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CHICAGO AND NEW YORK CITY — Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) has agreed to acquire an 11-property apartment portfolio from Blackstone (NYSE: BX) for $964 million. The acquisition is the largest U.S. multifamily purchase by any public real estate investment trust in the past seven years, according to reports by The Wall Street Journal.  The portfolio includes four properties totaling 1,357 units in Atlanta; four properties totaling 1,237 units in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area; and three properties totaling 978 units in Denver. Further details on the communities were not disclosed.  The properties were attractive to Equity Residential — one of the largest owners of multifamily assets in the U.S. with 79,738 units across 299 properties — due to their locations in markets where the Chicago-based firm is targeting growth, as well as the properties’ appeal to high-end renters. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter and will include separate transactions with Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Blackstone Real Estate Partners and Blackstone Property Partners. Eastdil Secured, RBC Capital Markets, Santander and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) acted as Blackstone’s financial advisors in the transaction. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett served as Blackstone’s legal counsel. Neal Gerber & Eisenberg, Hogan …

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BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare Corp. has agreed to sell its 70 percent majority ownership interest in Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham for roughly $910 million. Orlando Health is the buyer in the all-cash transaction.  The sale will include five hospitals located in the Birmingham metro — Brookwood Baptist Medical Center, Princeton Baptist Medical Center, Walker Baptist Medical Center, Shelby Baptist Medical Center and Citizens Baptist Medical Center. Affiliated physician practices and other related operations are also included in the transaction. The sale is expected to close this fall, subject to customary regulatory approvals, clearances and closing conditions.  Under the agreement, Conifer Health Solutions, a subsidiary of Tenet Healthcare Corp., will enter into a new and expanded 10-year contract to provide revenue cycle management services to the hospitals and related operations.  According to a press release issued by Tenet, its equity interest in the Brookwood Baptist Health joint venture generated pre-tax income of approximately $12 million over the 12-month period that ended June 30.  Tenet has been a seller in recent years. In 2015, Georgia-based WellStar Health System purchased five metro Atlanta hospitals and related operations from Tenet for $575 million, marking the seller’s exit from the Georgia market. …

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WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. — The U.S. Department of Commerce, which works with businesses and universities to promote job creation and economic growth, has agreed to a preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with semiconductor manufacturer SK hynix for its new $3.9 billion manufacturing plant in Indiana. The manufacturer, part of South Korean-based SK Group, announced in April that its advanced packaging and research-and-development (R&D) facility was coming to Purdue Research Park, an office and industrial research park adjacent to the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette. The PMT includes $450 million in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act and an additional loan of up to $500 million. The funding will contribute to SK hynix’s production of high-bandwidth-memory (HBM) semiconductors (or computer chips) for AI supply chain security technology in the United States. These new-generation HBM chips will be mass-produced and packaged onsite and will have more processing power than SK hynix’s current chips, which process 1.18 terabytes of data per second. “We are excited about the Department of Commerce’s support, through the CHIPS and Science Act, of the largest semiconductor production facility located at a university in the United States,” says Mung Chiang, president of Purdue University. “This …

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NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between locally based investment firm The Dermot Co. and Dutch pension fund PGGM has acquired 20 Exchange Place, a 57-story apartment tower in Manhattan’s Financial District, in an off-market transaction. The deal marks the seventh property acquired by this partnership. Multiple news outlets, including Crain’s New York Business and the New York Business Journal, report that the sales price was $370 million. The seller was a partnership led by DTH Capital, a New York City-based owner-operator focused on converting office buildings into residential complexes. The new ownership plans to implement a value-add program to unit interiors and amenity spaces. The property was originally constructed in 1931 as the headquarters of Citigroup’s predecessor, City Bank Farmers Trust Co. Following a multifamily conversion, which began about 20 years ago, 20 Exchange Place now features 767 apartments in studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans. Amenities include a fitness center, coworking lounge, children’s playroom, gaming room and an outdoor terrace. Theater operator Emursive occupies the building’s ground-floor retail space. “This rare opportunity, which came to us through an existing relationship, has enabled us to acquire an iconic property at a highly attractive basis that is significantly below replacement …

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Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati

CINCINNATI — The City of Cincinnati has selected ASM Global to open and operate the Duke Energy Convention Center (DECC), which is currently undergoing a $240 million renovation. The 750,000-square-foot facility closed for construction on July 1. Once renovations are complete, DECC will feature upgraded meeting space and ballrooms, an expansive rooftop terrace and major improvements to building systems and technology, making it more energy efficient. The project will add 12,000 square feet to the exhibit hall. Plans also call for the construction of a two-acre park and outdoor convention area. The convention center is slated to reopen in January 2026. Prior to closing for renovations, the venue hosted 63 events in 2024 with more than 292,540 attendees combined. DECC will be part of a new convention district in the city. Plans include a $480 million new convention headquarters hotel, which is being constructed on an existing surface parking lot just south of the convention center. Once completed, the hotel will feature 800 rooms, as well as 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with junior and senior ballrooms, 15,000 square feet of retail space, a pool and outdoor amenity deck. “The operations and management of the reinvented DECC will …

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CHICAGO — During a conference call held yesterday, executives of Equity Commonwealth (NYSE: EQC) announced that the Chicago-based office REIT is going to wind down its operations and liquidate its four remaining office assets. David Helfand, president and CEO of Equity Commonwealth, cited “uniquely challenging market conditions” as the impetus behind the move as the company was previously pursuing a major acquisition that ultimately wasn’t executed. “After working through our pipeline, we have been unable to consummate a compelling transaction,” said Helfand, who noted that the firm had also been trying to sell three of its remaining office properties as discussed in the first-quarter earnings call. “As a result, our board of trustees has determined that it’s advisable and in the best interest of our shareholders to proceed with the wind down of our operations and the liquidation of our assets in order to maximize value for shareholders.” Equity Commonwealth was founded in 1986 by Barry Portnoy under the name CommonWealth REIT. In 2014, the late REIT champion and billionaire investor Sam Zell took over operations of the company alongside a new board of directors, including Helfand. The REIT was rebranded to Equity Commonwealth and began trading on the New …

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ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta, through Atlanta Urban Development (AUD), has unveiled plans for three new affordable housing projects, including the redevelopment of the Mall West End. Together, the projects will add nearly 350 affordable housing units for residents earning up to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). At least one community is scheduled to begin lease-up by the second quarter of 2025, with the others beginning construction this fall and summer 2025. The Mall West End would be the largest of the redevelopments, transforming the 12-acre mall into a 1.7 million-square-foot mixed-use development. BRP Cos. is the developer. Key elements of the Mall West End redevelopment plan include: approximately 120,000 square feet of retail space, including a grocery store, fitness center, food and beverage, and local boutiques; 893 mixed-income rental units; 152 beds of student housing; a 150-key hotel; 12,000 square feet of medical office space; and community amenities. The project site is located steps from four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that make up the Atlanta University Center — Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College. According to a news release from the city, the Mall West End redevelopment …

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LUTZ, FLA. — Argyle Real Estate Partners and Sembler Investments Real Estate Partners (SIREP) have acquired a 576-unit multifamily portfolio located in Lutz, roughly 14 miles north of downtown Tampa. The acquisition includes the communities Sage at Cypress Cay and Lantana at Cypress Cay.  Built in 2022, Sage at Cypress Cay totals 324 units. Apartments at the property feature one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Amenities include a resort-style pool with outdoor kitchens and firepits, a clubhouse, fitness center, dog park and pet spa.  Lantana at Cypress Cay was developed in 2023 and comprises 252 units. According to a press release issued by Argyle, the property includes residences and amenities comparable to those of Sage of Cypress Cay. The buyers plan to implement minor capital improvements at Lantana at Cypress Cay.  Both communities are situated near the University of South Florida (USF), Veterans’ Hospital and Advent Health’s main hospital campus.  “With approximately 30,000 healthcare and education jobs in the immediate vicinity, and their proximity to downtown Tampa, these two properties are well positioned to benefit from these growing and diverse employment hubs and provide quality living solutions to these employees,” says Mark Sembler, chief executive officer of SIREP.  — Hayden Spiess

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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

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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