Stirling Acquires Beck Partners; Expands Eastern Division
Stirling is pleased to announce that it has acquired Beck Partners, one of Northwest Florida’s leading commercial real estate firms and manager of the most commercial square footage in Northwest Florida. With the acquisition, Stirling’s Pensacola office expands and adds a Tallahassee, Florida office.
Stirling’s acquisition of Beck Partners adds 30 commercial real estate professionals, over 1.5 million SF of managed commercial properties, and active brokerage in the State of Georgia.
Stirling CEO, Townsend Underhill, is enthusiastic about the acquisition. “The Beck Team is the strongest commercial real estate team in Northwest Florida. It has been a remarkably rewarding experience getting to know the Beck Team and learning about their outstanding business and culture. Beck’s lines of business and expertise align well with Stirling’s and complement our geography as we continue to grow our presence in the Gulf South. We are excited to have Justin, Stacy, Brice, and the entire organization join the Stirling Family.
Founded in 1981 by Gregg Beck, Beck Partners grew to be one of the most trusted commercial real estate firms on the Gulf Coast. Beck Partners earned local and national recognition from CoStar’s PowerBroker lists, multiple NAIOP of Northwest Florida’s Deal of the Year awards, including Justin Beck, CEO, on InWeekly’s PowerList, and more.
Justin Beck, CEO of Beck Partners, will remain with the Pensacola team as Vice President of the Florida Region, as well as Stacy Taylor, as Regional Vice President who will serve as the Pensacola/ Tallahassee Market Leader, and Brice Pelfrey as Regional Vice President of Asset Management . “We are thrilled to continue our work serving our clients along the Gulf Coast with Stirling,” says Justin Beck. “Our alignment of culture and values makes this merger exciting. Stirling’s depth of resources will provide more opportunities and better outcomes for our teams and clients.”
With this acquisition Stirling will be able to enhance its services to existing clients as well as our new Beck clients. Stirling is poised for tremendous growth throughout the region. Beck is a full service Commercial Real Estate firm specializing in Office, Industrial, Retail, Healthcare and Multi-family properties. Beck’s service offering includes Asset Management, Property Management, Commercial Leasing, Commercial Investment Sales, Development, and Commercial Advisory Services with a focus on markets in the Florida Panhandle, and Southern Alabama.
Beck Partners’ office, located at 125 W. Romana Street, Suite 800 in Downtown Pensacola will take on the Stirling brand with the acquisition. Its telephone number will remain (850) 477-7044. Any properties previously marketed and managed under the Beck Partners brand will transition to Stirling.
Stirling & Level Homes Developing Arabella at Dutchtown Townhomes in Ascension Parish
Through a joint venture with Level Homes, Stirling announces the development of Arabella at Dutchtown Townhomes in Geismar, Louisiana. This project marks Stirling’s continued strategy of, build-to-rent development.
Stirling and Level Homes recently closed on the acquisition of 7.51 acres of property and plan to develop 48 units along with a leasing office and clubhouse. The new development will consist of 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom high-quality, single-family townhomes expressly built for the rental market. The Architectural Studio leads the project design team, and the builder is Level Homes. Construction will begin on the first townhomes later this month, and the development is expected to be complete by the end of 2024.
Through the joint venture, Stirling will be responsible for development, horizontal land improvements, and amenities, in addition to asset management and accounting oversight of the project. Level Homes will be responsible for all vertical building improvements. BH Management will handle daily onsite management and leasing.
“The population of Ascension Parish has grown significantly over the past ten years and is projected to continue, and we believe this is an ideal product type for this market on a site that is extremely well located within the market,” said Townsend Underhill, President of Development with Stirling. “Stirling is excited to continue its commitment to deliver high quality Build to Rent communities. “
“Level Homes is excited to be a part of the Arabella development adjacent to our Belle Savanne, for-sale community. Our company has an extensive track record of developing high-quality, master-planned communities throughout Southeast Louisiana. We look forward to creating value-driven homes and a unique residential experience for the Prairieville area,” said Todd Waguespack, Managing Partner with Level Homes.
This product type is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. housing market as build-to-rent properties continue to be attractive to seniors, singles, and families alike—as it offers renters the conveniences of homeownership without the financial and maintenance burdens that come with it.
For more information on Stirling’s development services, contact John Woodard, Director of Development and Asset Management, at jwoodard@stirlingprop.com or (504) 523-4481.
Stirling Announces Additional Shareholder
Stirling is pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2023, Justin Landry will become a shareholder of Stirling Properties, LLC. Landry joins Marty Mayer, President, and CEO; Townsend Underhill, President of Development; Grady Brame, Executive Vice President; Donna Smith, Executive Vice President; and Paul Mastio, Chief Financial Officer, as part of the company’s ownership team. Justin is also being promoted to Sr. Vice President of Development and Finance.
Landry joined Stirling in 2007, where his primary focus has been to oversee the economic feasibility of Developments and Acquisitions across all of Stirling’s property types. He also manages a $1.2 billion debt portfolio of over 80 real estate loans. Justin has been responsible for the placement of a multitude of real estate debt for our clients. Since 2007, Stirling has closed nearly $3 billion of interim and permanent financings with every type of lender that operates in the Gulf South. Additionally, Justin has played a vital role in Stirling’s move into multi-family real estate.
“After graduating from LSU, Justin joined Stirling and has truly learned debt and equity markets and the Commercial Real Estate industry from the ground up. His growth as a professional and a leader has been an amazing journey. We are excited for the future of Stirling and Justin playing a significant role in our evolution”, commented Townsend Underhill.
As part of the Stirling ownership, Justin will expand his role within the Company’s Development, Finance, and Acquisition functions and help lead the company in expanding its existing business plan, growth, profitability, and strong business connections.
“Justin has proven to be an exceptional leader within Stirling and our industry. And most importantly, he embodies our core values and is a role model for others, “stated Marty Mayer.
Justin is an active member of ICSC (Innovating Commerce Serving Communities), where he has served on their Scholarship Committee and Next Generation Leadership Network. Most recently, he was chosen as Marketplace Council Director for the Southeast Region. In 2020, Mr. Landry was awarded the prestigious CRE® credential by The Counselors of Real Estate®.
Stirling Properties Announces President and CEO Marty Mayer to Retire, Townsend Underhill Named Successor
Stirling Properties announces that after 36 years of service, President and CEO Marty Mayer will retire at the end of 2023. At that time, Stirling’s current President of Development and Partner, Townsend Underhill, will assume the role of President and CEO.
Since joining Stirling in 1986 and assuming the role of President in 2002 and CEO in 2006, Mayer has led Stirling through unprecedented growth, expansion, and diversification throughout the Gulf South.
“Leading Stirling Properties over the past 20 years has been one of the greatest honors and privileges of my lifetime,” Mayer stated. “I will be leaving Stirling with tremendous pride and satisfaction but also the utmost confidence in the company’s future and the great accomplishments yet to come.”
Townsend Underhill states, “Under Marty’s leadership, Stirling has grown and established a unique and outstanding culture, and it will be my top priority to ensure it continues in our organization. Marty’s legacy will live on at Stirling for many years. Our entire Organization is grateful for Marty’s visionary leadership, and we wish him the very best in this next chapter,”
“I am both humbled and honored to be asked to lead Stirling into the future by Marty and our fellow partners,” says Townsend Underhill. Since joining Stirling in 2007 and becoming a Partner in 2012, Townsend Underhill has been involved in most every facet of Stirling while overseeing the Development and Finance divisions. In Townsend’s current role as President of Development, Stirling’s product lines have diversified beyond retail and office to include healthcare, industrial, multi-family, single-family for rent, and more. “With Townsend as CEO and the extraordinary team in place, I am excited to see to what heights he leads Stirling into the next chapter,” stated Marty Mayer.
Over the next year, Mayer and Underhill, along with Stirling’s leadership team, will work together to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
New Orleans’ Growing Medical Corridor
The growing medical corridor in New Orleans is officially known as BioDistrict New Orleans, a state-enabled economic development district that was created by the State of Louisiana in 2005 for the purpose of developing a biosciences industry in New Orleans that will provide research and development, healthcare delivery, and stable, high-paying jobs. The 1,500-acre district spans the Downtown and Mid-City neighborhoods of New Orleans. The economic impact is estimated to be 22,000 new jobs in the city of New Orleans over the next eight to ten years, not only in biosciences, but also in banking, law, construction and other service industries that stand to benefit. The area’s major developments include:
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Project Legacy)
- Status: Under Construction
- Groundbreaking/Completion: June 2011/Late 2014, full activation 2015
- Site: 30 acres bounded by Tulane Avenue and Canal, S. Galvez & S. Rocheblave Streets
- Size: 1.6 million square feet with 2 additional 1,000-car garages; 200-bed complex will serve over 70,000 enrolled Veterans
- Cost: $995 million construction budget (fully funded)
- Jobs: 1,100 new employees
- University Medical Center
- Status: Site preparation work, construction to begin by year end
- Groundbreaking/Completion: April 2011/2015
- Site: 34 acres bounded by Canal & S. Galvez Streets and Tuland & South Claiborne Avenues
- Size: 2.2 million square feet, 424-bed public hospital to replace Charity Hospital
- Cost: $1.09 billion; state lawmakers approved funding September 2011
- Jobs: 5,280 new and saved jobs over first five years
- Part of collaborative complex with the new VA Medical Center (see above)
- Both will be key academic anchors for LSU, Tulane, Dillard, Xavier, SUNO, Delgado, and others throughout South Louisiana
- Louisiana Cancer Research Center
- Status: Under Construction
- Groundbreaking/Completion: April 2009/January 2012
- Site: Tulane & South Claiborne Avenues
- Size: Shared 175,000 square-foot, 10-story facility
- Cost: $90 million
- Developed by the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium, a partnership among LSU Health Sciences Center, Tulane Univerity, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Ochsner Health System
- New Orleans BioInnovation Center
- Status: Open & Operating
- Completed: June 2011
- Site: 1441 Canal Street
- Size: 66,000 square feet of state-of-the-art wet-lab, office and conference space
- Cost: $47 million
- To house biotech and life sciences entrepreneurs and startups, as well as support research at four area universities; housing about 200 employees from 80 companies at full capacity
- Critical link that turns university research into privately commercializable enterprises
- Five biotech start-ups and two venture captial firms have already moved into the building, and twelve more are on the way
- Ochsner Health System
- Relocating 500 to 750 employees to the CBD during the 1st Quarter 2012
- Moving executive, corporate and business functions (no medical care)
- 80,000 square feet on top 4 floors of the Benson Tower (enough room to grow to 1,000 employees)
- Signifies Ochsner’s growing presence in the local economy and New Orleans’ medical hub
For exciting leasing opportunities in the heart of this growing medical corridor, office spaces are available at the 1615 Poydras Street office building located directly across from the Superdome. Available spaces range from approximately 1,500 to 45,130 contiguous square feet. For more information contact Gaines Seaman at (504) 620-8187 or gseaman@stirlingprop.com.
New Office Park Coming to River Chase
In addition to the announcement of Sam’s Club and other exciting new retail tenants coming to River Chase Shopping Center in Covington, Louisiana, Stirling Properties is actively pre-leasing the first phase of the Offices at River Chase, a 42 acre office park that will feature a parking garage and is within walking distance to hotels, restaurants, banks, a theater, luxury apartments and over 945,000 square feet of retail.
Rendering
The 6-story, 157,400 square-foot premier, Class A office building will be the first of the five-building Offices at River Chase. Available spaces range from approximately 1,800 to 26,000 square feet per floor. The building will be built with state-of-the-art construction using the highest quality materials and will have LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The architectural firm is Wakefield, Beasley & Associates, a highly respected firm committed to designing environmentally responsible buildings all over the world. We are looking for 50% minimum preleasing prior to beginning construction. Stirling Properties will be developing, managing and leasing the buildings. For information about the Offices at River Chase contact Lee de la Houssaye, Leasing and Sales Associate for Stirling Properties, at ldelahoussaye@stirlingprop.com or call (985) 246-3774.
