HIALEAH, FLA. — Aztec Group has arranged an $81 million construction-to-perm loan for the development of Residences and Shoppes of Highland, a mixed-use development underway in the Miami suburb of Hialeah. The developer/borrower is an affiliate of South Florida-based Dacar Management, a development firm led by Alberto Micha. An affiliate of New York Life Insurance Co. provided the non-recourse, fixed-rate loan, which has an initial three-year term and converts to a 27-year self-amortizing loan. Upon completion, Residences and Shoppes of Highland will feature 244 garden-style apartments in four- and five-story buildings and a shopping center spanning 190,000 square feet. The retail component will house a Publix grocery store and Publix Liquors, HomeGoods, dd’s Discounts, Burlington, Five Below, Famous Footwear and Taco Bell, among others. Sitework has already commenced on the 70-acre project, which is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2023.
Florida
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — JBM Institutional Multifamily has brokered the sale of two Class A multifamily communities in Florida: Ridgelake in Sarasota and The Reserve at Coconut Point in Estero. The combined sales price for both properties was $221.7 million. The buyer was not disclosed. Ridgelake is a 329-unit property located off Bee Ridge Road and I-75. The property is an elevator-serviced, Class A community that features luxury finishes such as a dedicated solar farm that powers the clubhouse and some of the residential buildings, a heated saltwater pool, fitness center, community garden, community recycling program and valet trash, electric vehicle chargers and attached/detached garages. The three-story property is NGBS Green-certified and Energy Star-rated. Units feature stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, shaker-style cabinets, luxury wood-like plank flooring, wine coolers, walk-in showers and large soaking tubs. The Reserve at Coconut Point is a 180-unit property located within the Coconut Point development. Coconut Point Mall, a 1.2 million-square-foot retail destination, is less than one mile away. The Reserve is a podium-style construction community, with covered parking on the first floor. The concrete, elevator-serviced community features a resort-style pool with sundeck, half-mile jogging trail, Luxer One package room with refrigerator for grocery delivery, …
MG Developer, Baron Property Group to Build $204M Luxury Multifamily Project in Coral Gables, Florida
by Katie Sloan
CORAL GABLES, FLA. — A partnership between MG Developer and Baron Property Group has announced plans for Merrick Parc, a $204 million, two-tower luxury multifamily project located at 3191 SW 39 Ave. in Coral Gables. Designed by Behar & Font, the 43,785-square-foot community will offer 450 rental units in one- and two-bedroom configurations alongside ground-floor retail space. The development site is located four miles from Miami International Airport and five miles away from downtown Miami’s Brickell neighborhood. The developers partnered with Colliers to finance an initial $24 million tranche with an additional $13 million in equity financing for the project, a timeline for which was not announced. The initial land acquisition was funded by S3 Capital and closed in late April. Demand is high for luxury rental units in the Miami and Coral Gables areas, according to Alirio Torrealba, CEO and founder of MG Developer. The company is currently developing a 10-story multifamily project in Hialeah, roughly 11 miles outside Miami, and is preparing to break ground on another 48-unit community in Coral Gables named Gables Village. A number of additional multifamily projects have been recently announced in the Miami area, including a $220 million mixed-use project by Shoma Group; …
Mesa West Provides $135M Acquisition Loan for Sophia at Abacoa Apartments in South Florida
by John Nelson
JUPITER, FLA. — Mesa West Capital has provided a $135 million acquisition loan for The Sophia at Abacoa, a 390-unit multifamily community in Jupiter. Matt Williams and James Maynard of Newmark arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower, Berkshire Residential Investments. Located in the Abacoa neighborhood, Sophia at Abacoa was built in 2002 and offers a variety of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans housed in low-rise residential buildings on a 22-acre site. The property features a wide variety of amenities including a clubhouse, fitness center, two resort-style pools, dog park, sand volleyball court, outdoor grilling areas with picnic tables and a car detailing station. The property also benefits from being within walking distance of downtown Abacoa, which features shopping, dining and entertainment options. The Sophia at Abacoa is also near Roger Dean Stadium, the spring training facility for the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals, in addition to 16 golf and country clubs in Jupiter. With the loan for Berkshire, Mesa West Capital has originated over $550 million in first mortgage and mezzanine debt in Florida over the past 12 months.
Pacific Western, Square Mile Provide $93M Loan for Student Housing Project Near University of Florida
by John Nelson
GAINESVILLE, FLA. — Pacific Western Bank and Square Mile Capital have provided a $93 million construction loan for Theory Gainesville, an 861-bed student housing community underway within a half-mile from University of Florida. Pacific Western was the primary lender, and Square Mile was the mezzanine capital provider. The borrower and developer is Blue Vista Capital Management, a Chicago-based entity that has a student housing affiliate, PeakMade Real Estate. Blue Vista expects to deliver Theory Gainesville in two phases: Phase I before the fall 2023 semester and Phase II before the spring 2024 semester. Upon completion, the property’s units will be fully furnished with stainless steel appliances and wood-style flooring. Theory Gainesville will also have a fitness center, game room, rooftop pool and open green space.
TAMPA, FLA. — CBRE has secured nearly $50.3 million in acquisition financing for two multifamily properties, HITE and Notch, both located in Tampa’s historic Seminole Heights neighborhood. The portfolio sold for $60.5 million. Eric Fixler and Chandler Kaye of CBRE arranged the financing on behalf of the borrower, an unnamed private investor. Ready Capital provided the senior loan with additional proceeds to complete tenant improvements for the ground-floor retail components and other capital improvements at both properties. Located at 6006 N. Florida Ave., HITE is a five-story apartment complex totaling 81 units. Built in 2018, the property features studio, one-, and two-bedroom units averaging 764 square feet with quartz countertops, in-wall USB ports, designer light fixtures and walk-in closets. Community amenities include elevator service, an outdoor grilling station, pet wash station, bike storage, covered parking and 6,771 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Notch is a four-story apartment complex totaling 112 units located at 6307 N. Nebraska Ave. Built in 2021, the property features studio, one- and two-bedroom units averaging 780 square feet with quartz countertops, in-wall USB ports, designer light fixtures and walk-in closets. Community amenities include a fitness center, private garages, bike storage, pet spa and 1,144 square …
Berkadia Negotiates Sale of Alta Winter Garden Multifamily Community in Metro Orlando
by John Nelson
ORLANDO, FLA. — Berkadia has negotiated the sale of Alta Winter Garden, a 250-unit, Class A multifamily community in the Orlando suburb of Winter Garden. Berkadia represented the seller, Atlanta-based Wood Partners, one of the nation’s leading multifamily developers and managers. CONTI Capital, a real estate investment company based in Dallas, acquired the property for an undisclosed price. Alta Winter Garden was delivered earlier this year and is located at 1223 E. Plant St., approximately 15 miles from downtown Orlando. ¬¬The property offers studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units ranging from 637 square feet to 1,464 square feet. Individual units feature energy-efficient stainless steel Whirlpool appliances, Nest thermostats, electronic door locks with keyless entry, outlets with USB ports, kitchen islands, wood-style plank flooring and oversized balconies in select units. The controlled-access community’s amenities include a walk-in pool with a sun shelf and poolside cabanas, as well as a game room and a fitness center with a virtual training room and TRX equipment. Other amenities include an outdoor pavilion with a beer tap and summer kitchen, pet park, beer garden, rentable private office pods, study spaces with Wi-Fi, an outdoor lounge area, private detached garages and valet waste services.
Dwight Mortgage Trust Provides $55M Refinancing for Stellar at Emerald Hills Apartments in Fort Lauderdale
by John Nelson
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Dwight Mortgage Trust, the mortgage REIT affiliate of Dwight Capital, has provided a $55 million bridge refinance loan for The Stellar at Emerald Hills, a 197-unit apartment community in Fort Lauderdale. The 24-month loan featured two six-month extension options. The borrower was not disclosed. Delivered in the first quarter of this year, the gated property is situated on 7.2 acres and consists of three three-story buildings spanning approximately 567,000 square feet. The community is near several golf courses, shopping and dining destinations, Dania Beach and Interstate 95, giving tenants access to major employers like American Airlines and Publix Super Markets. The Stellar at Emerald Hills includes in-unit washers and dryers, private balconies and bay windows. Common area amenities include a clubhouse, fitness center with a yoga and spin studio, pet play area, pet washing station and a pool. The property is certified National Green Building Standard (NGBS) and includes green, smart features such as EV car charging stations and energy-efficient gas appliances.
BONITA SPRINGS, FLA. — TSCG has brokered the sale of Bay Landing, a grocery-anchored shopping center totaling nearly 63,000 square feet in the southwest Florida city of Bonita Springs. Illinois-based InvenTrust Properties purchased the property for approximately $10.4 million. Anthony Blanco led the TSCG team that included Mallory Silva and Nick Ureta in representing the seller, an affiliate of Barron Collier Cos. Built in 1998 along U.S. Highway 41, Bay Landing was fully leased at the time of sale to The Fresh Market and HomeGoods. The site is entitled for an additional 10,000 square feet of retail development, according to Blanco.
Matthews Southwest Begins Final Phase of $1.3B Convention Center and Hotel Expansion Project in Fort Lauderdale
by John Nelson
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Matthews Southwest has begun the final phase of the expansion and redevelopment of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, which includes the 29-story, 800-room Omni Fort Lauderdale hotel. The total cost of the project is about $1.3 billion and is expected to deliver in late 2025. Nunzio Marc DeSantis Architects designed the hotel, Fentress Architects designed the convention center expansion and Balfour Beatty is handling construction. The project is expected to generate 1,000 construction jobs and 1,300 permanent jobs. Matthews Southwest opened Phase I of the convention center in October 2021. The expansion project will add an additional 600,000 square feet of flexible indoor event and meeting space and an additional 200,000 square feet of outdoor programming space, to create a total of more than 1.4 million square feet of event space that includes 350,000 square feet of contiguous exhibition space. The expanded center will also feature a new 65,000-square-foot waterfront ballroom, 50 meeting rooms, new dining concepts, pre-function space and modern décor and technologies. The new Omni hotel will feature a rooftop bar, grand and junior ballrooms, meeting spaces, yoga deck and a pool deck. The project will also include an onsite water taxi …