TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. — PACE Loan Group has arranged nearly $4 million in C-PACE financing for The Boardwalk, a short-term rental condominium project under construction in Traverse City. The property is being built in two phases. The first phase, which features 42 units with first-floor retail space, received $1.7 million in early 2023 and is slated for completion in March. The second phase, which features 48 units, received $1.8 million and is scheduled for completion in the second quarter. The project is utilizing modular construction methods. The senior lender for both C-PACE loans was a local credit union. The PACE proceeds will be used to finance energy conservation and renewable energy measures, including increased building insulation, Energy Star windows, high-efficiency HVAC and plumbing fixtures, and LED lighting. The renewable and energy conservation measures are expected to save $120,140 annually in the payback period of 13.5 years. The Boardwalk marks the fourth PACE project in Grand Traverse County and the 76th in the state of Michigan. The PACE program is administered in a public-private partnership through Lean & Green Michigan. C-PACE, or Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy, is a financing tool that provides long-term, low-cost construction financing for new and existing …
SEATTLE — Gantry has arranged a $6.2 million permanent loan to refinance Lake Union Center, a Class A property in Seattle’s North Lake Union submarket. The borrower is a private real estate entity. Mike Wood and Colin Ceithaml of Gantry’s Seattle office secured the 10-year loan, which features a fixed rate and 25-year amortization schedule. Located at 1441 N. 34th St., the property features 65,000 square feet of office space that was fully occupied at the time of sale.
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LIHTC Program Offers Lifeline to Struggling Multifamily Developers
It’s a tough time for much of multifamily development, but the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program offers incentives that make much-needed affordable housing comparatively easier to achieve under the current economic conditions. Building is expensive and financing is tight in the current multifamily market. However, as it has for the last 30 years, the LIHTC program provides solutions that increase the ease of creating and sustaining affordable housing, even when the overall multifamily market faces challenges. The program not only promotes the construction and acquisition of housing but also enforces conditions that help maintain the stability and preservation of affordable properties. The program is also needed to address the demand for affordable housing. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that extremely low-income households represent 25 percent of the nation’s 44.1 million renters and reports a shortage of 7.3 million affordable and available rental homes. Historical Financial Resilience “The LIHTC asset class is resilient, if not countercyclical, under challenging economic times,” says Katie Balderrama, executive vice president of affordable equity at Walker & Dunlop. The firm typically sees a foreclosure rate of under 1 percent on properties supported by LIHTC. “Overall, our affordable housing assets tend to perform fairly …
NEW YORK CITY — A joint venture between Douglaston Development and the Entertainment Community Fund has received construction financing for Rialto West, a $125 million affordable housing development in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. Located at 509 W. 48th St., the eight-story building will include 158 units for low- and moderate-income residents. Rialto West will feature a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units that will be designated for households earning up to 140 percent of the area median income. Fifteen percent of the units will be dedicated to serving formerly homeless households. Shared amenity spaces will include a fitness center, laundry room and bicycle storage area. Additionally, the development’s ground floor will include more than 5,500 square feet of cultural space as well as a public restroom facing an approximately 25,000-square-foot public plaza that will be built at 705 Tenth Ave. The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation will operate the public open space, which is to be named after Lorraine Hansberry, the famed playwright and author of “A Raisin in the Sun.” The developers are in discussions with IndieSpace, a provider of affordable workspaces for artists, to lease and operate rehearsal and coworking spaces at the property. The …
ROME, N.Y. — BWE, the commercial lending firm formerly known as Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital, has arranged an $8 million acquisition loan for Freedom Plaza, a 197,397-square-foot shopping center located in the upstate New York city of Rome. Current tenants at the property include Grand Union, Dollar Tree, Domino’s and Marshalls, and Hobby Lobby will open in the coming months. Alan Tapie of BWE arranged the financing through an undisclosed life insurance company on behalf of the borrower, metro Atlanta-based owner-operator Octave Holdings & Investments.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Pearlmark has provided a $33 million mezzanine loan for the development of RISE @ Glen Kernan Park, a 308-unit active adult residential development in Jacksonville’s Southside neighborhood. Pearlmark closed the financing via its Pearlmark Mezzanine Realty Partners V LP investment vehicle. Benefit Street Partners provided the senior debt piece, the amount of which was not disclosed. Taylor Williams of Walker & Dunlop arranged the project capitalization on behalf of the borrower, RISE, a locally based multifamily development firm with five other projects in the Jacksonville market. RISE @ Glen Kernan Park is situated near the Mayo Clinic and St. Johns Town Center and is reserved for households age 55 years and older. Upon completion, the 30-acre project will comprise 236 residential units and 72 cottages. Amenities will include a clubhouse, fitness center, yoga and group fitness space, media lounge, resort-style pool, pickleball courts, dog park and a party room.
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — BWE has arranged a $24.3 million construction loan for Phase II of Morganton Park South, a retail development underway in Southern Pines. Situated near the Pinehurst Golf Resort, Phase II is fully preleased and will house the region’s first BJs Wholesale Club. Phase I of Morganton Park South includes tenants such as Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods/Golf Galaxy and HomeGoods. Daniel Rosenberg and Logan Petersmeyer of BWE originated the interest-only loan on behalf of the borrower, Midland Atlantic Properties. The loan was underwritten with a fixed interest rate and an 80 percent loan-to-cost ratio.
CHICAGO — Merchants Capital has provided more than $54 million of debt and $49 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity financing for the rehabilitation of Island Terrace, a 21-story affordable housing property in Chicago. The building is situated across from the Obama Presidential Center in the city’s Woodlawn neighborhood. Preservation of Affordable Housing Inc. (POAH), the owner and developer, was the borrower. Merchants Capital maximized equity via a structure called “twinning,” which leveraged both 4 percent and 9 percent tax credits issued by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and the City of Chicago. The 4 percent and 9 percent equity syndication generated $31.8 million and $17.3 million, respectively, matched by two corresponding HUD-insured permanent loans totaling more than $22 million and two equity bridge loans totaling more than $32 million. Merchants Bank provided $26.5 million for the property acquisition in 2021. Planned renovations for Island Terrace include replacement of the roof, windows, plumbing and electrical systems; a redesigned first floor with a community room and laundry facilities; and updated kitchens and bathrooms throughout the 240 units. Prior to the recapitalization, only 88 of the community’s units carried affordable restrictions. The new financing structure enabled POAH to expand …
PHILADELPHIA — JLL has arranged a $55 million bridge loan for Quartermaster Plaza, a 456,208-square-foot retail power center in South Philadelphia. Built in 2004, the property was 99 percent leased at the time of sale, with BJ’s Wholesale Club, The Home Depot and Sprouts Farmers Market serving as the anchor tenants. Other tenants include Bank of America, Wendy’s, Walgreens, PetSmart and Planet Fitness. Michael Gigliotti, James Galbally, Michael Pagniucci and Blaine Fleming of JLL arranged the five-year loan through an undisclosed bank. The borrower was a partnership between two New York City-based firms, DRA Advisors and KPR Centers, which acquired the center from Cedar Realty Trust in July 2022 as part of an $879 million portfolio deal. Cedar Realty Trust bought the center in 2014 for $92.3 million.
DURANGO, COLO. — Lument has arranged a $27 million debt placement to assist Mission Senior Living with the construction of a 124-unit, 129-bed, two-story assisted living and memory care community to be known as Mesa Verde Estates in Durango. Lument’s Steve McGee, Rob McAdams, and Sangjin Na led the transaction. The financing structure included a $20.9 million U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guaranteed loan that a community bank provided. The structure also includes approximately $6 million of commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) proceeds, which Lument sourced from an independent investment firm. C-PACE is an alternative financing mechanism used for the upfront costs associated with energy efficiency or renewable energy improvements. Founded in 2012, Mission Senior Living is an owner and operator of senior living communities in the Western U.S. with six communities totaling 639 units under management.