MIAMI — Law firm Holland & Knight LLP has signed 121,032-square-foot office lease renewal at 701 Brickell in Miami’s Brickell financial district. The tenant will continue to occupy six floors of the building, which spans 33 stories and is currently 96 percent occupied. Brian Gale and Edward Quinon of Cushman & Wakefield represented the landlord, Nuveen Real Estate, in the lease negotiations. Todd Lippman and Shay Pope of CBRE represented the tenant.
A wave of new-to-market office tenants — specifically legal tenants following the influx of financial firms and tech companies — continue to expand their presence in Miami. The trend further solidifies the city’s spot as a top destination for companies seeking reduced taxes, strong talent and vibrant communities. Looking back at the first quarter of 2023, net absorption totaled over 81,000 square feet (compared to 76,000 square feet in the first quarter of 2022), marking the third-highest quarterly total since 2020. Most leasing activity occurred in the Central Business District (CBD) and in Class A product in Wynwood and Coral Gables as tenants continue to lease high-quality space. However, the lack of availability in quality product, as well as the overall economic uncertainty, has led to a slowdown in leasing volume to start 2023 — particularly among new-to-market tenants. Leasing activity totaled 750,000 square feet in the first quarter compared to 1.5 million in fourth-quarter 2022. The quarter closed with a 16.3 percent vacancy rate, the lowest level since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020. Class A availability fell 260 basis points to 21.1 percent year-over-year with the largest drops recorded in downtown Miami, which fell 540 basis …
PLANTATION, FLA. — Waterton has acquired One Plantation, a 321-unit apartment community located at 1650 Southwest 78th Ave. in the Broward County city of Plantation. South Florida Business Journal reports that Stiles and PGIM Real Estate sold the property for $88 million. Built in 2013 as part of the 860-acre Plantation Midtown master planned development, the community features one-, two- and three-bedroom residences within a 12-story tower. Amenities at the property include a business center, private work rooms, movie theater, resident lounge areas, dog park, catering kitchen and fitness center. The new owner plans to renovate the clubhouse and convert existing parking garage rooftop tennis courts to pickleball courts. Newmark’s South Florida team brokered the transaction.
HOLLYWOOD, FLA. — FundRebel LLC is under contract to acquire Nine Hollywood, a mixed-use property currently underway in Hollywood, for $67 million. Situated on a 36,000-square-foot parcel, the development features 204 multifamily residential units, three levels of integrated parking and more than 7,000 square feet of retail space. Residences include apartments in studio, one- and two-bedroom layouts. Amenities at the property include a swimming pool, fitness center and business suites. Construction on the project is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of this year. The seller was not disclosed.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Arizona-based Arriba Capital has provided a $20 million loan for the construction of Element by Westin, a hotel development currently underway in Charleston. Located at 4865 N. Arco Lane, the property will feature 125 rooms. Amenities will include complimentary breakfast, swimming pool, fitness center, bar, guest laundry room and sundries shop. Contender Development is the borrower and developer.
WHITE HOUSE, TENN. — The Sembler Co. has announced plans for White House Shops, a 75,000-square-foot retail center in White House, roughly 30 miles north of Nashville. Publix has signed a 48,387-square-foot lease to anchor the property, which will also feature 11,000 square feet of adjacent retail space and 9,000 square feet of shop space across two additional buildings. Completion of the project is scheduled for next summer. Sembler acquired the 20-acre site earlier this month from a private owner for an undisclosed price.
MARYLAND — Restaurant chain Slim Chickens has signed a deal with Phoenix Foods LLC to open eight new locations in the Maryland counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll and Harford. Brad Hoag, franchisee and owner of Phoenix Foods, will operate the locations, which will join another 1,100 restaurants currently in development for the brand. Hoag, who is based in Baltimore, is a former developer and operator of 10 Qdoba Mexican Grill locations and currently operates 10 Burger King restaurants.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Atlanta-based mixed-use developer Third & Urban has obtained $64.5 million in construction financing for Residences at The Pass, a 335-unit multifamily development located in Charlotte’s NoDa district. CrossHarbor Capital Partners provided the financing. The property will feature a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments anchored around a resident club room, work lounge and café that Pixel Design Collaborative designed. Residences at The Pass will also feature a rooftop terrace overlooking the courtyard and pool deck and will offer direct access to the Cross Charlotte Trail. First residents are expected to move in by summer 2025. The community will be the multifamily component of The Pass, a mixed-use development that will also feature 260,000 square feet of office and retail space. The project’s first phase, dubbed Pass41, is under construction and will span 80,000 square feet of commercial space with its first round of tenants opening this fall, including Soul Gastrolounge. The design-build team for The Pass includes architect Niles Bolton, civil engineer Thomas & Hutton and general contractor NRP Group. Foundry Commercial handles office leasing at The Pass, and Thrift Commercial Real Estate handles retail leasing. Blueprint Local serves as Third & Urban’s primary capital partner …
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — 908 Group and BCDC have formed a joint venture to develop a 693-bed student housing community adjacent to Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee. The unnamed, 182-unit property is the third development between the two firms and the fourth Tallahassee project for 908 Group. Pacific Life Insurance Co. is the primary lender for the project, with preferred equity provided by Nationwide. The project team includes general contractor Culpepper Construction Co., architectural firm Humphreys & Partners Architects and civil engineer Moore Bass Consulting. First move-ins are expected in August 2025 in time for the start of FSU’s 2025-2026 school year.
MIAMI — General contractor ANF Group has begun construction on Southpointe Vista, a two-phase affordable housing development in Miami that will total 332 units. McDowell Housing Partners is the developer of the two 10-story residential towers, which will be connected by a central paseo. Located at 21255 117th Court in the city’s Goulds neighborhood, the towers will feature studio, one- and two-bedroom residences reserved for households earning up to 70 percent of the area median income. Amenities will include community rooms, laundry facilities, a cybercafé, fitness room and onsite management offices, as well as two two-story parking garages. This project was partly funded through Miami-Dade County’s Public Housing and Community Development Department with $2.5 million in surtax funds. Southpointe Vista’s first tower is scheduled for completion in fourth-quarter 2024.
