GRAND RAPIDS, MINN. — Oppidan Investment Co. has broken ground on Mill + Mass, a new workforce housing project in Grand Rapids, a city in northern Minnesota. The 121,000-square-foot, 132-unit development is the result of a public-private partnership. Located near the Mississippi River and inspired by the region’s paper mill history, Mill + Mass will include one-, two- and three-bedroom units with a fitness center, game room, coffee bar, outdoor patio and walking paths. Mill + Mass was made possible through the support of the City of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Economic Development Authority, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency through the State’s Workforce Development Program. Completion is slated for March 2027.
Multifamily
Enterprising multifamily players are shifting the industry’s views on community connectivity, elevating broadband from a stand-alone amenity into a performance booster for larger real estate strategies. Rather than leave their residents’ connection quality to chance, these developers, owners and managers are contracting with specialized internet service providers (ISPs) to blanket entire properties with high-speed Wi-Fi access for the best possible online experience. “On the operations side, rolling out community Wi-Fi lets us give residents the full connectivity they expect from other parts of their life, because all areas of the property function together for a seamless experience,” says David Walther, chief revenue officer at third-party property manager Asset Living. Asset Living manages more than 300,000 units at client communities including conventional multifamily, student housing, affordable and other property types across the country. At nearly all student housing and a growing share of the multifamily communities Asset Living manages, matrices of Wi-Fi access points keep residents and property teams alike online as they traverse the property, from inside residential units to pools, fitness centers, garages and other common areas. Earlier this year, Asset Living made internet service provider Pavlov Media a preferred national partner for bulk managed Wi-Fi at its communities. …
HOUSTON — High Street Residential has completed Rone Residences, a 209-unit multifamily project in Houston’s River Oaks/Upper Kirby area. Designed by Zeigler Cooper Architects and built by Hoar Construction, Rone Residences rises 12 stories and houses one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans with an average size of roughly 1,400 square feet. Amenities include multiple pools, a fitness center, game lounge, coworking and private conference spaces, a pet park and tenant storage spaces. Rone Residences will also house 2,900 square feet of retail space. Rents start at roughly $3,000 per month for a one-bedroom apartment.
NEW YORK CITY — Dwight Mortgage Trust, the affiliate REIT of New York City-based Dwight Capital, has provided a $155 million bridge loan for the refinancing of 261 & 315 Grand Concourse, a multifamily property in The Bronx. The newly developed, adjacent multifamily buildings house a total of 405 units: 261 Grand Concourse has 283 market-rate units, and 315 Grand Concourse has 122 affordable housing units. Residences are furnished with marble bathroom countertops, ceramic tiling and stainless steel appliances, and amenities include a fitness center, coworking space, resident lounge and outdoor terraces. Pinchas Vogel of Landstone Capital Group arranged the debt on behalf of the borrower, Beitel Group.
NEW YORK CITY — Merchants Bank has funded a $60.5 million acquisition loan for Ocean Park Apartments, a 602-unit affordable housing property located in the Far Rockaway area of Queens. Ocean Park Apartments consists of two 26-story buildings that house one-, two- and three-bedroom units, as well as four commercial spaces. Roughly 70 percent (423) of the units are reserved for households earning 60 percent or less of the area median income, and the remaining (179) units are earmarked for renters earning 80 percent or less of the area median income. The borrower, local owner-operator Tredway, will use a portion of the proceeds to fund capital improvements and preserve and extend the property’s affordability status. Michael Milazzo of affiliate Merchants Capital originated the debt.
WILMINGTON, DEL. — NAI Emory Hill has brokered the sale of Lancashire Apartments, an 88-unit multifamily building located on the north side of Wilmington. The property offers a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units that range in size from 312 to 733 square feet. Kyle McLaughlin and Rich Dudek of NAI Emory Hill represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. Tommy Ciccarone Jr. of Bennett Williams Commercial represented the buyer, Berger Communities, which has rebranded the property as Larkwood Place Apartments.
EAST ORANGE, N.J. — Locally based brokerage firm The Kislak Co. Inc. has negotiated a $6.3 million sale of Arlington Court Apartments, a 53-unit multifamily complex in East Orange, located in Northern New Jersey. The three-building property offers 10 studios, 23 one-bedroom units and 20 two-bedroom units. Joni Sweetwood of Kislak represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which were limited liability companies, in the transaction.
American Landmark, Clearline Break Ground on 310-Unit Apartment Complex in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District
by Abby Cox
MIAMI — A partnership between Tampa- based American Landmark Apartments and New York-based Clearline Real Estate has broken ground on 2000 Wynwood, a 310-unit apartment complex located in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District. Leo A Daly designed the project, which will feature luxury studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Amenities will include a resort-style rooftop swimming pool, fitness center, resident lounge, coworking areas and 308 private parking spaces. A timeline for completion was not disclosed.
Wakeland Housing, MVE + Partners Break Ground on $140M Affordable Housing Complex in San Diego
by Amy Works
SAN DIEGO — Wakeland Housing and MVE + Partners have broken ground on The Becker, a $140 million affordable housing complex in San Diego’s Mission Valley neighborhood. The property is part of the $4 billion Riverwalk development in San Diego — a mixed-use and recreational project master-planned by MVE + Partners that will convert a former golf course into a 195-acre mixed-use, transit-oriented development. The Becker is the first phase of Riverwalk’s affordable component and will be the first housing project to open within the development. Designed by MVE + Partners, The Becker comprises 227,000 square feet spanning three buildings offering a total of 190 units. The four- and five-story buildings are dedicated to tenants making between 30 to 60 percent of the area median income. The property will feature 46 one-bedroom, 89 two-bedroom and 55 three-bedroom units. The property will also include a second-floor courtyard and play area, a community room with a kitchen and computer stations, a central laundry room and onsite leasing office alongside 95 bike spaces and 100 parking spaces, including EV chargers. Slated for completion in 2027, The Becker is located at 6364 Village Drive. Level 10 Construction is serving as general contractor for the project.
Integrated Senior Foundation Receives $79.3M Acquisition Financing for Three Seniors Housing Communities in Oregon, Montana
by Amy Works
BREA, CALIF. — Integrated Senior Foundation, a nonprofit senior living provider, has received $79.3 million in tax-exempt, floating-rate financing for the acquisition of three properties located in Oregon and Montana. The communities include Magnolia Gardens in Cottage Grove, Ore.; Wiley Creek in Sweet Home, Ore.; and The Lodge in Great Falls, Mont. Together, the properties total 287 units, with 23 independent living, 190 assisted living and 74 memory care units. Magnolia Gardens features 101 units with a full continuum of care. Wiley Creek comprises 108 units, including independent living, assisted living and memory care residences. The Lodge totals 78 assisted living units. JLL secured the financing on behalf of Brea, Calif.-based Integrated Senior Foundation.