WOODSTOCK, ILL. — Chicago-based Paine/Wetzel • ONCOR International has completed the sale of a 15,000-square-foot industrial building in Woodstock. The property is situated on a 1.2-acre site at 1991 Duncan Place. The buyer, Ortho Molecular Products, plans to convert the facility into a corporate office building. As part of the transaction, Ortho has the option to purchase an adjoining 1.2-acre site. G. Pat Ryan of Paine/Wetzel represented the seller, RK LLC. Mike Adams of Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler represented Ortho.
The Kansas City apartment market continues to hold its own despite economic challenges and uncertainties. While occupancy and rental rates have remained steady, development has been tempered by a tight lending environment. The pace of planned construction has slowed dramatically as a result of market fundamentals. The first half of 2009 showed the lowest level of permits, a mere 78, in the past 20 years. The lack of liquidity and tougher underwriting standards are halting development. The uncertainty in asset values plays a part in this as well as lenders underwriting deals more conservatively. As a result, banks are requiring developers to contribute a greater amount of equity, thus decreasing project risk for both parties Market fundamentals have remained steady. Rents are averaging $0.79 per square foot, unchanged from the start of the year. Rates vary widely from $1.14 per square foot at the Country Club Plaza, which has 95 percent occupancy, to as low as $0.64 per square foot for Class C apartments in the Northland submarket. These rates, though, are offset by concessions. At the end of June, nearly three-fourths of the area’s multifamily properties offered concessions, up noticeably from the 56 percent that used concessions to attract …
CHICAGO — Meridian Design Build has completed construction for a 37,942-square-foot, built-to-suit distribution facility for Gypsum Supply Co. in Chicago. The building is situated within Stockyards Industrial Park. It comprises approximately 33,000 square feet of warehouse and distribution space, approximately 3,000 square feet of office and showroom space, onsite detention facilities and a significant amount of fenced outdoor space. Sustainable features of the project include a reflective roof and bio-swales. During the construction process, approximately 2,500 tons of concrete and masonry were reused onsite and more than 92 percent of construction waste was recycled or diverted from landfills. The project architect was Cornerstone Architects.
LOUISVILLE, KY. — An affiliate of Centro Properties Group has sold the 422,000-square-foot Springhurst Towne Center to D. Talmage Hocker, Brad Anderson and a group of Louisville investors for $42.4 million. The property, located at the intersection of Westport Road and Interstate 265, is anchored by Target and Meijer. Springhurst also houses Kohl’s, T.J. Maxx, Dick’s Sporting Goods and dressbarn. Due to the current economy, searching for a buyer was a painstaking process. Oak Brook, Ill.-based May Center Advisors brought the deal on the market for Centro right as stocks were plummeting and Bernie Madoff was being carted off to court. “In this market, you’re not just looking for somebody to make an offer, you’re looking for the group that has the strongest probability of getting to the finish line,” says John May of MCA. “[The buyers] came to the table and seemed to make the most sense for the property and also had put together the best financial engineering structure to actually get this closed in a difficult market.” U.S. Bank provided financing for the transaction, which proved to be a huge selling point for Centro Properties. “There’s a very strong relationship between the buyer and that lender,” May …
NEW YORK CITY — NRDC Acquisition Corp. has signed a framework agreement with its sponsor, NRDC Capital Management, which sets forth the steps NRDC Acquisition will take to convert to a REIT commencing with its taxable year ending December 31, 2010. NRDC Acquisition intends to invest in, acquire, own, lease, reposition and manage a diverse portfolio of necessity-based retail properties, including, primarily, well located community and neighborhood shopping centers, anchored by national or regional supermarkets and drugstores. The new REIT also plans to acquire other retail properties, including power centers, regional malls, lifestyle centers and single-tenant retail locations, that are leased to national, regional and local tenants. Upon approval from the company’s stockholders, NRDC Acquisition will change its name to Retail Opportunity Investments Corp.
NEW YORK CITY — New York City’s first Candlewood Suites is slated to open. The Candlewood Suites New York City-Times Square features studio suites with wide rooms, including a full kitchen with a full-size refrigerator, a stove top, a dishwasher, a microwave, and it is stocked with pots, pans, plates, glassware and utensils. The guestrooms also include a recliner, a large workspace with a desk chair and deluxe bedding. The new Candlewood Suites also offers amenities typically found in apartment buildings, including a complimentary 24-hour fitness center, complete with cardio and weight machines, and complimentary onsite laundry for guests. The hotel is located at 339 West 39th St. between 8th and 9th Avenues in Midtown Manhattan, with LaGuardia and JFK International airports both less than 30 minutes away. The Candlewood Suites New York City-Times Square is owned by M&R Hotel, LLC, and managed by Hersha Hospitality, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.
STOCKTON, CALIF., AND LAS VEGAS — Orange County, Calif.-based Bixby Land Co. has completed its $400 million portfolio repositioning with the acquisition of two properties in California and Nevada. In California, the company purchased a 264,000-square-foot industrial building, which is located at 4114 S. Airport Way and 1425 Industrial Dr. in Stockton, for an undisclosed price. Current tenants include Dana Structural Products, Technical Consumer Products and Mike Campbell & Associates. In Nevada, Bixby acquired a 130,000-square-foot industrial property, which is located at 4875 E. Cheyenne Ave. in Las Vegas, from Panattoni Development for an undisclosed amount. The property is currently 100 percent leased through 2017 to Johnston Supply, a wholesale distributor in HVAC/R equipment. Starting in 2006, Bixby began restructuring its portfolio by selling off non-strategic assets and using 1031-exchange funds to assemble an institutional quality, industrial and R&D portfolio.
BLAIRSTOWN, IOWA — Gulf Alternative Energy Corp. (GAEC) has agreed to purchase an ethanol production plant located in Blairstown. The facility, which is presently owned by Xethanol Biofuels, has the capacity to produce up to 6 million gallons of ethanol per year. GAEC plans to convert the plant to produce ethanol from cellulosic plant materials such as corn stalks and cobs, switchgrass, and agricultural waste. The facility previously produced ethanol from food and feedstock-based materials such as corn. The acquisition is scheduled to close this fall.
INDEPENDENCE, MO. — Hobby Lobby and Christian bookstore Mardel have joined the tenant roster at The Falls, a destination retail center located at the interchange of Interstate 70 and Highway 291 in Independence. Hobby Lobby will occupy a 55,000-square-foot store and Mandel will occupy 25,000 square feet. Both stores are currently under construction, with completion expected by the end of the year. The Falls is a 200-acre development anchored by a 160,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World with an adjoining 200-room hotel and conference center. The project also contains an 80-acre city park with an 18-acre stocked lake, a 70-foot waterfall and a 2-mile walking trail. Kessinger/Hunter & Co. is overseeing marketing efforts for the project.
As many investors know, a diverse portfolio is the cornerstone of success. And today, even in a down market, commercial real estate is an important component for many investors. Recently in Atlanta, Interface Conference Group brought financial planners and real estate experts together to discuss the state of the commercial real estate market and investing today. The conference — Real Estate’s Place in Wealth Management and Financial Planning — began with a frank, informative keynote address from Zachary Taylor, group chairman and managing partner of global wealth management firm Taylor, Fréres & Cie, a multinational concern with businesses spanning the commodities, asset management, and investment banking sectors. Taylor’s initially set out to identify the role of commercial real estate in the crafting and management a modern portfolio — it should comprise between 20 and 30 percent in total — noting that the act of doing so has changed considerably over the past 3 years. “Financial planners need to step back and understand where capital is and what is driving it, in order to keep the wealth management business moving forward,” he noted. Taylor, Fréres & Cie’s philosophy ensured that Taylor was particularly suited to address the crowd of nearly 200 …