First Quarter 2010

Greater Washington Commercial Association of Realtors® 15th Annual Commercial Awards

GWCAR named its top agents in finance, development, sales, and leasing for 2009 at the Fifteenth Annual Commercial Awards Dinner on Thursday, March 25 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. John C. Alexander of AMR Commercial achieved Multi-Million Dollar Leasing Club Winner (15 year Qualifying Life Member) and Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club Winner (6 year Qualifying Life Member), and ranked 8th as Top Maryland Sales Agent.

SunTrust Renews 20,000 Square Feet in Rockville

John C. Alexander of AMR Commercial recently represented Atlanta based SunTrust Bank in the renewal of 20,000 square feet of office space at 1445 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD.

InsersoLeases 8,000 Square Feet in West End

Government Contractor Inserso, Inc., represented by Mark Rittenberg of AMR Commercial, leased approximately 8,000 square feet at 919 18thStreet, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Giant Food Renews 55,000 Square Feet in Bethesda

John C. Alexander represented landlord Capital Properties in the renewal of a 55,000 square foot Giant Food store in Bethesda, MD.

Atlantic Realty Sells More Units at Quince Tree

Handwriting Without Tears purchased two condominium units at 806 West Diamond Avenue, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Bill Montrose and Mark Rittenberg represented Seller, Atlantic Realty. The sale brings the total number of units sold in the project to 22.

Rite Aid Renews at Westwood Shopping Center

John C. Alexander represented landlord Capital Properties in the renewal of a 9,500 square foot Rite-Aid Pharmacy at the Westwood Shopping Center in Bethesda, MD.

Zachary Dubin has been promoted to Senior Associate. Mr. Dubin specializes in office and retail leasing and sales and has been with AMR Commercial since August 2008.

December 2009
AMR COMMERCIAL, LLC. was the sole broker in the $7,575,000 sale of a 16 acre site located at 6631 – 6655 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsivlle, Maryland. The property will go through an extensive renovation and will be the home of Mercedes-Benz of Baltimore in 2010. The purchaser was Rafih Automotive Group, Inc. and the seller was H-K Real Estate Holdings, Inc., an entity of Antwerpen Automotive.

October 2009
AMR COMMERCIAL, LLC. is proud to be a Silver Medalist Sponsor for the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington's Home Run 10K/5K and Fun Run Sunday, October 18 in Rockville, Maryland. The Home Run 10K/5K and Fun Run is a community event to raise money for the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington and the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes.

The following excerpt has been taken from the Montgomery Newsletter, an independent, bi-weekly newsletter on real estate development:

10/12/2009

“…An ambulatory surgery center is locating at 1330 Piccard Drive. The Piccard Surgery Center took 7,000 square feet recently at the Alexandria Real Estate-owned building. The surgery center is one of the dozens of locations opened by Surg Center Development. The 131,000 foot Rockville building has about 16,000 feet of second floor lab space available, as well as 7,500 feet of shell space. AMR Commercial brought the tenant...”

June 2009
AMR COMMERCIAL, LLC. is proud once again to be the Presenting Sponsor for The Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce's 7th Annual Real Estate Update on June 12th.
Keynote Speakers will include Royce Hanson, Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board as well as Steve Silverman, new Montgomery County Director of Economic Development.

May 2009
BETHSADA, MD- Montgomery County, Maryland recently opened a liquor store in The Shoppes of Bethesda located at 4920 Hampden Lane.  The County has signed a 10-year lease with Draiman Properties for 5,000 square feet previously occupied by Rocky's Video.
Tyke Papanicolas, Sr. Vice President, represented the Tenant and Mark Rittenberg, Principal, represented the Landlord in this transaction.

January 2009
AMR COMMERCIAL, LLC, established in 1994, proudly celebrates 15 years of service. 
The following excerpt has been taken from the Montgomery Newsletter, an independent, bi-weekly newsletter on real estate development:
1/19/2009 - United Therapeutics Is King of the Corner
Checkmate.  United Therapeutics has claimed all four corners of the intersection of Spring Street and Cameron Street in Silver Spring.
The firm, which is building a new headquarters at the intersection, settled two transactions recently that gave it control of the final corner, at 1015 Spring.  It bought a 17,000 square foot medical building sitting on just about half an acre of C-O ground for $3.23 million.  Then it acquired a pair of adjacent wooded lots, zoned residential and totaling 15,381 square feet, for $560,150.
UT is one of the county's biotech golden boys... and is now mid-way through a program that will include a sky-high walkway connecting two buildings on either side of Cameron Street.  Ultimately it plans about 190,000 square feet at its urban campus.  Bill Montrose of AMR Commercial brokered the two deals...

October / November 2008
THE FOLLOWING EXCERPTS have been taken from the Montgomery Newsletter, an independent, bi-weekly newsletter on real estate development:
11/10/2008 - Bethesda Condo Sells
A condo office unit at 'Main and Main' in Bethesda traded for $449.80 a foot.
The Mark Lai 7508 Wisconsin Avenue, LLC paid $1.40 million for one of the units at 7508 Wisconsin, close to the Bethesda Metro and near the intersection with Old Georgetown.
...Bill Montrose of AMR Commercial brokered the deal.
10/27/2008 - Contractor Makes Six-Unit Condo Buy
Government contractor and tech firm AINS Inc. picked up six condominiums in 806-818 West Diamond Avenue in Gaithersburg.
The firm paid $2.4 million for 9,195 square feet of office space and a small storage unit in the Gaithersburg project, or about $265 per square foot.
Seller Atlantic Realty, now about 50 percent sold out, has beefed up the lobby, landscaping and common areas during its tenure.  AINS moved from 1355 Piccard Drive, and settled the deal in the midst of the lending freeze.  It financed the acquisition with a loan from BB&T.  Bill Montrose and Mark Rittenberg of AMR Commercial brokered the deal.

September 2008
AMR COMMERCIAL, LLC. has brokered land parcels in excess of 85,000 square feet in Greater Bethesda for the JBG Companies.  This assemblage will yield an approximate 400,000 - 500,000 square feet of mixed use development.  The land and buildings encompassed the following properties and four different ownership groups: 7900 Wisconsin Avenue (Aldon-Gerber Partnership); 8003 Woodmont Avenue (Chin Partnership); 7938-7944 Wisconsin Avenue, 8000 and 8002 Wisconsin Avenue, 8011 Woodmont Avenue (Plank Incorporated); and 8013 Woodmont Avenue, 8004 Wisconsin Avenue, and 8006 Wisconsin Avenue (Surplus Associates Limited Partnership).
Jack Alexander, President of AMR Commercial, LLC., and Senior Vice Presidents Arthur Benjamin and Tyke Papanicolas have worked on this assemblage for over five (5) years.

August 2008
AMR COMMERCIAL, LLC. is pleased to announce that Zachary Dubin has joined our firm as Associate.

July 2008
AMR COMMERCIAL, LLC. Lists the Eugene B. Casey Building
 Gaithersburg, MD – Casey Management, Inc. has chosen AMR Commercial, LLC. to be its exclusive leasing agent for the Eugene B. Casey Building located at 800 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The 65,000 square foot Class A office building, built in 1990, features an on-site fitness center, café with outdoor seating and secured covered parking.
Mark Rittenberg and Rick Kelly will be handling the assignment.   
  

April 2008
AMR COMMERCIAL, LLC. Brokers Two Sales
Washington, D.C. - Bethesda, Maryland based AMR Commercial, LLC. brokered two multi-family transactions in Northwest Washington, D.C. totaling over $22 Million.  A private investment group has acquired "The Sedgewick," an 89-unit apartment building at 1722 19th Street, N.W., for $13.35 Million.  The same group also purchased "The Shelbourne," a 63-unit apartment building at 1631 S Street, N.W., for $8.7 Million.  Calomiris Group Limited Partnership was the seller.
James "Tyke" Papanicolas with AMR Commercial, LLC. was the sole broker in both transactions.

February 2008
THE FOLLOWING EXCERPS have been taken from the Montgomery Newsletter, an independent, bi-weekly newsletter on real estate development:
2/18/2008 - IPM Claims Ex-FDA Space
...In other activity, an investor bought 12022 Parklawn Drive and will occupy the bulk of it.  Hess Properties LLC, headed by Thom Hess, paid $3.05 million for the 13,400 square foot Rockville building and will install ACM Services in it.  The building breaks down into about 10,100 feet of office and 3,300 feet of warehouse.  About 4,000 feet of office space will remain available.  Rick Kelly of AMR Commercial represented Hess and will handle the remaining leasing duties...
2/4/2008 - Second Avenue Building Going Condo
A new project will try to tap into the demand for office condominiums in Silver Spring.  Paying $5.5 million, Symmetry LLC bought 8611 Second Avenue and will convert it to owner occupied units.  The approximately 26,000 square foot building sits just off Spring Street, next to the new headquarters underway for Easter Seals...  AMR Commercial's Bill Montrose, who represented Second Genesis... said that bidding for the building was strongest among users and condo redevelopers...

January 2008
AMR COMMERCIAL, LLC. is pleased to announce that Brian Wood has been promoted to Senior Associate.
AMR Commercial, LLC. is pleased to have been chosen by The CORE Network (www.corenetwork.com) to be its Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. network partner.
The CORE Network is an over seventy (70) member strong network of locally owned commercial real estate companies located across the country and internationally that are selected to provide local expertise to member clients on a regional, national and international basis.