AUSTIN, TEXAS — An affiliate of California-based Stratus Development Partners has opened the 212-room Cambria Hotel Austin Downtown at 68 East Ave., adjacent to the historic Rainey Street District. The 16-story, 223,975-square-foot hotel offers a pool, fitness center, 24-hour market and 8,300 square feet of meeting and event space, as well as a fifth-floor restaurant and bar and a rooftop bar and lounge. San Diego-based Azul Hospitality Group will manage the hotel.
NEW YORK CITY — Soloviev Group has announced plans for two residential towers in Manhattan as a part of the Freedom Plaza mixed-use development, a six-acre, three-block project proposed along the East River in Manhattan. The two high-rise buildings will offer 1,325 residential units, including 513 affordable units. Current plans for Freedom Plaza feature 4.8 acres of publicly accessible green space; a hotel; retail and restaurant space; a museum; the residential towers; and a casino. Local news outlets report that adding affordable housing to the development plans is a move to improve the proposal’s attractiveness amid opposition to the casino component. Soloviev is developing the casino in partnership with global entertainment owner and operator Mohegan. Mohegan is an extension of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut. The planned affordable housing component of the development will comply with New York City’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing rules, as well as all other applicable affordability guidelines. Nearly 40 percent of the total unit count will be permanently affordable and reserved for residents earning 80 percent or below the area median income. According to Soloviev Group, the proposed project will be among Manhattan’s largest inclusionary housing initiatives. “Affordable housing, specifically the creation of new …
ORLANDO, FLA. — A joint venture led by Trinity Investments has secured a $750 million loan for the refinancing of Grande Lakes Orlando Resort, a resort that includes two luxury hotels and a golf course. Situated on the south side of Orlando, the 409-acre development comprises the 582-room Ritz-Carlton hotel, the 1,010-room JW Marriott hotel and an 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman. An undisclosed lender provided the floating-rate CMBS loan to the Trinity-led joint venture, which acquired the resort in 2018. Since its acquisition, Grande Lakes Orlando Resort has undergone renovations to the rooms and public areas, as well as the addition of 12 guestrooms, new food-and-beverage experiences and a pool renovation that includes a new waterpark. Trinity estimates the renovations totaled $118 million.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Driftwood Capital has obtained $115 million in refinancing for Scottsdale McCormick Ranch, a conference center resort in Scottsdale. MetLife Investment Management, the institutional asset management business of MetLife, provided the loan. Driftwood’s $40 million renovation of Scottsdale McCormick Ranch Resort includes a complete redesign of all guest rooms, expanded food and beverage offerings, and the addition of 12 five-bedroom villas and a full-service luxury spa. Upon completion, the resort will be part of the Curio brand within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio. Built in 1976 and claiming to be “the country’s first true conference center resort,” the property is adjacent to two 18-hole golf courses. The resort features 90,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor meeting and event space, two outdoor swimming pools, a spa and fitness center, several food and beverage outlets, a speakeasy, and interactive venue space with a golf simulator and pool table. The property is located within the planned community of McCormick Ranch. Driftwood Hospitality Management, an affiliate of Driftwood Capital, will assume management responsibilities.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The RMR Group has completed the redevelopment of 20 Mass, a mixed-use building located at 20 Massachusetts Ave. in Washington, D.C. Office Properties Income Trust, an affiliate REIT of RMR Group, owns 20 Mass. The former government office building now houses the 274-room Royal Sonesta Washington, D.C. Capitol Hill hotel, which includes the new 200-seat French restaurant Bistro Du Jour; 183,000 square feet of upper-level office space; a 14,500-square-foot penthouse amenity space; and 13,800 square feet of retail space. The LEED Gold-certified property also features a new glass curtain wall façade and a 10-story atrium. The design-build team includes general contractor DPR Construction and architect Leo A. Daly. CBRE is the exclusive office leasing broker at 20 Mass, and JLL is responsible for retail leasing.
SAN ANTONIO — A partnership between Provident Realty Advisors and Trez Capital has acquired 42 acres in San Antonio for the development of a 215-site RV park. The development will be known as Roaming Trails RV Retreat (RTRV) Lake Calaveras and will offer multi-vehicle parking at every pad, back-in and pull-through spots, private fenced yards and weatherproof covers. Communal amenities will include a pool, package lockers and a dog park. Construction is scheduled to begin before the end of the year.
BURLESON, TEXAS — A partnership between Provident Realty Advisors and Trez Capital has acquired 22 acres in Burleson, a southern suburb of Fort Worth, for the development of a 196-site RV park. The development will be known as Roaming Trails RV Retreat (RTRV) Burleson and will offer multi-vehicle parking at every pad, back-in and pull-through spots, private fenced yards and weatherproof covers. Communal amenities will include a pool, package lockers and a dog park. Construction is scheduled to begin before the end of the year.
PHILADELPHIA — Florida-based investment firm DoveHill Capital Management has acquired a 329-room, dual-branded hotel in Philadelphia’s Wynnefield Heights neighborhood. The Hilton hotel was built in 2000 and was fully renovated in 2016, while the Homewood Suites hotel was built in 2005 and fully renovated in 2022. The hotels share 26,000 square feet of amenity space, as well as 1,300 parking spaces, and have jointly benefited from over $10 million in capital investment since 2015. DoveHill’s subsidiary, The Wurzak Hotel Group, will manage the property.
JERICHO, N.Y. — PX4 Development has purchased an 80-room hotel in the Long Island community of Jericho with plans to convert the building into a student housing community with one-, two- and three-bedroom units. To that end, PX4 has secured a long-term lease with The New York Institute of Technology, which has campuses on both Manhattan and Long Island. The development team is aiming to have the building ready for occupancy in advance of the 2024 academic year.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Seven Hills Realty Trust (NASDAQ: SEVN) has arranged a $17.3 million first mortgage floating-rate bridge loan for the recapitalization of Home2 Suites by Hilton in Scottsdale. The borrower is a joint venture between Highgate and Rockpoint. Located at 20001 N. Scottsdale Road, the recently constructed hotel features 130 guest rooms. CBRE introduced SEVN’s manager, Tremont Realty Capital, to the transaction. Tremont Realty Capital is an affiliate of The RMR Group (Nasdaq: RMR).
