Tag Archive for: neil merin

Law Firm Inks 11-Year Lease Deal In Downtown Fort Lauderdale

/in , /by

NAI/Merin Hunter Codman, Inc. announced that Chairman Neil E. Merin, SIOR, CCIM and Managing Director Adam Starr have finalized an 11-year, 9,285-square-foot lease transaction with Stok Kon + Braverman at 1 East Broward on behalf of the landlord, 1 East Broward Owner, LLC. Stok Kon + Braverman is a full-service law firm with offices in Fort Lauderdale and Boynton Beach.

“We are excited to welcome Stok Kon + Braverman to 1 East Broward. Stok who explored many of downtown’s most exclusive office properties, ultimately chose 1 East Broward due to the landlord’s continuing commitment to an extensive property improvement program as well as the suite’s existing high-end features and efficiency. Creating a welcoming, safe, and convenient office space experience for their employees was of utmost importance, as most of the firm’s employees returned to in-person work post initial lockdowns,” stated Starr.

1 East Broward is a 19-story, 350,000-square-foot, Class-A, office building located at the northeast corner of Broward Boulevard and Andrews Avenue in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

1 East Broward Owner, LLC, who purchased the property in 2018, immediately implemented a multi-million-dollar property improvement program which has included lobby, common area, lighting, and bathroom upgrades. A new security access card and visitor management system as well as a complete state-of-the-art elevator modernization have recently been completed. The property is known for its grand lobby, impressive views, state-of-the-art fitness center including Peloton bikes, manned 24/7 security, and a variety of on-site dining and concierge services. Tenants also enjoy plentiful parking in the garage, connected by an air-conditioned skywalk.

1 East Broward is downtown Fort Lauderdale’s closest office building to the Brightline, and the property offers superb walkability to dining and retail destinations including Flagler Village’s Arts and Technology Village (FATVillage), Music & Arts South of Sunrise District (MASS), the renowned Las Olas Boulevard and The Warf at Riverfront. 1 East Broward additionally offers fantastic access to I-95, I-595 and the Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

Robert A. Stok, Esquire Managing Principal of Stok Kon + Braverman stated, “We surveyed the entire Fort Lauderdale office market and determined that 1 East Broward Boulevard is the ideal office building to establish a permanent home for our for firm. It’s location, convenient to the federal and Broward courthouses in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale’s commercial center, with easy access to rail and highway transportation, high end hotels and restaurants, meshes perfectly with the firm’s suite of business services and is appealing to our clientele and employees.”

 

NAI/Merin Hunter Codman’s Chairman Neil Merin stated, “Stok Kon + Braverman has a long history as one of Broward County’s premier boutique law firms and we are proud that they have made a long-term commitment to make 1 East Broward their home. Ownership has recently invested significant capital upgrading and modernizing the building’s elevators, security systems, common areas and amenities, and are committed to continuing to improve the property to attract high quality tenants like Stok, Kon and Braverman.”

 

JV Purchases 100,525 SF Office Building In West Palm Beach For $32.5 Million

/in , /by

A joint venture between affiliates of West Palm Beach-based MHCommercial Real Estate Fund II (“MHCREF”), a discretionary real estate private equity fund formed by NAI/Merin Hunter Codman principals Dung Lam, Neil E. Merin and Jordan Paul, and Waterfall Asset Management (“Waterfall”), a New York-based SEC-registered institutional asset manager with approximately $9.8 billion in assets including committed capital under management, has closed on the $32.5 million purchase of the fee simple interest in EcoPlex®, a 100,525-square-foot office building located at 1641 Worthington Road in West Palm Beach.

Built in 2008, EcoPlex® is 87 percent leased to a diversified tenant roster with five or more years of weighted average lease term. EcoPlex® was the first speculative office building in West Palm Beach and only the second in South Florida to achieve the LEED® Gold Certification. It is designed to withstand winds of a Category 4 hurricane and is equipped with three generators with integrated, above ground diesel fuel tanks, and rainwater recycling system. The four-story property also features a fitness center with showers and lockers, a lush outdoor plaza, an attached five-story parking structure, and fiber optic service. EcoPlex® rewards businesses with a healthier workplace, maximum energy efficiency, minimal environmental impact, significant cost savings, and increased productivity.

EcoPlex® is located in the Centrepark Office District, a 69-acre mixed-use project strategically located just off Australian Avenue across from Drive Shack and directly adjacent to the Hampton Inn and Garden Inn hotels. EcoPlex® offers convenient access to downtown West Palm Beach’s amenity base including high-profile restaurants and business destinations including Rosemary Square and the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

Additionally, the property’s location offers strategic access onto the region’s major transportation infrastructure, including Interstate 95 (less than 1 mile away), Palm Beach County International Airport (1 mile away), Tri-Rail, Brightline Florida Trains (2 miles away), and the Florida Turnpike (4.6 miles away).

The acquisition represents the second Palm Beach County joint venture between MHCREF and Waterfall following their successful acquisition of the Golden Bear Plaza in Palm Beach Gardens in May 2020. The project also represents the first purchase for MHCREF’s new fund which is projected to acquire between $200 and $250 million of commercial property throughout the Southeastern United States over the next 18-24 months, following the successful acquisition of approximately $115 million of property in its initial fund which was fully invested in December 2021.

MHCREF principals Neil E. Merin, Dung Lam and Jordan Paul stated, “We are very pleased to kick off our second fund by purchasing one of the premier office buildings in our hometown of West Palm Beach.  West Palm Beach has emerged as one of the premier office locations in the United States and EcoPlex® provides its tenants with outstanding access to all the area has to offer. As the only LEED® Gold Certified building in the city with a full backup generator system and construction engineered to withstand a category 4 hurricane, EcoPlex® offers its tenants a unique value proposition in the highly sought-after West Palm Beach market.”  

Patti Unti, Managing Director at Waterfall stated, “We are excited to be partnering with MHCREF on our second transaction in southeast Florida. The MHCREF team brings a deep bench of talent to our partnership along with a long history of operating within the West Palm Beach market. The EcoPlex® project offers a differentiated office approach to a sub-market we believe is well-positioned for future growth.” 

Corey Winsett, Director of Acquisitions for MHCREF oversaw the acquisition and due diligence process on behalf of the MHCRF/Waterfall JV. Financing for the transaction was provided by LoanCore Capital a leading institutional lender that has financed over $25 billion in commercial real estate loans since 2008. Steve Kay, Managing Director and JP Kost, Vice President, structured the financing transaction on behalf of LoanCore Capital.

Elizabeth Jones and John Strickroot of the Shutts & Bowen law firm represented the purchaser on the transaction. NAI/Merin Hunter Codman will manage and lease the property with the team of Managing Directors Lesley Sheinberg and Barbara LeBrun, SIOR.

 

NAI Merin Hunter Codman Welcomes Industry Veteran To Brokerage Team

/in /by

NAI/Merin Hunter Codman, Inc., welcomed South Florida commercial real estate expert Adam Starr to the firm’s brokerage team as Managing Director.

Starr will be specializing in the sale and leasing of office and industrial properties throughout south Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Starr, a six-time CoStar Power Broker Award winner, brings over two decades of commercial real estate expertise to NAI/Merin Hunter Codman. Starr has successfully negotiated over 15,000,000 square feet of sales and lease transactions throughout South Florida for firms such as CBRE, Brenner Real Estate Group, and the Trammell Crow Company. Starr’s focus will remain in tenant and landlord representation, as well as investment sales.

“It is always a pleasure to welcome a seasoned, commercial real estate professional to our firm. Adam has successfully navigated a wide variety of transactions through all of South Florida’s market cycles. He is a well-liked and highly respected industry expert that is known for his market knowledge, tenacity, professionalism and absolute commitment to the highest level of service for his clients,” stated Jordan Paul, CEO, NAI/Merin Hunter Codman.

 

“I have done business with Adam many times over the years. He has developed a remarkable track record of creating value and attaining favorable financial returns for his clients. He is a very welcome addition and will be a true asset to the firm’s brokerage team,” stated NAI/Merin Hunter Codman, Chairman, Neil E. Merin, SIOR, CCIM.

 

Downtown Fort Lauderdale Office Tower Trades For $108.5 Million

/in , /by

1 East Broward Owner, LLC, a joint venture between affiliates of NAI/Merin Hunter Codman and PCCP, LLC, has acquired 1 East Broward, a Class A office tower in downtown Fort Lauderdale for $108,500,000.

The CBRE Capital Markets team facilitated the sale of the 19-story, 351,705 square foot, institutional-quality office building on behalf of the seller, Ivy Realty.

Additionally, the CBRE Debt & Structured Finance team arranged acquisition financing of $77,465,500 with SunTrust Bank on behalf of the buyer. Vice Chairman, Christian Lee and Senior Vice President, José Lobón of CBRE oversaw the transaction on the sale effort, and First Vice President Amy Julian oversaw the financing for CBRE, working with Chief Financial Officer Dung Lam and Acquisitions Director Corey Winsett on behalf of NAI/Merin Hunter Codman. The CBRE team also included Senior Financial Analyst Andrew Chilgren. Rebecca M. Cox, SunTrust Senior Vice President, provided the financing. Kapp Morrison LLP provided legal counsel to the seller and Shutts and Bowen provided legal counsel to the buyer.

The property is located on the northeast corner of Broward Boulevard and Andrews Avenue, in the heart of Fort Lauderdale’s rapidly expanding downtown, across from the new Brightline Rail Station. The 91% leased property includes a 19-story building and a 5-story building that are connected by a covered sky bridge to a 4-story parking structure that provides the office tenants with 772 covered parking spaces. The property recently received an extensive renovation with over $4.9 million invested since the beginning of 2013 and serves as the new U.S. headquarters for KEMET Corporation, a leading publicly-traded global supplier of electronic components. KEMET recently relocated its corporate headquarters from Greenville, SC to 1 East Broward bringing 150 additional jobs to the Fort Lauderdale CBD. KEMET joins several leading law firms who have corporate and regional headquarters at 1 East Broward including Becker & Poliakoff, Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A., McGlinchey Stafford and Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP.

The purchaser of the property, 1 East Broward Owner, LLC is a joint venture between affiliates of NAI/Merin Hunter Codman, Inc. and PCCP, a real estate finance and investment management firm, based in New York and San Francisco that has over $6.5 billion in assets under management on behalf of institutional investors.

Jordan Paul, CEO of NAI/Merin Hunter Codman stated, “We are excited to form this venture with PCCP. Fort Lauderdale is transforming into one of the great live, work, play environments in the United States and 1 East Broward enjoys a unique position within the marketplace. NAI/Merin Hunter Codman and PCCP plan to continue improving the property to solidify its position as one of downtown Fort Lauderdale’s premier corporate addresses and we appreciate that SunTrust was able to provide us with a loan that allows for flexibility in achieving this goal.”

NAI/Merin Hunter Codman will take over property management and leasing at 1 East Broward.

NAI/Merin Hunter Codman Chairman, Neil Merin who will oversee the leasing team with NAI/Merin Hunter Codman Commercial Associate Max Pawk stated, “With its strategic location adjacent to the Brightline Rail Station, the Federal Courthouse and within walking distance of both Las Olas Boulevard and all of the exciting new residential and cultural development taking place in Flagler Village, 1 East Broward offers its tenants an ideal corporate home with easy access to everything that is happening in Fort Lauderdale and South Florida.”

Christian Lee, Vice Chairman of CBRE Capital Markets stated, “Ivy did an outstanding job executing its business plan and creating value at 1 East Broward. By virtue of the 20% rent growth we have witnessed in Downtown Fort Lauderdale since 2014, every building in the CBD affords significant upside potential as leases expire and we expect that the new ownership group will be able to continue to enhance the building and benefit from the exciting growth taking place in Fort Lauderdale.”

Jose Lobon, Senior Vice President, CBRE Capital Markets added, “1 East Broward has benefited tremendously from its location in the burgeoning Flagler Village neighborhood of Downtown Fort Lauderdale. Not only is it the closest office tower to the recently opened Brightline train station, but it is also at the gateway to the CBD’s youngest and hippest enclave which has seen a generational transformation over the last decade, including 6,415 new multifamily units, as well as numerous art galleries, restaurants, and amenities.”

The Forum Office Buildings Trade In $22.5 Million Deal

/in , /by

CBRE arranged the sale of The Forum in West Palm Beach.

The 185,089 sq.ft. property, consisting of two multi-tenant office buildings and a four-story structured parking garage, is located at 1665 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.

A subsidiary of Triarch Capital Group acquired the property for $22.5 million.

CBRE’s Miami-based Capital Markets team facilitated the sale on behalf of the seller, Crimson Peak and Panther Capital Management. Vice Chairman Christian Lee oversaw the transaction alongside Senior Vice President José Lobón and Vice President Amy Julian. The Capital Markets team representing the seller also included Financial Analysts Marcos Minaya and Joseph Chick.

Neil Merin of NAI/Merin Hunter Codman and Jonathan Kingsley of Colliers also worked on the transaction.

“The Forum features unparalleled connectivity to Interstate 95, great access to West Palm Beach’s major transportation hubs, the highest covered parking ratio among its peers and an unrivaled amenity base that includes an on-site hotel that will become the winter home to the Houston Astros,” said Christian Lee, vice chairman, CBRE Capital Markets.

Located a half mile east of Interstate 95, the property offers tremendous transportation dynamics–over half of South Florida’s 6 million residents live within a one-hour drive from the property. Additionally, the property is adjacent to the Palm Beach Outlet mall.

“The West Palm Beach submarket has seen five straight years of positive net absorption resulting in a 670-basis point decline in vacancy and 18% market rent growth,” commented José Lobón, Senior Vice President, CBRE Capital Markets. “Combined with a lack of any new office construction underway in the submarket, the outlook is positive for further vacancy decline and market rent growth.”

 

Boca Raton Office Complex Has New Owner

/in , /by

Fountain Square, a 241,000-square-foot office complex in Boca Raton, traded for $54.5 million — a 47 percent increase over what it sold for three years ago.

Bridge Investment Group Partners of Sandy, UT bought the three-building development at 2600, 2650 and 2700 N. Military Trail from a joint venture between affiliates of Contrarian Capital Management LLC of Greenwich, CT, and NAI/Merin Hunter Codman in West Palm Beach.

The sellers bought the property for $37 million in 2014 from JP Morgan, which paid $63.5 million in 2007.

NAI launched a multimillion dollar capital improvement program to upgrade common areas and tenant suites. That resulted in more than 100,000 square feet of leases in the past two years and boosted occupancy from 62 percent to 90 percent.

The owners filled the building by negotiating leases for $15 and $16 per square foot, according to Neil Merin, chairman of NAI Merin Hunter Codman. He said rents today are in the range of $22 to $23 per square foot.

“It’s a real marker for the recovery of values in Florida,” Merin told CoStar News. “We did well — no doubt about it.”

 

Gil Tenzer, portfolio manager and director of real estate investments at Contrarian, said, “Fountain Square represents our commitment to partnering with local operators to invest in and turn around under-performing assets with high potential.”

Christian Lee and Jose Lobon of CBRE and Neil Merin, of NAI Merin Hunter Codman, represented the seller. The buyer did not have representation.

 

Source:  CoStar