MILWAUKEE — Hunt Capital Partners has arranged $13.1 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity for the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of an old school in Milwaukee dating back to 1902. Developer Royal Capital Group plans to create 82 multifamily units known as the Phillis Wheatley Apartments. Of the units, 67 will be set aside for households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income. Amenities will include a business center, community room, fitness center, theater room and onsite management. Supportive service providers will include the Milwaukee County Veterans’ Services Office and Lutheran Social Services. Chase Bank is the primary lender on the project, providing a $15.4 million construction loan and a $3.6 million permanent loan. Chase is also extending a tax-increment financing loan for $1 million. Other financing mechanisms include HOME funds and the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Program. Hunt Capital Partners syndicated the tax credits through its proprietary fund, Hunt Capital Fund Tax Credit Fund 26. The former Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, located in the Lindley Heights neighborhood of Central Milwaukee, has sat vacant since 2005.
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. — Atlanta-based Parkland Residential has broken ground on Sweetwater Springs, the company’s first build-for-rent (BFR) community. The property is located at 1510 Duluth Highway in Lawrenceville, about 28 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The development will be completed by December 2021. Managed by Lincoln Property Group, Sweetwater Springs will be one of the first BFR communities in Gwinnett County and the first stacked townhome property within the county. Parkland Residential has begun leasing the townhomes at rents ranging from $1,950 to $2,300 per month. The three-bedroom units total 1,950 square feet and offer two-and-a-half baths plus a loft. Two-bedroom units offer 1,630 square feet of total living space. The rear-entry stacked townhomes in Sweetwater Springs will offer one-car garages and two- or three-bedroom units, including private owner’s suites with walk-in closets and baths featuring dual vanities. The open floor plans will feature kitchens that open into family rooms with covered outdoor living spaces. NorthMarq arranged $12 million of construction financing through Trez Capital on behalf of Parkland Residential. The developer says it plans to build several more BFR communities over the next several years as it provides an attractive housing alternative for the middle class.
DEERFIELD, ILL. — Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) has completed a full renovation of the office campus for Horizon Therapeutics in Deerfield, a northern suburb of Chicago. The U.S. headquarters for the Ireland-based biopharmaceutical company spans more than 650,000 square feet on 70 acres. Horizon purchased it in early 2020. LJC completed the renovation project in 10 months. Horizon tasked LJC with creating a space that reflected its refreshed brand. The company also sought out amenities for employee retention and recruiting, as well as flexible space for collaboration. New amenities include a coffee shop, full-service cafeteria, tech pub, multipurpose training center, fitness center, game lounge, outdoor terrace and pantries on each floor.
DETROIT — The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has selected Detroit as a winner of its Choice Neighborhoods grant program, which will enable the city to bring more than 500 new units of affordable housing to the Corktown area. Detroit, which was one of five cities selected nationally, will receive a $30 million HUD grant, the largest amount offered under the Choice program. The grant is supported by $1 billion in leverage commitments from grant partners, including Ford’s new $740 million mobility campus and other economic development initiatives in Corktown. The Corktown neighborhood, which is experiencing escalating rents as a result of new development, is now on track to receive $200 million invested in 840 units over the next six years. At least 60 percent, or 504 units, will be set aside as “deeply affordable housing,” according to the city. Of the units, 40 percent will serve households earning between 30 and 80 percent of area median income (AMI); 20 percent will serve households making up to 30 percent of AMI; and 20 percent will serve households earning 80 to 120 percent of AMI. The remaining 20 percent of the units will be rented at market rate.
DALLAS — A joint venture between Westdale Real Estate Investment & Management, Ivanhoe Cambridge and Hines has opened The Stack, a 16-story office building in the Deep Ellum area of Dallas. Designed by 5G Studio Collaborative, the property consists of 200,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of retail space. Amenities include a terrace with views of the Dallas skyline, fitness center, coffee and cocktail lounge, electric car charging stations and private tenant balconies. Hines plans to relocate its Dallas office to an 11,000-square-foot space within The Stack later this year.
LONG BEACH, CALIF. — AMCAL Multi-Housing has completed Las Ventanas Apartments, an affordable multifamily development located at 1795 Long Beach Blvd. in Long Beach. Situated on just over an acre, the four-story building features 102 apartments in a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts with balconies or patios for individuals and families earning between 20 percent and 80 percent of the area median income. Additionally, 15 units are reserved for Los Angeles County’s Homes for Health program for special needs homeless households. The community also features street-level commercial space, a semi-subterranean parking garage, access to the Blue Line stop on Pacific Coast Highway, an internal courtyard, a play area for children, outdoor seating, barbecue grills and secure bike storage. The community also offers social service offices where residents can receive social services tailored to their needs, while the adjacent management office features a community area with a media center, computer lab and open space for games and socializing for residential use. William Hezmalhalch Architects served as architect for the project, which is seeking LEED Platinum certification. FPI Management is the property manager. Financing partners included The Long Beach Community Investment Co., Union Bank, Hudson Housing Capital, California Department of …
WILLOW GROVE, PA. — Developer J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc. and its subsidiary, Petrucci Residential, have completed the lease-up of The Station at Willow Grove, a 275-unit multifamily property located on the northern outskirts of Philadelphia. The community is now 100 percent occupied. Units feature stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and glass mosaic backsplashes. The property features 20,000 square feet of commercial space and amenities such as a pool, fitness center, business center, resident clubroom, cinema lounge and a furnished courtyard.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Hillwood will develop Alliance Center East 1, a 1.2 million-square-foot speculative industrial project that will be located within the company’s AllianceTexas master-planned community in Fort Worth. Building features will include 40-foot clear heights, 190-foot truck court depths, 236 car parking spaces and 271 trailer parking spaces. The site can be expanded to offer parking for as many as 1,438 cars and 511 trailers. RGA Architects is designing the project, and Hillwood Construction Services is serving as the general contractor. Frost Bank provided financing for construction, which is scheduled to begin in July and be complete in the second quarter of 2022. According to the development team, Alliance Center East 1 will be the largest speculative building that Hillwood has developed in its 30-year history.
ALLEN, TEXAS — Dalcor Cos., a Dallas-based development and management firm, is underway on Watterscape Urban Residential, a 469-unit apartment community that will be located in the northeastern Dallas suburb of Allen. The property will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom units with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and keyless entry mechanisms. Amenities will include a pool, fitness center, business center, collaborative work areas and a dog spa. Moss Construction Group, in a joint venture with Landmark, is the general contractor for the project, which is expected to be complete in December 2022.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Locally based general contractor KWA Construction has completed Phase II of Columbia Renaissance Square, a project that added 120 units of affordable seniors housing to the local supply. Developed by Columbia Residential and designed by JHP Architecture, the property features one- and two-bedroom floor plans with full-sized kitchens, espresso cabinetry and vinyl plank flooring. Amenities include a clubhouse with a catering kitchen, business center, fitness center, wellness room, theater room and a landscaped gazebo and courtyard. Phase I of the project consisted of 140 units, 85 percent of which were affordable.