In a city known for its fast-shifting real estate cycles and ever-changing demographics, it’s becoming clear that change is the only real constant in Miami. Examples are everywhere — from the construction cranes dotting the skyline and trendy neighborhoods emerging throughout the region, to a fresh crop of international investors and the launch of entirely new industries. The makeup of our people is also evolving. A report by the Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA) found that the city’s urban core has experienced 100 percent population growth since 2000 as its population becomes younger and more educated. Residents ages 25 to 44 make up 46 percent of the population and 58 percent of residents over the age of 25 have a college degree. It’s easy to overlook the impact these trends are having on commercial real estate in favor of Miami’s headline-grabbing residential market, but the demographic shifts taking place are also impacting the office market as employers cultivate a workforce increasingly dominated by Millennials drawn to growth-oriented jobs. This change has been in the making for years as Miami’s public and private sectors invest in creating new business opportunities for young professionals across industries less prone to economic swings, such …
PORTLAND, ORE. — NBP Capital and Provenance Hotels have teamed up to develop a new hotel in Downtown Portland. The duo plan to invest $30 million to renovate two adjacent historic buildings they recently purchased on the corner of SW Alder and SW Park. The acquisition included the Woodlark Building, which was built in 1912, and the former Cornelius Hotel, built in 1908. The adaptive reuse will connect the two buildings, which have spaces for two food and beverage outlets. Both properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The new lifestyle hotel will include 150 rooms. This is the first joint acquisition by NBP Capital and Provenance Hotels. NBP is the majority partner in the project. Developer Arthur Mutal has also invested alongside NBP and Provenance Hotels. This is Provenance’s fifth hotel project in Portland. The company owns the Westin Portland. It also owns and manages Portland’s Hotel Lucia, Hotel deLuxe and Sentinel, as well as Hotel Max and Hotel 1000 in Seattle, and Hotel Murano in Tacoma, Wash. Provenance will also manage this hotel when it opens in 2016. The new project will be designed by R&A Architecture & Design, Freier Architekt and MCA Architects.
ATLANTA — Atlanta-based developer Jamestown has revealed 13 new retail tenants for its Ponce City Market development, a 2 million-square-foot, adaptive reuse project in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. Ponce City Market is a retrofitting of the 1920s-era Sears, Roebuck & Co. building on Ponce de Leon Avenue, which is located along the Atlanta Beltline. The property features a marketplace with a central food hall (opening in spring 2015), loft apartments and boutique office space. The retail tenant roster includes The Frye Company (4,135 square feet); Oakleaf & Acorn (700 square feet); The Jean Machine (1,200 square feet); Williams-Sonoma Home (9,251 square feet); Madewell (3,017 square feet); West Elm (13,750 square feet); Anthropologie (11,618 square feet); Mountain High Outfitters (6,900 square feet); Rejuvenation (6,000 square feet); Goorin Bros. Hat Shop (1,000 square feet); J. Crew (5,382 square feet); Michael Stars (1,539 square feet); and Lou Lou Accessories (1,200 square feet). The retailers will begin to open their stores in the spring in conjunction with the opening of the central food hall, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
BLOOMFIELD, N.J. — Prism Capital Partners’ Parkway Lofts is now more than 50 percent leased. Located in Bloomfield, the adaptive reuse multifamily project features 361 loft-style apartments, which were converted from the original six-story warehouse building. The first two phases of the property have been leased and now phase three is available. Units features 17- and 12-foot ceilings, exposed columns and beams, 13-foot insulated windows, concrete floors, custom lighting fixtures, and designer kitchens and bathrooms. Onsite amenities include a rooftop deck with fire pit, a 5,000-square-foot fitness center, a 20-seat theater room, a private party and billiards room, a 24-hour resident-only convenience store, and a dog run.
LOS ANGELES — RC Acquisitions has purchased National City Tower, a historic adaptive reuse development in Downtown Los Angeles, for $43.2 million. The 118,162-square-foot property is located at 810 South Spring Street in the Financial District. National City Tower was built in 1924 and redeveloped in 2008. It formerly served as a National City Bank branch. The property now contains 93 residential lofts, in addition to ground-floor and basement retail space. The retail portion was fully occupied by tenants like Terroni restaurant, Peking Tavern and Crane’s Downtown Bar. The residential component is 97 percent occupied. Janet Neman and Bryan Glenn of Charles Dunn Company represented both the buyer and seller, National City Towers LLC, in this transaction.
ATLANTA — Westside Ironworks LLC has inked a lease agreement with Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar to open the restaurant’s second Atlanta location at Westside Ironworks, an 18,500-square-foot adaptive reuse retail project in Atlanta’s West Midtown neighborhood. The $8.5 million project is expected to open in spring 2015. The property is the former home of Iron-Works International Inc. and features 45-foot-high wood roofs and large entrance doors and windows. After a $3 million renovation and expansion, Barcelona will occupy the approximately 4,000-square-foot, freestanding building on the site. The restaurant is slated to open its doors in mid-2015. Stephanie McCall of The Shopping Center Group handles leasing responsibilities for Westside Ironworks.
ATLANTA — Hank Farmer and Pierce Lancaster, former colleagues at Jamestown, have formed Third & Urban, a new adaptive reuse and urban infill development firm based in Atlanta. The firm will focus on development opportunities in the Southeast and will also serve as a consultant to other developers. Third & Urban’s first consulting assignment is on Ben Carter Enterprises’ $75 million redevelopment of Broughton Street in Savannah, Georgia. “Pierce and Hank were key team members on several high-profile deals while at Jamestown,” says Matt Bronfman, CEO of Jamestown. “We wish them the best of luck and are confident that they will be successful in their new endeavor.”
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — CBRE has brokered the $14.5 million sale of The Gallery Lofts, a Class A, 82-unit apartment property in downtown Winston-Salem. The property is an adaptive reuse of a former textile manufacturing facility and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The asset features exposed brick, hardwood flooring, high ceilings and upgraded amenities. Jeff Glenn, Richard Montana and Hal Kern of CBRE represented the seller, Landex Corp., in the transaction.
PORTLAND, ORE. — Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired The Nines Hotel in Portland for $127 million. The 331-room hotel is located on SW Morrison Street, across from Pioneer Square downtown. The Nines is in close proximity to Pioneer Place Mall, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Nike Town, the Pearl District and the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Nearby employers include US Bank, Deloitte, NRC, Wells Fargo, Intel and Nike. Pebblebrook acquired a fee simple condominium interest in the hotel. The historic building was originally constructed in 1909. Back then it was the Meier & Frank Building. The property underwent a $140 million adaptive reuse renovation and reopened as The Nines in October 2008. “This hotel represents our third hotel investment in Portland’s central business district, and the property’s desirable location across from Pioneer Square ideally places it near many of downtown Portland’s most notable demand generators,” says Jon Bortz, Pebblebrook’s chairman and CEO. “The hotel’s excellent downtown location and strong operating fundamentals, including its position as the market’s rate leader, make this acquisition an outstanding addition to our high-quality portfolio.” The hotel occupies floors six through 15 of the building, as well as portions of the first floor and basement. …
Galveston is poised for economic growth and expansion on several fronts. With a proven track record for resiliency, the city has continued to see investments across the island touching all geographic and economic clusters. As illustrated in the 2013 Developer Profile magazine, a publication of the Galveston Economic Development Partnership (GEDP), more than $2 billion in investment is currently in process across the island. The area is seeing new investment in both public and private sector ventures. Retail, commercial, residential, industrial and institutional projects continue moving forward at an accelerated pace. Education & Healthcare As home to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB), Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG), Galveston College, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Center for Marine Training and Safety, the Galveston Independent School District and several other private schools and charter schools, Galveston Island has a strong education sector. These institutions are each making investments, which points to an enhanced and superior environment for education and healthcare services. For example, UTMB is currently constructing the new Jennie Sealy Hospital, a $438 million facility with 310 patient rooms, 58 intensive care unit beds and 20 state-of-the-art operating rooms. The hospital is expected to open …