The seniors housing industry has had a rough ride through the COVID-19 pandemic. First-quarter occupancy clocked in at a record-low 78.8 percent, a drop of 870 basis points from the year prior, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). But seniors housing is a needs-based product, and most industry professionals expect a strong rebound. As a result, new construction projects are starting to make a comeback in preparation for pent-up demand. That was the topic of discussion during “The Power Panel: CEOs Discuss the State of Development” at France Media’s InterFace Seniors Housing Development, Design & Finance conference, held virtually on April 20 and 21. Panelists included Marco Vakili of Alliance Residential; Keven Bennema of Charter Senior Living; moderator Kevin Kinigstein of Cox, Castle & Nicholson; Scott Stewart of Capitol Seniors Housing; and Torsten Hirche of Transforming Age. “The pandemic was a double whammy. Revenue is going down and expenses are going up,” said Stewart. “The good news is it wasn’t as bad as we thought. Fast forward to where we are today, we’re essentially at the same occupancy level as we were in March of 2020. That gave us the green light for developing.” …
Seniors Housing
Affordable HousingBuild-to-RentFeaturesMultifamilySeniors HousingSingle-Family RentalStudent HousingWestern Feature Archive
‘Astronomical’ Multifamily Investment Demand Drives Up Pricing, Says Marcus & Millichap’s IPA Panel
by John Nelson
The U.S. multifamily sector remains an attractive option for real estate investors looking for a safe haven. Beyond the pool of traditional buyers who are actively acquiring apartment properties, the sector has become a landing spot for companies that aren’t legacy multifamily owners. Steven DeFrancis, CEO of Cortland, cited REITs like Blackstone Real Estate Investment Trust as newly establishing a presence in the multifamily sector. BREIT recently made a $240 million preferred equity investment in Tricon Residential connected with Tricon’s purchase of single-family rental (SFR) homes in Nashville. Nuveen Real Estate is also a recent institutional investor entrant in the emerging SFR sector. “We’re seeing a lot of new capital, whether it’s coming from overseas or from here,” said DeFrancis. “Institutional capital is continuing to move into real estate, and then within real estate there’s a lot of movement from other sectors into multifamily.” Jessica Levin, senior director of acquisitions at Intercontinental Real Estate Corp., said that the influx of capital into the U.S. apartment market the past six months has been “astronomical.” She also said that there’s no slowdown ahead. “Competition is stiffer now than in the past 10 to 15 years, and it’s only going to increase from …
ANAHEIM HILLS, CALIF. — Avanath Capital Management has purchased Overlook at Anaheim Hills, a seniors housing property located at 145-235 S. Festival Drive in Anaheim Hills. An undisclosed seller sold the property for $87.5 million. Built in 2001, Overlook consists of seven two- and three-story garden-style buildings offering a total of 261 units with an average unit size of 751 square feet. Community amenities include a community center, clubhouse, business center, pool, spa, fitness center and billiard room. At the time of sale, the property was nearly 100 percent occupied. Avanath plans to implement a variety of capital improvements to the property, including renovating the clubhouse and community spaces, adding a dog park and implementing sustainability initiatives to reduce the property’s carbon footprint and generate energy savings.
GARLAND, TEXAS — Locally based developer Palladium USA is underway on construction of a 122-unit mixed-income seniors housing project in Garland, a northeastern suburb of Dallas. Designed by HEDK Architects, the development will consist of 92 units that will be reserved for renters aged 62 and above who earn 60 percent or less of the area median income. The remaining 30 units will be rented at market rates. Amenities will include a fitness center, computer lab, library and a theater. Completion is scheduled for June 2022.
ATLANTIC CITY — Standard Communities has purchased Baltic Plaza Apartments, a 169-unit affordable seniors housing property in Atlantic City. The new ownership plans to invest about $10 million in capital improvements to the property, which was originally built in 1982. Standard Communities completed this transaction in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and the New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency. The transaction was financed with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits arranged in partnership with PNC Bank, with additional financing provided by Citibank.
RICHFIELD, MINN. — Dwight Capital has provided a $22.2 million HUD-insured loan for the refinancing of Gramercy Park Cooperative at Lake Shore Drive in Richfield, an inner-ring suburb of the Twin Cities. The 157-unit senior living community rises 12 stories on 1.7 acres. Amenities include a library, fitness room, hair salon, community room, grocery store, individual storage space and exterior gardens. Josh Sasouness of Dwight originated the 223(a)(7) loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — MassDevelopment has issued $18.7 million in tax-exempt bond financing for Cambridge Housing Authority’s acquisition and renovation of Harry S. Truman Apartments, a 59-unit affordable seniors housing community in Cambridge. In addition to the tax-exempt bond financing, MassDevelopment assisted the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development with the approval of federal low-income housing tax credits, which will provide approximately $13.8 million in equity for the project. Boston Private Bank purchased the bonds.
OMAHA, NEB. — Greystone has provided an $11.9 million HUD-insured loan for the refinancing of Heritage Pointe Assisted Living in Omaha. The community features 108 assisted living beds and 20 memory care beds. Amenities include full dining service, recreational activities, exercise facilities, a movie theater and a salon. Eric Rosenstock and Jesse Yodice of Greystone originated the financing on behalf of the borrower, Heritage Communities. The 35-year loan features a fixed interest rate.
NEW YORK CITY — A joint venture between development and investment firm Olshan Properties and New York City-based O’Connor Capital Partners has broken ground on Parkchester Gardens, a 221-unit affordable senior living project in the Parkchester area of The Bronx. Units will be reserved for renters earning 50 percent or less of the area median income. Wells Fargo is financing the project in conjunction with the New York City Housing Development Corp. and the Department of Housing Preservation & Development. Completion is slated for the middle of 2023.
MEDWAY, MASS. — Salmon Health & Retirement has started taking reservations at Salmon at Medway, a 57-acre seniors housing campus in the Boston suburb of Medway. The community will offer cottage and apartment-style independent living together with apartment-style assisted living and memory care. The number of units was not disclosed.