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NEW YORK CITY — Walker & Dunlop Inc.’s New York capital markets team has arranged $388.4 million in construction financing for the Brook, a mixed-use development in downtown Brooklyn consisting of 448,000 rentable square feet of multifamily and retail space. Bank of America provided the funds. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Inc., which is managed by an affiliate of Apollo Global Management, and Witkoff are developing the property at the cross-section of Fulton Street, Flatbush Avenue Extension, and DeKalb Avenue, next to Brooklyn landmarks such as the Fulton Mall and the Barclays Center. The mixed-use property will be split between two development sites, with the eastern site located at 565 Fulton St. and the western site at 547-557 Fulton St. The eastern site will consist of a 51-story mixed-used tower that will feature 561 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment units utilizing the Affordable New York and Inclusionary Housing programs, as well as approximately 30,000 square feet of common space. Amenities will include a pool with cabanas, dog park, fitness center, half basketball court and multiple resident lounges. The base of the building will feature 17,200 square feet of ground-level retail space. The western site will consist of approximately 14,000 square feet of retail space next to Albee Square and is poised to attract retail brands and wholesalers looking to establish or strengthen their foothold in Brooklyn. …

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CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — Breakthrough Properties, a joint venture between Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital, has started construction of One Canal by Breakthrough, a life sciences development in Cambridge, roughly two miles from downtown Boston. The property, situated along the city’s First Street corridor facing Canal Park and the Charles River in the East Cambridge neighborhood, is located adjacent to CambridgeSide — an enclosed regional mall that is being redeveloped to include 650,000 square feet of office, life sciences and residential space — and the 4.5 million-square-foot Cambridge Crossing innovation hub. Breakthrough acquired the four-story building last year, and is updating it to feature 105,000 square feet of high-quality research and development space. The property will feature a ground-floor lounge, private outdoor gathering spaces, concierge, fitness center, on-site retail and adjacent parking.  A timeline for the redevelopment — which is targeting Fitwel, WELL and LEED Gold certifications — was not announced. A flurry of life sciences development is underway in the Boston metropolitan area. Recently announced projects include Phase I of Assembly Innovation Park, a life sciences tower spanning 485,000 square feet in the Boston suburb of Somerville; and Allston LabWorks, a 580,905-square-foot life sciences, retail and multifamily project in the Allston neighborhood of …

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CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — Breakthrough Properties, a joint venture between Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital, has begun construction of One Canal by Breakthrough, a life sciences development project in Cambridge, about two miles from downtown Boston. The property is located on the city’s First Street Corridor overlooking Canal Park and the Charles River in the East Cambridge neighborhood and is adjacent to CambridgeSide – a gated regional mall that is being redeveloped and includes 650,000 square feet of office, life sciences and residential space — and the 4.5-million-square-foot Cambridge Crossing innovation hub. Breakthrough acquired the four-story building last year and is modernizing it to provide 105,000 square feet of high-quality research and development space. The property will feature a ground floor lounge, private outdoor meeting spaces, concierge, fitness center, on-site shops and adjacent parking. A timeline for the redevelopment — which aims for Fitwel, WELL and LEED Gold certifications — has not been announced. A flurry of life sciences developments are underway in the Boston metro area. Recently announced projects include Phase I of Assembly Innovation Park, a 485,000-square-foot life sciences tower in the Boston suburb of Somerville; and Allston LabWorks, a 580,905-square-foot life sciences, retail, and multi-family development in Boston’s …

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WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. — Silver Creek Development has received funding for the redevelopment of 8850 Sunset Boulevard, which is located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. Cottonwood Group provided a $62 million loan for the project. Currently a retail strip center and home to the legendary Viper Room music venue, the property is going through re-entitlement and will be transformed into a mixed-use project. Plans call for a redesigned music venue and recording studio, multiple eateries, retail spaces, a five-star hotel, 26 condominiums and eight income-restricted housing units. Completion is slated for 2023. Residents will have access to an outdoor fitness center, rooftop pool and below-ground parking. The hotel’s rooftop will feature a restaurant and bar with panoramic views from downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean. Architectural firm Arquitectonica designed the project, which is being built to meet or exceed LEED standards. Silver Creek is a Los Angeles-based real estate developer that focuses on revitalizing underused sites. The firm has developed more than 10 million square feet of mixed-use projects globally. The financing deal was executed as part of Cottonwood’s strategic platform with BCEG International Investment. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Cottonwood is a private real estate investment firm …

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WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. — Silver Creek Development has received funding for the redevelopment of 8850 Sunset Boulevard, which is located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. Cottonwood Group provided a $62 million loan for the project. Currently a retail strip center and home to the legendary Viper Room music venue, the property is going through re-entitlement and will be transformed into a mixed-use project. Plans call for a redesigned music venue and recording studio, multiple eateries, retail spaces, a five-star hotel, 26 condominiums and eight income-restricted housing units. Completion is slated for 2023. Residents will have access to an outdoor fitness center, rooftop pool and below-ground parking. The hotel’s rooftop will feature a restaurant and bar with panoramic views from downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean. Architectural firm Arquitectonica designed the project, which is being built to meet or exceed LEED standards. Silver Creek is a Los Angeles-based real estate developer that focuses on revitalizing underused sites. The firm has developed more than 10 million square feet of mixed-use projects globally. The financing deal was executed as part of Cottonwood’s strategic platform with BCEG International Investment. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Cottonwood is a private real estate investment firm …

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SOMERVILLE, MASS. — Newmark has arranged $514 million in construction financing for Phase I of Assembly Innovation Park, a life sciences tower spanning 485,000 square feet in the Boston suburb of Somerville. BioMed Realty, a San Diego-based subsidiary of Blackstone that focuses on life sciences real estate, is developing the 12-story tower and accompanying parking garage. The tower will be situated at the intersection of Middlesex Avenue and Foley Street, with visibility along I-93. According to the property website, Phase I of Assembly Innovation Park will feature an even split between office and laboratory space. Future phases of the three-building campus will include a cafe, conference center and a food hall. David Douvadjian Sr., Timothy O’Donnell, Brian Butler, David Douvadjian Jr. and Conor Reenstierna of Newmark’s Boston office arranged the financing on behalf of BioMed Realty. The direct lender was not disclosed. Harrison Zucco of Cushman & Wakefield provided supporting financial analysis for the deal. Phase I of Assembly Innovation Park will incorporate tech-enabled sustainable features, including a high-performance curtain wall, high-efficiency chilled water and exhaust air systems and a rooftop photovoltaic array. BioMed Realty is aiming to achieve LEED Gold and WELL certifications at the property. The San Diego-based …

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Allston-LabWorks

BOSTON — JLL has arranged a $585 million construction loan for Allston LabWorks, a 580,905-square-foot life sciences, retail and multifamily project in the Allston neighborhood of Boston. The borrower and developer is a joint venture between Boston-based King Street Properties, Brookfield and Mugar Enterprises. Allston LabWorks will feature 534,000 square feet of lab space, 20,000 square feet of retail space and 35 multifamily units, about 25 percent of which will be reserved as affordable housing. The development will also house a 5,000-square-foot outdoor event area and a 668-space parking garage. The site, which spans 4.3 acres at 305 Western Ave., is situated adjacent to Harvard University’s 350-acre Allston campus, which is home to the newly opened John A. Paulson School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. The area is also near the campuses of Boston University and Boston College, with multiple MBTA Green Line stops nearby. Greg LaBine and Amy Lousararian of JLL arranged the four-year, floating-rate loan through an undisclosed institutional debt fund. Construction of the project is underway, but a timeline for completion was not disclosed. “The fact that we were able to move quickly on this loan in today’s market conditions speaks to the level of interest and …

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NEKOMA, N.D. — Bitzero Blockchain Inc. has agreed to acquire the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex (SRMSC) in Nekoma, a tiny city of fewer than 50 residents approximately 130 miles south of Winnipeg, Canada. The Cavalier County Job Development Authority (CCJDA) is selling the property to Bitzero, which plans to redevelop the asset into a highly secure data center. The project costs, including the acquisition, are estimated at $500 million. Commonly referred to as “The Pyramid,” the SRMSC is a Cold War-era military installation which was built in 1970 to protect the nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base from potential attack from Soviet missiles. The Pyramid became operational in 1975, featured two different kinds of radar systems and data processing equipment, and controlled 30 anti-ballistic missiles that could be launched in case of attack. The main building features three-foot-thick concrete walls. The missile site was abandoned after just eight months in operation, when Congress voted to deactivate it. The missiles and equipment were removed, but the concrete structures remain on the landscape. The CCJDA has owned the site’s tactical area since 2017, but voted unanimously to accept Bitzero’s bid proposal after a presentation from CEO Akbar Shamji. Bitzero’s bid proposal for the site included a …

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Thompson-Center

CHICAGO — Google has announced plans to acquire the James R. Thompson Center, an iconic office building located at 100 W. Randolph St. in Chicago’s Central Loop, following renovations. The 1.2 million-square-foot property occupies a full city block. Google plans to begin moving into the building in 2026. The 17-story Thompson Center is the only building in the city of Chicago where six L Train lines converge, connecting to Chicago’s South, West and North sides — a key point of attraction for Google, which is seeking to create an office environment that suits the future needs of its growing workforce that features a hybrid of in-office and from-home employees. In December of last year, the State of Illinois agreed to sell the Thompson Center to JRTC Holdings, a group led by developer Michael Reschke of Prime Group, for $70 million in an upfront cash transaction. Under terms of the deal, the state initially agreed to buy back a third of the property following renovations for $148 million.  Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a new agreement for the building yesterday morning, in which JRTC will acquire the Thompson Center for $105 million with $30 million paid upfront in cash. As part of …

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ELMSFORD, N.Y. — Affiliates of Harbor Group International (HGI) and Azure Partners have purchased Avalon Green in Elmsford, a city in Westchester County, for $306 million. The garden-style apartment community features 617 units. The seller was AvalonBay Communities Inc. Built in three phases in 1995, 2012 and 2016, Avalon Green includes a mix of townhomes, apartments and stacked flats. Residents have access to a clubhouse, resident lounge, two saltwater pools and detached garages. The buyers plan to implement a $9.2 million capital improvement program to refresh amenities and common areas and upgrade select units. The property offers access to I-287 and is five miles from the Metro-North train station, which provides direct service to Manhattan and Stamford, Conn. Additionally, Westchester County is home to corporate campuses of IBM, PepsiCo, Mastercard, Morgan Stanley and Regeneron. “Avalon Green is an attractive fit for HGI’s multifamily portfolio given its strategic location between several employment centers and transportation options along with the significant value-add potential of the community,” says Richard Litton, president of HGI. “We see long-term demand fundamentals for the Westchester area as renters seek housing in suburban markets.” Jose Cruz, Steve Simonelli, Michael Oliver, Andrew Scandalios, Marion Jones and Josh Stein of …

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