NASHVILLE, TENN. — Video game developer Iron Galaxy Studios has signed a 25,000-square-foot office lease at 333 Commerce in Nashville. The company, which has studios in Chicago and Orlando, will be relocating from UBS Tower, where it occupied space on a temporary basis. Kevin Ziomek, Corey Siegrist and Jim Rose of JLL represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. Amenities at the building include an 8,000-square-foot fitness center, outdoor courtyards and recently renovated lobby and common areas.
Southeast
Wegmans to Open 110,000 SF Grocery Store at Ballantyne Campus in Charlotte, North Carolina
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wegmans Food Markets Inc., a Rochester, N.Y.-based grocer, plans to open a 110,000-square-foot store in Charlotte. Located along North Community House Road, the grocery store will be situated within Ballantyne, Northwood Investors’ 2,000-acre master-planned development on the south side of Charlotte adjacent to the South Carolina border. Wegmans aims to open the new store by the third quarter of 2026. The store will feature all traditional Wegmans departments, including produce, seafood, meat, bakery, deli, cheese and wine and beer. Additional offerings will include Meals2Go and catering, online shopping capabilities, a floral shop, coffee and home goods. The store will also have a market café with indoor and outdoor seating for customers dining at one of Wegmans’ multiple food outlets. “We’ve received hundreds of requests from locals asking for a store in their area, and we’ve spent years looking for exactly the right location,” says Dan Aken, vice president of real estate and store planning at Wegmans. The new Wegmans will be located on the east side of Ballantyne and half a mile from Northwood’s The Bowl at Ballantyne mixed-use development, which is currently under construction. The project will feature a wide array of retail and restaurant tenants …
GW Real Estate, Griffin Capital Break Ground on 250-Unit Apartment Community in Charlottesville, Virginia
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — GW Real Estate Partners and capital partner Griffin Capital Co. have broken ground on The Arrowood Charlottesville, a 250-unit apartment community located at 463 Rio Road W in Charlottesville. Situated two miles from The Shops at Stonefield and a short drive to University of Virginia, the property features studio to three-bedroom layouts, as well as a clubhouse with a fitness center, coworking space, resort-style swimming pool and a grill/lounge area. Fifth Third Bank provided construction financing for the project. The design-build team includes general contractor GW Builders, Heffner Architects, civil engineer Collins Engineering, structural engineer Cates Engineering, MEP engineer GTP Consulting Engineers and landscape architect LandDesign. The developers expect first buildings at The Arrowood to be ready for occupancy in mid-2025, with full community completion expected by March 2026.
Dermody Properties Acquires Two Industrial Facilities at Gillem Logistics Center in Atlanta Totaling 548,040 SF
by John Nelson
ATLANTA — Dermody Properties has purchased two industrial facilities within Gillem Logistics Center, an industrial park in south Atlanta. The developer, locally based Robinson Weeks Partners, sold the assets for an undisclosed price. The properties include Building 700, a 169,520-square-foot facility, and Building 1200, a 378,520-square-foot building. Wes Hardy represented Dermody in the transaction on an internal basis, and Trey Barry of CBRE represented Robinson Weeks.
Stonemont Financial Signs Logistics User to 733,200 SF Industrial Lease in Metro Savannah
by John Nelson
RINCON, GA. — Stonemont Financial Group has signed Armstrong Logistics Inc., a warehousing and logistics service provider based in California, to an industrial lease near Port of Savannah. The logistics firm will fully occupy Building 4A, a 733,200-square-foot cross-dock facility, at Georgia International Trade Center (GITC), a 1,150-acre industrial park in Effingham County that Stonemont Financial is co-developing with The Davis Cos. and Chesterfield. Located in Rincon, the facility features 40-foot clear heights, 175 dock-high doors, four drive-in doors and 208 trailer stalls. Scott Mertz of NAI Global brokered the transaction. Additional partners for the project include Omega Construction as the general contractor, Atlas Collaborative as the architect and Thomas & Hutton as the civil engineer. Stephen Ezelle of Cushman & Wakefield/Gilbert & Ezelle is handling all leasing at GITC. Building 4A is the 10th warehouse that Stonemont Financial has delivered at the park.
KISSIMMEE, FLA. — JLL has arranged a $43 million loan for Solamar Apartment Homes, a 210-unit build-to-rent residential community in Kissimmee, about 22 miles south of Orlando. Max La Cava, Melissa Quinn, Kenny Cutler, Josh Odessky and Pier Barinci of JLL arranged the construction take-out bridge loan on behalf of the borrower, TRUSOT Development. JLL arranged the original $35 million construction loan in 2021. Solamar Apartment Homes was completed in phases, with the final phase delivered in 2023. According to Apartments.com, the property features two- to three-bedroom homes ranging in size from 973 to 1,317 square feet.
SARASOTA, FLA. — Publix Super Markets has opened a 48,000-square-foot grocery store at Fruitville Farms, a mixed-use development underway in Sarasota. Benderson Development is the master developer of the public-private partnership, which will feature 600 apartments, 150,000 square feet of retail and restaurants and a new 120,000-square-foot Sarasota County Administration Center. Located at the intersection of Fruitville Road and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, the new Publix is the first tenant to open at the shopping center within Fruitville Farms.
By Chapman Brown of Marcus & Millichap Once renowned for its industrial prowess, Birmingham is experiencing a dynamic retail renaissance fueled by a convergence of local economic growth, strategic development initiatives and shifting consumer behaviors. As major retail projects come to fruition and submarkets heat up with investment activity, the city is poised for a transformative period that promises to redefine its retail landscape. Birmingham’s retail sector is intricately linked to broader economic trends both locally and nationally. Factors such as population growth, employment rates and disposable income levels significantly influence consumer spending habits and retail demand within the city. Additionally, the rise of e-commerce and changing demographics are prompting retailers and developers to adapt and innovate to stay competitive. These factors, combined with a diverse array of buyers and sellers, are driving retail investment activity. Institutional investors, private equity firms and real estate developers are among the key buyers, attracted by the city’s strong fundamentals and growth prospects. On the selling side, property owners and developers are seizing opportunities to unlock value and redeploy capital into new ventures. Several major retail projects are currently underway, poised to leave a lasting impact on the market. One notable project is The …
Naftali Credit, J.P. Morgan Provide $120M Financing for Mixed-Use Project in Nashville
by John Nelson
NASHVILLE, TENN. — Naftali Credit Partners and J.P. Morgan have provided $120 million in financing for 1111 Church Street, a recently developed multifamily and retail project in Nashville. New York City-based Tidal Real Estate Partners is the borrower. The five-year financing comprises a senior loan from J.P. Morgan and a mezzanine loan from Naftali, which will be used to refinance an existing construction loan and provide bridge financing to a sale or permanent financing. Keith Kurland, Aaron Appel, Jonathan Schwartz, Adam Schwartz, Michael Diaz and Michael Ianno of Walker & Dunlop arranged the financing on behalf of the borrower. Located in the North Gulch neighborhood, the property features 380 multifamily units in studio, one- and two-bedroom layouts, in addition to 52,000 square feet of amenities, 45,000 square feet of retail space and dedicated parking. Amenities include an outdoor pool, fitness center, pickleball court and golf simulators, and a recently opened Puttshack.
CHATTANOOGA, TENN. — Developer 3H Group has broken ground on a new, 123-room Hyatt-branded hotel in Chattanooga. Dubbed the Caption by Hyatt Chattanooga, the property is being developed under a franchise agreement between 3H and Hyatt Hotels Corp. The Caption brand reflects Hyatt’s aim for the hotel to cater to “sociable travelers who want to work, eat, or socialize in communal spaces that encourage meaningful conversations.” Upon completion, the hotel will feature a 24-hour market, workspaces, a rooftop bar, meeting space and food-and-beverage concept Talk Shop. This will mark the second Caption by Hyatt hotel in Tennessee. A construction timeline for Caption by Hyatt Chattanooga was not disclosed.