating the second largest private, for-profit hospital operator in the United States, with 19 hospitals in six states and $3 billion in revenues, according to Ardent. Although the purchase price was not disclosed, Ventas Inc., a massive healthcare REIT, provided $700 million in financing to Ardent for the acquisition. The five-year, LIBOR-based acquisition loan bears an initial cash interest rate of approximately 8 percent. As part of the transaction, Ardent received a significant equity contribution from its majority owner, an affiliate of Equity Group Investments. Ventas also made an equity contribution to maintain its 9.9 percent equity stake in Ardent. LHP’s portfolio of hospitals were all operated in joint ventures. LHP’s portfolio includes Bay Medical Center in Panama City, Fla.; HUMC Mountainside in Montclair, N.J.; HUMC at Pascack Valley in Westwood, N.J.; Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho; and Seton Medical Center in Harker Heights, Texas. Under the terms of the agreement, Ardent will assume LHP’s management and operational responsibilities within each joint venture partnership. The transaction is not expected to impact the day-to-day operations of the affiliated hospitals. The Ardent management team will also continue to lead the …

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U.S. Homeownership Rate

Homeownership rates in the United States have hit a 12-year low due to a combination of younger people’s preference for apartments, a low housing inventory that has inflated sales prices and strong absorption in the multifamily sector, according to a research brief from Marcus & Millichap. Single-family homes are experiencing low inventory compared to demand, with the supply of available homes holding steady for several months. The current supply represents just 3.6 months of sales, a record low, according to the brief. As a result, the median home price increased 7.3 percent on a year-over-year basis to $230,400 in January 2017. The apartment sector, meanwhile, is still seeing a drop in vacancy despite the fact that deliveries are expected to peak this year. Nearly 290,000 apartments were delivered nationally during 2016, but strong absorption still managed to push vacancy down 20 basis points to 3.9 percent. According to the brief, “young households’ increased propensity to rent fuels apartment demand, and the absorption of 294,100 units in 2016 was the fourth highest year on record.” Following this year’s peak, though, Marcus & Millichap predicts new apartment supply will taper off in 2018. Lenders have already begun to tighten the purse strings …

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NEW YORK CITY — Eastern Consolidated has secured a $210 million debt and equity package to finance the construction of a new, 180,000-square-foot Hyatt Place Hotel in Manhattan’s Garment District. The financing consists of a $95 million first-mortgage loan from Bank of the Ozarks and a $25 million preferred equity investment by Square Mile Capital Management. Adam Hakim and James Murad of Eastern Consolidated arranged the financing on behalf of the McSam Hotel Group, a New York-based hotel development firm. “With a revitalized theater district, thriving hospitality industry and constantly improving retail, the Times Square area is a magnet for tourists,” Hakim said. “New York City hosted a record 60.3 million visitors last year, which boosted the city’s hotel occupancy rate to an average of 90.1 percent, and more visitors are expected this year.” The 25-story, 520-key hotel will be located at 350 W. 39th St., in between Eighth and Ninth avenues in the Hudson Yards submarket. The chairman of McSam Hotel Group, Sam Chang, purchased the site in 2015 for $112 million; terms of sale allow him to develop up to 300,000 square feet of the property, according to The Real Deal. Consequently, plans for a 123,000-square-foot, 21-story, 380-room hotel …

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DALLAS — Stream Realty Partners and J.P. Morgan Asset Management have unveiled plans for the $135 million renovation and expansion of Trammell Crow Center in Dallas. This will be the first major renovation of the office tower in 32 years. The building, located at 2001 Ross Ave., will be transformed into a mixed-use property. The redevelopment of the 1.2 million-square-foot office tower will include enhancements to the building’s interior lobby, lower exterior and plaza. A ground-up, mixed-use development on an adjacent 2.66-acre site will be anchored by more than 26,000 square feet of restaurant-driven retail space and a parking facility. The transformation of the Dallas landmark will collectively total five acres. The redesign will also focus on expanding the building’s on-site amenities to include a new 3,000-square-foot tenant lounge, an expanded, 9,000-square-foot athletic club and a 9,000-square-foot conference center located on the second floor. The most notable change for the building will consist of a new 50-by-80-foot glass and metal façade below the third floor, which will extend out to Ross Avenue. A similar glass entry will be featured at the Flora Street entrance, and the ground floor of the Olive and Harwood Street corners will extend towards Ross Avenue …

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