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DevelopmentIndustrialTexasTop Stories

EFC Gases & Advanced Materials Plans $210M Semiconductor Manufacturing Plant Near Waco, Texas

by Taylor Williams

MCGREGOR, TEXAS — EFC Gases & Advanced Materials has announced plans for a $210 million semiconductor manufacturing plant in McGregor, a city located about 15 miles southwest of Waco in Central Texas. Massachusetts-based EFC has purchased 195 acres within McGregor Industrial Park to serve as the site of the plant. According to the McGregor Chamber of Commerce, the park spans a little over 2,000 acres and is home to a development and test facility for SpaceX, the rocket and spacecraft company owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The EFC facility will feature a central laboratory, a logistics hub and an administrative building in addition to specialty areas for chemical synthesis operations and gas transfill activities. The City of McGregor has committed to funding infrastructure improvements at the site, including the extension of water and wastewater lines, and assisting in the construction of an industrial rail spur to enhance operational efficiency. The project, a construction timeline for which was not announced, is expected to result in the creation of at least 120 new jobs, according to EFC. EFC’s decision to invest in Texas aligns with the state’s preexisting semiconductor manufacturing operations, which include Samsung’s $17 billion plant in Taylor (metro Austin) …

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Ascension Resurrection Hospital, Chicago
AcquisitionsHealthcareIllinoisMidwestSeniors HousingTop Stories

Prime Healthcare Agrees to Acquire 14 Ascension Healthcare Properties in Metro Chicago, Plans $250M in Improvements

by Jeff Shaw

CHICAGO — Prime Healthcare has agreed to acquire nine hospitals and associated physician practices in Illinois, as well as five post-acute and senior living facilities, from St. Louis-based Ascension. The properties are largely located in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, subject to standard regulatory and canonical approvals. The price was not disclosed. The acquisition includes the following Ascension hospitals: Prime Healthcare also acquired multiple post-acute and senior living facilities operated by Ascension Living: Fox Knoll Village in Aurora; Villa Franciscan Place in Joliet; Heritage Village and Heritage Lodge in Kankakee; and Resurrection Place in Park Ridge. Prime Healthcare plans to invest $250 million in facility upgrades, capital improvements, technology investments and system upgrades to the properties.  According to Prime Healthcare, the company has all available funding for the renovations. No debt will be put on the hospitals to complete the transaction. Additionally, the buyer has agreed to make offers of employment to substantially all associates. “Our agreement with Ascension reflects our decades-long mission of saving, improving and investing in community hospitals,” says Sunny Bhatia, president and chief medical officer of Prime Healthcare. Prime Healthcare is based in Ontario, …

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Wilshire-Rodeo-Plaza-Bevelry-Hills-CA
AcquisitionsCaliforniaMixed-UseOfficeRetailTop StoriesWestern

Tinder Founder Justin Mateen Leads $211M Acquisition of Wilshire Rodeo Plaza Office/Retail Property in Beverly Hills

by Katie Sloan

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — Tinder founder Justin Mateen, his brother Tyler Mateen and their brother-in-law Pouya Abdi have acquired Wilshire Rodeo Plaza, a Class A office and retail complex located at the corner of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard in the posh Los Angeles suburb of Beverly Hills. Nuveen sold the asset for $211 million. The 300,000-square-foot property includes three six-story office and retail buildings along Wilshire Boulevard and a three-story office building along Rodeo Drive.  The buyers plan to rebrand the property as One Rodeo, as well as upgrade and re-program the buildings to cater to luxury retail and office tenants. Current tenants include Merrill Lynch/Bank of America, USB, William Morris Endeavor and Encore Recordings. The Mateen brothers and Abdi view the acquisition as a generational property, and hope to take advantage of the “flight to quality” in a struggling office sector with limited new Class A supply. “Iconic buildings such as One Rodeo will continue to benefit from increased demand as the trend toward high-quality assets continues to unfold in a post-COVID world,” says Tyler Mateen, who is CEO of Cannon TTM, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm. “We are grateful to be acquiring these buildings at …

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United-Center-Redevelopment-Chicago
DevelopmentIllinoisMidwestMixed-UseTop Stories

Bulls, Blackhawks Owners Unveil Plans for $7B Transformation of Chicago Athletic District

by Taylor Williams

CHICAGO — The owners of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks have unveiled plans for the transformation of the area around their shared venue, the United Center. The initiative is known as The 1901 Project, and development costs are estimated at $7 billion. Michael Reinsdorf, CEO of the Bulls and son of owner Jerry Reinsdorf, formally announced the project on Tuesday, July 23. The elder Reinsdorf, along with Blackhawks owner Danny Wirtz, co-owns the United Center, where both teams have played since 1994. The name is a reference to the venue’s address at 1901 W. Madison St. The 1901 Project will be privately funded by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families and developed in phases over approximately 10 years. The areas in question span roughly 55 acres on the city’s west side. Phase I could commence as soon as next spring, pending the completion of various permitting and approvals processes. Preliminary plans call for a mix of uses, including more than 1,000 transit-oriented residential units and a new entertainment venue that can accommodate up to 6,000 people. The residential component will feature both market-rate and affordable housing units. International architecture firm RIOS will lead design and planning. The 1901 …

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Centennial-Yards-x-Cosm
DevelopmentGeorgiaLeasing ActivityRetailSoutheastTop Stories

Cosm to Open Entertainment Venue at $5B Centennial Yards Development in Atlanta

by Hayden Spiess

ATLANTA — Immersive technology, media and entertainment company Cosm has announced plans to open an entertainment venue at Centennial Yards, a $5 billion mixed-use development currently underway in downtown Atlanta.  Situated within the project’s Sports and Entertainment District, the venue will comprise 70,000 square feet across three levels. Architecture firm Gensler is designing the facility.  Dubbed Shared Reality, the venue will feature Cosm’s proprietary technology, including a 12K+ LED dome spanning 87 feet in diameter. Shared Reality will offer immersive live sports viewing through Cosm’s partnerships with entities including ESPN, the NBA, NBC Sports, TNT Sports, FOX Sports and the UFC.  Programming at the venue will also include Cirque du Soleil’s “O” production and immersive art experiences by members of the Cosm Studios Creator Program. An opening date was not disclosed. This marks the first addition to the next phase of Centennial Yards, which will encompass roughly 470,000 square feet of entertainment, retail and restaurant space, as well as a flagship hotel. The new phase of development will be positioned on a 7.5-acre site adjacent to the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz stadium, which is home to the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United sports teams.  Upon full build-out, …

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LoansMultifamilyNortheastPennsylvaniaStudent HousingTop StoriesWalker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop Provides $285.5M Refinancing for Two Student Housing Properties at Temple University in Philadelphia

by Kristin Harlow

PHILADELPHIA — Walker & Dunlop Inc. has provided a $285.5 million loan for the refinancing of Vantage and The View at Montgomery, two student housing properties located on Temple University’s campus in Philadelphia. The Class A communities total 1,816 beds. Completed in 2019, Vantage rises 19 stories with 368 units. The property features more than 30,000 square feet of amenity space, retail offerings and floor plans ranging from studios to four bedrooms. Opened in 2014, The View at Montgomery includes 238 units and is located in the center of Temple University’s main campus. The 14-story building features studios through four-bedroom layouts. The Goldenberg Group acquired the site for Vantage and The View at Montgomery in 2008 as part of a multi-phase student housing project to bring much-needed rental product to Temple University. Walker & Dunlop’s multifamily finance and capital markets teams originated the seven-year, fixed-rate loans through Freddie Mac on behalf of The Goldenberg Group. Additionally, Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners (WDIP) provided a preferred equity investment as part of the refinancings. “In the face of macro headwinds stemming from the financial crisis, the COVID pandemic and nationwide enrollment pressure, the student housing sector has proven its resiliency time and …

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Landmark By Hillwood, Denton, Texas
DevelopmentHospitalityMixed-UseMultifamilyRetailTexasTop Stories

Hillwood Plans 3,200-Acre Landmark by Hillwood Mixed-Use Development in Denton, Texas

by Jeff Shaw

DENTON, TEXAS — Hillwood, a Perot company, has unveiled plans for Landmark by Hillwood, a 3,200-acre mixed-use project in the northern Dallas suburb of Denton. The project team includes Hillwood subsidiaries Hillwood Communities and Hillwood Properties. The plans call for 900 acres of commercial space comprising 5 million square feet of retail, hospitality and entertainment space, approximately 6,000 single-family homes and more than 3,000 multifamily units. The site, which is situated at I-35W and Robson Ranch Road, was previously known as Hunter Ranch. The parcel is one of the original land holdings purchased by the Perot family in 1987. The property encompasses Pilot Knob Hill, the highest point in Denton, according to Hillwood. Once completed, Landmark by Hillwood will offer 1,100 acres of park and open space, including Pilot Knob Hill, as well as an interconnected trail system, recreation areas and public parks. Hillwood also plans to construct a series of learning parks, which aim to promote nature education and engagement and will be open to the public. Hillwood plans to break ground on the first phase of the project this September. Phase I will comprise 747 single-family lots, with models slated to open in spring 2026. Planning and leasing are already underway …

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Chuys-Restaurant-El-Paso-Texas
AcquisitionsCompany NewsFloridaRestaurantRetailSoutheastTexasTop Stories

Darden Restaurants Agrees to Acquire Tex-Mex Chain Chuy’s for $605M

by Katie Sloan

AUSTIN, TEXAS AND ORLANDO, FLA. — Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) has agreed to acquire Chuy’s Holdings (NASDAQ: CHUY) for $605 million in an all-cash transaction.  The Tex-Mex restaurant chain — which owns and operates 101 full-service restaurants across 15 states — will join Darden’s existing restaurant portfolio, which includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, among others.  Under terms of the merger agreement, Orlando-based Darden will acquire all outstanding shares of Chuy’s at $37.50 per share. The purchase price represents a 40 percent premium to the Austin-based company’s 60-day volume weighted price. Chuy’s board of directors unanimously approved the merger agreement, which includes a 30-day “go-shop” period that will allow the company to solicit alternative proposals from interested parties. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2025, subject to a number of closing conditions, including approval by a majority of Chuy’s stockholders.  Darden acquired Ruth’s Chris in summer 2023 for $715 million. The company’s portfolio of restaurant brands also includes Yard House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s and Bahama Breeze. Darden’s stock price closed at $147.35 per share on Thursday, July 17, down from $163.31 one year ago.  …

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ColoradoDevelopmentIndustrialTop StoriesWestern

Philip Morris Plans $600M ZYN Manufacturing Facility in Aurora, Colorado

by Kristin Harlow

AURORA, COLO. — Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) has unveiled plans to invest $600 million over the next two years through one of its U.S. affiliates to open a manufacturing facility in Aurora, just east of Denver. PMI says the facility will produce Swedish Match ZYN nicotine pouches to help meet the growing global demand for smoke-free products. PMI plans to break ground on the development later this year and to begin preliminary operations by the end of 2025. Regular production is slated to begin in 2026. Swedish Match North America is also currently working to increase ZYN oral nicotine pouch production at its facility in Owensboro, Ky. PMI acquired Swedish Match in late 2022. Nicotine pouches are a flavored product marketed as an alternative to smoking or dipping tobacco. Long popular in Europe, they recently skyrocketed in popularity in the United States, fueled by social media influencers, according to ABC News. The project is expected to create 500 direct jobs with ongoing annual economic impact of $550 million and an additional 1,000 indirect jobs for the state of Colorado, according to PMI. The construction is expected to create nearly 5,000 temporary jobs. Career opportunities at the new facility will …

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AcquisitionsIndustrialTexasTop Stories

KKR Acquires 1.8 MSF Industrial Park in Southwest Houston for $234.2M

by John Nelson

HOUSTON — KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), a global alternative asset management investor based in New York City, has purchased Park 8Ninety, a 1.8 million-square-foot industrial park in southwest Houston. Artis Real Estate Investment Trust, a REIT based in Winnipeg, Canada, sold the 12-building park to KKR for $234.2 million. Artis REIT and Trammell Crow Co. (TCC) developed Park 8Ninety in five phases between 2017 and 2022. The 127-acre park features a mix of single-tenant and multi-tenant logistics buildings with clear heights ranging from 24 to 36 feet. Park 8Ninety is situated along Beltway 8 (Sam Houston Parkway) and U.S. Route 90A and features multiple access points to both roads. The park is situated about 20 miles southwest of downtown Houston and 19 miles west of William P. Hobby Airport. “Park 8Ninety is a great addition to our national logistics portfolio and expands our footprint in Houston, which continues to benefit from strong demand fundamentals and comparatively lower supply than many other markets in the United States,” says Ben Brudney, a managing director in the real estate group at KKR who oversees the firm’s U.S. industrial investments. “Park 8Ninety is a high-quality, well-designed, multi-tenant park with a diverse and …

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