One fact is very clear as we assess the retail landscape and take note of the variety of retail activities taking place: food and beverage (F&B) and dining out continue to reshape consumer trends. These trends are heavily influencing retail activities throughout the region, especially in the Downtown Los Angeles submarket. The market continues to show great activity in F&B as landlords look to absorb vacancies with more food uses by creating unique dining experiences and take-out options for today’s consumer. This new demand has been the catalyst for the increase in commissary kitchens and restaurateurs leasing spaces for delivery models that cater to the growing, app-based delivery services. CBRE’s latest report, the Food in Demand Series, highlights the momentum of F&B. This extends to fast-casual dining, prepared dining options offered in grocery stores, and as stand-alone offerings in mixed-use settings, such as residential, creative office and hospitality projects. Per the report, consumer spending in restaurants amongst Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers has outpaced spending on grocery items. This is a significant shift for consumers. For this reason, we will likely see landlords maintain a focus on F&B as a means to bring value to their assets and create …
SAN FRANCISCO — A joint venture between REDCO Development and AEW Capital Management has acquired One Montgomery Street, a historic mixed-use property in downtown San Francisco. 601W Cos. sold the building for $82 million. Mike Taquino, Kyle Kovac, Russell Ingrum, Giancarlo Sangiacomo and Mandy Lee of CBRE’s San Francisco office represented the seller in the deal. Additionally, CBRE’s Mike Walker, Brad Zampa and Megan Woodring arranged $76.6 million in acquisition financing on behalf of the buyer. The five-year, non-recourse, floating-rate loan will finance a portion of the acquisition and provide funding for future capital expenditures and releasing costs. Located at the intersection of Montgomery and Post streets, Wells Fargo has occupied the building since 1984.
SAN MARCOS, CALIF. — Lee & Associates has arranged the sale of an industrial building, located at 307 E. Carmel St. in San Marcos. James 2002 Revocable Trust sold the property to 307 E Carmel LLC for $3.9 million. The 18,452-square-foot building features 30 percent showroom, 30 percent office and 40 percent warehouse space. The new owner leased the property to Chefs Toys LLC. Marko Dragovic and Isaac Little of Lee & Associates – North San Diego County and Jim Snyder of Lee & Associates – Newport Beach represented the buyer, while Colliers International represented the seller in the deal.
LOS ANGELES — KBS Real Estate Investment Trust II has launched a $20 million renovation of Union Bank Plaza (UBP) in downtown Los Angeles. Improvements will include an updated retail center, conference center, outdoor seating area and lobby. The property is located at 445 S. Figueroa St. In addition to the building renovation, KBS has embarked on a spec suite program, building out tenant suites without a committed tenant. Of the first eight suites currently under construction, two have been pre-leased. UBP includes a 701,888-square-foot office tower, two-level retail center, two-acre landscaped outdoor plaza and a four-level parking structure. Swinerton Builders will handle construction. The first round of demolition work will begin immediately with completion set for early 2020.
VICTORVILLE, CALIF. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $3 million sale of a vacant, 21,108-square foot auto dealership in Victorville. Drew Wetherholt and Emily Brun of Marcus & Millichap’s Ontario office marketed the property on behalf of the seller and secured and represented the buyer, both limited liability companies. The dealership is located at 14673 Civic Drive.
LOS ANGELES AND LONG BEACH, CALIF. — Goodman Group has acquired two industrial estates totaling 127 acres in Southern California. The acquisitions are the 90-acre former Boeing C-17 manufacturing plant in Long Beach, which has been renamed Goodman Commerce Center Long Beach, and a 37-acre former distribution center in Los Angeles renamed Goodman Commerce Center Los Angeles. Brett Hardy, Todd Anderson and Jeff Read of Newmark Knight Frank represented Boeing in the Long Beach deal. David Norrie of CBRE brokered the transaction of the Los Angeles property. The prices were not disclosed.
LAKE FOREST, CALIF. — Colliers International has negotiated the $9.4 million sale of a fully leased, 33,805-square-foot industrial building in the Orange County municipality of Lake Forest. Colliers’ Richard Schwartz and Joey Reaume represented the buyer, a private investment group based in Los Angeles. The building sold for $277 per square foot with a capitalization rate of 4.75 percent. Built in 1997 and located at 25871 Atlantic Ocean Drive, the concrete tilt-up structure spans just under two acres zoned for light industrial and manufacturing use.
PLACENTIA, CALIF. — CBRE has arranged the $2.9 million sale of a 12-unit multifamily property in Placentia. CBRE’s Dan Blackwell represented the seller, a private investor. Located at 911 Cypress Ave., the 9,216-square-foot property consists of 12 single-story cottages on a lot just under one acre. Each unit is 768 square feet and features two bedrooms and one bathroom, as well as a washer and dryer. The property is located in an Opportunity Zone. The complex sits within one mile of both the CA-91 and CA-57 freeways connecting Placentia to Los Angeles and Riverside counties. California State University, Fullerton is located two miles north of the site.
SAN DIEGO — Location Matters has arranged a $2.4 million, 10-year lease for Social Syndicate, a San Diego-based multi-concept restaurant group, for a space at 1852 Bacon St. in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego. Nati’s Mexican Restaurant had occupied the freestanding restaurant building for nearly 60 years before the Social Syndicate lease. The new restaurant will also carry a Mexican theme. Nati’s Inc., which is controlled by Foley Development, owns the property. Future plans call for developing the land directly behind the restaurant into an apartment complex. Mike Spilky of Location Matters represented the landlord and tenant in the transaction. Social Syndicate will occupy 2,660 square feet inside the building, in addition to 1,468 square feet of patio space.
The Los Angeles County industrial market continues to see record low vacancy rates, which are hovering in the 1 percent range with a conservative forecast calling for rents to increase by 7.5 percent in 2019. Ecommerce companies and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) — many of which support ecommerce operations — will continue to be dominant market players, according to NKF’s Los Angeles industrial market report for Q1 2019. In North Los Angeles, we are seeing multiple submarkets, including those in the San Fernando Valley, Ventura County, Conejo Valley, Kern County, and the Santa Clarita areas, becoming more connected than ever before. These areas and projects are now “connecting the dots” between all the submarkets as the opportunities for industrial space in Los Angeles’ core markets become increasingly more competitive and scarce. For example, occupiers that have been in the 130 million-square-foot San Fernando Valley industrial market for decades are now needing more space. However, the opportunities for larger, modern product are just not there. The majority of industrial product is less than 100,000 square feet with 16- to 24-foot clear heights. This can work for users like cosmetics, entertainment and aerospace, but others need more modern features to streamline operations. …