New York

Knotel Files for Bankruptcy, Newmark to Acquire Ailing Coworking Provider

by John Nelson February 2, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — Knotel Inc., a New York City-based flexible workspace provider, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Knotel concurrently has agreed to sell the business to an affiliate of commercial real estate services firm Newmark Group Inc. (Nasdaq: NMRK), which is providing Knotel with $20 million of debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to help fund day-to-operations. The DIP financing, provided by a Newmark-backed entity known as Digiatech LLC, is subject to court approval. Founded in 2016, Knotel provides custom offices for company’s using an in-house team of architects, interior designers and workplace strategists. The total number of existing Knotel locations was not available, but Knotel has a presence in several global cities, including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Berlin, Boston, Dublin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto and Washington, D.C. Amol Sarva, co-founder and CEO of Knotel, cites the COVID-19 pandemic as a black swan event for his firm, which was hampered by companies opting to work from home during the outbreak. “The pandemic created a uniquely challenging operating environment, with significant impacts on leasing velocity and the rate of renewals in key markets, particularly New York …

February 2, 2021

Acquisitions Hospitality New York Northeast

Marcus & Millichap Brokers Sale of 207-Room Holiday Inn Hotel in Buffalo

by Taylor Williams February 1, 2021

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of the Holiday Inn Buffalo International Airport, a 207-room hotel, for $3.9 million. The property was built in 1968 and features banquet facilities, a fitness center, shuttle service, business center and an outdoor pool. Jerry Swon, Daniel Zagoria, Luke Prybylski and Will Nollmann of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, DSM California LLC, in the transaction. The team also secured the buyer, Stephen Development LLC.

February 1, 2021

Company News Multifamily New York Northeast

Meridian Capital, Barings Launch New Multifamily Lending Platform, Tap Former Freddie Mac Chief to Lead Initiative

by Taylor Williams January 29, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — New York City-based mortgage banking firm Meridian Capital Group and global investment manager Barings have launched a new multifamily lending platform that will be headed by former Freddie Mac CEO David Brickman, who left the agency late last year. Under the terms of the agreement, the joint venture will acquire the assets and liabilities of Barings Multifamily Capital and operate that entity’s origination and servicing businesses for its portfolio of agency loans. The philosophy behind the new venture centers on leveraging the depth and reach of the platform of Meridian Capital, which in 2020 closed approximately $40 billion in loans via deals with more than 250 unique lenders. The newly created platform will be operated as a standalone business under its own name and branding, which will be announced prior to the transaction closing. Meridian will own a majority of the newly created platform, the day-to-day operations of which will be overseen by Brickman. “Our partnership with Barings will enable us to join forces with one of the world’s leading asset managers and reintroduce Meridian to the direct agency lending arena,” said Ralph Herzka, chairman and CEO of Meridian Capital. “The addition of David Brickman to our executive …

January 29, 2021

Loans Multifamily New York Northeast

Greystone Provides $61.2M Agency Loan for Refinancing of Upstate New York Multifamily Portfolio

by Taylor Williams January 29, 2021

CANANDAIGUA, BROCKPORT AND FAIRPORT, N.Y. — Greystone has provided a $61.2 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of a portfolio of multifamily properties totaling 769 units in Upstate New York. The portfolio comprises the 295-unit Centerpointe Apartments & Townhomes in Canandaigua, the 160-unit Willowbrooke Manor Apartments in Brockport and the 314-unit Highview Manor Apartments & Townhomes in Fairport. Drew Fletcher, Matthew Hirsch and Paul Fried of Greystone originated the financing, which was structured with a 10-year term and a fixed interest rate, on behalf of the borrower, locally based investment and development firm Sinatra & Co. Real Estate.

January 29, 2021

Acquisitions Hospitality New York Northeast

JLL Negotiates Sale of 443-Unit New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott Hotel

by Taylor Williams January 29, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — JLL has negotiated the sale of the 443-room New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott hotel in Queens. The building spans 224,620 square feet and houses the Ditmars Bar & Grill restaurant, a fitness center and 13,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The property received $30 million in renovations in 2018, including reconfigurations of public spaces and meeting areas, as well as remodeling of guest rooms and upgrading of parking lots. K.C. Patel, Kevin Davis and Nikhil Chuchra of JLL represented the seller, Rubicon Cos., in the transaction. California-based ASAP Holdings purchased the asset for an undisclosed price.

January 29, 2021

Leasing Activity New York Northeast Office

Freshly Signs 92,306 SF Office Headquarters Lease at 63 Madison Avenue in Manhattan

by Taylor Williams January 29, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — Freshly, a provider of meal kit services that was recently acquired by Nestlé USA, has signed a 92,306-square-foot office lease at 63 Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The company’s new headquarters space will encompass the 12th and 13th floors at the Class A building. Eric Ferriello of Colliers International represented Freshly, which is expanding and relocating from a 20,000-square-foot space at 115 E. 23rd St., in the lease negotiations. Peter Duncan, Matt Coudert and Alex Bermingham represented the landlord, George Comfort & Sons Inc., on an internal basis. The building was recently renovated, and a 60,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market is planned to open on the ground floor.

January 29, 2021

Development New York Northeast Office

Tishman Speyer Tops Out 2.8 MSF Spiral Office Tower in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards District

by Taylor Williams January 28, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — Tishman Speyer has topped out The Spiral, a 2.8 million-square-foot office tower located within Manhattan’s Hudson Yards mixed-use development. The 1,031-foot, 65-story building encompasses an entire city block between West 34th to West 35th streets and from 10th Avenue to the four-acre Bella Abzug Park. The Spiral, which was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and is expected to open in 2022, is the future site of the global headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which will occupy 746,000 square feet. Law firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is also relocating its headquarters to The Spiral with a footprint of 531,000 square feet, while asset management firm AllianceBernstein has also committed to 166,000 square feet, bringing the building’s preleased occupancy rate to 51 percent. Tenants on every floor will have access to outdoor space as part of a series of spiraling landscaped terraces and hanging gardens that wrap around the façade of the tower. The building will also house 25,000 square feet of retail space.

January 28, 2021

Civic Development Multifamily New York Northeast

Madison Realty Capital Breaks Ground on 478-Unit Multifamily Project in Queens

by Taylor Williams January 28, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — Locally based real estate private equity firm Madison Realty Capital has broken ground on a 478-unit multifamily project in the Woodside area of Queens. Roughly 30 percent (143 residences) of the units in the building, which will also include 15,000 square feet of retail space, will be designated as affordable housing. Residential amenities will include a fitness center with a separate yoga room, a media lounge, laundry room, storage room, parking lot, bike storage, tenant lounge, rooftop terrace with a recreation kitchen and onsite parking. As part of the larger project, Madison Realty Capital is also developing a 78,000-square-foot public elementary school in partnership with the New York City School Construction Authority and Department of Education. The school will serve about 475 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. A tentative completion date was not released.

January 28, 2021

Loans New York Northeast Office

Urban Standard Capital Provides $20M Loan for Refinancing of Manhattan Office Building

by Taylor Williams January 28, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — Urban Standard Capital, a locally based lending and investment firm, has provided a $20 million loan for the refinancing of 265 W. 37th St., a 23-story office building in Midtown Manhattan that includes ground-floor retail space. The borrower, Meyer Equities, will use portions of the proceeds to buy out its partner and to fund tenant improvements and leasing costs at the 263,349-square-foot building. Charlie Brosens of Urban Standard Capital originated the interest-only financing, which was structured with a 24-month term and a 5.25 percent interest rate.

January 28, 2021

Leasing Activity New York Northeast Office

Beam Suntory Signs 99,556 SF Office Lease at 11 Madison Avenue in Manhattan

by Taylor Williams January 28, 2021

NEW YORK CITY — Liquor producer Beam Suntory has signed a 99,556-square-foot office lease at 11 Madison Avenue in Manhattan for its new global headquarters. The 15-year lease covers the entire 12th floor and brings the 30-story building to full occupancy. David Kleinhandler, James Whalen, Maura Flanagan and Joe Cybulski of CBRE represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. Brian Waterman, Scott Klau, Erik Harris and Brent Ozarowski of Newmark represented the landlord, SL Green. The building, which currently houses tenants such as Credit Suisse and SONY Corp. of America, will also house a global office of Beam Suntory’s parent company, Suntory Holdings.

January 28, 2021

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