Joe Compagno of CBRE has sold Old School O7, considered one of the most unique urban infill redevelopment projects in Phoenix. The 9,293-square-foot shopping center commanded a sale price of $6.1 million – or $656 per square foot – and a cap rate of 5.5 percent. The tenants include Starbucks, the Z’Tejas restaurant-concept Taco Guild and Buffalo Exchange.
CBRE’s Compagno represented the local seller, O7, LLC, a company formed by Phoenix-based Wetta Ventures, in the transaction. The buyer, Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Old School Property, LLC, was represented by Steven Stein with TauroREIS of Torrance, Calif.
“Successful urban infill retail projects like Old School O7 are highly sought after by investors. As economic drivers move demand back to city-centers, urbanization and adaptive reuse will continue to be significant forces in the commercial real estate market in Phoenix,” said Compagno. “Redevelopment efforts like Old School O7 exemplify this trend. We recognized a window in the marketplace to capitalize on aggressive pricing for this unique piece of real estate, consulted ownership and then proceeded to set the market with this sale.”
Old School O7, formerly a Methodist church and a school building built in the late 1800s, was purchased by the seller in the spring of 2012 and was quickly redeveloped into one of the most captivating infill retail projects in metropolitan Phoenix. The former church is now home to the Taco Guild restaurant, while the school houses the Buffalo Exchange. The Starbucks is in a newly constructed free-standing 1,700-square-foot building located on the hard corner. Old School O7 is nestled in the heart of Central Phoenix along the coveted 7th Street major arterial at Osborn Road.
