Real Estate Weekly: Garrett land auction set, Riderwood sets fast pace, personnel and leases

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Garrett land auction set

A public auction of 126 acres in Garrett County was announced by Frederick-based Rawlings Auction, Appraisal & Realty LLC. The property has many established old logging roads, a creek and a pond, and partially adjoins the Savage River State Forest. It is zoned residential and could be subdivided into home sites. Rawlings is taking online bids, starting Friday through July 21. The highest bid received online will become the opening bid for a live auction at the site at 3 p.m. on July 22. For more information on the property or how to register to bid online, go to www.rawlingsauctionservice.com or call 301-473-5796.

Another Freshii ‘unwrapping’

Freshii, a Chicago-based fast-casual restaurant chain with 60 locations worldwide, announced it will open its second restaurant in Baltimore in two months. The new eatery will open on Tuesday in a previously unused space, totaling about 1,400 square feet, at 30 Light St. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Councilman William Cole IV and Freshii founder and CEO Matthew Corrin are expected to be present at the company’s downtown debut. In June, Freshii opened a store in a former florist’ shop in Charles Village. Both restaurants feature a menu of salads, wraps, rice bowls, yogurts and soups. Freshii is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and off-site catering is available for parties, meetings, receptions and special events.

Riderwood sets a fast pace

Riderwood, a continuing care retirement community in Silver Spring, announced settlements on 82 apartment homes during the first six months of 2011, marking a 23 percent increase over the corresponding period last year. Officials attributed the accelerated pace to several factors, including an on-site realty service, a newly instituted flexible pricing policy, and greater use of Internet technology. Also, officials said, Riderwood residents are taking an increasingly active role in the retirement community’s marketing efforts through luncheons and dinners that feature closer interaction than ever before with prospective residents. With nearly 3,000 residents, Riderwood is the nation’s largest continuing care retirement community. Its 120 acres span Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Riderwood is managed by Erickson Living, a company that was created after its former owner, Erickson Retirement Communities of Catonsville, entered bankruptcy in 2009 and was subsequently acquired by Hanover-based Redwood Capital Investments LLC.

Popular Towson restaurant to be rebuilt

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz is slated to join Charles Village Pub owners Rick Bielski, Eric Wagner and Melanie Wagner on Friday for a groundbreaking to launch reconstruction of the popular downtown Towson restaurant that was destroyed in a January 2011 fire. Long a popular spot for business people, families, sports teams and local college students, the owners are rebuilding the pub with larger space and more amenities, including a rooftop deck above an outdoor patio. With the expansion, CVP hopes to grow from 38 employees to between 50 and 60.

PERSONNEL

Michael A. Bednarczyk has joined Rockville-based Forrester Construction Co. as senior vice president, project management operations. Bednarczyk has more than 25 years of operational experience in the commercial real estate industry. In his new post, Bednarczyk will work to develop Forrester Construction’s private sector building work, and will be responsible for project management operations.

The Hogan Cos. of Annapolis announced the addition of Steven J. McAdams as a senior associate. McAdams will focus on sales and marketing for the land and commercial brokerage company, and will assist with valuations, bank asset solutions and lender services. McAdams has more than 20 years of experience in real estate. He was the founder, owner and president of Residential Appraisal Service, where since 1993 he managed a team of 15 appraisers and completed more than 20,000 appraisals. He is serving his third term as a commissioner on the Maryland Real Estate Appraisers and Home Inspectors Commission.

St. John Properties Inc., a Baltimore-based real estate development and management company, has promoted Christina Berzins to vice president, contracts and acquisitions. Berzins has worked for the company since 2004. In her new position, she will be responsible for the completion of new land and property acquisition activities, as well as overseeing all contract negotiations. She is the primary liaison with outside legal counseling firms and works directly with the St. John Properties sales, leasing and marketing teams.

LEASES

Cushman & Wakefield announced that Oceaneering International Inc. has signed a lease for 67,791 square feet in the Preston Gateway Corporate Park in Anne Arundel County, expanding its premises to 114,478 square feet. The 1.1 million-square-foot warehouse complex is 97.5 percent leased. Michael A. Elardo, managing senior director, and Brian Kruger, associate, of Cushman & Wakefield’s Industrial Services Group represented the owner, Prudential Real Estate Investors, in the transaction. According to its website, Oceaneering International is a global oilfield provider of engineered services and products primarily to the offshore oil and gas industry, with a focus on deepwater applications.

Merritt Properties LLC of Woodlawn reported that EU Enterprises LLC, a commercial glass and door sales and installation company, has rented 2,700 square feet of warehouse and office space at Curtis Business Center, 703 Ordinance Road, in Anne Arundel County. Merritt’s team of Jamie Campbell, Liz Tarran-Jones, Vince Bagli and Steve Shaw represented the owner in the lease negotiations.