Scott Baltic

Scott Baltic has been a contributing editor with Commercial Property Executive since 2011 and also wrote for its predecessor, Commercial Property News. He started writing about CRE in 1988 for a group of Chicago-based publications and in 1989 became the editor of Midwest Real Estate News. After moving on from there in 1991, Baltic continued writing occasionally about real estate, for publications like the Chicago Sun-Times, National Real Estate Investor, Urban Land, Shopping Center World and Architect’s Newspaper. He earned a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and has a bachelor’s from North Park University.

Swire Breaks Ground on Brickell CitiCentre MXD in Miami

Swire Properties, of Hong Kong, broke ground yesterday on its $1.1 billion, nine-acre, mixed-use Brickell CitiCentre in downtown Miami’s Brickell financial district.

Prudential Mortgage Capital Closes its First CRE Loan in U.K.

Prudential is targeting at least $500 million of long-term, fixed-rate senior debt transactions in Europe, initially focusing on office, logistics, multi-family and retail properties in and around large population centers such as London, Paris and major German cities.

$120M Data Center Campus Announced for Metro Austin

Arista Data Centers plans to build a 500,000-square-foot, $210 million data center campus in Pflugerville, Texas, in the northeastern Austin metro area.

JLL Sells $760M Loan Portfolio for Eurohypo

Jones Lang LaSalle Capital Markets has closed the sale to US Bancorp, Wells Fargo Bank and Blackstone Group of $760 million in loans, JLL announced Tuesday.

Ventas Sells 12 Seniors Communities to Assisted Living Concepts for $100M

The transaction resolves recent litigation between the two companies and also severs the ties between them.

FTC Approves CoStar’s Acquisition of LoopNet—with Conditions

Last week’s announcement that the Federal Trade Commission had approved CoStar Group’s acquisition of LoopNet Inc. brings to fruition—almost a year to the day later—a much-noted transaction that also contains the seeds of further change not far down the road.

$600M Mixed-Use Development in Atlanta Suburb Gets Green Light

Avalon, a $600 million, 87-acre mixed-use project to be developed in Alpharetta, Ga., by North American Properties, passed its last regulatory hurdle Monday night when the Alpharetta City Council approved the development.

Bloodletting Continues as Grubb/NKF Merger Develops

In BCG’s takeover of Grubb & Ellis, it’s becoming clear that the new acquisition will be placed under the assets of Newmark Knight Frank, not alongside them, as the two companies join to create Newmark Grubb Knight Frank.

Ranieri, Ross Complete Acquisition of Renamed Deutsche Bank Berkshire Mortgage

Ranieri Real Estate Partners L.P. and private equity funds affiliated with WL Ross & Co. L.L.C. have completed their acquisition of Deutsche Bank Berkshire Mortgage, formerly a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank.

Taubman Completes $560M Purchase of Three Centers

Retail REIT Taubman Centers Inc. has completed the $560 million purchase of three shopping centers from Davis Street Properties.