Employment news dominated this week with several new hire announcements from companies throughout the Southwest region. Notably, Passco has expanded into new asset classes, growing its retail-focused strategy to include multifamily, self-storage, senior housing and self-storage. As a result, the firm hired Adriana Olsen and Andy Wang to its sales team. Also expanding its reach, brokerage firm Draper and Kramer Mortgage Corp. opened a new office in Calabasas. In addition to the employment news, acquisitions remained active as did the capital markets, with plenty of capital secured for development and acquisitions. Here's a look at this week's trends, announcements and deals that you may have missed in Southern California, Utah, Arizona and Nevada.

NEW & NOTABLE

LOS ANGELES—Savills Studley has hired Shawn Bakke to the firm's Capital Markets group as Senior Managing Director. He and Emily Mitchell, Client Coordinator, come to the company from Colliers International. Based in Savills Studley's downtown Los Angeles office, Bakke will provide investment advisory services to corporate clients, private equity sponsors and investors of single tenant retail properties on a national basis. Mr. Bakke will work closely with Maurice Neiman, Executive Managing Director, Capital Markets, who joined the firm with two colleagues in December of last year.

LOS ANGELES—Charles Dunn Company has named Michael Asarch as Director in its Century City office. In his new role, Asarch will continue to focus on the retail property sector and will join the firm's Net Leased Retail Group. Asarch comes to Charles Dunn Company from Colliers International where he served for three years in the National Retail Investments group. There he focused on business development and executed single and multi-tenant retail property transactions throughout the western United States.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge and is an active member with Urban Land Institute (ULI) and International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

IRVINE, CA—Richard Putnam has joined Kidder Mathews' Orange County office where he has been named a senior vice president. Putnam specializes in industrial and office investment sales throughout the West Coast. Putnam has over 29 years of commercial real estate experience in the West. Before joining Kidder Mathews, he led Colliers' Investment Services Group-West, was a managing director at DB Real Estate/RREEF, and before that, he was with Trammell Crow Company in Los Angeles, where he began his career. Putnam has a total career transaction volume of more than $6.8 billion, and he has been the lead broker on over 225 listed dispositions with over 425 completed transactions.

IRVINE, CA—KTGY Architecture + Planning has added Wil Wong, AIA, to its board of directors. Wong is a principal based in the firm's Irvine, California office. Wong joined KTGY in 2000 and is responsible for overseeing the design development, production and construction phase of the high-density residential and mixed-use studio of KTGY's Irvine office. With nearly three decades of experience in the field of architecture, Wong is highly experienced in a variety of residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. He has also worked with the International Code Council, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the California Department of Housing and Community Development to clarify building code requirements and code language for the benefit of clients and the building industry. Wong currently oversees the corporate quality standards program for all KTGY offices. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from University of California, Irvine, and is a licensed Architect in the states of California, Arizona and Colorado.

IRVINE, CA—Passco Companies has promoted Adriana Olsen and Andy Wang to SVP of the firm's Sales division. Passco Companies has focused on retail since its inception and has been extremely active within the multifamily sector for over the last decade. The firm plans to expand its portfolio this year into new product types including senior housing, industrial, and self-storage. The firm's in-place team will play a tremendous role in Passco's ongoing growth and that these promotions are demonstrative of the significant value Passco places on Olsen and Wang and their ability to aid in furthering this momentum. In her new role as Senior Vice President, Sales, Adriana is responsible for raising funds for DST 1031 properties and other investment vehicles, as well as overseeing registered representatives throughout the nation. Prior to joining Passco 15 years ago, Adriana served as a licensed Real Estate Agent with Prudential Real Estate. Her qualifications include FINRA series 7, 22, and 63 licenses and she holds Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware. As a Senior Vice President, Sales, Andy is responsible for sharing accurate and detailed information regarding the company's DST 1031 products, and builds and maintains strong relationships with broker dealers, clients, real estate agents, and other investors as well as being a principal for Passco's Managing Broker Dealer. Andy is a graduate of Baylor University.Prior to joining Passco, he gained experience in financial advising and consulting with Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley. He holds FINRA series 7, 24, 31, and 66 licenses.

CALABASAS, CA—Draper and Kramer Mortgage Corp. has opened a new Los Angeles-area branch in Calabasas. The location was previously the branch of a local mortgage lender, and Draper and Kramer Mortgage Corp. is retaining the branch manager, top-producing loan originators and some support staff. DKMC's Calabasas branch is managed by Daryl Wizelman, a 28-year veteran of the Los Angeles-area mortgage industry. Wizelman's extensive credentials include 17 years of experience as the owner and president of his own mortgage company, past leadership positions with several lenders in the region and an established name as a speaker, author, consultant and motivator.

SAN DIEGO—Taylor Design has expanded its San Diego team with the addition of Thomas Clark as senior project manager. Clark brings extensive experience in the education market to his role at Taylor Design. Clark joins the firm from Gafcon where he was a project manager for Palomar Community College responsible for construction management and facilities support. He also served as design project manager for RQ Construction, LLC. where he handled design-build for USMC facilities at Camp LeJeune, N.C. and a tactical operations facility at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., among others. Prior to that, Clark ran his own architectural consulting business specializing in design and planning services for various educational facilities.

IRVINE, CA—KTGY Architecture + Planning has added Kamran Charmsaz, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP, as a shareholder. Charmsaz, formerly an associate principal with KTGY, was also named a principal. Charmsaz is based in the firm's Tysons, Virginia office and joins other KTGY Tysons shareholders: Rohit Anand, AIA, NCARB, principal; and Smita Anand, AIA, principal. Charmsaz joined KTGY in 2013 and has more than 20 years of architectural experience and practice, both in the U.S. and internationally, encompassing a broad range of building types including residential, institutional, commercial and retail. Charmsaz leads his team through the comprehensive use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in his projects. He provides careful management and control of defined scopes, schedules and budgets, document handling procedures, prioritization and implementation of LEED design criteria. He graduated with both a Master's and Bachelor's degree in Architecture from the Iran University of Science and Technology and achieved the Canadian equivalency for a Master's degree at the University of Waterloo-Kitchener in Canada.

SAN DIEGO—Robin Lewis, a real estate industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience and a strong background in financial management, has joined the team at Presidio Residential Capital. In her new role, Lewis will perform a number of financial duties, both internally and in conjunction with Presidio's builder partners. She will provide financial oversight for projects with joint venture partners and lenders and act as a liaison between Presidio's asset managers and principals.

DEALTRACKER

SANTA CLARITA, CA—Colliers International has negotiated the sale of a 45,429-square- foot retail center in Santa Clarita to a private investor $9.8 million. Located at 23300-23314 Valencia Blvd., the property is situated in the heart of Santa Clarita's business-friendly retail hub and sold at a 6% cap rate, according to Colliers Executive Vice President David Maling who, along with Colliers Executive Vice President Chris Maling, represented the seller, DP Santa Clarita LLC, in the transaction. Built in 1973 and renovated in 2012, the 3.54-acre site is 100% leased to 99 Cents Only and Harbor Freight Tools. David Maling added that Santa Clarita's low property taxes, zero utilities tax and other business benefits make it an attractive location for operators and investors alike.

NEWPORT BEACH, CA—The Mogharebi Group has brokered the sale of a 52-unit

community, that is located on Southwest Birch Street. The property sold with multiple offers for a sale price of $18.5 million that equates to $355,769 per unit or $413 per square foot. The buyer was a private investor based out of Orange County. Mike Marcu of TMG represented the seller, a private investment group located in the San Gabriel Valley, and the Orange County based buyer.

SAN DIEGO—Colliers International San Diego Region has brokered the sale of a 60,431-square foot, flex industrial building located on 2.78-acres at 7720 Kenamar Court, San Diego, CA (92121) for $8.8 million. The property was fully leased at the time of the sale. Evan McDonald, SIOR of Colliers International San Diego Region represented the San Diego-based seller, Providence II Centerpointe, LLC. The San Diego-based buyer was 7720 KENAMAR CT HOLDINGS, LLC.

LOS ANGELES—An office building in Long Beach has traded hands for $13.35 million to Atlantic Pearl Investments, a high net-worth group based in Los Angeles. CBRE's Mark Shaffer, Anthony DeLorenzo, Gary Stache and Doug Mack, members of the firm's Investment Properties SoCal Team, represented the seller in the transaction, a Brookfield-sponsored private real estate fund. The 78,279 square-foot Long Beach property is a four-story office building, located at 1501 Hughes Way. It sold for $175 a square foot and was 88% occupied, featuring flexible floor plates, an updated lobby and a steel construction and glass façade. The site also has easy access to the 405/710 Freeway intersection.

LAS VEGAS—Dekel Capital has arranged financing on behalf of Moonwater Capital, founded by Ofir Hagay, for the acquisition of a 177,007-square-foot class-A office building located in the up and coming Northwest Las Vegas submarket. A $28.5 million first mortgage loan was funded by Prime Finance to acquire the property. The balance of the capitalization was funded through a joint-venture equity investment between Moonwater and an institutional private equity fund.

GLENDALE, CA—Dallas-based HALL Structured Finance has closed a new first lien construction loan totaling $17.6 million to finance the construction of an Aloft hotel in Glendale, California. The new six-story hotel is being developed by local developer Michael Tchakmakjian and is expected to open in May 2019. The Aloft Hotel will be an 85-key, full-service hotel and will feature a rooftop bar, ground-floor restaurant, fitness center and more than 2,000 square feet of meeting space. The project is located at Brand Boulevard and Dryden Street, and will be the only Marriott or Starwood-branded hotel product in Glendale.

IRVINE, CA—Integrity Housing and Tablerock Capital has completed the purchase of Manchester apartments in San Leandro, CA. The 44-unit property, located at 1919 Manchester Road, features 18 affordable homes reserved for low-income individuals and families earning up to 60 percent of the area median income, and 26 market-rate homes. The property joins Integrity's portfolio of investment properties, which are both environmentally friendly and affordable. Manchester has 16 one-bedroom, 27 two-bedroom, and one three-bedroom units. The community features laundry facilities, a central leasing office, and a resident courtyard.  Units include ceiling fans, a balcony or patio, walk-in closets, fully equipped kitchens, and exposed beams.  The transit-oriented development is located one mile from a Bay Area Rapid Transit station, and nine bus lines serve the neighborhood.  It is also close to numerous interstates, and popular shopping and entertainment districts. Tablerock Capital sought out Integrity Housing as a non-profit partner to purchase Manchester.  Tablerock Capital owns and manages affordable properties in Nevada.  Manchester is Tablerock's first purchase in California.  Integrity and Tablerock purchased the property at a below-market price, due to an expedited timeline and the non-performance of a previous buyer.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA—Quantum Capital Partners has arranged two construction loans totaling $54.5 million, for the development of a creative office building in Culver City, CA and a multifamily community in Walnut Creek, CA. Quantum secured $38 million in construction financing on behalf of Los Angeles-based Runyon Group for the third phase of PLATFORM, a 66,000-square-foot mixed used development in Culver City's Hayden Tract neighborhood. The 54-month loan is being used to finance the construction of a four-story mixed-use commercial building located at 8888 Washington Boulevard.  When completed in Summer 2019, the modern glass and concrete structure, being built by Millie and Severson General Contractors, will feature 60,000 square feet of office space above 6,000 square feet of street level retail and a three-level fully automated subterranean parking garage. The garage is designed to accommodate an above-market parking ratio of 3.47.

IRVINE, CA—Faris Lee Investments has brokered the $21 million sale of Southwood Village, a 66,958-square-foot neighborhood retail center in Torrance, Calif. Faris Lee's President and CEO Richard Chichester and Senior Managing Partner Donald MacLellan represented the seller, Los Angeles-based BIG Shopping Centers, USA. The South Bay-based buyer, a private investor who was in a 1031 exchange, was represented by Triwell Properties. Located at 22214-22252 and 22217-22251 Palos Verdes Blvd. and 5230 Sepulveda Blvd. on 5.52 acres, the property was originally built in the 1950s and was renovated in 2003. Southwood Village is 97 percent occupied with major tenants including Dollar Tree, ACE Hardware, Goodwill and Chevron.

LOS ANGELES—An office building in Riverside, CA has traded hands for $7.2 million to Providence Capital Group. Gary Stache, Anthony DeLorenzo, Doug Mack, Sammy Cemo, and Phillip Woodford of CBRE represented the seller Magnon Companies, a local real estate development company. Located at 1650 Spruce Street, the 58,312 square-foot building consists of five stories and features ample parking and two on-site restaurants. At the confluence of the 91 and 60 freeways, the property has great visibility and sits in proximity to 16 restaurants, six hotels as well as several grocery stores and banks. The building, constructed in 1989, features steel framing and a two-story atrium.

LAS VEGAS— Capital One has provided a $25 million loan for the acquisition of The Parkway, a 128,000-square-foot, Class A medical office building in Summerlin, Nevada, a suburb of Las Vegas. The borrower is The Stable Development Companies, a Las Vegas-based real estate firm that has developed 550,000 square feet of medical and professional office space. The transaction included a $5 million mezzanine loan from Kayne Anderson. Stable Development's services include commercial development, acquisitions, property management, real estate investment services and an architectural division. This is the company's second transaction with Capital One and its sixth medical office building.

BUILDING BLOCKS

BREA, CA—MORGAN has opened and started leasing efforts at Pearl La Floresta in Orange County, California. The five-story midrise, MORGAN's latest luxury apartment community in its portfolio and the first in Orange County to carry the Pearl brand, is a joint venture between MORGAN and Mesirow Financia. Centrally located within the 1,100-home master-planned community of La Floresta in Brea, Pearl La Floresta is adjacent to the newly constructed Village at La Floresta, which contains 87,000 square feet of retail, including a Whole Foods Market, numerous restaurants and lifestyle tenants. The new Pearl contains 204 apartments featuring custom high-end finishes in one-, two- and three-bedroom units, as well as a few live-work units. Upscale amenities include an oversized fitness center with a separate workout room offering Fitness on Demand, a rooftop sky lounge, a 24-hour cyber café, a resort-style swimming pool, barbecue grills, multiple dog wash stations, and 24/7 package lockers for convenient package pickup.