Top Stories

LOS ANGELES — Standard Communities, an affordable housing developer and investor based in Los Angeles, has acquired controlling interest in an affordable housing portfolio of approximately 3,200 units in Florida and Georgia. The seller and price were not disclosed. This is Standard Communities’ largest acquisition to date. The portfolio includes the firm’s first acquisitions in Florida and first affordable housing acquisitions in Georgia. “Standard is expanding its portfolio in the Southeast to foster more thriving communities in the region,” says Jeffrey Jaeger, co-founder and principal of Standard Communities. “High-quality, well-maintained affordable housing is crucial to the well-being and livelihood of so many people.” Standard Properties is partnered with Apartment Life, a Dallas-based nonprofit organization that works to increase renters’ access to education and healthcare, foster community engagement, reduce food insecurity and provide opportunities for economic mobility. The firm plans to invest $25 million in capital improvements across the portfolio. Apartment Management Consultants and Arco Management Corp. will manage the properties. Also in Georgia, Standard Communities recently broke ground on a project in Savannah that will convert a 1920s-era Atlantic Coast Line Railroad office building into a 219-unit market-rate apartment community. — Channing Hamilton

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

WHITEHALL, OHIO — N.R. Investments has started construction of a three-phase, $300 million mixed-use project located at the corner of East Broad Street and North Hamilton Road in the Columbus suburb of Whitehall. The development will be named Rockwell District, according to reports by Columbus Business First. The 50-acre project, which is being developed in partnership with the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corp. and the City of Whitehall, is set to include 1,000 residential units, 250,000 square feet of Class A office space and 75,000 square feet of retail and restaurants upon completion. The residential portion of the property will offer a mix of for-sale and for-rent units, 20 percent of which will be dedicated workforce housing. The redevelopment will be fully integrated with the adjacent Whitehall Community Park, an 80-acre nature park with access to Big Walnut Creek, walking paths and sport fields. N.R. Investments is the master developer for the project. Duany Plater-Zyberk, M + A Architects, Ruscilli Construction Co., EMH&T and additional community partners collaborated with N.R. Investments on the site plan for the development. Phase I is scheduled for completion in 2025. The Ohio Department of Development awarded a $4.2 million grant to the City of …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

PITTSBURGH — Dick’s Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) plans to open as many as “75 to 100” new House of Sport stores over the next five years, according to Lauren Hobart, CEO of the Pittsburgh-based retailer. House of Sport is a retail concept that provides interaction and experiences including putting greens, rock walls, batting cages and turf baseball fields, along with sports-related apparel and equipment for sale. There are currently three House of Sport stores in Rochester, N.Y.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Minnetonka, Minn. “House of Sport will be a significant part of our future growth story,” says Hobart. “Over the next two years, we plan to open around 20 additional locations, including downtown Boston and our two hometowns of Pittsburgh and Binghamton, N.Y.” Hobart’s comments came during an earnings call following the release of Dick’s Sporting Goods’ fiscal fourth-quarter 2022 earnings report. According to CNBC, Dick’s outperformed expectations with a 5.3 percent increase in same-store sales during its fiscal 2022, which ended Jan. 28. Analysts predicted the retailer’s same-store sales would rise only 2.1 percent. Dick’s recently announced its decision to exit its Field & Stream brand, which focused on outdoor sports such as fishing and hunting. As a result, the …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

MILLBRAE, CALIF. — JLL Capital Markets has arranged a $310 million construction loan for the development of Avia Labs at Millbrae Station. Located in Millbrae, southwest of San Francisco International Airport, the life sciences development will total 315,000 square feet. Jordan Angel, Lillian Roos and Pat Aslanian of JLL Capital Markets’ debt advisory team secured the loan through Otera Capital for the borrower, Longfellow Real Estate Partners. Longfellow broke ground on Avia Labs on March 1. The six-story, Class A building is targeting LEED Gold and Fitwel certifications and emphasizes both energy efficiency and quality of life for tenants. Onsite amenities will include a fitness center, public café open to the community, large conference spaces, bike storage, two levels of underground parking and a large terrace with city and mountain views. According to the developer, this will be California’s first all-electric life sciences project. All-electric buildings often have reduced construction costs, are easier to maintain and offer a lower carbon footprint than developments that offer multiple energy sources, such as both electric and natural gas. The property is positioned on 2.1 acres at 210 Adrian Road in the North County submarket of the Mid-Peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area. …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — Scout Motors Inc., the electric vehicle division of German automaker Volkswagen, has unveiled plans for an electric vehicle manufacturing plant on a 1,600-acre plot in Blythewood, South Carolina, a suburb of Columbia. The move represents a capital investment of approximately $2 billion and is expected to create about 4,000 jobs. Scout Motors intends to primarily use the plant for the production of trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). At full capacity, the facility should be able to manufacture about 200,000 vehicles annually. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year, and Scout Motors expects the plant to be fully operational by the end of 2026. Of the total acreage of the site, which is bounded by I-77 and Blythewood Road, about 70 percent (1,100 acres) will be dedicated to the manufacturing facilities themselves. The location puts the facility within 20 miles of the state capital’s downtown area. Greg Lubar and Matt Jackson of JLL represented Scout Motors in its site selection efforts. The new trucks and SUVs will be built on a newly designed, all-electric platform. This approach will allow the company’s engineering teams to deliver vehicles with optimal ground clearance, approach angles and payload capacity, as …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

FISHERS, IND. — Thompson Thrift has acquired 62 acres that will be utilized as part of the $550 million expansion to Fishers District in the northeast Indianapolis suburb of Fishers. The firm concurrently sold a portion of the acquired land to the City of Fishers, where the site will be used for the development of a 7,500-seat arena and event center. The overall expansion of Fishers District includes: Slate, a garden-style multifamily community with direct access to Fishers District; the Union, an expansion to the multifamily and commercial options already opened at Fishers District; and the new arena and event center, which will offer additional restaurant, retail and entertainment spaces. Once completed in 2024, the event center will house the Indy Fuel, a minor-league ice hockey team affiliated with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Rockford IceHogs. The event center will also host concerts, theater productions, conventions and other sporting and community events. SCI Architects designed the property. Thompson Thrift began work on the Fishers District development in 2015. The first phase received an award from the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce in 2020. “A project of this magnitude requires patience, persistence and vision,” says Ashlee Boyd, a managing partner at Thompson Thrift Commercial. “We have brought development, design and building experts together …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
44-01-Northern-Boulevard-Cantor Fitzgerald

NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between affiliates of Cantor Fitzgerald and Silverstein Properties has received $165 million in construction financing for 44-01 Northern Boulevard, a multifamily project in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. The 63,000-square-foot development site is located within an opportunity zone, and has received investment from the Cantor Silverstein Opportunity Zone Trust. Banco Inbursa provided the latest round of financing for the project, which is scheduled for completion in spring 2024. The community is set to offer 354 units in a mix of one- and two-bedroom configurations, 25 percent of which will be priced affordably. The property will also feature 25,000 square feet of retail, 20,000 square feet of amenity space and 200 parking spots. Hill West Architects designed 44-01 Northern Boulevard to pay homage to the borough’s industrial past through the use of masonry and blackened metal. Planned amenities include cascading gardens and an expansive gathering lawn; fitness and yoga studios; a children’s play room; resident lounge; and a 10th-floor amenity space with a co-working lounge, library, chef’s kitchen and rooftop deck offering panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline. The Cantor Silverstein Opportunity Zone Trust was created in 2019 with a focus on acquiring and developing real …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

KANSAS CITY, MO. — Co-developers Brain Group and Mercier Street are underway on the conversion of the former Westport Middle and Westport High School campuses in Kansas City into Park 39, a $250 million mixed-use development. The live-work-play campus will be situated on 16 acres at 39th and McGee streets in the city’s Midtown district. Anchoring the project is The Residences at Park 39, a 138-unit apartment community within the four-story former Westport High School. Upon completion, The Residences will include flexible work areas, a fitness center and mailroom, auditorium transformed into modules, conference rooms and library and event spaces for groups large and small. Individual residences will have open floor plans with high ceilings and modern finishes for kitchens, bathrooms and living areas. Each unit will have its own washer and dryer and will range from 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet in size, with expected monthly rents ranging from $950 to $2,000. The building’s new infrastructure will include smart technology and updated electrical, plumbing and fire alarm and protection systems. The original brick-and-stone façade and the front entry of the high school’s original 1908-era building are being preserved and restored, as are the original hardwood floors and …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail

KANSAS CITY, MO. — Co-developers Brain Group and Mercier Street are underway on the conversion of the former Westport Middle and Westport High School campuses in Kansas City into Park 39, a $250 million mixed-use development. The live-work-play campus will be situated on 16 acres at 39th and McGee streets in the city’s Midtown district. Anchoring the project is The Residences at Park 39, a 138-unit apartment community within the four-story former Westport High School. Upon completion, The Residences will include flexible work areas, a fitness center and mailroom, auditorium transformed into modules, conference rooms and library and event spaces for groups large and small. Individual residences will have open floor plans with high ceilings and modern finishes for kitchens, bathrooms and living areas. Each unit will have its own washer and dryer and will range from 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet in size, with expected monthly rents ranging from $950 to $2,000. The building’s new infrastructure will include smart technology and updated electrical, plumbing and fire alarm and protection systems. The original brick-and-stone façade and the front entry of the 1908-era high school are being preserved and restored, as are the original hardwood floors and ceramic tile. …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Countyline-Corporate-Park

HIALEAH, FLA. — Terreno Realty Corp. (NYSE: TRNO), a San Francisco-based REIT, has acquired an industrial development site in the South Florida city of Hialeah for $173.6 million. The seller was not disclosed. The 121-acre site, which formerly housed a landfill, is located within Countyline Corporate Park and is fully entitled for the development of 2.2 million square feet of industrial space across 10 buildings. In addition, the site is adjacent to seven Terreno-owned buildings within Countyline Corporate Park, all of which are fully leased. The location provides users with quick access to the Florida Turnpike and the southern terminus of I-75. Construction is already underway on a 191,000-square-foot rear-load building and a 506,000-square-foot cross-dock building. At the time of sale, those buildings were approximately 30 percent preleased. Terreno expects to fully complete construction sometime in 2025. At that time, the buildings will offer a combined 660 dock-high doors, 22 grade-level loading positions and parking for 1,875 cars. The company estimates that the total price tag for the project will be about $491 million. The stock price of Terreno Realty Corp. opened at $63.79 per share on Monday, Feb. 27, down slightly from $69.69 per share a year ago. — …

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail