LAKE CHARLES, LA. — Columbia Pacific Advisors has provided a $15.5 million refinancing loan for Gulf Stream Manor, a mobile home park in Lake Charles. Billy Meyer of Columbia Pacific originated the loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower, which plans to use the funds to refinance its existing mortgage, as well as provide working capital and finance expenditures. The property offers 265 residences with three- and four-bedroom floor plans ranging from 1,152 to 1,368 square feet. Amenities include a clubhouse, pool, playground and basketball courts. Southern Choice Properties manages the community, which is located at 8559 Gulf Highway, 10 miles south of downtown Lake Charles.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — CTO Realty Growth has sold a 6,267-square-foot retail property leased to Wawa in Jacksonville for $7.1 million. The property was delivered in 2017 and features gasoline pumps. Wawa has 17 years remaining on its lease. The asset sits on 2.2 acres at 4866 Gate Parkway, 10 miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville and near St. Johns Town Center. Brad Peterson, Michael Brewster and Joseph Naas of JLL represented the seller in the transaction. An undisclosed private investor purchased the asset.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Discount retailer Stein Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. The motion is an effort to maintain operations, including “the payment of employee wages and benefits without interruption, payment of suppliers and vendors in the normal course of business and the use of cash collateral.” Jacksonville-based Stein Mart expects to close a significant portion, if not all, of its brick-and-mortar stores. The company has launched a store closing and liquidation process but will continue to operate in the near term. Stein Mart says it is evaluating any and all strategic alternatives, including the potential sale of its e-commerce business and related intellectual property. In its fiscal first quarter that ended May 2, Stein Mart reported a net loss of $65.7 million. In addition, a merger agreement with an affiliate of Kingswood Capital Management LP terminated in April due to “uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to Stein Mart’s quarterly report. “The combined effects of a challenging retail environment coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused significant financial distress on our business,” says Hunt Hawkins, Stein Mart CEO and …
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — Red Apple Real Estate is moving forward with its development of a 1.3 million-square-foot mixed-use development in downtown St. Petersburg. The New York City-based developer filed foundation plans with the City of St. Petersburg and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a “No Hazard Letter” for the project, meaning the project did not exceed obstruction standards and marking/lighting is not required. The 46-story development will include 300 condominiums; a 233-room hotel; 25,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space; and 20,000 square feet of office space. The condos, known as The Residences at 400, will offer one- to four-bedroom floor plans and a select number of penthouses. Amenities will include a fitness and wellness center, resident lounge, coworking space, library, theater room, seventh-floor rooftop terrace with a pool and spa, putting green, bocce court, outdoor kitchen, dog walking area and a fire pit. Residents will also have access to a glass-enclosed observatory on the 46th floor. Red Apple recently established a sales gallery across the street from the site at 465 Central Ave. Design work is underway, and Red Apple is planning for permitting of preliminary site work. The developer expects to break ground in 2021.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Retail imports at major U.S. ports are expected to see their lowest annual totals in four years as the coronavirus continues to affect the economy, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). The NRF forecasts year-end 2020 totals to reach 19.6 million TEUs, which would be a 9.4 percent decrease from 2019 and the lowest number seen since the 19.1 million TEUs of imports in 2016. The NRF and Hackett Associates released their monthly Global Port Tracker report, which found that U.S. ports handled 1.6 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in June, which was up 4.9 percent from May 2020 but down 10.5 percent year-over-year. “The economy is recovering but retailers are being careful not to import more than they can sell,” says Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president for supply chain and customs policy. “Shelves will be stocked, but this is not the year to be left with warehouses full of unsold merchandise. The more Congress does to put spending money in consumers’ pockets and provide businesses with liquidity, the sooner we can get back to normal.”
BETHESDA, MD. — Marriott International (Nasdaq: MAR) has reported that its second-quarter revenue per available room (RevPAR) declined 84.4 percent worldwide at its hotels due to the coronavirus pandemic. RevPAR in its North American portfolio dropped 83.6 percent. Additionally, the hotelier’s occupancy rates are slowly recovering, having reached 34 percent during the week ending Aug. 1 after bottoming out at 11 percent April 11. Currently, 91 percent of the company’s hotels are open, compared to 74 percent in April. Marriott reported a net loss of $210 million in the second quarter, a significant drop from second-quarter 2019 when the company gained $525 million. The Bethesda-based company is seeing bright spots when it comes to its international recovery, especially in the area it refers to as “Greater China” (the area encompassing China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). “Greater China continues to lead the recovery,” says Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott. “As of early May, all our hotels in the region are open, and occupancy levels are now reaching 60 percent, compared to 70 percent the same time last year. While Greater China’s recovery was originally led by demand from leisure travelers, particularly in resorts and drive-to destinations, we are now seeing …
FORT MILL, S.C. — Crescent Communities has delivered Stateline Logistics Center, a 104,000-square-foot industrial facility in Fort Mill. The property offers 30 dock doors, two drive-ins, a 130-foot truck court and parking for trailers and cars. The asset is located within Lakemont Business Park, which is situated along Interstate 77 and 14 miles south of Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Merriman Schmitt Architects designed the building, Intercon Building Corp. was the general contractor and Cushman & Wakefield is handling leasing.
HIALEAH, FLA. — The Estate Cos. has acquired a former Ramada Inn in Hialeah for $15.3 million. The non-operational hotel was originally built in 1970 with expansions completed in 1973, 1979 and 1988. The property offers 258 rooms and sits on five acres at 1950 W. 49th St., 15 miles northwest of downtown Miami. Camilo Niño, Ricardo Uribe and Alen Hernandez of LV Lending originated an $11.5 million acquisition loan on behalf of the buyer. The seller was a partnership between UCH1 LLC, Miami Corporate Partners, Bidart Dairy II LLC and Noriega Properties. Details of renovation plans were not disclosed.
DECATUR, GA. — Beacon Real Estate Group has acquired Domain at Cedar Creek and Gateway at Cedar Brook, two multifamily communities totaling 332 units in Decatur. Atlanta-based Audubon Communities sold the communities for $46.1 million. Domain at Cedar Creek, located at 3073 Cedar Creek Parkway, and Gateway at Cedar Brook, located at 3117 Cedar Brook Drive, are considered sister communities and are situated less than one mile from each other and nine miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. Each property offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 750 square feet to 1,350 square feet. The two communities were 99 percent occupied at the time of sale. The seller recently made substantial investments to upgrade roofs, siding, HVAC systems and clubhouses at the communities. Scott Wadler, Mitch Sinberg and Matt Nihan of Berkadia originated $35.2 million in Fannie Mae acquisition financing on behalf of Beacon. The Coral Gables, Fla.-based buyer received $19.2 million to purchase Domain at Cedar Creek and $16 million for Gateway at Cedar Brook. Both loans feature 15-year terms with fixed interest rates and nine years of interest-only payments.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) has reported that 79.3 percent of apartment households have paid August rent as of Aug. 6. NMHC surveyed its network of 11.4 million professionally managed units as part of its Rent Payment Tracker metric. The latest figure is a decrease of 233,000 households, or 1.9 percent, from August 2019. However, the total number of those paying rent is an increase from July 6, 2020, in which 77.4 percent paid rent. President Donald Trump over the weekend signed an extension of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that provides unemployment benefits for citizens who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 outbreak. David Schwartz, NMHC chairman and CEO and chairman of Chicago-based Waterton, says that the CARES Act has been instrumental in helping millions of renters pay their rent. “Over the past few months apartment residents have largely been able to meet their housing obligations,” says Schwartz.