Top Stories

SL Green Taps AECOM’s Tishman Construction to Manage Construction of $1B Office Project in Manhattan

by Jeff Shaw June 21, 2016

NEW YORK CITY — SL Green Realty Corp. has chosen AECOM’s Tishman Construction unit to manage the construction of One Vanderbilt, a 58-story office development located adjacent to Grand Central Terminal in New York City’s East Midtown business district. The total value of construction for the project is approximately $1 billion. The skyscraper will contain 1.6 million square feet of Class A commercial space, a public transit hall and a 14,000-square-foot public plaza. The development will also include $220 million worth of public transit improvements to the Grand Central transit hub. When One Vanderbilt is complete, the building is expected to be the second tallest office tower in New York City, reaching heights of 1,401 square feet, according to Tishman. The tower will be second only to One World Trade Center, which Tishman also built. Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) designed the building to pay homage to the Grand Central Terminal and fit into the skyline alongside the Chrysler Building, located one block away from the development site. The developers plan to achieve LEED v4 Gold certification for the project. Primary construction is scheduled to begin in 2016, with completion expected in 2020. — Katie Sloan

June 21, 2016

Features Multifamily Seniors Housing Top Stories

Greystone: 5 Ways to Get More Out of Class B Seniors Housing Properties

by Christina Cannon June 21, 2016

There are a lot of ways to increase and unlock value in lower-quality seniors housing, according to the June 2016 Seniors Housing Market Trend Report from Greystone Real Estate Advisors. According to Senior Care Investor’s annual report, Class A properties reaped $248,500 per unit for assisted living and $243,300 per unit for independent living communities in 2015. Class B properties, comparatively, earned only $138,300 per unit for assisted living and $72,900 per unit for independent living. In 2015, approximately 60 percent of assisted living properties sold were Class B, while 40 percent were Class A. In independent living, approximately one-third of the properties sold were Class A, while two-thirds were Class B. In Greystone’s report, the writers distinguish three different factors — physical location, asset quality and operational performance — that set Class A and Class B properties apart. The report outlines five ways to boost value if a property is lacking in one of those measures. 1. Add amenities — Location is extremely important when it comes to the value of an asset, the report suggests. Since this factor is out of the owner’s control when disposing of a property, owners should focus on increasing the quality of the …

June 21, 2016

California Retail Top Stories Western

Two Southern California Shopping Centers Change Hands for $352M

by Nellie Day June 20, 2016

LOS ANGELES AND SAN DIEGO — Savills Studley has arranged the sale of a pair of shopping centers in Southern California for a combined sales price of $352 million. In the first transaction, ROIC California purchased North Ranch Shopping Center, a 146,625-square-foot neighborhood shopping center in the Los Angeles submarket of Westlake Village, for $122.8 million. Ralphs Fresh Fare, Rite Aid, Trader Joes and Petco anchor North Ranch. It is located at 3815-3963 Thousand Oaks Blvd., one block from the 101 Freeway. In the second transaction, Stockbridge Capital Group purchased Mira Mesa Marketplace, a 487,807-square-foot regional shopping center in San Diego, for $229 million. Smart & Final Extra, CVS, Home Depot, Edwards Theatre, Ross, Old Navy and Barnes & Noble anchor Mira Mesa. It is located off Interstate 15 on Mira Mesa Boulevard. Bill Bauman and Kyle Miller of Savills Studley’s National Retail Services Group represented the unidentified seller of the two properties. ROIC California is an entity of the Retail Opportunity Investment Corp., a publicly traded REIT. Stockbridge Capital Group is a real estate investment firm headquartered in San Francisco. — Nellie Day

June 20, 2016

Illinois Midwest Mixed-Use Retail Top Stories

Intercontinental Real Estate Sells Retail, Entertainment Property in Chicago for $133M

by Christina Cannon June 17, 2016

CHICAGO — Intercontinental Real Estate Corp. has sold the River East Center, a 251,060-square-foot, mixed-use property in the Streeterville area of downtown Chicago. A joint venture between Wheelock Street Capital and Madison Capital purchased the center for $133 million, according to Crain’s Chicago. The buyer has plans to rebrand the property, which is situated on 2.8 acres encompassing an entire city block. Intercontinental Real Estate paid $117.5 million for the property in early 2006, according to Crain’s. The three-story retail and entertainment complex sits on top of a four-story underground parking garage with 1,154 spaces. The property also features an 18-story Embassy Suites hotel and a 58-story, 620-unit luxury condominium tower, neither of which are included in the sale. Tenants at the retail and entertainment center include AMC Theatres, Lucky Strike, LA Fitness, FTW Chicago, Walgreens, Bright Horizons, NIU Sushi, Bellwether restaurant and BMO Harris Bank. Located at 322 E. Illinois St., River East Center is 97.8 percent leased. HFF arranged financing for the transaction. — Christina Cannon

June 17, 2016

Affordable Housing Florida Multifamily Southeast Top Stories

The Wilson Co. Sells Affordable Housing Portfolio in Florida to Starwood for $563.5M

by John Nelson June 16, 2016

TAMPA, FLA. – The Wilson Co., a Tampa-based affordable housing developer and manager, has sold a 31-property portfolio of affordable housing communities in Florida for $563.5 million. Totaling 8,498 units, the portfolio is heavily concentrated in Orlando and Tampa. Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD), an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group, purchased the assets, which were developed between 1995 and 2004 using Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). On average, maximum allowable rents across the portfolio are approximately $350 below average rents at nearby market-rate communities. The portfolio was more than 97 percent occupied at the time of sale. “This transaction represents the beginning of a new era for LIHTC investment sales,” says Doug Childers, managing director of HFF’s investment sales team, which represented The Wilson Co. in the transaction. “Traditionally, LIHTC transactions have attracted primarily private, regional capital providers. HFF’s affordable housing experts were able to educate institutional investors regarding the portfolio’s relatively low cash-flow volatility and the regulatory and operational nuances associated with LIHTC communities. As a result, we were able to create a competitive bidding process that included large, institutional investors,” added Childers. Childers led HFF’s investment sales team in the transaction, along with HFF’s senior managing director …

June 16, 2016

cbre-research-change-in-construction-employment-2005-2015

Features Industrial Top Stories

Labor Shortages Are Driving Up Construction Costs, Says CBRE

by Haisten Willis June 16, 2016

A new research report from CBRE says that despite the global collapse of commodity prices — including many key inputs to construction — overall construction costs continue to rise nationwide. This is largely because of worker shortages that have driven up labor costs, offsetting any savings on materials. In January, average total construction costs in the United States registered a year-over-year increase of 1.8 percent, according to the RSMeans Construction Cost Index (CCI). Since January 2011, the national CCI has increased by an annual average of 2.3 percent, resulting in a cumulative 11.8 percent increase during that period. “The price of materials is just one driver of overall construction costs,” says Andrea Cross, head of research for the Americas at CBRE and co-author of the report. “The cost of construction labor tends to be much more variable across geographies and over time, so it typically has a larger impact on overall cost trends.” Cross also notes that the collapse of the housing market and subsequent recession affected supply-side dynamics for new construction throughout the country, as a substantial number of construction workers left the industry during the downturn and never returned. Nationally, the number of workers employed in construction-related occupations …

June 16, 2016

District of Columbia Hospitality Southeast Top Stories

The Watergate Hotel Reopens Following $125M Renovation

by Haisten Willis June 15, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following a nine-year renovation process, The Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. has reopened its doors after $125 million in upgrades. New York-based developer Euro Capital Properties owns the famous hotel property, which had been closed for renovations since 2007. The hotel consists of 336 guestrooms, half of which include balconies, and 32 suites. Located on the banks of the Potomac River at 2650 Virginia Ave. N.W., The Watergate Hotel was originally designed by Italian architect Luigi Moretti in 1961 to look like a sail on the river. It opened in March 1967, and its name is synonymous with the political scandal that started with a break-in at the Democratic National Convention headquarters, which was located in an office complex connected to the hotel. The scandal would eventually lead to the 1974 resignation of President Richard Nixon. For the renovations, Ron Arad and Italian design firm Moroso added curves and mid-century modern design, while restoring some of the hotel’s original structures such as its staircase and indoor pool. Architectural and interior design firm BBGM was the architect for the project. “The Watergate is undoubtedly one of the most glamorous and illustrious hotels in the world,” says Rakel Cohen, …

June 15, 2016

Mixed-Use Multifamily New York Northeast Office Retail Top Stories

WinnDevelopment, GDD Properties Break Ground on $200M Redevelopment of The Sibley Building in Rochester

by Katie Sloan June 14, 2016

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — WinnDevelopment and GDD Properties, in a public-private partnership with New York State, have broken ground on the $200 million redevelopment of The Sibley Building, located at the intersection of East Avenue and East Main Street in downtown Rochester. The Sibley Building opened in 1868 as the city’s first department store, and earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The property will be rebranded as Sibley Square, with the name, logo and signage to be changed in the coming weeks. The phased redevelopment will begin with the $100 million construction of 96 modern apartments on the ninth through 12th floors of the building. Phase I will also include the addition of boutique retail, local artisan foodservice tenants, office space and active senior living apartments, as well as a complete rehabilitation of the façade and windows of the property. The residential components of the building will be named The Lofts at Sibley and The Residences at Sibley. Leases for active adult units at The Residences will be available by the end of this year. Redevelopment of the top floor of the building, once home to the Tea Room of the Sibley Department Store, is …

June 14, 2016

Features Multifamily Office Retail Top Stories

Walkability On the Rise in America’s Major Cities, Study Finds

by Haisten Willis June 14, 2016

A new report from George Washington University finds that metropolitan areas in the United States are shifting toward developing more walkable areas, reversing a trend that dates back more than half a century. Christopher Leinberger and Michael Rodriguez of The George Washington University School of Business wrote the report, titled “Foot Traffic Ahead, Ranking Walkable Urbanism in America’s Largest Metros.” “The end of sprawl is in sight,” the authors write. “The nation’s largest metropolitan areas are focusing on building walkable urban development.” For what may be the first time in 60 years, the report finds that walkable urban places (WalkUPs) in all 30 of the largest metros are gaining market share over their drivable suburban competition, which is often accessible only by car. This has been coupled in recent years by substantially higher rental premiums in the office and retail sectors. The 30 metro areas measured include 46 percent of the nation’s population (145 million of 314 million) and 54 percent of the national GDP. They were measured based on the current percentage of occupied walkable urban office, retail and multifamily rental square feet in their WalkUPs. The top walkable metro areas are as follows: The study found that walkable …

June 14, 2016

New York Northeast Office Retail Top Stories

French Billionaire Buys Manhattan Office, Retail Building from Thor Equities for $525M

by Nellie Day June 13, 2016

NEW YORK CITY — French billionaire Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière has purchased a 100,000-square-foot office and retail building in Manhattan for $525 million. The building is located at 693 Fifth Ave. in Midtown’s Plaza District. The 20-story property’s retail component houses the flagship store of international luxury brand Valentino. It includes four full levels of retail space with 50 feet of Fifth Avenue frontage. Notable office tenants include Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Louis Licari and Phillips Auctioneers. Thor Equities acquired the building in 2010 from Japanese department store Takashimaya for $142 million. Thor then restructured the interior to create a multi-level retail space, which Valentino occupied in 2013. The renovation included a modern floor-to-ceiling window façade from the ground level through the eighth floor. Thor also worked with designer David Chipperfield to create a new building lobby. Thor Equities owns a number of other properties on Fifth Avenue including 685 Fifth Ave., the future home of the new Coach global flagship store. “We continue to believe strongly in the retail and office market on Fifth Avenue and throughout New York City,” says Joe Sitt, Thor’s CEO. “However, after successfully implementing our business plan of improving this prime retail and office location …

June 13, 2016

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