ORANGE, EAST ORANGE AND JERSEY CITY, N.J. — CBRE has arranged $57 million in loans through Freddie Mac’s Small Balance Loan Program for the recapitalization of a portfolio of 13 mixed-use properties in Northern New Jersey. Part of the proceeds will be used to fund upgrades to the assets, which are located in the cities of Orange, East Orange and Jersey City. CBRE arranged the 13 loans on behalf of the borrower, Newark-based One Wall Partners, which acquired the portfolio in 2017 for $63 million. Mixed-use buildings qualify for Freddie Mac’s small balance loan program if less than 40 percent of a property’s income is generated from commercial leases. In this particular case, the mixed-use buildings were multifamily over ground-floor retail.
Loans
MassHousing Provides $22.8M Development Financing for Multifamily Property Near Boston
by Alex Patton
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — MassHousing, an affordable housing lender in Massachusetts, has provided $22.8M in loans for the development of a multifamily property in Cambridge, part of the metro Boston area. The borrower, Cambridge-based nonprofit developer Just-A-Start Corp., will combine the 45-unit Linwood Court community and the 20-unit Squirrel Brand community to create a new affordable housing property called Squirrelwood. The financing consists of an $8.2 million permanent loan, $13.6 million bridge loan and $1 million loan from MassHousing’s Workforce Housing Initiative. The developer will also renovate existing apartments and construct 23 new units to bring the total unit count up to 88. The contractor will be Callahan Construction Managers, and the architect is Davis Square Architects.
RICHARDSON, TEXAS — Chicago-based NXT Capital has provided a $54.7 million loan for the refinancing of a 312,000-square-foot office building in Richardson, a northeastern suburb of Dallas. The Class A property is situated near Central Expressway and President George Bush Turnpike and offers amenities such as a fitness center, deli, bocce ball court and shuttle service to a nearby DART station. Greg Young of Grandbridge Real Estate Capital placed the loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.
IRVING, TEXAS — Berkadia has provided a $48 million acquisition loan through Freddie Mac for The Brandt, a 504-unit multifamily community in Irving. The property offers a variety of one- and two-bedroom floor plans ranging from 632 square feet to 1,045 square feet. Amenities include three pools, a fitness center, a dog park and a clubhouse. Andy Hill and Tyler Nowlin of Berkadia arranged the financing on behalf of the borrower, Western Wealth Capital, which will implement a value-add program that will upgrade unit interiors. The adjustable-rate loan carried a seven-year term and three years of interest-only payments.
DALLAS — Metropolitan Capital Advisors Ltd. (MCA) has arranged an $8 million loan for the acquisition and redevelopment of a 50,675-square-foot former school campus in Dallas. The sponsor, Fort Worth-based investors/developers M2G Ventures and Todd Davenport, will convert the property into a mixed-use asset with office and retail space. Duke Dennis of MCA placed the loan through an undisclosed lender. Dennis also arranged $4.3 million in joint venture equity for the project.
George Smith Partners Arranges $67.2M Financing for High-Rise Multifamily Development in Phoenix
by Amy Works
PHOENIX — George Smith Partners has secured $67.2 million in senior construction financing for the ground-up development of a multifamily property in Phoenix. Located immediately north of Phoenix’s central business district, the 17-story high-rise will feature 254 apartments. The non-recourse loan represents 80 percent of the total project cost. Scott Meredith and John Thrall of George Smith Partners advised the undisclosed borrower in the financing.
MBA: Q1 Commercial Real Estate, Multifamily Mortgage Originations Rise 12 Percent, Sales Fall 9 Percent
by Alex Tostado
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Commercial real estate loan originations rose 12 percent in the first quarter of 2019 compared with the same period a year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Quarterly Survey of Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Bankers Originations. The industrial sector climbed 73 percent in loan originations, followed by healthcare (41 percent) and hotels (14 percent). Retail and multifamily both saw increases (9 percent each), while the dollar volume of office property loans was unchanged. “The momentum seen in 2018’s record year of borrowing and lending continued in the first quarter of this year,” said Jamie Woodwell, MBA’s vice president of commercial real estate research. “First-quarter volumes were higher for nearly every property type, and double-digit growth in loan volume for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac led the increase among capital sources. Low interest rates and strong property values continue to make commercial real estate an attractive market for borrowers.” While loan volumes ticked up, acquisitions across the four major property types fell 9 percent, says MBA. Apartment sales were roughly flat from last year, while office, retail and industrial property sales fell from 14 to 16 percent. The capitalization rates were flat from 2018 for industrial, retail and …
HOUSTON — LMI Capital, a Real Estate Capital Alliance (RECA) member, has arranged two acquisition loans totaling $20.7 million for a pair of multifamily assets in Houston. In the first transaction, Jamie Safier of LMI Capital placed a $13.7 million loan for a 240-unit property in southeast Houston. The loan carried a 4.27 percent interest rate and five years of interest-only payments. In the second deal, Safier arranged a $7 million loan for a 105-unit community in east Houston. That loan was structured with a 4.63 percent interest rate and three years of interest-only payments. The borrowers and property names were not disclosed.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — Berkadia has secured a $9.3 million loan for the refinancing of Lofts on Michigan in Grand Rapids. Built in 2016, the multifamily property features 54 units and ground-floor retail space. Situated at 740 Michigan St. NE, the building offers convenient access to the Medical Mile and downtown Grand Rapids. Aaron Moll of Berkadia arranged the CMBS loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — HFF has arranged $550 million in financing to expand Bal Harbour Shops, an upscale shopping mall in Miami Beach. The 463,114-square-foot mall is home to anchors Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. The borrower, Miami-based Whitman Family Development, will use $150 million of the loan to pay off an existing loan and $400 million to expand the center by 300,000 square feet, bringing the total to 763,114 square feet. The expansion will include a 57,414-square-foot space to be occupied by Barneys New York, a three-story promenade that will be added to connect Barneys to the existing palm tree-lined promenade, a new grand entrance at the northeast quadrant of the property and the expansion of the Neiman Marcus space by 20,000 square feet. MetLife Investment Management provided the loan. The $150 million portion features a fixed interest rate for eight years while the $400 million portion is underwritten with a floating interest rate. Other tenants at Bal Harbour Shops include Chanel, Gucci, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino. Manny de Zárraga, Chris Drew, Jim Dockerty and Matthew McCormack of HFF arranged the loan on behalf of Whitman Family. Arun Singh and Jay …