#Author is renovating all of the buildings in the commonwealth

[ghoul-foolery]

Dirty Windows | 25

Hancock x Nora - A Fallout 4 Soulmate AU

//

Fic Summary:

Hancock never thought he would find his soulmate. Once a common occurrence, soulmates turned into a bit of a rarity after the bombs dropped. It was to be expected when there was an influx of people getting shot in the face on a daily basis. So when Hancock discovered that he had a soulmate he was ecstatic; all of the people in the Commonwealth, and he was one of the lucky few.

Too bad his soulmate didn't want anything to do with him.

// TW: Mentions of sex trafficking

[ 1 ] <- [ 20 ] [ 21 ] [ 22 ] [ 23 ] [ 24 ] - [ 26 ]

//

Hunting down this piece of shit trafficker guy involved too much cloak and dagger shit, and Hancock was getting borderline sick of it. It was the waiting that got him. Every day he was forced to sit and wait was another day these fucking degenerates had the chance to hurt someone in too many terrible ways. While he wanted to tackle this thing shotgun first it would mean nothing if he couldn’t stop the shit from happening again. Cut the head off of the snake and the body would follow. 

So he’d force himself to wait around for things to fall into place. 

MacCready knocked his job and got to Nora far faster than he’d anticipated, which was a damn gift. While he wanted to head to Bunker Hill immediately, he forced himself to wait a couple days. It was a little bit of time for Nora and MacCready to get to know one another, a little time to steel his nerves and make what he hoped would be his final move against Cecil the skin trader. Nora having an expert gun at her side gave him the comfort he needed to push forward with his plan.

Two whole days after MacCready arrived at the Slog Hancock got Fahrenheit to agree to babysit Goodneighbor, and he set out for Bunker Hill. 

The Hancock clothes were swapped out for something more inconspicuous; casual, relaxed clothes layered with carefully placed pieces of armor. The tricorn hat was replaced with a threadbare ski cap. Without the fancy colonial duds, Hancock was just another ghoul. Just another ugly fucker who might go feral at any second. 

After getting to Bunker Hill, Hancock spent an hour or two milling about, observing and listening. Discretion was key, and he didn’t want to scare off his mark before he even got eyes on him. It didn’t take long to find the guy. His contact, the guy the now-dead secret seller called Gerard, was a big guy. Bear-like in stature. Big, muscly, hefty. And pretty fucking disgusting. He looked sloppy. His chest-length beard looked matted; grossly tangled. The clothes were stained, threadbare, most clothing in the Commonwealth was but Gerard’s were exceptionally so. 

At first glance he looked pretty deep in his cups. His whole upper body was slumped down at one of the tables in the settlement’s main building. It was littered with empty bottles. Hancock wondered if anyone ever assumed he was dead — when Hancock got closer, he certainly smelled dead. But when he placed a fresh bottle of beer on the table, Gerard stirred. He lifted his head, peering up at Hancock with bleary eyes.

"Mind if I have a seat, brother?"

Gerard reached for the bottle, and went to take a swig. The bottle didn't make it to his lips before the liquid was sloshing down over his chin and neck, wetting his beard and his dirty shirt. 

Hancock took a seat, taking a drink of his own beer. He considered sloshing his own drink in solidarity then decided against it. There was a silence between the two for a handful of moments before the guy grunted, "The fuck you want?"

"Gerard, right? Friend of mine said you were someone I should find if I needed help procuring something."

There was a sudden clarity in the man's eyes, a steely hardness that took Hancock off guard. It was like he flipped a switch and turned into a totally different person. There was a sudden tension in his body, an awareness that Hancock wouldn’t have thought he was capable of. If the drunken slob thing was an act, then Gerry needed a fucking award. 

Gerard’s eyes turned appraising. He surveyed Hancock as if he was a particularly interesting science experiment — and Hancock met his gaze head on. For every second Gerard surveyed Hancock, Hancock surveyed him. If he could manage it, he decided that he’d pick Gerard off at a distance. While Hancock could take a hit, he knew that Gerard would fold him like a napkin with little effort.

There was a show of rubbing his too big palms over his disgusting pants, then Gerard held out his hand. Hancock took it, and damn near regretted it. Ol’ Gerry’s grip was tight, just past the point of painful where it seemed like the bastard was deliberately trying to crush his bones. But there was something being pressed into his palm—

"Ya found me. Now get the fuck outta m'face, y'ugly piece’uh shit," he growled, then tossed Hancock's hand from his grip.

"Sure brother, sure," Hancock drawled, fingers curling around the item that had dug so securely into his palm. He stood, rapping his throbbing knuckles on the table, before he pivoted on his heel and left.

Hancock made sure that he was clear of the building before he chanced a look at what had been given him. 

It was a crumpled note, and written in faded pencil were the words: midnight - front gate. 

Hancock groused, glaring at the handwriting before wedging the note into his pocket. He was getting tired of this waiting bullshit. But without a whole lot of choices in the situation, Hancock loitered, he explored, he checked in on Nora.

When his girl wasn’t elbows deep in grease and gears, she was with MacCready. The little shit had listened to Hancock’s request and showed Nora around working a rifle — but the lessons had been brief, and more often than not, MacCready was trying to get his hands on the Pop-Boy. 

"Aw, come on. Just let me see it for a minute."

"RJ, I'm using it right now."

"Come on, I know you have at least one game on there."

"You can play with it when I am finished with it." 

"You swear?"

"Yes, RJ. I swear."

Though he could feel Nora's irritation starting to manifest itself, her voice remained calm, and gentle. The woman must have had the patience of a saint. Hancock sat and watched for several minutes, smiling to himself as he listened to them chat. Arlen would pipe in on occasion to help Nora with some of her work. They all seemed so relaxed, enjoying one another’s company.

When MacCready asked about the Pip-Boy for the millionth time, he couldn't stay quiet.

"Tell him that if he asks about it again yer gonna send him to bed without dinner."

The dregs of irritation vanished, and he felt Nora's emotions shift. A warmth flooded him, bright and welcoming. Goddamn he wanted to be at the Slog with her so fucking bad.

"John says that if you keep asking about the Pip-Boy, you will be sent to bed without dinner."

There was a scoff in response, some kind of joking comment about how Hancock wasn’t his real dad, then Nora stood from her work. She tugged the Pip-Boy from her wrist and passed it to MacCready, "You can use it until I get back."

"Finally!"

Hancock watched as she left the workshop and stepped outside. She loitered away from the Slog, not terribly far, but far enough to get a little bit of privacy. 

"You've been busy today," he said softly, still basking in that pleasant warmth that radiated from her half of the bond. Fuck, it felt like home. Like greeting the sun after a long winter. He wanted to live in it.

"Yeah, sorry. We've been working on the purifier. Almost done with it, actually."

"I'm proud of ya," he said, allowing his focus to settle on her perspective, on the fencing around the pool house, on the surrounding trees and greenery. "You're kicking ass over there."

"Thank you. I feel like I'm accomplishing something - something big, that people can benefit from, you know?"

They chatted about the purifier for a few more moments, then MacCready. Nora didn't seem to mind him, even going so far as comparing MacCready to a brother that she never wanted. 

"I know it's gotta seem like I gave you a babysitter, or maybe a babysitting gig," he started slowly, grimacing when he silently admitted to himself that that had been exactly what he did. She wouldn’t accept his help, so he sent someone in his stead.  "But hopefully after tonight-"

"Tonight? What's happening tonight?"

"I, uh, got a meeting... with our buddy, Cecil. Hopefully."

"How did you find him?"

"Everything is for sale if ya know the right person, and you got the right amount of caps," he rasped. "I... I just wanted to give you a heads up so ya don't come calling and see somethin' you don't want to be seein'."

"Is anyone going with you?" Her voice was steeped in worry, growing a little tight, a little airy. Then came the flood of emotion that took away all that magnificent warmth. It was a bitterness that coated his tongue. It was a rampant heartbeat fluttering next to his own steady calm. 

"Nah, flyin' solo on this one." The worry was immediately accompanied by hair-raising, gut-twisting anxiety. "I'll be fine." No answer, just wave after wave of emotions that almost made him feel ill. He focused his efforts on blocking that part of their bond. "Nora..."

There was a sniffle, "Promise you'll be careful..."

His heart ached. Fuck, was she crying for him? Slowly, he grasped one of his hands, giving it a gentle squeeze as he rubbed the pad of his thumb over the knuckle. He hoped she felt what bit of comfort he tried to give her. "Baby, yer breakin' my heart..."

"Please promise me."

"I'll promise to be careful on one condition..."

"John-"

"I promise to be careful, Nora. But now I want you to promise me something..."

A soft sigh, a mere sliver of that anxiety lifted away. He felt smooth skin at his fingertips, felt their tickling touch on the back of his hand. It was a surreal feeling, as if he was touching and being touched. He could feel the caress at the back of his hand, feel it in every wandering digit.

"Okay..."

"I know you don't need a babysitter, and I know that you probably don't like bein' saddled with one. But... if you can keep MacCready with you for another week or two..." He tickled his own fingers over his palm, feeling the softness of her skin under his touch. He pretended that she was there with him, their hands entwined. "Let him show ya the ropes, just for a couple of weeks. Then, when he heads back this way... maybe consider coming with him. You don't have to stay, I won't keep you here but... Promise that you'll consider it."

A gentle touch to his cheek, the barest caress, had him sighing softly. He leaned in to pursue the phantom touch, finding nothing but empty air. He opened his eyes, staring at the space he imagined Nora being and he fucking ached. "In two weeks, when RJ heads back to Goodneighbor... I'll be with him."

"Don't say that unless you're sure."

"I'm sure."

//

Tags: @takottai / @a-little-pebbl  / @yamatra

[askvectorprime]

What is the story of stardrive in idw2019?

Dear Stardrive Seeker,

Not all newly-forged Cybertronians spend their early lives on Cybertron—always, there are those Cybertronians born with an instinctual thirst for adventure, who yearn to venture beyond the confines of their metallic homeworld. Thus, in the years following the War of the Threefold Spark, the Cybertronian government authorized the creation of a cultural exchange program between the Cybertronian commonwealth and some friendly galactic neighbors, an incentive program where newly forged Cybertronians could study abroad on a diverse range of planets, assimilating the local culture and language as part of a possible career in Xeno-Relations.

I should comment, briefly, on the history of the Solstar Order—it originated corewards of Cybertron, not far from the barricaded region of space known as the “Quintessence”, and expanded outwards not through conquest, but by carefully negotiating trade agreements and alliances with alien civilizations and gradually building a strong federation of many diverse species: Elonians, Intriessians, Karkans, and more. By the era of the Nominus Edict, the borders of the Solstar Order nearly bumped up against remote Cybertronian colonies like Velocitron and Omicron. Despite their proximity, the two star-nations had only ever enjoyed a strained relationship. The Solstar Order consolidated much of its recent power by absorbing the defeated remnants of other empires, smashed to bits by Cybertronian hegemony—in particular, a large contingent of Szorian refugees who’d seen their homeworld obliterated by the Titan Waypoint eyed the Transformers with a deep and abiding distrust. More recently, tensions flared when unscrupulous elements of the Cybertronian government conspired with the ambitious Natalus to abruptly declare that the planet Probat was a Cybertronian colony, despite the fact that no Cybertronians lived there—deliberately smashing years of careful accession agreements that would’ve seen the citizens of Probat join their galactic government.

Into this already-tense environment came Stardrive—already a model mentee with a rare triple-changing bodyframe, a knack for languages, and eying a possible career in Xeno-Relations—who announced that she would like to study abroad on the planet Elonia. The request, while highly unusual, went through, and before long Stardrive had arrived in Solstar space and enrolled in a xeno-linguistics program on the planet Ofsted XVII, with a minor in astro-navigation. Although she faced prejudice and even outright discrimination from many of her organic classmates—and indeed, more than one lecture hall had to be renovated so that she could fit into their classrooms—Stardrive persevered.

One day, Stardrive and her class were on a field trip to monitor the unique phenomenon known as the “Quintessence”, a seemingly insurmountable barrier of electrical energy that prevented the Solstar Order from expanding any closer to the galactic core. Suddenly, while monitoring the phenomenon aboard an orbital research station, Stardrive witnessed a bizarre astrological phenomenon: what appeared to be a nebula somehow shifted into a massive portal that crackled with arcane power, a gateway through which a new kind of shapeshifting lifeform came to attack their vessel! The creatures, their slug-like bodies immune to conventional weaponsfire, easily breached the station’s hull and devoured many of the beings inside. Those who survived were infected with toxic biomatter and converted into more of their kind. However, the invaders hadn’t prepared to deal with a Cybertronian, whose mechanical biology rendered her immune to their necrotic touch, and whose tight-beam plasma blasters could simply burn through their arcane biology. Fighting her way through the hordes, Stardrive piled as many students as she could—including their professor, Rom K’atsema—into her space fighter alternate mode, then beat a hasty retreat as the station exploded behind her.

By the time Stardrive limped back to Elonia, it soon became clear that the Solstar Order faced a grave crisis. The “Dire Wraiths”, as they were now called, had launched coordinated invasions of outlying worlds like Xeres and Buras, and lightly-armed planetary garrisons had already been overwhelmed. Although the Solstar Order’s celebrated diplomatic corps had long since assumed that they could defuse any problem with negotiations, it soon became clear that they were fighting an enemy that had no obvious means of communications, and would accept nothing less than total extinction. It soon became clear that the Solstar Order would need something new to combat the hordes… and, eventually, all eyes fell upon the one Cybertronian in their midst.

Before long, Solstar scientists had gathered enough firsthand testimony and video recordings to draw up a weapon capable of meeting the aliens head-on: a full-body suit of armor forged from artificially-synthesized cybertonium that would be cybernetically grafted to one’s skin, equipped with a plasma-blasting “neutralizer” powered by a miniature energon reactor. While the scientists referred to their creation as merely an “anti-Wraith battle armor”, it was Rom who joked that the suit resembled the knights of old—and so it was he who volunteered to become the first organic to undergo the procedure, and emerge as “Rom, the Space Knight!” Inspired by his example, other courageous members of the Solstar Order stepped up to undergo the process, and over time the efforts of these “Space Knights”, supported by Stardrive herself, gradually helped push the Wraiths back.

It soon became clear that Stardrive couldn’t fight alone; fortunately, the Cybertronian embassy on Elonia was able to pull the strings that would allow Sentinel Prime to authorize the deployment of the Wreckers on the technicality that the Dire Wraiths posed a threat to Cybertronian territory—namely, their embassy on Elonia. Supported by a hundred Space Knights, Stardrive and the Wreckers took part in the effort to take back Xeres, which had, by this point, been turned into a grotesque hive-world where billions of fast-breeding Wraiths reproduced. Their victory was pyrrhic; they were able to cut off the primary source of the infestation, but only by destroying the planet and scattering millions of Wraiths across their member worlds. The Solstar Order would have to prepare for a protracted war against the alien infiltrators, who'd already put down roots on dozens of planets—but Stardrive, honorary Space Knight, gladly agreed to support the Space Knights in their quest.

[antiquechampagne]

Antique Champagne - CH45 - Riding High

“How do you think Oswald got that little rad rat to sit still like that?” Hancock pulled out a chunk of funnel cake from a box and crammed it into his mouth. He shook the box at Payne. She smiled but refused more ancient sugary confection.

“Didn’t he say the little guy’s name was Murphy? I think you could train just about any animal if you get them young enough.” She gave the box in his hand a little poke. “Isn’t that your second box? You better put it away before you make yourself sick. This time you won’t be able to blame it on a ride.”

They walked together across the promenade as the sun set, the slender crescent moon glowing softly in the color-streaked sky.

After one more small piece of cake, Hancock handed the box to Payne to stash away.

“Where do you think we should head next?” she asked.

“I thought I told you that you were driving today… but since you asked so nicely, why don’t we go on a little safari?”

Something about his tone hinted at something more beneath his words, but Payne only let herself flash a coy little smile. “A safari, huh? That might be fun.”

Just inside the gate to Safari Adventure, they saw Nate talking with a burly shirtless man in a loincloth. Nate waved them over.

“Hey, guys! Did you enjoy Kiddie Kingdom? I’m guessing Oswald gave you the royal treatment given how long you were in there.”

“You were waiting for us?” Payne asked.

Nate glanced at them; a bit confused. Hancock looked at a nearby decaying fake tree before Payne could get a good look at his face.

“Never mind,” the Overboss murmured. He turned to the man next to him, introducing him. “This is Cito. He lives here with his family. Cito, these are my friends, Mayor Hancock and Payne. They’re from the Commonwealth.”

Cito seemed to be studying them, stone faced. He did not move.

Hancock extended a hand, but the man just looked at him. “Nice to meet you too, big guy. Is your whole family as welcoming as you?”

“Cito’s a bit leery of strangers. I’m sure he’ll warm up to you as we show you around. You might even meet his family, if you play your cards right.”

“Cito not play. Cito lead. Follow.” With that, Cito dashed off into the park.

“Ooo-kay then…” Hancock shrugged.

The group ran after him, stopping at a large building.

“Go see monster.” Cito ordered as he pointed to the doors. Nate grabbed a bucket filled with what looked like offal waiting by the front door. The three started to head inside.

Nate turned back. “Are you sure you won’t come in with us? It can’t get out. I promise.”

Cito snorted and stood his ground.

Once inside, the hairs raised on the back of her neck. Instinctively, Payne grabbed her weapon.

“It’s okay. The cage is reenforced. Plus, we feed her all the meat scraps we produce.”

Hancock seemed unconvinced. “Her?”

Though the entry way lay a gigantic cage filled with stagnant water. Payne caught a slight movement under the grime right before a large reptilian form rose from the water, splashing them. Its massive jaws snapped at the bars, exposing row after row of teeth. The creature’s huge muscular arms raked the metal as it hissed and sniffed the air.

“What the fuck is that?” Hancock jumped back. He had left his shotgun in the room, but his knife made a speedy appearance.

Nate motioned for them to lower their weapons. “She’s the last remaining gatorclaw.” He nodded towards the exit. “That’s why Cito won’t come in here. It’s a bit of a story, but the gist of it is Cito and his family were plagued by these monsters. They were all over the park, picking off anything that got near them. See, they were coming from a malfunctioning cloning facility under the building. I destroyed the machines and killed every gatorclaw I came across… but I couldn’t quite find it in my heart to kill her, so I kept her here.”

Nate stuck a hand in the bucket. “Feeding time, girl!” He put the unidentifiable organ on a long pointed stick. The creature quickly snapped up the bits, never taking it’s tiny eyes off it’s incoming meal. Payne watched curiously. She could tell the creature was immensely powerful under it’s armored hide but was starting to grow round in places.

“Gatorclaw…” Payne mused. “Let me guess… someone had the great idea to mix an alligator and deathclaw?”

Nate nodded.

“That’s one hell of a combination.” Hancock remarked.

“You’re telling me… you didn’t almost have your head bitten off by one!” Nate chucked. The bucket empty, the beast slithered back into the water, perfectly hidden in the murky pool.

When they left the enclosure, Cito was still waiting for them. When they got close, he grunted and sprinted off to the next enclosure. Nate explained that, given Safari Adventure was an exotic animal zoo before the war, he had it cleaned up and renovated to house some of the species found only in Nuka-World.

“The herbivores were the easy ones. Brahmiluffs and gazelles took to captivity relatively quickly. Rad-rats took a little longer. Even the gatorclaw, given enough to eat, has become mostly manageable. Cito has even started to work with some of the Pack members in charge of taking care of the animals.” Cito’s chest seemed to puff out the mention. “Some, however, are proving to be more of a pain than they are worth.”

They stopped in front of a metal cage with multiple layers of metal bars, many broken outwards.

“What was here?” Payne asked.

Nate frowned. Cito grumbled. “That was… a mistake.” Payne could tell Nate was not used to failure. “I tried to house a cave cricket there.”

“A cave cricket?” Hancock balked. “One?”

“Bug angry. Not like cage. Kick. Kill many.” Cito bowed his head slightly. “No more bug.”

“That’s right. No more bugs.” Nate agreed. They walked further down the path. Nate turned to Cito again. “So, Cito, what do you say? Can my friends meet your family?”

Cito stopped and thought. “Family de-cide. Come Hat Man. Come Pretty Lady.” Cito led them through a maze of cages to the Primate House.

Nate drew close to Hancock and Payne. “Let me go in first. They know me. We’ll see what happens from there.”

The Primate House was once a sterile series of concrete boxes and metal bars. Not much had changed through the centuries. They could hear movement and noise from inside, but Payne was not expecting to see a dozen or so squat dark furry bodies on the other side. She froze at the sight of, what appeared to be, a full troupe of completely healthy unmutated gorillas.

Cito was greeted warmly by a pair of females. One even had a small face peeking out from between their stocky legs. Cito grunted, sat on the floor, gesturing to them while they groomed each other.

“Those are his sisters. See the baby? He’s about a year old now. Cito is such a proud uncle!”

Payne was transfixed. As she watched she noticed something very particular and familiar. The baby extended two fingers to it’s forehead and gave them a quick twist before clinging to Cito’s calf. Something dawned on her. She started to study the rest of the family.

“They’re signing!” she exclaimed breathlessly to herself.

“What?” Hancock asked confused.

Ignoring him, Payne quickly scooted away, separating herself from the group, sitting quietly on a nearby concrete step before anyone could stop her. A smaller young adult gorilla had also been watching them intently. With Payne by herself, they crept closer, sniffing, vying for a better looking at the strange people.

Slowly, Payne began to sign. “Don’t be scared. I’m a new friend.”

The gorilla’s eyes widened in surprise, before they excitedly tried to answer her back. Unfortunately, the young one’s enthusiasm made it hard to understand, as they bounded excitedly back and forth.

“You can talk! Look! Look! The stranger can talk!”

More primates inched closer, encircling Payne. Even Cito came over, curious over what his family found so intriguing about her.

“You know hand talk?” Cito asked out loud.

“Yeah.” Even though her was thrilled, she knew better than to startle the powerful animals. She did her best to keep her voice calm. “Growing up, my grandmother lost her hearing. We learned ASL… um… hand talk to talk with her.” She couldn’t help but smile, some of the other gorillas seemed to be just as excited as she was. “I never thought it’d come in handy again.”

The young gorilla pulled on her pant leg to get her attention. As Payne turned to see what they wanted, a large commotion rocked the gathering around her. A huge beast of a gorilla burst through the crowd, scattering them. He stared menacingly at Payne, puffing out its barrel-like chest. Even Cito took a step back. This was the family’s alpha, the silver fur on his back like a shining badge of power and authority.

Nate and Hancock reacted quickly, both going to draw weapon until Payne motioned for them to back off. Payne looked down but calmly continued to sit, refusing to move. The leader of the gorillas paced by her, huffing, before eventually sitting a few feet away.

Reluctantly, he began to sign. “Do not speak to my family. Speak to me.”

Payne nodded. “Yes.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to make new friends.”

He seemed unconvinced. Thinking fast, she thought of a way to hopefully smooth things over.

“I brought a gift.” Payne slowly reached into her pack and pulled out the funnel cake box and presented it to the agitated silverback. He sniffed it before snatching it out of her hand. Everyone, human and primate, watched with anticipation. Ripping the box open, he stuffed a handful of cake into his mouth, still eyeing her.

He put the box on the ground. “Too sweet,” he conceded, sat and relax his posture. At that, the situation was resolved. Some of the family fought over the contents of the box, others began to approach Payne. She was quickly flooded with questions from every side. She kept up as best she could. Not only was her sign language rusty after 200 years of disuse, but cross-species communication came with its own hurdles. Gorilla hands could not do everything a human hand could. Plus, over the centuries, some signs had evolved and changed, the intelligent animals even inventing a few of their own.

Payne could hear Cito taking with Nate and Hancock behind her, but in the drive to keep up with the gorillas, she let the men talk without her. It’s not like she could translate everything thrown at her for them anyway. Soon enough, she was being introduced to every family member, shown every resting spot, rubber ball, bucket… generally getting the inside scoop on everything going with the gorilla troop. As one of the older female members of the family asked her where her family was, the infant who had called Cito ‘Uncle’, climbed up her leg and into her lap. When he looked up at her with his gorgeous brown eyes, her heart melted.

“You are so handsome and brave!” Payne cooed as she stroked his fur, his mother looking on.

“Pretty Lady!”

“Hey, Payne?!” Nate called. Every eye in the Primate House looked over. “Um, we’ve got to get going. Can you wrap things up in there?”

Gently, she put the baby on the ground. “Sorry, but I have to leave.” Quickly thinking, she pulled something from her pack. She handed the stuffed sloth toy she had won in the arcade over to the tiny gorilla. “A special gift for a special friend.” The baby’s eye lit up, but he had to wait until his mother inspected the item before clutching it to his chest. He thanked her quickly before clinging, toy and all, to his mother.

Slowly, she made her way back to the door. Cito and a handful of family members showed them out.

“Well, you’ve quite the impression, now didn’t you?” Nate smiled. “I’ve never seen them that excited.”

“I never thought I’d do anything like that. Not in a million years.” Her grin reached from ear to ear. It was as damn near a pure magical experience as she had ever had. “That was amazing.”

“Well, damn. I can’t believe I got outplayed by a bunch of monkeys!” Hancock teased. “Guess I’ll just have to up my game.”

Stepping out into the night, the stars shown bright, twinkling in the dark beyond the lights of the park. As they walked, a raider ran up to them.

“Sir, there is a bit of a,” he eyed the pair next to the Overboss. “situation that needs your attention.”

“One second.” Nate turned to Hancock. “You shouldn’t need me; everything should be ready for you.” He nodded to them before rushing off into the night.

Hancock grabbed her hand.

“Wait! What are you doing? Where are we going?” she asked as he pulled her along leading her towards the heart of the Safari Adventure.

“It’s a surprise!” He refused to say another word.

A huge tree rose above a dilapidated hedge maze. Without Nate to lead them through, it took a moment to find the correct path. It ended at a rickety industrial lift at the base of the tree.

“Your chariot awaits.” Hancock motioned to the lift. All Payne could do was shake her head as she stepped on. It was obvious he had something planned. The metal contraption lurched to life and raised them up into the branches. They stepped out into what was once a well sized camouflaged viewing platform in the shape of an oversized treehouse. At one end stood a wide patio, open to the sky. The other end had a long counter with a raider stooped over a makeshift grill behind it. He angrily grunted as Hancock walked Payne out onto the patio. Under the stars, a single round table was set with a pair of chairs. There was even a long lumpy candle stuck in a Nuka-Dark bottle flickering in the light night breeze in the middle.

Sitting down, Payne looked around a bit confused. “You know you could have just asked me out on a date…”

“Where’s the fun is that?” Hancock has a misogynous twinkle in his eye. “Besides, I got to pick Mr. Pre-war-ice-cube’s brain what would make a proper romantic surprise.” He gestured lightly around them. “This is what we came up with… a quiet intimate dinner made by best grill master in Nuka-World.”

Almost on cue, the raider unceremoniously announced his presence with a single word “Booze” before plunking a bottle between them, then stomping off back to the grill. Payne stifled a giggle as Hancock momentarily struggled getting the corked out. With a satisfying ‘pop’, the bottle was opened, only to find there was nothing to pour the wine into. Taking it in stride with a shrug, Hancock took a quick sip before passing it over.

Payne sniffed it before taking a swallow. It was slightly acidic and crisp, with an almost fruity taste. It went down more easily than anything she had had in a long time.

“Where in the world did you find this?” she asked. “It’s divine.”

“Apparently, Nate got a prewar bottle from the Cabots.” Unaware of the name, she shook her head. “They are an old Boston family.” Hancock explained. “They’ve been living Downtown since before the war. If you take what some people say, maybe literally… but they take great pride in keeping their stuff in pristine condition.”

Payne took closer at the wine. The bottle looked immaculate, the only signs of age the yellowing along the edges of the label. “Well, it’s better than most of the piss people pass off as wine these days, I can vouch for that.”

“Food.” The grill master roughly placed two plates down before them. Just before leaving, he pulled out a handful of silverware from his grimy apron, tossing them on a pile in the middle of the table.

“Uh, thanks?” Payne called after him. His response was a quick middle finger before heading out of sight. “I don’t think he’s getting a tip.”

Looking down, she was met with a huge slab of seared meat, the juices oozing and mixing with the jumble of roasted vegetables. What it lacked in presentation was made up by the superb aroma, something between aged beef and wild game. Even the smell of herbs and garlic reached her. She felt her mouth begin to water.

Neither Payne nor Hancock waited on ceremony. They quickly picked up their cutlery and dug in. The tasty morsels stemmed any meaningful conversation besides a few words of praise and occasional sigh of pleasure.

Once they regained their composure, they caught their breath with sips of the delightfully sweet wine.

“So, how’d I do?” Hancock finally asked.

Between the calm night with glittering stars, the perfect meal and the thoughtful man across from her, Payne was awestruck. She had not felt this cared for by someone in a long time. That’s just not how the world was anymore. She didn’t realize how much she had missed it. Looking at him across the table, she could not help but smile. He was waiting for her answer, but all Payne wanted to do was drink it all in. Nights like this were all too rare.

Finally, she found the words. “All this… it was a lovely surprise. Never in a million years would I think I would be eating such a delicious meal with such a thoughtful man…” Her eyes drifted from his face to the candle casting shadows on it. She quickly realized that, over the course of their dinner, the candle had burned down, the wax melting into a remarkably realistic phallic shape... complete with translucent drops dripping down from the tip.

Her sudden silence and change in expression must have drawn Hancock’s curiosity, because he let out a hearty laugh. “And here I thought had a shot tonight… but looks like someone else has beaten me to the punch!”

They both roared with laughter.

Finally, Payne leaned back in her chair. “You’re not getting anything until all this settles.” Payne patted her stomach. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a fun idea to pass the time.”

Hand in hand, they slowly made their way back to Fizztop under the dim moon.

[bigyack-com]

Wyndham Appoints Andy Flaig as Head of Development

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has appointed Andy Flaig as Head of Development - South East Asia and Pacific Rim (SEAPR). Based in Singapore, Andy will lead Wyndham's development strategies through the expansion of its brands and portfolio of managed and franchised hotels across the region.

Andy replaces David Wray who has completed his transition agreement with the hotel company and will remain with Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific. “The South East Asia and Pacific Rim is a dynamic region brimming with potential and home to emerging markets like Vietnam and Myanmar that are starting to attract tourists in unprecedented numbers. I am excited to lead Wyndham’s development strategy in the region and look forward to building new relationships with owners and partners to drive strong returns under the Wyndham portfolio of hotel brands,” said Andy Flaig, Head of Development, SEAPR, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Andy joins Wyndham Hotels & Resorts with more than three decades of experience in the hospitality sector.  He worked most recently as Group Chief Development Officer at Next Story Group where he was responsible for the growth of their hotel and lifestyle co-working brands. Before that, Andy spent four years with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group as Executive Vice President, Development and Technical Services for Asia Pacific, and eight years as Managing Director of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels and Hospitality Group’s Advisory business in Asia. “Andy comes to Wyndham with a proven track record in the areas of hotel development, investment, and asset management. Along with his strong leadership and extensive regional connections, he is well-positioned to lead our development team in accelerating our growth across the region,” said Joon Aun Ooi, President and Managing Director SEAPR, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Wyndham, Development. Headlines: Asia Pacific Airlines Carried 375.5m Int. 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[charlesccastill]

Boston Mayor Walsh Invests $2.78 Billion in Boston Neighborhoods in Five-Year Capital Plan

BOSTON – Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced $2.78 billion in capital investments over the next five years. The $2.78 billion FY20-24 Capital Plan is how the City makes critical investments in the City’s capital assets, including schools, roads, bridges, bike lanes, libraries, and more.

This year’s plan includes renewed public housing in Charlestown, revitalized parks in Dorchester, transportation improvements in Allston-Brighton, school improvements across the city, and fulfills Mayor Walsh’s commitment to dedicating over 10 percent of new city funding toward climate resilient projects. This plan ensures the municipal, civic and open space assets that residents cherish in their neighborhoods will remain active and vibrant parts of the community for years to come.

“This budget makes historic investments in public assets like schools, roads, bridges, parks, and libraries,” said Mayor Walsh. “This is a budget with a big heart. It reflects our best values: our belief that every single person is worthy of dignity and hope and opportunity. It’s going to improve quality of life in all our neighborhoods, and it will continue to generate opportunities for our residents for generations to come. I thank each and every person who helped to guide this vision through Imagine Boston 2030 that has led to these important investments.”

Mayor Walsh’s $2.78 billion FY20-24 Capital Plan will make critical investments in the City’s infrastructure in every Boston neighborhood, guided by Imagine Boston 2030 and related plans for schools, streets, arts, climate and resilience.

This year, under the Imagine Boston 2030 umbrella, an estimated 86 percent of the investments in the FY20-24 Capital Plan are aligned with the City-wide planning efforts. More than 14,000 residents have shaped Imagine Boston 2030 by setting goals for the city by 2030, and generating ideas about policies and investments to help achieve these goals. Together, these initiatives support Boston’s dynamic economy and improve the quality of life for residents by encouraging affordability, increasing access to opportunity, promoting a healthy environment, and guiding investment in the public realm.

Highlights from Boston’s FY20-24 Capital Plan include:

Boston, in collaboration with State and Federal partners, will invest $1.15 billion implementing the core initiatives outlined in Go Boston 2030: streets that are safer for all users of City roads and sidewalks, particularly pedestrians and cyclists; travel that is more reliable and predictable; and quality transportation choices that improve access to interconnect neighborhoods for all modes of travel.

Through the use of Winthrop Square proceeds, City capital dollars, and leveraging external funds, Mayor Walsh plans to carry out early actions to implement Imagine Boston 2030’s Open Space goals, including investing in Franklin Park as a flagship park, completing the Emerald Necklace, reimagining Moakley Park and restoring the Boston Common to its full vibrancy.

Boston will prepare for climate change by investing over 10 percent of new City capital dollars in projects that promote climate resilience. Climate action planning will continue along with the implementation of flood protection solutions identified by the Climate Ready Boston initiative.

In partnership with the Boston Housing Authority, the City will make new investments in public infrastructure, supporting the creation and preservation of affordable housing, including a $30 million investment to revitalize Boston Housing Authority’s deeply affordable public housing. This investment is the first time in the City’s history that City bond dollars have been invested directly into a BHA project.

Boston will utilize Long Island as a key component in providing recovery services. To support that goal, the City will move forward with the construction of a new bridge to Long Island and plan for a recovery campus to be offered on the Island.

Education

Mayor Walsh has committed $1 billion over 10 years to bring Boston’s school buildings into the 21st century. This capital plan supports that investment with funding for 21st century classrooms, Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Accelerated Repair Program (ARP) partnerships, completion of ongoing maintenance projects, school kitchen renovations that support the delivery of fresh, nutritious food, and reserves for future projects identified by BuildBPS community engagement. Through a dedication of City capital funds and a strong working relationship with the MSBA, the plan will more than double the capital spending on BPS facilities over the next decade. The FY20-24 Capital Plan will invest $543 million in BPS projects. Mayor Walsh’s FY20-24 Capital Plan implements early action BuildBPS initiatives and reserves funding for projects identified by the BuildBPS engagement process.

Boston has also successfully ramped up its efforts to leverage MSBA ARP dollars to provide much needed improvements to its schools. This summer, construction will be underway at five schools to replace boilers, roofs and windows. Altogether, these projects represent an investment totaling $14.9 million, with $9.3 million supported by a grant from the MSBA. The Mayor’s Capital Plan sets aside an additional $33 million over five years to position Boston to further leverage MSBA ARP dollars in the future.

This Capital Plan allows Boston to invest in BPS projects already in the pipeline:

Construction is underway on the new $124.8 million Boston Arts Academy project. The MSBA has committed a maximum project grant totaling $48.9 million.

The $35.6 million renovation of the Eliot School at 585 Commercial Street will be completed by September.

$1 million budgeted for the development of a building program and design for a grade 7-12 school at the McCormack School building.

25-30 schools will be enhanced this summer with kitchen renovations that support the delivery of fresh, nutritious food. This is the second phase in a multi-year kitchen renovation program. The investment will close food security gaps that prevent many children from learning to their full potential.

Feasibility studies will begin this year for the Josiah Quincy Upper School (JQUS) and the Carter School projects, in partnership with the MSBA.

Housing

The City is investing heavily through a variety of resources in preserving and creating affordable housing. The City is already leveraging other resources like the Community Preservation Act to support new housing across the City, and Mayor Walsh’s FY20-24 Capital Plan is filling the gap created by federal reductions in public housing support. This year’s plan provides a $30 million investment to improve the quality of Boston Housing Authority’s affordable public housing. This investment in the Boston Housing Authority Charlestown project will preserve and improve hundreds of deeply affordable units in the coming years.

Boston is also building on its commitment to expand access to affordable housing opportunities and combating chronic homelessness in Boston. As part of the FY20 operating budget, earlier this month Mayor Walsh announced $20.6 million in City funds to support housing efforts as part of the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) operating budget proposal.

The City investments to sustain and expand its housing goals represent an increase of approximately $6.4 million, or 45 percent, in the FY20 operating budget for housing over last year. Five million dollars of this investment will be generated by implementing the Commonwealth’s new Room Occupancy Excise Law, in accordance with the City’s local ordinances. The Department of Neighborhood Development’s total budget also includes $64.9 million from external grants and $20.1 million in anticipated spending from the Inclusionary Development Program.

Recovery Services

Over the past six years, Mayor Walsh has consistently increased resources to those facing substance use disorders and in need of addiction supports, including creating the first municipal office dedicated to address addiction and recovery, the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services (ORS). Next year, the City will grow the Office of Recovery Services by 35 percent over its FY19 appropriation so that they can more effectively provide support to those in need of their services. This investment will include new staff, new technology and additional Mobile Sharp pickup improvements. The Mobile Sharps Team, expanded in an FY16 investment, picks up over 50,000 needles a year.

The FY20-24 Capital Plan dedicates more than $80 million to rebuild theLong Island Bridge.  The City has also allocated $2 million in funding over the past two years for planning the recovery campus that will be housed on the island.

Opened in August 2017,  Bostonâ€

s Engagement Center has served as a vital service and lifeline for those suffering from addiction and homelessness. Since August 2017, over 400,000 guests have accessed the Engagement Center. In FY20, the City will continue its work to make the Engagement Center permanent with an investment of nearly $500,000.

Streets

The City has a plan to radically improve the ways, speed and safety of moving around the City. Go Boston 2030 plans a city with streets and sidewalks that are safer, travel that is more reliable and predictable, and quality transportation choices that improve access and interconnect neighborhoods for all modes of travel. To achieve this, the FY20-24 Capital Plan continues to mobilize transformational funding for transportation projects across the City, in addition to its  significant operating budget investments.

The FY20-24 Capital Plan makes large scale investments in roads, sidewalks, bike corridors, intersections, bridges, streetlights and other critical infrastructure. This plan embodies the City’s commitment to achieve a state of good repair on all major city assets and create a safe, reliable and accessible transportation system for all residents.

The plan includes a number of new projects and annual programs, like the reconstruction of the Commonwealth Avenue and Harvard Avenue intersection in Allston and additional funding for the citywide Green Links program. The Commonwealth Avenue intersection will feature plaza space, cycle tracks, and major safety enhancements, while the Green Links program will deliver on the Go Boston 2030 goal to create a connected network of pedestrian and bicycle paths that expand access to the City’s green open spaces. Overall, the City will invest $1.2 billion in its capital budget to ensure Boston’s streets are safe, accessible, and equitable.

Public Safety

Emergency Services: The FY20 budget includes another Community Assistance Team and additional resources so that EMS can advance their efforts to hire a diverse workforce. The FY20-24 Capital Plan allocates an additional $375,000 for design and construction of a new EMS garage with staff amenities in the Seaport district. Both investments will allow the City’s services to transform and expand as the City’s population does the same.

Fire: The FY20 budget includes a significant technology investment in new equipment, including the replacement of eight fire trucks for a total of 48 over five years, the replacement of bio packs for tunnel rescue and a brush truck which enables the Boston Fire Department (BFD) to respond to woodland fires. These investments will help ensure BFD has the tools it needs to respond when called upon. The budget provides another year of funding for a $500,000 program to enable industrial-level cleaning of firehouses. Reducing cancer risk for firefighters and supporting firefighter health and safety is one of the Mayor’s priorities.

The FY20-24 Capital Plan will include other health and safety improvements to firehouse projects as a result of recent programming. Starting in FY16, the Fire Department, in conjunction with the Public Facilities Department, studied best practices for firehouse design. Key design changes include defined zones within the firehouse to prevent contamination of living areas, along with improved personal and gear cleaning facilities. The results of this planning are reflected in the replacement of firehouses for Engine 42 in Roxbury and Engine 17 in Dorchester, at a total investment of $48 million. In FY20, the study and design phase will start for replacing Engine 3 in the South End and Engine 37 on Huntington Avenue.

Environment and Open Space

The City is at the forefront of recognizing and addressing the risks of climate change. In 2015, the City created its first climate action plan and during the summer of 2019 will release a new, updated version of the climate action plan. In 2016, the City added a comprehensive climate vulnerability analysis called Climate Ready Boston. Inspired by the Paris Agreement, the City raised its goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 and announced a $2 million investment to protect the City from rising sea levels and $45 million to make municipal buildings more resilient and energy efficient through the Renew Boston Trust. Since 2013, Boston has retained its title as the most “efficient city in the United States” as named by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

As part of the FY20 operating and FY20-24 Capital Plan, the City plans to maintain a position of leadership in climate preparedness. In late 2018, Mayor Walsh pledged that 10 percent of new revenue in the capital budget would go toward climate resiliency. In the FY20-24 Capital Plan these include investments in Fort Point — an investment of $20 million that includes the design and implementation of a signature, climate resilient waterfront park along the Fort Point Channel — Moakley Park, Climate Ready Boston Harbor and climate resilient investments in parks, open spaces and infrastructure across the City.

At Franklin Park, long considered the crown jewel of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace park system, current projects like the Pathways project are complete. Master planning is also underway on the $23 million Franklin Park and $23 million Boston Common revitalization projects.

The Moakley Park Master Plan project has also begun and design work will be funded beginning in FY20. This multi-use park will be designed with climate resilience at the forefront so that the entire City will be able to enjoy the park for years to come. At Harambee Park, Phase 1 is complete, Phase 2 is underway and Phase 3 will start design during FY20.Overall, the City is investing $313 million in improving parks in 17 neighborhoods.

Arts and Culture

Through the FY20-24 Capital Plan, the City will commit $13.4 million to the Percent for Arts program, as this funding will help create more permanent public art in places like the Dudley Branch Library and the new Area A-7 Police Station in East Boston.

The FY20 operating budget and FY20-24 Capital Plan significantly invests in construction and capital investments as well as additional books, programming, and community outreach to ensure the strength of local branches throughout Boston.

The Library’s FY20-24 Capital Plan continues to invest in revitalizing community branches throughout Boston. A number of capital projects will begin in FY20. These include: construction of a new $18.3 million Adams Street Branch Library; a $10.2 million renovation project at the Roslindale Branch Library; and programming studies for the West End and Codman Square. Additionally, a comprehensive $17.2 million building renovation will be completed at the Dudley Branch Library, a programming study for a new Fields Corner Branch Library will be finalized and a $15.7 million renovation project at the Central Library in Copley Square is underway now, to enhance preservation of historic special collections of rare books and manuscripts.

from boston condos ford realtor http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BostonRealEstateCondos/~3/-ygkVjbN38w/

[cleancutpage]

Central PA’s Largest Commercial Real Estate Sales of 2018

This post originally appeared on tBL member Michael Kushner's blog Omni Realty Group and is republished with permission. Find out how to syndicate your content with theBrokerList.

Central PA’s Largest Commercial Real Estate Sales of 2018

There is much we can learn by analyzing a market’s largest commercial real estate sales in a given year. Looking at each the industrial, retail and office sectors, it’s interesting to see the varying demand for size, price and class from sector-to-sector. This tells us a lot of about the direction of economic growth for a region; and for a real estate investor, it also showcases where the best investment opportunities for the future may lie.

Here is a look at the largest commercial real estate sales that took place in Central Pennsylvania in 2018, grouped by sector and sorted by highest sell price.

INDUSTRIAL

 1. 2 Ames Drive – Amazon (Carlisle)

This 700,000 SF, Class A industrial distribution building sold on December 20, 2018 to MetLife Real Estate Investments for $74,600,000. Built in 2012, this building was sold by American Realty Advisors for $106.57 per square foot.  The price represents a 4.89% cap rate.  American Realty Advisors had acquired the property in 2015 for $62.475 million.

2. 3700-3900 Industrial Rd – Supervalu (Harrisburg)

This 750,000 SF, Class B industrial building sold on May 1, 2018 to Fortress Investment Group LLC for $38,373,479. Built in 1985 and renovated in 1999, this building was sold by Supervalu Inc. for $51.16 per square foot. The lease agreements between Supervalu and the new landlord had an initial term for 20 years, with five five-year renewal options on a triple-net lease.

3. 6345 Brackbill Blvd – Exel Logistics (Mechanicsburg)

This 507,634 SF, Class B industrial warehouse sold on April 5, 2018 to Penwood Real Estate Investment Management, LLC for $33,100,000. Built in 1985, this building was sold by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority for $66.20 per square foot. The price represents about a 6.15% cap rate on in-place income.

4. 102 Roadway Drive – Saia, Inc. (Carlisle)

This 61,658 SF, Class C, truck terminal along with 40 acres was sold in October 2018 to Saia for $32,000,000. The additional acreage pushed the sales price to over $518 per square foot. YRC, the seller, still owns and occupies the larger industrial building next to this property.

5. 571 Independence Ave – Upper Allen Business Park (Mechanicsburg)

This 378,000 SF, Class B industrial warehouse sold on August 22, 2018 to Prologis, Inc. for $24,971,824. Built in 1999, this building was part of a portfolio sold by DCT Industrial Trust for $66.06 per square foot. Prologis, Inc., a global leader in logistics real estate, acquired DCT in an all-stock acquisition of for $8.5 billion, including the assumption of debt.

RETAIL

 1. 6416 Carlisle Pike – Silver Spring Square (Mechanicsburg)

This 342,603 SF power center anchored by Wegmans was sold on April 17, 2018 to The Wilder Companies for $88,810,000. Built in 2007, this building was sold by Silver Spring Square, LLC for $235.87 per square foot.   The price represents an in-place cap rate of 7%.

2. 830-870 N. US Route 15 – The Dillsburg Shopping Center (Dillsburg)

This 162,783 SF neighborhood center was sold on September 24, 2018 to Vastgood Properties, LLC for $24,400,000.  Built in 1994 and renovated in 2002, this property was sold by Brixmoor Property Group for $149.89 per square foot.  The property traded at a 6.333% cap rate.

3. 5301 Simpson Ferry Rd – Giant (Mechanicsburg)

This 51,394 SF retail property sold on August 17, 2018 to Patriot Equity Partners, LLC for $17,540,000. Built in 2004, this property was sold by Exchange Right Real Estate, LLC for $341.28 per square foot.

4. 130 Kline Village – Kline Plaza (Harrisburg)

This 214,628 SF community center was sold to Nassimi Realty Corp. on December 12, 2018 for $8,700,000.  Built in 1952, this property was sold by Brixmoor Property Group for $40.54 per square foot.  The price represents a 10% in-place cap rate.

5. 1313 Kenneth Road – Dick’s Sporting Goods (York)

This 55,200 SF retail property was sold to the Stewart Companies on December 27, 2018 for $6,250,000. Built in 1988, this property was sold by First Capital Realty Inc. for $113.22 per square foot.

OFFICE

 1. 1920 Technology Pky – Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (Mechanicsburg)

This 100,000 SF Class B Office Building sold on December 3, 2018 to Boyd Watterson Asset Management for $26,950,000. Built in 2010, this building was sold by Hudson Companies for $269.50 per square foot at a 7.5% cap rate.   The building is fully leased to the PA Dept of Corrections.

2. 1250 Camp Hill Bypass (Camp Hill)

This 84,000 SF Class B Office Building sold on November 27, 2018 to Waterday Properties for $19,750,000. Built in 2015, this building was sold by Hoffer Properties for $235.12 per square foot. The building is leased to Hewlett Packard and Medical Mutual.

3. 1 Trinity Dr E – UPMC Pinnacle FamilyCare (Dillsburg)

This 43,212 SF Class B Medical Building sold on August 9, 2018 to Hammes Partners for $19,000,000. Built in 2008, this building was sold by Anchor Commercial Realty for $439.69 per square foot. The MOB is occupied by UPMC Pinnacle and Presbyterian Senior Living.

4. 909 Elmerton Ave – Pennsylvania DEP South Central Regional HQ (Harrisburg)

This 73,101 SF Class B Office Building sold on August 2, 2018 to Boyd Watterson Asset Management for $14,500,000. Built in 1998, this building was sold by Elmerton 909, LP for $198.36 per square foot. The building is fully occupied by the PA Dept of Environmental Protection.

5. 3801 Paxton Street (Harrisburg)

This 61,198 SF Class A Office Building sold on January 31, 2018 to Arthur L. Walters Co. for $8,425,000. Built in 2006 and updated in 2017, this building was sold by Thomas A. Salvaggio for $137.67 per square foot. The property traded at a 6.86% cap rate.

Closing Thoughts

In Central Pennsylvania and across the nation, it’s fair to say that the commercial real estate market delivered its fair share of ups and downs. Now that we’ve taken a closer look at the largest industrial, retail and office real estate sales of 2018, there are a few interesting points worth noting in each sector.

Industrial – Industrial real estate continues to lead all other real estate sectors with $529 million in sales volume in 2018. The average price was $60 per square-foot, with the average property selling for $4.2 million with a 6.3% cap rate.

Retail – A total of $346 million was invested in Central PA’s retail real estate market in 2018, an increase over 2016 and 2017. The average sale price was $107per square-foot with a 7.5% cap rate.

Office – Annual volume levels for Central PA’s office real estate market were trending down for 3 years running, but 2018 rebounded with $266 million in total sales. The average office property sold for $1.4 million with 8.2% cap rate.  Two of the top five largest office sales to take place in 2018 were buildings leased to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Given the largest and most notable commercial real estate sales that took place in Central PA in 2018, do you notice any other trends this might indicate? Share your insights below by leaving a comment.

Did You Find This Article Informative?

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[elliotrichardson-blog1]

Patty Loveless, Sweetest Country Music Queen From Kentucky.

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[twatkcox]

[The Keihancarl Diaries: September 15, 2018]

Keihancarl here. It sure was a stormy weekend due to Typhoon Mangkhut (a.k.a. Ompong), but that shouldn't stop me from going to the highly anticipated 39th Manila International Book Fair (MIBF 2018) at the SMX Convention Center, Mall Of Asia Complex in Pasay City.

It's not that uncommon for me to go out during a rainy/stormy day, but I often chose to go out on a sunny day since I hate the thought of getting wet and muddy along the way. This time, however, I’m determined to go out and brave the bad weather since I don’t want to miss this year’s book fair considering that I’ve already planned this for weeks.

I decided to go all-black (black fleece coat, the Attack on Titan shirt, black slacks, black fingerless gloves, and black sneakers), but with a splash of red (a pair of red socks and a red handkerchief). And speaking of red, I also decided to wear my newly-bought red plaid scarf to add a nice touch to my all-black outfit.

Heading out, traffic was incredibly light along Commonwealth Avenue. Reaching Trinoma/MRT North Avenue, I also noticed light traffic along that part of EDSA. I then ride the MRT to Taft Avenue and took a short jeepney ride to the Mall Of Asia Complex.

By the time the train reached Ayala Station, the weather improved a bit. The sky brightened up a bit too.

Upon reaching the SMX Convention Center at the Mall Of Asia Complex, the wind is blowing hard but it's not raining at the moment.

There were no lines at the building's entrance so I immediately head inside. It's less crowded compared to my last MIBF visit, but then the bad weather has something to do with this. I was able to walk freely without bumping into anyone.

I paid the admission fee of 35 pesos (with discounts for students, senior citizens, and PWDs, and free for teachers with PRC IDs) and went inside the largest hall, where most of the booths are located.

I check some of the booths, including National Bookstore/Anvil Publishing and Fully Booked. I also bought a book in one of the booths as well. Textbook publishers, Christian bookstores, and educational materials are also present at the book fair.

And since it’s a book fair, there are a lot of book signings. In fact, the author of the book I just bought will have a book signing the following day. It’s just that there’ll be a lot of people lining up to have their book signed by their favorite author(s) too, so I’ll either spend a considerable amount of time waiting for my turn to have my copy signed by the author or I’ll simply pass for now. Anyway, I’m not ready to meet the author just yet, but maybe next time.

Anyway, some of the books that caught my attention include various manga books and Ketogenic cookbooks at the Fully Booked booth, and the books “Chef Laudico Flips Out!” and Bei Tong’s “Beijing Comrades” at the NBS/Anvil booth. I also get to check out the copies of the earlier volumes of Pugad Baboy (volumes 2 and 3) at the New Day Publishers booth, and I was quite shocked at how expensive they’ve become (these cost more than 200 pesos each if I recall correctly). I already have these copies since 2003, and they cost about 130 pesos during that time.

And then there’s the paper art featuring Filipino street food.

After an hour of visiting various booths, I then head to the second floor of the building, where a bazaar, NBS Book Binge sale, and the children's and office supply section of the MIBF are located. While checking the bazaar area, a foreigner complimented my scarf, my black fleece coat, and the Attack On Titan pin.

There's the Pop x Hub Fest featuring pop culture, comic books, and fandom, but I think you might need to pay the admission first in order to get inside.

And it's time to visit the malls, first the S'Maison at Conrad Manila. I only checked the Fully Booked branch there.

Beyond these doors is the alfresco area, but I don’t know if it’s accessible at the moment.

I then head to the bay area at the back of SM Mall Of Asia. It was incredibly windy in that area, and the waves are starting to get bigger. I can even feel the spray of water coming from the Manila Bay.

Later on, I went inside the mall and had a late lunch at one of the fast food chains. After that, I check out some of the shops.

Renovation works are still ongoing inside the mall, particularly at the main building where the football pitch (at the roof deck area) is being constructed. The wooden-style railings and nice looking interiors are giving the mall a more upscale vibe.

Meanwhile, some parts of the mall (particularly the Entertainment Hall) and some shops in that area are closed or transferred to another area to give way for the mall's renovation. Right now, I can't find Book Sale’s branch (a chain of second-hand books and magazines) inside the mall.

I also visited Fully Booked's branch in that mall as well and wondered as to how their booth at the MIBF had so many manga books compared to the mall branches, and free of plastic too.

By 4:30 PM, the sky looked dark. A few minutes later, it started raining again.

I then decided to ride a jeepney back to the MRT Taft Avenue Station. Come to think of it, the train is running slower than usual.

I decided to check a few shops in Vertis North and Trinoma before heading home. And just like earlier, traffic is incredibly light along Commonwealth Avenue as the result of the typhoon.

It sure was a fun weekend despite the storm and my mom's urging to cancel the trip. It seems that I made a bold move to proceed with my plan and braved the bad weather on my way to SMX Convention Center just to attend the MIBF 2018. I was pretty confident that everything went well despite the weather condition and I'm really happy with my book purchase. And I actually looked good in my outfit, courtesy of my red plaid scarf.

Can you imagine how ecstatic I was when I somehow managed to get through without any problems? Still, I could have enjoyed it best without the bad weather. Well, I'm expecting a sunny day on my upcoming mall-hopping trip next month, this time in the Ortigas-Greenhills area.

That's all for now. Keihancarl out.

All pics are from my private Instagram account, @kcox105.

[ghoul-foolery]

Dirty Windows | 24

Hancock x Nora - A Fallout 4 Soulmate AU

//

Fic Summary:

Hancock never thought he would find his soulmate. Once a common occurrence, soulmates turned into a bit of a rarity after the bombs dropped. It was to be expected when there was an influx of people getting shot in the face on a daily basis. So when Hancock discovered that he had a soulmate he was ecstatic; all of the people in the Commonwealth, and he was one of the lucky few.

Too bad his soulmate didn't want anything to do with him.

//

[ 1 ] <- [ 19 ] [ 20 ] [ 21 ] [ 22 ] [ 23 ] - [ 25 ]

//

Two weeks had come and gone since Nora had taken up residence at the Slog, and she was sure that if she ever had it her way she’d never leave. The people were so willing to accept her into their social circles, and that in itself was borderline mind blowing. Striking up conversation with the Sanctuary crew felt so stilted, so forced. Perhaps it was because the expectations for her in Sanctuary were so high. The ghouls in the Slog didn’t expect anything out of her, but they were more than willing to teach valuable post-war life skills and Nora was an incredibly eager student. In the midst of it all, under Arlen’s gentle guidance, Nora was learning how to build a water purifier. 

All it took was a passing complaint about Sanctuary and the water purifier debacle; about how they seemed to assume she just had that sort of mechanical knowledge, or would be able to magically procure one. It was just some idle venting as she visited with the older ghoul in his workshop; nothing more, nothing less. Arlen had hummed thoughtfully, then promptly guided her out of his workshop, telling Nora to go offer Jones and Holly some help in the garden. It was a couple hours later, as she was chopping tatos for dinner, when Arlen emerged from his workshop. He called her name, and once she reached him, he passed her a slip of ancient notebook paper. It was a schematic, a blueprint. In clean writing off to the side, he listed the required components, and what sort of machinery she could dig around to find them. 

“If you want to get the parts, we can work on it together,” he had told her. His gentle smile was so fatherly, so caring. Nora couldn’t help it, she pulled the man into a tight hug. 

It felt as if Nora had cashed in every ounce of good karma she had saved up. No one in the Slog would accept any compensation for their time, and tutelage. No one would accept caps as a thanks. It didn’t feel like it was nearly enough, but all they would take from her was her gratitude and on some days they made that seem as if it were too much. Or, Holly would just get a little fed up with all the thank yous, and would tell Nora to stop saying it…

Though Nora still experienced moments of extreme guilt when she realized how little progress she had made when it came to finding her boy, it was quickly quelled when she reminded herself that she didn’t know how to survive on her own. If she managed to find Shaun, she wouldn’t know how to take care of him, she barely knew how to take care of herself. Nora didn’t want to be the reason why her son fell ill, or went hungry. So she learned what plants were acceptable to eat. She learned how to harvest vegetables, and razor grain. She learned how they stored their meat, and how to keep it properly preserved. And with Arlen Glass’ help, she would learn how to create a source of clean drinking water. Baby steps were still steps.

After accepting the blueprint from Arlen, Nora finally ventured away from the Slog to hunt down the supplies that she needed to build the water purifier. Every morning, after helping with breakfast, Nora would set out to scrounge up whatever scraps and machinery that she could. She siphoned gasoline, she hoarded fan belts, screws, and bolts. She would haul bags of gear back to the Slog, depositing them on Arlen’s workbench before setting out again. In the evenings, after she got back, Nora would help with dinner and then take a shift at evening watch. In the midst of it all, as she worked, as she traveled, her and John got to know each other.

They would go through daily idle chatter (”How was your day, dear?”), then continue on with any number of things. They covered a vast spectrum of topics, from favorite colors and foods, to more philosophical things. John divulged childhood memories, and awkward teenage experiences, and Nora would follow suit. As the days went on, Nora found herself becoming incredibly fond of the man. He was charismatic, and he was a whole lot smarter than he gave himself credit for. He was loyal to the people he considered his, and as loyal as he was he was even more protective. Nate would have loved him. The more Nora got to know John Hancock of Goodneighbor, the more certain she was that Nate and John would have been fast friends. They were both stubborn and loyal to a fault. They were both strong, and capable men, and even though she had only known John for a short while, she knew without a doubt that both men would bend over backwards to make her happy. John had helped her with so many things. She owed him so much. 

Bit by bit, she gathered the things on Arlen’s list and, after days of meticulous searching, she had everything that they needed. She stopped her daily wandering, and took up a spot in Arlen’s workshop where, together, they started constructing the water purifier. 

“Sounds like all he wants from you is a chance,” Arlen said, passing her a pair of needle nose pliers. “When you’re ready, I think you should give that to him.”

Arlen Glass had become her best friend, her confidant. After giving her tea on her first night he had somehow become a post-apocalypse father figure. His guidance helped Nora rediscover her confidence.

“Nate would want me to be happy, but – Ouch!” she recoiled, eyeballing a small bleeding cut on her finger. Nora leaned in close to the chassis of the under-construction water purifier. She nearly stuck her head inside as she searched for what had done the damage. “But I’m… afraid, I guess?”

“Afraid of being happy, when you think you shouldn’t be allowed to?”

Nora’s eyes shot to Arlen’s in surprise. Arlen was usually a little more gentle with his advice. He would pass her the seeds, but he would let her plant and sow things on her own. He wasn’t typically so blunt, but having heard Arlen’s story, she understood where he was coming from. He’d had a family, a beautiful one; but he had sacrificed happiness for work, and then he lost everything.

“Well when you say it like that, it sounds dumb,” she grumbled almost petulantly. She turned her attention back to their project.

Arlen chuckled in that airy way of his as he said, “You smile when you talk about Nate and John, you know. I don’t know if you’ve noticed.

Nora’s gaze tore away from her project yet again. Arlen had settled back in the old chair in his workshop. It was his typical sitting place whenever he read his morning paper. Instead of reclining back in the chair he was leaning forward, knees on his elbows, with a small, knowing smile. 

“You’re a smart woman, Eleanor. You should know that you wouldn’t be betraying Nathan by finding happiness again. If he was anything like you’ve said, he would want you safe, and happy. He’d want you to love and be loved.”

There was a sudden tightness in Nora’s throat. She did her best to swallow it down, and turn her attention back to the purifier but Arlen was suddenly at her side, cupping her face in his hands. They were hearty, weathered and overly textured, but they were also warm and grounding. 

“It’s okay for you to be happy, Eleanor,” he said it slowly, deliberately. “It’s okay.”

Nora’s hands rested over Arlen’s as she warbled, dangerously close to crying, “What if I fall in love with him and—“

“Honey, I think you might have already. Even if only a little bit.” The statement was like a kick to the gut, delivered with a smile. It knocked Nora’s world off its axis. Arlen continued, “If there is anything that can be learned from loss, it’s that you need to love the people in your life as strongly, and as fiercely as you can, because we never know when those special people will be taken away. Just remember, he will never replace Nate. You have a big heart, Eleanor. There is space for John in there, too.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice tight. That’s all she said because that’s all she could muster. 

“I’m not saying that you need to hurry up and stop mourning; and I’m not saying that you need to hurry up and fall in love.” The old ghoul placed a kiss to the crown of her head before leveling his eyes with hers. “But you need to know that it’s okay when you do. Grief doesn’t have an expiration date. If you wait for it to go away naturally, you’ll be waiting for forever and a day.”

“So it never goes away? It’s… This? Forever?” The guilt for growing fond of another man, the feeling of replacing someone she loved, the lingering dredges of hurt that hung around in her chest.

Arlen withdrew, turning his eyes to the in-progress water purifier, and then the pieces of an old Giddyup Buttercup. “They say that time heals all wounds, but it doesn’t. It just makes it easier to deal with.”

“Hey, smoothskin!” It was Wiseman’s voice, calling her from the front of the pool house.

Nora closed her eyes, swallowing at the lump in her throat, “Yeah?” She called out as Arlen picked up the needle nose pliers, and took over the task at hand.

“You got a visitor!”

The frown that had been marring Nora’s features deepened. Damn near every single person she knew who would want to visit her already lived in the Slog. Unless it was Preston for some reason. Or John. She was too aware of the way her heart leapt. Slowly, she peaked out of one of the broken windows to get eyes on the visitor. From a glance, it wasn’t anyone that she recognized from Sanctuary, and it most definitely wasn’t John. Nora’s hand immediately began to drift down to the pistol holstered at her thigh. 

“Go on,” Arlen said. “I’ll finish up this bit, and we can pick it up later.”

“Arlen?” 

“Mm?” He hummed, haltingly. 

She placed a hand on his forearm, leaning in to kiss the older man’s cheek. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”

He tossed his head and said again, “Go on.”

With no small amount of hesitance, she left Arlen’s shop, stepping out into the early evening air. It had been a warm day, enough so that Nora had unzipped the top half of her vault suit in favor of adorning an oversized t-shirt. The arms of the suit were tied securely around her waist, and her hair was tied back into a ponytail. Her hands were greasy, scraped, and she could make out the dark smear of oil across her nose. She wasn’t really dressed for company, but she supposed that she never would be. 

Stepping around the building, Nora cleared her throat. The newcomer turned to face her. A smoothskin, like her. He wore an old conductor styled hat, a long coat, and he had a rifle hanging off his shoulder from a makeshift sling that looked to be fastened from an old belt. As she grew closer, she noted that he was handsome. Cheekbones that she could cut herself on, a proud, straight nose. Tanned, blue eyes, and a confident smile. 

“Well,” he said at length, “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

Nora held her distance, fishing an old rag from her pocket so she could start cleaning her hands. The tenuous grasp on her emotions turned steely as she stared the stranger down. No one would know that she had been on the brink of crying (ugh, again) thirty seconds ago. She eyed him warily, “Do I know you?”

His smile grew, “No. But I know you.”

The man’s eyes followed her hand as it dropped down to her side, resting casually by her pistol. Off to the side, she could see Wiseman tense and reach for her own weapon. 

Suddenly, the man laughed, “Calm down, girl! Shi-oot, I’m a friendly.” He’d almost said ‘shit’ but he had redirected. She didn’t know why, but that seemed important. She’d stow that away for later.

“You’ll have to forgive me, but I don’t believe you.”

“Why don’t you, uh…” his index finger tapped his temple. 

At this point, the Slog ghouls knew that Nora had a soulmate. It was hard to keep things secret when the space was so open, and communal. Especially when they noticed just how much she seemed to talk to herself. She couldn’t find the ability to look any of them in the eye and just insist that she was a touch crazy.

Without breaking eye contact with the stranger, Nora opened her end of the bond and reached. “John?”

The answer was immediate, ”What’s crackin’, doll fa – shit, is that MacCready? Fuck, he works fast…”

“You know him?” she asked, feeling the tension drain from her shoulders. She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath. Wiseman waved his hand, catching her attention. He made a gesture, indicating that he was going to be inside. She nodded, mouthing a silent ‘thank you’.

”Yeah, I know him. He’s out that way runnin’ an errand or two for me. I didn’t expect for him to get to you for another week or so.”

“Wh-why didn’t you tell me that he was coming? I… God, I was getting freaked out.” It could have been another one of those sickos from the drive-in. It could have been someone much, more worse.

“Easy, angel,” the man known as MacCready drawled. “I told you, I’m a friendly.”

”Don’t you call her that, you little shit.”

Nora snorted, then immediately covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. She wanted to be irritated, dang it. The second he had made arrangements for someone to come meet her, she should have known about it. She composed herself, dropping her hand. “He said your name was MacCready?”

“Yep! RJ MacCready, and you must be Nora,” he held out his hand, and Nora reached to shake it. Only for her hand to be lifted, she watched with almost wide eyes as he pursed his thin lips to plant a kiss to her skin. 

”Goddammit, MacCready!”

MacCready stopped, a mere centimeter from making contact, and then he snickered, giving her hand a firm shake. He was laughing, eyes glittering with his amusement. He seemed to be banking on John seeing the interaction, and had been aiming to irritate Nora’s soulmate for fun.

”Tell that little fucker that he ain’t gettin’ paid for shit!”

It didn’t matter how much she wanted to be angry, she couldn’t even manage a bit of irritation to shoot in John’s direction. 

“He mad?” MacCready asked, his smile stretched from ear-to-ear..

Maybe it was the total relief that she felt, but Nora couldn’t help but laugh as she replied, “He seems to be a little annoyed, yeah.”

“Awesome.”

\\

Tag List: @takottai / @a-little-pebbl  / @yamatra

[percyashcraft]

A Broadband Discussion Like No Other

Prince George County was the center of attention on August 16 when people from all over the Commonwealth gathered at the Central Wellness Center to discuss one of the state and nation's hottest topics - broadband.

Through the cooperative efforts of the Virginia Rural Center and Prince George Electric-Cooperative, an impressive guest list was in attendance for a roundtable discussion that began at 9 a.m.

Broadband is certainly a topic in every region of Virginia, but no  'summit' like this had included prominent legislators, other state leaders, local government representatives and private companies.  There were even a few residents who registered.  All to learn something about how to expand broadband opportunities to their neck of the woods.

It was a tremendous opportunity for Prince George Electric Co-Op to showcase its new venture, which started with a partnership with Prince George County and its Industrial Development Authority.  Nearly 200 homes and businesses are receiving fiber to their homes because PGEC took a leap of faith and got out of their comfort zone of just providing electrical services and entered the broadband business.

The success in Prince George County has given PGEC the confidence to pursue agreements in Sussex and Surry counties.  It is a model that has won five achievement awards for Prince George County and nominations for three more are pending.

In essence, if PGEC can do it, why can't other cooperatives.  That was the message sent out to the gathering of nearly 150 people, along with other ideas that were generated in the two-hour discussion.

PGEC showed everyone concerned how a good idea with willing partners can establish success.  They got people to quit talking about broadband and actually hooking them up.  They did it at a competitive price for the consumer. 

As the discussion moves past the August 16 event, it appears people have at least one good idea they can run with.  Private companies may try to step in and pitch alternatives and they may work in other places around the state.  But the PGEC model, using their present infrastructure and labor pool, pioneered through unchartered broadband territory to help students, adults, homemakers and online shoppers to greater utilize the world-wide web.

Congratulations again to the PGEC team and to our Board of Supervisors and IDA members for taking a risk that has paid off for Prince George residents.

Central Wellness Center a Gracious Host

The Central Wellness Center has gone through a flurry of renovations the last year or so, with improvements made to the gymnasium and former classroom space to create room for a fitness center, a Public Safety training room and soon to be office space for Prince George Promise Youth Program.

Used as an example of the PGEC broadband initiative was the establishment of a public computer lab.  This space is made available free of charge for folks who might not own a computer, or who might not have internet capability in their community.

The Broadband Roundtable also showed how the gymnasium can be set up to be a public venue for future events.  The General Services Department did an outstanding job of making the place where jump shots are taken to an acceptable meeting space with a comfortable environment and great sound system.

Look for additional events to be held at that location as word begins to travel.

Getting Kids Ready for School

The beginning of another school year is right around the corner.  Prince George County is doing its part to get kids ready for the experience by handing out backpacks filled with school supplies on August 23 from 4-7 p.m. at Scott Park.

The Back to School Fair has turned into a major community event the last few years.  In addition to kids receiving school supplies, you have an abundance of organizations on hand to share information with the parents and students.

One of the more popular activities is the presence of a Prince George County School Bus, which is on hand to show kids in kindergarten what it is like to sit on a school bus and see their surroundings.  This is aimed to help them not be scared and actually enjoy the trip to and from their respective school building.

The activities are free of charge and coordinated by the Prince George Department of Social Services.

[bunkershotgolf]

Yangtze Dunes reopens near Shanghai following sweeping OCCM renovation

Yangtze Dunes, the newly renovated links course here at 36-hole Lanhai International Country Club, reopened to member play on June 23, following a far-reaching, 12-month renovation directed by Melbourne, Australia-based Ogilvy, Clayton, Cocking & Mead (OCCM).

The renovated 18 reopened as a walking-only course, a rare renovation decision (exceedingly rare in Asia) that necessitated the removal of some 8 km of concrete cart paths.

“Our members were on board with these changes from the beginning -- they understood that a traditional links is best enjoyed on foot, with caddies,” says Jay Porter, general manager at Lanhai International CC. “They were ready for that aspect; it was honestly not that controversial.

“What they weren’t ready for was just how good, how unique the new course has revealed itself to be. They’re over the moon about what OCCM have created here. The new 18 holes at Yangtze Dunes course are still quite young, still growing-in to maturity. But the members love it because it’s unlike anything in Shanghai, anything in China -- anything in Asia, frankly. The walking-only aspect is but a small aspect of the transformation that has taken place here.”

Located on Chongming, an island in the Yangtze River delta, Lanhai International CC was founded in 2009. It quickly took its place among the top clubs in Asia on the strength of its 36 holes (including the Woodlands Course, a Nicklaus Design), its elegant Tuscan-style clubhouse, and a distinguished membership drawn from nearby Shanghai. In late 2016, new club ownership commissioned OCCM (www.occmgolf.com) -- whose partners include touring professional Geoff Ogilvy, 2006 U.S. Open Champion -- to create a golfing experience that would stand alongside the world’s best.

“The mere fact that we’ve created a true links track at Yangtze Dunes makes it stand out from nearly every golf course that currently exists in Asia,” said Ashley Mead, the OCCM partner who directed renovation activities here on Chongming. “For whatever reason -- cultural or climatic -- Asian developers have not chosen to build many courses in the links tradition.

“As a firm, we’re deeply committed to designing golf courses that represent the local environment. And here’s a relevant fact: Chongming is the largest alluvial island in the world --alluvial being a fancy way of describing sand islands formed by river currents. So, we’re in China, on a giant sand bar in the middle of the mighty Yangtze River, just northeast of Shanghai, in the shadow of the towering Yangtze River Bridge. This site was crying out for a full-on links and we’re very pleased Yangtze Dunes so strongly accentuates this place and culture.”

OCCM also pushed and ultimately gained approval for the creation of a sprawling, flamboyantly contoured putting course to replace an auxiliary practice green that once sat between the 1st tee and 18th green. The Chuiwan Course drew its inspiration not from the Himalayas at St. Andrews, nor the Punchbowl at Bandon Dunes, but the ancient Chinese game of the same name.

Chuiwan was first mentioned in the book Dongxuan Lu, written by Wei Tai in the late 10th century, during the Song dynasty. The game remained a favorite of the nobility through the Yuan [1206–1368] and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties. The rules are remarkably similar to that of modern golf: Players use a set of up to 10 clubs; wooden balls are driven across varying terrain toward (and ultimately into) holes festooned with colored flags.

“Some Chinese scholars have advanced the idea that perhaps chuiwan was taken across Asia during the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty -- to Scotland eventually, which explains the emergence of golf there. I think that remains open to interpretation,” says Porter. “But the Chinese people do reserve a special sort of respect and admiration for their ancestors. This was a game they clearly played, centuries ago. The Chuiwan Course will provide our members the opportunity to regularly pay homage to this ancestral, thoroughly Chinese game in a really fun way.”

The profile and ambitions of Lanhai International were raised considerably following its purchase by the Ping An Group in 2016. Founded in 1988 as an insurance specialist (it was China’s first joint stock insurance company), Ping An stands today as a fully integrated, compact, multi-functional financial services group whose core activities center on insurance, banking, and investment. At the close of September 2017, the Group boasted more than 1.7 million employees serving 153 million individual customers.

The team Ping An has assembled at Lanhai International is headed by the American Porter, formerly the GM at storied Merion GC in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, USA. Course construction activities, just completed, were led by The Forward Group (www.ForwardGolf.com.cn/en), China’s leading course building and club management firm. Forward collaborates at Lanhai on the club operations side with U.S.-based Landscapes Unlimited (www.LandscapesUnlimited.com), a club management specialist with more than 50 facilities in its operations portfolio worldwide.

Ownership/s most significant hire may well have been OCCM: As a quartet of Australians, born and bred, OCCM have naturally toiled a great deal in their native country. Their recent 36-hole redesign at Peninsula Kingswood catapulted the club into Melbourne’s elite Sand Belt cohort. Down the road at venerable Kingston Heath, the firm’s long-standing consultation recently produced a stunning new 19th hole. And though OCCM has authored more extensive, similarly celebrated renovations all over the country -- at Victoria GC, Commonwealth, Royal Canberra, The Lakes in Sydney, and Lake Karrinyup (home to a European Tour event near Perth) -- Mead sees very little at Yangtze Dunes that he would call “Australian” or even “Australia-inspired”.

“For us, no matter where we’re working, it’s all about tying the design back to the natural landscape,” Mead explains. “We actually went around to several traditional parks, old villages and gardens in the Shanghai area to get a better feel for this. We visited some lovely natural wetlands just around the corner from the golf course, on Chongming Island itself, to gather cues on the vegetation front. The terrain, vegetation and immediate environment here just don’t recall any Australian environment we’ve see or worked in.

“I doubt very much many golf courses have ever been built in this sort of environment, full stop, especially here in Asia. Which helps explain why Yangtze Dunes is so special.”

[westernmanews]

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker joined Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, members of the Massachusetts Legislature, and local leaders at Union Station in Springfield yesterday to announce a request for proposals for a consultant team to study the feasibility of east-west passenger rail service, the launch of a pilot for passenger rail service between Greenfield and Springfield, and one-seat service through Springfield to Hartford and New Haven, Conn.

“Through strong partnerships with federal, state, and local officials, we are investing in our existing rail infrastructure, increasing capacity where it is needed, and strengthening the Commonwealth’s transportation system,” Baker said. “We look forward to reviewing the results of this comprehensive study and continuing to support projects in all regions of the Commonwealth that provide improved travel options to residents and commuters.”

Added Neal, “I have always believed that improved and enhanced rail service between Springfield and Boston has the potential to be a game changer for our region. That’s why I thank Governor Baker for coming to Union Station today to announce that he is authorizing a comprehensive study on the feasibility of east-west rail. It will build on the study of local rail service funded by the Federal Railroad Administration that former Congressman John Olver and I requested in 2006. With the debut of expanded passenger rail service between New Haven and Springfield later this week, these two significant projects will help grow our economy and greatly improve the quality of life in the region. Investing in our transportation infrastructure will benefit people across the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

The RFP will enable the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to carry out an extensive study over approximately 18 months, analyzing many aspects and options for potential east-west passenger rail service. In addition to studying potential passenger service from Springfield to Boston, the study will look at potential origins farther west such as Pittsfield and Palmer. This will include engaging with stakeholders and evaluating the potential costs, speed, infrastructure needs, and ridership of potential passenger rail service throughout this corridor.

The administration also announced that a term sheet has been finalized with the Connecticut Department of Transportation which will enable the start of passenger rail service between Springfield and Greenfield beginning on a pilot basis in spring 2019. Under the agreement, MassDOT will fund the cost and management of the pilot service, which will be operated by Amtrak and conclude in fall 2021. The pilot will provide two round-trips each day and make stops at stations in Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke, and Springfield. Southbound service will be provided in the morning hours, and northbound in the evenings. This pilot service will leverage the MassDOT-owned Knowledge Corridor, which is currently used by Amtrak’s Vermonter service, and the recently renovated Springfield Union Station.

Meanwhile, the new 62-mile Hartford Line begins operating on Saturday, June 16, with trains running approximately every 45 minutes between Springfield and several cities and towns in Connecticut, including Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Berlin, Meriden, Wallingford, and New Haven. This expanded service is in addition to the existing Amtrak service throughout this corridor. The Hartford Line will offer free service on June 16 and June 17.

“Carrying out a comprehensive study on east-west passenger rail will allow us to have a rigorous, fact-based discussion regarding options for potential service,” Pollack said.  “Many legislators, local and regional officials, and business leaders called for such a study, and we are pleased to take a step in advancing this planning for future service.”

Added Sarno, “I deeply appreciate Governor Baker’s continued efforts to not only better connect us through the North-South corridor, but also his efforts to explore better overall ways to connect us to a feasible and sustainable east-west corridor mechanism. He’s been a great friend and partner to me and to Springfield’s needs.”

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: Art Movements

A detail from Marian Kołodziej’s “The Labyrinth” (started in 1993) (via Flickr/mik Krakow)

Art Movements is a weekly collection of news, developments, and stirrings in the art world. Subscribe to receive these posts as a weekly newsletter.

Activists from the Chinatown Art Brigade (CAB) and other local art and anti-gentrification groups protested against Omer Fast’s exhibition at James Cohan Gallery’s Chinatown space. CAB described August, which requires visitors to walk through a constructed caricature of a derelict, run-down Chinatown business, as a “racist aggression towards the community.”

Pyotr Pavlensky was arrested and charged with destruction of property after setting fire to a Bank of France branch in Paris. The dissident artist and his partner, Oksana Shalygina, were granted political asylum in France earlier this year. The pair fled Russia following accusations of sexual assault, a charge they maintain is politically motivated. Pavlensky, who is best known for nailing his scrotum to the ground in Moscow’s Red Square, was detained by Russian authorities in November 2015 after setting fire to the entrance of the FSB’s (Russian Federal Security Service) Moscow headquarters.

A crowdfunding campaign was launched for the conservation and protection of Marian Kołodziej’s “The Labyrinth,” an installation of work documenting the artist’s experiences at Auschwitz. The display, which is housed and cared for at a Franciscan monastery in the Polish village of Harmęże, is under threat from a woodworm infestation.

Walter Isaacson expressed doubts over the authenticity of Salvator Mundi (c. 1490–1519), specifically his disbelief that Leonardo da Vinci would fail to render visual distortions within the crystal orb depicted in the painting. The work is estimated to fetch $100 million at Christie’s on November 15. Isaacson is the author of a new work on Leonardo entitled Leonardo da Vinci: the Biography.

Over 25,000 people have signed a petition opposing the appointment of Siegbert Droese, a member of the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, as chairman of the German parliament’s Committee on Cultural and Media Affairs.

The Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan, China, removed a series of racist photographs by Yu Huiping, which juxtaposed images of black people with wild animals.

Alex Gardega, the artist who placed a sculpture of a urinating dog next to Kristen Visbal’s “Fearless Girl,” was struck and killed by a subway train in Manhattan.

Members of Norman Rockwell‘s family met with representatives from the office of the Massachusetts attorney general in a bid to halt the sale of two works by the artist at Sotheby’s. The family is opposed to the Berkshire Museum’s controversial decision to deaccession “Shaftsbury Blacksmith Shop” (1940) and “Shuffleton’s Barbershop” (1950), paintings the artist directly donated to the museum.

Atelier Van Lieshout’s “Domestikator” (2015), an architectural structure resembling two mid-coital figures, was displayed at the Centre Pompidou after the Louvre decided to withdraw it from its outdoor sculpture program.

Reporter Tim O’Brien, the author of TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald, recounted an exchange with Donald Trump in which he disputed the authenticity of a Renoir displayed on his private jet. According to O’Brien, Trump insisted that his version of Renoir’s “Two Sisters (On the Terrace)” was authentic, despite the fact the original painting is held in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection.

Hank Willis Thomas’s “All Power to All People,” an eight-foot-tall sculpture of an afro pick punctuated by a clenched fist, was installed at Town Center Apartments in Opa-locka, Florida.

Hank Willis Thomas, “All Power to All People” (via Instagram/@adriennechadwick)

Transactions

Sotheby’s Art for Grenfell auction raised a total of £1,946,875 (~$2,569,000).

Transitions

Beatrix Ruf stepped down as director of the Stedelijk Museum following intense criticism by Dutch media. Ruf continued to operate her private art-advisory firm, Currentmatters, during her first year as the Stedelijk’s director, netting $513,961. Ruf did not disclose the operation of her advisory business in the museum’s annual report. The former director was also criticized for a lack of transparency and accountability regarding museum acquisitions. According to NRC, the museum contractually agreed to acquire further works by Michael Krebber and Matt Mullican in order to secure a donation by German collector Thomas Borgmann, a deal that will reportedly cost the museum $1.76 million.

Eli Broad announced his retirement from philanthropic ventures.

Audrey Azoulay was appointed director general of UNESCO.

Alyson Baker will step down as the executive director of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum at the end of the year.

Lauren A. Meserve was appointed senior vice president and chief investment officer of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

James H. DeGraffenreidt, Jr. was appointed president of the Walters Art Museum’s board of trustees.

El Museo del Barrio appointed six new members to its board of trustees: Juan Domingo Beckmann, Moisés Cosio, Veronica G. Powell, Clarice Oliveira Tavares, Renata Paula, and Monica Vidal.

Suzanne Cotter was appointed director of MUDAM Luxembourg.

Diana Baldon was appointed director of the Fondazione Modena Arti Visive.

Vincent Honoré and Cliff Lauson were appointed senior curators at the Hayward Gallery in London.

Virginia Commonwealth University announced that it will open its new Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) in April 2018.

The New York Public Library unveiled its two-year renovation of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Galerie Templon is planning to open a second space in Paris.

Fernando Mignoni, the former head of Christie’s postwar and contemporary art department in London, will open his own gallery on the Upper East Side on October 31.

Two of Philadelphia’s modernist buildings — District Health Center One and the Shipley White Residence — were added to the city’s Register of Historic Places.

The University of Bergen unveiled its new faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design. The facility was designed by Norwegian architects, Snøhetta.

Snøhetta, Bergen University, Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design (© Hufton + Crow)

Accolades

Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald were commissioned to paint portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

Doug Aitken received the inaugural Frontier Art Prize.

Hikaru Fujii was awarded the Nissan Art Award’s 2017 Grand Prix.

Tim Storrier was awarded the 2017 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.

George Saunders was awarded the 2017 Man Booker Prize for his novel Lincoln in the Bardo.

Obituaries

Lawrence Argent, “I See What You Mean” (2005), blue polymer concrete, 40ft x 24ft x 22ft, Denver Convention Center, Denver, Colorado (via Wikipedia)

Lawrence Argent (1957–2017), sculptor.

Cornelia Bailey (1945–2017), activist. Co-founder and vice-president of the  Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society.

Mary Cochran (1963–2017), dancer.

Courtney Donnell (1945–2017), curator of 20th-century painting and sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Gord Downie (1964–2017), lead singer and lyricist of the Tragically Hip.

Linda Fredericks (1941–2017), art teacher and activist. Founder and president of ArtSway.

Vincent La Selva (1929–2017), founder of the New York Grand Opera.

Charles Osborne (1927–2017), author, poet, and biographer. Former literature director of the Arts Council of Great Britain.

Marian Cannon Schlesinger (1912–2017), artist and author.

Grady Tate (1932–2017), jazz drummer and vocalist.

Ralph Turner (1936–2017), curator and exhibition organizer. Director of exhibitions at the Crafts Council.

Richard Wilbur (1921–2017), poet and translator.

The post Art Movements appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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[bigyack-com]

WTTC Moves April’s Global Summit from Puerto Rico to Mexico

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has confirmed that its annual Global Summit will now be held in Cancun, Mexico, and not in Puerto Rico as originally planned. The event had been scheduled to take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from 21 – 23 April 2020. Earlier this month a series of earthquakes hit the island causing damage to buildings. Puerto Rico has said that the financial resources that had been set aside to host the event, will instead be used for marketing efforts that promote the country’s “open for tourism” message and drive immediate visitor numbers to the Island.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC, said, “WTTC remains strongly committed to supporting Puerto Rico’s amazing comeback story as seen in their record-breaking year in tourism last year. Although the Island was ready to welcome us with open arms this April, despite the recent seismic activity in the southern region, reallocating resources to continue this great momentum is the right thing to do in order to further boost tourism. We are looking forward to hosting an event in Puerto Rico later this year.” The WTTC Summit will be held in Cancun, Mexico, from 21 - 23 April 2020, with the dates for another official WTTC event in San Juan, Puerto Rico, expected to be announced in the near future. “This switch to Cancun will enable us to host a Global Summit focused on the opportunities and challenges facing our sector in 2020 and beyond, which will help to grow tourism further. The 20th Global Summit will benefit and showcase not only Mexico, but the wider regions of the US, Latin America and the Caribbean,” added Ms. Guevara. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: WTTC, Summit, Puerto Rico. Headlines: Asia Pacific Airlines Carried 375.5m Int. 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[charlesccastill]

Camden Apartments to Undergo Extensive Renovation With $14 Million in MassHousing Financing

BOSTON – MassHousing has closed on $14 million in financing to Beacon Communities LLC for the rehabilitation and preservation of affordability at the 72-unit Camden Apartments in Boston.

The Camden Apartments is a state-aided public housing community currently operated by the Boston Housing Authority (BHA). As part of its ongoing effort to modernize public housing across Boston, the BHA has designated Beacon Communities to redevelop the Camden Apartments property. Beacon Communities will utilize the MassHousing financing to substantially renovate the Camden Apartments, and will manage the Lower Roxbury property through a 99-year ground lease with the BHA.

“Massachusetts has one of the country’s largest state-aided public housing portfolios, and it is critical that these homes be well-positioned to serve the needs of the Commonwealth’s residents, now and well into the future,” said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. “Beacon Communities, the Boston Housing Authority, and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, all share MassHousing’s mission of creating housing communities that stabilize families and promote economic prosperity. We are proud to support this public-private partnership, which will result in a significant investment in the preservation and modernization of housing for lower-income families in Roxbury.”

“This renovation marks an important new chapter for this historic development, and I am proud to begin our work together today to make his neighborhood stronger than ever,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “This redevelopment will not only modernize these buildings to make them more energy efficient, safe and accessible, but will help us continue to set a national standard for quality public housing.”

“Beacon is proud of our long partnership with the Boston Housing Authority and grateful to the many city and state and federal agencies and other partners who made this transaction possible,” said Beacon Communities CEO Dara Kovel. “The rehabilitation will allow for Camden Apartments to serve as a quality affordable housing resource for many years to come.”

“Massachusetts has an incredible asset in our 45,000-unit public housing portfolio, and we are committed to using tools such as the Modernization to Independence pilot to ensure it remains a resource for residents across the Commonwealth,” said Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Janelle Chan. “We are proud to support the revitalization of the Camden Apartments with more than $15 million in direct funding and federal tax credit equity. By preserving this important resource, our partnership with MassHousing, Boston Housing Authority, and Beacon Communities will improve the quality of life for residents and ensure the building will remain affordable for future generations of families.”

The Modernization to Independence pilot program, launched by the Baker-Polito Administration in 2017, is intended to rehabilitate and preserve state public housing units to better enable the Commonwealth to manage and address the needs of an aging public housing portfolio, of which the state manages more than 45,000 units.

Beacon Communities plans an estimated $14.3 million in property renovations at the Camden Apartments, including window and door replacement, new plumbing and hot water systems, new electrical systems, unit upgrades, and exterior masonry repairs.

MassHousing provided Beacon Communities with a $5.9 million tax-exempt construction and permanent loan and an $8.1 million tax-exempt bridge loan. The MassHousing financing also generated $6.8 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity for the project.

Other project financing includes approximately $4.2 million in federal and state historic tax credit equity, $5.8 million in state public housing funds from DHCD, a $5.6 million seller note and $500,000 from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.

The Camden Apartments are located at 50-60 Camden St., in Roxbury and feature 36 one-bedroom apartments, 19 two-bedroom apartments and 17 three-bedroom apartments.

Of the 72 apartments, 8 will be for households earning at or below 30 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), and 64 units will be for households with incomes at or below 60 percent of AMI. The median income for a family of four in Boston is $107,800.

The contractor will be Cruz Construction, the architect is The Architectural Team and the management agent is Beacon Residential Management. The Camden project is expected to create more than 60 full-time jobs by the time of the project’s completion in June 2020.

MassHousing has financed or manages the rental subsidy for 68 rental housing communities in Roxbury with 7,202 total units and an original total loan amount of $322.3 million. The Agency has also provided home mortgage financing to 8,350 Boston homeowners with an original principal loan amount of $1.1 billion.

from boston condos ford realtor https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/camden-apartments-to-undergo-extensive-renovation-with-14-million-in-masshousing-financing/

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Central PA’s Largest Commercial Real Estate Sales of 2018

This post originally appeared on tBL member Michael Kushner's blog Omni Realty Group and is republished with permission. Find out how to syndicate your content with theBrokerList.

Central PA’s Largest Commercial Real Estate Sales of 2018

There is much we can learn by analyzing a market’s largest commercial real estate sales in a given year. Looking at each the industrial, retail and office sectors, it’s interesting to see the varying demand for size, price and class from sector-to-sector. This tells us a lot of about the direction of economic growth for a region; and for a real estate investor, it also showcases where the best investment opportunities for the future may lie.

Here is a look at the largest commercial real estate sales that took place in Central Pennsylvania in 2018, grouped by sector and sorted by highest sell price.

INDUSTRIAL

 1. 2 Ames Drive – Amazon (Carlisle)

This 700,000 SF, Class A industrial distribution building sold on December 20, 2018 to MetLife Real Estate Investments for $74,600,000. Built in 2012, this building was sold by American Realty Advisors for $106.57 per square foot.  The price represents a 4.89% cap rate.  American Realty Advisors had acquired the property in 2015 for $62.475 million.

2. 3700-3900 Industrial Rd – Supervalu (Harrisburg)

This 750,000 SF, Class B industrial building sold on May 1, 2018 to Fortress Investment Group LLC for $38,373,479. Built in 1985 and renovated in 1999, this building was sold by Supervalu Inc. for $51.16 per square foot. The lease agreements between Supervalu and the new landlord had an initial term for 20 years, with five five-year renewal options on a triple-net lease.

3. 6345 Brackbill Blvd – Exel Logistics (Mechanicsburg)

This 507,634 SF, Class B industrial warehouse sold on April 5, 2018 to Penwood Real Estate Investment Management, LLC for $33,100,000. Built in 1985, this building was sold by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority for $66.20 per square foot. The price represents about a 6.15% cap rate on in-place income.

4. 102 Roadway Drive – Saia, Inc. (Carlisle)

This 61,658 SF, Class C, truck terminal along with 40 acres was sold in October 2018 to Saia for $32,000,000. The additional acreage pushed the sales price to over $518 per square foot. YRC, the seller, still owns and occupies the larger industrial building next to this property.

5. 571 Independence Ave – Upper Allen Business Park (Mechanicsburg)

This 378,000 SF, Class B industrial warehouse sold on August 22, 2018 to Prologis, Inc. for $24,971,824. Built in 1999, this building was part of a portfolio sold by DCT Industrial Trust for $66.06 per square foot. Prologis, Inc., a global leader in logistics real estate, acquired DCT in an all-stock acquisition of for $8.5 billion, including the assumption of debt.

RETAIL

 1. 6416 Carlisle Pike – Silver Spring Square (Mechanicsburg)

This 342,603 SF power center anchored by Wegmans was sold on April 17, 2018 to The Wilder Companies for $88,810,000. Built in 2007, this building was sold by Silver Spring Square, LLC for $235.87 per square foot.   The price represents an in-place cap rate of 7%.

2. 830-870 N. US Route 15 – The Dillsburg Shopping Center (Dillsburg)

This 162,783 SF neighborhood center was sold on September 24, 2018 to Vastgood Properties, LLC for $24,400,000.  Built in 1994 and renovated in 2002, this property was sold by Brixmoor Property Group for $149.89 per square foot.  The property traded at a 6.333% cap rate.

3. 5301 Simpson Ferry Rd – Giant (Mechanicsburg)

This 51,394 SF retail property sold on August 17, 2018 to Patriot Equity Partners, LLC for $17,540,000. Built in 2004, this property was sold by Exchange Right Real Estate, LLC for $341.28 per square foot.

4. 130 Kline Village – Kline Plaza (Harrisburg)

This 214,628 SF community center was sold to Nassimi Realty Corp. on December 12, 2018 for $8,700,000.  Built in 1952, this property was sold by Brixmoor Property Group for $40.54 per square foot.  The price represents a 10% in-place cap rate.

5. 1313 Kenneth Road – Dick’s Sporting Goods (York)

This 55,200 SF retail property was sold to the Stewart Companies on December 27, 2018 for $6,250,000. Built in 1988, this property was sold by First Capital Realty Inc. for $113.22 per square foot.

OFFICE

 1. 1920 Technology Pky – Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (Mechanicsburg)

This 100,000 SF Class B Office Building sold on December 3, 2018 to Boyd Watterson Asset Management for $26,950,000. Built in 2010, this building was sold by Hudson Companies for $269.50 per square foot at a 7.5% cap rate.   The building is fully leased to the PA Dept of Corrections.

2. 1250 Camp Hill Bypass (Camp Hill)

This 84,000 SF Class B Office Building sold on November 27, 2018 to Waterday Properties for $19,750,000. Built in 2015, this building was sold by Hoffer Properties for $235.12 per square foot. The building is leased to Hewlett Packard and Medical Mutual.

3. 1 Trinity Dr E – UPMC Pinnacle FamilyCare (Dillsburg)

This 43,212 SF Class B Medical Building sold on August 9, 2018 to Hammes Partners for $19,000,000. Built in 2008, this building was sold by Anchor Commercial Realty for $439.69 per square foot. The MOB is occupied by UPMC Pinnacle and Presbyterian Senior Living.

4. 909 Elmerton Ave – Pennsylvania DEP South Central Regional HQ (Harrisburg)

This 73,101 SF Class B Office Building sold on August 2, 2018 to Boyd Watterson Asset Management for $14,500,000. Built in 1998, this building was sold by Elmerton 909, LP for $198.36 per square foot. The building is fully occupied by the PA Dept of Environmental Protection.

5. 3801 Paxton Street (Harrisburg)

This 61,198 SF Class A Office Building sold on January 31, 2018 to Arthur L. Walters Co. for $8,425,000. Built in 2006 and updated in 2017, this building was sold by Thomas A. Salvaggio for $137.67 per square foot. The property traded at a 6.86% cap rate.

Closing Thoughts

In Central Pennsylvania and across the nation, it’s fair to say that the commercial real estate market delivered its fair share of ups and downs. Now that we’ve taken a closer look at the largest industrial, retail and office real estate sales of 2018, there are a few interesting points worth noting in each sector.

Industrial – Industrial real estate continues to lead all other real estate sectors with $529 million in sales volume in 2018. The average price was $60 per square-foot, with the average property selling for $4.2 million with a 6.3% cap rate.

Retail – A total of $346 million was invested in Central PA’s retail real estate market in 2018, an increase over 2016 and 2017. The average sale price was $107per square-foot with a 7.5% cap rate.

Office – Annual volume levels for Central PA’s office real estate market were trending down for 3 years running, but 2018 rebounded with $266 million in total sales. The average office property sold for $1.4 million with 8.2% cap rate.  Two of the top five largest office sales to take place in 2018 were buildings leased to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Given the largest and most notable commercial real estate sales that took place in Central PA in 2018, do you notice any other trends this might indicate? Share your insights below by leaving a comment.

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