MINNEAPOLIS — Merchants Capital has secured $16 million in construction and permanent financing for The Redwell, a 109-unit affordable housing property in the North Loop District of Minneapolis. The financing includes a Merchants Bank of Indiana construction loan and a Fannie Mae mortgage-backed security as tax-exempt bond (M.TEB) forward loan. This type of Fannie Mae loan can be used to finance the new construction and rehabilitation of multifamily affordable housing properties. Financing also included $7.9 million in low-income housing tax credit equity. Schafer Richardson and WNC were the borrowers. The Redwell will rise six stories and include first-floor commercial space. The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) will provide 22 Section 8 vouchers whereby households will pay 30 percent of their income toward rent, with the balance paid by federal subsidies administered by MPHA. The remaining units will be priced at the fair-market rate for 60 percent of the area median income.
ATLANTA — Legacy Shamrock Community has sold Shamrock Gardens, a 344-unit affordable housing community in Atlanta, for $23.5 million. Built in 1967, Shamrock Gardens is an all-brick property offering one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Communal amenities include a community center, computer room, two playgrounds, onsite laundry facilities, community garden and an orchard. The property also offers a state-certified onsite daycare for children ages six weeks to 12 years old, which is open to both residents and non-residents. The daycare is a recipient of the Georgia Lottery Pre-K program, which is free and based on “Bright from the Start” requirements and standards. Located at 1988 Plaza Lane, the property has MARTA bus stops onsite and is near Camp Creek Market and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Barden Brown, Cory Caroline Sams, Taylor Brown, Chandler Brown and Bo Brown of Greystone Brown Real Estate Advisors represented the seller in the transaction and procured the buyer, Alcott Capital. Greystone also provided a 10-year, $19.3 million Fannie Mae acquisition loan to Alcott.
IRVINE, CALIF. — WNC, a provider of investment, asset management and development services in the affordable housing industry, has closed two institutional Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funds. WNC Institutional Tax Credit Fund 47 (WNC Corp. 47) and WNC Institutional Tax Credit Fund 10 California Series 17 (CA 17) total approximately $210 million in equity. Together, the equity from the funds will be used to develop and renovate more than 1,900 affordable housing units in the United States. WNC Corp. 47 raised $134.6 million in equity, and CA 17 raised $75.5 million. The closure of the funds brings Irvine-based WNC’s total equity raised since inception to approximately $5.2 billion. The properties that will be funded are located in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Virginia and Wyoming. The assets will include multifamily and seniors housing projects in urban, suburban and rural areas. One project of note is Mason Square Apartments II in Springfield, Mass., which is an adaptive reuse of two historic buildings — the former Indian Motorcycle manufacturing mill complex constructed in 1890 and the Masson Square Fire House, originally constructed in 1920. Another notable project is Park West Estates in Los Angeles County, Calif. …
BROOKSVILLE, FLA. — Housing Trust Group has delivered Phase II of Freedom Gardens, an affordable housing complex in Brooksville. Phase II comprises 94 units, bringing Freedom Gardens to a total of 190 units. A majority of the units are reserved for residents earning 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), while 10 units are reserved for those making 40 percent of the AMI. The community offers one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans, with monthly rents ranging from $503 to $1,045 per month. Freedom Gardens is located at 932 Freedom Way, about 50 miles north of downtown Tampa. Phase II was financed with an $8.4 million construction loan from CitiBank backed with a Multifamily Mortgage Revenue Note from Florida Housing Finance Corp., permanent financing from CitiBank of up to $5.2 million, $5.9 million of 4 percent low income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity through Raymond James, a $5.5 million State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) and a $493,400 Extremely Low Income (ELI) loan, both through Florida Housing Finance Corp.
YONKERS, N.Y. — CBRE has arranged the $48.3 million sale of Parkledge, a 311-unit affordable housing community Yonkers, a northern suburb on New York City. The property features one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments and was 97 percent occupied at the time of sale. Ninety percent of the units restrict potential tenants to 60 percent area median income. Tim Flint, Jeff Dunne, Gene Pride and Eric Apfel of CBRE represented the seller in the transaction, which was undisclosed. The buyer was Hudson Valley Property Group.
EVANSVILLE, IND. — Merchants Capital has secured $21.4 million for the renovation of Carriage House of Evansville, a Section 8 housing development in southern Indiana. The financing involved a Fannie Mae mortgage-backed security as collateral for new tax-exempt bonds (M.TEB). Additionally, PNC Bank provided 4 percent low-income housing tax credits. Fannie Mae’s M.TEB solution provides borrowers with a lower interest rate and significant savings over the life of the loan, offering a loan-to-value ratio of up to 90 percent. This type of loan can be used to finance the construction, acquisition or rehabilitation of multifamily affordable housing properties. CRG Residential is the general contractor for the renovations. Updates include new flooring, cabinetry, countertops, energy-efficient light fixtures, bathroom renovations and new appliances. Plans also call for the addition of a bark park, picnic area, fitness center and internet café. Gene B. Glick Co. is the borrower. Carriage House of Evansville dates back to 1978 and serves tenants at 60 percent of the area median income or less. Renovations are set to begin immediately.
CHICAGO — Avanath Capital Management LLC has acquired two affordable housing properties in Chicago for $43.7 million. Avanath purchased Scotland Yard Apartments in the Buena Park neighborhood for $28.3 million. Built in two phases in 1915 and 1917, the 156-unit property was renovated in 1982. Avanath plans to make a number of improvements to the property. The second community is Renaissance North, a 59-unit property that Avanath purchased for $15.4 million. Constructed in 2003, the community features one-, two- and three-bedroom units in addition to first-floor retail space. Renaissance North, built in conjunction with the Chicago Housing Authority, offers both market-rate and affordable units. Avanath will also make a series of upgrades to this property.
MINNEAPOLIS — Lupe Development Partners is set to break ground on the first phase of its affordable housing project in the Lyn-Lake area of Minneapolis. Located at 410 W. Lake St. south of Minneapolis, the first of three buildings will feature 111 units, nine of which will be intended for homeless veterans. The range of annual household income to be eligible for housing is $30,000 to $42,000. The development will include a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Construction on an identical Phase II is scheduled to begin in 2020. Plans are also underway for a third building. The project received a $1.2 million grant from the Metropolitan Council’s Livable Communities Demonstration Account and a $2.3 million loan from the Minneapolis City Council’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Other funding partners for Phase I include Hennepin County and the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust. The nearby Ballentine VFW Post 246 also served as a development partner. Completion of Phase I is slated for June 2020.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Walker & Dunlop has provided a $27.9 million Freddie Mac acquisition loan for Brooke Common Apartments, a 288-unit affordable housing community in Orlando. The borrower is Avanath Capital Management. Half of the units, which are spread out over 38 garden-style buildings, are reserved for those making 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), while 5 percent of the units are reserved for those making 55 percent of the AMI. Brooke Commons Apartments is located 13 miles north of downtown Orlando and offers communal amenities such as a swimming pool, playground, fitness center, volleyball court, business center and a clubhouse. The seller was not disclosed.
NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between two New York-based developers, Related Cos. and The Hudson Cos., has topped out Riverwalk Park, 340-unit affordable housing project on Roosevelt Island. Designed by Handel Architects, Riverwalk Park will house a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments in a single building. Sixty percent of Riverwalk Park’s units will be permanently affordable, with the remaining 40 percent affordable for 40 years. Construction is slated for completion in 2021.