DALLAS — Bright Force Holding, an investment group led by executives of Dallas-based hotel developer NewCrestImage, has acquired American Bank, N.A., a community bank located with roughly $55 million in assets. American Bank was established in 1974 under a different name and currently operates a single location in north Dallas. NewCrestImage operates a portfolio of 28 hotel properties. The deal closed on Friday, March 8.
CHESAPEAKE, VA.— Variety store chain Family Dollar could close up to 390 stores in fiscal 2019 unless it obtains material rent concessions from landlords on underperforming stores. As part of its turnaround efforts, the retailer will also make changes at the stores it is keeping open. Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR), which purchased Family Dollar in 2015 for nearly $9 billion in cash and stock, plans to revitalize the brand with store closures and a rebranding of some locations to Dollar Tree. In addition, some locations will be renovated to include $1 Dollar Tree merchandise sections. The retailer also plans to offer adult beverages in approximately 1,000 Family Dollar stores and expand freezers and coolers in approximately 400 stores. Family Dollar sells a variety of items for under $10 at rural and urban locations. Dollar Tree sells all items in its stores for $1 in mostly suburban locations. At the close of the fourth quarter of 2018, the company operated 8,200 Family Dollar stores and 7,000 Dollar Tree stores. “We are confident we are taking the appropriate steps to reposition our Family Dollar brand,” said Dollar Tree CEO Gary Philbin in a news release Wednesday. On March 6, Dollar Tree …
NEW YORK CITY — RED Mortgage Capital has added a new multifamily affordable lending office in New York. Sean Cullen and Ronnie Gyani will lead the operations of the office. Previously, Cullen and Gyani worked together providing affordable housing services at RBC Capital Markets as well as ACRE Capital. Most recently they served at Barings Multifamily Capital originating affordable housing loan products, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA/HUD and balance sheet executions.
PHOENIX— Best Western Hotels & Resorts has acquired global hotel brand WorldHotels from Associated Luxury Hotels for an undisclosed price. The brand consists of approximately 300 specialty hotels and resorts around the world and 31 in the United States. WorldHotels will maintain its distinct personality while benefiting from Best Western’s e-commerce platform, partnerships, loyalty program and global distribution network. The acquisition marks another move by Best Western into soft-brand hotels, an affiliation in which a hotel relies primarily on its individual identity rather than that of the larger hotel chain. A number of global hotel chains have launched soft brands in recent years, including the Ascend Collection by Choice Hotels International and Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. Best Western isn’t the only hotelier that recently purchased a luxury brand. InterContinental Hotels Group acquired Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas for $300 million on Feb. 13. “There is tremendous synergy between Best Western and WorldHotels,” says David Kong, CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “By joining forces in this new partnership, we will create competitive advantages for both companies.” The acquisition of WorldHotels was completed last week. The move expands Best Western’s portfolio of offerings to include upscale and luxury segments. Phoenix-based Best Western Hotels & …
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Madison International Realty has acquired a 5 percent ownership stake in Mack-Cali Realty Corp. The stake equates to approximately 4.5 million shares. Based in Jersey City, Mack-Cali is an owner, manager and developer of five million square feet of office space and 4,400 multifamily units on the New Jersey waterfront. Ronald Dickerman, president of Madison International Realty, said that the company is transitioning to a ‘focused play on prime office and multifamily residential properties on the New Jersey waterfront.’ Madison International Realty specializes in acquiring private ownership stakes, joint venture positions, and listed property shares in properties and portfolios in major markets in the U.S., U.K. and Western Europe.
ATLANTA AND WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — In a blockbuster deal, SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI) and BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT) have entered into an all-stock merger agreement valued at approximately $66 billion. The marriage of these two iconic financial institutions in the Southeast will create the sixth-largest bank in the United States. Under terms of the agreement, SunTrust investors will receive 1.295 shares of BB&T for each SunTrust share they own. That equates to BB&T agreeing to pay $28.1 billion for SunTrust’s equity as of the closing price on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The combined company will operate under a new name and brand and be headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., while maintaining significant operations and investment in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Atlanta. The entity’s headquarters in Charlotte will also feature an innovation and technology center to aid with the transference of digital information. The deal, which is still subject to shareholder approval and other customary regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year. A press release highlighting the agreement says the name of the new entity will be announced prior to the transaction closing. The agreement is being billed by both companies as a “merger of equals.” Shareholders of North …
SAN DIEGO — Charlotte Russe Holdings Corp. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. The San Diego-based retailer announced Monday that it plans to close 94 of its more than 500 locations in the United States, while continuing to pursue a going-concern sale of the business and assets. Charlotte Russe said it will provide details of the closings at a later date. Charlotte Russe offers fast-fashion clothing, shoes and accessories for young women in the contiguous 48 states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. In the meantime, all locations, web services and the 10 Peek Kids locations, which Charlotte Russe Holdings acquired in 2016, will remain available to customers. An undisclosed debtor has committed a maximum of $50 million to Charlotte Russe Holdings. If approved by the court, the financing will support Charlotte Russe Holdings’ operations and administration during the Chapter 11 proceedings. According to court documents, the company could begin liquidating the business entirely if a buyer ultimately doesn’t emerge. Although the company didn’t identify the stores that will be closing, USA Today has complied a full list. Cooley LLP is serving as Charlotte Russe Holdings’ legal counsel, Berkeley Research Group is serving as its financial adviser and Guggenheim Securities LLC is …
SAN FRANCISCO — PLUM Inc., a national financial technology firm headquartered in San Francisco, has added industry veteran Rick Gallitto as president and head of real estate. Gallitto will work to grow PLUM’s commercial real estate lending platform and drive new loan production. He assumed his new role on Jan. 15, 2019. “[Rick] has a track record of building and scaling real estate lending platforms and deep expertise in originating and structuring first mortgage and mezzanine loans, preferred equity and joint venture investments,” says Bill Fisher, founder and CEO of PLUM. “I am excited to have Rick lead the commercial real estate team.” PLUM is a data-driven lender backed by equity investors such as Elliott Management, a $35 billion hedge fund manager based in New York. Other investors in PLUM include RenRen, a Chinese social networking platform, and Nomura Holdings, a financial services company based in Japan. “PLUM has been able to combine market data intelligence with an approach to lending that will lead the future for commercial real estate owners,” says Gallitto about how the company will compete in the commercial real estate lending space. “We are well positioned to build and expand lending opportunities for commercial real estate investors …
BURLINGAME, CALIF. — Tech giant Facebook has signed a lease to fully occupy Burlingame Point, an 803,000-square-foot office campus currently under construction in Burlingame. Located on more than 18 acres at the edge of the San Francisco Bay, Burlingame Point is being developed by Kylli, a subsidiary of China-based Genzon Investment Group Co. The campus is 16 miles south of San Francisco. Mike Moran and Clarke Funkhouser of Cushman & Wakefield represented Kylli in the transaction. Facebook was represented by JLL. “We couldn’t be more excited that one of the world’s leading technology firms has selected Burlingame Point to expand its Northern California footprint, says Moran. “This is a testament that strong design elements do make a difference to the discerning tenant.” In addition to four new Class A office buildings with bay views, the project will include public amenities that include an improved Bay Trail, a pedestrian promenade and an improved roadway for cyclists and motorists. Facebook first announced the lease was in negotiations in August and the lease was fully executed in the fourth quarter of 2018. Burlingame Point is expected to open in 2020. The project is the first Class A office campus developed by Kylli in the …
ATLANTA — Stuart Shapiro has joined Associated Agencies Inc. as an account executive on the sales team. Shapiro will be in Atlanta to expand the firm’s presence in the Southeast. Shapiro has spent the past five years as vice president of leasing for Phillips Edison & Co. in Atlanta, where he managed a team of commercial leasing agents. Shapiro received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Florida. He resides in Atlanta with his wife, Stacey, and two children, Avery, 7, and Ethan, 5. Associated Agencies is an independent insurance brokerage founded in 1980 and headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Ill. The privately held firm manages property and casualty, employee benefits and personal lines for business and individuals.