Wednesday, May 20, 2020

BLT Enterprises Sells Three-Building Office and R&D Campus in San Diego's Sorrento Mesa Submarket for $39 Million

Sorrento Tech campus, comprised of three creative office/R&D buildings totaling more than 93,480 square feet, in the Sorrento Mesa submarket of San Diego, CA


SAN DIEGO, CA, May 20, 2020 – BLT Enterprises, a multi-faceted real estate investment company based in Santa Monica, California, has sold the Sorrento Tech campus, comprised of three creative office/R&D buildings totaling more than 93,480 square feet, in the Sorrento Mesa submarket of San Diego, California, to Longfellow Real Estate Partners for $39 million.

Bernard Huberman
During the firm’s four-year ownership of the assets, BLT Enterprises implemented a strategic repositioning plan, driving up the value and bringing the campus to 100% occupancy, according to Founder and President Bernard Huberman.

“We purchased the buildings mid cycle following the Great Recession, recognizing the value of their central location in a booming submarket,” says Huberman, noting that at the time, one-third of the project was vacant, functionally obsolete space, and two of the buildings had been distressed assets purchased from the prior lender. 

“We completed a range of light-to-heavy upgrades and the campus has now been fully leased to multiple tenants for several years.”  

Drawing on extensive experience in adaptive reuse, BLT Enterprises’ renovations to the campus included transforming a 35,000 square-foot raw industrial space into innovative creative office product, offering an open floor plan, complete with three executive offices, a large conference room, an upgraded kitchen, and outdoor patio. 

 Ron Jacobson 
Huberman notes that the decision to sell at this time made sense as the firm looked ahead to the long-term future of the submarket in which the campus is located.

“As Sorrento Mesa has increasingly distinguished itself as one of San Diego’s biotech and life science hubs, we envision that the strategic next step for the Sorrento Tech campus will be to invest heavily in tailoring the facilities to life sciences and biotech companies,” explains Huberman. 

“Because that is not currently within our core focus, and with demand and construction activity at a high in the submarket, we decided now was a prime opportunity to sell.”

According to Huberman, Longfellow Real Estate Partners is focused on expanding its life sciences portfolio in the area and could benefit from Sorrento Tech’s flexible entitlements down the line.

Rick Reeder
The campus is currently 100% leased to CV Sciences, TorreyCove Capital Partners, L3 Technologies, and Ron’s Pharmacy.

The buildings are located at 10070, 10140, and 10180 Barnes Canyon Road in San Diego, California. Ron Jacobson of SD Realty Partners, along with Rick Reeder and Brad Tecca of Cushman & Wakefield, completed the transaction on behalf of both the buyer and the seller.

About BLT Enterprises

Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., BLT Enterprises was founded in 1984 and is a multi-faceted real estate investment company with an exceptional track record of success in industrial and commercial real estate. 

Brad Tecca 
The firm has developed or acquired more than $2 billion in assets to date.
BLT Enterprises specializes in the acquisition, entitlement, development, operation, and property management of industrial, office, retail, mixed-use and special-use properties.


Contacts:

Elisabeth Manville / Katie Haga
Brower Group
(949) 438-6262


Third Location of Blackton Inc., a Family-Owned Flooring and Roofing Supply Firm, Opens at New Leesburg, FL Facility




                Blackton Inc.’s Jim Martiniza (left) and Clay Weaver 
            review orders for the day at their new Leesburg, FL facility.

LEESBURG, FL and ORLANDO, FL -- Blackton, Inc., one of Central Florida’s largest and most active suppliers of roofing and flooring materials to the homebuilding industry opened a third location in the heart of Leesburg to better serve its builder clients in Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. 

 Michael “Micky” Blackton, chairman and CEO, said Blackton opened the branch location at 105 Park Center St .  Business hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Michael “Micky” Blackton
“This expansion enables us to service current and new customers with greater turnaround time,” he said.   
Blackton has been operating since April out of the new 15,000 square foot facility and a half acre staging area with an initial staff of 18.

Headquartered just north of downtown Orlando with a retail location in southwest Orlando , the family-owned business has been supplying the home building industry from Jacksonville to Tampa since it was founded more than six decades ago.


CONTACTS:

Michael “Micky” Blackton, Chairman, Blackton Inc.
 407-898-2661 Micky@Blacktoninc.com

Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications
407-644-4142 or 407-461-3781 Lvershelco@aol.com

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Native Realty Launches New Property Management Company in Fort Lauderdale, FL



 Jaime Sturgis

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL –– Native Realty, the pioneering Fort Lauderdale-based commercial real estate firm led by Jaime Sturgis, has successfully launched Native Management.

The new property management company enables Native Realty to operate as a full-service, vertically integrated company and assist clients in all facets of real estate investment and ownership.

Sturgis partnered with industry veteran Carlos Saez to join Native Management as COO. Saez brings substantial property management experience and entrepreneurial spirit to the company.

Carlos Saez

Before joining Native Management, Saez served as COO at PropertyForce.
  
Native Realty is headquartered at 719 NE Second Ave. in Flagler Village, Fort Lauderdale, FL


CONTACT:

Eric Kalis
Vice President, BoardroomPR
O 954-370-8999 
C 305-794-5123
Bank of America Plaza | 1776 N Pine Island Road
Suite 320 | Fort Lauderdale, FL 33322

www.nativere.com


Arbor Funds $4.1 Million Fannie Mae DUS® Loan in Indianapolis, IN


Michael Jehle

UNIONDALE, NY (May 19, 2020) – Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR) a leading multifamily and commercial mortgage lender, recently funded a Fannie Mae DUS® Loan in Indianapolis, IN.

 Three Fountains West Cooperative, a multifamily affordable housing property, received $4.1M in refinance funding through the program.

 Michael Jehle of Arbor’s Oklahoma office originated the loan.

 “This transaction involved the refinancing of an existing loan on our books that was maturing,” Jehle said. 

Three Fountains West Cooperative, Indianapolis, IN
“The members of this cooperative wanted to pay off their loan as quickly as possible and we were delighted to help them achieve this goal by offering a self-amortizing, straight 15-year fixed rate loan at an interest rate significantly lower than their current mortgage rate.”

 Built in 1972, Three Fountains West Cooperative is comprised of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The newly renovated complex includes a large community building and playgrounds, and is conveniently located near public transportation and retail shopping.

 Jared Stein

Arbor Funds $15.4 Milion Fannie Mae Loans in Texas

UNIONDALE, NY – Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR), a leading multifamily and commercial mortgage lender, recently funded $15.4M in Fannie Mae loans in Texas.

 Kenwood Heights Apartments in Corsicana, TX, received $8.2M in acquisition financing, with a 12-year fixed rate, one year of interest only payments and 30-year amortization through the Fannie Mae DUS® program.
Built in 1984, the pet-friendly property is made up of 211 residential units. Retail shopping and Navarro College are located nearby. 


 Kenwood Heights Apartments
Corsicana, TX
 Bella Brisa Apartments in Laredo, TX, received $3.2M in refinance funding, with a 10-year fixed-rate, two years of interest only payments and 30-year amortization through the Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loans program. 

The multifamily property was built in 2012 and includes 42 units.

 Monaco Boulevard Apartments in Laredo, TX, received $4M in refinance funding, with a 10-year fixed-rate, two years of interest only payments and 30-year amortization through the Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loans program. Built in 2013, the multifamily property features 44 units.  

 Jared Stein of Arbor’s New York City office originated the loans.
 “Partnerships are the lifeline of our business,” Stein said. “Together, Arbor and Fannie Mae remain committed to providing liquidity to the workforce housing sector during these unprecedented times.”

Contact:

 Bina Handa
Tel: 516.506.4229
Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.
333 Earle Ovington Blvd, Suite 900
Uniondale, NY 11553
800.ARBOR.10

Ware Malcomb Announces New Civil Engineering Manager in San Diego, CA


Samuel Bellomio

SAN DIEGO, CA, May 19, 2020 – Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, today announced Samuel Bellomio, PE has joined Ware Malcomb’s Civil Engineering team as a Project Manager in the San Diego office.

In this new role, Bellomio will oversee civil projects in San Diego. He will work closely with Luke Corsbie, Ware Malcomb Director of Civil Engineering, who has responsibility for the overall growth and management of civil engineering services for the Southern California region.

Luke Corsbie
Bellomio brings 10 years of experience in the civil engineering field to Ware Malcomb. Prior to joining Ware Malcomb, Bellomio was a project engineer with a local San Diego firm, and previously worked in the Seattle market. 

His civil design experience spans both public and private land development projects, with a primary focus on land development and storm water analysis.


Tom Jansen
“Sam brings an incredible combination of talent, experience and enthusiasm to our team,” said Tom Jansen and Chris Strawn, Ware Malcomb Principals of Civil Engineering. “He will be working with Luke Corsbie to grow our civil engineering services in San Diego, and together they are focused on making Ware Malcomb Civil the go-to team in this market.”

Chris Strawn
 Jansen and Strawn are responsible for the leadership and expansion of civil engineering services throughout Ware Malcomb’s offices in North America.

Ware Malcomb’s Civil Engineering team specializes in land development projects, with a focus on efficient design practices to create successful projects for clients.

The team has worked on commercial office, industrial, healthcare, public, education, retail/restaurant, mixed-use, and multi-family, residential and subdivision projects.

“We are excited to have Sam join our team to expand civil engineering services in the San Diego market,” said Tiffany English, Principal of Ware Malcomb’s San Diego offices.

 “His unique skill set, combined with Ware Malcomb’s firm-wide resources in this area, brings another level of service to our local architecture and interior design clients.”


 Tiffany English
Bellomio holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Seattle University. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in the state of California.

He is an active member of the Building Industry Association (BIA) Stormwater Taskforce, the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) Best Management Practices Subcommittee, and the County of San Diego Land Development Workgroup.
  
CONTACTS:


Rachel Devany
VP Public Relations
 KCOMM for Ware Malcomb

Maureen Bissonnette
 Associate Principal
 Marketing
949.660.9128



Lee & Associates Washington, DC Transitions from a Satellite Office to a Freestanding Office


Josh Simon

WASHINGTON, DC, May 19, 2020 -–  Lee & Associates, the largest broker-owned commercial real estate firm in North America, announced today that their Washington, DC office has transitioned from a satellite office to a freestanding office, granting them access to Lee & associates unique capital structure benefits. 
Lee & Associates Washington, DC is led by Josh Simon, who opened the satellite office in July of last year. Since the opening ten months ago, his office has executed an aggressive growth strategy. 
Their team has grown from two brokerage professionals to five, and they are actively recruiting professionals in the following disciplines: capital markets, investment sales, office tenant representation, industrial, and retail.

"We've been thrilled with our affiliation with Lee & Associates and have found the platform and collaboration between offices far stronger than we ever could have imagined," said Simon.
 "During times of market disruption, we typically see a significant migration of Brokers as folks tend to evaluate what platform serves them best for the long term.
"We expect to add several Brokers and Teams as the other large firms cut costs and services, and possibly make commission splits less equitable,” said Simon,
 “We are fortunate to be very well capitalized with the tools and resources in place and are speaking with a number of agents currently.

Jeff Rinkov
"Our goal and expectations are to secure our headquarter space in downtown DC later this year, with plans to open a Northern Virginia satellite location in 2021-2022."
The structure of Lee & Associates is unique in that it is entirely debt-free. The capital deployed during the opening of new offices is raised in advance by Lee & Associates principals across North America. 

"Our entry to DC, a key market for Lee & Associates, could not have better leadership," said Lee & Associates CEO, Jeff Rinkov

 "Josh Simon, his team, and their entrepreneurial approach to client service are a very exciting example of our focus on East Coast expansion and a tremendous addition to our team."
Lee & Associates has established an emphasis on expansion over the last five years; new office locations include Boston, MAToronto, ONCincinnati, OHRaleigh, NCMiami, FLSeattle, WAWalnut Creek, CAVancouver, BCMinneapolis, MNPasadena, CALehigh Valley, PAColumbus, OH; and Houston, TX.                   
For the latest news from Lee & Associates, please please visit lee-associates.com or follow us on FacebookLinkedInTwitter and Link, our company blog.

Contact:

 Pamela Murphy
Lee & Associates
(832) 315-0219
pmurphy@lee-associates.com


Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG) to Manage 506-Suite Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown Convention Center



Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown Convention Center;
Hotel Names Annebeth Kearney Black Director of Sales and Marketing

 
NASHVILLE, TN  (May 19, 2020)—Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG), an Atlanta-based, private hotel investment, ownership and management company, today announced it has been selected to manage the 506-suite Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown Convention Center

    “As HVMG expands its portfolio of managed and owned hotels across the United States, we will continue to seek ‘best-in-class’ partners such as Crescent Real Estate, Starwood Capital Group and High Street Real Estate Partners to achieve our growth goals,” said Robert Cole, president & CEO, HVMG. 

 “This two-tower project immediately will become one of the most exciting lodging options not only in Nashville, but the entire country.  In a town already known for its high caliber hotels, this is no small feat.”

Robert S. Cole
Scheduled to open during the fourth quarter of 2021, the Embassy Suites is part of a two-tower development project on 1.3 acres of land owned by:

  • Crescent Real Estate LLC, a high-end real estate acquisition, development and management company; 
  • Starwood Capital Group, a private global investment firm focused on real estate; 
  • High Street Real Estate Partners, a privately held real-estate investment firm focused on developing and acquiring equity interests in hospitality and multi-family assets in highly rated markets. 


Annebeth Kearney Black has been named director of sales and marketing.  A 20-year-plus hospitality sales veteran, she most recently was associate director of sales for the 591-room Grand Hyatt Nashville. 

            “The much-anticipated hotel will expand availability for larger meetings and events and  be geared towards business, convention and leisure travelers seeking upscale accommodations for everything from weekday conventions and meetings to weekend entertainment,” said Kearney Black. 



Annebeth Kearney Black 
 “Nashville’s diverse economy, with innumerable business, entertainment, healthcare and educational outlets, makes it an ideal location for just this type of upper upscale hotel product. 

"I look forward to supporting the hospitality community and helping the hotel quickly establish itself as the accommodations of choice for visitors to Nashville.”

 She has held multiple similar positions, including director of sales and marketing at the 283-suite Embassy Suites by Hilton SE Nashville Hotel and Convention Center and opening cluster director of sales and marketing for the dual-branded, 361-room Hyatt Place/Hyatt House Denver/Downtown.

            “Between her familiarity with the Nashville market and her background opening new hotels, Annebeth is the ideal candidate to lead the hotel sales team through ramp-up and beyond as the Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown Convention Center takes its place as the segment leader,” Cole noted. 
  
CONTACT:
       
Chris Daly
Daly Gray, Inc.
703-435-6293