PRACTICALLY AN INSTITUTION

Cassidy Turley's Jon Carpenter (with MCB Real Estate co-founder David Bramble at a Bisnow event last year) tells us Goldman Sachs affiliate Archon's purchase of a 216k SF Columbia office portfolio is a contrarian play for the buyer. That's because it's suburban, but Archon has a DC office that gets the unique demand drivers (we're talking about federal cybersecurity  spending) in the DC-Baltimore tweener 'burbs. Jon and colleague Jay Wellschlager repped the seller, Goldstar Group, closing out its fund with this last asset. Jon also says Archon is developing a BWI-area property, partially leased to Ciena, which will complement its '08-vintage Station Ridge there.
Archon's four new buildings, known as Lakeview I and II, sold for $30.2M, or $139k/SF, low on the price-per-SF spectrum of recent Columbia deals. But Lakeview is older (built in the '80s) and needs capital—something Archon has and is willing to part with—for both improvements and TIs as lease-up gets under way, not to mention several leases rolling within three years. Other recent Columbia deals, all facilitated by Cassidy Turley (note the higher prices):
  • New Boston Fund bought the 84k SF Stevens Forest Green for $164/SF, but it was built within 10 years and has no rollover for five years within its 86% occupancy.

  • First Potomac bought the 86k SF Hillside I and II (also a newer complex, and it's fully leased) for $188/SF.

  • Prologis sold 14 fully leased Columbia Business Center (161k SF) and Columbia Gateway (202k SF) assets to Greenfield Partners for $156/SF and $152/SF, respectively.

  • Wells Real Estate Funds bought the 201k SF Franklin Center for $325/SF.

The big point, Jon says, is that list of Columbia buyers—all strong institutions.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Boston Newsletters
Related Stories

Alexandria Sells Cambridge Lab Condo Units For $45M

How Will Opportunity Zones 2.0 Impact Seattle? One Expert Weighs In

After Departing Trump Admin, HUD's Former Philly Head Joins Local Planning Commission

Investors Anchor Big Capital Into Marinas, Betting On Shallow Supply

Developers Eyeing Dallas' 50-Mile Trails Loop For Uptown-Like Opportunities

Developers Line Up To Convert Boston Offices To Housing, But Most Still Stuck At Starting Gate

Large Commercial Real Estate Sales Up 30% Despite Economic Headwinds

Chetrit Group 'Being Dissolved' As Family Turmoil Spirals

State's High Court Allows $325M Boston Soccer Stadium Project To Proceed

Oxford Properties Pays $435M For Boston Office Tower, Eyes More Deals

AvalonBay, Equity Residential Selling Boston Towers As Part Of Merger Settlement

Suburban Industrial Campus Trades For $47M: The Boston Deal Sheet