Acquisition of 400,000 Square Foot Lifestyle Center in South Florida

A nationally recognized lifestyle developer turned to Dinsmore when it sought to purchase a 400,000-square foot lifestyle center in South Florida near the I-75 corridor just southwest of Fort Lauderdale. An affiliate of Duke Realty was seeking to divest itself of retail holdings as part of its asset allocation strategy. Serving as buyer’s counsel, we first structured a joint venture on behalf of our long-time client, Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate, which together with a Heitman real estate entity, served as the buyer of the center, known as the Shops at Pembroke Gardens. Next, on behalf of the joint venture purchaser, we handled the real estate components including managing the due diligence and the closing of the transaction, as well as negotiating and drafting the purchase contract, various ECR and escrow agreements. Years earlier, Dinsmore had been responsible for the initial lease-up of the center and successfully negotiated leases with a variety of desirable lifestyle tenants, such as Sur La Table, White House/Black Market, Ann Taylor, Talbots, bebe, Z Gallerie, Chicos, BCBG, Barnes & Noble, Sephora, DSW, Victoria’s Secret, and Brio and Brimstone restaurants. Our extensive experience in serving as project counsel for lifestyle and shopping center projects throughout the country ensured that the buyer was able to proceed in an efficient and timely manner, thereby ensuring the achievement of its transactional objectives.