SAN FRANCISCO — ACORE Capital, a global credit manager focused on commercial real estate lending, has raised $1 billion to launch ACORE Hospitality Partners (AHP). Backed by a group of institutions, AHP is an investment strategy focused on providing North American hotel operators with rescue capital to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. AHP’s strategy is to originate and acquire structured hotel debt investments, including senior and mezzanine loans, B-notes and preferred equity. The investment strategy will invest across the entire spectrum of hotel types, ranging from high-end luxury resorts to smaller limited-service hotels, focusing on assets in high-barrier markets with compelling rebound characteristics. “The pandemic has had a disproportionate and historic impact on the lodging industry leading to unprecedented distress and liquidity issues for hotel owners,” says Warren de Haan, managing partner at ACORE. “We formed ACORE Hospitality Partners to solve this liquidity crisis by providing hotel owners with the capital they require to continue operations and keep people working.” AHP will benefit from ACORE’s extensive experience originating and managing debt investments. Since its inception in 2015, ACORE has originated more than $4.2 billion of hospitality investments. The ACORE team includes more than 80 commercial real estate finance professionals that …
BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. — New Jersey-based developer The Connell Company is underway on The Park, a $400 million mixed-use redevelopment project in the Northern New Jersey community of Berkeley Heights. The development spans 185 acres and will feature office, hospitality, residential and retail uses, as well as a network of jogging and nature trails, upon completion in 2023. Connell is set to begin construction this year on The District, a phase that will include some 300 apartments, as well as retail and entertainment space. The previous phase featured office space that opened last summer.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has submitted plans for a 690-bed residence hall for graduate students at 269-301 Vassar St. on the university’s campus in Cambridge, according to reports by development tracking platform Bldup. The university will develop the project with American Campus Communities, according to reports, in order to “allow MIT the financial flexibility and resources necessary to expand bed capacity and expedite capital renewal improvements.” Further details on the development were not announced.
WILLOW GROVE, PA. — College Town Communities will develop a 132-unit student housing development near the Penn State Abington campus in Willow Grove, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The developer recently acquired the four-acre development site from Fairhill Properties for $2.5 million. Chris Pennington of Binswanger Commercial Real Estate Services brokered the land deal. The new development will offer fully furnished two-bedroom units alongside communal amenities including a clubhouse, fitness center, business center, café, media lounge and a resort-style pool. The groundbreaking is scheduled for spring.
WATERTOWN, MASS. — A joint venture between Harrison Street Real Estate Capital and LCB Senior Living has acquired The Residence at Watertown Square, a 90-apartment senior living community located in the western Boston suburb of Watertown. Developed in 2014, the community features 19 independent living units, 46 assisted living units and 25 memory care units. Newmark’s Sarah Anderson, Ryan Maconachy, Chad Lavender, Ross Sanders and David Fasano arranged an undisclosed amount of acquisition financing for the transaction. The seller was also undisclosed.
WAYNE, N.J. — Discount hardware and equipment retailer Harbor Freight Tools has opened a 16,000-square-foot store in Wayne, located outside of New York City. Lew Finkelstein, C.J. Huter and Roy Paret of The Goldstein Group represented the Landlord, Glen Eagle Shopping Center LLC, in the lease negotiations. Marcus Bourn and Andrew Connolly of Newmark represented the tenant.
BOSTON — Newmark has arranged the $1.5 billion recapitalization of 401 Park Drive and 201 Brookline Ave. in Boston’s Fenway submarket. The 1.5 million-square-foot campus sits on nearly nine acres. Concurrent with the financing transaction, Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. acquired a majority stake in the campus. The seller is a joint venture between institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Global Alternatives and Samuels & Associates. Boston-based Samuels will retain a minority interest in the campus and continue to operate, lease and lead development activities for the property in conjunction with the new majority owner. The asset at 401 Park Drive is an existing 973,145-square-foot office and retail tower. It is currently 93 percent occupied. The second property, 201 Brookline Ave., is a 510,116-square-foot laboratory and office tower that is currently under construction. It is 17 percent pre-leased with tenants expected to take occupancy in 2022. There is also potential for an additional phase of commercial development at the site. Located next to an MBTA Green Line station, the campus incorporates a recently created 1.1-acre park that provides direct access to new retailers Time Out Market and Trillium Brewing Co. The park also features an ice-skating rink in the winter. …
DANIA BEACH, FLA. —The Estate Cos., a multifamily developer based in Miami, has secured $55.5 million in construction financing for Soleste Cityline. The eight-story property will be a Class A, mixed-use community with 340 rental units and 12,800 square feet of retail at 4 North Federal Highway in Dania Beach. Soleste Cityline will be located on the northeast corner of Federal Highway and Dania Beach Boulevard, around 25 miles from Miami. Synovus Financial Corp. arranged the financing. The developer plans to break ground this quarter. Fort Lauderdale-based Merrimac Ventures is a partner in the project and will own the retail portion of the property, along with Miami-based Tricera Capital. The project will offer units ranging from approximately 600 to 1,200 square feet. Studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units include dual master suites, spacious walk-in closets, private balconies and a full-size washer and dryer. Soleste Cityline will feature a pool deck, fitness center, outdoor grilling stations, clubroom and private event space.
ATLANTA — Dwight Capital has provided $40.5 million in HUD financing for Walton Westside, a 254-unit apartment community located at 790 Huff Road NW in Atlanta’s West Midtown. Built in 2014, Walton Westside has one residential building and one garage building. Community amenities include a rooftop patio with a gazebo, swimming pool, dog park, coffee shop and an outdoor fireplace. The property is located 15 miles from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Walton Westside is Energy-Star-certified, thus qualifying for HUD’s Green Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) reduction, which was set at 25 basis points. Brandon Baksh and Karnveer Bal of Dwight Capital originated the loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower. Dwight Capital LLC is a commercial real estate finance company based in New York.
LAKELAND, FLA. — Lex Lakeland LLC, an affiliate of Lexington Realty Trust, has purchased a 222,134-square-foot industrial property at 5275 Drane Field Road in Lakeland for $22.3 million. The newly constructed, tilt-wall facility is located on 19.5 acres approximately 2.8 miles from Interstate 4. Ryan Vaught, Robyn Hurrell and Oliver de la Croix-Vaubois of Colliers International represented the seller, Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Bobeck Real Estate, in the transaction. The buyer, a New York-based real estate investment trust (REIT), was self-represented. At the time of the sale, the Lakeland property was 52.9 percent leased to Motion Industries, which occupies 117,440 square feet. Motion Industries is an industrial solutions company based in Birmingham, Ala.