Stirling Properties Completes Acquisition and Financing to Develop Offices at Mid-City Market in New Orleans
Stirling Properties is excited to announce the execution of development financing and construction commencement for the Offices at Mid-City Market, a 54,000 square foot, mixed-use complex in the burgeoning Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans
The Offices at Mid-City Market will feature approximately 31,000 square feet of prime office space along with 9,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The building design will include parking, additional greenspace and water management. Prior to closing the construction loan the building was nearly 50% pre-leased.
Gallo Mechanical, LLC, a leading mechanical contracting company in the Gulf South, will be the first office tenant, encompassing 16,000 square feet. Gallo is relocating their corporate headquarters from Metairie to New Orleans. “We are excited to be moving our headquarters back to New Orleans as we celebrate our 70th anniversary this year!” stated David Gallo, President and CEO. Orangetheory Fitness, a fitness studio that specializes in hour-long group interval training workouts, will open their first Louisiana location at Offices at Mid-City Market comprising of 3,000 square feet.
“We are excited about the ability to continue the enhancement of the quality of life in Mid-City, one of New Orleans’ many unique and exciting neighborhoods,” stated Lewis Stirling, Executive Vice President for Stirling Properties.
Located adjacent to Stirling’s recently completed Mid-City Market development, this building encompassing an entire city block was originally constructed in 1954 and was most recently the home of Loubat Foodservice Equipment Company. Stirling Properties plans to maintain the historic integrity of the existing structure while renovating the interior into a combination of office and retail space and thus bringing a prominent neighborhood building back into commerce.
Fidelity Bank of New Orleans provided financing and Stirling will utilize the same architectural firm that designed Mid-City Market, VergesRome Architects. Ryan Gootee General Contractors will commence construction in April and the first tenants will take occupancy before the end of this year.
Stirling’s recent projects in New Orleans include: Magnolia Marketplace, a 106,000 square-foot shopping center located at the corner of S. Claiborne Avenue and Toledano Street; Mid-City Market, a 108,000 square-foot Winn-Dixie anchored shopping center located at North Carrollton Avenue and Bienville Street; as well as the full renovation of the former American Legion building located on Magazine Street into a new 13,000 square foot Walgreens Marquee Store. Since 2011, Stirling Properties has invested over $120 million in the City of New Orleans.
For more information and leasing opportunities, contact Mac Bauer at mbauer@stirlingprop.com or 504-620-8131.
Stirling Properties’ Joe Gardner Awarded CCIM Designation
Stirling Properties’ Joe Gardner, Sales and Leasing Executive based in the New Orleans office and member of the Louisiana CCIM chapter, was awarded the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation from the CCIM Institute, one of the leading commercial real estate associations in the world.
Receiving the designation means, that Mr. Gardner successfully completed graduate-level education curriculum and presented a portfolio of qualifying experience. The curriculum addresses financial analysis, market analysis, user decision analysis, and investment analysis, the cornerstones of commercial investment real estate. CCIMs are recognized experts in commercial real estate brokerage, leasing, asset management, valuation, and investment analysis.
Currently there are more than 13,000 CCIMs based in over 1,000 markets throughout 30 countries around the world. An affiliate of the National Association of Realtors®, the CCIM Institute’s recognized curriculum, powerful technology tools, and networking programs impact and influence the commercial real estate industry.
JCH Development and Stirling Properties Celebrate Grand Opening of Magnolia Marketplace
Today, Mayor Mitch Landrieu joined representatives from JCH Development and Stirling Properties to celebrate the Grand Opening of Magnolia Marketplace, a 106,000-square-foot shopping center located at the intersection of South Claiborne Avenue and Toledano Street in New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood. Councilwoman-At-Large Stacy Head, a representative from Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell’s office and other local officials were also in attendance.
“Magnolia Marketplace is further proof that New Orleans is building back better than before. This redevelopment is creating more jobs, strengthening our local economy and giving residents more retail options right here in the heart of New Orleans,” said Mayor Landrieu. “Magnolia Marketplace is also another example of a strong public-private partnership— celebrating the new way of doing business in New Orleans. The project will nicely complement the nearby Claiborne corridor and help spur activity and redevelopment across the city.”
The project was 100% pre-leased prior to the January 2014 groundbreaking. Open tenants at Magnolia Marketplace include: T.J.Maxx, Ross Dress For Less, PetSmart, Shoe Carnival, ULTA Beauty and Raising Cane’s. Michaels will open on March 20, 2015. The initial phase of Magnolia Marketplace included a 6,000-square-foot development located at the intersection of South Claiborne Avenue and Fourth Street that opened in 2014 and now houses Capital One Bank, Subway and T-Mobile.
“This grand opening is about creating jobs, attracting national retailers, improving quality of life, building economic momentum, and turning Claiborne into a regional commercial corridor,” said Councilmember LaToya Cantrell of District B. “I am excited to celebrate the grand opening of this venture and I believe that it is a sign of future development in this city.”
“This project is evidence of the resurgence of Central City and represents yet another important step in bringing additional retail to the city,” said Townsend Underhill, senior vice president of development for Stirling Properties. “We would like to thank the City of New Orleans and Mayor Landrieu’s Administration as well as the City Council, particularly councilmembers Latoya Cantrell and Stacy Head for being supportive in yet another project that signifies Stirling’s commitment to the City of New Orleans.”
During the ceremony, Tara Hernandez, president of JCH Development, unveiled the Toledano Art Wall, a mural painted by local artists Rontherin Ratliff and his team at YAYA Inc.; Brandan “Bmike” Odums; and, Ellen Macomber. It conveys a story of many historical elements and events from the Central City neighborhood to share some of the area’s proudest moments and accomplishments.
“We are proud to bring a dynamic new retail development to an underserved portion of the city,” said Hernandez.
Magnolia Marketplace is directly south of Harmony Oaks, a 460-unit, mixed-income residential development. The Marketplace will serve one of the city’s busiest corridors, with traffic counts exceeding 70,000 cars a day. Claiborne Avenue also provides a vital connection between Uptown New Orleans and the Central Business District.
These recent commercial projects are significant in light of a 2012 report by the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA) that analyzed the retail spending of Orleans Parish residents. The report estimates that Orleans Parish loses $1.9 billion in retail sales to neighboring parishes and other U.S. cities each year. Since being founded in 2011, NOLABA has focused on attracting retail and development throughout New Orleans. In addition to facilitating smooth progression of the project, NOLABA performed an independent economic analysis on the development before it began.
“Our evaluation revealed that the Magnolia Marketplace development would benefit area residents, people who travel Claiborne Avenue and the City’s general fund through increased sales taxes, particularly because it attracted new national retailers to Orleans Parish,” said Melissa Ehlinger, interim president and CEO of NOLABA. “We always look for better than average returns on public investment, for impact that reaches New Orleanians at a variety of economic levels, and for projects that enhance the city’s attractiveness to future investment. Magnolia Marketplace serves up all of these.”
For more information about Magnolia Marketplace, contact Townsend Underhill at tunderhill@stirlingprop.com or 985-898-2022, or for leasing information contact Rhonda Sharkawy at rsharkawy@stirlingprop.com or 504-523-4481.
Stirling Properties Welcomes Frank Ferraro, Jr. to its New Orleans Team
Stirling Properties is pleased to announce the addition of Frank Ferraro, Jr. to the Commercial Brokerage Division as Broker Associate. Frank will work from the company’s New Orleans, Louisiana, office located at 615 Baronne Street, Suite 100.
Mr. Ferraro has over 22 years of experience in Commercial Real Estate. Prior to joining Stirling Properties, Mr. Ferraro was co-owner of a firm in Nevada until moving to New Orleans. He has successfully negotiated hundreds of sale and lease transactions, including complex land assemblages for master planned community developers and national homebuilders. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Real Estate from Arizona State University and holds a Broker’s license in Nevada as well as Louisiana.
Mr. Ferraro can be reached at 504-620-8148 or via email at fferraro@stirlingprop.com.
Pan-American Life Insurance Group Renews Poydras Street Lease and Reaffirms Commitment to New Orleans
Stirling Properties and Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), a leading provider of insurance and financial services throughout the Americas, announced this morning that they have renewed the lease on their 601 Poydras Street corporate headquarters office space through 2024.
“601 Poydras has been home to Pan-American Life’s corporate headquarters since 1981,” explained José S. Suquet, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Pan-American Life Insurance Group. “And while our business has grown to include operations all over the Americas, New Orleans remains an essential cornerstone of our corporate identity as well as our business strategy.”
The lease renewal is a reflection of Pan-American Life’s commitment to the city in which it was founded, more than 100 years ago. “We strive to have a positive impact on all the communities that we serve and that’s especially important here in our home city whether it is by creating Louisiana based jobs through our domestic business or being a socially responsible corporate citizen,” Suquet added. “You can see through our partnerships with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra; United Way; and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, that we are dedicated to investing in the arts, education, community development and public safety thereby making significant contributions to the growth of New Orleans and the wellbeing of all its residents.”
“Pan-American Life’s renewed lease of their headquarters is further testament of the commitment they have to the City of New Orleans,” stated Marty Mayer, President and CEO of Stirling Properties. “Stirling Properties is proud to have worked with them as we continue to expand and increase the tenancy at Pan-American Life Center.”
Pan-American Life will also retain the building’s naming rights, ensuring that the Pan-American Life Center will continue to be a landmark in the Central Business District.
Stirling Properties’ Beth Cristina Elected as President of Louisiana Realtors
Stirling Properties is pleased to announce that Beth Cristina, Senior Broker Associate in our New Orleans office, has been elected to serve as President of Louisiana Realtors.
Louisiana Realtors represents its membership on important real estate-related issues to state and federal government, while providing legal assistance, professional development opportunities, discounts, and other unique services for its membership of over 10,000 realtors statewide.
Beth was installed alongside 7 Louisiana Realtors officers and 11 local board presidents. In addition to her many duties and responsibilities as President of Louisiana Realtors, she will also serve as a director of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) during her term.
Beth has previously served as Secretary Treasurer, Director at Large, Vice Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, Vice President of Region 4. She was also recently recognized for outstanding commercial achievement as a National Commercial Award recipient by the Commercial Real Estate Division of NAR and received the 2010 Realtor of the Year award from Louisiana Realtors.
