MIAMI ¬— Eugene Rutenberg, a veteran lender and capital advisor consultant, has opened Celestial Fund I LLC, a capital advisory firm based in downtown Miami. The financial intermediary raises debt and preferred equity on behalf of developers and investors across several real estate sectors, including multifamily, spec home construction (non–owner occupied), hospitality, industrial, mixed-use and office. Rutenberg initially plans to hire two originators with at least five years of capital markets experience and an underwriting analyst who has at least two years of experience. The producers would join Rutenberg in the firm’s new downtown Miami office. Celestial Fund will work with capital sources of all types, including agency lenders, debt funds, private lenders, banks and credit unions, life insurance companies and CMBS lenders, among others. Financing options will cover ground-up construction, redevelopments, bridge loans, permanent loans and distressed debt opportunities. For developers seeking agency and private-label debt, Celestial Fund’s lending parameters are generally $2 million to $200 million for senior loans and $2 million to $20 million for mezzanine loans or preferred equity investments. The firm will also originate construction loans starting at $20 million. Rutenberg has over 15 years of experience in the capital markets arena. He has closed …
POMPANO BEACH, FLA. — The Collier Cos. plans to break ground this week on Atlantic One, a 303-unit luxury apartment development in the South Florida city of Pompano Beach. The mid-rise property will feature seven buildings with 10,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground level fronting East Atlantic Boulevard. Amenities will include a clubhouse, second-level resident’s lounge, modern fitness facility, resort-style outdoor pool with surrounding cabanas, private courtyards, dog walks and a rooftop plaza with a community patio and barbeque pavilion. Collier Cos. plans to begin leasing in summer/fall 2024 and to deliver Atlantic One in spring/summer 2025.
MAITLAND, FLA. — JLL has arranged the refinancing for The Q at Maitland, a 129-unit apartment community in Central Florida. Melissa Quinn, Lee Weaver and Rob Rothaug of JLL arranged the fixed-rate, Fannie Mae loan on behalf of the borrower, JT Capital. The loan amount was not disclosed. Built in 1966 and renovated in 2008 and 2022, The Q at Maitland features one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. Community amenities include a resort-inspired pool, poolside grilling station with cabanas, resident lounge and a 24-hour fitness center.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Quest Workspaces, a female-owned developer and operator of flexible office spaces, has expanded to occupy 25,947 square feet in downtown West Palm Beach, doubling its previous footprint. The company has been a tenant within the 21-story tower at 515 N. Flagler Drive for nearly 10 years. Vanderbilt Office Properties is the landlord of the building, which features an 11,000-square-foot rooftop garden, gym, two restaurants, a coffee shop, security desk, concierge, shoe-shining station, car wash and a salon. Quest’s amenities include treadmill desks, phone booths, chat rooms, a touchdown space, networking area and a garden wall.
POMPANO BEACH, FLA. — The Estate Cos. (EIG) has broken ground on Soleste Pompano Beach, an eight-story multifamily project located at 208 N. Federal Highway in South Florida’s Broward County. Upon completion, the community will feature 253 apartments in one- and two-bedroom configurations and 4,000 square feet of commercial space. Amenities will include a pool and sun deck, fitness center and a picnic area. The property will also include a parking garage with 367 spaces and an additional 11 spaces at ground level.
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — Asana Partners has announced the addition of five new tenants to Sunset Harbour, a 21,000-square-foot retail center in Miami Beach. Restaurants Casa Bufala, Sacro and Nautical Bowls will occupy 2,500, 2,813 and 950 square feet, respectively. Chip City Cookies will also join the food-and-beverage lineup, leasing 980 square feet. Additionally, fitness and wellness club The Outsider will open a 2,006-square-foot location.
SPRING HILL, FLA. — Associated Bank has provided an $8.6 million loan to an affiliate of Metro Storage LLC for the construction of a self-storage facility located in Spring Hill. Upon completion, the development will comprise 62,856 square feet across 543 units, 504 of which will be climate-controlled. The property will also feature 83 covered and 31 uncovered RV and boat parking spaces. Edward Notz of Associated Bank’s Commercial Real Estate Division originated the loan.
MIAMI — Berkadia has arranged a $113 million loan to refinance Gateway at Wynwood, a 220,000-square-foot office building located at 2616 N. Miami Ave. in Miami that opened last year. Charles Foschini, Christopher Apone and Robert Iudice of Berkadia’s South Florida office arranged the loan through A10 Capital on behalf of the borrower and developer, New York-based Rose & Berg Realty Group LP. The three-year loan features two one-year extension options. Berkadia also secured the original construction loan for the project in early 2020 through lender 3650 REIT. Designed by Kobi Karp, Gateway at Wynwood features a private rooftop terrace, 512 onsite parking spaces and 24,000 square feet of ground-level retail space. Existing office tenants include BoConcept, OpenStore and Veru, among others.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — SRS Real Estate Partners’ National Net Lease Group has brokered the $2.9 million ground-lease sale of a single-tenant retail property in West Palm Beach. Developed in 2022 at 65 Benoist Farms Road, the 2,866-square-foot property is occupied by Burger King and has a 20-year triple-net ground lease in place. Patrick Nutt and William Wamble of SRS represented the seller, Brightwork Development, in the sale. The buyer was a private investor based in South Florida.
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — A joint venture between Charles Street Development and ACRES Realty Funding has received $63 million in construction financing for Renegade Apartments, a 153-unit student housing development in Tallahassee. The community will be located blocks from Florida State University’s campus at 501 Chapel Drive. Bayview Asset Management originated the financing, funding the debt stack through its wholly owned subsidiaries Bayview PACE and Oceanview Life and Annuity Co. The project’s design-build team includes Humphreys & Partners, HPA Design Group and Ruscilli Construction Co. Renegade Apartments is scheduled for completion in 2024 and will be leased and managed by Asset Living.