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BOCA RATON, FLA. — A joint venture between BH Group and PEBB Enterprises has acquired the Office Depot headquarters campus in Boca Raton for $104 million.  The 650,000-square-foot asset was built in 2008 on 28.9 acres as a build-to-suit development for Office Depot. The buyers plan to renovate the property to make it a multi-tenant campus, then lease approximately half of the space back to Office Depot.  The property features three five-story, LEED Gold-certified office buildings with backup generators and hurricane-proof windows. Amenities include an onsite cafeteria, outdoor patio, fitness center, conference center, auditorium and two parking garages. Located three miles west of I-95, the campus sits adjacent to famed golf course The Old Course at Broken Sound and 700-acre master-planned community The Park at Broken Sound. The complex is also located 1.5 miles north of Lynn University and the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, as well as three miles north of Florida Atlantic University. John Criddle, Joe Freitas and Max Pawk of CBRE will market the vacant space for lease following the renovations. “For the first time since the campus was constructed, the North Tower office building will be available as a multi-tenant property with floorplates of approximately 40,000 square feet,” says Joe Freitas. …

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BOSSIER CITY, LA. — The Cordish Cos. has announced an agreement to acquire Diamond Jacks Casino & Hotel, located in Bossier City in northwest Louisiana.  Subject to approval by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, Cordish plans to redevelop the property into a casino resort and entertainment destination. Closed since March 2020, the development will be the first in the state of Louisiana under Cordish’s Live! brand, which offers dining, entertainment, casino, hotel and sports-anchored entertainment spaces. The seller and acquisition price were not disclosed. Cordish was the development partner for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino properties in Hollywood and Tampa, Fla., and its assets include the Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland in Hanover, Md.; Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia and Live! Casino Pittsburgh; and the Texas Live! Development within the Arlington Entertainment District in North Texas, where Cordish is currently underway on $1 billion of construction adjacent to the property. Additionally, the company has new developments in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Foundation Gaming & Entertainment LLC will partner with Cordish to complete the project. — Hayden Spiess

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LOS ANGELES — KBS has sold Union Bank Plaza, an office tower totaling 675,945 square feet in downtown Los Angeles. The buyer, Waterbridge Capital, purchased the asset for $104 million and assumed approximately $6 million in committed capital obligations to existing tenants. Designed by local architect A.C. Martin and built in 1967, Union Bank Plaza comprises a 40-story office tower, two-level retail center, two-acre landscaped outdoor plaza and four-level parking structure. Amenities include electric vehicle car charging stations, storage areas, an onsite bank and carwash. Located at 445 S. Figueroa St., the asset is named for anchor tenant Union Bank, which has occupied the building since its construction and leases 30 percent of the property. At the time of sale, the building was 62 percent leased. The property recently underwent a $22 million renovation, including a remodeled lobby with upgraded elevator cabs as well as improvements to the outdoor plaza that include fire pits, workspaces and new seating. Union Bank Plaza is the first skyscraper in Los Angeles to become an historical landmark nominated by the Los Angeles Conservancy. It also recently achieved The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) recognition from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Greater …

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BOSTON — Skanska USA has received approval from the Boston Zoning Commission for the redevelopment of a 5.8-acre site in Boston that currently houses Simmons University’s residential campus into a 1.7 million-square-foot mixed-use destination. The Boston Planning and Development Agency approved Skanska’s plans for the overall development, named Longwood Place, earlier this year. Global architecture firm Sasaki designed the transit-served development, which is slated to feature five buildings that will house life sciences, office, apartments, retail and restaurant space. In addition, Longwood Place will feature 2.6 acres of open green space and 15,000 square feet of indoor community space. Located at 305 Brookline Ave. in Boston’s Longwood neighborhood, Longwood Place will be situated a half-mile from Fenway Park, home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox. Nearby institutions include Simmons University, Emmanuel College, Northeastern University, Boston Children’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. “A focus on delivering diverse spaces inside and out that surround high-performing life sciences buildings and a vital residential program make Longwood Place a vibrant addition to one of Boston’s most innovative neighborhoods,” says Meredith McCarthy, senior associate architect at Sasaki. As part of the master plan of …

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SALT LAKE CITY AND BUFFALO, N.Y. — Extra Space Storage Inc. (NYSE: EXR), a Salt Lake City-based REIT, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Buffalo-based REIT Life Storage (NYSE: LSI) in an all-stock transaction. According to multiple news outlets including The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, the deal is valued at $12.7 billion. The combined portfolio will yield the largest self-storage operation in the country, with over 3,500 locations spanning over 264 million square feet that serve more than 2 million customers. In announcing the deal, executives of both REITs noted that combining their respective platforms creates opportunities to maximize value for shareholders via additional scaling of third-party management services and access to elevated levels of joint-venture equity and bridge-loan debt for future developments and acquisitions. Under the terms of the agreement, Life Storage shareholders will receive roughly nine-tenths of a share of Extra Space common stock for each share of Life Storage stock that they own. At closing, Extra Space and Life Storage shareholders are expected to own approximately 65 percent and 35 percent of the combined company, respectively.  The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction, and the deal is expected to …

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BOSTON — MassDevelopment, Massachusetts’ state development finance agency and land bank, has issued $151.7 million in tax-exempt bonds to public housing authorities in the Boston suburbs of Brookline, Cambridge, Framingham and Medford. The proceeds will be used to renovate and preserve 368 units of housing for families, seniors, individuals living with disabilities and people experiencing homelessness. Additionally, the bonds will be used to create 46 new affordable apartments as well as to upgrade common areas, infrastructure, safety systems and landscaping. Brookline Housing Authority will use $40 million in proceeds to renovate the Sussman House Apartments in the southwest Boston suburb of Brookline. The community is a 100-unit complex that was built in 1969. Renovations include installing a new roof, windows and exterior cladding system; replacing the central heating and cooling system; upgrading elevators and unit interiors; and a new community room. Cambridge Housing Authority will use $21 million in proceeds to renovate and expand its building at 116 Norfolk St. in Cambridge, which is across the Charles River from Boston. The property, which was built in 1920, will be converted from 38 single-room units into studio apartments with their own kitchens and full bathrooms. Additionally, the project calls for 24 …

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SAN DIEGO — The University of California Board of Regents has approved plans to develop a new student center and 2,400-bed residence hall on the University of California San Diego campus. The two projects will cost $1.1 billion, according to reports by The San Diego Union Tribune. Construction on both developments is set to begin this summer.  The four-building student center, named Triton Center, is set for completion in 2026. One of the buildings will be home to the university’s student health, mental health and well-being services. This property will include an urgent care space; primary care, pharmacy and wellness services; and a new home for the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services department. Triton Center will also include an alumni and welcome center; a multi-purpose building with a 500-person event space; an art gallery; and a student academic resources building. The residence hall, Ridge Walk North Living and Learning Neighborhood, is scheduled to open in time for fall semester 2025 and will serve undergraduate students. The building will also include updated administrative and teaching space for the university’s Thurgood Marshall College, School of Global Policy and Strategy, and the Department of Economics in the School of Social Sciences.  Ridge Walk will …

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OSAGE BEACH, MO. — SkyView Partners and Tegethoff Development, along with Fred Ross, owner of Big Thunder Marine, are set to begin construction this summer on Oasis at Lakeport in Osage Beach within Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks. The $350 million family resort and entertainment district will span 25 acres. The development team most recently announced an agreement with Marriott International for the construction of a 400-room, full-service Marriott Hotels property as part of the project. The hotel, to be managed by Texas-based Aimbridge Hospitality, will feature a 26,000-square-foot conference center, full-service spa, outdoor pool, fitness center, pickleball courts and restaurants. The hotel will be located adjacent to a 50,000-square-foot, fully enclosed waterpark to be constructed by OpenAire. American Resort Management will operate the waterpark. Construction of both the hotel and waterpark is slated for completion in 2026. An amusement park and 1,000-space parking garage are scheduled to open in summer 2024. Amusement offerings will include roller coasters, thrill rides and family rides, as well as a 200-foot-tall observation wheel. Oasis at Lakeport is being developed along the Lakeport property acquired by Big Thunder Marine in 2021. Big Thunder Marine is a boat dealer in Lake of the Ozarks. The …

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Crescent Communities plans to break ground Wednesday on The River District, a master-planned community on Charlotte’s west side. The development will span 1,400 acres between the Catawba River and Charlotte Douglas International Airport, including 500 acres of preserved land. Upon completion, The River District will feature 5,000 residences (single-family homes and apartments), 8 million square feet of commercial space, hotels and seniors housing apartments. Crescent expects the development to generate more than $5.6 billion of gross annual economic impact for the region and state. “The River District’s location along the Catawba River, Charlotte’s only major body of water, will provide urban amenities and public access to the riverfront that has not previously been available to Charlotte,” says Chase Kerley, managing director of Crescent Communities. The first series of milestones includes delivering major utility and roadway infrastructure for The River District’s first phase, Westrow. The 70-acre area will feature a range of residential offerings including apartments, townhomes and single-family residential lots, as well as small retail spaces, restaurants, event space and offices. Westrow will also include trails, parks, an event lawn and a two-acre working farm. Crescent’s NOVEL brand will anchor the first phase with 514 market-rate apartments, …

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RALEIGH, N.C. — First Citizens Bank has entered into an agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FIDC) to acquire Silicon Valley Bank following the California-based regional lender’s collapse earlier this month. Under the terms of the deal, First Citizens Bank will purchase all loans and certain other assets and assume all customer deposits and certain other liabilities out of receivership from the FDIC. This assumption includes approximately $110 billion in assets, $56 billion in consumer and business deposits and $72 billion in outstanding loans. In addition, First Citizens Bank will receive a line of credit from the FDIC to ensure its own liquidity throughout the purchase process. First Citizens Bank has also entered into a loss-share agreement with the FDIC to provide further downside protection against potential credit losses. First Citizens Bank will not acquire any assets, common stock, preferred stock or debt of SVB Financial Group, the former holding company of Silicon Valley Bank. Frank Holding Jr., chairman and CEO of First Citizens Bank, said in a prepared statement that at the most fundamental level, the acquisition allows his company to scale its platform by adding new lines of business in new markets. He specifically cited the appeal …

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