Brookfield, Ontario Pension Fund To Acquire Compass Datacenters

June 20, 2023 / no comments

After months of speculation, data center developer Compass Datacenters has a new owner.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, an existing investor in Compass, are jointly acquiring the hyperscale campus specialist from RedBird Capital Partners and the Azrieli Group, the companies announced Tuesday.
Expected to close by the end of the year, the deal follows reports of a bidding war for the Dallas-based data center firm between Brookfield and digital infrastructure fund DigitalBridge, with Compass valued at over $5.5B. 
“The industry is at a critical inflection point today with AI and cloud demand continuing to fuel significant growth,” Compass CEO Chris Crosby…

Avison Young’s Top U.S. Exec Departs, New President Named

June 20, 2023 / no comments

Avison Young’s top U.S. executive has left the company after less than two years, and the firm has appointed a new president. 
Avison Young announced Tuesday it promoted Harry Klaff to the role of U.S. president. Based in D.C., Klaff joined the firm in October 2020 from JLL and previously served as president of clients.
As president, Klaff will oversee Avison Young’s U.S. markets, work to develop new client relationships and lead its 2,000-plus employees in the country, according to a press release. Avison Young Chairman and CEO Mark Rose said in a statement that Klaff has been an “integral part” of the company since his hiring. 
“He has…

Bell Partners Raises $1.3B For Value-Add Multifamily Fund

June 20, 2023 / no comments

Multifamily investment specialist Bell Partners has closed on a fund that will give it the ability to acquire roughly $3.2B of properties across the country.
The North Carolina-based firm closed its Value-Add Fund VIII at $1.3B, above its target of $1B, it said in a press release. Investors include domestic and international entities, many of whom put money into the company’s previous funds, according to the release.
With leverage, the fund has investment capacity of about $3.2B, which will allow it to invest in “renovations, enhanced operations, and investment in transitioning neighborhoods,” according to a company statement.
The fund is targeting market-rate properties…

Housing Starts Up Nearly 22% In May, Signaling Possible Relief For Beleaguered Developers

June 20, 2023 / no comments

The number of residential groundbreakings spiked last month, suggesting a future softening of home prices and rental rates as more supply hits the market.
Construction on more than 1.6 million single-family and multifamily units kicked off in May, up 21.7% month-over-month and representing the highest rate since April 2022, according to the Census Bureau. The increase outpaced Bloomberg economist predictions by 200,000 units and was 5.7% ahead of last May, according to Yahoo Finance.