OKEMOS, MICH. — Bernard Financial Group (BFG) has arranged a $6.7 million loan for the refinancing of a 254-unit multifamily property in Okemos near Lansing. Dennis Bernard and Joshua Bernard of BFG arranged the loan through Minnesota Life Insurance Co. The borrower was an entity doing business as Cedar Creek MS LLC.
HOUSTON — Miami-based lender BridgeInvest has provided a $55.5 million acquisition loan for Park on Voss, an 810-unit multifamily property in West Houston that was built in 1971, according to Apartments.com. The property offers studio, one- and two-bedroom units and amenities such as a pool, fitness center, coffee bar, dog park, business center, tennis courts, outdoor grilling and dining stations and a game room. The borrower, Tara Capital, will use a portion of the proceeds to fund capital improvements. Renovations will include new unit appliances and HVAC systems, as well as exterior enhancements such as lighting, landscaping and essential repairs to elevators, sidewalks and roofing. CBRE arranged the debt.
SEEKONK, MASS. — MassDevelopment has provided $11 million in tax-exempt bond financing to The Wheeler School in Seekonk, located outside Providence in southern Massachusetts. The college preparatory day school will use the proceeds to build a new pool, preschool facility and make other improvements to the campus. Construction is expected to begin in the coming weeks and to be complete by 2025. Berkshire Bank purchased the bond.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA — PACE Loan Group (PLG) has completed the third tranche of C-PACER financing for The Aviator Hotel in downtown Anchorage. With this round of $10 million financing, the hotel has received $16.7 million in Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy & Resilience (C-PACER) loans to support the renovations and upgrades to the 1970s-era hotel, which is being redeveloped into a modern, Class A hotel. Once the renovation is complete in late 2024, The Aviator Hotel will have 250 rooms and suites, a retail store, coffee shop, brewery, bar and a restaurant with year-round outdoor deck with views of Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America. Renovation of the property began in 2022. To date, 61 room updates have been completed. Renovations include energy conservation measures, including HVAC upgrades, building envelope, water fixtures, lighting, insulation, snow-load management and energy-efficient heating. The conservation measures are expected to save an average of $259,773 in energy costs annually over the next 30 years, and the resilience improvements will increase the building’s resistance to extreme weather events. Matthew McCormack of PLG originated the C-PACER loans, which required collaboration with other municipal and private funding sources.
Economic headwinds such as elevated interest rates and persistent inflation led to mixed outcomes in the first quarter for industrial, office, retail and multifamily sectors, with market observers anticipating a contracting economy, as outlined by Lee & Associates’ 2024 Q1 North America Market Report. On the industrial front, market pressures — including interest rates and supply chain challenges — led to higher vacancy in the United States in the first quarter of the year. U.S. office space experienced its fifth consecutive year of contraction, as office worker attendance stagnated. Additional challenges, in the form of loans maturing in a high-rate environment, signal further challenges in the near future for the office landscape. Continued merchant demand, reduced closures and bankruptcies and limited supply converged to create a feeding frenzy for retail space, with vacancies at historic lows. And finally, geographically based factors drove multifamily markets, many of which (especially in the Midwest and Northeast) experienced a rebound in apartment demand fueled by rising consumer sentiment and moderating inflation, despite supply outpacing demand. Lee & Associates has made their full, first-quarter report available here (with breakdowns of cap rates by city, vacancy rates, market rents, inventory square footage and more). The summaries from each sector …
WINSLOW TOWNSHIP, N.J. — CBRE has arranged a $29 million loan for the refinancing of Mi-Place at Brightmoor, a 144-unit apartment complex in Winslow Township, about 30 miles south of Philadelphia. The garden-style property consists of six buildings that house one-, two-and three-bedroom units. Amenities include a pool, fitness center and a resident clubhouse. An entity managed by Argentic Investment Management provided the three-year loan to the borrower, Fernmoor Homes, which is also planning additional phases for a total of 312 units. Matthew Klauer and Cassandra Russell arranged the debt.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Berkadia has arranged $52 million in construction financing for The ONE at Columbia, a 360-unit garden-style apartment development located at 4415 Percival Road in Columbia. Brad Williamson, Scott Wadler, Mitch Sinberg and Matt Robbins of Berkadia arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower, Miami-based One Real Estate Investment. North River Partners and Amzak Capital Partners provided the loan. The property will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom units with custom cabinetry, quartz countertops and smart features. Amenities will include a sauna, resort-style pool and electric vehicle charging stations. The developer expects to deliver The ONE at Columbia in the fourth quarter of 2025.
PHILADELPHIA — Greystone has provided a $20 million Freddie Mac loan for the refinancing of Ray Philly, a 110-unit apartment building in the city’s South Kensington area. The newly constructed building houses studio, one- and two-bedroom units and amenities such as a fitness center, rooftop garden and a coworking lounge with a kitchen. Steven Vainer of Greystone originated the loan, which carries a five-year term, fixed interest rate and a 30-year amortization schedule. The borrower is a partnership between Ray, a family office that specializes in multifamily development, and Six Acre Capital.
MICHIGAN — EBSC Lending has provided a $26.2 million loan for the refinancing of a 41-unit affordable seniors housing community in Michigan. The borrower, a nonprofit owner-operator, will use the proceeds to refinance existing debt and fund capital improvements. Specific upgrades will target unit interiors, building exteriors, elevators, common areas and building systems like security, backup electricity and medical alert. The community features a mix of predominantly one-bedroom units, with some studios and two-bedroom units. The redevelopment of the property will create new loft-style apartments. All 41 units will be reserved for low- and moderate-income seniors, with 13 units reserved for households earning below 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), 11 for those below 60 percent of AMI, and 17 for households below 80 percent of AMI. The borrower was an experienced hospitality owner and operator. The fixed-rate debt was structured at an 85 percent loan-to-value ratio with a five-year term, including 36 months of interest-only payments.
WEST VALLEY CITY, UTAH — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap, has arranged the sale of and financing for Crossroads Apartments, a multifamily community in West Valley City, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Brock Zylstra and Danny Smith of IPA represented the seller and procured the buyer in the transaction. Brian Eisendrath, Cameron Chalfant, Jake Vitta and Tyler Johnson of IPA Capital Markets arranged an undisclosed amount of acquisition financing for the buyer. Built in 1986 on more than 10 acres, Crossroads Apartments offers 240 apartments, a swimming pool, children’s playscape, basketball and tennis courts, a picnic area and clubhouse. The property offers a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments with walk-in closets, storage rooms and a patio or balcony. The buyer, seller and acquisition price were not disclosed.
