ERIE, COLO. — Blue West Capital has negotiated the acquisition of a single-tenant medical office building located at 2970 Arapahoe Road in Erie, approximately 25 miles north of downtown Denver. An Arizona-based family in a 1031 exchange acquired the asset from a local developer for $5.6 million. UCHealth occupies the medical office building on a net-lease basis. Tom Ethington of Blue West Capital represented the buyer in the deal.
— Brad Umansky, President, Progressive Real Estate Partners — The retail vacancy rate for the Inland Empire has dipped below 6 percent for the first time since 2008. But there is a dramatic difference between then and now. From 2006 to 2008, there was about 20 million square feet constructed, compared to only 2.8 million square feet from 2020 to 2022. Using Costar’s data, retail rents rose 5.7 percent in the past year, which was just under the 6 percent rent growth in 2021. These are the two highest years of rent growth in the past 15 years. In my opinion, the market has regained equilibrium, which is about where we were at in 2019 before the bottom fell out the following year. The substantial development of the early 2000s required almost a decade to fully absorb. COVID then created 1.5 million square feet of negative absorption in 2020, which has all been fully absorbed, plus another 3.3 million square feet of net absorption in 2021 and 2022. The Inland Empire added more than 74,000 jobs in the past year, and the region’s population continues to grow despite the decline in California’s overall population. People are attracted to the employment opportunities, lower cost of …
REDMOND, WASH. — First Citizens Bank’s real estate finance group has arranged $65.7 million in financing for MainStreet Property Group to develop The Spark Apartments, a Class A multifamily project in Redmond. The asset will feature 211 units spread across two buildings divided by a public urban forest and connected by a sky bridge. Apartments will feature quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, washers/dryers, air conditioning, and patios or balconies on 50 percent of the units. Community amenities will include an automated package room with contactless delivery, communal kitchen, food garden, mediation room, artist studio and fitness center. The property is being constructed using low-carbon concrete and will feature a rooftop solar system and carsharing partnership that will offset the building’s carbon footprint.
SANTA ANA, CALIF. — Orange County-based Red Mountain Group has acquired 20 empty fee-simple former Big Lots stores from Big Lots for $47.5 million in an off-market transaction. The portfolio includes 463,427 square feet of retail space and 3.5 acres of land for future pad development. The empty big box properties are located throughout 20 cities and four states in the United States, with most of the sites in Northern and Southern California.
KENT AND KENNEWICK, WASH. — Newmark has arranged the sales of two retail properties, totaling 124,660 square feet, in Kent and Kennewick. The assets sold for undisclosed amounts. One property is a 67,240-square-foot vacant former Tops Foods Grocer, located at 26000 100th Pl. SE in Kent. The asset is part of the Canyon Ridge Shopping Center, which is shadow-anchored by Target, Ross Dress for Less, Old Navy and Petco. Located at 6603 W. Canal Drive in Kennewick, the second building is a 57,420-square-foot, single-tenant property that is triple-net leased to Sportsman’s Warehouse. The property is within the Colonnade Shopping Center, which includes Ross Dress for Less, Best Buy, PetSmart and Michaels. Sportsman’s Warehouse has operated at this location for more than 20 years and recently extended its lease. Paul Sleeth and Billy Sleeth of Newmark represented the private sellers in both transactions. Kent is a suburb of Seattle, while Kennewick is located in the southeast quadrant of the state.
AZUSA, CALIF. — SENTRE, a San Diego-based, vertically integrated real estate investment firm, has completed the disposition of Azusa Center, a two-building industrial property in Azusa. JAR Commercial Investments acquired the asset for $20.5 million. Situated on 3.6 acres at 301 and 411 N. Aerojet Ave., Azusa Center features 75,081 square feet of industrial space. The two buildings offer 22-foot to 26-foot clear heights, concrete tilt-up construction, ESFR fire systems, three dock-high doors and four ground-level doors. At the time of sale, the property was fully leased. Michael Longo, Barbara Perrier, Anthony DeLorenzo, Mark Shaffer, Darla Longo, Rebecca Perlmutter, Brett Hartzell, Joe Cesta, Paige Morgan, Eric Cox, Lynn Knox and Case Dahlen of CBRE represented the seller in the deal.
PERRIS, CALIF. — NFI Industries, a supply chain solutions provider, has renewed its 864,000-square-foot lease at Perris Distribution Center in Perris. Mark Kegans, Ron Washle and Dean Washle of Newmark represented the landlord, Ares Management (formerly known as Black Creek Group). Located at 657 Nance St., Perris Distribution Center is a two-story, cross-dock facility expandable to 1.1 million square feet. The buildings offer 7,000 square feet of office space, minimum 36-foot warehouse clearance, ESFR sprinkler systems, LED warehouse lighting, 112 dock-high loading doors and concrete truck courts. The 43-acre parcel offers 298 auto parking spaces and 224 trailer parking spaces, including an auxiliary parcel to accommodate up to 154 trailer parking spaces or 530 auto parking spaces.
— By John Kobierowski, President and CEO, ABI Multifamily — As we enter a New Year, investors are looking for multifamily markets that will continue to offer consistent returns and stability. Thankfully, Phoenix is still regarded as one of the darlings of the multifamily markets. Investors from both coasts are talking to us about the Phoenix market again after not having invested here in a while — or, in some cases, ever. They say they’re realizing Phoenix just might be one of the few markets with predictable multifamily growth. Companies locating in Phoenix are creating tremendous job growth. For example, Taiwan Semiconductor recently announced an investment increase in the manufacturing plant it’s currently building in Phoenix — from $12 billion to $40 billion. That might be one of the largest single investments in the U.S. We’re eagerly anticipating the Southwest winter and spring events that draw the envious attention of a national audience, including WM Phoenix Open golf tournament, Super Bowl, Barrett Jackson collector car auction and Cactus League Spring Training. Our bright, sunny skies, green grass, and smiling people in t-shirts and flip flops will stand in stark contrast to those stuck in freezing cold winter temperatures and paying expensive home heating costs. …
LOS ANGELES — CBRE has brokered the sale of LC by CLG, an apartment property located in the Larchmont Village neighborhood of Los Angeles. California Landmark Group sold the asset to a private partnership formed by Harrison Yale Hurst and Richard Rosin of H&R Investments for $46.5 million. Dean Zander and Stewart Weston of CBRE represented the seller in the transaction. Located adjacent to Paramount Studios, LC by CLG features 84 apartments, a rooftop deck with a pool, barbecues, firepits, seating areas and views of the Hollywood Hills. Residences offer large floor plans and windows, in-unit washers/dryers, central air conditioning, stainless steel appliances and exposed ceilings.
THORNTON, COLO. — Denver-based Avanti Residential has partnered with Texas-based Trinity Investments in the $45 million purchase and recapitalization of Sunset Peak Apartment Homes in Thornton. The partnership plans to invest an additional $5.3 million in apartment interiors, new amenities and exterior improvements. Located at 475 Russell Blvd., Sunset Peak Apartment Homes features 184 residences in a mix of two- and three-bedroom townhomes on a 12-acre site. Community amenities include a swimming pool and splash pad, grilling station and dog park. The planned renovations include a new fitness center and upgrades to the pool and playground areas. Approximately $3 million of the renovation budget will be invested in apartment interiors, where Avanti will modernize 147 units ($16,433 per unit) with new lighting fixtures and cabinet fronts, new appliances, luxury vinyl tile flooring and other enhancements. The company will also resurface the parking areas and install new roofs on three buildings.
