Newsline

A consortium consisting of the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), MGX and BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) have announced plans to acquire 100 percent of the equity in Aligned Data Centers from private infrastructure funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management and its co-invest partners.

As occupier and investor preferences shift toward higher-quality, sustainable assets, the financial gap for outdated buildings continues to widen — placing mounting pressure on the market to act. Across major global markets, 84 percent of office and 73 percent of industrial and logistics stock is more than a decade old, creating acute obsolescence risk in established real estate hubs, according to JLL data.

SL Green Realty Corp. has entered into a contract to acquire Park Avenue Tower, located at 65 East 55th St., for $730.0 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Bungalow Projects, a real estate development firm focused on creating production hubs for episodic, film, and digital content creation, and Bain Capital Real Estate have closed $304 million in construction financing to support the development of Echelon Studios, two high-end film and television production studios in Brooklyn.

Since its founding in 2005, Harrison Street has deployed $23.8 billion across 419 properties, establishing itself as one of the leading investors in alternative real assets. In this interview, Mike Gordon, global CIO of Harrison Street Asset Management, discusses the lessons learned from scaling across different markets over nearly two decades, the importance of process discipline and partner selection, and how these experiences shape the firm’s investment strategy today. He also shares his perspective on the evolving student housing landscape — from market selection and risk management to demographic shifts, international demand, and the growing influence of technology on higher education.

For professional investment managers, every decision lives at the intersection of two competing disciplines: conviction and detachment. Both are essential, yet they pull in opposite directions. Conviction drives us to act boldly: to seize opportunity, to lead capital toward the future we believe in. Detachment demands calm: to test assumptions, accept uncertainty, and walk away when the facts no longer fit.

The Asia Pacific commercial real estate market is currently experiencing several favorable cyclical and structural shifts, along with the interest rate cut cycle.

Despite questions in early 2025 about sustained artificial intelligence (AI) demand and warnings of potential market corrections, North America’s data center sector has emerged stronger than ever to finish out the year.

The Southeast and Greater London office market has recorded its highest volume of first quarter through third quarter take up since 2019, amid occupier activity to secure requirements given ongoing supply constraints, according to Knight Frank.

The Davis Cos. has launched a joint venture with New York-based Tribeca Investment Group (TIG) to execute a comprehensive capital investment and improvement plan at 630 Third Avenue.

CBRE Investment Management (CBRE IM), on behalf of a fund sponsored by the firm’s direct real estate strategies division, has acquired Parque Corredor, a leading regional shopping center located in the eastern metropolitan area of Madrid from Redevco and Ares.

Schroders has sold of One Lyric Square, a prominent office headquarters in the heart of Hammersmith, a district of West London, England, to French SCPI IROKO ZEN.

Principal Asset Management has completed its first acquisition in Poland for LOG IN, the European logistics and industrial fund managed by Theoreim.

Vantage Data Centers has expanded its Italian footprint to include a second campus in Milan.

Rockpoint has acquired The Morgan Provost Square, a class A apartment community located in the Waterfront submarket of Jersey City, N.J. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Germany’s residential investment market saw a strong recovery in 2024, reaching €42.5 billion ($49 billion) in transaction volume, a 29 percent year-over-year increase.

JLL’s Capital Markets Group has arranged a $1.2 billion refinancing package for NorthPark Center, a class A++ super-regional shopping center in Dallas.

Blackstone and Lunate, an Abu Dhabi–based global investment management firm with more than $110 billion in assets under management, have formed a partnership to invest in logistics assets across the Gulf Cooperation Council region (GCC).

H.I.G. Capital has established a new Italian self-storage platform, following the completion of its first five acquisitions in Italy.

PGIM’s real estate business has partnered with Pithos to build out a portfolio of self-storage assets in Spain.