Stirling Properties Awarded Management and Leasing Contract of Ambassador Plaza
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company has been awarded the management and leasing contract for Ambassador Plaza in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Ambassador Plaza, shadow-anchored by Albertsons, is a 29,405-square-foot retail center located at the corner of Ambassador Caffery Parkway and West Congress Street. It is 92% leased and has a great mix of retail and restaurant options. Tenants include Fruiti Smoothie, Little Caesars, Lotus Garden, Luxurious Nails, Omega Dentistry, Planet Beach, Saigon Noodles, Style America, Subway, The Jambalaya Shoppe, WellCare, and Wingstop.
The retail center was recently acquired by a local ownership group that has contracted with Stirling Properties for asset management services.
“Stirling Properties is excited to add Ambassador Plaza to our growing commercial portfolio. We have been active in the Lafayette market for quite some time and have a great management and leasing team as well as support staff on the ground. We look forward to working with the new ownership group to create the best return on investment for their asset,” said Donna Taylor, Sr. Vice President of Asset Management & New Business with Stirling Properties.
Stirling Properties manages nearly 18 million square feet of commercial property, with 120 million square feet of property and land for sale or lease. Other Stirling Properties management and development projects in Lafayette include Ambassador Town Center, Stirling Lafayette, River Marketplace, and the 1819 Pinhook Office Building, just to name a few.
For asset management information, contact Donna Taylor at (985) 246-3758 or dtaylor@stirlingprop.com.
Melissa Warren Named As Sales & Leasing Executive
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pleased to announce that Melissa Warren, CCIM, has joined its Commercial Brokerage Division as Sales and Leasing Executive. She will work from the company’s New Orleans office located in the Pan American Life Center at 601 Poydras Street.
Warren has provided clients with commercial real estate advisory services since 2001. Her focus is on industrial, office, and retail sales and leasing, as well as tenant and landlord representation.
On behalf of clients, Warren has been responsible for conducting investment, market, and financial analysis, as well as negotiating purchase and lease contracts. She coordinates transaction due diligence, site selection services, user decision analysis, and assists clients with planning and zoning matters. Additionally, she has served as the leasing agent for East Jefferson General Hospital and has represented Whitney/Hancock Bank in the disposition of distressed commercial assets and office leasing.
Prior to joining Stirling Properties, Warren was a senior real estate advisor for Grubb & Ellis/ Sawyer Commercial in Gulfport, Mississippi. In 2005 and 2006, she was awarded the Top Producer Ruby Award by the Gulf Coast Association of Realtors (GCAR) for completing the largest number of commercial transactions on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In 2010, she was inducted into GCAR’s Top Producer Round Table for lifetime achievement.
Warren graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. In 2006, she was designated a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). She is affiliated with the National Association of Realtors (NAR), New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR) – Commercial Investment Division (CID), CCIM Institute, Louisiana Chapter of CCIM, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and Louisiana Commercial Database (LACDB).
Melissa Warren, CCIM, can be reached at (504) 620-8148 or mwarren@stirlingprop.com.
Ochsner Health System Announces Plans to Lease Former Louisiana Heart Hospital Property
Today, Ochsner Health System announced its plans to lease the former Louisiana Heart Hospital property in Lacombe, Louisiana. Stirling Properties acquired the 25-acre site earlier this month.
An official ceremony was held with Honorable Pat Brister, St. Tammany Parish President; Warner Thomas, President & CEO of Ochsner Health System; Patti Ellish, CEO of St. Tammany Parish Hospital; Bill Davis, CEO of Slidell Market SMH-Ochsner Partnership; Townsend Underhill, Sr. VP of Development for Stirling Properties; and St. Tammany Parish Council members and dignitaries.
Working together with each of its partners, St. Tammany Parish Hospital and Slidell Memorial Hospital, Ochsner plans to repurpose the building to open a Post-Acute Care Hospital to include long-term acute care, skilled nursing, and inpatient rehabilitation services in one convenient St. Tammany location. This effort will also result in job growth and expanded administrative services in the region by opening a dedicated North Shore Service Center.
“We are excited that this facility will once again be opened and provide much-needed medical services for our residents as well as jobs for our local healthcare workforce,” said President Brister. “We appreciate Ochsner’s commitment to St. Tammany Parish, and we look forward to another leading-edge healthcare facility, providing high-quality medical care.”
Townsend Underhill participated in the announcement to underscore Stirling Properties’ focus and commitment to St. Tammany Parish and the entire Gulf South region.
Stirling Properties has invested more than $350 million in St. Tammany and currently owns and operates 4 million square feet of commercial property, with assets throughout the parish—generating significant economic development opportunities, revenue, and job growth for the area and residents. Major projects in the parish include Northpark Corporate Center I & II in Covington, Premier Centre in Mandeville, Stirling Slidell in Slidell, River Chase in Covington, and Fremaux Town Center in Slidell, just to name a few.
In addition to growing its development and brokerage services, Stirling Properties is focused on acquisition and investment projects. The recently closed Louisiana Heart Hospital facility provided the company a chance to invest in a vital property and help to return it to commerce.
“This acquisition also provided us another opportunity to grow and diversify our portfolio as part of Stirling Properties’ overall growth strategy into new commercial real estate sectors within our existing footprint,” said Underhill. “Need and demand in the medical industry are growing, and so are our service lines to meet these local needs.”
Stirling Properties is thankful for its continued partnerships with Ochsner. The two companies have previously worked together on the recently announced $80 million medical clinic and micro hospital at The Grove in Baton Rouge as well as the recently completed and soon to open state-of-the-art Emergency Department and Imaging Center in LaPlace.
Stirling Properties looks forward to announcing future projects in the medical industry—and continuing to serve the commercial real estate needs of the Gulf South region.
Announcing New Ochsner Medical Facility at The Grove
Last Thursday, June 8, Stirling Properties participated in the announcement of Ochsner Health System’s new medical facility at The Grove in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The project includes a new five-story, 155,000-square-foot medical office building, and a 30,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center. The new clinic will be located along the I-10 Bluebonnet/Siegen corridor on approximately 25 acres of property as part of the High Grove development planned near the Mall of Louisiana and fronting Interstate 10. Anticipated completion is scheduled for early 2019.
Stirling Properties will be responsible for over $15 million of infrastructure improvements, as well as the completion of the 11-mile BREC multi-use trail through the site. On behalf of Ochsner, Stirling has also handled pre-development efforts, including site selection, due diligence, economic feasibility, and state and local permitting coordination.
Scheduled infrastructure improvements include new roadways and a bridge across Wards Creek that will connect Grove Blvd. to the I-10 frontage road and ease traffic congestion. A new sewer lift station will be installed to serve the Ochsner facility, as well as replace an existing one that services several hundred homes in the neighboring Morning Glen and Audubon Terrace neighborhoods. A new underground drainage system will be built to accommodate water runoff from surrounding property in addition to the Ochsner site, which will result in improved drainage condition in future storm events.
During the construction phase, these new projects will bring nearly 1,630 construction jobs in addition to over 450 permanent jobs that will be relocated from the existing Summa clinic.
Additional project announcements are forthcoming.
Introducing New-To-Market Fitness Concept, HOTWORX
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is excited to announce that it will exclusively represent HOTWORX, a new-to-market fitness concept across the United States.
HOTWORX is revolutionizing the fitness industry by providing the ultimate hot exercise experience and is the first to launch a 24/7 business franchise model through the use of its proprietary patent pending technology. It is the original fusion of infrared heat and isometrics through a virtually instructed exercise program designed for users to experience the many benefits of infrared absorption while completing a 30-minute workout session.
Joe Gardner, CCIM, and Thomas Bryan, Stirling Properties’ Sales and Leasing Executives, are the exclusive tenant representatives for HOTWORX and are working to secure national retail locations for the new fitness concept.
Currently, select Planet Beach spas are debuting the hot exercise experience. But HOTWORX plans to grow to 500 official HOTWORX Studio locations across the US in the next five years. The company presently has one HOTWORX Studio located in Oxford, Mississippi, with another planned to open in Palm Beach, Florida, within the next month. Future studio sites also include locations in the greater New Orleans area and surrounding Gulf Coast region.
“Our HOTWORX fitness concept is ready to expand, and we are thrilled to be working with Stirling Properties, a true leader in the real estate industry, to grow our business across the nation. We are seeking franchisees for various business opportunities and will be announcing new HOTWORX locations soon,” said Stephen Smith, HOTWORX CEO.
“HOTWORX has aggressive expansion and franchise plans in the works for our region and across the country. We are excited to be able to help them meet and exceed their real estate goals—and introduce a new fitness concept that was founded right here in New Orleans,” said Gardner. “We look forward to announcing new retail locations and storefronts within the coming months.”
For more information on HOTWORX and franchise opportunities, visit www.hotworx.net.
What’s Going On at River Chase in Covington?
Stirling Properties Announces Exciting New Updates and Developments
The first phase of the Offices at River Chase, the Northshore’s premier office campus, has completed construction. Located at the southwest corner of Brewster Road and Stirling Boulevard, Phase I includes a Class-A, two-story, 45,000-square-foot office building located on 3.5 acres. It is accessible from both the LA-21 and Brewster Road interchanges on Interstate 12, and within walking distance to a host of amenities, including restaurants, a movie theater, and residential living options. The highly-renowned architectural firm, Wakefield, Beasley, and Associates, designed the base building, and Mandeville-based Greenleaf Lawson Architects served as the interior architect for the project. Tenant build-outs are now underway, and Duplantis Design Group, PC, will move into their new, 6,000-square-foot office space in mid-May. For more information on the Offices at River Chase and leasing opportunities, contact Ryan Murphy at rmurphy@stirlingprop.com or (985) 246-3771. 
Located across the street from the office building, Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar commenced construction on its new restaurant last November. Set on 1.82 acres on the northwest corner of Stirling Boulevard and Brewster Road next to Sam’s Club, this marks the 1st Northshore location for the highly-anticipated sports restaurant and bar. It will occupy roughly 9,600 square feet and is expected to open late this summer, just in time for football season. The Covington location will include a rooftop bar, The Upper Deck, an element unique to the design by Greenleaf Lawson Architects. The Upper Deck will feature group seating and additional space for catching a game. 
Rooms-To-Go has opened its new 36,000-square-foot retail showroom located next to Zoe’s Kitchen on Stirling Boulevard. The impressive store is highly visible to Interstate 12 traffic. A Grand Opening celebration was held on Saturday, April 22nd. The furniture retailer relocated from its previous site on Highway 190 in Covington.
Construction on Springs at River Chase is complete, and all buildings are open. This project is a joint venture with Continental Properties. The new 296-unit luxury apartment community is located at the southwest corner of Interstate 12 and Brewster Road. The property features floor plans ranging from studio to three-bedroom apartments. Community amenities include a clubhouse, resort-style pool, 24-hour fitness center, dog park, attached and detached garages, car care center, and a pet spa. Occupancy remains high for the multi-family community. For more information and leasing on Springs at River Chase, contact Jan Rayburn with Continental Properties at (985) 327-1350.
Construction is underway for the newest addition to River Chase, the development of the Preserve at River Chase, a single-family luxury residential community, adjacent to the Springs at River Chase apartments. The Preserve development is a joint venture with Southern Lifestyle Development, which is renowned for its highly-acclaimed River Ranch residential community in Lafayette, Louisiana, amongst many other communities. Phase I of the Preserve will include the completion of 76 detached town and country homes. Infrastructure work has commenced and is expected to be complete in November, at which point the residential lots will be available for sale. Construction on the homes is expected to begin early 2018. 
River Chase is the Northshore’s premier master-planned development located amidst 253 acres on the southeast corner of Interstate 12 and LA Highway 21 in Covington, Louisiana. The mixed-use center includes approximately 945,000 square feet of retail and restaurant options, as well as a Holiday Inn Express, Regal Cinema, luxury residential apartment units, and a Class-A office building. Additional residential and office developments are coming soon. Stirling Properties developed River Chase and currently manages and leases the property. River Chase is a Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Certified Site. For more information, please visit www.stirlingprop.com. For retail leasing and sales, contact Rhonda Sharkawy at (504) 620-8145 or rsharkawy@stirlingprop.com. For office leasing and sales, contact Ryan Murphy at (985) 246-3771 or rmurphy@stirlingprop.com.
