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DevelopmentMichiganMidwestMixed-UseOfficeTop Stories

Bedrock, GM Unveil Redevelopment Proposal for Renaissance Center in Downtown Detroit

by Kristin Harlow

DETROIT — Developer Bedrock and General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) have unveiled a conceptual plan to redevelop the Renaissance Center (RenCen) and 27 acres along the Detroit riverfront. According to the companies, the plan preserves the essence of Detroit’s skyline, right-sizes the RenCen’s footprint and connects the site to the heart of downtown. A surrounding entertainment district would feature restaurants, hospitality, residential and market space and complement Detroit’s Riverwalk, which draws more than 3.5 million annual visitors to the city. The project has an estimated price tag of $1.6 billion, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. First opened in 1976, RenCen is widely considered Michigan’s most iconic and recognizable property and serves as the headquarters of GM. The automaker purchased the asset in 1996 and has invested more than $1 billion in improvements to date. Earlier this year, GM unveiled its plans to leave RenCen for Hudson’s Detroit, the redevelopment of the former J.L. Hudson’s department store currently underway by Bedrock. GM plans to take occupancy in 2025. GM and Bedrock established a partnership earlier this year to study redevelopment opportunities for the RenCen site along with the City of Detroit and Wayne County. A team of urban planners, architects and …

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Lakeshore-Mall-Redevelopment_Gainesville-Ga
DevelopmentGeorgiaMixed-UseRetailSoutheastTop Stories

Branch Properties Plans Mixed-Use Redevelopment of 492,798 SF Lakeshore Mall in Gainesville, Georgia

by Hayden Spiess

GAINESVILLE, GA. — Branch Properties has announced plans for the redevelopment of Lakeshore Mall, a 492,798-square-foot retail property located in Gainesville, roughly 55 miles northeast of Atlanta.  Plans for the mixed-use redevelopment include 305,444 square feet of retail space, as well as 652 multifamily units and 38,200 square feet of outdoor community greenspace. The property will also have the capacity for the future development of a hotel and townhomes.   Current Lakeshore Mall anchors Dick’s Sporting Goods and Belk will remain open throughout the project, with the former relocating to a new space within the development.  The Atlanta-based developer, which acquired the property in 2022, will soon initiate the development of regional impact (DRI) process with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), with the groundbreaking scheduled for late 2026. Len Erickson of Franklin Street will handle retail leasing at the development in partnership with Branch Properties.  Originally opened in 1970, Lakeshore Mall is located off Dawsonville Highway near Lake Lanier. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Gainesville has seen a population increase of roughly 15 percent since 2020.  “This reimagined mixed-use destination redefines Lakeshore as a dynamic, pedestrian-friendly community hub tailored to meet the needs of Gainesville, one of Georgia’s …

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Eighth-&-Grand-Kansas-City
DevelopmentMidwestMissouriMultifamilyTop Stories

BR Cos. to Develop $250M Multifamily Project in Downtown Kansas City

by Taylor Williams

KANSAS CITY, MO. — California-based developer BR Cos. will build 800 Grand, a $250 million multifamily project at the southwest corner of Eighth Street and Grand Boulevard in downtown Kansas City. The 25-story high-rise building will consist of 300 apartments and 24,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Information on floor plans and the amenity package was not announced. Hoefer Welker designed 800 Grand, and Clark Construction and JE Dunn are serving as the general contractors for the tower. Tentative groundbreaking and completion dates were not announced, but the development has been in the works for more than a year. “Kansas City has the right environment and connectivity through smart public investment in public parks and transportation expansions to attract private investment,” said Ryan Sullivan, chief development officer of BR Cos. BR Cos., which maintains an office in Kansas City, has also partnered with local real estate agency Aristocrat Realty on the development. Founded in 2011, BR Cos. currently has 200 employees on staff and focuses on several business lines throughout the United States and Mexico, including real estate, construction, finance and energy. — Taylor Williams

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DevelopmentFloridaLoansOfficeRetailSoutheastTop Stories

Hall of Fame Partners Obtains Financing for Phase I of $200M Aquatics Complex Redevelopment in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

by Kristin Harlow

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Hall of Fame Partners has obtained a $54 million credit-tenant lease loan for the construction and permanent financing of Phase I of the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) complex. ISHOF is the planned $200 million redevelopment of the Ft. Lauderdale Aquatics facility, which was originally built in Fort Lauderdale in 1965. Phase I of the ISHOF complex will include the reconstruction of a foundational sea wall, as well as the development of a new building that will serve as the headquarters for the city’s Ocean Rescue department. The ground level of the 10,000-square-foot building will serve as storage for Ocean Rescue equipment such as paddleboards and jet skis. The second floor will consist of offices for the chief and lieutenants, a conference room, showers and locker rooms. According to Miami-based architect Arquitectonica, which designed the facility, subsequent phases will include the construction of two buildings that will house the museum, an aquatic facility with a covered teaching pool, restrooms and an administrative office, as well as restaurant and retail space. The ISHOF Museum will include a 20,000-square-foot museum space, along with ballrooms, event spaces and a rooftop restaurant. The building will also include parking facilities …

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Data CentersDevelopmentMidwestOhioTop Stories

Cologix Acquires 154 Acres in Central Ohio, Plans $7B Data Center Campus

by John Nelson

JOHNSTOWN, OHIO — Cologix Inc., a hyperscale data center owner and operator, has purchased 154 acres in Johnstown, a Central Ohio city located about 25 miles northeast of Columbus. The Denver-based company plans to invest $7 billion for the development of a data center campus at the site. Upon completion, Cologix plans to have eight data centers that are “AI-ready” and have the capacity for 800 megawatts (MW) of scalable power. The firm plans to begin construction on the first phase in 2025, with the campus ultimately spanning 2 million square feet of data center space. The new campus will support the region’s advancing digital economy and provide “high-density, ultra-low latency and sustainable infrastructure” for hyperscale clients and enterprises that will tenant these new data centers. Cologix currently operates four data centers in Columbus with a combined footprint of 500,000 square feet and 80MW of power. The company delivered its fourth Columbus data center, a 256,000-square-foot facility dubbed COL4, this past summer. “As the largest provider of colocation and interconnection solutions in Columbus, we are thrilled to deepen our investment in Central Ohio,” says Laura Ortman, CEO of Cologix. “This new campus is more than an expansion — it’s a …

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AcquisitionsNew JerseyNortheastRestaurantRetailTop Stories

Blackstone Agrees to Acquire Majority Ownership Position in Jersey Mike’s Subs

by Kristin Harlow

MANASQUAN, N.J. — Private equity funds managed by Blackstone have agreed to acquire a majority ownership position in Jersey Mike’s Subs. The deal would value the Manasquan-based sandwich restaurant chain at around $8 billion, including debt, according to The Wall Street Journal. Jersey Mike’s founder and CEO Peter Cancro will maintain a significant equity stake and continue to lead the business. Blackstone says the partnership is intended to help Jersey Mike’s accelerate its expansion across and beyond the U.S. market, as well as its continued investment in technology and digital transformation. New York City-based Blackstone has a long history of investing in and propelling the growth of franchisors, including its previous acquisitions of Hilton Hotels and SERVPRO. The firm has recently invested in Tropical Smoothie Café and 7 Brew Coffee. The first Jersey Mike’s shop was founded as Mike’s Subs in Point Pleasant, N.J., in 1956. Cancro began working at the store when he was 14 years old, and later acquired the location in 1975 at the age of 17. He began franchising units in 1987. Today, Jersey Mike’s is a national franchisor with more than 3,000 locations nationwide open and in development. The transaction is expected to be completed …

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Flora-Fulton-Market
DevelopmentIllinoisMidwestMultifamilyTop Stories

High Street Residential Completes 34-Story Flora Multifamily Tower in Chicago’s Fulton Market 

by Katie Sloan

CHICAGO — High Street Residential, the residential subsidiary of Trammell Crow Co., has completed Flora, a multifamily tower rising 34 stories in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood.  The community offers 368 luxury units in a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations alongside penthouse units with condominium-like finishes. Interior amenities include a clubroom, golf and game simulator room, fitness center and yoga studio, private dining space with a chef’s kitchen, dedicated work-from-home areas and a sound recording booth.  Flora also features an outdoor amenity deck on the second floor with grilling stations, outdoor televisions and fire pits; a rooftop swimming pool with cabanas; and a dog run and pet washing station.  The ground floor is home to 5,118 square feet of retail space, which will be occupied by a restaurant concept by celebrity chef Joe Flamm via local restaurant group Day Off Group. Slated to open in 2025, the restaurant’s name and concept will be announced at a later date. Andrew Becker of Canvas represented High Street Residential in leasing negotiations.  The community is part of Trammell Crow’s larger Fulton Park Campus, which includes two existing research and development properties at 400 N. Aberdeen St. and 1375 W. Fulton Market.  …

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e-Storage
DevelopmentIndustrialKentuckySoutheastTop Stories

Canadian Solar’s e-Storage to Develop $712M Battery Manufacturing Facility Near Louisville, Kentucky

by Hayden Spiess

SHELBYVILLE, KY. — Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing, a subsidiary of e-Storage, has announced plans to develop a $712 million project in Kentucky, establishing a 6-gigawatt hour battery cell, module and packaging manufacturing facility.  Based in Canada, e-Storage is a subsidiary of Canadian Solar — a battery energy storage systems design, manufacturing and integration company.  Upon completion, the development will comprise a 1 million-square-foot building located on Logistics Drive in Shelbyville, roughly 35 miles east of Louisville. Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing will produce self-contained energy storage systems at the facility that will be packaged into modular, containerized utility-scale batteries. “The new plant will allow us to provide our U.S. customers with cutting-edge, American-made battery energy storage products,” says Colin Parkin, president of e-Storage.  According to a press release issued by the office of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, the project will create 1,572 permanent jobs and marks the third-largest project for job creation during Beshear’s administration, which began in 2019.  In August, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) preliminarily approved a 15-year incentive agreement with Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing to provide up to $35 million in tax incentives. The authority also approved the manufacturer for up to $5 million in tax incentives through the …

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AlabamaData CentersDevelopmentGeorgiaSouth CarolinaSoutheastTop Stories

DC BLOX to Develop 68-Acre Data Center Campus in Metro Atlanta, Three New Data Centers Across Southeast

by John Nelson

ATLANTA — DC BLOX will develop four new data centers in the Southeastern United States. The company is currently underway on its 68-acre Atlanta East campus in Conyers, Ga., roughly 24 miles east of downtown Atlanta. The facility will consist of two buildings with more than 1 million square feet of data center space at full build-out. The campus will initially deliver 10 megawatts (MW) of power for an undisclosed hyperscale client, with an expansion capacity of up to 120 MW for additional clients. Data center power refers to the amount of energy required to operate all the components of the facility, including servers and related IT hardware, as well as the cooling systems. DC BLOX broke ground on the project in September 2024. Delivery is slated for the fourth quarter of 2025. “DC BLOX’s presence in Conyers is a transformative step for our region,” says Kevin Hanna, president of the development authority of Rockdale County through the Conyers Rockdale Economic Development Council. “Their collaboration with local stakeholders and commitment to innovation will be foundational for future tech investments in our community.”  In conjunction with the Atlanta East data center, DC BLOX will build a network of fiber cables around …

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Yorktown-Center
DevelopmentIllinoisMidwestMixed-UseRetailTop Stories

PRCP, Synergy Break Ground on Mixed-Use Redevelopment of Yorktown Center Mall in Suburban Chicago

by Katie Sloan

LOMBARD, ILL. — A joint venture between Pacific Retail Capital Partners (PRCP) and Synergy Construction Group has broken ground on the mixed-use redevelopment of Yorktown Center, an enclosed regional mall located in the Chicago suburb of Lombard.  The 1.2 million-square-foot mall opened its doors in October 1968. The 130-acre property is currently home to over 170 stores and restaurants, including anchors Von Maur and JCPenney.  The joint venture acquired a 217,887-square-foot anchor building at the site that was formerly occupied by Carson Pirie Scott in fall 2022. The property will be demolished to make way for Phase I of the redevelopment, which will include a community park dubbed The Square, 600 residential units and thousands of square feet of new, exterior-facing shops and restaurants. The Square will feature a children’s play area, entertainment stage, dog park and fitness area. New retail space will be occupied by tenants including The Fresh Market, Tapville Social, Empire Burgers + Brew, Dave & Buster’s and Ancho & Agave, among others.  The residential portion of Phase I, Yorktown Reserve, will offer luxury multifamily units. Shared amenities will include a fitness center, resort-style swimming pool and hot tub, sauna, business center, DIY room, game room, multiple media and theater …

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