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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wegmans Food Markets Inc., a Rochester, N.Y.-based grocer, plans to open a 110,000-square-foot store in Charlotte. Located along North Community House Road, the grocery store will be situated within Ballantyne, Northwood Investors’ 2,000-acre master-planned development on the south side of Charlotte adjacent to the South Carolina border. Wegmans aims to open the new store by the third quarter of 2026. The store will feature all traditional Wegmans departments, including produce, seafood, meat, bakery, deli, cheese and wine and beer. Additional offerings will include Meals2Go and catering, online shopping capabilities, a floral shop, coffee and home goods. The store will also have a market café with indoor and outdoor seating for customers dining at one of Wegmans’ multiple food outlets. “We’ve received hundreds of requests from locals asking for a store in their area, and we’ve spent years looking for exactly the right location,” says Dan Aken, vice president of real estate and store planning at Wegmans. The new Wegmans will be located on the east side of Ballantyne and half a mile from Northwood’s The Bowl at Ballantyne mixed-use development, which is currently under construction. The project will feature a wide array of retail and restaurant tenants …

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Samsung_Austin-Texas

AUSTIN AND TAYLOR, TEXAS — South Korea-based Samsung Electronics will receive up to $6.4 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act for multiple projects at two separate locations in Central Texas. The U.S. Department of Commerce has signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with the tech giant, which now plans to increase its investment in the state of Texas to $40 billion.  Funding will be used for the development of new facilities in Taylor — roughly 35 miles northeast of Austin — as well as for the expansion of Samsung’s existing Austin facility. The proposed investment is expected to support the creation of more than 20,000 jobs, including 4,500 manufacturing positions. Samsung, which has been manufacturing computer chips in the United States since 1996, previously announced plans for the Taylor facilities and an investment of $17 billion in November 2021. The company also plans to claim the Department of the Treasury’s investment tax credit, which is expected to cover up to 25 percent of qualified capital expenditures.  In Taylor, the manufacturing site will include two fabrication plants, a research-and-development (R&D) facility focused on the development and research of new technology and an advanced packaging facility …

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NEW YORK CITY — L&L Holding Co. has received a $911 million loan for the refinancing of 425 Park Avenue, a 47-story office tower located in the Plaza District of Midtown Manhattan.  Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank was the lead lender and administrative agent on the five-year, floating-rate loan. The proceeds will be used to pay off a 2021 loan of the same size, which was used to fund final construction and leasing efforts at the tower, which opened in 2022. L&L Holding, along with co-developer Tokyu Land US Corp. and co-managing partner BGO, broke ground on the project in 2016. Foster + Partners designed the asset, which was built to LEED and WELL Core Gold sustainability standards, thanks to energy-efficient mechanical and ventilation systems. 425 Park Avenue totals 670,000 square feet and is currently 90 percent leased, primarily to finance and investment firms. The building’s anchor tenant is Citadel, a multinational hedge fund and financial services company. The company occupies 440,000 square feet across 22 floors. A space near the top of the tower is reserved for an amenity center dubbed The Diagrid Club. The center features outdoor spaces, an art installation by contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama and private rooms for …

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Hyatt-Regency-San-Antonio-Riverwalk

SAN ANTONIO — Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. (NYSE: SHO) has agreed to acquire the 630-room Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk in San Antonio. An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. is selling the asset for $230 million.  The hotel is located centrally on San Antonio’s River Walk, a 15-mile pedestrian street that runs alongside the San Antonio River and is lined by restaurants, shops, museums and theaters. The site is adjacent to the $500 million Alamo Visitor Center and Museum development, which is currently under construction. The hotel recently underwent $37 million in guest room renovations and offers amenities including a fitness center, swimming pool, spa and a 40,000-square-foot event space. The property is also home to a number of onsite restaurants, bars and shops.   The acquisition includes nearly two acres of riverfront land and a 516-space parking garage. The buyer expects to complete the transaction in late April. Sunstone is funding the transaction through cash on hand, using a portion of the proceeds from the company’s $370 million disposition of the Boston Park Plaza hotel last October.  Hyatt will continue to manage the hotel under its Hyatt Regency banner and will pay approximately $8 million in advance to secure …

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NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — The Estate Cos. (EIG) has completed Soleste NoMi Beach, a 23-story luxury apartment tower located on Biscayne Bay in North Miami Beach. The 685,957-square-foot project consists of 367 units as well as 4,460 square feet of indoor and outdoor commercial space that will house Uma Cantina Peruana, a Peruvian fine dining restaurant. Residents have access to a ninth-floor, resort-style pool with a sundeck and cabanas as well as a waterfront promenade and putting green. Additional amenities include a 24-hour health club with a motion studio offering on-demand fitness classes, as well as the Zen Suite, which features a sauna, steam room, rain shower and massage therapy room. A tech lounge is equipped with coworking stations and conference spaces. Residents also have access to a social club, gaming lounge, sky lounge with grills, pet spa, toddler playroom, cinema room and podcast studio. Units come in one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts and range in size from approximately 700 to 1,230 square feet. There are also loft-style townhomes. Monthly rents start at $2,710. The 1.8-acre waterfront property is near beaches, the 1,043-acre Oleta River State Park, Aventura Mall and Bal Harbour Shops. EIG is also developing Soleste NoMi …

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PHOENIX — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) has announced plans to build a third semiconductor plant on its TSMC Arizona campus in North Phoenix. In connection with the announcement, the U.S. Department of Commerce has entered into a preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with the Taiwanese company to provide $6.6 billion in direct funding through the CHIPS and Science Act. The PMT also allows for the federal government to provide TSMC with up to $5 billion in loans. The company plans to apply for U.S. Treasury Department Investment Tax Credits of up to 25 percent of the qualified capital expenditure at TSMC Arizona. Additionally, $50 million of the CHIPS funding at TSMC Arizona will be used in the training and development of the local workforce, according to a statement issued by President Joe Biden. The third factory will increase TSMC’s investment at the Arizona manufacturing site to more than $65 billion. TSMC is making the site the largest foreign direct investment in Arizona history and the largest foreign direct investments in a greenfield project in U.S. history. The company estimates that the three facilities will employ roughly 6,000 direct high-tech jobs, 20,000 construction jobs and tens of thousands of …

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Palazzo-West-Los-Angeles

NEW YORK CITY AND DENVER — Private equity behemoth Blackstone (NYSE: BX) has agreed to acquire AIR Communities (NYSE: AIRC) for $10 billion in an all-cash deal that would take the Denver-based multifamily REIT private. The deal is expected to close during the third quarter. AIR Communities, which is formally named Apartment Income REIT Corp., owns 76 multifamily properties totaling roughly 27,000 units across 10 states and Washington D.C. The properties are primarily concentrated in coastal markets such as Los Angeles, Miami and Boston. Under the terms of the deal, Blackstone will also assume all of AIR Communities’ outstanding debt. Blackstone also plans to invest more than $400 million to maintain and improve the existing communities in the portfolio. The purchase price of $39.12 per share represents a premium of 25 percent to AIR Communities’ closing share price on April 5, 2024, the last full day of trading prior to the announcement. The price also represents a 25 percent premium to AIR Communities’ weighted average share price over the previous 30 days. “AIR Communities represents the highest quality, large-scale apartment portfolio we have ever acquired and is located in markets where multifamily fundamentals are strong,” says Nadeem Meghji, global co-head …

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4000 Union Pacific Ave, Commerce, CA

COMMERCE, CALIF. — 99 Cents Only Stores LLC has announced plans to close all 371 of its stores and wind down business operations. The company has entered into an agreement with Hilco Global to liquidate all merchandise and dispose of fixtures, furnishings and equipment at the stores. Sales under this agreement are expected to begin today. 99 Cents Only was founded in 1982 as a deep-discount retailer where every item cost less than a dollar. The company is headquartered in the southeast Los Angeles suburb of Commerce, and currently operates stores in California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. The company consulted its financial and legal advisors to find a way to continue operating, but ultimately decided the wind-down was necessary and the best way to maximize the value of its assets. Hilco Real Estate will manage the sale of the company’s owned and leased real estate assets. The company has appointed Chris Wells, managing director at Alvarez & Marsal, as chief restructuring officer. Additionally, Mike Simoncic, interim CEO of 99 Cents Only and managing director at Alvarez & Marsal, will step down. “This was an extremely difficult decision and is not the outcome we expected or hoped to achieve,” said Simoncic. “Unfortunately, the …

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Brooklyn Crossing

NEW YORK CITY — M&T Realty Capital Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Buffalo, N.Y.-based M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB), has provided a $414.8 million Freddie Mac conventional loan to refinance Brooklyn Crossing, a 51-story, 858-unit apartment tower in Brooklyn. The borrower is The Brodsky Organization, an owner and developer of luxury apartments, condos and retail properties in New York City. While the majority of the apartments at Brooklyn Crossing are luxury units, 258 are affordable. Located in the posh Prospect Heights neighborhood, the building is immediately adjacent to Barclays Center, home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and WNBA’s New York Liberty.  The property offers studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities include a screening room, large fitness center, rooftop terrace and lounge, and outdoor pool. According to the property website, studio apartments rent for approximately $3,500 a month and three-bedroom units rent for approximately $9,000 monthly. Robert Barry, senior vice president in M&T Realty Capital’s New York City office, led the refinancing. Andrea Wagonseller of M&T Bank led the initial construction loan, which this transaction refinanced.  “With its unparalleled amenities and convenient access to multiple subway lines, Brooklyn Crossing has transformed the Prospect Heights neighborhood,” says Michael Edelman, CEO of …

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FONTANA, CALIF. — JLL Capital Markets has arranged the $197 million sale of Commerce Way Distribution Center in Fontana, which is located about 50 miles east of Los Angeles in the Inland Empire. EQT Exeter was the buyer. Built in 2000, Commerce Way Distribution Center totals 819,004 square feet. Located on Santa Ana Avenue, the property features a cross-dock configuration and a clear height of 30 feet. JLL says the facility benefits from its location in the Inland Empire, the largest industrial market nationwide with immediate access to critical supply chain infrastructure and Southern California’s population of more than 25 million people. As of the fourth quarter of 2023, the vacancy rate for the Inland Empire industrial market was 5.9 percent, a 90-basis-point increase quarter-over-quarter due to a high volume of new industrial space delivered by developers, according to JLL. The market experienced positive net absorption despite the 10.5 million square feet of new space delivered in the quarter. Patrick Nally, Mark Detmer, Evan Moran and Makenna Peter of JLL represented the seller, Manulife Investment Management on behalf of clients, and procured the buyer. JLL’s debt advisory team on the deal included Kevin Mackenzie, Brian Torp and Samuel Godfrey. Mike …

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