Friday, November 12, 2010

Chatham Lodging Trust Announces Proposed Public Offering of 7 Million Common Shares



PALM BEACH, FL, Nov. 12, 2010 - Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLDT), a hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on upscale extended-stay hotels and premium-branded select-service hotels, today announced that it is commencing an underwritten public offering of 7 million common shares. 

 The company expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,050,000 additional common shares to cover overallotments, if any.

The company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to repay debt under its secured revolving credit facility, to acquire additional hotels and for general business purposes.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. 

These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. 

This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the company’s common shares, nor shall there be any sale of these common shares or a solicitation of an offer to buy these common shares in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

Barclays Capital and UBS Investment Bank are acting as the joint book-running managers for the offering.

FBR Capital Markets is acting as the joint lead manager and Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., Credit Agricole CIB, Piper Jaffray, Stifel Nicolaus Weisel and JMP Securities are acting as co-managers. 

 A copy of the prospectus can be obtained by contacting Barclays Capital, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Ave., Edgewood, N.Y. 11717, telephone (888) 603-5847 or by e-mail at barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com, or UBS Securities LLC, Prospectus Department, 299 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10171 or by telephone at (888) 827-7275. 

 The prospectus may also be obtained by contacting any of the other underwriters listed above.

 Chatham Lodging Trust Cancels NAREIT Presentation


PALM BEACH, FL, Nov. 12, 2010—Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLDT), a hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on upscale extended-stay hotels and premium branded select-service hotels, has cancelled its presentation and webcast at the NAREIT REITWorld Annual Convention, originally scheduled for Monday, November 15, 2010.

Chatham announced earlier today that it is commencing an underwritten public offering of 7 million common shares and, in accordance with SEC rules, is prohibited from making any public comments about the company. 


Contact:
Jerry Daly, Carol McCune, Daly Gray Public Relations, (Media),
(703) 435-6293, jerry@dalygray.com                                                   
 Dennis Craven, Chief Financial Officer, Company), (561) 227-1386 dcraven@cl-trust.com
                                                                                                                                                                          

Best Western Bowery Hanbee Hotel Receives the Hotel Chain’s Highest Award for Quality



NEW YORK CITY, NY – Nov. 12, 2010 – The Best Western Bowery Hanbee Hotel (top left photo), located in downtown New York City, has received the Best Western Chairwoman’s Award, the chain’s highest honor for outstanding quality standards.

The Chairwoman’s Award recognizes Best Western International hotels with a cleanliness and maintenance inspection score of 988 points out of a possible 1,000, placing the hotel in the top five percent of all 2,400 Best Western hotels.

The hotel also had to meet Best Western’s requirements for design and high customer satisfaction scores in order to qualify.

“Receiving this award is a tremendous honor,” said General Manager Raymond Sun. “The Best Western Bowery Hanbee Hotel is committed to providing quality accommodations and service for our guests.

"Our staff has worked very hard to achieve this level of excellence and we are delighted to receive this important symbol of distinction from Best Western.”

The Best Western Bowery Hanbee Hotel is located at 231 Grand Street in the heart of downtown New York City.

Built in 2008, the hotel is ideally situated between Chinatown and Little Italy in Lower Manhattan, surrounded by some of the most vibrant New York City neighborhoods such as Tribeca (middle left photo),  Soho (top right photo) and the Lower East Side (bottom right photo). Abundant subway access is a few blocks from the hotel.

City Hall, Battery Park, Trinity Church and PACE University are within walking distance. All 102 guestrooms feature a modern, comfortable design with 32-inch flat panel TVs and high-speed Internet access. The 100% non-smoking hotel also offers complimentary continental breakfast, Wi-Fi in the lobby, and a fitness center.

The Best Western Bowery Hanbee Hotel is operated by Interstate Hotels & Resorts (www.ihrco.com), the nation’s largest independent hotel management company.

For more information about the Best Western Bowery Hanbee Hotel in New York City, visit www.bw-boweryhanbeehotel.com. 
 
Contact:
Raymond Sun, General Manager
Best Western Bowery Hanbee Hotel
 (212) 925-1177 / raymond.sun@ihrco.com

Thomas D. Wood & Co. Brokers 2 Loans totaling $3.1 Million


ORLANDO, FL— Thomas D. Wood and Company, a Strategic Alliance Mortgage LLC member, secured financing in the amount of $3,100,000 for Southpointe Center and Temple Village Plaza.

Doug Rozzell (top right photo), Company Principal, secured financing for Southpointe Center through Thomas D. Wood and Company’s correspondent relationship with Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Company in the amount of $2,500,000. 

The borrower, an affiliate of Pineloch Management Corporation, refinanced Southpointe Center at a loan with a low, fixed rate of 5.5%. 

The non-recourse, permanent loan has a term of 10 years, based on a 20-year amortization.  The loan-to-value is 64%.  The 37,250 square-foot office/industrial building was built in 1987, and is located at 345 and 379 W. Michigan St., Orlando, Florida.

 Jeff Schnupp (middle left photo), Company Vice President, secured financing for Temple Village Plaza through Thomas D. Wood and Company’s relationship with a local bank in the amount of $1,100,000.

 The fixed-rate loan has a term of five years, based on a 20-year amortization and an interest rate of 6.25%.  The loan-to-value is 45%. 

The 13,144 square-foot multi-tenant retail plaza was built in 1967, with an addition added in 1985, and is home to major tenant Pizza Hut.  Temple Village Plaza is located at 2335 Temple Trail, Winter Park, Florida.

For further information, please contact:
Doug Rozzell, (407) 937-0470, drozzell@tdwood.com
Jeff Schnupp, (407) 937-0470, jschnupp@tdwood.com
Jessica Kinnee, (407) 937-0470, jkinnee@tdwood.com
http://www.tdwood.com/                                 
                        

Stephen Jones joins D & A Building Services in Longwood, FL


LONGWOOD, FL, Nov. 10, 2010 — Stephen Jones (top right photo) has joined D & A Building Services Inc. as Government Sales Specialist.

 In the newly created position, Jones is responsible for expanding the facility maintenance company’s national public sector business with municipal and state governments, federal agencies and the military.

 He has a 20-year career as president of NCLN20, Inc., a government procurement consultancy with offices in California, New York, Georgia, Arizona and Florida. Jones will operate from D & A’s Longwood, Florida, headquarters.

 “We are fortunate to have a government contracts expert join our staff to lead our public sector expansion efforts,” said Al Sarabasa, Jr. (middle left photo), president/CEO, D & A Building Services.

D & A Building Services Picked by City of Dallas for Window Cleaning at Love Field

LONGWOOD, Fla., Nov. 10, 2010 — D & A Building Services Inc. has secured a window cleaning contract at Dallas Love Field (bottom left photo).

Under the scope of its contract, D & A is providing exterior window washing services to the City of Dallas, the airport’s owner. The staff at D & A’s Dallas branch office will perform work on this contract.

D & A Building Services, one of the largest Hispanic owned businesses in the nation, established its Dallas office in 2008, and currently employs a staff of 20 cleaning specialists

 For additional information, please visit http://www.dabuildingservices.com/
PR Contact: Elaine Ingra, (407) 384-1344 elainei@pr-works.com

Arbor Closes $2,690,000 Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan for 1866 Greenfield Apartments inLos Angeles, CA


 Uniondale, NY (Nov. 12, 2010) – Arbor Commercial Funding, LLC (“Arbor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC, announced the recent funding of a $2,690,000 loan under the Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan product line for the 18-unit complex known as 1866 Greenfield Apartments (top left photo) in Los Angeles, CA.

 The 10-year loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule.

The loan was originated by Ronen Abergel (bottom right photo), Director, in Arbor’s full-service New York, NY, lending office.

Contact:  Christopher Ostrowski, costrowski@arbor.com


Thursday, November 11, 2010

Trump Name On Half Of Unsold Sunny Isles Beach Condos



Nearly half of the 1,000 completed condominium units that were still unsold in Sunny Isles Beach at the end of the third quarter of 2010 are located in the six condo projects bearing the name of the successful New York developer Donald Trump, according to a new report from CondoVultures.com.

Nearly 500 units out of more than 1,800 Trump-named condos constructed on the ocean side of Collins Avenue since 2003 are not sold as of Sept. 30, 2010, according to the report based on the Condo Vultures® Official Condo Buyers Guide To Sunny Isles Beach™.

In fact, the largest concentration of unsold units in Sunny Isles Beach is located in the Trump Tower III (top left photo), where not a single unit had closed in the 271-unit project as of the end of the third quarter of this year, according to Miami-Dade County records.

"The fact that such a large percentage of the Trump-named units are unsold has more to do with the number of condos constructed rather than the product type," said Peter Zalewski (middle right photo), a principal with the Bal Harbour, Fla.-based real estate consultancy Condo Vultures® LLC.

 "Many buyers are attracted to the condo product bearing the Trump name. At the right price, today's all-cash buyers will consider purchasing a unit or two in one of the half-dozen Trump projects standing in Northeast Miami-Dade County."

Buyers acquired more than 65 units in a Trump-named project in Sunny Isles Beach in the third quarter of 2010 for a combined $58 million. This works out to an average sales price of $440 per square foot.

Peter Zalewski of Condo Vultures® can be reached at 800-750-0517 or by email at peter@condovultures.com

Supertel Hospitality Reports 2010 Third Quarter Results




NORFOLK, NB,  Nov. 10, 2010 – Supertel Hospitality, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPPR), a real estate investment trust (REIT) which owns 106 hotels in 23 states, today announced its results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010.

  • Revenue from continuing operations rose 6.5 percent

  • Net loss per diluted share of $(0.02) compared to prior year net loss of $(0.06) per diluted share.

  • FFO of $0.10 per diluted share, and FFO without impairment of $0.15 per diluted share

  • Revenues from continuing operations for the 2010 third quarter rose 6.5 percent to $24.9 million, compared to the same year-ago period.

  • Net loss attributable to common shareholders for the 2010 third quarter was $(0.5) million, or $(0.02) per diluted share, compared to net loss attributable to common shareholders of $(1.4) million, or $(0.06) per diluted share, in the 2009 same quarter.

  • The $0.9 million improvement in earnings was primarily the result of an increase in revenue from continuing operations.

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

Jerry Daly, Carol McCune, Daly Gray, (Media Contact), 703.435.6293, jerry@dalygray.com

ARA Arranges Sale of 264 Units in Tampa, FL


TAMPA, FL (Nov. 11, 2010) — The Central/North Florida offices of ARA, the largest privately held, full-service investment advisory brokerage firm in the nation focusing exclusively on the multihousing industry, announces the sale of the 264-unit Reflections at Carrollwood (top left photo) apartment community in Tampa, FL.

The transaction was arranged by the ARA Central/North Florida team of Kevin Judd (middle right photo) , Patrick Dufour (middle left photo), and Dick Donnellan (lower right photo).

 ARA represented the seller, Jackson Square Properties, a San Francisco, CA-based privately-held real estate operating company in the transaction.

The community was purchased by an undisclosed local investor for $12,925,000.š The property was built in 1982 and features 264 units in one of the most desirable submarkets of Tampa.š

The property features a variety of one- and two-bedroom floor plans with an average unit size of 729 square feet.š

 “The buyer is very familiar with the Tampa market and owns several properties in the immediate area. They believe in Tampa’s underlying fundamentals long-term and see significant upside in the market in the near term, ” said ARA Florida's Tampa-based Vice President, Patrick Dufour.

 Reflections at Carrollwood is a well-located, fully-stabilized asset with strong historical operations.š The property is located in a stable, mature submarket of Tampa and has averaged well over 90% occupancy over the past three years.š Additionally, the existing owner has upgraded several unit interiors and is achieving rent premiums for those units.

“Reflections at Carrollwood provides the buyer with excellent in-place cash flow and the ability to increase rents through overall market recovery and continuing the interior upgrade program,” noted ARA’s Orlando-based Principal, Kevin Judd.  “The buyerhad to assume two loans from Fannie Mae, both with favorableinterest-only financing,” 
Reflections at Carrollwood is located in the heart of the Carrollwood submarket, with the easy access to major employment centers and ample shopping and entertainment venues.š Individual units at the property feature fully-equipped kitchens, walk-in closets, screened patios or balconies and additional storage. Community features include clubhouse, pool, fitness center and business center.

To schedule an interview with an ARA executive regarding this transaction or for more information about ARA, nationally please contact Lisa Robinson (lrobinson@ARAusa.com) or Amy Morris (amorris@ARAusa.com) at (404) 495-7300; locally, please contact

For detailed information on ARA’s extensive multihousing investment services, visit www.arausa.com.

  Marti Zenor mzenor@ARAusa.com, Director of Marketing
ARA  Florida, 777 Yamato Road, Suite 140 Boca Raton, FL 33431
561.988.8800 x112 Direct  954.205.5207 Cell  561.988.8810 Fax



Marcus & Millichap Sells $6.9 Million Los Angeles Apartment Building in 1031 Exchange


 COSTA MESA, Calif., Nov. 11, 2010 – Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm, has executed a 1031 exchange involving two Southern California multifamily properties.

The firm arranged the sale of an 18-unit apartment building at 1420 Kelton Ave. (lower right photo) in Los Angeles, and used the proceeds to negotiate the acquisition of the 40-unit Villa Cordova (top left photo) in Costa Mesa.

Justin White, a vice president investments; John Vorsheck (middle right photo), a senior associate; and Rebecca Caldwell, a multifamily investment specialist, all based in the Long Beach office, found the replacement property using Marcus & Millichap’s unique brokerage platform, which provides sellers with access to a nationwide pool of investment capital and encourages cooperation between brokers.

The Long Beach office worked with John L. Nguyen (lower left photo), a vice president investments in Newport Beach, on this transaction.
“This transaction is indicative of the investment opportunities available in today’s market,” explains White.

“Our client improved his cash flow; now owns a newer property; has more two-bedroom units, which are historically the most-sought after; and has new depreciation to offset increasing taxes.

“We also advised our client on a long-term investment strategy, which is always exciting. Right now, investors have the opportunity to trade up, and we enjoy working with those who are utilizing our expertise to make profitable deals, while others remain on the sidelines.”

Located at 2323 Elden Ave. in Costa Mesa, Villa Cordova includes 26 one-bedroom units and 14 two-bedroom units.

 Located in the highly desirable East Costa Mesa residential neighborhood, properties of this size rarely come to market.

The property is situated on a large lot providing the tenants a quiet park-like setting with ample parking and enclosed garages.

The value of the Villa Cordova sale was $172,375 per unit.

“Because of the high quality of this asset, there was an extremely large amount of interest, enabling us to close the Villa Cordova sale in a record 22 days,” explains Nguyen.

 “This transaction provided the buyer with an excellent opportunity to create immediate value by upgrading the interiors and increasing the rents, which were 10 percent to 15 percent below market,” says Nguyen.

1420 Kelton Ave., an 18-unit apartment complex, is located in the heart of Los Angeles’ Westwood neighborhood. Built in 1968, 1420 Kelton Ave. is ideally located just minutes from UCLA, Westwood Park, Century City and Beverly Hills. The apartment building encompasses 14,166 square feet.

Press Contact: Stacey Corso, Public Relations Manager, (925) 953-1716       

Berger Commercial Realty Corp. Announces New Hire



 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Berger Commercial Realty Corp., a full service commercial real estate firm based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and serving clients around the state, announced Cindy Rios has been hired as a property manager.

 Rios has more than six years of real estate experience. She was previously an assistant property manager at Stiles Corporation. At Berger Commercial Realty Corp., Rios will be responsible for overseeing a property portfolio consisting of Parkway Lauderhill, University Park, Nova 95, and Palm Crossing.

 Rios graduated from Miami Dade College. She is a resident of Miami.

  For more information, visit http://www.bergercommercial.com/.

Contact:  Marielle Sologuren, Pierson Grant Public Relations, (954) 776-1999 ext. 226, msologuren@piersongrant.com

Grubb & Ellis Company Represents The John Buck Company in Sale of Markel Midwest Headquarters Building in Deerfield, IL



ROSEMONT, IL (Nov. 11, 2010) – Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment firm, announced today that its Institutional Capital Markets group represented The John Buck Company in the sale of Ten Parkway North (top left photo) in Deerfield, a 99,566-square-foot Class A office building, to CBRE Realty Trust. 

The building is fully leased to Markel Midwest Inc.

Paul Lundstedt (middle right photo), executive vice president, Institutional Capital Markets, Jeff Shell, executive vice president, Corporate Finance, and John Gavin (lower left photo), Institutional Capital Markets, facilitated the sale. 

 “This is a great example of a well-located, fully leased core asset trading at a premium despite market conditions,” said Lundstedt.  “Given the relative strength of the North Suburban submarket and the fact that the lease in place runs through 2020, this opportunity was one that drew considerable activity.”

 Built in 1999, Ten Parkway North is part of a best-in-class, master-planned suburban office park that includes six office buildings totaling just over one million square feet and a 251-room Marriott Suites hotel with more than 3,000 square feet of conference space. 

The park is situated at the union of the Tri-State Tollway and the Edens Expressway, locating it within 20 minutes of O’Hare International Airport and 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. 

Contact:  Erin Mays, Phone 312.698.6735, Email: erin.mays@grubb-ellis.com

                

Grubb & Ellis Commercial Florida Negotiates REO Sales of Six Treasure Island, FL Condos Totaling $2.956 Million


 TAMPA, FL-- Grubb & Ellis|Commercial Florida recently negotiated REO sales of six 2,650 square foot waterfront condominiums on Treasure Island for a total of $2,956,000.00. 

 Nat Barganier (top right photo), executive director of the Grubb & Ellis|Commercial Florida Distressed Property Services Group, negotiated the six sales to multiple local buyers, and was also the court appointed receiver of the St. Petersburg based bank-owned property.

 Bargainer said the condominiums were part of a portfolio of nine bank-owned luxury Serena Bay Condominiums (lower left photo) at 260 108th Ave. in Treasure Island overlooking Boca Ciega Bay.

  Grubb & Ellis|Commercial Florida handled the sale of the other three condominiums earlier this year for $1.995 million.


 “For the buyers, these sales represent tremendous value for high-end residential property.  For the lender, we are able to remove more distressed properties from their books at an agreeable price,” said Barganier.  

Contacts:
Nat Barganier 813-639-1111 ext. 205
Jeffrey Sweeney, SIOR 407-481-5387
Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142

NAI Realvest negotiates Renewal Lease for 11,034 square feet of Class A office space at The Citadel in Southeast Orlando


ORLANDO, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated a renewal lease agreement for 11,034 square feet in Citadel International a Class A office building located at
5950 Hazeltine National Drive
in southeast Orlando.

Senior Associate Mary Frances West (top right photo), CCIM negotiated the lease transaction on behalf of the landlord, Citadel Partners, Ltd., based at The Villages. 

The tenant is Orlando-based Pentaho Corporation, a business intelligence system integration firm.   The tenant was represented by Greg Morrison of Morrison Commercial Real Estate.

NAI Realvest is exclusive management and leasing representative for the property and West leads the leasing team at The Citadel that includes NAI Realvest principals Kevin O’Connor and Matt Cichocki.

For more information, please contact:
Mary Frances West, CCIM, Senior Associate, NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989 mfwest@realvest.com;
Matt Cichocki or Kevin O’Connor, Principals, NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989; mcichocki@realvest.com; koconnor@realvest.com;
 Patrick Mahoney, President  NAI Realvest 407-875-9989 pmahoney@realvest.com;
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142          

Hendricks & Partners Associate Partner Hal Warren elected Chairman of the City of Orlando Historic Preservation Board


ORLANDO, Fla. --- Hal Warren (top right photo), associate partner at Hendricks & Partners in Orlando, was recently elected to a 2nd term as Chairman of the City of Orlando Historic Preservation Board.

Warren was appointed to the board in December, 2007 by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (bottom right photo) and served as vice chairman and most recently Chairman.

Earl Crittenden (middle  left photo) was elected vice chairman for a 2nd term this year.  Earl Crittenden is an attorney with Gray Robinson and also serves as the Chief of Protocol under Mayor Dyer for the City of Orlando.

“The work we do at the Orlando Historic Preservation Board helps to preserve architectural elements and historic neighborhoods that make Orlando a unique city and serving the greater community this way is very rewarding,” Warren said.

Warren has more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate and formerly served as senior director with Cushman & Wakefield’s Apartment Brokerage Services.

He is a graduate of the College of Business at Florida State University in Tallahassee and has a MBA from the University of Central Florida.

For more information, contact:
Hal Warren, Associate Partner, Hendricks & Partners 407-218-8880
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142 lvershelco@aol.com
.


Rhodes+Brito Architects Awarded Contract to Design $12 Million Renovation Project at Princeton Elementary School in Orlando


ORLANDO, Fla. --- Rhodes+Brito Architects in downtown Orlando was recently awarded a contract to design an addition and renovation of the historic Princeton Elementary School on
Princeton Street
in College Park. 

 The proposed addition will be approximately 50,000 square feet and the existing building will undergo improvements with finishes, mechanical systems and classroom upgrades.

Ruffin Rhodes (top right photo), co-founder and partner at Rhodes+Brito Architects, said the $12 million project will start construction in June of 2011.

The façade of the historic building, which dates from the 1920s, will remain intact, Rhodes said. Additions will include new classrooms and a media center.

For more information, contact:
Ruffin Rhodes, Rhodes+Brito Architects, 407-648-7288 x103 ruffin@rbarchitects.com
 Maximiano Brito, Rhodes+Brito Architects, 407-648-7288 max@rbarchitects.com
 Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142 (fax: 4410)

Top Executive at NAI Realvest appointed court receiver for Lee Vista Plaza in Orlando


MAITLAND, Fla. – Mez R. Birdie (top right photo) CCIM, CPM, SCSM, director of retail and investment services at NAI Realvest, has been appointed court receiver for the Lee Vista Plaza on
South Semoran Blvd.
in Orlando.

As court receiver, Birdie is responsible for management, leasing and sale of the property.  

Birdie said he retained First Capital Property Group to manage and lease the center.

For more information,  contact:
Mez Birdie, CCIM, Director/Retail & Investment Services NAI Realvest 407-875-9989, Mbirdie@realvest.com
Patrick Mahoney, President and COO NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989, pmahoney@realvest.com
 Beth Payan or Larry Vershel, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142              

WeinPlus Real Estate Advisory Services Marks $3 Million in Savings For Client Companies Over Past 18 Months


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. --- With a nationwide recession that has centered on the real estate market, commercial property owners are looking hard at ways to reduce costs.

That’s a big plus for WeinPlus, Real Estate Advisory Services, the company headed by architect and development consultant Rachel Elias Wein (top right photo), AIA of St. Petersburg.

Wein, former development manager with the Sembler Company in St. Petersburg and senior associate with Ernst & Young’s Construction and Real Estate Advisory Services in Philadelphia, has saved client companies more than $3 million over the past 18 months with a variety of solutions that range from construction cost control and dispute resolution to organizational process improvement strategies.

Wein offers her clients---Forge Capital Partners in Tampa, Pinellas County Schools and Equity One, Inc. to name a few---more than a sharp pencil and a nose for cost savings.

She earned Bachelor of Design, Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Real Estate Degrees from the University of Florida and was elected to the UF Hall of Fame and Florida Blue Key.

But while strong credentials and a stronger track record might open doors, they don’t earn much respect in a commercial real estate community enduring the worst market in a generation.

“Commercial real estate is all about concrete results,” Wein said. “It’s the bottom line that makes the difference, and the devil is in the details,” she said.

Wein revels in the details.

“With a background in building construction and financial accounting, I’ve been trained to analyze projects on multiple levels concurrently,” Wein said. “It is a discipline anyone can master, but it takes a great deal of hard work, concentration and hands-on experience,” she said.

Seemingly minor changes can result in enormous benefits to a project, Wein said. Likewise, tiny details can have disastrous consequences if overlooked.

For clients such as Publix Super Markets, Inc., Woolbright Development, Englander & Fischer, LLP and Community Reinvestment Partners II, WeinPlus strategy solutions, litigation support and construction cost recovery efforts have earned her a solid reputation for getting results.

“Commercial development and construction are complex processes that take years to complete,” Wein said. “In the best of circumstances there is room for improvement, and there is always room for error,” she explained. “That’s where we can shine.”

For more information, contact
Rachel Elias Wein, AIA, Founder / Principal, WeinPlus, 727-403-1595, http://www.weinplusassociates.com/;
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com.
 


NAI Realvest Negotiates Lease of 15,045 Square Foot Industrial facility in Longwood, FL


MAITLAND, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated a lease agreement for 15,045 square feet of industrial/flex space at 260 Hunt Park Cove off
Florida Central Parkway
and SR 434 in Longwood.

NAI Realvest associate Sean DuPree (top right photo), CCIM negotiated the transaction representing the new tenant MasTec North America, Inc., based in Coral Gables.

The landlord, Dunhill Investments, Inc. of Longwood was represented by William St. Laurent of St. Laurent Realty.

For more information,  contact:  
Sean DuPree, CCIM, NAI Realvest 407-875-9989; sdupree@realvest.com;
Patrick Mahoney, President, NAI Realvest 407-875-9989 pmahoney@realvest.com;
Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com
  

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

NAI Realvest Negotiates $605,000 Sale of former Arby’s Restaurant Property to FDOT for roadway plans in Casselberry, FL


MAITLAND, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently completed the sale of a 2,599 square foot former Arby’s restaurant on a .66-acre site at 6700 S. US Highway 17-92 in Casselberry for $605,000.

The NAI Realvest team of Kevin O'Connor (top right photo) and Matt Cichocki (lower left photo), principals, negotiated the transaction representing the seller, CNL APF Partners, LLP of Orlando, and the buyer, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in DeLand.  

Cichocki said the FDOT purchased the property as part of its right-of-way acquisition to facilitate the construction of the
US Highway 17-92 /SR 436 flyover.  The property is designated to become a retention pond, per DOT roadway plans.

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
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

New Publix Super Market at Aloma Shopping Center in Winter Park Schedules Grand Opening this month


WINTER PARK, Fla. – The sparkling new Publix Super Market at Aloma Shopping Center in Winter Park will be unveiled at a grand opening on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 8 a.m. 

John Crossman, president of Crossman & Company, said the original store was demolished last April and the newly constructed store has been expanded by more than 5,000 square feet.  The new 47,000 square foot facility includes a liquor store. 

Crossman & Company has been overseeing the redevelopment of the property and handles the leasing and management at the shopping center. 

“The new Publix breathes new life into the entire center,” Crossman said.  “Neighbors have been calling our office with compliments on the new design and are excited about the store opening,” he added. 

A unique feature of this store will be one of the most upscale specialty cheese departments in the Publix chain. 

Other shops at the center include the Aloma Cinema Grill, Pet Supermarket and Fedex/Kinko’s. 

Publix was one of the original tenants along with W.T. Grant Co. and Woolworth when the plaza opened in 1961.

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.