Link Apartments® Expands to California Providing Future Rental Housing Opportunities

Grubb Properties Launches Grubb Real Estate Fund VII,
Opens San Jose Office


Fund focuses on essential housing, addressing a crucial housing shortage facing America

CHARLOTTE, NC (April 6, 2021) – Grubb Properties, a leading vertically integrated commercial real estate firm, today announced the launch of the Grubb Real Estate Fund VII. In addition, Grubb Properties has opened a corporate office in San Jose, CA, to facilitate new acquisitions and developments in the western United States, including previously announced developments in Denver, CO, and Los Angeles, CA.

Following on the success of Funds I-VI, the Grubb Real Estate Fund VII will focus on multi-family opportunities primarily through Grubb’s Link ApartmentsSM brand. Through strategic site selection and creative development and design methods, Link ApartmentsSM communities fill the gap between affordable and luxury housing, a sector the company terms “essential housing.”

 

A Middle-Class Housing Crisis Presents Opportunities

With a 3.7-million-unit housing shortfall in the U.S. and demand expected to exceed supply until the 2030s, middle class Americans are facing an unprecedented housing crisis. The median new home price now exceeds $345,000 and the average apartment rent has reached $1476 per month, putting both options out of reach for many middle-income workers. At the same time, construction and land costs continue to rise, limiting new construction and available supply.

Grubb Properties addresses this crisis through its Link ApartmentsSM brand, the primary strategy driving Grubb Real Estate Fund VII. Link ApartmentsSM communities focus on key elements that make residents feel like they aren’t forced to compromise on quality, while also driving efficiencies to maximize returns for investors. Targeted to residents earning from 60% to 140% of average median income (AMI), Link ApartmentsSM occupy a unique space in Grubb’s target markets.

Link ApartmentsSM are designed with an eye toward environmental stewardship. All buildings are National Green Building Standard certified, and many feature electric vehicle charging stations and proximity to bikeways. Grubb Properties is a leader in transit-oriented design, seeking out locations near major transit hubs or greenways to limit the need for parking, and/or creating shared parking models between the residential and commercial components of developments.

Utilizing a proprietary model for site selection, Grubb Properties seeks out locations near major fixed employment centers, including universities, government offices, and medical centers, in cities that have proven to be resilient to economic shocks. This careful approach has proven to be successful as the nation emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“By focusing on essential housing in resilient markets, and working closely and compassionately with residents, Grubb Properties is coming out of the pandemic well-positioned to take advantage of the many opportunities we see in the market,” said Clay Grubb, CEO of Grubb Properties. “Our process was put to the test over the past year and we came through with flying colors.”

 

New San Jose Office Reinforces National Scope

To facilitate Grubb Properties’ expanding footprint, the firm has also announced a new corporate office in San Jose, CA. Located at 777 North First Street, the San Jose office will enable Grubb to establish an on-the-ground presence in the western United States.

“This move reflects our company’s growth and all the success we have found with our essential housing strategy,” said Grubb. “We are now seeing generational buying opportunities in gateway markets such as Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and our San Jose office will best position us to take advantage of this moment.”

 

About Grubb Properties

Grubb Properties, founded in 1963, creates exceptional real estate environments and provides premier customer service for our residents and tenants through the repositioning of office buildings and the development of multifamily communities under our nationally registered Link ApartmentsSM brand. Our fully integrated management team identifies strategies that create long-term value for our clients. Grubb Properties’ growth is primarily funded through real estate investment funds with long-term horizons. Perspective drives performance. For more information, visit www.grubbproperties.com.

Grubb Properties has received numerous sustainability designations and recognitions, and undergoes annual ESG assessments through GRESB. Clay Grubb’s book, “Creating the Urban Dream,” was published by Forbes Books in 2020.

 

Media Contact:

Emily Ethridge, Corporate Communications Manager, eethridge@grubbproperties.com, (704) 405-5148

Link Apartments® Montford Unveils Contemporary Art

ARTIST GEORGIE NAKIMA

The geometric themes in Georgie’s work preludes to the connection between science and art itself. Self-taught, Nakima began painting conceptual abstract designs to pay homage to the Diaspora while accenting nature and biodiversity. After going to Northwest School of the Arts, she attended Winston-Salem State University with the intention to explore natural science and biology. Today, she uses art to visualize the interconnectedness of communities and their environment on a micro and macro level. To learn more about her work, feel free to visit www.gardenofjourney.com

ABOUT INTERSTELLAR

Interstellar is the combination of two murals located in the Link Apartments®  Montford leasing center designed and created by artist, Georgie Nakima. The purpose was to embody the architectural elements of the Link brand and develop this into a visual landscape. Her designs create a synergy that bridges contrasting details as seen in the color scheme of warmth vs coolness, fluidity vs geometry, and construction vs nature. Overall, the function of this piece is to foster a visual collaboration that creates more impactful and positive engagement between the artist, the art, and the viewer.

 

Neighborhoods Worth Exploring and Supporting

Every location of the Link Apartments® is carefully selected to put residents at the heart of a city’s action. To promote the surrounding community and businesses, Link Apartments® hosts an array of events and activities to connect residents with the best each city has to offer.

In Raleigh, North Carolina, a wildly popular food hall opened three blocks away from the Link Apartments® Glenwood South. To provide residents with a one-of-a-kind experience, The Link team brought vendors from the hall’s local eateries, restaurants and food retailers to its club room where residents could sample their dishes and learn more about the food available nearby.

From May to October in Winston Salem, North Carolina, the Link Apartments® Innovation Quarter was the title sponsor for the Summer Series Movie Night at Bailey Park. Weekly outdoor movies drew hundreds of residents and neighbors alike to spread out on a picnic blanket and watch their favorite films under the stars.

Every Link Apartments® community is pet friendly, but we also love to show support for the four-legged friends who haven’t found their forever home yet. Link Apartments® Mixson in North Charleston, South Carolina sponsors several Humane Society events each year, handing out doggie goodies, toys and useful items for owners to raise awareness of the nonprofit and advocate for pet adoption.

A short drive away, residents are encouraged to take advantage of the monthly Yappy Hour at the James Island County Dog Park. Dogs can run off-leash and swim in the pond, while owners enjoy music and mingling over adult beverages.

To make it easier to get around town and explore different neighborhoods, two Link Apartments® communities currently feature public bike-share stations, known as B-Cycle. All Link apartment® communities include Link Ride bike rooms for residents to store recreational or commuting bicycles and perform maintenance and repairs.

Link Apartments® supports local artists and has commissioned public artworks for the entire community to enjoy, such as Vélocité by Yuri Tsuzuki located at Link Apartments® West End Greenville, South Carolina. This statue celebrates cycling for both its physical and mental impact on individuals and its positive contributions to cities.

Whichever Link Apartments® address you choose to call home, it’s easy to connect to community, play and work!

 

Enjoy Green Living Inside and Out at Link Apartments®

At Link Apartments®, luxury doesn’t come at the expense of being environmentally responsible. We apply a forward-thinking approach to designing for green lifestyles and develop our buildings in a manner that minimizes their ecological footprint.

The National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS) is awarded to multi-family residential projects that meet rigorous standards in lot design, preparation and development; resource, energy and water efficiency; indoor environmental quality; and operation, maintenance and building owner education. Upon completion, Link Apartments® will earn the prestigious NGBS Green Registered™ Bronze Level certification, having complied with multilevel inspections and mandatory green provisions throughout the entire construction process.

Living in a mid-rise building that has achieved a national green building standard is one of the many reasons residents choose Link Apartments® to be their home. Where urban parcels once sat, today a more visually appealing redevelopment has improved the street’s aesthetics. To be a good neighbor, we minimized light pollution from our building, installed a reflective roof that decreases urban heat and carefully selected landscaping that is drought resistant without any irrigation. The interior features insulation and HVAC systems that maximize efficiency and low-VOC paints and carpet were used throughout.

Residents also benefit from apartments equipped with energy-efficient windows and lighting, high performance Energy-Star® appliances, programmable thermostats, low-flow faucets and shower-heads, smoke-free living and recycling bins. These efficiencies aren’t just good for the planet—they help to lower residents’ electric and water bills.

Today’s apartment residents crave amenity-rich and healthy, green lifestyles—and at Link Apartments®, they can have it all.

 

We Build Innovative and Efficient Apartments—and Community

Apartment living attracts fun, modern and vibrant residents. Our Link teams offer special in-house events to bring residents together around shared interests and make Link Apartments® a great place to call home.

Each Link Apartments® features a well-appointed entertainment clubroom with comfortable seating areas where resident events and gatherings are hosted.

At Link Apartments® Manchester in Richmond, Virginia, an annual Holiday Party brings residents and team together for conversation and merriment over a decadent dessert bar. The self-service bar featured sweet bites including macaroons, tartlets and chocolate mousse. To accommodate residents’ varied work and school schedules, the event was held all day so everyone could partake in the festivities.

Chili Cook Off is another popular event at Link Apartments® Glenwood South in Raleigh, North Carolina. Residents showed off their culinary skills and whipped up their best batch of chili for the contest. With a wide variety of regional styles and ingredients represented, residents enjoyed sampling contenders’ creations—from spicy to meaty and everything in between. While the event brought residents together in the spirit of competition, everyone left with fun memories, full bellies and new friends.

Every Link community has adopted its own traditions such as these, and residents regularly socialize with one another in the form of book clubs, dog walks and workout buddies—turning each building into a community.