Crossman & Company Associates take Top Honors at Central Florida Commercial Association of Realtors (CFCAR) Hallmark Awards

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Associates at Crossman & Company, the Orlando commercial real estate firm that ranks as one of the largest retail leasing and management firms in the southeast, took top honors in the Central Florida Commercial Association of Realtors (CFCAR) 2011 Hallmark Awards recently.

John Crossman, President of Crossman & Company, said Associate Whitaker Leonhardt was named CFCAR’s rookie of the year. Leonhardt, who joined Crossman in 2009, negotiated leasing and sales transactions in 2010 that totaled more than $6 million. The award, presented by 2010 Rookie of the Year recipient and Crossman & Company Senior Associate Daniel Germano, is the second Rookie of the Year award Leonhardt has achieved this year. In March he was presented with the same award by the Orlando Chapter of NAIOP.

Justin Greider, Vice President/Director of Leasing, was honored as the region’s top producer in the retail properties category. Greider, who joined Crossman in 2008, negotiated retail property sales and lease transactions that totaled more than $17 million in 2010. Greider was also named the Top Overall Retail Producer by the Orlando Chapter of NAIOP last month as well.

Greider’s retail transactions were enough to earn him a seventh place ranking among overall top producers in Central Florida.

Three other Crossman & Company officers and associates were named top 10 producers in the retail properties category, Crossman said.

Courtney Kowalchuk, Vice President of Leasing, who ranked fourth; Associates Katherine Rush, seventh and Leonhardt, eighth. Senior Associate Daniel Germano also received the Circle of Achievement award.

“I am thrilled with the accomplishments our team achieved in a very challenging market. We are looking forward to a strong 2011,” Crossman said.

About Crossman & Company:

Crossman & Company is one of the largest third-party retail leasing and management companies in the Southeast with over 16 million square feet under leasing and/or management. Founded in Orlando in 1990, Crossman & Company is a full service commercial real estate firm that advises its clients in leasing, management, development and investment sales of retail and office properties and serves clients including Publix Super Markets, Inc., Lake Nona, PREIT, and LaSalle Investment Management. Please visit www.crossmanco.com, or call 407-423-5400 for more information.

Squash Anyone? University Club of Orlando to open Central Florida’s third Squash Court May 15

ORLANDO, Fla. ---The University Club of Orlando will open Central Florida area’s third squash court on May 15.

Susan Greene, general manager of The University Club of Orlando, said growing demand for regulation squash courts by Orlando-area players and the rise of international squash clubs prompted the University Club to consider installing a regulation court.

Greene said the University Club is converting one of its racquetball courts for regulation squash play.

Squash, which traces its earliest roots to 12th century French monks, was refined by aristocratic debtors incarcerated at Fleet Prison in Great Britain in the 17th century and offers as many traditional peculiarities as golf.

St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire opened the first American squash court in 1884. Thirty years later, adherents formed the United States Racquets Assn. (USSRA), now known as U.S.-Squash in Philadelphia.

The sport is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and narrowly missed being included in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The IOC overlooked squash again for the 2016 Olympic games in favor of golf.

“Squash is a superb sport with an avid following,” Greene said. “We are proud to be able to offer it at the University Club.”

Principal of Newmark Knight Frank’s Southeast Capital Markets Group, Whitney Knoll, heads Retail Panel at Interface Retail in Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga. --- Whitney Knoll, principal for Newmark Knight Frank’s Southeast Capital Markets Group, told an audience of real estate investors, brokers and developers gathered in Atlanta that Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) will play an increasingly important role in the retail development industry as the U.S. economy improves.

Knoll headed a panel of experts discussing the impact of REITs on economic development in the southeast U.S. at the Interface Retail: Atlanta conference sponsored by professional trade journals Shopping Center Business and Southeast Real Estate Business.

While the retail development industry’s recovery from the recession has been slow and new construction reflects slow residential growth, retail equity partners have been actively pursuing acquisitions of well-positioned retail facilities throughout the southeastern U.S., Knoll said.

“Retail equity participation is weathering a severe credit crunch and an evolving debt market,” Knoll said. “REITs have emerged as a principal source of liquidity in both debt and equity capital fundraising as investors and developers seek other means of financing projects,” he said.

Knoll, who is responsible for initiating retail investment sale transactions and capital markets transactions for Newmark Knight Frank’s Southeast Capital Markets Group, ranks as one of the leading retail property brokers in the Southeast, with career transactions that total more than 3.3 million square feet of commercial space valued at approximately $3.3 billion.

Knoll’s panel, “Meet the Retail REITs: Hear From the Equity Players in 2011,” included Richard H. Carson, Regional Vice President for New Development and Acquisitions at Weingarten Realty Investors; Mike Cohn, Executive Vice President for Retail Investments, Leasing & Asset Management at Cousins Properties, Inc.; Bob Mitzel, Regional President for Southeast and North Florida at Equity One; and Will Ponder, Vice President of Investments at Edens & Avant.

ICI HOMES’ PALENCIA OPENS NEW SWIM AND FITNESS CENTER

St. Augustine, Fla. – ICI Homes recently hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for a brand the new Swim & Fitness Center located at Palencia, a private community located in St Augustine.

David Haas, ICI’s chief development officer, said ICI Homes constructed the 9,050 square foot facility which houses state of the art fitness equipment, group exercise area and an outdoor swim facility built to the accredited standards for aspiring athletes wishing to qualify for national competition.

On hand for the celebration was ICI Homes Owner/Chairman Mori Hosseini, along with ICI Homes staff and others affiliated with the project including developers, architects, county officials, engineers, bankers and other partners of the endeavor.

“This eight-lane competition swim facility is another feather in Palencia’s cap,” said Haas. “It is an excellent resource for local families, and because of its accreditation, the Swim Center will attract athletes from all over the state,” he added.

The new facility is located adjacent to the new Bella Terra neighborhood at the northern end of the community. ICI Homes features custom new home packages starting in the mid $300s.

For more information, see www.ICIHomes.com or call 904-810-0500.

Pulte Homes reports sale of 10+ new homes at Trillium in Brooksville, will open new phase in May

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. --- Pulte Home reported it sold more than 10 new single-family homes since Jan. 1 at Trillium, located off Trillium Blvd. in Brooksville off County Line Road east of the Suncoast Parkway.

Sean Strickler, vice president of sales and marketing for Pulte Homes in Central Florida, said Trillium offers three and four bedroom single family homes that range in size from 1,265 to 1,981 square feet with two-car garages priced from $99,990. Strickler said Pulte plans to open a new phase at Trillium in May with 56 home sites.

“We have seen a marked increase in sales activity and we’re looking forward to a very busy summer,” Strickler said.

He added that an improving U.S. economy and pent up demand from retiring baby boomers will help drive the housing market in the Brooksville region.

“Starting in May, more than 1,500 people will celebrate their 65th birthday every day on average,” Strickler said.

Visit www.pulte.com/tampa or call 352-797-8183.

About Pulte Homes

Award-winning Pulte Homes communities are designed to deliver the best quality of life for home owners. By combining innovative life-enhancing designs, an unwavering commitment to quality and attention to detail, Pulte Homes is the nation’s premier home brand for upwardly mobile home buyers in 26 states and the District of Columbia. As the most awarded homebuilder in customer satisfaction, Pulte Homes has ranked tops in the annual JD Power and Associates® New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Studysm more than 75 times since 2000. For more information about Pulte Homes, visit www.pultehomes.com.

About PulteGroup

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE: PHM) based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., is America’s premier home building company with operations in 67 markets, 29 states and the District of Columbia. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2010, the Company has an unmatched capacity to meet the needs of all buyer segments through its brand portfolio that includes Pulte Homes, Centex Homes and Del Webb. As the most awarded homebuilder in customer satisfaction, the brands of PulteGroup have consistently ranked among the nation’s top homebuilders as surveyed by third-party, independent national customer satisfaction studies.

For more information about PulteGroup, Inc. and PulteGroup brands, see www.pultegroup.com; www.pulte.com; www.centex.com; www.delwebb.com