Jan 26, 2000

Callison takes to the slopes with Calif. resort projects

@NewsBriefs:Seattle-based Callison Architecture has been selected by Intrawest, the owner, developer and manager of resort properties, to provide architectural and interior design services for its newest project, The Village at Mammoth.

Located in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., the complex includes three multiple-story lodges with 265 residential units that surrounding pedestrian plazas and a gondola ski lift. More than 60,000 square feet of retail will front on the new plazas and existing arterial.

Construction is expected to begin in May of 2000 with completion scheduled for November 2001.

In addition to The Village at Mammoth, Callison, Intrawest and Mammoth Mountain are working together to build Juniper Springs Lodge, Eagle Lodge Base Camp and Sunstone Lodge in Mammoth Lakes. Juniper Springs Lodge is a 174-unit resort/condominium that includes a pool, sports facilities and meeting rooms. Eagle Lodge Base Camp is a skier day lodge consisting of retail and meeting space, restaurants and skier services. Sunstone Lodge is an all-season resort with 77-condominium units, pool and fitness center.

Jan 25, 2000

Unimark

Seattle-based Unimark has opened a subsidiary service and maintenance company called Servicemark Tenant Services. The new arm will perform service, repairs, maintenance and tenant improvements for businesses located in the Seattle area. It also will conduct building and staffing surveys. Tim Smith, who has 25 years of industry experience, has been hired as the general manager of Servicemark. He will be responsible for its marketing, operations and budgeting.

Jan 21, 2000

Opus Northwest

Opus Northwest has promoted Mike Ruhl to real estate director and hired Bill Bieber as senior project manager.

Ruhl joined Opus in April 1997 and has specialized in the development of both industrial and high-tech office space. He has helped develop, lease and sell projects, including Willows Commerce Park, the Canyon Park Industrial Center, the Glacier Cascade Business Center and the recent build-to-suit for Seattle Coffee Co. In his new role, he will continue to be responsible for completion of Opus projects in the greater Kent Valley, plus generate new industrial and office development opportunities in the Puget Sound region with a specific focus on South Seattle, Renton and the Kent Valley.

Bieber will oversee the development and construction of office buildings, business parks and commercial industrial and retail projects in the Puget Sound area. He also will oversee design and feasibility of new projects, including Quendall Landing, a 68-acre master planned development in Renton on Lake Washington, the Tacoma Convention Center with five associated development sites and the Pacific Steps project in Tacoma, which includes a 10-story office building with retail. Opus is one of three firms vying for the convention center project in Tacoma.

Servicemark Tenant Services

Chuck Clegern, president of Unimark Construction, has announced a new subsidiary service and maintenance company, Servicemark Tenant Services Inc., and has hired Tim C. Smith as Servicemark's general manager.

Servicemark will perform service, repairs, maintenance and tenant improvements for businesses in the Seattle area. It handles jobs ranging from hanging pictures to tenant improvements. It also is qualified to conduct building and staffing surveys. Located in downtown Seattle, Servicemark's goal is to respond to emergency calls within 20 minutes. Unimark, a subsidiary of Unico Properties, will continue to concentrate on large general contracting and tenant improvement projects.

During the World Trade Organization riots, the new company received many calls from individuals whose property had been vandalized. "The timing to launch Servicemark has been perfect," Smith said.

NAIOP

Two Puget Sound-area developers, Touchstone Corp. President Douglas Howe and Underwood Gartland Development Principal M. Shannon Underwood, have been appointed to NAIOP's Office Development II National Forum and the Industrial Development II National Forum, respectively. The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties created the forums to provide networking and experience exchange for senior-level NAIOP principal members.

Norris Beggs & Simpson

Craig Hill of Norris Beggs & Simpson represented GDA Real Estate Services of Englewood, Colo., in its purchase of the Intracorp Building in downtown Seattle at 2505 Second Ave. The 66,982-square-foot office building is fully leased. Norris Beggs & Simpson said the deal was complicated for two reasons: the building occupies a condominium interest in the land and the seller, Intracorp, completed a lease back from the buyer. The building sold for $12.8 million, or $195 per square foot.

North Coast Mortgage

North Coast Mortgage Co., has assumed the name of its parent company, L.J. Melody & Co. After its acquisition by L.J. Melody in February 1998, North Coast Mortgage continued to operate under its name to maximize its name recognition and facilitate a smooth transition. The transition is complete and both the Seattle and Portland offices now operate under L.J. Melody signage.

North Coast Mortgage Co., was one of the Northwest's largest mortgage banking firms with a servicing portfolio of about $1 billion and typical annual loan production of $350 million. L.J. Melody, a CB Richard Ellis company, is one of the largest real estate investment firms in the United States. In 1999, L.J. Melody arranged $6 billion in commercial real estate transactions nationwide. It is headquartered in Houston, operates in 28 metro markets and maintains an asset management portfolio of more than $13 billion.

Also, L.J. Melody recently arranged $42.8 million in fixed-rate financing for Carpenter's Tower Apartments in Seattle. Lois Townsend of L.J. Melody's Seattle office handled the transaction. The tower is a six-story building with more than 270 units, 10,000 square feet of retail space and a 6,000-square-foot union hall.

GMAC

GMAC Commercial Mortgage Corp., has arranged $10.5 million in financing for the Carkeek Apartments and QFC Shopping Center project, 9737 Holman Road, in Seattle. The borrower, F.R. McAbee, received a 7.95 percent fixed-rate permanent loan with a 25-year amortization for the complex. Carkeek Apartments is a new, 80-unit project that has been added to the renovated complex anchored by QFC. The overall complex comprises 61,350 square feet on 1.4 acres. GMAC Commercial Mortgage Vice President Stuart Oswald of the Seattle office arranged the transaction.

Affinity Corp. and LION Inc.

Affinity Corp., and LION Inc., the parent company of Lioninc.com, are forming a strategic partnership to facilitate online broker certification services for the mortgage industry. The agreement's goal is to bring the mortgage industry a step closer to a universal national standard for broker approval by wholesale lenders.

Affinity, based in West Hills, Calif., provides mortgage fraud prevention, broker management and electronic loan review services. Renton-based Lioninc.com provides online business-to-business products, including Internet products for the mortgage industry.

Lioninc.com will add Affinity's Third Party Originator (TPO) Certification Program to its Web site: http://www.lioninc.com. This will provide LION's member brokers a means to become approved by lenders. Brokers will be able to download and fill out the TPO Certification Application, attach documents and submit it to Affinity with a one-time enrollment fee. Affinity will review the file, pull the credit report, certify the package as complete and assign the broker a universal nine-digit number.

Affinity will add Lioninc.com's URL to its EnGarde software browser. EnGarde users will have the ability to access Lioninc.com without leaving the program.

Lend Lease Real Estate Investments

Sheryl K. Pressler has stepped down as chief investment officer of the California Public Employees Retirement System to become chief executive officer of Lend Lease Real Estate Investment Inc., according to Inman News. Lend Lease, the U.S. subsidiary of a global real estate investment firm traded on the Australian Stock Exchange, has been active in the Seattle market. It was involved in one of the biggest deals of 1999 when it bought from Bentall nearly half interest in the U.S. Bank Centre in downtown Seattle for $130.298 million.

Pinnacle Realty Management

Seattle-based Pinnacle Realty Management Co., recently brokered two apartment transactions totaling more than $20 million. Jo Maynard, Jeff Gilson and Tim Campbell represented seller, Equity Residential, in the $7 million sale of the 82-unit Metropolitan Park, 601 S. Washington St., in Seattle to Metropolitan Park LP. Campbell and Gilson also closed the $13.8 million sale of Factoria Heights, a 145-unit property in Bellevue at 13180 S.E. Newport Way. Campbell and Gilson represented the seller, American Investment Management Co., of Tokyo. The buyers were Factoria Heights LLC. In addition to brokering the deals, Pinnacle will continue to manage both properties.