HILLIARD, OHIO — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $2.1 million sale of George’s Corner IV, a 4,749-square-foot retail property in Hilliard, approximately 13 miles northwest of Columbus. George’s Corner IV is located at 1840 Hilliard Rome Road. The two-tenant center features Visionworks, an eyewear retailer, and Tom + Chee, a Cincinnati-based specialty grilled-cheese restaurant. The center is a renovated former restaurant located on an outparcel to a Target center. A Memphis, Tenn.-based limited liability company purchased the property. John Reehil and Arthur Kaplan of Marcus & Millichap’s Columbus office represented the seller, a limited liability company.
LOGANSPORT, IND. — The Cooper Commercial Investment Group has arranged the $2.9 million sale of an 18,600-square-foot retail property in Logansport, approximately 30 miles northeast of Lafayette. Cass County Commons is located at the corner of Mall Road and Lexington Road. Wal-Mart shadow anchors the property. Tenants include Buffalo Wild Wings, Maurice’s, Great Clips, Petsense and Arnold’s Jewelry. Dan Cooper of Cooper Commercial’s Cleveland office represented the seller, an Indiana-based private investor. A Connecticut-based private investment group purchased the property.
ROMEOVILLE, ILL. — Mid-America Real Estate Corp. has brokered the sale of a 29,209-square-foot shopping center in Romeoville, a suburb of Chicago. Scottsdale-based Sand Capital purchased the property located at the northwest corner of 135th and Weber Road. Carillon Court features Allstate Insurance, Comcast, Stella’s Bar & Grill and Essential Chiropractic Center. Carly Gallagher and Ben Wineman of Mid-America brokered the transaction on behalf of a Chicago-based bank.
DOWNERS GROVE, ILL. — Adelphia Properties has brokered the $450,000 sale of a 5,000-square-foot freestanding retail building in Downers Grove. The property, which formerly housed Play It Again Sports, is located at 1628 Ogden Ave. George Spirrison and Simeon Spirrison of Adelphia Properties represented the seller, a private investor. Another private investor purchased the property at its full list price.
ST. ROBERT, MO. — L3 Corp. has arranged the lease of a 10,000-square-foot retail building in St. Robert, 32 miles northeast of Lebanon, Mo. Dollar Tree will occupy space within Liberty Commons located at Liberty Drive. The landlord is American Realty and Development LLC. L3 Corp. represented the tenant in the transaction.
There are many opportunities for Orange County tenants and landlords in this ever-evolving region of more than 3 million residents. The county’s unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in 2013, compared to the nationwide rate of 7.3 percent. Homeowners have also prospered over the past two years as Orange County home values rose a whopping 25.8 percent on average in 2013. The median home price is a stout $560,000 and climbing. What does this spell? Opportunity – for businesses, jobs and investors. Tenants are back full throttle with expansion plans for the Southern California basin. The big issue tenants and developers will have to face is a lack of available entitled land where they can construct and occupy a retail strip center or single-tenant restaurant. Tight governmental regulation and healthy city development fee structures can drive the costs of development too high, thereby stunting development growth. Conversely, if you currently own property, the prospects for continued yield growth are promising due to the lack of supply and a global “uber appetite” to own California commercial real estate. We will see a tremendous transition of generational wealth over the next five years, the magnitude of which we have not seen before. This …
BELVIDERE, ILL. — Quantum Real Estate Advisors Inc. has brokered the $3.7 million sale of a 23,959-square-foot shopping center in Belvidere. Landmark Crossings is located at 744-782 Beloit Road. The multi-tenant retail building is fully leased to national and local tenants. The seller was a Rockford, Ill.-based development group. A Chicago-based private real estate investor purchased the property. Chad Firsel of Quantum represented the seller in the transaction.
CHICAGO — Mid-America Real Estate Corp. has arranged the $2 million sale of The Columbian Retail Shops in Chicago. Chicago-based Newcastle Limited purchased the 6,600-square-foot, two-tenant retail property for $2 million. The Columbian Retail Shops is located at the northwest corner of S. Michigan Ave. and E. Roosevelt Road. The center features retailers Burger Bar and Elements Therapeutic Massage.Joe Girardi and Carly Gallagher of Mid-America were the exclusive brokers in the transaction on behalf of Boston-based Long Wharf Real Estate Partners LLC.
VASSAR, MICH. — Gerdom Realty & Investment has arranged the sale of 6,800-square-foot Vasssar Theatre in Vassar. The one-screen, 371-seat movie theater located on Huron Avenue was originally built in 1937 and restored in 2005. The Vasssar Theatre was fully converted to digital movie presentation in 2013. The new owner, Andreas Fuchs of Creative Cinema who is a theatrical exhibition consultant and analyst/reporter, plans to reopen the property this year. Tjader Gerdom of Gerdom Realty & Investment represented the seller’s estate and procured the buyer in the sale.
The overall snapshot is that Atlanta’s economy is on a growth tract in terms of employment and corporate growth, and has definitely rebounded from the recession and its previous overbuilding. Economic growth and the current lack of speculative development are driving the improvement in the retail market. Rental rates, occupancy levels, absorption, leasing momentum and pricing are increasing. In addition, new retailers are entering or looking to enter the market. However, the retail market’s improvement varies across the metro region. Vacancy and Rental Rates Due to positive absorption and leasing momentum in both vacant and sublease space, the overall occupancy rate and average rental rate for Atlanta’s retail inventory have been increasing. According to CoStar’s third quarter retail market update, the overall vacancy rate is now down to 8.8 percent and the average rental rate is $12.78 per square foot. However, when you break it down by submarket and property types, rental rate and occupancy gains vary significantly. Quality shopping centers in strong submarkets and locations have experienced very strong gains, yet Class B and C centers and those located in certain submarkets are still lagging the overall market. The Buckhead, Central Atlanta, Central Perimeter and Georgia 400 submarkets are …