The San Diego multi-housing market is poised for significant growth in 2015. The third quarter of last year recorded 4.5 percent annual rent growth countywide, the highest rent growth numbers seen in more than a decade, according to CBRE Econometric Advisors (CBRE EA). Vacancy, meanthile, remained at 2.7 percent, the lowest level seen since 2007. Countywide average rents are at $1,548, an 8 percent premium over the 2008 peak levels. CBRE EA found that UTC/La Jolla remains the top rental market in the county, with overall rents averaging $1,958. UTC also witnessed the second-highest rent growth in the county last year, at 7.3 percent. UTC/La Jolla solidifies its position as the county’s top rental market due to strong resident demographics, planned infrastructure improvements and the trolley addition, Westfield’s expansion, and the presence of several major employers, as well as the University of San Diego and the biotech cluster of Torrey Pines. Downtown has emerged as San Diego’s hottest development market, with Class A projects now commanding rents of $2,652, or $2.98 per square foot. There were 929 units in four projects added last year, bringing the total inventory in Downtown to 4,840 units in 23 buildings (100-plus+ units, market-rate only). …
CARSON, CALIF. – AMPAM Parks Mechanical has purchased a 50,100-square-foot industrial building in Carson for $5.8 million. The facility is located at 17036 S Avalon Blvd. It served as the former headquarters of National Emblem. AMPAM plans to occupy the new facility later this year. The company was represented by Bart Pucci of Studley. National Emblem was represented by Greg Gill and Sean Lieppman of Lee & Associates – Long Beach.
LOS ANGELES – Trojan Fig Partners LLC has purchased 901 Bar & Grill, a popular restaurant near the USC campus in Los Angeles, for an undisclosed sum. The transaction included two buildings and three tenants: 901 Bar & Grill, Carl’s Jr. and El Pollo Loco, located at 2902, 2912 and 2904 South Figueroa Street, respectively. The seller, Figueroa Retail LLC, was represented by CBRE’s Chris Caras and Michael Shustak.
IRVINE, CALIF. – A 21,463-square-foot industrial building in Irvine has sold to RH Matthews LLC for $3.8 million. The building is located at 17752 Fitch Street. Jim deRegt, Jim Snyder and Pat Lacey of Lee & Associates – Newport Beach represented both the buyer and seller, MDG Real Estate, in this transaction.
BERKELEY, CALIF. – The 32-unit Courtyard Terrace Apartments in El Sobrante has sold to a limited liability company for $3.7 million. The community is located at 4200 Appian Way, just north of Berkeley. It was built in 1960 and renovated in 2010. The LLC was represented by Jon Holmquist of Marcus & Millichap’s San Francisco office. The seller, also an LLC, was represented by Vincent Schwab and Jon Holmquist of the same firm.
SAN FRANCISCO — HCP has broken ground on the first phase of The Cove at Oyster Point, a new life science development in South San Francisco. The 884,000-square-foot project will be located on Oyster Point Boulevard. The campus will contain seven buildings that range in size from 102,000 square feet to 158,000 square feet. It will also feature 5.5 acres of outdoor green space, an amenity center, and retail and hotel entitlements. The first phase will contain two buildings totaling 253,000 square feet. They are scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2016. The Cove will be South San Francisco’s first ground-up, multi-tenant life science development in nearly a decade, according to CBRE life sciences experts Chris Jacobs and Rick Friday, who are serving as the project’s exclusive leasing agents.
FREMONT, CALIF. — Healthcare Realty Trust has acquired Civic Center Place, a 110,679-square-foot medical office building in Fremont, for $39.2 million. The center is located at 39141 Civic Center Drive. Civic Center Place was built in 1999. It is situated on 3.9 acres on the east side of the San Francisco Bay. The center was 98 percent leased at the time of closing. It is mostly occupied by healthcare-related tenants, as the center sits adjacent to the Washington Township Hospital Campus and Kaiser Permanente Fremont Medical Center. The facilities are situated along the future “Gateway” to the city’s downtown district. The transaction was executed by Marcus Muirhead, Greg Guglielmino and Steve Gonzalez of the Colliers Muirhead-Guglielmino-Gonzalez Investment Team. The seller was Berkeley Land Company.
SAN DIEGO – Rexford Industrial has acquired a 112,500-square-foot industrial complex in the San Diego submarket of Miramar for $18.4 million. The five-building complex is located at 8902-8940 Activity Road. It is currently 92.5 percent occupied.
CALABASAS, CALIF. – A 19,000-square-foot office building in the Los Angeles submarket of Calabasas has sold to SDK Properties for $4.4 million. The building is located at 24003 Ventura Blvd. It was 90 percent occupied at the time of closing. SDK Properties was represented by Mitchell Stokes of Madison Partners. The seller was Calabasas Storage LLC.
SAN DIEGO – The 28-unit Orlando Woods apartments in the San Diego submarket of El Cajon has sold to Ambient Communities for $2.4 million. The community is located at 265-67 Orlando Street. Peter Scepanovic and Corey McHenry of Colliers International Multifamily Advisory Group represented both Ambient and the seller, Strykowski Trust, in this transaction.