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SAN FRANCISCO AND INDIANAPOLIS — San Francisco-based industrial giant Prologis Inc. (NYSE: PLD) has agreed to acquire Indianapolis-based Duke Realty (NYSE: DRE) for $26 billion in an all-stock transaction, including debt. The mega-merger of these two REITs is scheduled to close in the fourth quarter. The board of directors for each company has already unanimously approved the transaction. In May, Prologis offered to acquire Duke in an all-cash transaction for $61.68 per share, a proposal that would have generated a price tag of $23.7 billion. The offer, which was tendered on May 10, represented a 29 percent premium over Duke’s closing stock price on the previous day. However, Duke rejected the offer. The transaction includes Prologis’ assumption of Duke Realty’s existing debt. Duke’s shareholders will receive a premium of 47.5 percent over the current value of each share of common stock they own. Prologis plans to hold 94 percent of the acquired assets. Prologis expects to achieve $310 million to $370 million in reduced general and administrative costs and consolidated corporate leverage as a result of the acquisition. In addition, Prologis said it was drawn to Duke’s presence with high-performing industrial facilities in key markets, including Southern California, New Jersey, …

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SUNNYVALE, CALIF. — Tishman Speyer has sold a 719,037-square-foot office campus in the Moffett Park submarket of Sunnyvale, just west of San Jose, to CommonWealth Partners. While the price was not disclosed, Tishman Speyer acquired the asset in April 2021 for $356 million, and soon leased the entire campus to Meta, the parent company of social media networks Facebook and Instagram. Google occupies a multi-building campus immediately adjacent to the site. The property features four modern office buildings, two parking structures and outdoor recreational space. Campus amenities include a gym with a basketball court, lockers and showers; outdoor volleyball court; executive briefing center; full-service cafeteria; multiple kitchens; break centers; phone rooms; and other common areas. This acquisition more than doubles CommonWealth Partners’ holdings in the Moffett Park submarket to over 1.2 million square feet of LEED Gold- or Platinum-certified trophy office space. “The sale and the lease demonstrate that Silicon Valley remains a global center of innovation,” says Rob Speyer, CEO of Tishman Speyer. “Moreover, this deal demonstrates that the market for highly collaborative, well-designed office space with accessible green space and top-level amenities is still strong.” Kevin Shannon, Steven Golubchik, Phil Mahoney, Jonathan Schaefler and Darren Hollak of Newmark …

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BOSTON — GI Partners has acquired 451 D Street, a state-of-the-art life sciences, data center and creative office building in Boston’s Seaport District. The price was not disclosed, but the seller, Related Fund Management, bought the asset for $276 million in 2018, according to reports by the Boston Business Journal. The nine-story, 479,000-square-foot building recently underwent two phases of lab conversion that total over half of the building’s rentable area. The property offers 536 parking spaces; a conference center; amenity center with a lounge, kitchen and games; an onsite cafe; bicycle storage; and a 3,000-square-foot fitness center.  Current tenants include AT&T, J.P.Morgan, Silicon Therapeutics, Elektrofi, BT, Inozyme Pharma, Cellink, Stevanato Group Pharmaceutical Systems, Joyn Bio, Sensei Biotherapeutics, DermBoint and Dewpoint Therapeutics.  Related will maintain a minority interest in the property and Related Beal will continue to serve as property manager. Eastdil Secured represented the seller in the transaction and placed debt financing for the new ownership group. “The Seaport has become a bona fide life sciences innovation hub and 451 D exemplifies our focus on serving the needs of small and medium-sized lab tenants through Class A reusable buildouts,” says John Sheputis, managing director at GI Partners and head of acquisitions for …

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CHICAGO — A joint venture between CRG and Shapack Partners has acquired the former Bridgford Foods Corp. food processing facility in Chicago’s Fulton Market district with plans to redevelop the site into a 750,000-square-foot mixed-use project. The development is slated to feature 250 apartment units, 350,000 square feet of Class A office space, 150 boutique hotel rooms and 40,000 square feet of retail space. Located at 170 N. Green St., the project site spans nearly an entire city block near the Chicago Transit Authority Pink Line and Green Line station at Lake and Morgan streets. CRG’s parent company, Clayco, will serve as general contractor and its subsidiary, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, is the architect. Paige O’Neil and Annie Kwasigroch of Shapack will oversee lease-up of the office and retail space. CRG anticipates that construction could begin as early as this fall. A timeline for completion was not provided. “This location is a tailor-made opportunity to meet the overwhelming trend of flight to quality we are seeing in the city,” says CBRE’s Keely Polczynski, who represented Bridgford in the sale. “Employers are investing in upgraded spaces to boost employee engagement as well as attract and retain talent.” According to CBRE, 60 office …

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BARDSTOWN, KY. — Heaven Hill, a family-owned spirits company overseeing brands such as Evan Williams and Deep Eddy Vodka, has broken ground on a $135 million distillery in Bardstown, approximately 40 miles south of Louisville. The project, known as Heaven Hill Springs Distillery, is located at 1015 Old Bloomfield Pike, which was the site of the former Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery. The former distillery opened in 1935, but was destroyed in a fire in 1996 that engulfed the distillery, seven rickhouses for barrel aging and about 100,000 barrels of whiskey. After the fire, Heaven Hill moved its distillery operations to the historic Bernheim Distillery in downtown Louisville, where the company still operates today. “We’re honored to celebrate this homecoming with a return to distilling in Bardstown to augment our overall bourbon-making capacity, as well as continue to make an impact in the Bardstown community,” says Max Shapira, president of Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill Springs Distillery is scheduled to open by the end of 2024. Heaven Hill anticipates the distillery will handle 150,000 barrels of spirits annually at first and ramp up production to 450,000 barrels annually over time, which mirrors the production at its Louisville distillery. Bardstown, which has …

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ORLANDO, FLA. — Snell Properties, an investment firm based in the Washington, D.C. area, has acquired Citi Tower, a 233-unit apartment building in downtown Orlando’s South Eola district, for $106 million. The price equates to roughly $455,000 per unit. Built in 2017, the 25-story building contains studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, all of which have private balconies. Apartments feature granite countertops, floor-to-ceiling windows, stainless steel appliances and individual washers and dryers. Citi Tower also houses 11,000 square feet of retail space. Amenities include a pool, fitness center and an outdoor lounge, all of which offer panoramic views of downtown Orlando, as well as a conference room and an outdoor kitchen area with grilling stations and seating areas. There are also more 185 retail and restaurant establishments within walking distance of the property, according to Snell. “Citi Tower is our third successive acquisition in Central Florida,” says Chris Hanessian, president of Snell Properties. “Orlando’s thriving economy, impressive infrastructure and strong demographics make it an ideal market for investment.” “Citi Tower’s many strengths include high-quality construction, an unbeatable location in downtown and the coolest rooftop in Orlando,” adds Peter Colarulli, vice president of Snell Properties. Brian Moulder and Chris Chadbourne of …

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LAS VEGAS — Institutional Mall Investors LLC, a joint venture between Miller Capital Advisory and CalPERS, has started renovations at Miracle Mile Shops, a 500,000-square-foot shopping center on the Las Vegas Strip. The property is attached to the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The mixed-use project will remain open during construction, which is scheduled for completion in spring of 2023. The redevelopment costs were not disclosed. New entertainment features will include exterior and interior immersive light, sound and video experiences. Miracle Mile Shops guests will also enjoy new and upgraded restaurants. “Miracle Mile Shops has been a highly successful shopping and entertainment destination in Las Vegas for over 20 years, attracting locals, visitors and international tourists,” says Robert Buchanan, vice president and general manager of Miracle Mile Shops. “The renovations are coming at the ideal time as our city welcomes the return of domestic and international tourists.” The revitalized interior will include new flooring, lighting, ceilings, seating and a new sound system. The “rainstorm” attraction, a free daily show that features thunder, lightning, fog and rain, will also be enhanced. The renovation includes a redesign to Miracle Mile Shops’ exterior entrances on the Las Vegas Strip and Harmon Avenue, featuring …

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GAINESVILLE, GA. — Farming and construction machinery producer Kubota North America Corp. has unveiled plans for a $140 million expansion of its 280-acre research and development (R&D) center in Gainesville, approximately 50 miles northeast of Atlanta.  The center opened in April of this year and currently includes engineering offices, workshops and testing labs, alongside outdoor tracks for testing turf, utility vehicles, tractors and construction equipment. Construction of the expansion is scheduled to begin later this year and will include the development of a building dedicated to broadening production and loader capacity to meet growing market demands, while freeing up space at the company’s existing facility in nearby Jackson County.  “Through further investments like these, our supply chain continues to evolve to better meet the needs of our sister-company partners and Kubota dealers,” says Brian Arnold, president of Kubota Manufacturing of America. “With this expansion our production capacity will almost double and, at the same time, we will improve our quality and efficiency through innovations in welding and painting technologies.” The project is slated for completion in 2024, bringing with it more than 500 new manufacturing jobs at the facility. Kubota North America employs more than 3,000 team members across its manufacturing, …

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FLORIDA, NORTH CAROLINA AND TENNESSEE — Clarion Partners LLC and Blackfin Real Estate Investors LLC have acquired a 12-property multifamily portfolio totaling 3,564 units for $885.5 million. The assets are located in the Sun Belt markets of Tampa, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Melbourne, Fla.; Charlotte, N.C.; Wilmington, N.C.; and Nashville, Tenn. A partnership between PGIM Real Estate and CARROLL was the seller. The garden-style, Class B communities were built between 1972 and 1995. Amenities at the properties include clubhouses, pools, fitness centers and basketball and tennis courts. Clarion and Blackfin plan to upgrade both unit interiors and community amenities. The majority of the units will be updated with new vinyl floors, appliances, countertops and LED lights. “This acquisition further strengthens our position in fast-growing Sun Belt markets and also gives us exposure to a high-growth portfolio of seasoned multifamily properties which we can own below replacement cost and renovate for yield enhancement,” says Thomas James, managing director with Clarion. Greystar will serve as property manager for the six properties in Florida and Tennessee, while Durcker & Falk will manage the North Carolina communities. DLA Piper served as legal counsel for Clarion. Eastdil Secured brokered the transaction. New York-based Clarion is a …

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MIAMI — Development firm LCOR has acquired 1775 Biscayne Boulevard, a development site located two blocks from Biscayne Bay in downtown Miami. Plans call for a 40-story, 540-unit residential building that will be situated on the border of the Arts & Entertainment District and Edgewater neighborhood. Units will be available in studio, one- and two-bedroom options. Construction on the condominium project is scheduled to begin in early 2024 for completion in 2026. “Miami [is] a highly competitive land market currently on the cusp of a transformational development surge,” says Brad Capas, executive director of Cushman & Wakefield Capital Markets. “Located at the center of one of Miami’s most exciting growth corridors, 1775 Biscayne will aid in producing critically needed residential offerings between the Miami World Center and Midtown districts.” Unit features will include stainless steel appliances, in-unit washers and dryers and quartz countertops. Communal amenities will feature a fitness center; rooftop pool deck; outdoor terrace and grilling space with views of Biscayne Bay and downtown Miami; tenant lounges equipped with flexible coworking spaces and conference rooms; over 600 onsite parking spaces; and package retrieval services. The project was originally proposed in 2017 and included 14,000 square feet of ground-floor retail …

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