COLUMBUS, IND. — Herman & Kittle Properties Inc. has opened Ashford Park Apartments, a 209-unit multifamily complex in Columbus, about 45 miles south of Indianapolis. The one-bedroom units measure 705 square feet, while two-bedroom residences span 1,020 square feet and three-bedroom apartments are 1,334 square feet. Amenities include two fitness centers, a library, business center, theater, game room, pet spa and car wash station.
DETROIT — General Motors is investing $2.2 billion at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to produce a variety of all-electric trucks and SUVs. Production of GM’s first all-electric truck is scheduled to begin in late 2021. Detroit-Hamtramck will be GM’s first assembly plant fully dedicated to electric vehicles. When the plant is fully operational, the investment will create more than 2,200 manufacturing jobs. GM also plans to invest an additional $800 million in supplier tooling and other projects related to the launch of the new electric trucks. The plant’s paint and body shops and general assembly area will receive comprehensive upgrades, including new machines, conveyors, controls and tooling. Approximately 900 people are employed at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which currently builds the Cadillac CT6 and the Chevrolet Impala. The plant will be idled for several months beginning at the end of February once renovations begin.
PHOENIX — Provo, Utah-based PEG Cos. and Dallas-based A.G. Hill Partners have acquired the Luhrs Building, a 10-story historic office property located at 11 W. Jefferson St. in downtown Phoenix. Lincoln Property Co. (LPC) sold the asset for $14 million. PEG plans to renovate 92,000 square feet of the 108,000-square-foot Luhrs Building into an upscale hotel. The redevelopment will convert floors one through nine into hotel rooms, while Hagens Berman Law Firm will continue to occupy the top floor. Additionally, Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour will remain open and occupy ground-floor space during the construction. LPC will maintain ownership of the balance of Luhrs City Center, which includes the 14-story Luhrs Tower office building, an adjacent six-story parking garage and 15,995 square feet of fully renovated, ground-floor retail space called The Arcade that is occupied by La Madeline, Serafina Coffee Bar and Monroe’s Chicken. Bill Murney of Hospitality Real Estate Counselors brokered the sale transaction. A.G. Hill Partners serves as PEG’s main investment partner for the conversion.
CHICAGO — Friedman Properties and the City of Chicago have finalized the development agreement of their public-private partnership for Rivere, a 30-story high-rise office building coming to downtown Chicago’s River North district. The 674,000-square-foot tower will be situated at 450 N. Dearborn St., a block south of the intersection of Illinois and Dearborn streets. Rivere will feature a little more than 50,000 square feet of retail space, as well as high-end amenities including concierge services, meditation space, on-demand meeting space, an upscale fitness and wellness center, secure bike room with shower facilities, onsite valet, below-grade garage parking and a food and beverage program operated by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. The property will also house a new engine house for Engine Co. 42, the District 1 headquarters for the Chicago Fire Department. Designed by Goettsch Partners, Rivere will feature a glass façade with activated rooftops and sustainable features, including efficient mechanical systems that will help reduce water and energy use. Other design team members include construction management firm Lendlease and engineer DLR Group. Office managers and staff at Rivere will be able use an app to facilitate parking, concierge services, fitness class appointments, guest passes, thermostat control, restaurant reservations and conference …
BOSTON — Cambria Hotels has opened the 159-room Cambria Hotel Boston, Downtown-South Boston. The hotel offers close access to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority red line. Amenities include a rooftop restaurant, lobby lounge, fitness center and 160-person event space. RODE Architects designed the building, the first Cambria Hotel in Massachusetts.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Unicorp National Development Inc. will construct a nine-story, 300,000-square-foot building that will house Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp.’s headquarters in Orlando. The building will be situated within Unicorp’s O-Town West development, a $1 billion mixed-use project that will include restaurants, offices, entertainment, retail stores, hotels, apartments and residential homes. HuntonBrady Architects is the designer and Finfrock Construction will serve as the general contractor of the office project. Construction of the new campus is scheduled to begin in early 2020 with a 2021 anticipated completion date. Additional details and features of the global headquarters are yet to be determined. Marriott Vacations Worldwide operates under Marriott International while offering vacation ownership, exchange, rental and resort and property management.
DUNCAN, S.C. — CRG, Clayco’s real estate division, has delivered and sold a 1.3 million-square-foot distribution center within The Cubes at Inland 85 in Duncan. Situated less than two miles from Inland Port Greer, the facility was originally designed as a 500,280-square-foot speculative building but was expanded to fit the needs of the new tenant, an undisclosed Fortune 500 company. An affiliate of Lexington Realty Trust acquired the asset for an undisclosed price. The building features a cross-dock configuration with 36-foot clear heights and an ESFR sprinkler system. Lamar Johnson Collaborative designed the property, and Clayco served as the general contractor. CRG is the main developer of The Cubes. This is the first building to be delivered within The Cubes.
HOUSTON — Fidelis Realty Partners is underway on construction of Brookhollow Marketplace, a 200,000-square-foot retail power center that will be located at the site of the former Exxon campus in Houston. Fidelis acquired the site in 2016 and has now completed demolitions. Located at the corner of Highway 290 and Dacoma Street, Brookhollow Marketplace will house retailers such as Burlington, Michaels, Ross Dress for Less, T.J. Maxx, Ulta, Old Navy, Rack Room Shoes and Five Below. Store openings are slated for this fall. An 80,000-square-foot Floor & Décor is also scheduled to open to the east of the center.
GRESHAM, ORE. — KeyBank Real Estate Capital (KBREC) has provided a total of $61.4 million in construction financing and Low Income Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity to Newport Beach, Calif.-based Community Development Partners for the development of Rockwood 10, a multifamily property in Gresham. In addition to the $42.6 million construction loan and $18.1 million of LIHTC equity investment from Key Community Development Corp. KBREC secured $32.4 million of fixed-rate Freddie Mac permanent financing for the property. Slated for completion in 2021, Rockwood 10 will feature 224 affordable residential units spread across five three- and four-story buildings on seven acres. As a Section 42 LIHTC project, all units are restricted to households earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income. Jonathan Woodland of KBREC’s Commercial Mortgage Group and Brett Sheehan of KBREC’s Community Development Lending and Investment team structured the financing.
LANSDALE, PA. — Equus Capital Partners, a locally based private equity fund, has completed Madison Lansdale Station, a 182-unit multifamily property in Lansdale, about 25 miles north of Philadelphia. The property, which features studio, one- and two-bedroom units, is part of a 6.7-acre mixed-use development located adjacent to Lansdale station on the SEPTA transit line. Additional uses include single-family homes and 15,000 square feet of retail space. Amenities at Madison Lansdale Station, which is now 50 percent leased, include a fitness center, business center, clubhouse, demonstration kitchen, billiard room and outdoor spaces with lounges and fire pits.
