Buchanan Acquires Richardson Office Center I & II

Newport Beach, CA-based rest estate investment management firm Buchanan Street Partners announced this week that it had acquired Richardson Office Center I & II in Richardson, TX. The two-building office campus was purchased in partnership with CarVal Investors from Principal Real Estate Investors. Gary Carr and Robert Hill of CBRE represented the seller in the transaction, and Buchanan Street Partners was self-represented. The acquisition marks the second Dallas market purchase this year for Buchanan; terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"The Far North Dallas submarket has been experiencing strong positive absorption and growth in rental rates causing a wider-than-normal price gap compared to Richardson," said Matt Haugen, assistant vice president at Buchanan Street Partners. "Given that trend, the location was one of the main reasons we were attracted to the property. Companies in search of a better real estate value have moved to Richardson because of its affordability and projected growth."

Built in 1999, Richardson Office Center at 3001 & 3101 E. President George Bush Highway are twin, 120,000 SF first class office buildings located off of President George Bush Turnpike and Renner Road in Richardson, Texas. The property was 90% leased at the time of sale with major tenants including Boeing, Genpact and Avnet. Richardson's average lease rate is $19.26 per sf, which is affordable compared with lease rates in the Far North Dallas submarket with an average lease rate of $22.46 per sf, according to CBRE research. The average lease rate in Dallas is $21.68 per sf.

For more news and information visit Blumberg Partners.

Circuit Tempe Conversion Begins

A 16.5-acre property previously housed a semiconductor manufacturing plant for Jabil Circuit in Tempe is getting a new life as conversions have begun to transform the space into a Class A office building geared toward millennials and creative users. CarVal Investors and EverWest Real Estate Partners purchased the dormant property this past July for $11.4 million, and engaged Gensler to redesign the masonry industrial building. The new project, dubbed Circuit Tempe, is planned for completion in April 2015. Jerry Noble, Pat Devine, Jackie Orcutt and Ryan Bartos of Cushman & Wakefield of Arizona serve as exclusive leasing agents for The Circuit Tempe.

"This acquisition was underwritten for high-end office from the start," said Curt Kremer, managing director of acquisitions with EverWest. "We identified the facility as a great opportunity for a project unlike any other in the marketplace. The location at the Loop 101 and 202 and its proximity to Arizona State University is ideal for delivering our vision."

According to a new Cushman & Wakefield report "Facing the Millennial Wave", today's millennial office users are seeking expansive floor plates conducive to the flexible, collaborative-based workspace concept. The "open space" ambiance at The Circuit Tempe will be completed with 17-foot ceiling heights and an abundance of natural light through the addition of 60+ skylights, new 14' floor to ceiling high-performance windows, and large glass roll up doors.

For more news and information visit Blumberg Capital Partners.

Tampa City Center Sold for $128M

Cushman & Wakefield announced this week that it had arranged to sale of Tampa City Center for $128,125,000 in what brokers call the largest transaction in the area in recent memory. The building was sold by One Tampa City Center LLC, a joint venture between Carval Investors of Minneapolis and Mainstreet Capital Partners of Fort Lauderdale, and purchased by Alliance Partners of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, the East Coast operating arm of Hawaii-based Shidler Group. The transaction was managed by Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director Mike Davis, Director Rick Brugge, Executive Director David Meline, and Senior Director Michael Lerner.

"City Center is one of Tampa's most prestigious office properties, and it delivers unparalleled comfort, convenience and service in the heart of downtown Tampa," said Mike Davis, Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director, Capital Markets. "This transaction is further proof that Tampa Bay's commercial real estate market has returned to health."

Located at 201 N. Franklin Street, the 38-story office tower containing 749,035 square feet of Class A office space was 88% leased at the time of sale with major tenants including Merrill Lynch, University Club, Bank of Tampa, Florida Bank, Ernst & Young, PNC Bank, Verizon, and Northwest Mutual Insurance Company. The tower was built in 1981, and was the city's tallest building until 1986; in 2013 it won an EARTH Award from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA).

For more news and information visit Blumberg Capital Partners.