BRECKSVILLE AND VERMILION, OHIO — Browns Gibbons Lang & Co. (BGL) Real Estate Advisors has arranged development financing for Valor Acres in Brecksville, a southern suburb of Cleveland, and The Bluffs at WaterWood Resort in Vermilion, about 42 miles west of Cleveland. The borrower was DiGeronimo Cos.
Fifth Third Bank & First Commonwealth Bank provided the financing for Valor Acres, a mixed-use development incorporating 44,000 square feet of Class A office space, 221 luxury apartment units, 70,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space, an onsite safety station and 700-space parking garage. The project is being developed on the former site of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Brecksville hospital. Valor Acres is also home to the new Sherwin-Williams Research and Development Center and the DiGeronimo corporate headquarters.
DiGeronimo closed on Phase I of the project, which included a multifamily building as well as for-rent townhomes, in December 2021. The developer closed on the for-sale townhomes, attached loft homes, memorial park and clubhouse in June 2023. BGL also served as the financial advisor for those transactions. In addition to senior construction debt from Fifth Third Bank, the project received transformational mixed-use development tax credits, Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority incentives and sponsor equity.
First National Bank provided financing for The Bluffs, which will consist of 26 luxury townhomes on the resort’s west side. At the heart of the resort resides the Estate, originally owned by inventor Donald Brown, creator of drop ceilings. The Estate will be redeveloped into amenities such as a clubhouse, dining area, event center, boutique inn, outdoor bar and inground pool. In addition to senior construction debt from First National Bank, the project is also utilizing sponsor equity.