IRVINE, CA— Avison Young has promoted 25-year commercial real estate industry veteran and company principal Keith Kropfl to Director of Brokerage Services for the Orange County area. In his expanded role, Kropfl will provide overall management and leadership of Avison Young's Irvine office, lead the firm's Orange County recruiting effort, and assist with the implementation of company initiatives. Kropfl and his team will continue with their expanding local and national retail leasing and sales practice. Kropfl, who joined Avison Young as a Principal in 2014, specializes in the sale and leasing of retail properties throughout Southern California. During his career, he has completed in excess of $1 billion in transaction value. He previously served at other high-profile firms including Voit Real Estate Services, Travers Realty Corporation and Grubb & Ellis.

LOS ANGELES—James McArthur has joined the JLL Capital Markets as a SVP. He will focus on providing financing solutions to multifamily real estate developers and owners using JLL's Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD/FHA capabilities. McArthur will sit in the firm's Los Angeles office and work under the direction of Managing Director Brian Halpern and International Director Brian Kelleher. McArthur comes to JLL from Freddie Mac Multifamily, where he was a Production and Sales Manager for the GSE's Western region. He brings 15 years of commercial real estate experience to the firm, including five years in debt and equity origination.

LOS ANGELES—Savills Studley has hired Willy Mann as a Senior Workplace Strategist based in Los Angeles. He joins Evelyn Lee, Corporate Managing Director of Workplace Strategy & Analytics, on the west coast. Lee is based in San Francisco and started with the firm earlier this year. Mann will work closely with Lee and other Workplace Strategy team members across the country to help organizations leverage their environments to serve and support the workforce of the future. Prior to joining Savills Studley, Willy was an experience designer with VITAL, where he was part of a group developing innovative workplace initiatives for Google's new Mountain View Campus and international workplace portfolio. Before that, he was a design strategist at MKThink.

DEALTRACKER

TEMECULA, CA—Airbus DS Communications has signed a 12.5-year 106,760-square-foot research and development industrial lease on behalf of Airbus DS Communications in Temecula, CA. The lease is valued at $21 million. The company, one of the world's largest providers of mission critical communications solutions, will use the space for its North America headquarters. Avison Young Principal Corey Martin, represented the tenant. Avison Young Principal Stan Nowak, represented the landlord, Zevo Drive Holdings, LLC. Martin and Nowak are both based in the company's La Jolla office. Located at 41995 Zevo Drive, Airbus will occupy 48 percent of the 223,360-sf multi-tenant facility situated on nearly 19 acres of land. With this latest lease, the property is now 84 percent occupied. The property is atypical for the area as it offers the ability for an 80%-plus office build-out due to its high number of employee parking spaces which are typically sought by R&D users (as opposed to industrial users that require significantly less).

WEST COVINA, CA— Legacy Partners plans to renovate The Verandas, a 209-unit, 180,000-square-foot apartment community in West Covina, CA. Legacy Partners, who has owned and managed the property since 2007, recently received Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approval to refinance a $37 million loan from Greystone in order to complete renovations. In addition to their newly released logo, major upgrades to The Verandas will include improvements to the interior and exterior of the community, including all units, the clubhouse and pool area, as well as enhancements to the dog park, barbeques and outdoor dining areas throughout the property. The building exterior will be repainted and the interior units, also repainted, will feature upgraded cabinets, new wood panel floors, improved lighting, and stainless steel appliances.

CULVER CITY, CA—Greystar has completed Access, a new mixed-use development in Culver City, California. The new development is comprised of 115 luxury apartment homes and 31,240 square feet of retail space that will include businesses such as Orange Theory, Co-Opportunity Market and Bank of the West. The grand opening will be celebrated at the community clubhouse on May 16, 2017 from 2:45pm to 8:00pm. The event will include a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house with live music by DJ William Reed, mini art galleries by LA artists, craft cocktails, local cuisine, tours of the community and giveaways. Access is LEED Silver Certified by the United States Green Building Council. The community incorporates an urban design with sustainable products, drought tolerant landscaping and energy efficient lighting, heating and water fixtures.

IRVINE, CA—Terra Universal has expanded its footprint in north Orange County, leasing a total of 45,227 square feet of high-class industrial space at the Brea Business Park in the city of Brea. The project is owned by Brea Endeavor Holdings LLC. Terra Universal leased the entire building at 675 Endeavor Circle and is extending its presence outward from neighboring Fullerton where its 195,000 square foot headquarters campus is located. Kevin Turner, SIOR, GLS with Cushman & Wakefield's Irvine office represented the tenant in the transaction.

LOS ANGELES— Here's a look at the latest news, announcements and deals that you may have missed in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah.

NEW & NOTABLE

PHOENIX—Hunt Mortgage Group has opened a production office in Phoenix, Arizona and has hired Matthew Frank to oversee the local effort. Frank was named Vice President in Hunt Mortgage Group's Small Balance Loan Group. He is responsible for sourcing and closing Freddie Mac small balance loans nationwide, with a focus on the southwest region of the United States. He will report to Mark Besharaty, Director and Rick Warren, Senior Managing Director at Hunt Mortgage Group. Hunt Mortgage Group has three main business lines: the conventional loan business, small balance loan business, and an affordable housing lending business.

IRVINE, CA— Scott Brinker will join the HCP as EVP and CIO. Brinker will report to HCP's CEO, Tom Herzog. Brinker most recently served as Chief Investment Officer at Welltower and prior to that, he served as Welltower's EVP of Investments and in various investment and portfolio management related capacities with Welltower.

IRVINE, CA— Avison Young has promoted 25-year commercial real estate industry veteran and company principal Keith Kropfl to Director of Brokerage Services for the Orange County area. In his expanded role, Kropfl will provide overall management and leadership of Avison Young's Irvine office, lead the firm's Orange County recruiting effort, and assist with the implementation of company initiatives. Kropfl and his team will continue with their expanding local and national retail leasing and sales practice. Kropfl, who joined Avison Young as a Principal in 2014, specializes in the sale and leasing of retail properties throughout Southern California. During his career, he has completed in excess of $1 billion in transaction value. He previously served at other high-profile firms including Voit Real Estate Services, Travers Realty Corporation and Grubb & Ellis.

LOS ANGELES—James McArthur has joined the JLL Capital Markets as a SVP. He will focus on providing financing solutions to multifamily real estate developers and owners using JLL's Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD/FHA capabilities. McArthur will sit in the firm's Los Angeles office and work under the direction of Managing Director Brian Halpern and International Director Brian Kelleher. McArthur comes to JLL from Freddie Mac Multifamily, where he was a Production and Sales Manager for the GSE's Western region. He brings 15 years of commercial real estate experience to the firm, including five years in debt and equity origination.

LOS ANGELES—Savills Studley has hired Willy Mann as a Senior Workplace Strategist based in Los Angeles. He joins Evelyn Lee, Corporate Managing Director of Workplace Strategy & Analytics, on the west coast. Lee is based in San Francisco and started with the firm earlier this year. Mann will work closely with Lee and other Workplace Strategy team members across the country to help organizations leverage their environments to serve and support the workforce of the future. Prior to joining Savills Studley, Willy was an experience designer with VITAL, where he was part of a group developing innovative workplace initiatives for Google's new Mountain View Campus and international workplace portfolio. Before that, he was a design strategist at MKThink.

DEALTRACKER

TEMECULA, CA—Airbus DS Communications has signed a 12.5-year 106,760-square-foot research and development industrial lease on behalf of Airbus DS Communications in Temecula, CA. The lease is valued at $21 million. The company, one of the world's largest providers of mission critical communications solutions, will use the space for its North America headquarters. Avison Young Principal Corey Martin, represented the tenant. Avison Young Principal Stan Nowak, represented the landlord, Zevo Drive Holdings, LLC. Martin and Nowak are both based in the company's La Jolla office. Located at 41995 Zevo Drive, Airbus will occupy 48 percent of the 223,360-sf multi-tenant facility situated on nearly 19 acres of land. With this latest lease, the property is now 84 percent occupied. The property is atypical for the area as it offers the ability for an 80%-plus office build-out due to its high number of employee parking spaces which are typically sought by R&D users (as opposed to industrial users that require significantly less).

WEST COVINA, CA— Legacy Partners plans to renovate The Verandas, a 209-unit, 180,000-square-foot apartment community in West Covina, CA. Legacy Partners, who has owned and managed the property since 2007, recently received Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approval to refinance a $37 million loan from Greystone in order to complete renovations. In addition to their newly released logo, major upgrades to The Verandas will include improvements to the interior and exterior of the community, including all units, the clubhouse and pool area, as well as enhancements to the dog park, barbeques and outdoor dining areas throughout the property. The building exterior will be repainted and the interior units, also repainted, will feature upgraded cabinets, new wood panel floors, improved lighting, and stainless steel appliances.

CULVER CITY, CA—Greystar has completed Access, a new mixed-use development in Culver City, California. The new development is comprised of 115 luxury apartment homes and 31,240 square feet of retail space that will include businesses such as Orange Theory, Co-Opportunity Market and Bank of the West. The grand opening will be celebrated at the community clubhouse on May 16, 2017 from 2:45pm to 8:00pm. The event will include a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house with live music by DJ William Reed, mini art galleries by LA artists, craft cocktails, local cuisine, tours of the community and giveaways. Access is LEED Silver Certified by the United States Green Building Council. The community incorporates an urban design with sustainable products, drought tolerant landscaping and energy efficient lighting, heating and water fixtures.

IRVINE, CA—Terra Universal has expanded its footprint in north Orange County, leasing a total of 45,227 square feet of high-class industrial space at the Brea Business Park in the city of Brea. The project is owned by Brea Endeavor Holdings LLC. Terra Universal leased the entire building at 675 Endeavor Circle and is extending its presence outward from neighboring Fullerton where its 195,000 square foot headquarters campus is located. Kevin Turner, SIOR, GLS with Cushman & Wakefield's Irvine office represented the tenant in the transaction.