"Yes, they did," one source says about the acquisitions by Lincoln, a transaction made through its Chicago office and reportedly backed by institutional capital. The larger of the two properties, the 97,000-sf 20 Liberty, reaped $9.1 million, while 101 Constitution Blvd. traded for $6.5 million. The properties are a mix of flex, industrial and office space constructed in the late 1980s.

Efforts to contact the buyers by press deadline were unsuccessful, while brokers representing the seller, Franklin Industrial LLC, did not respond to telephone inquiries. Industry observers say the Boston office of Eastdil Secured negotiated the agreement. One observer familiar with the assets described them as "consistent performers" that are about 90% leased. The buildings are located in the Franklin Industrial Park, a complex located close to Interstate 495. The sellers, a partnership of AEW Capital Management and Centremark Properties, had owned the assets since mid-2005.

The agreement follows another recent sale in the Franklin Industrial Park. In November, TA Associates Realty of Boston paid $20.3 million for 20 Freedom Way, a 233,000-sf industrial property, from Suffolk Advisors LLC, as GlobeSt.com previously reported. Another pair of industrial flex buildings in Franklin sold this summer at the Grove Street Business Center, properties totaling 165,000 sf that were developed by the Maggiore Cos. of Woburn. Those buildings sold to Hall Royce LLC for $15.8 million.