SOUTHFIELD, MICH. AND JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Southfield-based Sterling Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: SBT), the holding company of Sterling Bank and Trust FSB, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell all of its shares to Jacksonville-based EverBank Financial Corp. for $261 million. The sale is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and approval by Sterling’s shareholders. Sterling’s board of directors has unanimously approved the transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025. As a condition of the sale, Sterling will sell its residential mortgage loans to Delaware-based Bayview Acquisitions LLC. The closing of the loan sale is to occur immediately prior to the closing of the sale of the bank. In December 2022, Sterling engaged Keefe Bruyette & Woods to serve as financial advisor to assist in exploring and evaluating potential opportunities for a strategic combination with another bank. As that process began, Sterling was also finalizing a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. “Ultimately, Sterling’s board of directors determined that there was no practical way to pursue any form of standalone independent operations given the extremely high costs required and the multiple years needed to execute a new strategic vision without risking ongoing …
ATLANTA — LRE Management has acquired a multifamily portfolio located in the Atlanta metro area for $102 million. The seller was not disclosed. Totaling 778 units across three properties, the portfolio comprises Eastwood Village in Stockbridge, Monterey Village in Jonesboro and Peachtree Landing in Fairburn. Amenities at each community include a pool and fitness center. LRE, which assumed mortgage debt in the purchase, plans to renovate select unit interiors, as well as modernize the amenities and implement new property management. “We believe that acquiring 2000s-vintage assets in a tier-one market at pre-pandemic pricing and at a significant discount to current replacement cost represents a once-in-multiple-decades investment opportunity,” says Eric Londa, founder and managing partner of LRE.
GREENWOOD, IND. — CBRE has negotiated the sale of The Hangar on Emerson in Greenwood, a southern suburb of Indianapolis. The sales price was undisclosed. Built in 2023 and located at 1140 Emerson Pointe Drive, the 218-unit apartment complex features a range of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans averaging 1,006 square feet. Amenities include a resort-style swimming pool, courtyards, a clubhouse, fitness center, yoga room and pet park. CBRE’s Hannah Ott, George Tikijian, Cam Benz, Claire Bullard and Ryan Stockamp represented the seller, The Garrett Cos. Railfield Partners was the buyer.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — BurgerFi International (NASDAQ: BFI) has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Fort Lauderdale-based company operates under two brands: BurgerFi and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings. The two entities have a total of 144 locations open across the United States, Puerto Rico and Saudi Arabia. The filing pertains to 67 corporately owned locations operating under both the BurgerFi and Anthony’s banners. The remaining 77 franchisee-owned locations are excluded from the filing, with the company’s total portfolio expected to remain open and continue normal operations. BurgerFi cited a drastic decline in post-pandemic consumer spending, sustained inflation and increasing food and labor costs as the key drivers in the decision to file for bankruptcy. The company joins a number of restaurants that have recently filed for bankruptcy protection, including Mediterranean fast-casual chain Roti, Italian dining chain Buca de Beppo and seafood chain Red Lobster. “We need to stabilize the business in a structured process,” says Jeremy Rosenthal, who has been named chief restructuring officer for the company. “We are confident that this process will allow us to protect and grow our brands and to continue the operational turnaround started less than 12 months ago and secure additional capital.” The company’s board …
ANN ARBOR, MICH. — A joint venture between Hines and Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG) has broken ground on a mixed-use development at Briarwood Mall, a regional mall in Ann Arbor. Owned by Simon, Briarwood Mall opened its doors in October 1973. The new mixed-use component of the property, which sits about 2.5 miles south of the University of Michigan, will include a four-story luxury apartment building, Harvest Market grocery store and additional retail space surrounding an activated outdoor plaza. The partnership has broken ground on the multifamily component of the project. The community will offer 370 units in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations with in-unit washers and dryers, quartz countertops and smart home technology. Shared amenities for residents will include two open-air courtyards with seating and grilling stations, a private dog run and pet spa, fitness center, golf simulator, club room, lounge, coworking spaces and a 325-stall parking structure. The development, which is targeting LEED certification, was partially funded through Hines U.S. Direct Investments (HUSDI). Northwestern Mutual provided a loan to facilitate the construction of the project, which is expected to take approximately two years to complete. “It’s an exciting time for Ann Arbor as we break ground …
— By Kazuko Morgan, executive vice chair; Alanna Joy Loeffler, managing director, business strategy and development, Americas retail services; and Soany Gunawan, senior research analyst, San Francisco retail research, Cushman & Wakefield — Over the past few years, the headline narrative surrounding San Francisco has focused on store closures, complex governance issues and city challenges. However, with one of the highest U.S. household incomes, a rising population count and the lowest unemployment rate in California, the city remains a beacon of opportunity, innovation and creativity. Within the urban retail market, San Francisco continues to demonstrate resilience and growth with a host of new brands, products and services arriving and thriving. Retail sales in San Francisco have continued to increase, climbing an estimated 5.7 percent year over year to $37.1 billion in the second quarter of 2024. A multitude of exciting brands and new concepts are opening, flourishing or expanding. INGKA has launched its first-ever food hall, Saluhall, a 23,000-square-foot, plant-forward culinary project connected to the IKEA store at 945 Market Street. This addition not only creates jobs but enriches the community with regular events, highlighting local food vendors while offering fun and educational cooking classes. MillerKnoll’s modern furnishings brand Design Within Reach …
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Big Lots (NYSE: BIG) has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and has entered into a sale agreement with Los Angeles-based private equity firm Nexus Capital Management, a deal that would take the Ohio-based discount retailer private. Under the terms of the agreement, Nexus will serve as the “stalking horse bidder” (the approved investor that sets the low-end bar for a bankrupt company) in a court-supervised auction to acquire “substantially all” of Big Lots’ physical assets and ongoing business operations. Big Lots expects to keep the majority of its stores and online platform open and operational during the reorganization process as well as to be able to pay its employees and “certain critical vendors in the ordinary course of business.” The sale is expected to close during the fourth quarter, assuming Nexus is the winning bidder. In connection with this court-supervised process, Big Lots has secured commitments for $707.5 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, including $35 million in new financing from certain current lenders. Coupled with cash from ongoing operations, the financing is expected to provide sufficient liquidity for the sale process. The announcement comes after multiple reports of an imminent bankruptcy filing for Big Lots, …
SEATTLE — The special committee of the Board of Directors of Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) has confirmed receipt of a proposal from Erik and Pete Nordstrom, members of the Nordstrom family, and El Puerto de Liverpool to acquire all of the outstanding shares of the Nordstrom, other than shares held by members of the Nordstrom family and Liverpool, for $23 per share in cash. If accepted, the deal would take the publicly traded company private. The proposal would be financed through a combination of rollover equity and cash commitment by members of the Nordstrom family and Liverpool and $250 million in new bank financing, with the existing indebtedness of the company to remain outstanding. There is no assurance that the company will pursue this transaction, and Nordstrom does not intend to disclose further developments regarding the proposal until further disclosure is determined to be appropriate or necessary. Morgan Stanley & Co. and Centerview Partners are acting as financial advisors to the special committee, and Sidley Austin LLP and Perkins Coie LLP are acting as legal counsel. Seattle-based Nordstrom’s stock price closed at $22.60 per share on Thursday, Sept. 5, up from $14.90 one year prior.
HUMBLE, TEXAS — Partners Real Estate has arranged the sale of an 11,475-square-foot industrial building in the northern Houston suburb of Humble. According to LoopNet Inc., the building at 304-306 Wilson Road was constructed in 2016 and features a clear height of 16 feet. Darren O’Conor of Partners represented the buyer, an entity doing business as 304 Wilson LLC, in the transaction. Wyatt Huff and Hunter Stockard, also with Partners, represented the seller, Chosen Properties LLC.
EVANSVILLE, IND. — CBRE has brokered the sale of Post House, a 159-unit multifamily community in Evansville, a city on the Ohio River. The sales price was undisclosed. Built in 2020 and located at 215 Vine St., the property features a range of studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans averaging 894 square feet and 15 loft-style, live-work units. Amenities include a pool, covered outdoor seating, yoga room, dog spa, dog park, fitness center, coworking center and parking garage. Hannah Ott, George Tikijian, Cam Benz, Claire Bullard and Ryan Stockamp of CBRE represented the seller, Scannell Properties. Prosperity Commercial Real Estate was the buyer.