Studer Community Institute (SCI) Building Awarded NAIOP 2019 Rehab/Repurpose Development of the Year
Stirling Properties serves as Property Manager & Broker for the iconic office tower in Pensacola, FL.
The Northwest Florida Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, recently presented its 2019 Rehab/Repurpose Development of the Year Award to the Studer Community Institute (SCI) Building in downtown Pensacola, Florida. Home of Studer Community Institute, the SCI Building has completed a dynamic renovation project that includes an upgraded exterior, enhanced common areas, and the addition of a café. Stirling Properties, which provides third-party property management and brokerage services at SCI, submitted the entry on behalf of the owner.
The award-winning project was the redevelopment of the former SunTrust Tower, an iconic 10-story, 96,300-square-foot office building. Having managed and leased the property since 2006, Stirling Properties helped facilitate the sale of the building in 2017 to Quint and Rishy Studer and continued management and leasing assignments under the new ownership.
Built in 1974, the tower’s geometrically shaped structure, outdated building systems and location on the periphery of Pensacola’s CBD presented leasing challenges (nearly 50% vacancy) for the new owners against the changing dynamics of the office market.
Over the course of the 14-month renovation, critical building systems such as HVAC, life safety, elevators and electrical were replaced, as well as upgrades to the roof, common areas, corridors and restrooms. While most of the building remained a multi-tenant office tower, the goal was to build on the uniqueness of the architecture by repurposing the 1st floor and outdoor plaza into a shared community space. These plans centered around the owner’s intent to convert the building into a community center focused on creating dialogue, hosting speaking engagements and events, and creating an open public space for citizens to meet and enjoy downtown Pensacola.
All existing tenants remained in place during construction. To cause as little business disruption as possible, the Property Manager and the General Contractor had to coordinate work on a case by case basis around tenant meeting schedules.
The new SCI Building provides tenants (both former and new) with an enhanced sense of place and ample added amenities. The redevelopment project also fills a niche in the local office product type. It has become a sort of incubator, opening the door for other planned mixed-use projects in the area.
The transformation of the property, along with Stirling Properties’ combined property management and leasing efforts have resulted in improved tenant satisfaction—all tenants have remained, with most having renewed their leases. The building is now at 95% occupancy.
Over the past several months, the University of West Florida’s Center for Cybersecurity has moved from its campus location into 9,948 square feet (SF) of office space at the SCI Building, and Pen Air Federal Credit Union occupied another 3,828 SF in the Atrium. The global engineering firm of Mott MacDonald has renewed its lease and expanded its footprint by 4,364 SF for a total of 21,617 SF. SunTrust Bank’s (now Truist after a merger with BB&T) commercial lending group has occupied 4,406 SF. Most recently, we welcomed the law offices of Morgan & Morgan, which leased 9,432 SF of space on the top floor, and Berkeley Research Group, a global corporate consulting firm, recently signed a lease on 2,305 SF. Stirling Properties’ commercial advisor, Jason Scott, represented the landlord in these lease transactions.
With a full tenant roster, there is little doubt that the building is not only an upgraded version of itself but is now a place where the community can gather—where ideas are formed and implemented.
Congratulations to the Studer Community Institute for this esteemed honor and your leadership and vision in the Pensacola community and surrounding region.
For more information on Stirling Properties’ leasing and property management services, contact Jason Scott at jscott@stirlingprop.com or (850) 418-6792.
Ownership Change for Froogel’s Cost+Foods at Westland Plaza in Jackson, Mississippi
Stirling Properties announces the ownership change for Froogel’s Cost+Foods at Westland Plaza retail center in Jackson, Mississippi. Robert’s Company, Inc., a grocery operator headquartered in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has acquired the grocery store, as well as 3 other McDade’s/Froogel’s in the Jackson Metro area. The ownership change was effective January 27, 2020. Froogel’s will close for approximately two weeks in order to change out equipment and re-tag inventory, with all current employees being involved in the transition. The store will also be rebranded to Grocery Depot.
Robert’s Company, Inc. owns 16 stores in south Central Mississippi, including Grocery Depot, a discount grocer, Sunflower, and Corner Market.
“Stirling Properties is excited to welcome Robert’s Company as the new grocery operator at Westland Plaza, and to the west Jackson community,” said Donna Smith, Executive Vice President with Stirling Properties. “Westland Plaza has always had a grocery store to serve the local community, and we look forward to working with Robert’s Company during this transition—and what we are confident will be a successful location for them. This community has and will continue to support the merchants of Westland Plaza, and takes pride in its unique mix of retailers that fulfill the needs of those in the area.”
Westland Plaza, anchored by Froogel’s Cost+Foods and Walgreens, is a 221,500-square-foot retail center located at the intersection of Ellis Avenue and Robinson Road in Jackson, Mississippi, the largest metro area in the state. Originally constructed in the late 1950s and renovated in 2009, Westland Plaza remains at the heart of west Jackson and continues to serve the shopping needs of the community as a truly convenient location. Its diverse mix of local, regional and national retailers and service operators include Planet Fitness, United States Post Office, Kool Smiles, Aaron’s, Cato-It’s Fashion Metro, Rainbow, Family Dollar, City Gear, Hibbett Sports, Rent-A-Center, Goldstar Beauty Supply, Chopsticks Buffet, Trustmark Bank, Baskin-Robbins, MetroPCS, Boost Mobile, and many more! Stirling Properties serves as the Asset Manager of the property and handles day-to-day management.
For leasing information at Westland Plaza, contact Allen Carr with Overby Commercial at 601-366-8511.
Stirling Properties Acquires Open-Air Retail Center in Pace, Florida
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company announces the acquisition of Santa Rosa Commons retail center in Pace, Florida. The sale closed on Wednesday, September 11th at a purchase price of $26 million. This marks the first acquisition for the company in the state of Florida. Stirling Properties will also assume leasing and management duties of the property effective immediately.
Built in 2008, Santa Rosa Commons is located on US Highway 90 in Pace, a part of the Pensacola MSA. The 138,850-square-foot open-air shopping center is 96.5% occupied and anchored by Publix, T.J.Maxx and PetSmart. Shadow-anchors include Target and The Home Depot. Other tenants in the center are Maurices, Shoe Carnival, Anytime Fitness, Sally Beauty, GNC, GameStop, Wasabi House Restaurant, Dr. Vape It, The Joint and Cuts By Us. The purchase also encompassed three single tenant outparcels housing Chili’s, Regions Bank and AT&T.
“We are thrilled to add Santa Rosa Commons to our growing portfolio of commercial properties across the Gulf South region. This is momentous for Stirling Properties because it marks our first acquisition in the Florida Panhandle and really puts skin in the game for us in this thriving market. We are optimistic in the continued success of the Pensacola metro area and look forward to future growth opportunities,” said Donna Smith, Senior Vice President of Asset Management & New Business with Stirling Properties.
“Stirling Properties’ proven track record in acquisitions, along with our in-depth understanding of market dynamics and the positioning of assets allow us to identify unique investment opportunities such as Santa Rosa Commons,” said Beezie Landry, Vice President of Investment Advisors with Stirling Properties. “This is a stable, grocery-anchored retail center that sits on a high-traffic thoroughfare, situated in a dense retail node with excellent visibility. The property is well leased with a great mix of national, regional and local tenants—and we are confident that it will perform well for years to come.”
Stirling Properties has acquired and/or developed more than $2.3 billion in commercial real estate across the Gulf South region totaling nearly 28 million square feet, including retail, office, industrial, healthcare, residential and mixed-use properties.
For more information on Stirling Properties’ investment services, contact Beezie Landry at (985) 246-3781 or blandry@stirlingprop.com. For information on asset management, contact Donna Smith at (985) 246-3758 or dsmith@stirlingprop.com.
Stirling Properties’ 3rd Quarter Portfolio Report Shows Positive Outlook
As the commercial real estate industry endures unrelenting disruption—specifically in the retail and office market segments—we have seen glimpses of a silver lining.
Despite all the headwinds and negativity swirling, Stirling Properties’ outlook is optimistic moving into the 3rd quarter of 2019 compared to this time a year ago. A recent comparison of our overall commercial portfolio revealed positive key performance indicators in total rental income, rental and occupancy rates.
Mind you, these numbers may not reflect significant increases, but they do illustrate an upward trend. In fact, almost every key metric indicated a positive gain. A further breakdown shows both our office and retail properties are performing well with occupancy rates holding steady and rental rates up slightly, contrary to the ‘apocalyptic environment’ predicted in years past.
For Stirling Properties, our portfolio achievements are not the result of a magic wand or some sort of geographical shield. We attribute our continued success to proper management of our commercial properties.
Asset and Property Management is vital for the health of an asset and can significantly affect its worth. Yes, location is important, but a property can also increase in value just from being well maintained and, of course, the opposite is true as well. Management affects tenant and customer relationships, vendor relations, public perceptions, all the things that determine a properties’ success or failure.
With our properties, we focus on keeping rents at market level and our rental stream within reasonable expectations. We don’t overleverage. We concentrate on tenancy—the right tenancy—and we use our market knowledge to tailor each asset plan. Effective managers see headwinds coming and react accordingly to proactively overcome obstacles.
Knowledge and diversity of various property types and needs, as well as industry trends, are also critical. In today’s retail landscape, we’re seeing smaller footprints, the emergence of different tenant types and shifts in consumer demands. There is steady growth in the healthcare and industrial industries, and in some cases, they are merging with retail. In the office sector, users are looking for less square footage, more collaboration with open floor plans, and innovative trophy projects.
These trends in the commercial industry increase the need for more curated properties. Stirling Properties’ in-house operating, leasing and development resources allow us to be more strategic and forward-thinking with our managed properties. If a property is in a great location but is struggling with tenancy, perhaps a redevelopment would be effective. Does the building lack visual appeal, have a maintenance problem or even a marketing problem? Whatever the case, Stirling Properties’ comprehensive spectrum of services can tackle it.
Look at our current redevelopment of Cornerview Plaza in Gonzales, Louisiana. This retail center is in a great location but was struggling to backfill a nearly 90,000-square-foot vacancy left by its former anchor, Kmart. Stirling Properties’ team consisting of Asset Management, Development, Leasing and Financing worked with the Property Owner to redevelop the space into a multi-tenant, upscale Retail Center. We secured favorable financing for the ownership. This gave us the ability to move forward with an aggressive redevelopment plan, bringing on Marshalls, ULTA Beauty, Ross Dress for Less, Five Below and Aspen Dental to fill one-time anchor space, joining the existing grocery-anchor, Rouses Market, and AT&T.
Another notable example is DANA Incorporated. Our Leasing Team was enlisted to help the corporation locate an industrial space in the market for the relocation and expansion of their service and assembly center. After realizing their specific space needs, our Development Team was brought in to present build-to-suit options. We were able to help them locate land and manage the development of their new facility designed with ample flex space to meet their needs and accommodate future expansion.
Our all-inclusive approach showcases our diverse range of services we offer to our clients, allowing us to maximize the full potential of every property. And that commitment and dedication to our portfolio are reflected through consistent positive gains in leases, occupancy rates, rental rates and income.
Stirling Properties’ experienced management team serves more than 20 million square feet of property across the Gulf South, including some of the largest commercial properties in the Region. We fully understand geographic markets, diverse property types, a property’s unique requirements and marketability, specific financial situations, ownership goals and tenants’ needs. We consistently focus on cost-efficient operations and explore innovative concepts to improve the value of each asset. We pride ourselves on delivering results through diligence, professionalism, accountability, and good old-fashioned work ethic!
Now, all of this is not to say that more disruption and headwinds aren’t looming around the corner, but I am confident that we are prepared to handle it.
If you have any questions about your property or would like to discuss Asset Management options, please feel free to reach out.
Stirling Properties Welcomes Planet Fitness to Westland Plaza in Jackson, Mississippi
Stirling Properties is pleased to announce that Planet Fitness is joining the tenant lineup at Westland Plaza retail center in Jackson, Mississippi. The fitness franchise will occupy 16,664 square feet of retail space adjacent to Froogel’s Cost+Foods grocery store on Ellis Avenue. Buildout of the space commenced last week with plans to open this summer.
Planet Fitness has become one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the U.S. by number of members and locations. With more than 1,700 locations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Dominican Republic, Panama and Mexico, Planet Fitness has continued to spread its unique mission of enhancing people’s lives by providing an affordable, high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment. It was recently named to Newsweek’s inaugural 2019 list of America’s Best Companies for Customer Service as the number one customer service provider for fitness centers.
The new Jackson location will be operated by PLNTF Holdings, LLC, the largest developing Planet Fitness Franchisee Group that operates more than 70 clubs across the U.S. and will likely hire around 20 people from the Jackson community.
“We’re eager to expand our ‘Judgement Free Zone’ to the Jackson community,” states Mike Campagnolo, CEO of PLNTF Holdings, LLC. “Planet Fitness will provide local residents a convenient, high-quality, judgement free fitness experience at an extremely affordable cost of $10 per month.”
“Stirling Properties is excited to welcome Planet Fitness to Westland Plaza and the west Jackson community,” said Donna Smith, Senior Vice President of Asset Management & New Business with Stirling Properties. “Westland Plaza’s unique mix of retailers helps to fortify the center as one of the best choices in the area for resident’s daily shopping needs. It continues to gain new interest from national retailers that appreciate the potential of such an excellent location in the heart of this trade area. Planet Fitness will be a great addition to the existing tenant lineup, and we eagerly look forward to its opening.”
Westland Plaza, anchored by Froogel’s Cost+Foods and Walgreens, is a 221,500-square-foot retail center located at the intersection of Ellis Avenue and Robinson Road in Jackson, Mississippi, the largest metro area in the state. Originally constructed in the late 1950s and renovated in 2009, Westland Plaza remains at the heart of west Jackson and continues to serve the shopping needs of the community as a truly convenient location. Its diverse mix of local, regional and national retailers and service operators include United States Post Office, Sunnybrook Dental, Aaron’s, Cato-It’s Fashion Metro, Rainbow, Family Dollar, City Gear, Hibbett Sports, Rent-A-Center, Goldstar Beauty Supply, Chopsticks Buffet, Trustmark Bank, Baskin-Robbins, MetroPCS, Boost Mobile, and many more. Stirling Properties serves as the Asset Manager of the property and handles day-to-day management responsibilities.
For leasing information at Westland Plaza, contact Allen Carr or Sterling McCool with Overby at allen@overby.net or sterling@overby.net or 601-366-8511.
Exciting Residential Improvements Coming to River Chase & Fremaux Town Center Multifamily Properties
Stirling Properties announces exciting new residential improvements planned for the Retreat at River Chase in Covington and Retreat at Fremaux Town Center in Slidell’s multifamily apartment communities. The $1 million upgrades will be spread across both properties with an emphasis on enhanced residential amenities and revitalized common spaces.
Retreat at River Chase in Covington, Louisiana
Construction work has begun on the installation of state-of-the-art seafood and grill stations. Large pavilions will be erected and equipped with grills, seafood boil space, and granite counter tops with built-in waste receptacles for discarded seafood shells. The space will also include lounge areas with fire pits and yard games. The pool area will be upgraded to include a more resort-style setting with furniture, landscaping and pull-down projection screens to watch sporting events. All amenities will be accessible for residents of the properties on a first come, first served basis.
Additionally, parcel pending lockers, also known as “smart” lockers, will be installed in central areas of the facilities to collect delivered packages and e-commerce orders for residents. A property manager will receive all deliveries, assign the packages to an individual lockbox that alerts tenants of the delivery and provides a digital access code for easy, convenient retrieval. The lockers are designed to eliminate clutter due to the overwhelming amount of daily delivered packages to residential properties and to provide an extra layer of security for parcels otherwise left unattended on doorsteps.
Work has already commenced on the projects, and anticipated completion is planned for the end of March.
Retreat at Fremaux Town Center in Slidell, Louisiana
Justin Landry, Vice President of Finance for Stirling Properties, noted that the demand for high-quality apartment properties continues to be strong, especially in high population growth areas such as St. Tammany Parish and the Northshore region of New Orleans. However, demographic shifts and technological advancements are affecting housing, and tenant expectations are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the multifamily residential market sector—they want luxury living, ample amenities, open and active public spaces, all at affordable prices.
“The Retreat at River Chase and Retreat at Fremaux Town Center are both strategically located in mixed-use developments that encompass the prevalent live, work, play environment that has grown in popularity, especially among the large millennial demographics,” said Landry. “These new residential amenities will enhance the community connectivity of our existing properties and make them much more attractive in the market as new multifamily options come online every day.”
The Retreat at River Chase (formerly Springs at River Chase) is a 296-unit luxury apartment community located within the 253-acre River Chase mixed-use development at Interstate 12 and LA Hwy. 21 in Covington, Louisiana. The Retreat at Fremaux Town Center (formerly Springs at Fremaux Town Center) is also a 296-unit multifamily community located within the Fremaux Town Center mixed-use project at Interstate 10 and Fremaux Avenue in Slidell, Louisiana. Stirling Properties’ residential portfolio includes 1800 multifamily units totaling more than 1.5 million square feet of properties throughout South Louisiana.
