Top Stories

Women’s Retailer The Limited Closes Remaining 250 Stores

by John Nelson January 10, 2017

BOCA RATON, FLA. — Following last week’s announcement of massive store closures by Macy’s and Sears, The Limited is following suit, announcing over the weekend the closure of all its remaining 250 brick-and-mortar stores. The women’s apparel retailer posted a brief message on its website on Saturday reading “We’re sad to say that all The Limited stores nationwide have officially closed their doors. But this isn’t goodbye. The styles you love are still available online — we’re just a quick click away 24 hours a day.” Sun Capital Partners Inc., a Boca Raton-based private equity firm and owner of The Limited, has not issued a press release on the closure, but released a statement to Reuters citing “an increasingly challenging environment for mall-based retail and women’s apparel” as the catalyst for its decision to shutter the remaining stores. The move is expected to eliminate about 4,000 jobs, including 800 full-time positions, according to Reuters. The Limited Inc. was founded in 1963 in Columbus, Ohio, by Leslie “Les” Wexner, who now serves as the chairman and CEO of L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB). Known for being a stylish alternative to department stores, The Limited grew to 100 stores by 1976 and …

January 10, 2017

Features Top Stories

Survey: 95 Percent of Foreign Investors Plan to Maintain or Boost U.S. Investment in 2017

by Jeff Shaw January 10, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The vast majority of foreign investors in U.S. real estate will either maintain or increase their level of investment from 2016 to 2017, according to a newly released survey conducted by the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE). AFIRE is a Washington, D.C.-based organization assisting and representing foreign investors, with over 200 members from 22 countries. According to the organization’s survey, 95 percent of its members will spend the same or more on U.S. real estate in 2017 as they did in 2016. Members of AFIRE are among the largest international institutional real estate investors in the world and have an estimated $2 trillion in real estate assets under management globally. The survey was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2016 by the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, Wisconsin School of Business. City-by-City Breakdown For the seventh year in a row, New York City was named the top U.S. investment city by AFIRE’s members, and for the third year in a row was No. 1 globally. The other top five U.S. cities, in order, were Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle and San Francisco. For the first time since the survey began in 1992, Washington, …

January 10, 2017

GSK Global Vaccine Centre, Rockville, Md.

Maryland Southeast Top Stories

BioMed Realty Sells 635,058 SF Research Facility in Maryland for $337.5M

by Jeff Shaw January 9, 2017

ROCKVILLE, MD. — BioMed Realty has sold the GSK Global Vaccine Centre, a three-building, 635,058-square-foot vaccine research and development facility in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Rockville, for $337.5 million. The buyer was not disclosed. Originally built in 2003, the facility is situated on a 28-acre site in the heart of the Interstate 270 corridor, known as “DNA Alley” for its high density of biotech companies. The location is near the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute Headquarters, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the University of Maryland Shady Grove Life Sciences Center and Johns Hopkins University Belward Campus. The GSK Global Vaccine Centre is fully leased to GSK, a subsidiary of British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, which announced its move into the property in December 2016. The campus will house up to 450 scientists and support staff working on 12 vaccine development programs, including potential vaccines for shingles, dengue fever, respiratory syncytial virus and Group B Streptococcus. The property is GSK’s third global vaccine center, following its existing facilities in Italy and Belgium. HFF’s Jim Meisel, Dek Potts, Andrew Weir, Stephen Conley and Matt Nicholson represented BioMed in the sale. Kevin MacKenzie, Cary Abod and Lee Redmond, also …

January 9, 2017

Retail Southeast Top Stories Virginia

O’Connor Capital Acquires 265,000 SF Shopping Center in Charlottesville, Virginia for $121.1M

by Kristin Harlow January 6, 2017

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — O’Connor Capital Partners has acquired The Shops at Stonefield in downtown Charlottesville, near the University of Virginia, for $121.1 million. The 265,000-square-foot lifestyle shopping center is located at the intersection of Hydraulic Road and Route 29. The Shops at Stonefield was nearly 90 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Trader Joe’s, lululemon athletica, Vineyard Vines, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Brooks Brothers, Orvis, bluemercury and Regal Cinema. The shopping center was built in two phases in 2013 and 2016 and features a Costco, which was not part of the transaction. Concurrent with the acquisition, L.L. Bean has leased 15,000 square feet at the center with plans to occupy the space this summer. O’Connor Capital purchased the asset from Edens. Peter Bergner of O’Connor Capital’s Palm Beach office will handle leasing for The Shops at Stonefield. O’Connor Capital is an institutional real estate investment, management and development firm based in New York City. Edens develops, owns and operates community-oriented shopping places in primary markets across the country. — Kristin Hiller

January 6, 2017

Illinois Midwest Ohio Retail Top Stories

‘Challenging Retail Environment’ Prompts Macy’s, Sears to Shutter Stores

by John Nelson January 5, 2017

CINCINNATI AND HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. — Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) and Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) both announced on Wednesday plans to close a large number of department stores in an effort to improve their long-term operating performance. Macy’s will close 68 stores and Sears will close 150 non-profitable stores comprising 109 Kmart and 41 Sears locations. “We are taking strong, decisive actions today to stabilize the company and improve our financial flexibility in what remains a challenging retail environment,” says Edward Lampert, chairman and CEO of Sears Holdings. “We are committed to improving short-term operating performance in order to achieve our long-term transformation.” Jeff Green, president of Jeff Green Partners, a retail consultancy based in Phoenix that works with retailers and shopping center owners, suspects that the footprint of these department stores has contributed to the recent woes of Macy’s and Sears. “Department stores, by sheer definition, are oversized for this changing retail environment and may be a critical factor, though only one factor, in deciding which stores to close,” says Green. “It is interesting to see just how large some of the older stores on the Macy’s store closure list are. For example, two suburban stores to be …

January 5, 2017

Features Top Stories

Cushman & Wakefield U.S. Macro Forecast: Expect 2017 to be Stronger, Bumpier Than 2016

by John Nelson January 5, 2017

NEW YORK — Following a turbulent year in 2016, the U.S. economy and commercial real estate markets are positioned to perform well in 2017, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s latest U.S. Macro Forecast. The report provides Cushman & Wakefield’s forward-looking stance on the U.S. economy, commercial real estate and the risks/assumptions that underlie the forecast. “Even before the election, the U.S. economic fundamentals were showing signs of heating up,” said Kevin Thorpe, Cushman & Wakefield’s global chief economist. “We observed a big GDP number in the third quarter, accelerating wage growth, surging consumer confidence — a string of really robust trends were already forming. Now when you layer in the expected tax cuts and spending multipliers from the new administration, it creates an even stronger economic backdrop for the property markets heading into 2017.” Although it will take time for policy to form, Cushman & Wakefield expects that President-elect Trump, alongside a Republican-controlled House and Senate, will deliver fiscal stimulus measures that will further boost the U.S. economy and property markets. That said, Thorpe notes that some of the expected growth in fiscal policy will be negated by tighter monetary policy, higher interest rates, higher inflation and more global volatility. …

January 5, 2017

Office Texas Top Stories

J.C. Penney Sells 1.8 MSF Home Office Campus in Plano for $353M

by Nellie Day January 4, 2017

PLANO, TEXAS — J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) has sold its home office campus and 45 surrounding acres of land in Plano to Dreien Opportunity Partners for $353 million. The 1.8 million-square-foot asset is known as Campus at Legacy West. J.C. Penney plans to lease back approximately 65 percent, or 1.1 million square feet, of the campus, with the remaining space available for new tenants. The building lease expense would be offset by a reduction in maintenance costs, property taxes and interest expense as a result of paying down debt with proceeds from the transaction, according to the apparel and home furnishings retailer. “Since we began exploring the sale of our home office, we have been quite pleased by the level of interest in the building,” says Marvin Ellison, J.C. Penney’s chairman and CEO. “This transaction also represents a significant financial milestone for the company, as proceeds from the sale give us the opportunity to reduce outstanding debt and make improvements to our workspace, creating a modern and efficient environment.” Eight office wings that span 56.8 acres flank the three-story office building. The Class A campus is situated near the intersection of Dallas North Tollway and State Highway 121 within the …

January 4, 2017

California Hospitality Top Stories Western

Carey Watermark Investors 2 Acquires The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

by Katie Sloan January 3, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO — Carey Watermark Investors 2 Inc. (CWI 2) has acquired The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco for an undisclosed price. The 336-room hotel is located in the heart of the Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco along the California Cable Car line. The nine-story building was originally developed in 1909 and designed by Napoleon Le Brun & Sons of New York. The property received landmark status from the City of San Francisco in 1984, and re-opened as The Ritz-Carlton in 1991. Over $20 million of capital improvements have been completed since 2014. Recent improvements include the renovation of all guest rooms; updates to the lobby, including the addition of two retail outlets; the addition of a fitness center; renovations to the L’Occitane Spa, which includes a wine tasting lounge and jewelry boutique; and renovations to the hotel’s meeting space, which includes a 9,400-square-foot ballroom and 2,200 square feet of interior courtyard and function space. The Ritz-Carlton Company LLC, an affiliate of Marriott International, will continue to manage the property following the sale. The seller was not disclosed. Carey Watermark Investors 2 is a non-traded, publicly registered REIT that invests primarily in the hospitality sector. Affiliates of W. P. Carey Inc. …

January 3, 2017

Mixed-Use New York Northeast Top Stories

Blackstone Mortgage Provides $200M Acquisition Loan for Historic Falchi Building in Long Island City, New York

by Kristin Harlow December 23, 2016

LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. — Blackstone Mortgage Trust has provided a nearly $200 million loan for the acquisition of the historic Falchi Building in Long Island City, Queens. Savanna, a New York City-based real estate investment manager, purchased the mixed-use building from Jamestown LP. The five-story, 711,194-square-foot building occupies a full city block bounded by 47th and 48th avenues. Originally constructed in 1922, the building at one time served as a warehouse and distribution facility for Gimbels department store. The Gimbels chain of stores closed in 1987. Falchi is currently 90 percent leased to tenants such as City of New York, Uber, Lyft, Spaces (Regus), Juice Press and Doughnut Planet. Savanna will implement a $35 million capital improvement plan at Falchi. The improvements will focus on building amenities and infrastructure work for the office tenants, such as upgrading building systems, modernizing elevators, renovating common corridors and bathrooms and developing new ground-floor retail. Mitch Arkin, Joe Grotto Jr., Haley Fisher, Dan D’Agnes and Kelli Berke of Cushman & Wakefield will work closely with Savanna to lease the property’s office space. David Tricarico, also of Cushman & Wakefield, will handle retail leasing. Eastdil Secured brokered the sale and arranged acquisition financing. Savanna …

December 23, 2016

Office Oregon Top Stories Western

Ashforth Co. Sells Pacwest Center Office Tower in Portland for $170M

by John Nelson December 22, 2016

PORTLAND, ORE. — The Ashforth Co. and an unnamed institutional investor partner have sold Pacwest Center, a 30-story, 545,000-square-foot office tower in Portland’s central business district. The $170 million sale of Pacwest Center is Portland’s largest office transaction in 2016, according to HFF, which represented the seller in the transaction. HFF also procured the buyer, LPC Realty Advisors I LP, on behalf of a pension fund client. LPC Realty Advisors is an investment advisory affiliate of Dallas-based Lincoln Property Co. Completed in 1984, Pacwest Center is located at 1211 S.W. 5th Ave. within the 57-block Transit Mall, which has more than 1 million square feet of development currently underway. The office tower features parking for 413 vehicles through valet and self-parking and is an Energy Star-rated building. The new ownership plans to renovate PacWest Center by modernizing the common spaces, main lobby and shared amenities. The tower was 76 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Merrill Lynch, Markowitz Herbold, Schwabe, Key Bank of Oregon and Perkins & Co. Nick Kucha and Michael Leggett led the HFF investment sales team. Based in Stamford, Conn., The Ashforth Co. owns, develops and invests in assets on the East …

December 22, 2016

Newer Posts

Older Posts