Galium Capital Acquires Fountain Square II In Tampa With Joint-Venture Partner Owens Realty Capital For $29.4 Million

Galium Capital, a Miami-based private equity firm and its joint-venture partner, Owens Realty Capital, have acquired Fountain Square II, a curvilinear four-story office building in Tampa for $29.4 million. The joint-venture paid about $220 per square foot for the Fountain Square II office building in the Westshore area of Tampa. Herman Rodriguez and Ike Ojala in the Miami office of HFF brokered the transaction.

Fountain Square II was built in 1989 but has undergone over $2 million in capital improvements since 2015. The building is located at 4925 Independence Parkway, just two miles from Tampa International Airport. Fountain Square II spans over 133,887 square feet of interior space with 519 parking spaces. At the time of purchase Fountain Square II was over 93% leased with anchor tenants including CarePlus, ConnectWise and the Social Security Administration. Lease rates are roughly $30 per square foot.

Galium Capital and Owens Realty Capital also jointly acquired a 67,500-square-foot office building at 3001 PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens in November 2018 for $25.1 million, $372 per square foot.

The Aventura-based Galium Capital owns more than $300 million in commercial assets across the United States with asset management and property management performed in-house. Galium Capital invests in multifamily residential, retail, hotels and office space. Galium Capital is led by Jacques Bessoudo and Iser Rabinovitz.

HFF Secures $550M Loan For Expansion Of Luxury Retail Destination Bal Harbour Shops

Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P. (HFF) has announced that it has arranged $550 million in financing for the expansion of the iconic Bal Harbour Shops, a 463,114 SF, open-air, fully leased global, luxury shopping destination anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus along Miami Beach in Bal Harbour, Florida. The loan is one of the largest construction loans ever to close in Miami. The HFF capital markets team was led by executive managing director Manny de Zárraga, senior managing director Chris Drew, managing director Jim Dockerty and director Matthew McCormack. MetLife Investment Management’s Arun Singh, vice president for the Southeast Region, and Jay Gadsby, director, originated the loan on behalf of MetLife Investment Management.

HFF worked on behalf of the borrower, Miami-based Whitman Family Development, to place the $150 million, eight-year, fixed- and the $400 million floating-rate construction facility with MetLife Investment Management. Loan proceeds will be used to retire an existing loan and expand Bal Harbour Shops by an additional 300,000 SF, including a 57,414 SF space to be occupied by Barneys New York, which will be Barneys’ only flagship store in the southeastern United States. A three-story promenade will be added to connect Barneys to the existing palm tree-lined promenade. The renovation will also bring a new grand entrance at the northeast quadrant of the property along with an expansion of the Neiman Marcus space by 20,000 SF.

“The loan marks the official launch of the Bal Harbour Shops expansion and represents the growth and strength of Miami’s retail real estate market,” Drew said.  “As the climate shifts for many traditional retail centers across the U.S., Bal Harbour Shops maintains its position as the most successful, high-end shopping destination in Florida and one of the most productive in the world. The Shops continues to experience intense demand from both existing tenants and retailers that have been waiting years to join its roster, and we are excited that this loan will allow Whitman Family Development’s expansion plan to come to fruition.”

Situated at 9700 Collins Avenue on 17.42 acres in an exclusive oceanfront community located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, Bal Harbour Shops was completed in 1965 as the first all-luxury fashion shopping center and has been meticulously maintained throughout the years. Bal Harbour Shops has operated at 100% occupancy for several decades with a waiting list. In addition to the anchor tenants, the Shops is home to more than 100 of the most sought-after global, high-fashion boutiques and brands, including Chanel, Gucci, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino. The destination also boasts the highest concentration of restaurants in Bal Harbour.

“We’re delighted to support the expansion of one of the nation’s leading luxury shopping centers in the U.S.,” Singh said.  “This development will support the local economy and ensure that Bal Harbour Shops remains a destination of choice for many years to come.”