The Carlyle Group and The Dow Hotel Company Acquire Lakeway Resort and Spa Near Austin, TX

 AUSTIN, TX and SEATTLE, WA, July 10, 2012—The Dow Hotel Company (DHC), a Seattle-headquartered hotel owner/investor, today announced that a joint venture between DHC and The Carlyle Group’s (NASDAQ: CG) Carlyle Realty Partners VI have acquired the Lakeway Resort and Spa (top left photo) near Austin, Texas.

 In addition, the new owners said they plan to invest more than $5 million to complete a renovation started by the prior ownership group.  Operations of the resort will not be affected by the sale.

Situated on 12 acres with 1,000 feet of waterfront on Lake Travis in the Texas Hill Country, the AAA Four Diamond resort features 174 luxury guest rooms, suites and villas.  The property is less than 30 miles from Austin and offers more than 24,000 square feet of flexible meeting and function space for both business and leisure groups.

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

Chris Daly, media

(703) 435-6293

chris@dalygray.com

Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel to Raise Money for Give Kids the World Charity During the “Ride for Hope” from St. Louis, Mo. to Sturgis, SD

ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 10, 2012 - Officials from the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel (top left photo)  announced today that its general manager, Bill Fontes, will ride in a motorcycle sidecar for nearly 1,000 miles from the hotel to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota in an effort to raise more than $20,000 to help support the Give Kids The World Charity.

 In anticipation of the two-day, 989-mile motorcycle “Ride for Hope” on Friday, August 3, 2012, the hotel will host an on-site send-off rally with entertainment and beverages sponsored by Samuel Adams from 4 pm to 8 pm.

 Donations are welcomed on-site at this event to support the cause.  The “Ride for Hope” will roll out of St. Louis at 9 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012.

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

Contact:

Stephen Abbate,

 Director of Sales

Renaissance St. Louis Airport

(314) 890-3020,

sabbate@renaissancestlouisap.com

Island Hospitality Management Adds Seven Hotels to Management Portfolio

 PALM BEACH, FL, July 10, 2012—Officials of Island Hospitality Management, LLC, one of the nation’s largest hotel management companies, today announced that it has added seven new contracts to its management portfolio. 

The properties include a six-hotel portfolio of Homewood Suites by Hilton hotels owned by Chatham Lodging Trust, a publicly traded REIT, and an Embassy Suites hotel recently acquired by Clearview Hotel Capital, LLC, a privately held hotel investment and advisory company.

The six-hotel portfolio includes the following Homewood Suites by Hilton: Dallas Market Center, 137 rooms; Farmington (Conn.), 121 rooms; Maitland/Orlando, 143-rooms; Billerica (Mass.), 147 rooms; Bloomington Mall of America (Minn.) and Brentwood/Nashville.  The Embassy Suites Valencia (Calif.) features 156 two-room suites.

“These contracts reflect our growth strategy of building strong relationships with a limited number of institutional investors, who require sophisticated operating and reporting systems and have a longer-term ownership model,” said Tim Walker (top right photo), Island Hospitality’s president.

 “With these additions, we now operate hotels for seven different ownership groups.  Our goal is to have relationships with approximately 10 institutional owners.

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

Lauralee Dobbins/Chris Daly

Daly Gray, Inc.

703-435-6293

Lauralee@dalygray.com

Colliers International Reports Record Rents For World's Premier Retail Spaces

 SEATTLE, WA, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The most desirable global retail properties continue to show explosive year-over-year rental-rate growth despite continued economic uncertainty, according to a report just published by Colliers International's Retail Services Group.

Colliers' Summer 2012 Global Retail Highlights report looks closely at global industry trends and retail market performance indicators.

In the report, Ann Natunewicz (top right photo), National Manager of Retail Research for Colliers International's Retail Services Group and principal author of the report, explains:

"At a regional level, streets in areas that entered 2007-08 better-positioned economically --Australia, Canada, parts of Eastern Europe -- had a higher percentage of flat-to-higher rents than those slower to emerge from the recession.

We will be watching these areas closely: even as they represent some of the most attractive destinations for expansion-minded companies and yield-seeking investors, they too are vulnerable to softening consumer demand and, for those with reliable data, encroachment of e-commerce."

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

JACKIE JANUS,

 FLEISHMAN-HILLARD,

+1-314-982-1742,

jackie.janus@fleishman.com

Web Site: http://www.colliers.com/

Bull Realty Brokers $2 Million Sale of Cumming, Ga., Mixed-Use Development

 ATLANTA, GA (July 10, 2012) – Bull Realty has brokered the $2,025,000 sale of The Village at Creekstone (top left photo), a 32,463-square-foot mixed-use development in Cumming, Ga.

Rob Whitmire (middle right photo), Partner and Senior Vice President of Special Asset Services for Bull Realty, and Theresa Johnson (lower left photo), Vice President of the firm’s National Retail Group, represented the seller, a super regional bank. John Harrison, an associate in Bull Realty’s National Retail Group, identified the buyer, Alpharetta, Ga.-based Penn Hodge LLC.

The Village at Creekstone includes two retail buildings totaling 27,190 square feet and a two-story office condominium building totaling 5,273 square feet. The property also features three 2,500-square-foot office pad sites, one 4,581-square-foot office pad site and a 0.65-acre retail outparcel.

The property is located on Peachtree Parkway, a main commercial corridor in Cumming, with traffic counts of more than 22,700 vehicles per day.

The surrounding area features strong demographics, including a population of more than 120,000 within a five-mile radius and an average household income of nearly $150,000 in the same area.

Some vacant suites in The Village at Creekstone have been finished with HVAC, drop ceilings and sprinkler systems.

“With its strong surrounding demographics and its high-quality construction, The Village at Creekstone offers tremendous upside for the buyer,” Whitmire said. “We’re pleased to have used our considerable experience and expertise in distressed assets to help the seller dispose of this property.”

Contact

Stephen Ursery

Wilbert News Strategies

E-mail: sursery@wnspr.com

Office: (404) 965-5026

Cell: (404) 405-2354

http://www.wnspr.com/

Arbor Closes $62.7M in Fannie Mae & Bridge Deals Across the Southeast

UNIONDALE, NY (July 10, 2012) - Arbor Commercial Funding, LLC (“Arbor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC and a national, direct commercial real estate lender, announced the recent closing of 13 loans totaling $62,668,200 across Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia under the Fannie Mae Delegated Underwriting and Servicing (DUS®) Loan, Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan and Arbor Bridge Loan product lines.

These loans include:

·         Woodland Trail Apartments, LaGrange, GA (ltop left photo) – This 236-unit multifamily property received $17,140,000 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. Woodland Trail was constructed in 2009 and has quickly become the highest-quality asset in its market. Site amenities include a clubhouse with a computer-equipped business center, a saltwater swimming pool with a sundeck, picnic areas and a nature preserve area featuring a nature trail. The Kalikow Group was the borrower.

·         Ashbury Square Apartments, Mebane, NC (top right photo)– This 192-unit multifamily property received $10,779,300 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. Ashbury Square is a Class A property that was built in 2005, and its amenities include a swimming pool and clubhouse. The Kalikow Group was the borrower.

·         A 112,880-square-foot retail property in Chapel Hill, NC  received a $10,000,000 acquisition loan with a 60-month term under Arbor’s Bridge Loan product line.

·         Chase on Commonwealth Apartments, Charlotte, NC (middle left photo) – This 132-unit multifamily property received $4,739,000 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. Chase on Commonwealth’s amenities include an in-ground swimming pool and a fitness center.

·         The Landing on Farmhurst, Charlotte, NC  (middle right photo)– This 125-unit multifamily property received $3,700,000 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. The property is currently undergoing renovations and includes such amenities as an in-ground swimming pool, a fitness center and a sauna.

 ·         The Oaks Apartments, Raleigh, NC (lower left photo) – This 88-unit multifamily property received $3,150,000 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. The Oaks Apartments is currently undergoing renovations that will yield new appliances for units as well as new site amenities, including an in-ground swimming pool and a clubhouse.

 ·         Sharonridge Apartments, Charlotte, NC – This 75-unit multifamily property received $3,000,000 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. Sharonridge is undergoing renovations, and its site amenities include an extensive clubhouse and a swimming pool with a surrounding sundeck.

·         930 Providence Road, Chesapeake, VA (lower right photo)– This 32-unit multifamily property received $1,800,000 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. The property was renovated in 2011 and now includes remodeled kitchens, bathrooms and common halls as well as a refurbished laundry room.

·         710-722 East 29th Street, Norfolk, VA – This 28-unit multifamily property received $1,200,000 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. The property was renovated in 2010, yielding significant interior and exterior improvements, including new roofs, air conditioners, windows and gutters. The parking lot was also resurfaced.

·         1507 O’Keefe Street, Norfolk, VA (bottom left photo) – This 24-unit multifamily property received $1,095,000 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. The property was renovated in 2010 to update numerous interior and exterior aspects.

·         2011 Chesapeake Drive, Chesapeake, VA – This 24-unit multifamily property received $1,044,900 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. The property underwent significant renovations in 2008 and achieved many improvements including new roofs, windows and shutters on all buildings and new air conditioner wall units and appliances in each apartment.

·         811-819 East 29th Street, Norfolk VA (bottom right photo) - This 24-unit multifamily property received $1,020,000 funded under the Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan product line. The 10-year refinance loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule. The property underwent significant renovations in 2010.

All of the loans were originated by Brian Scharf, Vice President in Arbor’s Uniondale, NY, office.

Contact: 

Christopher Ostrowski, costrowski@arbor.com

The Banks Launches New Website; Focuses on Visitor Experience at Cincinnati’s Premier Riverfront Destination

Cincinnati, OH (July 10, 2012) — The Banks master development team of Carter and The Dawson Company and equity partner USAA are proud to announce the re-launch of http://www.thebankscincy.com/.

Designed from a visitor perspective, the website is more consumer-friendly making information more accessible and easier to navigate for users. 

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

Sarah Whitley

404-965-5025

Wilbert News Strategies

1720 Peachtree St, Suite 1040

Atlanta, GA 30309

swhitley@wnspr.com | www.wnspr.com

www.thebankscincy.com

Bridgeport Investments Secures $25 Million of Equity Financing for Industrial Acquisitions in California

 ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., (JULY 10, 2012) – Bridgeport Investments, an Orange County-based real estate investment banking and advisory firm, has successfully secured a commitment for $25 million of equity financing for several future acquisitions of  industrial properties in California, according to the firm’s founding principal Randy Bramel (top right photo), a 30-year veteran of the real estate industry. 

The $25 million equity commitment was raised by Bridgeport Investments from an institutional investor on behalf of CapRock Partners, a private investment firm headquartered in Orange County, California.

 This is a second equity commitment that followed a $12.5 million commitment that Bridgeport raised in 2011, which CapRock used to acquire six buildings throughout California. 

CapRock will use the additional funds to acquire  industrial properties in California, which can include buildings, land, or non-performing loans secured by such property. 

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

Jenn Quader / Judith Brower

 Brower, Miller & Cole

(949) 955-7940

jquader@browermillercole.com

U.S. Urban Realty and GNP Realty Partners Launch new Midwest firm

 CHICAGO, IL July 10, 2012 – U.S. Urban Realty LLC and GNP Realty Partners are combining their expertise, network and resources to launch a full service international commercial and residential real estate firm looking to reinvent the property management business.

The new firm will take the name U.S. Urban Realty, and will initially focus on the Midwest United States and Latin America, with the intention of expanding into other key markets in the future.

 “For too long, property management has been babysitting a building for a fee. We are changing that model and making it truly about service,” says Tony DiBiase (top right photo) international director of U.S. Urban Realty.

“There is a need for high quality property management service. Property owners have complained about management companies that are unresponsive, with too many layers of bureaucracy. I guarantee that won’t happen with U.S. Urban Realty.”

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

Jodie Cantrell,

For  U.S. Urban Realty

Jodie@reputationpartners.com

312-428-3755

Berger Commercial Realty Completes Construction of Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Facility in Lauderdale Lakes, FL

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (July 9, 2012) – Berger Commercial Realty, a full service commercial real estate firm based in Fort Lauderdale and serving clients around the state, recently completed construction of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ new 12,500-square-foot facility in Lauderdale Lakes.

 The firm's construction management team oversaw the build-out of the facility, located 3718 W. Oakland Park Blvd., which now houses the Division of Drivers License, Broward County Clerk of Court and Bureau of Administrative Reviews.

 “We are extremely proud of the new Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ facility,” said Berger Commercial President Lloyd Berger. “Its efficient new design is being used as a model for future DMV offices around the state.”

Contact: 

Marielle Sologuren

Pierson Grant Public Relations

(954) 776-1999, ext. 226

http://www.blogger.com/msologuren@piersongrant.com

Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening Set for July 12 at Two Itasca Place Luxury Apartment Community in Itasca, IL

ITASCA, il --The Marquette Companies is hosting a grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration for Two Itasca Place (top left photo), a 70-unit apartment community the developer recently purchased and converted from condominiums to high-end apartments in northwest-suburban Itasca, Ill., just two blocks west of Medinah Country Club, home of the 2012 Ryder Cup Golf Tournament.

The event is scheduled for Thursday, July 12 from 3 to 6 p.m. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. The event is open to media and the public.

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

Julie Grange 

Administrative Assistant

TAYLOR JOHNSON

Public Relations :: Social Media :: Internet Marketing

d. 312.267.4518  p. 312.245.0202  f. 312.245.9205

jgrange@taylorjohnson.com  

www.taylorjohnson.com

Kathryn Kjarsgaard,

kkjarsgaard@taylorjohnson.com,

 (312) 267-4528

Emily Johnson,

ejohnson@taylorjohnson.com,

 (312) 267-4522

 www.twoitascaplaceapartments.com

224/244-9200

www.marquettecompanies.com,

 www.marquettemanagement.com.

IPA Arranges Sale of Beacon Mill Village in Beacon Falls, CT for $21.7 Million

  

BEACON FALLS, CT– Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a multifamily brokerage firm serving the needs of institutional and major private investors, has arranged the sale of Beacon Mill Village (top left photo), a 188-unit condominium-style multifamily asset.

Located along the banks of the Naugatuck River in Beacon Falls, the property was originally constructed as a mill during the Industrial Revolution.

Steve Witten (middle right photo) and Victor Nolletti (middle left photo), first vice presidents investments, represented the seller, BMV Associates LLC. The buyer was UOB Eagle Rock Multifamily Property Fund LP.

 “The new owner has acquired an aesthetically beautiful, historic adaptive re-use property in an excellent location with significant upside potential,” says Witten.

“The opportunity exists to raise rents between $100 and $300 and still provide an extraordinary value to tenants in an upscale, suburban location along the Route 8 Corridor. In addition, this property has fully amenitized units and a historically low resident-turnover rate.” 

Located at Two North Main St., the 184,188 square-foot multifamily complex includes eight historic buildings originally constructed between 1851 and 1911 as a mill for the Home Woolen Co. Conversion of the buildings to residential units occurred in 1988. Since then, the ownership retained the original brick exteriors, interior exposed brick walls, high ceilings and exposed heavy timber beams in the design of the common areas and apartment units.

Amenities include a resort-style swimming pool, large sun deck, tennis court and health club with an exercise room, sauna and men’s and women’s locker rooms. Residents also have access to private, secure storage areas, 24-hour tenant services and ample parking.

 Contact:

Stacey Corso

Public Relations Manager

(925) 953-1716

New 18-Story Condo Tower Planned For Ocean Drive Site In South Beach, FL

 MIAMI, FL --A private equity group is reviving plans to construct a condo tower on the famous Ocean Drive in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach as the coastal market increasingly shows signs of recovering from the dramatic South Florida real estate crash that began in 2007, according to a new report from CondoVultures.com.

The proposed 120 Ocean Drive project - originally dubbed the Kallisto - is envisioned to be an 18-story condo tower with 10 units immediately north of the popular steak restaurant Prime One Twelve, according to the Preconstruction Condo Projects list from the licensed Florida brokerage CVR Realty™.

The developer - an entity controlled by the Boston-based Congress Group - purchased the three-parcel site with a combined 17,250 square feet of land for $8 million in October 2005, according to Miami-Dade Property Appraiser records.

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

Condo Vultures® LLC is a real estate consultancy and marketing company based in the 225 Midtown Building at 225 NE 34th St., Suite 209B, Downtown Miami, Florida, 33137. Condo Vultures® LLC can be reached at 800-750-0517.

$18.25 Million FedEx Freight Terminal Listed by Marcus & Millichap in Aurora, IL

  

 AURORA, IL– Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm, has received the exclusive listing for FedEx Freight East (top left photo), a 63,740-square foot FedEx freight terminal in Aurora, which is the second-largest city in Illinois and part of Chicago’s Naperville/Aurora metropolitan trade area.

The listing price of $18,250,000 equates to $286 per square foot.

Nick Manganais, an associate vice president investments in Marcus & Millichap’s Chicago O’Hare office, is representing the seller, an Illinois family partnership.

 “This FedEx freight facility is one of just 17 FedEx Priority freight terminals in Illinois,” says Manganais. “The facility was a build-to-suit for FedEx in 2003 and has an absolute corporate triple-net 15-year lease that began in January 2004. The lease had a 13 percent rent increase in year six (2009) and there is another one in year 11 (2014),” adds Manganais. “This is an investment-grade property with long-term cash stream potential.”

The property is located at 3883 Butterfield Road and is close to two major highways, Interstate 88 and Illinois Route 59. There is a population of 400,000 people and 250,000 employees within a seven-mile radius of the facility.

The office and industrial area and heavy residential and employee base surrounding Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is approximately 30 minutes away.

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

Stacey Corso

Public Relations Manager

(925) 953-1716

NAI Realvest Negotiates $680,000 Purchase of Three Acre+ Site for a Primrose School and Daycare Center in Longwood, FL

MAITLAND, FL – NAI Realvest recently negotiated the acquisition of 3.16 acres at 2715 W. SR 434 in Longwood that will be developed as a 12,000 square foot Primrose School and Daycare Center. 

 The NAI Realvest team of Matt Cichocki (top right photo) and Kevin O'Connor (lower left photo), principals, negotiated the transaction representing the local buyer and developer, Guepro, LLC who paid $680,000 for the property.  The seller is the Wekiva Presbyterian Church, Inc.  

 This is the second Primrose School site located by Cichocki and O’Connor and Primrose plans to develop five more schools in the Orlando area within the next two years.

For more information, contact:

Matt Cichocki, Principal NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989, mcichocki@realvest.com

Kevin O’Connor, Principal NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989, koconnor@realvest.com

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