ATLANTA — MCL Cos. has purchased the Connie Rose Apartments located adjacent to Skyline at Lindbergh for retail development. The current apartments sit on approximately 5 acres of land that will be transformed into 70,000 square feet of retail space as well as additional residences for Skyline at Lindbergh. The original project, set for a spring 2009 completion, will encompass 220 one-, two- and three-bedroom SkyHomes priced from the $190,000s to the $600,000s. Demolition of the Connie Rose Apartments will begin this fall, and development will focus entirely on the 70,000 square feet of retail space that is anticipated to take approximately 24 months to complete.
Southeast
GWINNETT COUNTY, GA. — Atlanta-based Hotel Equities has broken ground on its 20th hotel, a Courtyard by Marriott, located at 1405 Mall of Georgia Blvd. in Gwinnett County. The hotel will stand five stories tall and feature 110 rooms, and is expected to open in late 2008.
MIAMI — Richard Tarquinio and Bill Kent of CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) have closed seven properties for Equity One totaling $39.8 million. A six-property retail investment portfolio, which encompasses 541,518 square feet and includes properties located in Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, was purchased by Waterstone Development. The seventh property, located in North Carolina, was purchased by Blue Ridge Piedmont. Among the anchors for the individual sites are grocery store chains Kroger, Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie, as well as national credit tenants such as CVS/pharmacy, Big Lots, Aarons Rents and Bealls.
FLORIDA AND SOUTH CAROLINA — Newton-based Northland Investment Corp., on behalf of Northland Fund II L.P, has acquired six multifamily properties located in Florida and South Carolina. The portfolio includes Ballantrae, Via Lugano, Monterra at Bonita Springs, Fla., The Promenade at Reflection Lakes, Fla., The Quarter at Ybor City, Fla., and Madison at Park West in Charleston, S.C. All the properties are Class A assets constructed between 1999 and 2003. The garden-style communities feature resort-style swimming pools, state-of-the-art fitness centers, business centers, tennis courts, tile roofs and 9-foot ceilings. Additionally, the units feature spacious interior floorplans with an average size of 1,052 square feet, gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, oversized tubs and generous closet space. With this acquisition, Northland’s Florida portfolio now includes more than 2,800 units.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Crosland LLC and its joint-venture partner Biltmore Farms LLC have received commitments from P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and a 165-room Hilton hotel to join Biltmore Park Town Square in Asheville. The first location in Western North Carolina, P.F. Chang will feature a menu offering traditional and innovated Chinese dishes. Expected to open in spring 2009, the 165-room Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park will feature 5,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 2,040-square-foot ballroom, state-of-the-art visual equipment and personalized catering. Current tenants of the retail center include Barnes & Noble, REI and Consolidated Theatres.
DUNN, N.C. — Dylan Hotel LLC has purchased the Econo Lodge of Dunn for an undisclosed price. Upon renovation completion, the buyer plans to convert the property to the Super 8 brand. Justin Pinkard of Newport News, Va.-based The Mumford Company facilitated the transaction on behalf of the seller, Pud Inc.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Atlanta-based Grove Street Partners, along with Ed Lee LLC, is developing two, 200-room Marriott select-service hotels, which will be located adjacent to the 59-acre Aquatica Waterpark at Sea World Orlando in Orlando. Slated to break ground in March, the two hotels will share certain amenities such as a pool, a fitness center and a common bar and grill. Completion is scheduled for May 2009. The Aquatica Park at Sea World Orlando is expected to open this spring and will feature 80,000 square feet of beach area, in addition to numerous themed water features and rides.
SANDSTON, VA. — Driftwood Hospitality and Lehman Brothers have completed the disposition of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel Richmond International Airport in Sandston. Inland American Winston Hotels acquired the 142-room property, which will remain a Courtyard hotel. The property features a 50-seat Courtyard Café, wireless high-speed Internet access in guestrooms and public spaces, an indoor pool, a whirlpool, a business center, a fitness center, a gazebo and more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space. Mark Morris and Bill Murney of Washington, D.C.-based Molinaro Koger structured the transaction on behalf of the sellers.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Orlando-based Pineloch Management Corp. is developing Southgate Office/Restaurant/Retail project, which is located at the intersection of South Orange Avenue and Southgate Commerce Boulevard near downtown Orlando. The 11,600-square-foot mixed-use development will consist of a free-standing, one-story, 3,000-square-foot Tijuana Flats restaurant, and a two-story, multi-tenant building offering 4,300 square feet of ground-level retail space and 4,300 square feet of office space on the second level. Orlando-based Cuhaci & Peterson provided architectural services for the project, which is slated for completion in first quarter 2008.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — RockBridge Capital LLC has closed a $20.5 million first mortgage investment to finance the acquisition of a 175-room Doubletree Hotel in Greensboro. Boca Raton, Fla.-based Milestone Hotel Partners acquired the property, which re-opened in October 2007 after completing a $16.5 million renovation project. The renovation project included improvement to all guestrooms, guest bathrooms, the lobby, meeting spaces, the restaurant, the fitness center and pool, and all other public spaces.