Peace Arch News – Superstore site takes shape.

Public curiosity runs high as site clearing continues for the newest addition to Grandview Corners’ urbanized landscape – a planned Superstore and gas bar on the southeast corner of 24 Avenue and 160 Street in South Surrey.

Ontario-based Loblaw Companies Ltd. started work last month following approval of building permits for a 122,692-square-foot Real Canadian Superstore, plus gas bar and convenience store.

Timeline for completion of the project has not been announced by Loblaw, and project spokespeople were not available by Peace Arch News’ press time Monday.

The project has been in the works since 2005 when Loblaw first received zoning for the 20-acre site, which faces the Wal-Mart across 160 Street.

Read more: http://www.peacearchnews.com/business/201121561.html

After nearly 6 months on the market, 2999 Grandview Highway, a retail property fully leased to the Brick, has sold for $11,675,000, representing $330 per sq ft., and a 5.5% cap rate. The Brick occupies 35,000 SF on a long-term lease with options.The property is 1.45 acres and zoned CD for retail use. It is located on the North side of Grandview Highway near Renfrew Street.

An interesting article on some of the pioneers of the REIT world.  REITs have become like daytime talk shows, new ones pop up every week and for any sort of real estate asset class. 

Cohen & Steers Looking Beyond REITs and Real Estate.

From the Wall Street Journal (Big Players Cash Out of Hong Kong Property), note some of the similarities between the commercial price increases in Vancouver’s market and Hong Kong’s market.

HONG KONG — With the government growing confident that it has halted the meteoric rise in property prices, some of this city’s biggest real-estate investors are getting out.

Several of Hong Kong’s wealthiest families are planning initial public offerings of hotels, offices and other real-estate assets in coming months, while others are lowering prices on luxury apartments to entice buyers.

Fueled by low interest rates and a flood of money from wealthy Chinese, Hong Kong’s real-estate market has boomed, with residential prices up 120% and commercial real-estate prices up 90% since the start of 2008, according to government data.

Among the sellers is New World Development Co. Ltd., a conglomerate run by the Cheng family with interests ranging from hotels to offices to jewelry stores. The family hopes to raise up to $1 billion in an offering of some of its hotel properties, people familiar with the matter said. The company owns the city’s Grand Hyatt and other well-known hotels, but it’s not clear which properties would be included in the offering.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324789504578384220036108516.html

The Best Western Plus Abercorn Inn located at 9260 Bridgeport Road has sold. The 99 room hotel is located on the South side of Bridgeport directly across from Costco. The hotel sold for $13,492,000, or $136,000 per room.The building was built in the 80’s but was fully renovated in 2011. Colliers’ Hotel group brokered the deal.