ORLANDO—George Livingston, chairman and founding partner of NAI Realvest, was honored with a scholarship in his name for qualified students majoring in real estate at University of Central Florida's College of Business Administration. During his long career in commercial real estate, and 31 years as a member of NAIOP, Livingston has been continuously researching, sharing and mentoring along with his everyday involvement in the business of NAI Realvest. Although at a time when retirement would be natural—he already retired once as an Army Lieutenant Colonel—Livingston wants to keep giving back in ways few can commit to carrying out for such an extended period.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL—Jacqueline Blake has returned to the Cushman & Wakefield as managing director in the firm's Florida Occupier Services Group where she will focus on servicing the state's corporate occupier clients. Blake re-joins CushWake after nine years servicing AutoNation. Through Cypress Equities, Blake serviced AutoNation as senior vice president and National Real Estate Director where she was involved in more than $750 million in transactions while managing the firm's national portfolio and brokerage team.

DEAL TRACKER

DORAL, FL—RKF has secured a 7,910-square-foot lease for Vapiano, an Italian fast casual restaurant chain. The new location will open at City Place Doral, a new multi-building mixed-use development in Doral. Vapiano currently has one other location in Miami's Brickell neighborhood. The brand's second South Florida location is scheduled to open in early 2017. RKF senior director John Ellis and associate Aaron Labovitz represented Vapiano in the transaction. The landlord, Related Group, was represented in-house.

CORAL GABLES, FL—Cushman & Wakefield negotiated a long-term headquarters lease extension with MasTec at Douglas Entrance Office Parc in Coral Gables. Cushman & Wakefield Tenant Advisory Team executive director Tony Jones and director Ryan Levy, along with executive managing director Mark Gilbert, represented MasTec in restructuring and extending its 65,000-square-foot headquarters lease at 800 South Douglas Road. “MasTec's prominence and willingness to commit long-term to the Coral Gables submarket and Douglas Entrance Office Parc enabled the company to secure a lease with below-market rental rates, a significant tenant improvement allowance and additional tenant-friendly concessions,” says Jones.

MIAMI—Cushman & Wakefield negotiated more than 30,000 square feet of long-term office leases valued at more than $15 million at 777 Brickell Avenue. The office leasing team of vice chair Brian Gale, managing director Andrew Trench, managing director Ryan Holtzman and director Jeannette Mendoza represented building owner Alliance RE Holding, a subsidiary of Brazilian investor Avenida Raja Gabáglia (ARG), in securing leases with CBRE and Coty. CBRE signed a 18,921-square-foot relocation and expansion release on the building's 11thfloor. The firm previously housed more than 50 employees in a 17,327-square-foot space on the building's ninth floor. CBRE's Shay Pope represented his own firm in the transaction.

MIAMI—Newmark Grubb Knight Frank completed two large industrial leases valued at more than $11 million. Executive managing directors Steven Medwin and Nick Wigoda represented the tenant, Hyde Shipping Corporation, in the first transaction and the landlord in the second. “These transactions are indicative of the growth of the logistics business in South Florida,” Medwin and Wigoda explained.

MIAMI—State Street Realty leased 11,600 square feet of industrial space to Prosolus, Inc. at Prologis Blue Lagoon Business Park located within the Miami-Airport West submarket. As a result, Building 1, a 150,000 square foot industrial building within a class A Industrial Business Park remains 100% occupied. State Street Realty president George Pino and vice president Frank Trelles represented Prologis. Charlie Hargis of Endura Advisory Group represented the tenant.

BUILDING BLOCKS

DAYTONA BEACH, FL—Rhodes+Brito is part of a team that recently won the Bethune-Cookman University's Student Life Center project, a 110,000-square-foot facility on the campus in Daytona Beach off US 92. Rhodes+Brito will oversee the development of the construction documents and lead the construction administration effort. Construction is estimated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2017 and should be completed in the first quarter of 2018. Rhodes said the Student Life Center is the flagship project of Bethune-Cookman's overall plan to revitalize the school and create a more student friendly campus.

New reports are shining a positive light on Florida's industrial real estate prospects heading into 2017. The musical chairs continues this week. And the ink is drying on significant leases. These are a few of the leading stories in Florida's middle market this week.

BY THE NUMBERS

MIAMI—The seven major markets in Florida play an integral role in global trade networks with each market having a unique place in moving goods into and out of the state, according to the Cushman & Wakefield's 2016 Florida Logistics Report. CushWake examined the Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa Bay, Lakeland, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade markets, comparing road, rail, air and sea capabilities and capacities. Trade in some Florida markets in 2016 approached, and in some cases exceeded, the volume recorded during the height of the last economic cycle in 2007-2008. As transportation dynamics change to larger ships with the widening of the Panama Canal, Florida increased investment to create greater efficiencies in moving goods between different modes of transportation—ports, truck, rail and air. Demand for warehouse and distribution facilities has the potential to add up to 19 million square feet of space by 2030 as the population grows to over 27 million. “Florida is at the crossroads of international trade lanes and has the potential to play an important part with both imports and exports. It can capture additional market share from other markets with its superior logistics infrastructure that moves goods more efficiently and cheaper from points-of-entry to end-markets,” says Chris Owen, Florida Research Manager and the lead behind the 2016 Florida Logistics Report. ”As a dynamic and growing state, the report provides a clear picture of current capabilities and the challenges for future growth.”

NEWS & NOTABLES

ORLANDO—George Livingston, chairman and founding partner of NAI Realvest, was honored with a scholarship in his name for qualified students majoring in real estate at University of Central Florida's College of Business Administration. During his long career in commercial real estate, and 31 years as a member of NAIOP, Livingston has been continuously researching, sharing and mentoring along with his everyday involvement in the business of NAI Realvest. Although at a time when retirement would be natural—he already retired once as an Army Lieutenant Colonel—Livingston wants to keep giving back in ways few can commit to carrying out for such an extended period.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL—Jacqueline Blake has returned to the Cushman & Wakefield as managing director in the firm's Florida Occupier Services Group where she will focus on servicing the state's corporate occupier clients. Blake re-joins CushWake after nine years servicing AutoNation. Through Cypress Equities, Blake serviced AutoNation as senior vice president and National Real Estate Director where she was involved in more than $750 million in transactions while managing the firm's national portfolio and brokerage team.

DEAL TRACKER

DORAL, FL—RKF has secured a 7,910-square-foot lease for Vapiano, an Italian fast casual restaurant chain. The new location will open at City Place Doral, a new multi-building mixed-use development in Doral. Vapiano currently has one other location in Miami's Brickell neighborhood. The brand's second South Florida location is scheduled to open in early 2017. RKF senior director John Ellis and associate Aaron Labovitz represented Vapiano in the transaction. The landlord, Related Group, was represented in-house.

CORAL GABLES, FL—Cushman & Wakefield negotiated a long-term headquarters lease extension with MasTec at Douglas Entrance Office Parc in Coral Gables. Cushman & Wakefield Tenant Advisory Team executive director Tony Jones and director Ryan Levy, along with executive managing director Mark Gilbert, represented MasTec in restructuring and extending its 65,000-square-foot headquarters lease at 800 South Douglas Road. “MasTec's prominence and willingness to commit long-term to the Coral Gables submarket and Douglas Entrance Office Parc enabled the company to secure a lease with below-market rental rates, a significant tenant improvement allowance and additional tenant-friendly concessions,” says Jones.

MIAMI—Cushman & Wakefield negotiated more than 30,000 square feet of long-term office leases valued at more than $15 million at 777 Brickell Avenue. The office leasing team of vice chair Brian Gale, managing director Andrew Trench, managing director Ryan Holtzman and director Jeannette Mendoza represented building owner Alliance RE Holding, a subsidiary of Brazilian investor Avenida Raja Gabáglia (ARG), in securing leases with CBRE and Coty. CBRE signed a 18,921-square-foot relocation and expansion release on the building's 11thfloor. The firm previously housed more than 50 employees in a 17,327-square-foot space on the building's ninth floor. CBRE's Shay Pope represented his own firm in the transaction.

MIAMI—Newmark Grubb Knight Frank completed two large industrial leases valued at more than $11 million. Executive managing directors Steven Medwin and Nick Wigoda represented the tenant, Hyde Shipping Corporation, in the first transaction and the landlord in the second. “These transactions are indicative of the growth of the logistics business in South Florida,” Medwin and Wigoda explained.

MIAMI—State Street Realty leased 11,600 square feet of industrial space to Prosolus, Inc. at Prologis Blue Lagoon Business Park located within the Miami-Airport West submarket. As a result, Building 1, a 150,000 square foot industrial building within a class A Industrial Business Park remains 100% occupied. State Street Realty president George Pino and vice president Frank Trelles represented Prologis. Charlie Hargis of Endura Advisory Group represented the tenant.

BUILDING BLOCKS

DAYTONA BEACH, FL—Rhodes+Brito is part of a team that recently won the Bethune-Cookman University's Student Life Center project, a 110,000-square-foot facility on the campus in Daytona Beach off US 92. Rhodes+Brito will oversee the development of the construction documents and lead the construction administration effort. Construction is estimated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2017 and should be completed in the first quarter of 2018. Rhodes said the Student Life Center is the flagship project of Bethune-Cookman's overall plan to revitalize the school and create a more student friendly campus.