CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ram Realty Advisors has purchased South End Business Park, a 377,000-sqaure-foot office park located in Charlotte’s South End district. Patrick Nally, Hunter Barron and Alexis Kaiser of JLL arranged the transaction on behalf of the seller, Stockbridge. Built in phases from 1979 to 1984, the property was expanded in 2017 with the addition of a new, 50,000-square-foot building. Ram Realty plans to redevelop the business park but did not disclose a timeline.
NORTH BETHESDA, MD. — Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT), a real estate investment trust based in Rockville, has topped out 915 Meeting Street, an office tower underway within the company’s Pike & Rose mixed-use development in North Bethesda. The building rises 16 stories and will comprise 250,000 square feet of office space upon completion, as well as 545 parking spaces and 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Choice Hotels International Inc. signed a lease last year to occupy nearly half of the office tower for its new corporate headquarters. Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company based in Paris, is another notable tenant that has preleased office space at 915 Meeting Street. General contractor Clark Construction Group and architectural firm Gensler lead the development team, which is targeting LEED Gold certification for the tower. “915 Meeting Street is our newest trophy building offering to the market,” says Jay Brinson, vice president of development at Federal Realty. “This collaborative effort with our partners at Clark and Gensler has resulted in a building that is 60 percent [preleased].” Clark Construction broke ground last December on 915 Meeting Street. With vertical construction complete, the firm is focused on building out …
In the post-pandemic environment where employers are trying to navigate new work schedules, office tenants are focusing more on the finish and design of office space than they are the rents. In New Orleans, we are seeing office tenants rethink the concept of office space altogether, and their employees are thinking differently about their individual offices as well. There has been a shift from the traditional office space of years past where one spends eight hours a day in a large private office with the door closed. The office has evolved into more of a social place. Companies want their employees to come back to the office and not to be fully remote. Many employees want to get out of their pajamas and come back to the office. But, getting them all to come back has proven to be the challenge. Companies are now enticing their employees with redesigned spaces that are more aesthetically pleasing and rich with amenities that allow for more social interactions and collaboration. Employees who work remotely a few days a week are coming to the office because they want that engagement with their colleagues. Tenants are now less interested in refurbishing private offices and spend …
HODGKINS, ILL. — Brown Commercial Group has negotiated two new leases totaling 131,605 square feet at 7335 Santa Fe Drive in Hodgkins, a southwest suburb of Chicago. Pioneer Service Inc. leased 61,355 square feet and M&M Quality Grinding Inc. leased 70,250 square feet. The distribution building is being renovated into a fully operational manufacturing facility with individual spaces for the two businesses. Completion is slated for mid-2023. Mike Antonelli of Brown Commercial Group represented the tenants. Adam Stokes of NAI Hiffman represented the landlord, UBS Realty Investors. Pioneer Service manufactures precision machining parts, while M&M produces metal bar stock.
DECATUR, ALA. — First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) has announced plans to develop a $1.1 billion solar module manufacturing facility within Mallard Fox Industrial Park in Decatur, located near the Tennessee River southwest of Huntsville. The factory will contribute 3.5 gigawatts (GWDC) of renewable power each year and create over 700 new jobs for the state of Alabama upon its completion in 2025, according to the developer. First Solar hopes to expand its American manufacturing footprint to over 10 GWDC and a total investment of $4 billion in the coming years. The company currently has two factories operating in the state of Ohio with a third scheduled for completion during the first half of 2023, and several research and development (R&D) centers in California and Ohio. First Solar recently said it would expand its operations in the United States following passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provides tax credits for domestically produced clean energy equipment. “The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has firmly placed America on the path to a sustainable energy future,” says Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar. “Our Alabama facility, along with its sister factories in Ohio, will form part of the …
COWETA COUNTY, GA. — FREYR Battery (NYSE: FREY), a Luxembourg-based battery manufacturer focused on sustainability, has announced plans to open a new plant in Coweta County, about 40 miles south of Atlanta. The project represents a total capital investment of approximately $2.6 billion. The exact location of the manufacturing facility, which will be known as Giga America, was not disclosed. However, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the site will span 368 acres and will be situated near distribution centers for Amazon and Shopify. All of these facilities offer proximity to I-85, which connects Atlanta with Coweta County. Community and company leaders expect to create more than 700 new jobs over the next seven years. A timeline for completion was not disclosed. The local newspaper also reported that FREYR Battery considered more than 150 sites across 25 different states before settling on this specific location. The company’s products are designed to decarbonize transportation and energy systems, including as components of electric vehicles. “As we advance our U.S. expansion plan in cooperation with our key stakeholders, we expect to make meaningful investments to spur job creation and the eventual development of localized, decarbonized supply chains in the U.S. to enhance energy security …
JERICHO, N.Y. — Kimco Realty (NYSE: KIM), a retail and mixed-use real estate REIT based in Jericho, has acquired a portfolio of eight shopping centers on Long Island. Kabro Associates, a privately held owner based in Woodbury, N.Y., sold the portfolio to Kimco for $375.8 million. Each of the eight retail centers, five of which are grocery-anchored, are located within a 15-minute drive of the Kimco corporate headquarters in Jericho. The centers in the sold portfolio include: • The Gardens at Great Neck • Woodbury Common • The Market Place • Stop & Shop Shopping Center • Southgate Shopping Center • Green Cove Plaza • Syosset Corners and • Sequams Shopping Center The portfolio was 94.4 percent leased at the time of sale. Tenants at the centers include TJ Maxx, GoHealth Urgent Care, Rite Aid, Starbucks, Dunkin’ and Chipotle Mexican Grill, among others. Jose Cruz, Christopher Munley, Andrew Scandalios, James Galbally, Steve Simonelli, Colin Behr and J.B. Bruno of JLL represented Kabro Associates in the transaction. “This acquisition was a rare chance to expand our presence in one of Kimco’s most highly desired markets, with a portfolio of irreplaceable real estate located in one of the most heavily trafficked, densely …
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — An affiliate of The Dolben Co., a multifamily owner-operator based in metro Boston, has sold Stockbridge Court, a 233-unit property located in the western Massachusetts city of Springfield. The sales price was $42.6 million. Converted to residential use in 1979, the four-building property offers studio, one- and two-bedroom units with an average size of 729 square feet. Simon Butler, Biria St. John and John McLaughlin of CBRE represented The Dolben Co. and procured the buyer, an affiliate of Stockbridge Ventures, in the transaction.
HOUSTON — Partners, the brokerage and investment firm formerly known as NAI Partners, has arranged the sale of a 50,000-square-foot industrial property in North Houston. Cary Latham and Hunter Stockard of Partners represented the seller, an entity doing business as Isham Interests Ltd., in the transaction. Fort Worth-based investment firm Fort Capital purchased the asset for an undisclosed price.
PHOENIX — Dallas-based developer Howard Hughes Corp. (NYSE: HHC) has broken ground on Teravalis, a 37,000-acre master-planned community that will be located in the West Valley area of Phoenix. Preliminary plans for the development call for 100,000 single-family homes and 55 million square feet of commercial space. Previously known as Douglas Ranch, the project marks the largest master-planned community in the state, according to the development team. Teravalis — the name of which means “land of the valley” — will be developed with an emphasis on public space and the natural environment. Ecological sustainability will also be a focal point of the construction process. “Teravalis is an eco-friendly, sustainable community that sets the bar high for other cities to model,” says Eric Orsborn, mayor of Buckeye, a city located roughly 35 miles west of Phoenix. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also credits the development with “answering the call” of increased housing demand. “Since 2015, Arizona has welcomed over 584,000 new residents, and we don’t expect that momentum to stop anytime soon,” says Ducey. “This increases the demand for housing opportunities, and Howard Hughes is providing quality housing options for current and future Arizonans.” The development team also notes that the location …