SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Planning Commission has unanimously approved plans to redevelop the historic Flower Mart in the city’s South of Market (SoMa) district as a 2.3 million-square-foot mixed-use property. Kilroy Realty Corp. (NYSE: KRC) is leading the development, which will preserve and update the 115,000-square-foot Flower Mart, while also adding 2.1 million square feet of creative office space, a 100,000-square-foot retail market hall and one acre of public open space. The project still requires approval from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the city’s mayor, which Kilroy hopes to receive by October. The project is the product of more than five years of negotiations and partnership between Kilroy Realty, the wholesale flower vendor community and the city. Kilroy expects to break ground in mid-2020 and deliver all phases by 2024. The Flower Mart vendors will be moved to an interim location during construction. “The Flower Mart Project represents the future of Central SoMa and San Francisco,” says John Kilroy, the developer’s chairman and CEO. “The project’s vibrant mix of uses, abundant neighborhood-serving retail and innovative work environments will make it the transformational hub that the city and the neighborhood need.” “This is one of the best …
Retail
WACO, TEXAS — Houston-based NewQuest Properties has broken ground on Cottonwood Creek Market, a 143-acre entertainment retail project in Waco. Located at the intersection of Interstate 35 and Loop 340, the development will span 285,000 square feet. A 14-screen Cinemark theater will anchor the project, and NewQuest is in talks to add a bowling and family dining concept, as well as a national retailer in golf entertainment. The opening is scheduled for spring 2020.
KAPOLEI, HAWAII — Highridge Costa will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 28 for the second phase of the $130 million Kulana Hale mixed-use affordable seniors housing and multifamily apartment project located at 1020 Wakea St. in Kapolei. Kulana Hale Phase II will feature a 13-story tower with 2,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 143 affordable apartments for low-income families. The second-phase tower will be built over a two-level concrete podium structure that will connect to the 154-unit first phase seniors housing tower to form a larger parking structure and podium deck. The third phase will include single-story retail space. Los Angeles-based Highridge Costa and Honolulu-based Coastal Rim Properties, owned by Franco Mola, are developing Kulana Hale jointly with support from nonprofit Hawaiian Community Development Board. SVA Architects designed the project, which Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. is building. The development’s second phase will be financed with a combination of tax-exempt bonds, tax credit equity and a $17.9 million Rental Housing Revolving Fund Loan from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. Citibank will be the construction lender and Royal Bank of Canada will be the tax credit investor.
BUCKEYE, ARIZ. — Mesa, Ariz.-based LJ Mainstreet Holdings has purchased Main Street Lofts at Verrado, a multifamily property located at 21068 W. Main St. in Buckeye, a suburb of Phoenix. Omaha, Neb.-based Waitt Verrado LLC sold the asset for $5.2 million. Situated within the Verrado master-planned community, Main Street Lofts features 45 units averaging 994 square feet, as well as a CVS/pharmacy and Basha’s grocery on the ground floor. Matt Kolano and Charlie Steele of Jones Lang LaSalle of Phoenix represented the seller, while Chris Roach and Matt Roach of Colliers International in Arizona represented the buyer in the deal.
Main Street is making a comeback, and this is not news by any means. This growing trend is not only affecting real estate in the greater Atlanta area, but also throughout the United States. Main Street’s demise began with the design of President Eisenhower’s interstate highway system. It allowed travelers to bypass once sustaining rural towns and divided urban cities in their hearts. In Atlanta, it’s easy to notice with the unconscionable prejudice that comes with the interstates that divide our city compounded by the inefficiency of MARTA. The fall of Main Street was further catalyzed by the rise of the service-based economy and exportation of U.S. manufacturing to low cost nations, allowing larger retailers to capitalize and increase their market share by selling low-cost goods. Increasing affordability, especially for consumer goods, is great for everyone -— no one wants to be digging out of their savings for daily necessities — especially in a time when almost half the country cannot afford a $400 medical bill. However, this increased our fascination with saving on discretionary spending and led to increased demand for the “big-box” store. Large retailers’ capitalization on this trend led to increased foot traffic to their centers. Developers’ …
Portland’s retail market is supported by steady employment gains that are luring new residents. Employers have created almost 23,800 jobs over the past 12 months, while the metro added nearly 27,400 people. This is a population growth rate that is nearly double that of the U.S. Household income also advanced at a faster clip than most of the country. Portland’s median household income jumped 5.3 percent over the past year. This is well above the national level of 3.6 percent, providing residents with more discretionary spending power. Retail sales have surged 5.8 percent year over year as a result, which is significantly higher than the U.S. rate of change. These growth trends are expected to continue through 2019, boosting the retail sector. The need for retail space may be escalating, but construction remains measured. This has funneled expanding retailers into the dwindling supply of existing space as vacancy tightens. Developers added 319,000 square feet year over year in March, slightly lower than the 327,200 square feet 12 months earlier. Deliveries will remain sparse as builders have less than 300,000 square feet under construction. Much of the new supply is ground-level space in mixed-use office or apartment projects in walkable, urban …
IRVING, TEXAS — Dallas-based Disney Investment Group has arranged the $17 million sale of Towne North, a 124,289-square-foot shopping center in Irving. Anchored by El Rancho Supermarket, the property was 84 percent leased at the time of sale. David Disney and Adam Crockett of Disney Investment Group represented the seller, an entity controlled by HSM Equities, and procured the undisclosed buyer.
BARTLESVILLE, OKLA. — CBRE has brokered the sale of a 91,653-square-foot retail property located at 501 SE Washington Blvd. in Bartlesville, located north of Tulsa. Stuart Graham, Mark Inman and Kendra Roberts of CBRE represented the seller, BB2S Bartlesville LLC, in the transaction. The buyer, ECTS LLC, acquired the asset for approximately $2.5 million.
DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys, in partnership with global fitness center developer Mark Mastrov, will open a 20,000-square-foot Cowboys Fit gymnasium at the AT&T Discovery District in downtown Dallas. Club members can enjoy a range of boutique fitness classes, including yoga and barre, as well as access to customized fitness plans and Cowboys merchandise. The opening is slated for this winter.
BEND, ORE. — Overbay Development Co. has completed the disposition of Wagner Mall and Pinebrook Plaza, two shopping centers located in Bend. Western Pacific Holdings acquired the both assets for an undisclosed price. Located at 1800 NE Third St., Wagner Mall features 108,818 square feet of retail space, including Albertsons, Rite Aid and Aaron’s as tenants. The Wagner Mall sale include the mall, large box spaces and the surrounding pad sites, totaling 9.35 acres. Located at 61155 Highway 97, the 59,509-square-foot Pinebrook Plaza is currently home to Albertsons and other retailers. Totaling 5.97 acres, the Pinebrook Plaza sale included the main building and a standalone Shari’s restaurant. Pat Kesgard and Kristie Schmitt of Compass Commercial Real Estate Services, along with John Keba and Holley Jensen of Compass Commercial Asset & Property Management, represented the seller. Russell Huntamer and Tom Standish, also of Compass Commercial Real Estate Services, represented the buyer in the transactions.