Top Stories

LD&D Plans $200M Cass Square Mixed-Use Project in Tampa, Florida

by Jeff Shaw January 19, 2024

TAMPA, FLA. — LD&D, an investment, development and design firm headquartered in Miami, has unveiled plans for its $200 million Cass Square mixed-use project in downtown Tampa. LD&D plans to break ground on Phase I of the project, a luxury multifamily tower, this summer. The 28-story multifamily building will be called DoMo at Cass Square. The high-rise community will offer 360 units, as well as more than 45,000 square feet of amenities, a 586-space parking podium and 32,500 square feet of ground-floor retail. Planned amenities include a wellness area, 10,000 square feet of co-working space, a pickleball court and a sky lounge on the 26th floor. Future phases of Cass Square will include various retail offerings and a 10-story hotel. The development will also feature a pedestrian paseo connecting the residential and hotel sections with restaurants and other retail experiences. LD&D has partnered with Dynamic Group and Marriott to develop the hotel portion, which will be a 178-key Element by Westin property. Amenities will include a fitness center with food and beverage programs and a pool. Rooms will feature double-height ceilings and windows. The developers expect to break ground on the hotel by the end of the year. LD&D acquired …

January 19, 2024

Affordable Housing Development Illinois Midwest Multifamily Top Stories

Related Midwest Breaks Ground on 72-Story Multifamily Development in Chicago’s Streeterville Neighborhood

by Katie Sloan January 18, 2024

CHICAGO — Related Midwest has broken ground on 400 Lake Shore, a two-tower multifamily development located along the Chicago River in the city’s Streeterville neighborhood. Related is building the project on a site left vacant after plans to build the Chicago Spire skyscraper were abandoned nearly two decades ago. Phase I of the project will include the construction of the development’s 72-story North Tower. The 1.1 million-square-foot North Tower will offer 635 multifamily units, 20 percent of which will be affordable housing. The development will also include 4.5 acres of open and green space, including the construction of DuSable Park in partnership with the Chicago Park District. The development will also include an expansion of the Chicago Riverwalk Founder’s Way walking path. Construction on Phase One is scheduled for completion in early 2027. The Chicago Office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed both towers, which include nods to the city’s architectural history and geography. March and White designed the building interiors, with locally based Stantec serving as the architect of record for the project. The development team for Phase I includes LR Contracting and BOWA Construction. A collaboration between The Illinois Housing Development Authority, Wells Fargo and other undisclosed financial institutions …

January 18, 2024

Acquisitions New York Northeast Restaurant Retail Top Stories

Whopper of a Deal: Burger King Owner Agrees to Buy Largest Franchisee for $1B

by Kristin Harlow January 17, 2024

TORONTO AND SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) has agreed to acquire Syracuse-based Carrols Restaurant Group Inc. for $1 billion. RBI (NYSE: QSR) owns the Burger King, Popeyes, Firehouse Subs and Tim Hortons brands. Carrols (NASDAQ: TAST) is the largest Burger King franchisee in the United States, operating 1,022 locations in 23 states. Burger King says the transaction is part of its “Reclaim the Flame” plan to accelerate sales growth and drive franchisee profitability. The transaction follows the brand’s initial $400 million investment announced in September 2022 to drive high-quality remodels, improve operations, enhance marketing and support ongoing technology and digital priorities. Burger King plans to remodel restaurants over the next five years by investing approximately $500 million of capital, funded by Carrols’ operating cash flow, to remodel roughly 600 acquired restaurants that are not currently considered “modern image.” Carrols will continue to operate the acquired restaurants in partnership with Burger King’s operations teams. Burger King ultimately plans to refranchise the vast majority of the portfolio to new or existing smaller franchise operators who live in their local communities. Following refranchising the acquired restaurants, which Burger King expects to be completed in five to seven years, Burger …

January 17, 2024

Acquisitions Hospitality Southeast Tennessee Top Stories

Noble Investment Group Acquires Downtown Nashville Hotel for $82M

by Taylor Williams January 16, 2024

NASHVILLE, TENN. — Noble Investment Group has acquired the Holiday Inn Express | Nashville Downtown hotel. The seller, number of rooms and sales price were not disclosed, but the Nashville Business Journal reports that the Atlanta-based investment firm paid approximately $82 million for the property. The publication also reports that the price is nearly a third less than what the previous owner paid for the property. Located at 920 Broadway in the city’s entertainment district, the hotel is located within walking distance of more than 100 live music venues, the Music City Center, Bridgestone Arena, more than 500 bars and restaurants and over 100 shopping outlets. The hotel’s physical amenities include an outdoor pool and a business center. “Nashville remains among the most dynamic growth markets in the country, with a highly diversified demand base across multiple segments,” says Dustin Fisher, vice president at Noble Investment Group. Nashville has been a consistent growth center in the Southeast for over 30 years, growing by more than 2 percent every year from 1991 to 2020, according to Macrotrends. The metro-area population more than doubled in that time, from 643,000 in 1994 to more than 1.3 million in 2024. — Taylor Williams

January 16, 2024

Development Georgia Hospitality Southeast Top Stories

Hilton Opens 976-Room Signia by Hilton Hotel in Downtown Atlanta

by John Nelson January 15, 2024

ATLANTA — Hilton Worldwide Holdings (NYSE: HLT) has opened Signia by Hilton Atlanta in the city’s downtown district. At 976 rooms and 1.3 million square feet, the project represents the largest hotel development in the city in at least 40 years, according to Hilton. The property is also the first new-build hotel for the company’s Signia brand, as well as the first Signia property in Georgia. The Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA), which owns and operates the adjacent Georgia World Congress Center, is the owner of the Signia hotel. Development costs were not disclosed, but the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that the project cost roughly $450 million to develop. Built on the grounds of the former Georgia Dome, a sports and concert arena that was demolished in November 2017, the 42-story hotel is the lodging component of the GWCCA’s “Championship Campus,” which is self-described as “North America’s largest combined convention, sports and entertainment destination.” The campus also includes Georgia World Congress Center, Centennial Olympic Park and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is the home arena of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United. The hotel is also adjacent to State Farm Arena, home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, and Centennial …

January 15, 2024

Affordable Housing Development Loans Multifamily New York Northeast Seniors Housing Top Stories

KeyBank Arranges $571.7M Financing Package for Affordable Seniors Housing Property in Rochester, New York

by Katie Sloan January 12, 2024

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — KeyBank has arranged a $571.7 million financing package for Andrews Terrace, a 526-unit affordable seniors housing property located along the Genesee River in Rochester. A partnership between Conifer Realty and Community Preservation Partners owns the property and has announced renovation plans. Located at 125 St. Paul St., Andrews Terrace was built in 1975 and consists of two residential buildings, one rising 19 stories and the other 22 stories. The towers offer studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments for seniors and disabled residents. The buildings are connected on the first floor with elevated walkways throughout. Under an existing Housing Assistance Payment contract, 496 of the community’s apartments are reserved for residents earning up to 50 percent of the area median income (AMI), with 30 apartments set aside for those earning 60 percent or less of AMI. Renovations for the 557,602-square-foot community will include kitchen upgrades and bathroom refurbishment in each unit, and renovations to common areas including the lobby, community room, management office, maintenance shop and parking garage. The project will also include the addition of a community garden, seating and grilling area, bocce ball courts, fitness room, game room, reading nook, two community rooms, new mailboxes and a …

January 12, 2024

Acquisitions California Life Sciences Top Stories Western

Breakthrough Properties Acquires Majority Stake in $236M Callan Ridge Life Sciences Campus in San Diego

by Jeff Shaw January 11, 2024

SAN DIEGO — Breakthrough Properties Inc. has acquired a 65 percent stake in Callan Ridge, a 185,000-square-foot research campus in San Diego’s Torrey Pines scientific research area. Healthpeak Properties (NYSE: PEAK), the project’s developer, retains a 35 percent stake in the asset. The formation of the joint venture values Callan Ridge at $236 million. Healthpeak began construction of the Callan Ridge campus in 2021. The two-building asset is fully leased to Turning Point Therapeutics Inc., a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., through April 2035. The lease on 105,000 square feet commenced in July 2023. The lease on the remaining 80,000 square feet will commence in July of this year. The three-story, two-building complex augments part of Healthpeak’s 20-acre Torrey Pines Science Park. Callan Ridge features numerous sustainable features, including a canopy with integrated solar panels; electrochromic windows that change color to control sunlight and heat throughout the day; recycled steel and concrete; and drought-tolerant landscaping. The joint venture plans to pursue LEED Gold certification for the campus. The property also offers amenities such as a fitness center, restaurant, roof deck and patio space, as well as 506 parking stalls. Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects designed the development. According to Healthpeak, Callan …

January 11, 2024

Affordable Housing Development Florida Mixed-Use Multifamily Southeast Top Stories

Whitman Family Development Unveils Plans for Mixed-Use Expansion at Bal Harbour Shops in Miami

by Kristin Harlow January 10, 2024

MIAMI — Whitman Family Development has submitted plans for a mixed-use project at its Bal Harbour Shops in Miami’s Bal Harbour village. Plans call for 600 apartment units, 40 percent of which are earmarked for workforce housing and 60 percent of which will be luxury housing. There will also be a 70-room, 20-story hotel and an additional 45,700 square feet of retail space. Bal Harbour Shops comprises more than 100 shops, restaurants and entertainment options. The open-air, luxury retail center, which is home to brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Tiffany & Co. and Valentino, is currently undergoing a $550 million retail expansion that will add about 250,000 square feet, nearly doubling the center’s current retail space. The expansion will accommodate the addition of 35 new upscale stores and restaurants. The new housing development is made possible by Florida’s Live Local Act, a bipartisan bill passed by the Florida legislature last year in response to the critical need for affordable and attainable housing statewide. The legislation enables developers to build at higher density and building heights, so long as they commit to including attainable housing units. The law requires that local municipalities approve mixed-use residential projects in any area zoned commercial …

January 10, 2024

Development Florida Mixed-Use Multifamily Retail Southeast Top Stories

Terra, Grass River Property Complete Grove Central Mixed-Use Development in Miami

by John Nelson January 9, 2024

MIAMI — Terra and Grass River Property, two Miami-based development firms, have completed construction of Grove Central, a transit-oriented, mixed-use development in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood. The property comprises a 23-story apartment tower, 1,250-space public parking garage and 170,000 square feet of retail space leased to tenants including Target and Sprouts Farmers Market. Grove Central is a public-private partnership between the co-developers and Miami-Dade County, which owns the land. The development is located at the intersection of US Highway 1 and SW 27th Avenue and connects to the adjacent Coconut Grove Metrorail Station. The project interfaces directly with The Underline, a 10-mile linear park that stretches from the Dadeland South Metrorail Station to the Miami River in downtown’s Brickell district, as well as Miami-Dade County’s bus system and the City of Miami’s trolley network. According to Terra and Grass River Property, Grove Central generated more than 1,600 construction jobs during its development and nearly 500 permanent full-time and part-time positions. The project has also spurred tens of millions of dollars in lease revenue to Miami-Dade County, which can collect property tax revenues for the first time in the site’s history. “Grove Central is an exciting milestone and a shining example …

January 9, 2024

Development New York Northeast Office Top Stories

Vornado Realty Trust Nears Completion of $750M Repositioning of Manhattan Office Building

by Taylor Williams January 8, 2024

NEW YORK CITY — Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO) is nearing completion of a $750 million repositioning of PENN 2, a 1.8 million-square-foot office building that sits atop the Penn Station transit hub in Midtown Manhattan. PENN 2 will sport architectural features such as a modern glass curtain wall, a triple-height lobby that opens onto a new plaza on 33rd Street and a six-story podium comprised of 105,000 square feet of column-free, double-height space. Above the 33rd Street plaza is a 280-person town hall space with a flexible seating system that can support large-scale keynote talks, private media screenings, banquets, conferences, workshops and open-floor exhibitions. PENN 2 also offers 72,000 square feet of outdoor green space, including an outdoor terrace atop the podium and a landscaped 17,000 square-foot rooftop park that is available to all tenants. The building sits across the street from Madison Square Garden, which houses its global headquarters within the office space. The larger PENN District campus is home to major tenants such as Meta, Morgan Stanley, Amazon, The Hartford, Cisco Systems and Samsung. “The reimagined PENN 2 appeals directly to innovation-oriented companies seeking an ultra-premium, hospitality-infused office environment that offers a one-seat ride for workers throughout the …

January 8, 2024

Newer Posts

Older Posts