NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between locally based developer Slate Property Group and RiseBoro Community Partnership has purchased the 350-room JFK Hilton Hotel in Queens with plans to convert the property into a 318-unit affordable housing complex. The partnership purchased the hotel, which was originally built in 1987 and is located about half a mile from JFK International Airport, for $64 million. The new complex will be known as Baisley Pond Park Residences and will house studio, one- and two-bedroom units and amenities such as a fitness center, computer lounge and multiple common rooms. Monthly rents will range from $784 for a studio to $1,493 for a two-bedroom apartment. As part of the conversion, the development team will replace all major building and mechanical systems, including new all-electric heating and cooling systems to reduce emissions. Aufgang Architects is designing the project, which has a total price tag of about $167 million and is expected to take about 21 months to complete.
New York
NEW YORK CITY — JLL has negotiated a 13,815-square-foot office lease at 860 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan. The six-story building was originally constructed in 1926 and underwent a capital improvement program in 2019. Seth Hecht and Thomas Swartz of JLL represented the landlord, Gordon Property Group, in the lease negotiations. Michael Movshovich and Troy Elias of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant, mortgage servicing platform Valon Technologies, which will occupy the entire fourth floor.
NEW YORK CITY — Boston-based developer The Davis Cos. has broken ground on a 97-unit multifamily project at 1975 Madison Ave. in Harlem. Designed by DXA Studio and built by Broadway Construction Group, the eight-story building will house one- and two-bedroom units, with 30 percent of the residences earmarked as affordable housing. Amenities will include a fitness center, resident lounge, coworking space, pet spa and a rooftop terrace. Completion is slated for late 2025.
Related Cos., Sterling Equities Break Ground on 2,500-Unit Willets Point Affordable Housing Project in Queens
by Katie Sloan
NEW YORK CITY — Queens Development Group, a joint venture between Related Cos. and Sterling Equities, has broken ground on the first phase of a 2,500-unit affordable housing project in the New York City borough of Queens. The project, named Willets Point, will be the city’s largest affordable housing development in 40 years, according to the joint venture. Wells Fargo has arranged a total of $360 million in financing for Phase I of the development, with a $236.5 million construction loan and $123.5 million Low-Income Housing Tax Credit investment. Phase I of the development will feature two mid-rise buildings offering a combined 880 units of affordable housing. Forty percent of units will be reserved for residents earning at or below 60 percent of the area median income, and 15 percent of units will be set aside for tenants that formerly experienced homelessness. Amenities will include a landscaped inner courtyard, laundry facilities, lounge space with access to outdoor terraces, bicycle storage and ground-floor retail space. The development will also include infrastructure investments like new streets, signage, sidewalks, trees, lights, drainage, stormwater management, water hydrants, sewers and utilities. Future components of the development will include a 650-seat standalone public school, New York …
NEW YORK CITY — Wells Fargo has provided $293 million in Fannie Mae financing for Lyra, a 590-unit apartment building in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards neighborhood. The property was completed in 2022 and features Class A amenities, a full-time doorman and ground-floor retail space. Additionally, 30 percent of the units are designated as affordable housing. The five-year loan retires a $225 million construction loan that Wells Fargo provided in 2019. Matthew Wiener and Preyaa Strzalkowski of Wells Fargo originated the financing on behalf of the borrower, an affiliate of Rockrose Development.
NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between two locally based firms, EJS Group and New Hope Capital, has received $108.1 million in construction financing for a 240-unit multifamily project in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. The development at 12 Halsey St. will consist of three buildings, with 30 percent of the units to be reserved as affordable housing. Amenities will include a pool, fitness center, tenant lounge and rooftop garden, as well as ground-floor retail space. Completion is slated for fall 2025. The financing package consists of an $83.1 million senior mortgage loan from Bank OZK and $25 million in mezzanine financing from CanAm Enterprises. Aaron Appel of Walker & Dunlop arranged the debt on behalf of the developers.
NEW YORK CITY — Five tenants have signed leases for office and showroom space at 1 East 33rd Street, a 160,000-square-foot building in Midtown Manhattan. The tenants are apparel company Q4 Designs (26,504 square feet); pet products provider European Home Designs (13,027 square feet), home furnishings firm Franco Manufacturing (6,894 square feet); Regal Jewelry (13,027 square feet); and Jem International (18,624 square feet). Koeppel Rosen LLC owns the building, which was originally constructed in 1913 and is now fully leased.
NEW YORK CITY — Two healthcare users have signed leases totaling 10,300 square feet at Hutchinson Metro Center in The Bronx. North Bronx Orthopedic & Spine Group has committed to 5,121 square feet, and MJHS Health System has inked a deal for 5,179 square feet. The former was represented internally in the lease negotiations, and Bill Jordan of CBRE represented the latter. Simone Development Co. owns Hutchinson Metro Center.
NEW YORK CITY — Cushman & Wakefield has negotiated a 20,000-square-foot office lease at 41 Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn. The 10-story, 269,530-square-foot structure is known locally as The Pioneer Building and recently underwent a capital improvement program. Jason Kroeger and Frank Liantonio of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant, nonprofit organization Safe Horizon, which will occupy part of the sixth floor, in the lease negotiations. The name and representative of the landlord were not disclosed.
NEW YORK CITY — The Joyce Theater Foundation has acquired a civic building located at 287 E. 10th St. in Manhattan’s East Village for $16 million. The seven-story, 58,000-square-foot building formerly housed a Boys & Girls Club facility, and the Joyce Theater plans to use the space for rehearsal, performance and administrative purposes. Paul Wolf of nonprofit advisory firm Denham Wolf Real Estate Services negotiated the sale of the building. The seller was not disclosed.