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.
Affordable Housing
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.
Walker & Dunlop Provides $27.9M Acquisition Loan for Affordable Housing Community in Orlando
by Alex Tostado
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.
Related, The Hudson Cos. Top Out 340-Unit Affordable Housing Project in New York City
by Alex Patton
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.
Rockport Mortgage Arranges $26M in Financing for Affordable Housing Community in Meriden, Connecticut
by Alex Patton
MERIDEN, CONN. — Rockport Mortgage, a Massachusetts-based multifamily finance firm, has arranged a $26 million loan for Yale Acres, a 162-unit affordable housing community in Meriden, about 20 miles south of Hartford. Proceeds of the loan will be used to renovate 155 existing units and fund construction of an additional seven. The financing was originated through HUD’s 221(d)(4) program and carries a fixed interest rate and a 40-year amortization schedule. An affiliate of Meriden-based Carabetta Cos. will act as the general contractor on the project, which is slated for completion in 2021.
Fantini & Gorga Arranges $12.6M Loan for Affordable Housing Property in Lynn, Massachusetts
by Alex Patton
LYNN, MASS. — Fantini & Gorga has arranged $12.6 million in permanent financing for Marian Gardens, a 94-unit affordable housing multifamily property in Lynn, about 12 miles northeast of Boston. The property was built in the 1960s and includes two-, three- and four-bedroom townhouse units. Tim O’Donnell, Jason Cunnane and Lindsay Feig of Fantini and Gorga arranged the loan. The borrower and lender in the transaction were undisclosed.
Dougherty Provides $7.3M Fannie Mae Acquisition Loan for Affordable Housing Community in Brunswick, Georgia
by Alex Tostado
BRUNSWICK, GA. — Dougherty Mortgage LLC has provided a $7.3 million Fannie Mae acquisition and rehabilitation loan for Glynn Pines Apartments, an 88-unit affordable housing community in Brunswick. The 17-year loan features a 35-year amortization schedule, which was arranged for the borrower, Glynn Pines Housing Partners LP. The property includes 18 single-story buildings with one- and two-bedroom floor plans. Glynn Pines was built in 1970. The seller was not disclosed.
KeyBank Provides $45.5M Construction Loan for Affordable Housing Project in Aurora, Colorado
by Amy Works
AURORA, COLO. — KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) and KeyBank Commercial Mortgage Group (CMG) have secured a $45.5 million construction loan for the development of Range View Apartments in Aurora. Portland, Ore.-based DBG Properties LLC is the borrower and developer. KeyBank’s CDLI team provided the construction loan and KeyBank’s CMG team provided a $35 million forward commitment through Fannie Mae. The transaction includes the first execution in Colorado of the incoming averaging rules enacted with the 2017 tax reform bill, allowing a property to serve households up to 80 percent area median income (AMI) as long as the average household income is 60 percent AMI. In addition to the tax-exempt bonds, financing also included tax credits through the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority; HOME funds from the city of Aurora; a loan through the Colorado Division of Housing’s Colorado Housing Investment Fund, and tax equity from CREA, the equity investor and limited partner. Range View Apartments will feature 10 garden-style residential buildings, covering parking, a pool and a community building with play areas and a community rooms. The residential buildings will have one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments reserved for residents earning up to 30 percent, 60 percent and …
NEW YORK CITY — Exact Capital, a locally based finance and development firm, has completed the renovation and preservation of 333 affordable housing units spread across 19 buildings in The Bronx. As part of the project, the developer also renovated four retail spaces located within those properties, all of which rise between two and seven stories. Exact Capital partnered with Shepherd Restoration Corp. on the project, which enhanced roofs, refreshed common areas and upgraded kitchens and bathrooms. TD Bank provided financing for the project in conjunction with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development and Community Preservation Corp.
CHICAGO — The Habitat Co. has assumed management of 18 affordable housing communities owned by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA). The properties total 4,479 units and are scattered throughout Chicago’s West and South sides. Habitat Affordable Group, the company’s affordable housing division, now operates more than 12,000 units across three states. Of those, 8,215 units are owned by the CHA.