Melrose-Sovereign Companies Launches Intern Program in Orlando, FL

ORLANDO, FL --- Melrose-Sovereign Companies which ranks as one of Florida’s most active homeowner and condominium association management firms, has launched an intern program to expose entry level student candidates to the intricacies of neighborhood management.

Jack Hanson (top left photo), LCAM, co-founder and partner of Melrose-Sovereign Companies with Ellen Lumpkin (middle right photo), LCAM, said marketing manager Michael Gonzalez (lower left photo) will head the program.

“Our internship program is designed to provide a good working knowledge of a wide range of job-specific skills, including search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and strategies, social networking and online marketing skills, expertise in verbal communication through recorded videos and interviews of Melrose-Sovereign executives and keyword research,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said workplace skills gained through the Melrose-Sovereign internship program are immediately transferable to other companies.

“Knowing how to make your web page rank well is critical because every day billions of people begin their searches with an online search engine,” Gonzalez explained. “This holds true whether your company is engaged in community management or alternative energy technology,” he said.

“The power of social networking sites such as, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is growing at astronomical rates. Knowing how these sites work and more importantly how to use them to grow a business will be key in gaining an edge over competitors,” he said.

Gonzalez said interns at Melrose-Sovereign will be expected to learn how to compose and edit press releases, manage social media accounts, record and post YouTube videos and network with Melrose-Sovereign executives.

“We’ve developed a pretty comprehensive program that mixes meaningful work with valuable skills development and an in-depth understanding of universal business processes,” Gonzalez said.

Headquartered in Orlando, Melrose-Sovereign Companies has eight offices throughout the state.

For more information, contact: 

Michael Gonzalez, Marketing/Multimedia Coordinator, Melrose-Sovereign Companies 800-647-0055; mgonzalez@melrose-sovereign.com

Jack B. Hanson, LCAM, Partner/co-founder, Melrose-Sovereign Companies, 407-228-4181, jhanson@melrose-sovereign.com   

Ellen G. Lumpkin, LCAM, Partner/Co-founder, Melrose-Sovereign Companies, 407-228-4181, elumpkin@melrose-sovereign.com

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

Grubb & Ellis Represents University Place Associates in 53,435 SF Lease to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Philadelphia

  PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 27, 2011) – Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment firm, today announced that it represented University Place Associates, LLC in its lease with the U.S. General Services Administration for 53,435 square feet of space to house the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at 2.0 University Place (top left photo).

 The 15-year lease is valued at $26 million.

 Jack Soloff, Jr., senior vice president, Craig Scheuerle, senior vice president, and Matthew Guerrieri, associate vice president, all of the company’s Office Group, are the leasing representatives for the five-story, 96,916-square-foot building located at 30 N. 41st St. within one of the city’s Keystone Opportunity Zones.  The property achieved LEED® Platinum pre-certification status in 2009.

“In today’s environment, green office buildings offer tenants a number of advantages, including cost efficiencies as well as a cleaner, healthier, more-productive work atmosphere,” said Soloff.  “By leasing space within 2.0 University Place, the GSA was able to exceed the current administration’s LEED Gold standard for leasing new construction.”

 Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is currently located at 1600 Callowhill, is expected to take occupancy of the first three floors of the building in December 2012. 

 “In addition to providing tenants a sustainable work environment, 2.0 University Place will have a significant impact on the neighborhood.  GSA’s lease allows us to move forward with our commitment to revitalizing the Market Street corridor,” said Scott Mazo, partner, University Place Associates.

 The building is located within one block from the El at 40th and Market streets, which connects commuters to the 30th Street Station in less than five minutes.

 Todd Valentine (lower left photo), managing director of Studley, Inc., represented GSA.

 A 15,000-square-foot lease with a private company is currently being negotiated at 2.0 University Place with approximately 25,000 square feet remaining available for lease. 

For more information, contact Soloff, Scheuerle or Guerrieri at 215.561.8300.

Contact: Janice McDill, Phone 312.698.6707

Email: janice.mcdill@grubb-ellis.com

Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. Arranges $5.3 Million CMBS Loan

  

PORTLAND, OR – Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation (MMCC) has arranged a $5.3 million CMBS loan for the acquisition of a mixed-use retail and multifamily property in Portland.

Steven Wiltshire (top right photo), an associate director in the firm’s Portland office, arranged the financing.

“The property is a highly visible grocery store and multifamily combination that primarily serves the local market as ingress and egress to the property are limited,” says Wiltshire. “The multifamily units are larger than normal, which created a unique situation in terms of finding comparables and data to support rents and values.”

“Grocery-anchored retail is a strong product for the market and continues to attract a broad array of debt sources which increases probabilities,” continues Wiltshire. “MMCC navigated the current CMBS market for our client and justified the property’s NOI to support the debt yield and the leverage required to meet the demands of the buyer.”

The 10-year loan, amortized over 30 years, has a fixed interest rate of 5.5 percent and the LTV is 72 percent.

 Press Contact: Stacey Corso, Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation

(925) 953-1716

www.mmCapCorp.com

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects to design renovations to Corona Cigar Co. in Heathrow, FL

ORLANDO, FL. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects LLC, based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, was recently awarded a contract to design renovations to the Corona Cigar Company at Colonial Town Center (left) in Heathrow.

Lonnie Peterson, chairman at Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, said the facility is 2,000 square feet.

For more information, contact:  

Lonnie Peterson, Chairman Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, LLC, 407-661-9100;  

Jed Downs, President Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, LLC, 407-661-9100;  

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

Morrison Commercial Real Estate Completes Two Lease Transactions Totaling !7,528 SF in Metro Orlando, FL

  

ORLANDO, FL (September 27, 2011):  Greg Morrison, CCIM, SIOR, Principal of Morrison Commercial Real Estate, announced the completion of two lease transactions totaling 17,528± square feet. 

Emily Zinaich (top right photo) of Morrison Commercial Real Estate represented the Landlord in renewing Transystems Corporation’s lease of 8,839± square feet at the Southhall Center in Maitland.  Nan McCormick of CB Richard Ellis represented the Tenant in this transaction.

Lisa Bailey (lower left photo) and Phil Marchese also represented the Landlord in renewing the 8,689± square foot lease for South Florida Water Management District at 1707 Orlando Central Parkway in Orlando.  The Tenant was represented by Mark Stratman of Jones Lang LaSalle in this transaction. 

Contact: Buffy Gillette, Phone: 407.219.3500

Email:  bgillette@morrisoncre.com

HFF named to market sale of three-property Ohio multi-housing portfolio

 CHICAGO, IL – HFF announced today that it has been named to market for sale a portfolio of three multi-housing communities totaling 1,340 units in Columbus and Toledo, Ohio.  The properties are: The Quarry (top left photo) in Columbus, and Chelsea Place (middle right photo) and Preston Gardens (lower left photo) in the Toledo MSA.

HFF is marketing the portfolio on behalf of the seller, Edwards Companies.  The properties may be purchased as a portfolio or individually.  In addition, in-place debt may be assumed, or the buyer may choose to purchase the properties all cash.

Overall, the properties are 97 percent leased and each offer one-, two- and three-bedroom units.  The Quarry, completed in phases between 1999 and 2002, has 674 units and is located at 2550 Quarry Lakes Drive in Columbus. 

Completed in 2008, Chelsea Place has 334 units and is located at 4430 North Holland – Sylvania Road in Toledo.  Preston Gardens is located at 5101 Hollenbeck Drive in Perrysburg and has 332 units that were built in 2006.

The HFF investment sales team representing the seller is led by executive managing director Matthew Lawton, managing director John Sebree and senior managing director Dave Keller.

The Edwards Companies is a privately-held, family-owned corporation that acts as a holding company for numerous operating companies engaged in the businesses of student housing development and construction, multi-family and single-family residential development and construction and land development.

For more information, please visit the company’s web site at www.edwardscompanies.com.

 Contacts: 

Matthew D. Lawton, HFF Executive Managing Director,

(312) 528-3650, mlawton@hfflp.com                                

John S. Sebree, HFF Managing Director, (317) 630-3191

jsebree@hfflp.com                                                                    

Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, (713) 852-3500                       

krmurphy@hfflp.com

HFF named to market for sale Residence Inn by Marriott in downtown Milwaukee

CHICAGO, IL – HFF announced today that it has been named to market for sale the 131-suite Residence Inn by Marriott (top left photo) in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a high-quality, urban select-service hotel.

HFF will market the property, which is unencumbered by a management contract, on behalf of the owner, Investcorp International, Inc. 

The Residence Inn is located at 648 North Plankton Avenue, along the west bank of the Milwaukee River and West Wisconsin Avenue, in a high-density, in-fill area of downtown Milwaukee’s central business district. 

 Completed in 2001, the property underwent a significant $1.8 million ($14,000 per room) renovation in 2008.  The renovation impacted all areas of the hotel and was particularly focused on the suites (furniture, fixtures and equipment replacement) and high-touch areas of the property.

 The property is downtown Milwaukee’s only all-suite hotel and is part of a larger mixed-use re-development of the former Gimbel’s (later Marshall Field’s) department store.  The hotel maintains the look and feel of the original building’s neoclassical architecture while providing a modern physical plant, amenities, and features.  

 The HFF investment sales team representing Investcorp is led by senior managing director Dan Peek (middle right photo) and director Danny Kaufman (middle left photo.

 “The Residence Inn is a landmark property; a dominant and highly recognizable hotel.  It is located at the nexus of downtown Milwaukee’s office, retail, convention, entertainment, and residential districts.  The hotel offers guests high ceilings and windows, large suites and best-in-class finishes.  The property’s Marriott brand affiliation is also a significant competitive advantage in terms of driving room-night demand and rate,” said Peek.

“The Residence Inn consistently outperforms and leads the downtown Milwaukee market, and its competitive set, which includes several well-established full-service hotels.  The property’s focus on extended stay and corporate business, combined with the property marketing team’s mature relationships with the city’s top demand generators, allow it to maintain historically high and stable occupancy and rate levels,” added Kaufman.

Contacts: 

Daniel C. Peek, HFF Senior Managing Director, (813) 870-1001 dpeek@hfflp.com                                                                                          

Daniel A. Kaufman, HFF Director, (312)528-3650, dkaufman@hfflp.com                    

 Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, (713) 852-3500                       

krmurphy@hfflp.com

Chris Schoen, formerly CEO of Barry Real Estate Companies, joins Greenstone Properties Team

  

 ATLANTA, GA – Chris Schoen (top right photo), former CEO of Barry Real Estate Companies, is teaming up with De Little (lower right photo) and the Greenstone Properties team to leverage their collective expertise to write a new real estate chapter for Greenstone.

 Schoen and Little will serve as co-principals of Greenstone.  In addition to Schoen, Harvey Rudy (middle left photo), senior vice president of Barry Real Estate, has joined Greenstone’s real estate team.

Schoen and Rudy are two of the most seasoned Atlanta commercial real estate executives in the business.  The news for Little, founder of Greenstone in 2005, is both humbling and exciting.  

“I met Chris over 25 years ago and always hoped one day we would have the opportunity to work together,” said Little.  “We certainly have competed enough against each other over the years. 

“Chris is someone I admire and respect for his integrity and impeccable real estate knowledge and skills.  His track record in the commercial real estate business speaks for itself.   We are ready for this new chapter and plan on getting after it and will take a deal-by-deal approach on the opportunities we see.  We are already off and running.”

 Schoen was vice chairman and CEO of Barry Real Estate Companies for 15 years.  Prior to Barry, Schoen was an executive at Portman Barry, where he established himself as one of the pre-eminent developers in the Southeast.

 “The real estate business is moving in a new direction with a new platform,” said Schoen.   “It is much more institutionally driven now. We are going to cater to this sphere of influence, broaden and deepen the right relationships and be full service in terms of what we can offer to our institutional contacts and others. 

 Greenstone was founded by De Little who left Pope & Land in 2005 as a senior vice president to start Greenstone in entrepreneurial fashion.   Little is a graduate of Wake Forest University and holds an MBA from The Babcock School of Management at Wake Forest.

 Contact:  Glen Jackson, 404.724.2505

Hotel Brands To Go Toe-to-Toe in the Hospitality Industry’s “Baddest Brand Brawl”

 Latino Hotel Association to Hold Battle of the Brands in November To Raise Funds for Education

 Phoenix, AZ, Sept. 27, 2011—A taste of what promises to be the most fun fund raising event in hotel industry history was unveiled at an unscripted “smack down” at this year’s Lodging Conference. 

The full event, the “Battle of the Brands” boxing match featuring eight top hoteliers, will be held at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino (lower right photo) during the first annual Latino Hotel Association Conference in Las Vegas November 16-18, 2011.

Representatives from eight hospitality companies, who will face off in a real battle in the ring on November 17, threw verbal punches at one another as their matchups were announced. 

 The hoteliers are volunteering their time, bodies and possibly dignity to compete for the title of “Brand Champions.”  The event will raise money for scholarships and increase awareness of the growing number of Latinos entering the hospitality industry. 

The fighters, including representatives from La Quinta Inns & Suites, Best Western International, Hilton Worldwide, Inc., Driftwood Hospitality Management, LLC, Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and Pan-American Life Insurance Group ( a leading hotel industry insurer), were announced at a “Fighters Weigh-In.”

 “We wanted to create an event that would stand apart in order to raise the most money for this charitable cause and we’ve found a winner,” said Bill Fortier, senior vice president development Americas, Hilton Worldwide and chairman of LHA.   “It is heartening to see the top brand groups weighing in with their support this event.” 

“This will be a fun event, but we are taking all the necessary steps to make sure that our boxers are well prepared,” said Angela Gonzales-Rowe (top right photo), LHA president and founder. 

 “Former two-time World Champion ‘Jesse’ James Leija (top left photo) has signed on to help supervise the training of our fighters and offer expert guidance based on his 16-year professional boxing career.”  Leija was on hand at the event to make sure the boxers didn’t decide to start their matches early.

 Additional information is available at the association’s website, http://www.latinohotelassociation.com/.

Contact: Jerry Daly, Chris Daly, Daly Gray Public Relations, (703) 435-6293

jerry@dalygray.com

Crossman & Company Names Commercial Industry Veteran John Zielinski Senior Vice President, to head Atlanta office

ATLANTA, GA / ORLANDO, FL  --- Crossman & Company, the Orlando based commercial real estate firm that ranks as one of the largest retail leasing and management firms in the Southeast with over 16 million square feet of properties, is expanding its operations in Atlanta and the Southeast.

John Crossman, president of Crossman & Company, said commercial industry veteran John Zielinski (top right photo), CCIM, has joined the firm as senior vice president and will head the firm’s Atlanta division. Crossman said Zielinski will direct all leasing and management services for Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina.

“We are thrilled to have John Zielinski as part of the team,” said Rich Crotty, executive vice president.    Zielinski served as an executive with Publix Super Markets, Inc. for more than 15 years, Crossman said, and most recently as real estate manager for Publix’s Atlanta division, which, in addition to the Atlanta Metro area, includes Chattanooga, Knoxville and Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C.

Zielinski graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and earned an MBA from the University of South Florida. He is a licensed real estate broker and holds the CCIM designation.

A member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Zielinski is a frequent panelist at conferences and seminars, and most recently served on the ICSC Retail Advisory Board.

For more information, contact:

John Crossman, CCIM, President, Crossman & Company, 407-581-6218, jcrossman@crossmanco.com;

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