PEBB and Banyan Development Acquire Seven Building Portfolio at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University® For $37.5 Million

PEBB Enterprises and joint venture partner Banyan Development closed another major office acquisition in the companies’ home base of Boca Raton. The venture paid $37.5 million for a long-term ground leasehold interest position in the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University®, consisting of a portfolio of seven multi-tenant office buildings totaling 308,305 square feet.

The sale of the ground lease closed on April 28. The seller was an international sovereign wealth fund represented by Avison Young’s Florida Capital Markets Group. Avison Young Principal Keith O’Donnell listed the portfolio on behalf of the seller and led the off-market transaction.

PEBB and Banyan plan to embark on a substantial improvement program to upgrade the office-based research park and drive leasing activity in conjunction with the Research Park at FAU’s existing economic development team. The portfolio is currently 65% occupied. It is the only state university-affiliated research park in South Florida and considered a premier technology business incubator for the region.

Not only does the Research Park at FAU possess strong fundamentals in central Boca Raton, but it also has immediate access to a talented and motivated workforce and direct connection to the FAU campus. The Research Park at FAU allows for companies to work in partnership with FAU faculty across the University’s ten (10) colleges to collaborate and transform the property into a cutting-edge research & development park that can strengthen and diversify Boca Raton’s business community.

Collective goals are to grow and evolve the park as a leading university-affiliated healthcare and medical hub, as well as a biotech advanced engineering center, building upon a community where entrepreneurs and academic researchers come together to collaborate and develop thriving businesses. The group also sees tremendous opportunity in the fields of artificial intelligence, sensors, machine learning and others where the University already has a significant presence.

The long-term lease landlord remains the Research Park at FAU’s governing Authority, the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Authority, with a dual research and development and economic development mission, aligned with Florida Atlantic University. PEBB and Banyan have worked closely with the Research Park at FAU and will continue to work with it to pursue its mission.

“The commitment of the PEBB and Banyan teams to strengthening the tenant roster with companies focused on R&D and creating new technological and economic energy for Boca Raton and Palm Beach County is very exciting as we continue to seek to be the premier destination for innovative R&D companies in Florida,” said Andrew Duffell, president of the Research Park at FAU.

For PEBB, the acquisition continues a trend of investing in Boca Raton office properties with value-add potential. In 2021, the company purchased the 1801 Building in Midtown Boca and 5900 Building within the Park at Broken Sound.

“This is a unique opportunity to own and operate prime office space adjacent to the FAU campus,” said PEBB Enterprises President and CEO Ian Weiner. “The portfolio’s immediate access to I-95 and the Boca Raton Airport make it extremely appealing to tenants. We continue to target new investment opportunities in Boca Raton, which is underserved from an office supply standpoint.”

Located at 3600-3998 FAU Blvd., the office buildings were completed between 1998 and 2001.

The portfolio has a diverse mix of medical, technology and research businesses. Notable tenants include American Sugar Refining, Xeriant, Baptist Health Surgery Center, FAU College of Medicine Clinical Skills Simulation Center, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Sandow Media, GenesisCare and 4ocean.

Avison Young Secures Office Lease At Boca Raton’s North 40 To Relocate Meisner Electric Headquarters

Avison Young has secured a new long-term lease for 15,172 sq.ft. at North 40 in the Park at Broken Sound in Boca Raton, a two-building office complex. Meisner Electric, Inc. the tenant will relocate its corporate headquarters from Delray Beach to the space at 901 Yamato Road to accommodate future growth. During the lease transaction Avison Young Principals Keith O’Donnell and Gary A. Gottlieb represented the landlord, PG Mainstreet North Forty, LLC, a joint venture between Mainstreet Capital Partners, Inc., and Partners Group. Meisner Electric also has offices in Miramar and Sarasota with a strategy to expand in other Florida markets in the future.  

“North 40 offers the opportunity for us to upgrade our corporate headquarter facilities to an ideally-located, high-quality space,” said Todd Gurne, President and COO of Meisner Electric. “After 43 years in Delray Beach, and now relocating to Boca Raton, we look forward to our continued growth as part of Palm Beach County’s business community.”

Boca Raton is one of the largest and more desirable office markets in Florida’s Palm Beach Country. According to Avison Young research, leasing activity was up countywide by a little less than 40% at the close of the third quarter following a tough second quarter with the country on a pandemic lockdown. COVID friendly office space is also now in high demand. 

“Along with its convenient location, North 40 is known for its efficient floor plate design, large air-conditioned atrium lobby allowing for social distancing, and on-site conference center, which were particularly attractive to Meisner Electric,” said Gary A. Gottlieb. “The tenant sought to consolidate its current multi-building corporate offices into one space that could accommodate future growth, and North 40 delivered.” 

Avison Young is a private company that provides value as a global real estate advisor. They provide healthy and productive workplaces for employees in cities that are prosperous.  

International Materials Signs 20K SF Lease In Delray Beach To Relocate HQ

International Materials, Inc. (IMI), an international trading and logistics provider, has signed a 20,052-square-foot lease with Samuels & Associates to relocate and expand its corporate headquarters from Boca Raton to the Offices at 4th & 5th Delray. Located in Delray Beach’s central business district, IMI’s new headquarters will settle into nearly two-thirds of the mixed-use building’s third-floor Class A office space at 25 SE 4th Ave.

The 144,733-square-foot, four-story mixed-use project, newly developed in a joint venture between Samuels & Associates and American Realty Advisors, sits in the heart of Delray Beach where there is both a high demand for office spaces and limited Class A office development. The relocation of IMI’s headquarters into the expansive office space will aid in the company’s accommodation of the existing HQ roster of 45 full-time professionals and doubling its team’s numbers by finding talent in line with its anticipated growth trajectory. 

“As a locally owned and managed business, we are thrilled to move back to downtown Delray Beach where many of us have been residents for years,” said Robert Walsh, President of IMI. “The prospect of locating our headquarters in this state-of-the-art building, steps away from Atlantic Avenue, is a dream scenario that will allow us to grow our business and make room for the future. We are grateful for the support we have received from the City and from Samuels & Associates.”

In the transaction, Samuels & Associates was represented by Keith O’Donnell and Gary Gottlieb of Avison Young, while IMI was represented by Ingrid Kennemer of Coastal Commercial Group.

“Samuels & Associates is delighted to welcome IMI to its new space in the Offices at 4th & 5th Delray,” said Peter Sougarides, Principal, Samuels & Associates. “As we continue to implement a thoughtful placemaking process in the dynamic downtown Delray Beach neighborhood, we look forward to welcoming companies and employees who will enliven the local downtown economy.”

Approximately 6,181 square feet of office space now remains on the third floor of the Offices at 4th & 5th Delray. It is only a few steps away from Delray Beach’s Atlantic Avenue, which is composed of 9,000 square feet of boutique retail, lively dining options, green space, and public beachfront. The project also features a dedicated entryway, a flexible floor plan, experiential office design which will allow for a variety of work settings, more than 8,600 square feet of spacious terraces that allow for views of downtown Delray Beach, a 326-space parking garage, an onsite iPic theater, and a restaurant, all of which IMI will have access to.

“This IMI corporate headquarters relocation to the Delray Beach central business district is a testament to the strength of our city and evidence that the investments in our public-private partnerships strategically located for economic development are beginning to pay off,” said Stephanie Immelman, President & CEO of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce.

“There is no denying the staying power and increasing vibrancy of Delray Beach's downtown as a corporate destination. We were able to attract a corporate headquarters relocation during this COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Shelly Petrolia. “We are excited to welcome IMI’s headquarters into the City of Delray Beach and look forward to helping IMI grow in our city.”

By Isabella Zimmermann