Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Rhodes+Brito Architects Completed Work on Design for the Destination Lounge at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL


Rendering of Planned Destination Lounge at Orange County Convention Center,
 Orlando, FL

ORLANDO, FL--- Rhodes+Brito, an Orlando architectural firm, recently completed design work for a major renovation project – Destination Lounge – at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC).

Max Brito, co-founder and partner at Rhodes+Brito, said construction of the approximate $1.8 Million project is underway by Pillar Construction Group and is expected to be completed this month (August). 

 
Max Brito
Brito said the Destination Lounge features state-of-the-art technology.  The 7,311 square foot lounge was designed as a place for people attending conventions and conferences at OCCC to slip away, plug in laptops, iPads or smart phones and even access giant screens from their devices.  Plans include a bar and uniquely designed contemporary furniture.

Brito said the Destination Lounge project is part of a continuing architectural services contract the firm has with Orange County to provide miscellaneous architectural and engineering services for County projects not to exceed $2 million.

As part of that ongoing contract, Rhodes+Brito and Pillar Construction recently completed Vision Gardens at OCCC, consisting of two interior climate-controlled vegetable gardens with planters.   

Vision Gardens is located adjacent to the west building entrance at the complex and is being cultivated to grow vegetables and spices for use in the center’s concession areas and future outdoor cafes.

Destination Lounge and Vision Gardens are part of Orange County’s overall plan to “recreate the convention center” implementing projects to be more Green and appeal more to millenials, Brito explained. 

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications Inc. 407-644-4142 Lvershelco@aol.com



Rhodes+Brito Architects Completed Design Work on Two Elementary School Replacement Projects for OCPS - Construction Under Way in Central Florida


Ruffin Rhodes
ORLANDO, FL – Rhodes+Brito Architects recently completed design of the replacement schools for two Orange County Public Schools – Englewood Elementary and Mollie Ray Elementary.

Ruffin Rhodes, co-founder and partner at Rhodes+Brito Architects, said construction on both replacement schools recently broke ground and they will be opened in August of 2017 at an approximate cost of $14.4 million each.    

Englewood Elementary is located in Englewood Park off of S. Semoran Blvd. in Orlando is designed to house 830 students and Mollie Ray is located in Pine Hills in West Orange County and is designed to house 650 student stations.

Rhodes+Brito also designed Orange County Public Schools’ new 83,000 square foot Millennia Gardens Elementary, a new prototype school for approximately 950 K-5 students opening this fall at 3525 Gardens Ridge Way in Orlando.  This school is providing some much needed relief to nearby Millennia Elementary.

Rhodes+Brito, which opened in Orlando in 1996, currently employs a staff of 20, including seven registered architects. The firm has exceptional experience providing architectural services including comprehensive renovations to a wide variety of agencies thorough the state of Florida, including municipal government agencies, federal, education, aviation and senior living facilities.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications Inc. 407-644-4142 Lvershelco@aol.com


NAI Realvest Negotiates Three Sales Totaling Over $1.59 Million for Office and Retail Properties in Central Florida

  
Jason Toll
ORLANDO, FL -- NAI Realvest recently negotiated sales of three buildings with office, retail and office/retail space totaling $1,590,000.

Jason G. Toll, director of industrial services at NAI Realvest, represented Sanford-based Semoran Property Partners, LLC in the $750.000 sale of 555 Dog Track Rd. in Longwood.  

Built in 1990, the 9,850 square foot flex building on 1.3 acres with visibility from US Hwy. 17-92, was purchased by Longwood-based Konforte, LLC represented by McNulty Group.

NAI Realvest Principals Kevin O’Connor and Matt Cichocki represented Oklahoma City-based National Loan Investors, L.P. in the sale of the two-story 5,300 square foot office/retail building at 3765 N. John Young Parkway, north of Silver Star Rd. 

 The buyer, ChiTac Investment Holdings, LLC of Windermere, paid $495,000 for the building which was used as a radio broadcasting station, equipped with lobby, studios, offices and conference rooms.  Eva Lai of Sunshine Realty & Property Management represented the buyer.

In downtown Orlando, Jeff Bloom, CCIM, vice president at NAI Realvest, negotiated the sale of an historic office building for $345,000 representing the sellers Ray and Rebecca Barber of Sylva, N.C.   The two-story office building at 224 Annie St. has 2,417 square feet.  The local buyer, Riance, LLC was represented by Javier Rodriquez of Ferdinandsen Enterprises, Inc.


For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications Inc. 407-644-4142 Lvershelco@aol.com

Hold-Thyssen Negotiates Five Year Lease Agreement with Personal Injury Law Firm in Lake Mary, FL I-4 Corridor



Darby Hold
 ORLANDO, FL --- Hold-Thyssen, a real estate services firm headquartered in Winter Park, recently completed a five-year lease agreement for 2,709 rentable square feet of professional office space at 1485 International Parkway in the I-4 Lake Mary corridor.   

Darby Hold, transaction specialist for Hold-Thyssen, Inc. negotiated the transaction on behalf of the landlord, WC Lake Mary Office, LP bringing the 27,120 square foot office building to 100 percent occupancy.

The new tenant, Thompson, Evangelo & Kelly, P.A., a personal injury law firm relocating to Lake Mary from Altamonte Springs, has over 40 years of combined experience. Christopher Fojo with Sperry Van Ness represented the tenant.

The real estate services firm provides commercial property and leasing and management services to institutional and private investor clients nationwide.  The 40-year old firm’s current portfolio includes more that 100 commercial properties throughout the United States.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:


Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications Inc. 407-644-4142 Lvershelco@aol.com

Charles Dunn Co. Completes Office Lease Valued at $10.7 Million with Los Angeles County Fire Department in Monterey Park, CA


1255 Corporate Center Drive, Monterey Park, CA


Linda Lee
LOS ANGELES, CA, Aug. 16, 2016 – Charles Dunn Company, one of the largest full-service regional real estate firms in the Western United States, has completed a new, 37,000-square-foot office lease at 1255 Corporate Center Drive in Monterey Park, Calif. on behalf of the ownership, Los Angeles Corporate Center.

The tenant, Los Angeles County Fire Department, signed a 10-year lease valued at $10.7 million and will move into its new space early next year.

Linda Lee, Scott Unger and Bill Boyd of Charles Dunn Company’s Tri-Cities office represented the landlord.  The tenant represented itself.

“The LA County Fire Department was looking to expand into additional space near its East Los Angeles headquarters,” said Lee.



 “The tenant was previously leasing 3,000 square feet of space at 1255 Corporate Center Drive and liked the property, as well as its proximity to its headquarters which is just on the other side of the 710 Freeway. We are pleased that the LA County Fire Department has decided to make a long-term commitment to this well-managed, high-quality office asset.”


Scott Unger
The 1255 Corporate Center Drive building is a four-story office property totaling 79,000 rentable square feet that provides tenants free parking in the building’s adjacent surface parking lot.

The building is now 95 percent leased with the completion of this latest lease. The property is located within LA Corporate Center, a four-building office campus that totals just over 394,000 rentable square feet of office space.

LA Corporate Center features extensively landscaped grounds, and dramatic views from its hill-top perch. The members of the Charles Dunn leasing team have represented the LA Corporate Center for the past ten years. 

Unger observed: “The Monterey Park office market boasts a vacancy of less than seven percent and is one of the most popular office markets in LA County.

"It is experiencing an increase in occupancy due to both expansions from government users and technology firms within the city as well as new companies entering the market.”

 For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Darcie Giacchetto
949.278.6224



Passco Cos. Acquires Class A Luxury Multifamily Communiity in Phoenix, AZ Metro for About $80 Million


Almeria at Ocotillo Apartments, Chandler, AZ

 CHANDLER, AZ (Aug. 16, 2016) – Passco Companies, LLC has acquired Almeria at Ocotillo, a 389-unit, Class A luxury multifamily community located within the Ocotillo Master Planned Community, an upscale master planned community in the dynamic Phoenix submarket of Chandler, Arizona, for approximately $80 million.

Sean Cunningham
The apartment community is located at 2470 and 2471 West Edgewater in Chandler, Arizona. Sean Cunningham at CBRE represented the buyer and the seller, PB Bell.
           
“Chandler is one of the most desirable submarkets in the Phoenix metro,” says Gary Goodman, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions for Passco Companies. “The greater Chandler area is home to the largest concentration of tech jobs in all of Arizona and is positioned to perform extremely well over the next several years.”

Goodman notes that Almeria at Ocotillo is located within the region known as “Silicon Desert,” which is one of the most dynamic tech employment markets in the Southwestern U.S.

 The apartment community is also located within walking distance to three of the largest employers in Silicon Desert, Intel, Wells Fargo and Orbital ATK.

“The region’s strong presence of technology-driven employers, highly educated workforce, and projected job growth presents a tremendous opportunity for long-term value,” says Goodman.  

“By 2017, an additional 17,000 jobs are anticipated to hit the market. Wells Fargo, located approximately a half mile from the apartment community, is also planning a major expansion, adding two 13-story office towers. This may eventually lead to more than 12,000 employees on its campus.”

Gary Goodman
            In addition, there is more than four million square-feet of office space planned, or under construction, in the Chandler submarket with two million square-feet expected to open in the third quarter of 2016.

            “This influx in office development, coupled with the unprecedented job growth throughout the region will continue to drive renter demand for the asset,” says Goodman. “This will result in immediate stabilized cash flow while also allowing for continued rent growth and increased property value over time.”

Located within the Ocotillo Master Planned Community, the newly constructed apartment community was built in two phases with the North Phase – featuring 194 units – completed in 2015 and the South Phase – featuring 195 units – completed in 2014.

            “Almeria at Ocotillo boasts some of the most comprehensive amenities in Chandler further adding to its appeal,” says Goodman who also notes that the average household income within Ocotillo is $104,000.  “These high quality amenities will attract the growing demographic of young tech workers throughout the region, keeping renter interest high and maximizing our return on investment.”

R. Chapin Bell
Cunningham adds, “Almeria at Ocotillo’s distinctive Mediterranean charm combined with top-of-the-market community amenities and Class A finish-levels set the standard for upscale apartment living in Chandler. 

"The community’s coveted location within the high-end Ocotillo Master Planned Community, surrounded by diverse knowledge-based employers, ideally positions Almeria Ocotillo to benefit from strong future demand for multifamily housing in the surrounding area.”

The apartment community features an infinity pool with complimentary day beds overlooking the Ocotillo Lake, a second resort-style pool, a lap pool, two spas, a state-of-the-art fitness center, an outdoor kitchen, electric car charging stations, and a clubhouse equipped with pool tables, among many other amenities.

In addition to these upscale amenities, the property is located approximately five miles off of Interstate 10, providing residents with convenient access to downtown Phoenix.

           “Almeria is a distinctly luxurious community that we designed and built from the ground up, with a mindful focus on including premium, aesthetically-pleasing amenities and design elements,” says P.B. Bell’s Chief Executive Officer R. Chapin Bell. “We’re very proud of what we accomplished at Almeria and we are pleased that others appreciate the value and beauty of this special property. It’s in good hands with Passco.”


 For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Devin Ugland / Lexi Astfalk
Brower, Miller & Cole
(949) 955-7940