PHOENIX — Primestor Development has begun major renovations at Palm Glen Shopping Center, a 177,754-square-foot shopping center anchored by Food City and Wells Fargo in Phoenix. Renovations will include remodeling the façade of the entire center; renovating interiors, site work and anchor spaces; the application of a new contemporary design; a new branding campaign; and increased lighting, landscaping, tower elements, site amenities and signage. The renovation will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2015. Tenants at the center include Dollar Tree, Aaron Rents, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Modlo Dance Hall, Liberty Tax and Title Max.
Arizona
TEMPE, Ariz. — National Asset Services (NAS) has arranged the sale of Gateway at Tempe, a student housing property located approximately one mile east of Arizona State University in Tempe. An undisclosed buyer purchased Gateway from a group of 33 tenant-in-common (TIC) co-owners that NAS advised during the transaction process. Built in 1998, Gateway at Tempe was purchased by the TIC group in December 2006 for $55.8 million. NAS assumed asset management responsibilities for the property in 2010. Gateway at Tempe is one of the largest student housing properties in the Arizona State University area, with 918 beds and 288 units. Situated on approximately 19 acres, the garden-style student living community consists of 19 two- and three-story wood-frame residential buildings and a single-story clubhouse/leasing building. The residential buildings contain 289,704 square feet of net rentable area, which equates to an average unit size of 1,006 square feet. The apartment community features a swimming pool, basketball court, two lighted tennis courts, a fire pavilion and a lighted sand volleyball court.
GLENDALE, ARIZ. — Lee & Associates has arranged the sale of Arrowhead Plaza, an 84,389-square-foot shopping center, for $14 million. The center is located at 7700 W Arrowhead Towne Center. It was purchased by Beardsley-67th Avenue LLC. Ian Fincham and Patrick Dempsey of Lee & Associates worked on behalf of the buyer and seller.
TUCSON, ARIZ. — Capital Forsight has purchased a 15,413-square-foot building in Tucson that is triple-net leased to Walgreens for $9.7 million. The building is located at 7111 East Golf Links Road. It is an outparcel to the 99 Cent Only-anchored Desert Square Shopping Center. Walgreens is corporate-guaranteed and has 23 years remaining on its 25-year initial term. CAPRE Real Estate Investments represented Capital Forsight. Nick Coo, Matt Mousavi and Patrick Luther of Faris Lee Investments represented the seller, Sierra Industrial.
GLENDALE, ARIZ. — Lee & Associates has arranged the sale of Glendale Market Square, a 221,388-square-foot shopping center, for $24.6 million. The center is located at 5850 W. Bell Road. The buyer was CIRE. Ian Fincham and Patrick Dempsey of Lee & Associates worked on behalf of both the buyer and seller.
YUMA, ARIZ. — DTZ has arranged the $13.7 million sale of Pioneer Shopping Center, a 140,610-square-foot shopping center located in Yuma. Ryan Schubert, Michael Hackett, Dan Salley and Jack Wilson of DTZ represented the seller, Realty Resolution Advisors LLC, and Sanford Burstyn of Marcus & Millichap represented the buyer, Los Angeles-based Pioneer Shopping Center LLC, in the transaction. Tenants at the center include 99 Cents Only, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Applebee’s, Subway, The UPS Store and Dairy Queen.
TUCSON, ARIZ. — Griffin Capital Corp. has acquired the 100,273-square-foot Aetna Life Insurance Co. building in Tucson for an undisclosed sum. The building is fully leased to the life insurance company. Aetna signed a new 10-year lease at the property as part of the sale-leaseback. The terms include an annual base rental rate increase of 3 percent with no termination or contraction options. The company has resided at this space since it was constructed as a build-to-suit in 2001. Cushman & Wakefield’s Boston office, along with Cushman & Wakefield’s Tucson affiliate, Picor Commercial Real Estate Services, represented Aenta in the deal. Griffin Capital Essential Asset REIT II is the official purchaser of the asset.
After muddling through the post-recession with office vacancy rates stuck around 20 percent for the overall Phoenix office market, the office sector has begun to show elements of stabilization in the Valley of the Sun. The unemployment rate in Phoenix plummeted to 5 percent in April this year, down from more than 11 percent near the end of 2009. The overall office vacancy ended the first quarter of this year at 17.2 percent. Second quarter figures were not available at press time, but my colleagues and I think it will dip below 17 percent at mid-year. If it does, the vacancy rate will have dropped nearly 300 basis points over the previous 24 months. The submarkets with the lowest vacancy rates are the usual suspects in our marketplace: Scottsdale (11.2 percent), 44th Street Corridor (aka Camelback Corridor at 11.6 percent) and Tempe, which houses the main campus of Arizona State University (12.7 percent). The slow and steady recovery makes for a healthier market than boom and bust swings. Some of the region’s larger office occupiers have expanded in recent years, which account for a substantial amount of office space absorption. A short list of growing companies with significant footprints here …
PHOENIX — Phoenix Children’s Hospital has leased 27,265 square feet of space at Biltmore Commerce Center in Phoenix. The Class A complex is located at 3200 E. Camelback Road within the Camelback Corridor. The new lease brings the center to nearly 96 percent occupancy. Other notable tenants include HDR Engineering, Lee & Associates, United Way, Greystar, North American Title Company, DeRito Partners and Miller Russell & Associates. Scott Maxwell of CRESA represented the hospital in the transaction. Bill Blake, Craig Coppola, Andrew Cheney and Colton Trauter of Lee & Associates represented the landlord, Lincoln Property Company.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Arizona-based marketing agency Leavitt Digital has launched its Senior Living Division and hired Kim Tranmer, a 25-year industry veteran, as managing director. Leavitt Digital’s new division focuses on increasing the online presence, search engine optimization (SEO), review monitoring, and press releases distribution in the seniors housing industry. Tranmer’s career in seniors housing includes sales, marketing, consulting and management prior to joining Leavitt Digital. Her primary role will be business development and relationship management, presenting Leavitt Digital’s platform to owners, managers and consultants in the industry.