DEDHAM, MASS. — JLL has arranged a $190 million loan for the refinancing of Legacy Place, a 675,000-square-foot shopping center in Dedham, a southwestern suburb of Boston. Whole Foods Market, The Apple Store, L.L. Bean and Showcase Cinemas anchor the center, which was built in phases between 2008 and 2009 and renovated between 2020 and 2022. Other tenants include Nike, Athleta, Industrious, Shake Shack, Lululemon, Sephora, Sweetgreen and Yard House. The property sits on a 37-acre site at the corner of I-95 and U.S. Route 1 within a trade area that totals more than 1.3 million people. A syndicate of lenders consisting of Wells Fargo and Truist provided the financing to the borrower, a partnership between Boston-based WS Development and Nuveen Real Estate. Brett Paulsrud, Henry Schaffer, Hugh Doherty, Chris Angelone and Zach Nitsche of JLL arranged the debt. Specific loan terms were not disclosed. According to the capital markets team that worked on the deal, Whole Foods is the most highly trafficked store in Massachusetts for the Austin-based grocer, and Legacy Place as a whole is the most visited lifestyle center in New England. “This transaction further proves that in spite of macroeconomic headwinds, large-format retail properties in premier …
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McBride Cohen Receives Financing for First Phase of 3.2 MSF Mixed-Use Project in Tempe, Arizona
by Jeff Shaw
TEMPE, ARIZ. — The McBride Cohen Co. has received a $53.2 million mezzanine loan to develop the first phase of South Pier at Tempe Town Lake, a waterfront mixed-use project in Tempe. South Pier is a seven-phase project that will span 18 acres and 3.2 million square feet along the southern shoreline of Tempe Town Lake. The first phase of South Pier will consist of 724 multifamily units across three towers, as well as parking garage with 850 spaces, 280 spaces of surface parking and 26,500 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. Construction on the first phase began in January and is slated for completion by spring 2026. The Davis Experience is the architect for the project and Clayco is the general contractor. At full build-out, South Pier will offer 18 total buildings, including thousands of housing units, 600,000 square feet of high-rise office space, two hotels and South Pier Isle, an entertainment district providing dining, retail, night life and entertainment venues. South Pier Isle also includes the Arizona Amazing Wheel, an 80-meter-tall observation wheel. The development site is located adjacent to the main campus of Arizona State University. Pearlmark originated the mezzanine loan on behalf of Pearlmark Mezzanine Realty …
NEW YORK CITY — Douglaston Development has started construction of a $320 million multifamily project in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The 474,000-square-foot development is located at 1057 Atlantic Ave. in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Upon completion, the community will rise 17 stories and offer 456 units of mixed-income housing. The units, 137 of which will be affordable housing, will be offered in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations. A partnership between BEB Capital and Totem began assembling the site in 2019. Douglaston recently acquired the site for $66 million from the partnership, retaining both parties as co-developers for the project. TerraCRG brokered the transaction. Shared amenities will include a fitness center, lounge, golf simulator, game room, screening room, children’s playroom and a landscaped rooftop deck with views of Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline. In addition to the residential portion of the community, the development will also feature 31,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Greystone Capital Advisors arranged funding for the project, which includes $185 million in construction financing placed through Wells Fargo Bank, M&T Bank and BankUnited. Funds managed by Ares Real Estate have also acquired preferred interest in the development, which is slated for completion in late 2025. New …
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. — Pharmaceutical giant Moderna Inc. has acquired a newly constructed biomanufacturing facility totaling 140,000 square feet in the Boston suburb of Marlborough for $91 million. Oxford Properties Group sold the speculative property, which is located at 149 Hayes Memorial Drive. Oxford originally acquired the vacant, 24-acre site in 2021 and developed it into a two-story, purpose-built biomanufacturing facility. The development features a clear height of 36 feet, four loading docks and multiple freight elevators. The facility is scheduled to open in late 2024 after undergoing substantial build-out for Moderna, which plans to generate more than 200 new jobs in Marlborough by 2026. “While initially developed with a plan to lease the asset and hold for the long term, Moderna’s unsolicited offer to acquire the property allowed us to expedite our business plan execution,” says Chad Remis, Oxford’s North America executive vice president. Oxford’s biomanufacturing portfolio in North America totals 1.4 million square feet with an additional development pipeline of roughly 600,000 square feet. Its largest concentration of facilities is in the Boston region. The Boston metro area ended 2022 with $6.7 billion in life sciences venture capital funding, according to Oxford. “Boston continues to be an unparalleled market …
McCarthy, Mortenson Complete $940M Animal Disease Research Facility in Manhattan, Kansas
by Jeff Shaw
MANHATTAN, Kan. — McCarthy Mortenson NBAF, a joint venture between builders McCarthy Building Cos. and Mortenson Construction, has completed the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, approximately 55 miles west of Topeka and 115 miles west of Kansas City. Development costs for the animal disease research facility were estimated at $940 million. Developed to ensure public health and the safety and security of the nation’s food supply, the 707,000-square-foot facility is located on a 48-acre site. It is designed with stringent containment, blast-resistant and anti-terrorism requirements, as well as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) high-wind design criteria adopted by the Department of Homeland Security. NBAF features laboratories functioning at multiple biosafety levels, including the first facility in the United States with biosafety level 4 containment capable of housing large livestock. The lab portions total 574,000 square feet, while the freestanding, 87,000-square-foot Central Utility Plant houses boilers, chillers, emergency diesel generators and other support elements for the main laboratory facility. In addition to having multiple laboratories, NBAF will also have a biologics development module to explore the development and production of potential vaccines, diagnostic platforms and veterinary medical countermeasures. The property will functionally replace the aging Plum Island Animal …
Global Net Lease to Acquire Necessity Retail REIT, Creating $9.6B Shopping Center Company
by Jeff Shaw
NEW YORK CITY — Global Net Lease (NYSE: GNL) and The Necessity Retail REIT (NASDAQ: RTL) have entered into a merger agreement under which GNL will acquire RTL in an all-stock transaction. The combined company is expected to own and manage over 1,350 properties with an aggregate real estate asset value of approximately $9.6 billion. Under terms of the merger agreement, GNL stockholders are expected to own approximately 45 percent of GNL post-closing, RTL stockholders are expected to own about 39 percent, and the owner of the former external manager is expected to own up to 17 percent. The merger is projected to generate approximately $21 million in annual cash savings realized within 12 months of transaction close, according to the companies. The combined entity will be internally managed, with external asset and property management functions to be performed by AR Global. Internalizing management is expected to result in approximately $54 million in annual cash savings. Headquartered in New York City, Global Net Lease is a publicly traded REIT that focuses on commercial properties with an emphasis on sale-leaseback transactions involving single-tenant, mission-critical, income-producing net lease assets across the United States and in Europe. Its portfolio features 311 properties totaling 39.3 million square feet across 11 …
PHOENIX — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA) has arranged the sale of and acquisition financing for 700 N. 4th St., a multifamily high-rise in downtown Phoenix. The 27-story property offers 234 luxury units in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations near the city’s Roosevelt Row Arts District. Units average around 643 square feet and include 9-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows; stackable washers and dryers; walk-in showers; and keyless smart lock entry. The community was built in 2021, according to Apartments.com. The community features an eighth-floor amenity deck, 27th-floor sky lounge and a rooftop deck. Shared amenities include a fitness center, resort-style swimming pool and spa, demonstration kitchen with bar seating, and collaborative and private work spaces. Steve Gebing, Cliff David and Peter Katz of IPA represented the undisclosed seller and procured the buyer, Weidner Apartment Homes, in the transaction. Brian Eisendrath, Cameron Chalfant, Jake Vitta and Jesse Zarouk of IPA’s capital markets team arranged acquisition financing on behalf of the buyer. The price was not disclosed. A number of multifamily developments are currently underway in Phoenix, underscoring demand for this type of property within the market. Recent projects include a 403-unit community in Phoenix’s midtown neighborhood; a 19-building multifamily project that is nearing …
DALLAS — ZOM Living has received a $109 million loan for the refinancing of Atelier, a 41-story luxury apartment tower in the Dallas Arts District. The property consists of 417 units, including 53 lofts. Floor plans range from 500 to 2,300 square feet. Designed by Stantec, Atelier features a lobby meant to emulate an art gallery. Local organizations showcase rotating public art installations and host events on site. The property also features 15,000 square feet of ground-level retail space that is leased to dining, arts and entertainment concepts. Atelier is roughly 93 percent leased. Amenities include an infinity edge pool, yoga lawn, outdoor lounge, fitness center, coworking space, private wine lockers, an entertainment lounge, catering kitchen, resident market and pet spa. The building is within walking distance of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Museum of Asian Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. ZOM continues to expand its footprint in the Texas market, where it has had an active presence for the past 20 years and has completed over a dozen residential projects. “This refinancing underscores the strength of the Texas market, which is experiencing a surge in housing demand and leads the nation …
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — New York City-based SJP Properties has unveiled plans for the second and third phases of the HELIX Health + Life Science Exchange, a $731 million life sciences development in New Brunswick, about 45 miles south of Manhattan. Developed in partnership with New Brunswick Development Corp., Phase II of the project will be known as H-2 and will feature 600,000 square feet of build-to-suit lab and office space that can accommodate a range of users. The final phase of HELIX, H-3, will include a 42-story mixed-use building that will have traditional office space and 220 units of housing in addition to life sciences space. The first phase of HELIX, known as H-1, is currently under construction adjacent to Rutgers University’s campus in the downtown area. Totaling 574,000 square feet, H-1 will house the New Jersey Innovation HUB, the new home of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a Rutgers translational research facility equipped with a variety of labs. The initial phase of the project will also have a 10,000-square-foot market hall with food options and a 3,000-square-foot restaurant that opens onto a 70-foot-wide plaza. The site of the four-acre innovation district is across the street from …
Walker & Dunlop Arranges $140M Refinancing for Soho Beach House Club, Hotel in Miami Beach
by John Nelson
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — Walker & Dunlop Inc. has arranged a $140 million loan for the refinancing of Soho Beach House, a private members club and hotel in Miami Beach. Located along Collins Avenue, the property includes a seven-story main building with 35 suites and amenities and a 16-story beachfront tower comprising 15 full-floor suites. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA and Citi Real Estate Funding Inc. provided the 10-year, fixed-rate, interest-only loan. The borrower, an affiliate of global private members social club Soho House & Co. (SHCO), is using the proceeds to repay existing debt, repatriate equity and cover financing and closing costs. Jonathan Schwartz, Aaron Appel, Adam Schwartz, Keith Kurland, Ari Hirt, Triston Stegall and David Kasten of Walker & Dunlop arranged the loan. The team brought in numerous financing options for the borrower, an entity doing business as Beach House Owner LLC, which ultimately chose the loan package from JPMorgan Chase and Citi. “We were able to differentiate Soho Beach House as a marquee asset given the sustainability of its highly recurring membership revenue model and the impressive profitability of the asset through the cycle,” says Hirt, managing director at Walker & Dunlop. “In this challenging capital markets environment, …